POV
by Sean MacKendrick
Sean MacKendrick writes short genre fiction of any type he can manage, although more his stories end up being science fiction than not. He has multiple stories in the works and mostly updates his Twitter/X account whenever a new one is available. You can follow him at @SeanMacKendrick.
Download complete. Thank you for your purchase!
You can activate POV overlays at any time from the Visual Main menu. Invitations for POV pairing can be sent and accepted once both party overlays have been activated. Would you like to activate and send an invitation now?
It took all of two minutes after linking to each other’s point of view before they raced to the bedroom. Afterward, Gus lay back and exhaled in a low whistle. He could still see Ana’s view overlaid on his own. Focus one way, he was looking at a cobweb in the corner of the ceiling. Focus a different way and he was viewing the world through Ana’s eyes: watching his hand twirl her hair while she rested her head on his chest, rising and falling as his breathing slowed back to normal.
She asked, “So, did you like it?”
Now he was looking at Ana’s face, and also at his own face through her point of view. Both faces smiled.
“I did,” Gus said. “I really liked it.”
Gus looked back up at the ceiling, watched himself look back up at the ceiling. “I looked so powerful from your point of view. I didn’t realize. Did you like it?”
Ana laughed. “Big time. I thought my butt looked pretty good.”
“Can’t argue with that. What do you think, worth the cost?”
“Oh, hell yeah.”
#
Upgrade complete. Thank you for your purchase!
The Meta4 filter can be activated from the Visual Advanced menu. Please consider opting in to the automated feedback system to help us improve user experience. Would you like to activate the Meta4 filter now?
Ana said, “Wow, this is surreal. What do you think?”
The overlay image took a moment to clarify. Gus blinked as the second image blurred and morphed. When it snapped into focus, everything was the same except for the white marble version of himself standing in front of Ana stretching over seven feet tall. Muscles bulged everywhere.
He said, “Holy crap.”
“Same here,” Ana said. She was running her hands over her hips, turning from side to side to get a better view of herself through Gus’s eyes. “I am not this curvy. But thanks for the compliment!”
“Is this really how you see me? I look like a Greek statue.”
Ana pursed her lips in an appraising gesture, sticking out her chest. She gave a satisfied nod. “And I like what you’re seeing. I’d do me.”
“Oh,” Gus said, “I’m about to.”
#
Ana was sitting on the couch with her feet curled up under her when Gus returned from the gym. He took his time removing his shoes, waiting for her to look over and notice his forearms flex as he yanked the shoelaces apart, but she just stared at her phone, scrolling through various social media apps.
He sat next to her, and now Ana did look up. Her smile was sad. She put his arm around herself and said, “At least you think I’m pretty.” Through her eyes, Gus was glowing with a warm gentle light. Angel wings unfolded behind him to wrap the both of them.
#
“Can I help?” Gus called from the living room. Ana was opening and closing cupboard doors. “What are you trying to find?”
“Nothing,” Ana said. “No thanks, I’m fine.”
Gus leaned against the doorframe and watched her not be fine. “I think I saw your coffee cup on your nightstand, if that’s what you’re looking for.”
In Ana’s point of view, Gus was a hulking giant, crowding her.
“Yeah, thanks.” She brushed past him towards the bedroom. Gus himself stood back, while the enormous vision of himself loomed over her, getting in her way.
#
Everything through Ana’s eyes brightened when Gus walked into the restaurant. All the women were watching him. The men, too.
“I’m so happy you’re here!” she said as Gus eased into his chair and grabbed her hand. An empty wine glass sat in front of Ana.
Gus kissed Ana’s hand, and he was a tango partner in her eyes, handsome and suave. A rose clenched between his teeth.
“Me too,” he said. “We need to have actual date nights more often.”
#
It took a moment to realize what was wrong. Ana didn’t see him. She always watched him walk into the bedroom. Now she just sat in bed watching a show on her tablet and didn’t register that he was in there with her.
Gus sat on the edge of the bed and cleared his throat. No, she did see him. His presence just failed to make much of an impact. He was a faint blurry shadow in Ana’s eyes while she herself was a fat old grandmother, sagging into the furniture.
He squeezed her foot through the duvet. “Hi, beautiful.”
Ana flashed a quick smile, not really turning away from her show. Whatever she was watching was just a hum of distracting colors to her.
“You know you’re not ugly, right? I keep telling you how pretty you are. I wish you would believe me.”
Ana looked at him now, not crying but not far from it, either. In her eyes, he was laughing at her. She shrank, shriveling in on herself until she was a tiny mouse. She didn’t speak until he got up from the bed.
“Sit with me?”
“Why?” Gus said. “All I seem to be able to do these days is make you feel miserable.”
#
“It’s not about you.” Ana stood behind the loveseat, her hands gripping the back, digging into the fabric.
Gus scoffed. “If it’s not about me, why do I always look like the world’s worst asshole to you?” He tapped his temple.
Ana said, “You don’t.”
He tapped his temple again near the implant scar.
“Whatever. It’s me, OK?” Ana said. “When I’m feeling bad about myself, I tend to assume everyone else does, too. I can’t help it if you are always around to see that.”
“Always around.” Gus gestured at the living room. “It’s a one-bedroom condo, where am I supposed to be? Stop thinking that I’m taking up all your space!”
In Ana’s point of view, he grew even larger. Gus pressed his fists against his eyelids.
“It’s not like I’m blaming you,” Ana said. “Do you never just want space to yourself?”
Gus didn’t say anything. With his eyes closed her overlay was inactive.
In a quiet voice, Ana said, “I can’t help that you’re so much bigger than me.”
Her POV blinked on a fraction of a second after Gus opened his eyes. He was dark and angular, with dangerous edges. He said, “Are you afraid of me?”
“No,” Ana said, but turned away. “It’s not like I think you’d hurt me on purpose or anything.”
“On purpose?”
“You outweigh me by eighty pounds, Gus. You’re way taller, and I’m a girl.”
“Jesus Christ, Ana. I’m not going to hurt you. I would never do that, ever.”
“I know that,” she said. “I do.” From her perspective she was arguing with a giant fussy baby.
Ana said, “I can’t help the way I sometimes feel.”
#
“If we’re going to make this work,” Ana said, “we need to give each other enough space to be ourselves.”
“Of course,” Gus said. “I mean, not too much space, not like we’ve been lately, ha-ha.”
A smile faked its way onto Ana’s face. “No, I really do want to get back together, I’m just saying…”
“No, I know. Bad joke.” Gus took her hand and passed along a reassuring squeeze.
In Ana’s eyes Gus was a stick figure, boring and plain.
#
As Ana walked out she said, “If I’m so spineless, how is it I’m the only one strong enough to leave?”
Gus said, “I never called you spineless.”
“You didn’t have to say it.”
#
Are you sure you want to disable this user’s link to your POV? They will no longer have access to your shared perspectives!
“Just shut it off.”
User AnamariaTT22 has been removed from your list of approved POV viewers. AnamariaTT22 has received a notice of this removal.
“Good.”
Would you like to send a deactivation request to user AnamariaTT22?
“No. Let her do it herself.”
#
It was a year later, and there she stood. Shorter hair, but that was definitely Ana waiting in line for coffee. An image of the cafe from a different angle blinked over Gus’s vision.
She never removed his access. He knew he shouldn’t watch. But.
She perused the muffin options, each one a heavy candy-coated brick, before scanning the people in the cafe. Searching for someone. Gus watched through her eyes as she made brief eye contact and moved past him. He was just a blank face in the crowd.
Gus left without ordering anything.
User AnamariaTT22 has removed your access to their POV. We hope you enjoyed your shared experience! Would you like to leave a review?
Leave a Reply