Jessica opened her eyes looking over to the bed. Gerald was fast asleep as usual with his arms wrapped around her waist. She stretched her arms so she could see them before reaching down on her side of the bed for the stool. She walked her torso off the bed and grabbed the sling on the floor and put it over her shoulder. She then walked her torso over to her bed on the dresser and climbed up the stool positioned there. She put herself upright and faced her head towards the mirror and tidied up her hair, putting it into a bun like she did every morning. She then put her head inside the sling and climbed down off the dresser. Once on the floor she took the sling off and then opened the bottom drawer grabbing out a bra and shirt, and proceeded to get dressed before putting the sling back on. She left the bedroom, leaving Gerald with her lower half for now.

Out in the living area she climbed up onto the kitchen bench and took her head out of the sling. She reached over to her coffee cup and placed it next to the coffee maker and started it up. While she waited for the coffee maker she grabbed one of the bowls left out for her and grabbed a box of cereal nearby and began to make breakfast. She opened the minifridge resting on the bench and grabbed out the milk and poured it into the bowl before putting it away. Finally she opened up the container of cutlery and grabbed a spoon and placed it into the bowl. She began eating breakfast and waited for her coffee.

Jessica was thankful that she still had most of her neck, otherwise eating and drinking like this would be a bigger pain. However the trade off was she couldn’t wear less invasive neck braces as her head would slide right out. Gerald ended up helping her make a custom one, which had a frame around her neck and straps that wrapped around her torso. It was uncomfortable and she hated wearing it so only used it when she left the apartment, which wasn’t as much these days. She had tried experimenting with adhesives too, though they were even more limited in their capacity. They also came with their own discomforts. When applied to her neck it felt like something was caught in her throat, even before her head was attached. When applied to her waist it gave her abdominal discomfort. Though with her body, general balance as well as swimsuits and leotards usually did the trick in keeping her together. She didn’t walk as fast anymore or wear heels after a few near misses.

After finishing her breakfast and coffee, she put her head back into the sling and climbed down the stools, leaving the bowl and cup for Gerald to clean up. She placed her head on the coffee table and grabbed the baby monitor, placing it around her neck. She turned on the tablet and opened up an audio book before switching to the camera feed. Her head stayed on the coffee table as her torso went to fetch her legs and guided them to the bathroom. Besides showering this was one of the more awkward things about her current state. After she was finished she sent her torso with her legs back into the bedroom to put on some shorts for now and brought both of them back into the living area.

While listening to her audiobook, Jessica started doing some exercises. When she was first cut into three parts she struggled to get her legs to stand up on their own and usually had to get her torso underneath to lift them up, now she could get them to stand upright on their own, though it was still rather straining so she only did it during her workout or until she actually needed to do so. When it came to her torso she wanted to have better reach so her routine there was balancing on one hand while reaching as far up with the other as she could. When she first tried she hurt her wrist and could hardly move for the day. Despite the injury, it proved why she needed to learn to use one arm to move her body.. Another point of the exercises was to better control both parts of her body at the same time. It was something she never had to think about before, but walking with both her arms and legs as well as other actions showed how mentally straining it could be concentrating on the actions.

There were a lot of little things she enjoyed about being in this state, feeling like a spy with the baby monitor as she walked around the house was one and so was the muscles she had built up out of necessity. What impressed her the most was how much she had adapted to her situation and the ingenuity both she and Gerald had shown during this time. The positives are what kept her going but still there were so many things she could no longer do or struggled doing. Because putting and keeping herself together was uncomfortable she hardly left the apartment any more, though she had seen a few of her friends since the incident and explained that she had an accident and hurt her neck. She was too afraid to tell anyone else about her condition as she didn’t want to freak them out or if anything else might happen so besides Gerald only the magician knew.

One of the small things she hated was how long her hair was. She used to love having it down, but now that her head was detached it just got in the way, so she often had to tie it up. Her preferred choice was a bun as a ponytail still hung a little too low and sometimes Gerald would also pick her up by the ponytail when she wore it, as it was easier than grabbing the side of her head or neck, something she quickly discovered she hated. Even after she had told him, he’d still do it by accident, though was less likely to with a bun. That’s why she wanted to get it cut, though she wasn’t sure about doing it herself.

Jessica had finished doing her workout and was relaxing her body when Gerald finally came out. He had already showered and dressed for work. “Good morning,” he greeted from behind, as he went over to the kitchen and began making himself breakfast.

“Good morning,” Jessica replied, turning her head as much as she could but she wasn’t in the right position to see him. Another thing she hated about being like this. She missed just being able to turn towards him and give him a warm smile the first time they saw each other in the morning.

After he finished eating, Gerald walked in front of her and picked her up. “May I?” he asked, she confirmed with a blink. He pulled her closer and gave her a soft kiss, then sat down on the couch putting her on his lap. It was moments like these, that made up for the little things. Even though she was more restrictive when looking at him, other moments became more intimate and Gerald was always a gentleman.

They sat there quietly until it was time for Gerald to leave, he picked Jessica back up, gave her a kiss on the cheek and on the remaining part of her neck on her torso. She would never get used to that feeling and she never wanted to. He placed her down on the coffee table and went to leave before stopping. “Any plans for today?” he asked with a hint of guilt. He hated leaving her to go to work especially since she didn’t go out as much anymore.

“I was thinking about going to get my hair cut,” Jessica admitted.

“As in at a salon, not doing it yourself?” Gerald reconfirmed, sounding a little shocked.

“I’ll be careful, Whitney’s is only around the corner and she’s a friend, she’ll look after me if anything were to happen,” Jessica promised.

“It’s okay, I trust you I was just making sure that you were sure. Though, I’d like to call you during my lunch break if that’s alright?” Gerald hated the idea, though he knew Jessica needed to get out more he was just worried what might happen if she did. So he wouldn’t ask her not to go but he wanted to check in on her to make sure nothing happens as well.

Jessica tightened her lips, glad that she was too low for Gerald to see her facial expression. He had become a little overprotective since the magic show which she understood, it just got a little annoying. Especially since he was worried that she wasn’t going out as much and now that she said she was he questioned her on it. Though she was happy that he still knew her boundaries and asked if he could call to check up on her.

“I’ll be fine and yes you can call me,” Jessica promised as she walked her legs over to him. She gave him a tap on the leg with her foot. “Now go or you’ll be late for work.”

“See you tonight,” he said with a smile as he tapped the top of her waist. She hated that feeling but didn’t say anything as he left.

Jessica rewound her audiobook back ten minutes to get back to before the part she last focused on. While her torso was there, she got it to switch back to the baby cam feed and sent her torso up to the bedroom to get her neck brace and swimsuit, which she stored in the sling. She also grabbed some bandages just to secure her waist and torso a little bit more. She returned to the living room and turned off the audiobook and proceeded to get dressed.

Before Jessica could get dressed, she had to get undressed, and then put herself together. She started with the bandages around her body and then started to put the swim suit on, only bringing it up to her belly. She then grabbed her head and put the frame around her neck before. She carefully slid the frame down onto her torso, quickly made the straps into a harness, securing her head to her body. She finished putting the swimsuit on and made some adjustments to the neck brace and harness before she put her shirt shorts back on.

Once she was sure that everything was in place and secure she stood up and gave a test walk. It had been a few days since she put herself together and so had to readjust herself. She made a mental note to do this more often around the house, despite how uncomfortable it felt, just so she would be used to it. She walked up and down the hallway and once she was satisfied that everything was fine, she put on her shoes, grabbed her handbag, let her hair down and put the fabric neck brace around the frame. She took a deep breath and took a step out the door.

Jessica smiled and waved to her elderly neighbour, who gave her a sympathetic smile in turn. She took the elevator down to the ground floor, the sensation of the elevator moving threw her off a little as she thought she didn’t secure something properly. Once the elevator stopped she double checked herself and then walked out, towards the front exit.

At first Jessica took it slow, but once she found her stride she began to walk faster until she was a step or two slower than her usual pace. She only had to walk a couple of blocks to get to Whitney’s, an advantage to living in a small city suburb. She also came at a great time as only a couple of people were inside, and they were just finishing up.

Jessica sat down to wait for Whitney to be finished and regretted how tight she put those bandages on. It wasn’t too bad, just tighter than what she’d like, so she stood up again for now.

“Oh my god, Jessica?” Whitney greeted with a hug. “Caroline said you were in an accident, what happened…”

“It’s a little hard to explain, I hit my head so the details are a little fuzzy…,” Jessica used the same excuse as to not come up with a full reason like she told Caroline. Though she paused for a moment and looked further into the salon and saw no one else waiting. “It’s a little embarrassing, I’ll tell you after you finish serving,” Jessica pointed to the lady who was pulling out her bank card.

“Sure, just give me a second,” Whitney smiled and turned her attention to the customer.

While she was busy, Jessica took a seat in the salon and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked at her long hair and ran her fingers through it, trying to decide if she really wanted to do this. Then she looked at the neck brace, which made her feel like a fraud.

“Fuck it,” she said as she took the fabric brace off and reached for one of the clamps and released one of the straps.

“Are you sure you should be doing that?” Whitney asked, concerned as she walked over to Jessica.

“I’ll be alright,” Jessica promised as she went to release the second clamp and paused for a moment. “So I was telling you about the accident,” Jessica began. “I may have lied to Caroline about what happened.”

“What? Why?” Whitney tilted her head in confusion, it wasn’t like Jessica to lie like that.

“Because I was embarrassed to admit the truth and I wasn’t sure how she would react. Being a hairdresser you’ve probably seen some weird stuff, Whitney…” Jessica continued as she released the second strap. She felt the relief of not being pulled down towards her body and was now barely resting there.

“I guess I have,” Whitney admitted and waited to see where Jessica was going with this.

“This one’s going to take the cake, trust me,” Jessica delayed her story just a little bit further to confirm in her head that she was ready to do this. “A few months ago, Gerald and I went to a magic show and I was selected as a volunteer for the audience,” Jessica grabbed the frame of the makeshift neck brace. “He cut me into three pieces, only his magic blades were duds and now I’m stuck like this…” She said as she lifted her head off her body and held it so she could still see Whitney in the mirror.

“Oh, my…” Whitney gasped with shock as she leant in for a closer inspection. Jessica moved her head, to reveal the smooth skin where her head should be. To her credit, she remained calm and collected. “You’re right, this is one of the strangest things I’ve seen,” she poked the small neck stump. Jessica winced as the sensation, but didn’t say anything. “I understand why you were hesitant to say what really happened, I can barely believe it. Who else knows?”

“Just you, Gerald and the magician who did this,” Jessica informed her. “It’s been a challenge that’s for certain, I’m currently wearing bandages and a one piece swimsuit to keep myself together. Though it’s not as bad as the neck brace I just unhooked. It’s like wearing a second bra but worse.”

“Why am I the second to know? Surely this is something to discuss with friends or family, maybe even a doctor…” Whitney took a step forward and leant closer to Jessica’s face.

“Probably, but you're my friend too and it would’ve been awkward for you to cut my hair without telling you as then I’d need to keep the neck brace on,” Jessica explained, returning Whitney’s attention to why she was there in the first place.

“Oh right, haircut, sorry,” Whitney said, glad to have a distraction from the situation. “So what am I doing for you?”

“My hair’s too long in my current state, so I was thinking of a bob cut to my jawline,” Jessica informed her as she placed her head on the counter.

“I can do that and I think in your current state, it might be a lot easier to do,” Whitney joked. “But just give me a second first,” she walked over to the front door and locked it, putting a ‘be back in ___ minutes’ sign up. “As much as I'm happy that you confided in me, I don’t think my other clients will be as understanding,” Whitney explained as she returned to Jessica.

Being able to adjust Jessica’s head at will made giving her a haircut a breeze. Whintey was done in no time. “I wish more of my clients were like you,” Whitney joked. “So what do you think?” She positioned Jessica in front of the mirror.

Jessica looked at her new haircut and couldn’t quite decide if it suited her or not. The weight off her head was a nice feeling and so was not having her hair hanging loose but she had never gone this short before. She positioned her head on top of her neck and then put it down again. “Is it possible that this length both suits me and doesn’t?” Jessica asked.

Whitney spun the chair around. “May I?” she asked as she reached for Jessica’s head and took it without waiting for a confirmation. She held her out in front of her and tilted her slightly to examine her then put her back on her body. “I see what you mean,” Whitney stated, noting the difference between her with the body and without. “Though you did say you spend most of your time detached now, so it mostly suits you,” Whitney added.

Jessica’s phone began to ring so she reached down into her bag and grabbed it. “Probably Gerald, checking in,” she said before bringing it up to her head where she could see that it wasn’t. “Just a moment,” Jessica to Whitney who nodded and began to clean the floor. “Hello, Jessica speaking,” she answered the unknown number formally.

“Hi, Jessica, it’s me, Marvin… the guy who you know…” she instantly recognised the voice on the other end.

“I hope you’re calling about fixing me Marvin…” she said harshly, causing Whitney to look over.

“Well yes and no…” she could hear him sounding flustered. “What I mean to say is, if you can help me, maybe I can help you.”

“This wouldn’t be about how you’ve had to cancel your tour due to unforeseen circumstances. Those said circumstances being you can pull off your finishing act because your blades’ magic batteries ran out would it?” She was even less impressed.

“How did you know…”

“Because I’ve been googling magicians to find someone to fix me Marvin!” Jessica interrupted.

“That’s how I can help, if you help me. If I get my show started again, I can return to the spotlight, maybe find someone to help, I just need to be able to perform my final act again,” Marvin Explained.

“And in order to cut someone up without magic blades, you need someone that’s already cut up, is that it?”

“Yes, which is why you would be…”

“Goodbye, Marvin.” Jessica hung up the phone before he could finish.

“Why did you say no?” Whitney asked, holding the broom in her hand. “If he could help…”

Jessica got up off the chair and put her neck brace back on, though her harness needed tightening after taking it off. “His help would be touring across the country, in hopes of finding a solution. In the meantime I’ll be living god knows where working with the very person who did this to me. I doubt he has any connections anyway, otherwise he wouldn’t have called because he’d still be performing,” Jessica explained. “Can I use your back room so I can fix my harness,” she asked as her head began to tilt to the side.

“Understandable and sure,” Whitney gestured to the staff only area.

Jessica spent a few minutes fixing herself up and then went to the counter to pay.

“For that experience, don’t worry about it,” Whitney said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Jessica gave her a genuine smile.

“And don’t worry, your secret’s safe with me. Not that anyone would believe me anyway.”

“I appreciate that, though you can tell Caroline, I want to hear how she reacts before showing her myself,” Jessica gave a cheeky smile and left.

On the way back to the apartment complex Gerald called. “Just calling to see how you’re doing like we agreed, everything go alright?”

“It went perfectly, can’t to see you tonight and show you,” Jessica confirmed.

“Oh while I was at work, I had a missed call from Marvin, hopefully he’s able to help,” Gerald said hopingly.

“I’ve already spoken to him, he can’t help me,” Jessica didn’t elaborate.

“Oh…”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find someone, I’m not going to be stuck like this forever,” Jessica promised, even though she wasn’t sure herself. “Love you, see you tonight.”

“Love you too.”