Box of Souls: The First Orb

A naked body was laying on a table inside of an overgrowth covered tattered shack. The man on the table was warm and limp, barely wheezing as another much older man was scribbling black letters down on some tattered and stained parchment. Every now and then he would crumple up the paper and toss it across the room, the wrinkled ball bouncing off the broken boards being suffocated by vines and landing in a small pile.

The body on the table let out a moan as the man stopped writing and lifted up the piece of paper with symbols hastily written on the surface. Quickly, he brought over the paper, placed it on the torso of the body, and started chanting under his breath. The symbols started to glow and above the writing a small orb started to form, glowing and swirling with energy. The man on the table barely opened his eyes to see the ritual being performed on him and he nodded before letting out one final breath. The orb started to grow as the older man was chanting and then it darted about the room until it found the mouth of the now lifeless man on the table.

“Yes.” The older man rejoiced, stepping back as the orb disappeared inside of the man. He jolted awake and sat up with an alertness that shocked even the spell caster as he brought his hand to his chest.

”Master?” The youth had a difficult time speaking, the words coming out with breathy hesitancy before the old man picked up a pile of fabric and handed him his clothes.

”We shall call you Damien.” He said, patting the clothing before picking up a box with carved in details that matched some of the symbols recently scribbled to create the servant getting dressed before him.

---

”Do you have any idea where they would go?” I almost pinched my finger inside the buckle as I let it click and Damien was in the passenger seat, copying me and buckling up. His eyes were in awe of the car we were inside and his fingers danced along the knobs of the radio until it turned on, music pumping out of the speakers. The grin on his face was cute, not something I normally saw from Ray, and it found astonishment in the technology.

”This is so cool. What year is it?” Damien turned the volume up slightly until all we could hear and feel was the bass of the pop song. I quickly turned down the nob to be able to speak.

”It’s 2022.” I say after a chuckle.

”No way!” He really looked surprised this time, “I’ve been inside for a long time now.”

”When exactly did you get put in the box?”

“It was 1910 the last time I saw my master. My previous master. I have had iterations of them, but never one as young as you. They passed down the box to make sure the souls inside remained there. That’s why we need to go find them as quickly as possible. We’ll have a better understanding-“ He was cut off by the rumbling of the wood carved container which opened abruptly and an orb appeared through the window and landed inside, joining Ray in this small void.

“What was that?” I asked.

”That’s our first clue. The essence of whoever had their body stolen.” Damien opened the lid and looked inside. I could only think of these glowing spheres as souls which is essentially what they were, Damien’s and the stranger’s both swirling around inside of the bottomless box. It was a bottomless pit within the confines of the wood, but the orb’s remained calm.

”Who is it?“ I tilt my head towards the block and he lightly shuts the lid and turns to me.

”We can always question it. You can give them a little interview and I’ll go back in the box for a little bit. I‘m sure whoever this person is will like this body just as much as I do.” Damien admired his borrowed musculature again and I couldn’t help but feel the blood rush through my veins and my cheeks get hot. “If he tries to run off with my body, you’re the only one that can force him out, new master and all.” Without any other explanation, he opened the box and I saw Damien’s essence slide up from inside of his body, a dim light traveling up the length of his neck, and then out and into the box. My empty roommate’s body slumped in the seat, and I caught the box before it fell to the floor.

”Here we go.” I said nervously, reaching inside to grab the newest orb from the box and felt the vibrations on my palm as I lifted it to Ray’s agape mouth. His body quickly took the soul inside, sliding down his throat with a pop as the orb passed his lips and he jolted awake.

”What the fuck is happening, where am I?” A slur of phrases came out of him and I held up my hands to calm him down.

”Hey, hey, breathe.” I said, eyebrows raised. He started to mimic my breathing and I took deep breaths in and then let them out. This seemed to help tremendously.

”I was at the gym, dude, taking a shower when all of sudden I saw this thing in the mist and then it came directly at me. I blacked out and fell down or something because now I’m here.” He looked around and then he looked down at himself, shock appearing yet again in his facial expression.

”Okay, so, this is not your body, or your car, but I really need you to not freak out right now.” I said, placing a hand on his arm.

”What the fuck?” He yelled, pulling open his shirt to see inside. I could already tell he was enjoying it, especially because the growing tent in his shorts.

”Okay, that’s enough. What gym were you at.” I said, grabbing his cheeks and turning them towards me.

”Fuck, it’s the new one over on Main. It has a pretty amazing - “

”Okay, okay, what do you look like?”

”Well, I’ve been working pretty hard on keeping myself fit. This guy, though,” He scoffed and flexed, ”Fuck this feels amazing.”

“I need you to concentrate.”

“I’m like huskier, but I’m pretty built, I was wearing a black tank top and a pair of shorts,” his hands finally found their way around his bulge, ”fuuuuck this feels amazing.” I placed a hand on his chest with a slight eye roll and closed my eyes. The motion came naturally, and soon I was watching the guy’s orb slide out of his throat and back into the box. I popped Damien’s back inside and let him come to.

”What did we find out?” He asked stretching and adjusting the new hard on growing below.

”We’ve got both a location and a slight description. Not really much I can do when the guy was about to jerk off right in front of me.”

”It can be pretty overwhelming taking over a new body. None of it is yours and the sensations are just wild. Each person has their own pleasure threshold and pressure points that makes feeling different for everyone.” He was still adjusting his cock and I laughed as I pulled out of the parking lot.

---

“I stick out like a sore thumb.” I say through gritted teeth as I walk up to the counter.

”Hey, welcome.” The woman behind the counter is typing away at a computer in polyester workout gear.

“We just wanted to see about getting a membership?” I feigned a smile. I wasn’t sure if it passed.

”Alright, what’s the first name and what tier. We’ve got bronze, silver, gold, and black.” She barely took her eyes off the screen.

“What’s the lowest. I just need gym and shower access.” I said, wondering if that came out weird. She peered out at me, scanned my demeanor and then looked at Damien. Her cheeks turned cherry when he nodded and I slid over a debit card. Damien used Ray’s pass and beeped his way inside with a grin.

”Alright,” she scanned a pass for me and slid it over as well as my debit card, “don’t forget to download our app for easier access and to see how busy the gym is.” She nodded and went back to looking at the computer. I joined Damien on the other side and we surveyed the machines in the gym.

“Do you think he left?” I asked, staring at a guy lifting weights above his chest.

”No, he’s close. I can feel him.” Damien’s eyes were focused on the weight lifters when I noticed a gentleman coming from the showers. His hair was damp and he was wearing a black tank top. His shorts were bundled up in one hand before he tossed them over a machine and pulled out a phone. He seemed to be copying a guy next to him who had his shorts bundled up on his legs so he could take photos of his progress. The guy I was looking at just seemed to be checking himself out especially when he lifted up his shirt and stared at himself without taking a photo.

“What about him?” I asked, pointing in his direction. The man then slid his hands onto his crotch which made his eyes flutter. I started walking faster towards him, box in hand, as Damien went behind another set of machines. The two of us were coming at him in opposite directions at a relatively fast pace. He noticed me first, holding the box in one hand as I maneuvered around a treadmill and he took off in the other direction.

“Wait!” I screamed, reaching an arm out as Damien grabbed the man by his arms and pulled him towards the showers.

“The fuck, man, I’m just trying to have a little fun.” He said with a smirk as he struggled.

Damien almost tossed him into the lockers, but the guy slid across the floor and came to a stop with his head in his hands.

”Hey, be careful,” I said, placing a gentle hand on Damien’s arm. He looked down at my touch and he visibly relaxed. He was almost reassured by the touch.

”Look guys, I don’t want no trouble.” The first orb held his hands out in front of him with a permanent smirk.

”Listen, dude, or thing? I’m not really sure what you are yet. That body doesn’t belong to you.” I stepped forward slightly and he stepped back.

Damien grabbed the box and opened it, nodding at me. This was distraction enough and the man disappeared behind a row of lockers. A few moments later and the lights were completely out.

”I guess you’re the new guy.” His voice echoed, the sound distorting as I moved around in the darkness.

”Yep and - “ I wasn’t really sure what to say. The gravity of this situation had been weighing heavily, but it wasn’t until now that I really had no idea what I was doing.

”And he’s the most powerful one yet.” Damien grabbed my hand and placed a finger over his mouth when I turned towards him. He pointed at the door and I slinked back towards it, positioning myself in front of it as Damien went behind the lockers.

“Powerful? If he really was the ‘most powerful’ then you wouldn’t be chasing me around here would you?” His voice was still distorted and there was a light tap to the lockers. Either Damien was catching up to him or this first soul was playing with us. Either way, I didn’t particularly appreciate his lack of belief in whatever I had become.

A shoe skidded on the tile and I heard shuffling to my right. Out of the dark came the stranger with a gasped face as I reached out and slammed my fist against his chest. His body lurched backwards and Damien caught him just as the orb cannoned out of his mouth and into my hand. Without thinking, I grabbed the box and placed the soul inside before grabbing the original owner and slid it inside of his mouth. Damien easily pulled his body over to a bench while I grabbed the lights and we both waited for the man to come to.

”Yo, what the fuck happened?” He was rubbing his chest as he sat up and looked at us.

”Hey you had a bit of a fall there.” Damien said with a kind smile. The man shook his head and stood up, wobbling a little bit as he got used to being in his body again.

”Yeah you fell right into an open locker. It looked bad.” I added, patting this man on the back.

“Oh shit, well thanks dudes. Oh man, I‘ve seen you.” He continued to rub his chest and stood up. When he looked down he noticed an article of clothing missing, “aw man, did you guys undress me? What the fuck?“ When he turned to find us, we had already ducked out and found our way to the car.

---

I let the cushions of the sofa swallow me as Damien placed the box on the coffee table. He sat down in the armchair and looked over at me with eyes of concern, but also a longing.

”What?” I asked with a smile.

”You just, well, you really helped back there. I don’t know what came over me, I guess I’m just used to using aggression first. I don’t know if I told you this, but this is the longest I’ve been out of the box. At least the longest I’ve been out without being berated or ordered around.” He leaned forward.

”The longest? What do you mean?”

”Well normally I’m only there in case of emergencies. Most of my masters used me even as a bodyguard, but even then only when he needed it. I’ve felt so free being with you.” He was smiling too.

”Well, I’m not saying you have to go back in the box right now or anything, but that isn’t your body.“ I said, leaning forward too. I slipped a hand over his knee and he used an arm to pull me into a kiss.

”Oh wow.” I said when we parted.

”I just wanted to know what it felt like when it was genuine. I’ll let your roommate have his body back.” He opened his mouth and I watched his orb slide up and out, finding its place in the box. I looked at the souls for a moment, trying to figure out how I got myself into this mess. Never the less, it was about time to give my roommate his body back.

”Alright, back you go.” I pushed the orb between his lips and he gulped it down, coming to with a gasp and a series of coughs.

”Are you okay?” I asked, putting the box next to me.

“Oh fuck, did I get drunk? What is this?” He looked down at his arms and laughed.

”You’ll be fine in the morning, maybe you should go to bed.” I tapped his knee and he looked at me as though the tap meant something. It was almost a look of longing.

”Alright, well goodnight.” Ray said, adjusting in his seat. I turned the corner and stepped into my bedroom, placing the box, fully secured, on my nightstand. I couldn’t believe how fatigued I felt. My palm felt warm and my arm was starting to feel as though I spent hours working out. Even with that feeling, I soon fell asleep.

I woke up the next morning not to my alarm, but to the rumbling of the box and the blurry image of an orb swiftly floating by my face.