# The New You

As I feel my skin tearing,  
as I hear the sound of it ripping apart,  
I try to open my eyes to see what’s happening.  
But they won’t open.

A memory flashes.

*"You will be sedated. You won’t feel anything."*  
A fake promise.

I feel it—no, not feel, but **hear**.  
Maybe this wasn’t supposed to happen.  
Maybe the anesthesiologist made a mistake.

I hear more tearing. I try again to open my eyes.  
Nothing.

I force my mind to think,  
to remember how I ended up here.

Fragments surface:

*"It doesn’t work. We aren’t compatible anymore."*

Doors slamming.  
Sobs.  
A heart breaking.

Then, an ad. On my timeline.  
Or was it my refrigerator?

*A New Start. A New Place. A New You.*

My heart aches. I feel nothing else.  
I dial the number.  
An appointment is set for the next day.

---

A pinkish-brown waiting room.  
A well-groomed woman leads me into a somber office.  
A tall man with sharp features enters.

He speaks of new beginnings.  
A life with no pain.  
A promise of happiness.  
A **new me**.

Literally.  
A new driver’s license.  
A new address.  
A new look.  
A new identity.

I am stunned.

He shows me examples.  
They look happy.  
I want to be happy too.

I hesitate—  
Then, I hear a deep voice.  
I hadn’t noticed there was someone else in the room.

He sounds like God, if God spoke.

*"Try it. You’ll feel better."*  
*"We’ll support you all the way."*

His tone reassures me.  
His presence comforts me.  
Who is he?

I sign the papers.  
So many of them.

They explain technical things,  
most of which I don’t understand.  
But the voice promises everything will be fine.  
I believe him.  
I relax.

---

Later, the well-groomed woman returns.  
She takes me to another room.

They click my photos.  
Take my fingerprints.  
Draw my blood.

They ask me questions about my past.  
I answer.

Then I wait.  
An hour. Maybe more.

She comes back.  
Leads me to a dressing room.  
Tells me to change.  
I obey.

After that—  
A blur.  
A haze.  
My consciousness slips.

I try to open my eyes.  
Nothing.

I hear voices:  
Heart rate.  
Scalpel.  
A sharp clang as it falls.  
The sound pierces my brain.

Why am I here?  
What have I done?

Darkness swallows me.

---

I wake up in a new place.  
I don’t know how I got here.

A Mickey Mouse alarm clock jolts me awake.  
The room is bright.  
Clean.

I look around.

On the bedside table—  
A small booklet.

**“The New You.”**

I start reading.