Preface

Toby had never been what you’d call a “sportsman.” He didn’t care much for the teams, the stats, or the rivalries. What Toby *did* care about was winning --- especially when money was involved. So when he saw the betting lines for the local college basketball championship, something caught his eye. One team --- Bayport U --- was a heavy favorite, mostly because of their star player, Keith Landon.

But Toby had an edge. An ability. A trick. He could slip into people’s thoughts like a fog rolling over a hill --- quiet, invisible, but completely enveloping. He couldn’t control minds, exactly, but he could plant images, ideas, *identities*. And that was enough.

So Toby placed a \$1000 bet *against* Bayport U. All he had to do was make Keith forget, just for a while, that he was a basketball player.

All he had to do… was convince him he was something else entirely.

---

The Game

The buzzer echoed off the gymnasium walls, the court buzzing with the usual pre-game energy --- sneakers squeaking, whistles chirping, fans chanting. I cracked my knuckles and flexed my fingers, ready to make this game mine. We were undefeated all season. One more win, and we’d be champions. I could taste it.

But then, something *weird* happened.

First possession, I went to grab the rebound --- simple, textbook. But as the ball arced toward my outstretched hand, something flickered in my mind. A… pirouette?

What the hell?