Hope you enjoy this latest missive from me.
I'd also be very grateful for any feedback.
The Gift Of Teiresias
by Paul 1954
1 ... Pride and Joy
Stephen Walker lay back on the sunbed and gratefully soaked up the early
morning warm Mediterranean sun. This was the life !. He had arrived in
Skiathos, a small Greek island in the Aegean sea, with his family late last
night for the start of a two week holiday that his father had treated them
to out of the last of his redundancy money.
His father had been through a rough time recently after being laid off from
the factory that he had worked in since he had left school and was now
struggling to find a job. He still had his pride however.
This time last year he had promised the family a holiday abroad to
celebrate Stephen's anticipated graduation from University - Stephen had
always been the brains of the family and his parents had made considerable
financial sacrifices to ensure he had always received the best of education
- and he was determined to see this through even though he knew there would
be very little money left from his redundancy after this break.
Although Stephen, and his younger Sister Imogen, had argued that this
wasn't necessary his father, Bill, ignored all their protestations and
booked the holiday anyway.
They were a tight knit family and although Stephen, 22, was his father's
pride and joy Bill loved Imogen, 18, no less. Imogen worked as a
secretary/receptionist in the same company where Stephen had just accepted
a job offer and although she was nowhere near as clever as Stephen she was
happy with her life and looked forward to being a wife and a mother one
day, just like her own mother Clare. She was certainly no career girl ! For
the time being she wanted to just enjoy life and have fun.
These night flights had always upset Stephen's metabolism and he had woken
early after only three hours sleep to find the fine shafts of sunlight
filtering through the dark metal blinds of his room in the small hotel they
were staying in. He stretched his stiff body and, yawning widely, walked to
the blinds and pulled them open. He was greeted by a wall of light and heat
as the early morning sun imposed it's influence over the land.
Stephen felt so good to be alive. He put on his swimming shorts, walked to
the small and basic kitchen, and then poured himself a glass of fresh
orange juice and walked out to the hotel pool where he found that he was
the first sun worshipper of the day.
He had soon fallen asleep and had spent an hour relaxing when a loud splash
from the pool aroused him. He jumped with a start to see Imogen raise
herself from the poolside wearing a cobalt blue skimpy bikini cut high to
the hips.
He had always adored his Sister, in a Brotherly way of course, and sat
there appreciating the sight before him wishing that she wasn't his Sister
but another holiday maker like himself who was, most of all, available.
She was gorgeous ! He took in the sight from the bottom up. She stood about
5'5" with graceful and slim legs which led up to wide, but sensual, child
bearing hips that were without an ounce of unnecessary fat on them. Above
the legs her slim waist led to a pair of full beasts that were just about
contained within the top part of her bikini. She had delicate shoulders and
a graceful neck which was topped by the most perfectly almond shaped face
and beautiful , just below shoulder length, cascading natural blond hair.
The cold water from the pool had made Imogen's nipples stand erect and they
were clearly visible through her bikini top. He felt himself becoming
aroused, and guilty at being so, at the sight of this vision. She was so
beautiful - she would make some man very happy one day and Stephen felt a
momentary pang of regret that it couldn't be him.
She was well aware, as any young and vivacious female would be, at the
effect that she was having on Stephen and smiled gently and affectionately
at the sight of Stephen hastily attempting to cover the swelling bulge in
his shorts.
"Hi Bro" she called out to him, "up with the sun I see" she giggled as she
sat down on the sun lounger next to him.
"Hi Sis - nice cossy - God this is s.o..o.o glorious, I'm glad we let Dad
have his way. We've got to help them out when this holiday is over though,
they have both done so much for us over the years" he said referring to his
parents.
"Oh absolutely" said Imogen, "but in the meantime I think the best way that
we can help them is if we thoroughly enjoy ourselves, it's what they've
arranged this holiday for and we mustn't let them down. I know it's early
but have you got any plans for today - I fancied going down the beach and
seeing if there's any talent followed by an evening down that night-club we
passed last night?".
"No nothing yet but I'd love to do a bit of exploring at some time, maybe
we could hire a scooter and take a trip around the island. According to the
holiday brochures you can do the whole island in a day. Do you fancy
joining me - how about tomorrow ?" said Stephen.
"Yeah - I'd like that, but only if you take me to the club tonight - I
can't go there on my own, I'd look desperate".
"Don't worry Sis, I'm sure you won't be alone for long but I'll join you
anyway - I could do with a good night out myself - I feel like I've had no
time to indulge myself over the last couple of years and I feel in the mood
to chill out a little. You never know, I might just get lucky tonight
myself !".
2 ... Night Out
Imogen returned from the beach in time to join the family for a meal before
preparing for the evening ahead. Stephen had taken a bus down to Skiathos
town and had returned with a hired scooter ready for the next day's
excursion around the island.
"Hey Sis, are you still up for tomorrow? I called into some tourist shops
while I was in town and virtually all of them recommended taking a trip
around the North West side up into the mountain that overlooks Skiathos.
Apparently there is a ruined village, Kastronissia, that dates back
thousands of years and was finally abandoned following the German
occupation in the second world war. After the island was liberated an
earthquake caused extensive damage and the local's never returned" he said
trying to pique her interest.
"Sounds good to me Bro and, oh by the way, you don't have to worry about
escorting me tonight. I met a local boy, Marius, down at the beach and he
will be taking me. It seems like the locals here have a thing for blondes -
lucky for me - all the Greek women are natural brunettes. You don't mind do
you, I don't want you cramping my style?" Imogen said a little guiltily.
"I suppose not, I still feel a little tired anyway and could use an early
night before setting off tomorrow. You take care tonight, we don't want the
locals thinking English girls are easy do we?" he joked as Imogen slapped
him gently in mock indignation.
Imogen returned to her room to start the long process of getting ready for
the evening ahead. Stephen could never understand why women took so long
getting ready but had to admit that, with Imogen, the results were well
worth it. She came out of her room wearing her most seductive make-up, a
shimmering white sleeveless mid-thigh length dress that was bare legged
along with white sling-back sandals. With her matching clutch bag she
looked ravishing.
Stephen felt a pang of jealousy as he thought of how lucky Marius was and
how he wished how he could have been in his shoes this evening. He hoped
that Imogen would not succumb to his charms too easily.
"Now you take care Sis, don't let him take advantage of you".
"Get off my back Bro, I'm old enough to take care of myself now - besides -
Marius has been the perfect gentleman so far and so romantic with it. I'm
sure that he just wants to have a little fun with me and won't try anything
on" Imogen said resentfully.
"Brother" thought Stephen, "girls are so gullible" knowing only too well
exactly what any normal man would want to do to Imogen given half the
chance. He knew, however, that she was one tough cookie and was more than
capable of defending her virtue.
3 ... A Day Out
Stephen hadn't heard Imogen return having fallen into a much needed deep
sleep. She had spent a wonderful evening with Marius and, true to her
expectations, he had been nothing but chivalrous towards her. She suspected
that he was just warming her up for the main course tonight, he had
already asked to meet her again, and she was happy to be courted like
this. He was so handsome and she had never had anyone pay her so much
respect and attention before.
She still managed to rise early and after having a light breakfast was
ready to join Stephen for their island trip. She had dressed herself
casually in a sleeveless tee-shirt and a pair of light pink denim shorts.
As usual she looked extremely feminine and totally desirable Stephen
thought upon seeing her.
Stephen fired up the scooter's ignition and, with Imogen on the back
holding on to him with her arms locked tightly around his chest, set off
towards the mountain. He enjoyed the feeling of her soft hands grabbing
onto him and especially the feeling of her breasts pressing into his back.
It was another beautifully warm morning and both Stephen and Imogen enjoyed
the cool citrus scented breeze as they drove through the lemon groves and
row after row of olive trees. They were soon into and through the town and
were following a dirt track up into the, so called, mountain road he had
previously identified on the map.
It would be a huge exaggeration to describe it as anything resembling a
road. Skiathos only had one recognised road on the whole island with the
remainder consisting of poorly marked dirt tracks. This, however, only
added to the sense of adventure as they wound their way up the mountain
track until they paused for a break.
As they got off the scooter they took in their surroundings. The view was
absolutely stunning as, half way up the mountain, they looked down upon the
island's airport to see an aircraft 500' below them bringing in another
cargo load of holiday makers. The sense of peace and tranquillity was
intoxicating as they listened to the bees buzzing around them searching for
nectar in this warm sunshine.
Resuming their journey they carried on for another twenty minutes before
coming to the end of the marked track that was supposed to lead to the
village. It had been hard finding this track at all as the maps were a law
unto themselves and tracks seemed to come and go in all directions.
"According to this map the village should be about a mile or so off to the
North" Stephen said trying to relate what the map told him to the actual
surroundings. The footpath, which they could just about make out, took them
through thick undergrowth and eventually led them along to a coastal
walkway. Walking along the path for another fifteen minutes they came to a
causeway which led to a narrow natural bridge about 150' above sea level.
On a raised rockland they could see what appeared to be buildings, or at
least what remained of them.
"That must be it over there - come on Sis, let's go" Stephen said
impulsively.
Looking down was a long drop to the seashore with rocks scattered wildly
about. The village had obviously been joined onto the mainland at some
point and natural erosion, along with the frequent earthquakes experienced
here over the years, had obviously taken it's toll and left just this 2
foot wide access. Swallowing deeply Stephen said "well I don't know about
you Sis but I'm going across - I haven't come all this way to stop here.
That village look's amazing, , if we hadn't approached it from this pathway
it would have been invisible to us - come on, let's get across".
Imogen was less sure about this. "Oh lucky lucky us" she mumbled under her
breath not having the same enthusiasm for seeing an old pile of rubble as
Stephen obviously had ! "There he goes again, typical man, plough on
regardless and don't think about the consequences" she thought to herself
as she followed him onto to the bridge being more nervous about remaining
here on her own.
They crossed the bridge with no trouble. Once on the other side Stephen
considered it strange that they hadn't seen anyone else since leaving the
scooter. He did not dwell on this thought too long, however, as he stood in
awe of what lay before his eyes. All around in various states of disrepair
were the remnants of houses and habitats from both ancient and recent
times. Some of the outer buildings were in a very precarious condition and
very few of them still contained roofing or doors of any description.
He held Imogen's hand protectively as they entered one of the houses. There
was very little inside except rubble and some evidence of where there had
been a fire at some point. As they explored other buildings the same
picture emerged. Anything of any value whatsoever had obviously already
been taken he surmised, most probably either during or after the German
occupation.
Finally they decided they had seen everything worth seeing and realised
they had already spent more than enough time here and should be heading
back. Imogen certainly didn't want to be late for her date with Marius and
they did not want to get caught here after sunset being unsure as to
whether they could find their way back through the pathway if it got too
dark.
Just after they started to make their way through the village Imogen
spotted one building that still possessed a door. This was unusual enough
to make her exclaim :
"Hey Steve, look over there. That building has still got a door attached.
Let's go and have a quick look before we leave, you never know, there might
be something interesting in there".
"Unlikely Sis, it's certainly a lovely setting here but anything that may
have been of interest has long gone. Let's take a look anyway" he said as
they walked over towards the building.
Approaching it cautiously he pushed open the door and peered inside. It was
dark with very little light entering through the windows and it took a
couple of minutes for their eyes to adjust to the change from the bright
sunlight outside. He could now clearly make out a room beyond the one they
had entered and there appeared to be light filtering through from a hole in
the roof. As they entered it Stephen suddenly put his arm across Imogen and
called out "stop here Sis, this floor looks dangerous to me" as he peered
into what seemed to be a crevice running the length of the room.
He stepped forward slowly, testing the floor cautiously when all of a
sudden Imogen stumbled onto him bringing them both crashing down onto the
floor. The floor around them immediately began to break apart and they fell
six feet onto a rocky floor below. Stephen was winded as Imogen fell
heavily on top of him.
They began to pick themselves up and, looking around, found themselves in
what was left of a dark tunnel. Stephen dusted himself down and looking up
said "come on Sis, I've had enough of this, let's get ourselves out of
here".
"Wait a minute Bro, look over there" pointing along the dark tunnel to a
bright shaft of sunlight about 20 feet away. "That might lead to another
way out of here. If we try to clamber up to the room above we might just
find that more of the flooring gives way and I'm sure I've already got
enough bruises from the last fall".
"Well let's give it a try but it doesn't look very hopeful to me" Stephen
said as they started to walk along the dank and dark tunnel. They followed
the tunnel into the room and could see a large crack in, what appeared to
be, a cave wall from where the light was entering from the seaward side of
the rockface. Looking quickly around there did not appear to be anyway out.
There was, however, more broken rock which appeared to be covering another
hole
"In for a penny, in for a pound" said Stephen as they clambered past the
rocks into another chamber. This was more interesting. There still did not
appear to be an exit from here but, as their eyes again adjusted to the
change of light, they could see this room was relatively intact and must
have been hidden from visitors for a considerable period of time.
"This must have been some sort of place of worship, look over there, it
seems to be an altar" Stephen said walking over to the far corner of the
room.
"Look over there, there are statues set back into alcoves. Each of them
seems to have a marble plate underneath with some writing on it" Imogen
said moving towards the nearest alcove. Looking closer in this dim light
they could see that each statue seemed to be different but all depicted
some act which looked connected to the ancient Greek gods. The nearest one
to Imogen was a statue of a young and beautiful women, the nearest to
Stephen was that of a man striking a snake. As they looked around, taking
care not to touch anything, they saw the first statue depicted what must
have been Zeus, Stephen recognised enough of the writing underneath to
confirm this. Next to this appeared to be a statue of Hera.
"These look to be made of marble, or alabaster" Stephen said as he ran his
fingers along the female statue. He tried to move the statue to ascertain
it's weight but couldn't shift it. It was almost as if it were actually a
part of this chamber. As he touched the statue of the young female it
almost seemed to crackle causing him to pull back sharply.
"Hey did you see that Sis - this thing's alive ! " Stephen said cautiously
approaching it to see if it would do it again. "Here help me with this,
let's see if we can move it between us - I'm sure this is a real find and
we need to take something back as proof of what we've discovered.
"I'm really not sure if we should Bro, can't we just go back and let the
authorities know about this".
"Look, they're never going to come all the way out here on a couple of
tourists say so without some form of concrete evidence. Come on, help me
with this stupid thing" he said as she finally conceded and reached out to
grab the statue from the other side. As they both touched the statue the
crackling returned and was accompanied by a brilliant phosphorescent light
that surrounded and blinded them. They both collapsed to the floor and
passed out.
4 ... The Gift of Teiresias
Stephen was the first to wake. He groaned in a strange and unfamiliar way
as he pressed his hands hard against his eyes in an attempt to relieve the
pain and felt disorientated and light headed as he tried to push himself
up from the chamber floor. "God, what was that" he thought as he shook his
head trying to shake himself awake.
He felt something hitting the side of his face with the shaking of his
head. His sub-conscious realised it must be long hair and as he pushed
himself up from the floor he knew something was wrong ... something was
very wrong. His whole centre of balance had seemingly shifted and he could
feel a strange feeling of both tightness and movement from around his
chest.
He raised his hands to, almost instinctively, flick away the hair from the
side of his face and, even though his eyes were still recovering, he gasped
as he saw what appeared to be slim and refined hands. His confusion was
absolute when he felt what seemed to fingernails scratching against the
side of his face.
He fell backwards on his bottom in shock and, again, felt totally alien
feelings from this area - it almost felt like he had fallen on some sort of
padding!
He started to sob almost hysterically and was starting to hyper-ventilate
as he called out "S ... Sis, Sis ... h .. h... help me" before he pulled up
short as the sound of a soft and high-pitched voice echoed in his ears.
As his muted sobbing stopped he could hear movement next to him. He was
frozen with apprehension and he didn't want to hear his voice, or feel any
movement from his body, that might confirm the unthinkable that his addled
mind was beginning somehow to accept as fact - HE WAS A GIRL!
The movement next to him started to shape itself into a recognisable form
as it raised itself from the floor. "Bro ... Bro, what happen ..." and
stopped. Stephen couldn't believe his ears at the deep and raspy sound that
came from what he was expecting to be Imogen's mouth.
He recomposed himself quickly and looked closer as the shape redefined
itself into a larger and more angular outline than he had expected. As his
eyes finally cleared he again gasped in horror and his brain went into
overload finally blacking out as it attempted to deny what it could see -
he had been staring straight into his own face and this mirror image did
not move with him !
Imogen had been greeted by a similar sight to Stephen, that of looking
straight at her own familiar image although, even in this maelstrom of
emotions, she almost calmly observed how different she looked from a
different viewpoint. Her first thought was for her Brother. The only other
person in this chamber was this girl who looked just like herself - she had
also called her 'Sis' so she assumed that this girl must be him! She tried
to compose herself and went over to him (her ! - this was starting to get
confusing) and lifted him up from his (her!) back with an ease that
surprised her.
"Bro, Bro ... come on, wake up now" she said while gently slapping him
around his face. "Come on now Bro - I need you". She started to feel a
sense of dread herself as she heard her own deep baritone voice that
sounded remarkably like her Brother's. She looked closer at the arms and
hands holding this girl's body and realised that they were strong and
powerful just like Stephen's. She also realised, looking down at her flat
chest, that she seemed to be wearing Stephen's shirt - "HOLY MOTHER OF
GOD" she gasped aloud - "I AM STEPHEN".
"Wh ... what happened - where are we" Stephen stammered in his girlish
voice as he started to come around. He again started to experience the
warning signs of a panic attack as his heart started to race at the
familiar sound that same out of his mouth - it was the sound of his Sister!
"Easy Bro, easy" Imogen said as she put her, now seemingly, long arms
around Stephen's now slim and, seemingly fragile, shoulders. "God, was I
this delicate ? - it certainly didn't feel like it from the inside" Imogen
thought as she marvelled at the new feelings and strength she felt coursing
through her. The strangest feeling of all was that of a swelling
accompanied by a new, and never before experienced, feeling of intensity
and urgency from around her groin as her male body reacted to a helpless
female in it's arms.
Everything suddenly came back to Stephen as he stared into his own
concerned face. He again realised, a little more rationally now, that if he
was a girl and if that was himself looking at him then he must be ...
Imogen ! He immediately stared down and again looked at his girlish hands
and slim nails - he could immediately see the denim shorts and bare legs
that Imogen had owned only a few short minutes ago. He finally had the
courage to look at his chest and saw, from a different angle this time
which seemed to exaggerate their size, his Sister's breasts which he had so
admired only yesterday!
"S ... Sis, what's happened to us - we seem to have swapped bodies - we...
we've got to change back, we've got to change back. I can't live as some
weak girl" Stephen stammered as he again started to panic.
Imogen grasped him firmly around the shoulders and steadied him, how easy
it had seemed. "Hey, enough of the weak girl malarky, that's me you're
talking about here" as she got slightly annoyed at his reaction. Weak
indeed! Mind you though, she had to admit that the girl she was holding
certainly did feel light and fragile, had she really seemed like this to
Stephen ? She certainly wasn't feeling the same sense of panic that he
obviously was ! She did observe, however, that she HAD been prone to such
attacks in the past - "maybe it comes with the body" she thought!
"Sorry Sis, I ... I don't know what's come over me" he spluttered in
embarrassment. He had never felt so vulnerable before, he was usually so
confident and self assured !
All of this upset and nervousness manifested itself in a new sensation
that Stephen recognised as the need to relieve himself. It seemed to come
from a different area now and was certainly more insistent.
"Sis, I'm sorry about this but I've got to pee - how ... what do I do".
"Oh brother" she thought raising her eyes to the ceiling. "Go back into
that tunnel over there - you're going to have to squat somewhere around the
corner - I'm sure you'll find it all comes quite naturally" Imogen said
sympathetically. As he walked away she called out "and HEY - no peeking!".
He went into the tunnel until he felt he was far enough away to get some
privacy, but not so far away to lose the feeling of protectiveness he now
wanted. Removing Imogen's denim shorts Stephen thought "God, how am I
going to do this - it feels so strange". He lowered Imogen's panties and tried to
squat while supporting himself against the tunnel wall.
His new body's urgent needs stopped any further prevarication as he felt
the hissing stream of urine releasing itself from his body in an undirected
spray. He felt it splashing on his legs and didn't have a clue on how to
direct it away from his body. As the flow ceased he still felt wet around
his groin and guessed that he should now wipe himself - the trouble was
that there was nothing else here to wipe with. He was also scared to look
too closely around his unexplored genital area - he really didn't want to
admit what was there yet !
He pulled up the panties and shorts and felt disgusted at this horrible
damp feeling "Yuk, this is really horrible - I really hate this girl
stuff".
Walking back into the chamber he saw Imogen returning from the corner.
"Hey, I've just done the same as you - you men really have it so much
easier don't you - just unzip it, whip it out and bingo" she observed.
Stephen looked like he was going to burst into tears again.
"Look it's all right, don't worry" Imogen said as she held Stephen's small
hand. "Let's sit back here for a minute and think about what's happened.
You said the statue made a crackling noise when you first touched it and
then when we both tried to loosen it we were suddenly engulfed in a ball of
light. It's obviously the statue that did this to us and I suppose it's the
statue that could change us back" Imogen said almost with an air of
reluctance. As she searched her feelings she realised it might be a bit of
a blast to see what life was like from the other side of the fence for a
short while. "Stephen could certainly do with a bit of experience in
appreciating what life was like for a weak and feeble girl" she mentally
snorted to herself.
"Well come on then, let's go back to the statue and see if we can reverse
this" Stephen said dragging himself (herself!) up from the floor and
walking in a strange, to him, swaying motion towards the statue.
Imogen joined him figuring that she had better not indulge her little
fantasy - she did enjoy being a girl and wouldn't want to remain like this
for too long. They both held the statue in the same way as before but this
time nothing happened.
"Oh my God" said Stephen, "it didn't work, what are we going to do now?" he
asked on the verge of tears.
"Well I think that we should return back to the hotel before it gets to
dark - if we stay here much longer we won't be able to find our way back"
Imogen said walking back to the tunnel to see if they could climb out.
"Wait a minute - if we leave here how are we going to find a way to change
back ? And another thing, I can't go back as you - I can't be a girl"
Stephen started to wail.
"Well I've got news for you, unless you want to spend the night in this
dump we will have to go back as we are - you don't want to have Mum and Dad
up all night worrying about us do you ? And another thing SIS, face facts -
for the time being you ARE a girl so you had better start getting used to
it until we find a way to change ourselves back. Now come on, let's get out
of here" Imogen said as she went back pulling Stephen along with her by the
hand.
Stephen quickly screamed while trying to pull away "wait, just wait a
minute - if we can't take the statue then lets take the nameplate
underneath it, or at least copy it, it might be helpful in trying to find
out more about what happened here". They ending up copying the wording by
writing on the back of the scooter hire documents with an eyeliner pencil
from Imogen's bag.
"Now come on, let's go" Imogen said again pulling Stephen along by the
hand.
Stephen meekly complied and felt a little humiliated as Imogen easily
lifted him above her (his!) head and pushed Stephen back up into the room
with the collapsed floor. She easily pulled herself up after him and they
left the house back towards the bridge.
Imogen seemed all right crossing the narrow bridge back to the mainland
but Stephen was very apprehensive feeling the difference in his centre of
gravity more acutely. they finally got back to the scooter with about 30
minutes of daylight left.
"One thing Bro, or should I start calling you Sis, I don't know how to
drive this thing" Imogen said as she contemplated the scooter.
"OK then - I guess I'll have to drive" Stephen said mounting the bike. It
was a very different feeling for Stephen as they drove back to the hotel.
This time Imogen's hands, formally his, were held firmly below his breasts
and Stephen had to keep all his concentration to remain on the dusty tracks
in the fading light as these distractions were close to, literally, driving
him over the edge.
As they made their way down to the bottom of the mountain Stephen pulled
over for a moment and turned off the engine.
"What are we going to tell Mum and Dad, we're going to be stuck like this
at least until tomorrow when we are going to have to return here and see if
there's a way to change back ? " he said pulling on some stray strands of
blond hair.
"Look, I really don't want to worry them too much at this stage. It would
ruin their holiday and you can just imagine how upset Dad would get if he
thought his darling little boy was now a darling little girl" Imogen said
firmly. "I think we would be better off just seeing the night out as each
other and hope nobody's the wiser. We can hire the bike again if we go into
the town early tomorrow and we might be able to find something out about
the writing that we copied down that may give us a clue on how to change
back".
"I suppose that makes sense - it shouldn't be too hard being you for one
night I guess" Stephen responded.
"Good, let's get going then - don't you forget, you'll need a hour at least
to get ready for your date with Marius tonight" Imogen laughed.
"DATE WITH MARIUS" spluttered Stephen sounding ridiculous to himself in
this high pitched squeaky voice. "There is no way I'm going out with your
new boyfriend for you. This is bad enough as it is without some local Romeo
trying to get into my ... your, oh I don't know what I mean, my pants -
think again Sis".
"You think again SIS - you are not going to lose me the best looking piece
of talent on the beach for the rest of this holiday. When I get changed
back I've got plans on having some serious fun with him. You'll do as
you're damn well told !".
Stephen was speechless at Imogen's outburst. How could she be so stupid to
think he'd go through with this. It's one thing trying to keep some
emotional pain away from his parents, it was totally another thing trying
to fend off someone who thought he was God's gift to women for the evening.
It wasn't like he had even had a gay thought in his head!
It would over his (her!) dead body before he'd do this for Imogen.
5 ... That Evening
"God Imogen - how much longer is this going to take" Stephen whined as
Imogen tried to finish putting eye shadow on him. "It must have taken us
hours to get ready - I can't take much more of this".
"Just stop moaning will you - a girl's got to look just right for an
important date" she said as she started to layer this girl's eyelashes with
mascara. "I'm not having it look like you can't be bothered to make an
effort for him. And another thing - stop calling me Imogen - we agreed that
YOU are now Imogen, at least until tomorrow when we can try to get this
mess sorted out. Have you got that clear IMOGEN" she said brow beating
Stephen into submission.
"Yes, let's just get this over with and get the evening over Stephen" SHE
said caustically.
-----------------
Stephen, now Imogen, couldn't believe that he had let himself get bullied
into this farcical situation. He had put up a token resistance but had been
shocked at how easily he had capitulated to Imogen's demands. It was almost
like she was enjoying this situation and wanted to maximise any humiliation
he might feel.
They had managed to fool their parents without too much trouble by being
fairly non-committal when asked how their day had gone and by rushing to
get Stephen ready for his date with Marius. Stephen had started to go into
his room when Imogen pulled him up sharply saying "your room's over there
now" pointing to the room that she had occupied for the last two nights.
Stephen started to walk to her room when Imogen said "I'll be over in a
minute to help you get ready - I want to make sure that you're presentable
and sexy for Marius".
"Sexy ! There is no way you're going to make me sexy for anyone" Stephen
wailed.
"Imogen" said the real Imogen, "Oh and you had better start getting used to
that name - I thought you were going to give the game away when you didn't
respond to Dad earlier - you already ARE sexy ! Being in your body and
seeing myself through your eyes has made me realise just how desirable I
am" she laughed.
"Well I'm glad you've kept your sense of humour anyway" Stephen said
indignantly. "And now I am going to go in there to have a shower and I
would rather shower in private thank you very much" he said slamming the
bedroom door behind him.
"You've got nothing I haven't seen before" Imogen laughed going into
Stephen's room.
Stephen started to remove his clothes. He marvelled at his new reflection
in the mirror as he stood there looking at Imogen's body in just a white
lacy bra and panties. The bra was difficult to get off but he actually
enjoyed the sense of freedom he felt as his unfettered breasts swung free.
As he removed his panties he stopped to look at the smooth mound that was
covered by a light thatch of blond pubic hair.
Looking at Imogen's naked body he ran his slim fingers along the soft skin
of his breasts and down to the groin, this skin was so smooth and soft, so
different to what he was used to, that he experienced a momentary feeling
of eroticism. "No, this is wrong - I really shouldn't do this" he thought
to himself and decided to shower now to prevent any further exploration of
her body. Before doing this he sat down on the toilet to relieve himself.
It was much easier this time around and he found it much more comfortable
sitting on a seat and letting the flow leave his body rather than his
earlier experience back in the tunnel.
Showering the dirt and dried up body fluids away from this body raised
Stephen's spirits a little and as he dried down he almost forgot his
problems for a brief second until he heard a knock on the bedroom door.
"Hey Sis, can I come in" he heard from his own familiar voice. It was
strange how your voice always sounds different when the words aren't coming
direct from your own mouth - a little like hearing yourself on a tape he
pondered as he opened the door.
"Yeah OK, wait a 'sec though" Stephen replied as he struggled to put on a
coral pink bra he had found in the top of Imogen's drawer. Finally
finishing he also pulled on a pair of matching panties almost enjoying the
feeling as they pulled snuggly into his flat groin "so different than his
usual boxers and what they held!" he thought sadly, and opened the door to
let himself (!) in - this was all still so confusing !
"Oh no, no that will never do" said Imogen as she looked Stephen up and
down. "You're going to have to take those off - they'll never go with what
you're going to wear tonight".
"Oh look, do I really have to go through with this" Stephen pouted sulkily.
Imogen paused a little shocked for a second. Looking at Stephen standing
there with his weight shifted onto one hip and sporting a moody pout he
looked every inch a teenage girl. He would pass all right - the only issue
was if he could pass as her. She was sure that for anybody who didn't know
them too well it would not be a problem - the real challenge would be in
keeping up this pretence with their parents - they would both have to
really start getting into their roles, and that starts now.
"Yes you do" Imogen said, "and we had better stop calling each other by our
real names and assume the names from our adopted bodies - we are bound to
slip up otherwise. From now on I'm going to start calling you Imogen and
you had better start calling me Stephen. Start thinking about yourself that
way and also start thinking of yourself as a 'she' - it'll be easier -
all right Imogen" 'he' said.
A shiver passed through him as Stephen's mind, in Imogen's body, started
spinning. He wished he could control his feelings like he used to be able
to and to stop feeling panic ridden and confused all the time. "Do we have
to, I'm beginning to feel I'm losing my identity. Why don't we just tell
Mum and Dad, I'm sure they'll be supportive".
"Oh I do wish you'd stop whining, you're sounding just like a girl already
- constantly moaning and sulking - just give it a break Imogen" 'Stephen'
said pointedly. "Anyway, this may be only for one night- we've already
agreed on how to play this, just keep your nerve and spare Mum and Dad the
grief. Of course they'll be supportive, they always have been - let's just
not worry them unnecessarily - they're really enjoying themselves and need
a carefree break. They will soon be back in the real world".
She continued, "Now come on, Marius will be here in 45 minutes, we've got a
lot to do" said 'Stephen' going to 'Imogen's' underwear drawer and pulling
out a black lace underwired bra and panty set. "now get these on and we can
start with your make-up".
"MAKE-UP !" thought Imogen as she struggled to think of herself as a she.
She didn't argue too much already feeling a little sheepish after the
telling off she had just had from Stephen. She just went along with
whatever her Brother, God this was so hard, wanted to do with her. Why was
she giving in to everything so easily ?
'Stephen' led 'Imogen' over to the dressing table and started to prepare
her for the night ahead.
-------------------------
"Finally" 'Imogen' sighed to herself. She was still finding it hard to
think of herself as a she, as the new Stephen led her over to the mirror
to see the results of his handiwork. She stepped back in amazement as she
took in the sight before her.
Stephen had dressed her in a 'little black' sleeveless dress, held up by
delicate spaghetti straps, that highlighted every aspect of her femininity.
Her long golden hair cascaded down to her shoulders in silken ripples which
framed her almond shaped face perfectly. Her bright electric blue eyes
looked so seductive with the subtle eye shadow and mascara topped by finely
arched eyebrows.
The sleeveless dress accentuated the sleek and graceful neck and delicate
narrow shoulders - this had been his favourite part of a women when he had
been a man, it tended to highlight the softness and vulnerability of the
female of the species for him. The almost sculptured aspects of her
bustline and how the narrow waist flared out into womanly hips sent
shivers down his back. The dress stopped just above mid-thigh leaving
little to the imagination as the gorgeously slim and shapely legs led to
small and delicate feet. He inwardly gasped at the dark red nail varnish
that was visible through the 2 inch heeled sandals.
"God almighty Steve" she said angrily. "What on earth have you done to me,
I look absolutely ravenous - no man without 100% total control over himself
will be able to keep their hands off me. I ... I ... I can't believe this
- why .... why, I can even feel myself getting damp just looking at myself
and it isn't a nice feeling" she said fearing the night ahead. Looking down
at him 'she' could see that she had even got a response out of 'Stephen'.
"Yeah, I must admit if I wasn't more respectful of your, sorry my, honour
I would consider a bit of incest myself". Just then they heard a knocking
on the door. "Come on then Sis, that must be your date for the night. Now
don't forget - be on your best behaviour and don't do anything I wouldn't
do" she laughed softly enjoying the irony of that statement.
They heard a call from the hallway, "Imogen, Imogen ... come on now, you've
got a young man here already to take you out".
'Imogen' could feel her heart pounding and almost felt her knees trembling
as 'Stephen' pushed her out into the hallway to face her date. 'Stephen'
gave her a final push and said to her "go on there girl - don't let me
down" as she almost floated towards him thinking, as if detached from this
whole scene, that it was strange how she was able to walk so easily in
heels - maybe the body remembers !
Marius saw 'Imogen' and took her delicate hands in his saying "Imogen, you
look perfect. I thought you were beautiful yesterday but today you have
surpassed yourself" and gave her a gentle kiss on her lips before she had
time to think or react.
Her mind was again a maelstrom of confusion as she took in so many
sensations in just a fraction of a second. The initial feelings of
revulsion that he would have expected quickly turned to feelings of
pleasure as a voice inside her seemed to think that this was quite nice
really! The feeling of being defenceless turned into feelings of WANTING to
fell defenceless and to be protected by this handsome (!) man. All this
happened so fast that her male mind could not acknowledge these feelings
and she soon found herself responding to the messages her body was giving
her. "I've just got to go with the flow" she thought as Marius led her out
to his car, "I've just got to get through the night- that's all (I hope!)"
as this horrible thought crept into the back of his mind.
Getting into the car was yet another new experience. Marius walked around
to the passengers side and held the door open for him. This was so strange
, she was used to being the one to do this ! She stood there for a moment
wondering how she was supposed to get into this car without giving Maruis,
and anyone else who happened to be looking, a free show before thinking
back to girls he had seen and been with. They usually went in backside
first and swung their legs around afterwards, 'Imogen' attempted the same
tactics and, amazingly enough, managed to negotiate this hurdle in a
slightly ungainly, but successful manner.
She could have sworn she could see 'Stephen' watching from behind the
blinds. "I bet he is really enjoying this she thought as Marius started the
car and pulled away.
6 ... Imogen's Nightmare
The evening was everything that 'Imogen' had feared and expected. As Imogen
later reflected on the evening she realised, with some trepidation, that
there had been elements that she had enjoyed as well!
It had started fairly harmlessly as Marius had taken her to a small Greek
Taverna where they enjoyed a candlelit meal. She had eaten fairly lightly,
mostly eating seafood, but found that this seemed to be enough for her
reduced appetite. Marius was the perfect gentleman, he had shown her to a
seat and poured her a glass of the locally produced white wine which she
sipped slowly at first.
Soon, without realising it, they had finished a bottle of wine between them
as they completed their meal. This would normally have had no effect on
Stephen but it was a different proposition now as Imogen began to feel a
little light headed. She found herself giggling slightly at some of
Marius's pigeon English but appreciated the effort he was making all the
same.
She was starting to enjoy the evening as the alcohol and Marius's
attentiveness left her feeling less apprehensive and also a little
flattered.
By the time that Marius had driven them to a night club and they had
enjoyed another drink, a pink lady for her, she wasn't finding it so
difficult to relax and was happy to let Marius put his arm around her. She
rationalised this in her own mind by telling herself that she was only
doing what the real Imogen had asked her to do. She was starting to adjust
and accept her temporary role as a girl much easier now that the alcohol
had loosened her up and decided to try and enjoy this once in a lifetime
experience.
This time as Marius pulled her towards him she was not surprised and
accepted his kiss. The taste of a man was vastly different than what she
had expected and, despite herself, she found that she was returning it. She
lost all sense of time as she melted under this onslaught and felt giddy
from the whole experience. She noticed that this kiss seemed to penetrate
her senses much more deeply than when she had been a man and noticed, with
almost a detached amusement, that these feelings were having an effect on
other parts of her body as she felt her nipples becoming much more
sensitive and hardened, almost like mini erections.
Marius pulled her up onto the dance floor and she fell into the female role
so easily during the slow numbers that she started to get scared at what
this all meant. Her male instincts returned swiftly as she felt Marius's
erect penis pressing into her stomach and she quickly said "excuse me, but
I have to go to the little girl's room" and almost ran into the ladies
restroom. She quickly found a cubicle and sat herself down on the toilet seat in
a confused muddle. "What on earth was I doing back there, for God's sake - I
was enjoying that until his cock shocked me back to normal" she thought as
she started to calm down.
She felt the urgent need to relieve herself and, raising her bottom, lifted
her skirt and pulled down her panties. After finishing she wiped herself
dry and noticing her bodies sexual secretions as well as the remainder of
urine droplets. She realised that she must have become quite aroused and
that she had better get home before she lost control completely and did
something her real sister might regret. This was becoming a nightmare !
She told Marius that she felt a little ill, feigning that seafood sometimes
left her like that, and asked to be taken home and really apologised
profusely so that she wouldn't spoil the real Imogen's future chances. To
ensure this she returned Marius's goodnight kiss with a good imitation of
passion to help soften the blow she was sure Marius must have felt. He must
have thought he was home and dry with her after their dance !
She found 'Stephen' downstairs sharing a late night drink of scotch with
her father- something that she had always enjoyed as an intimate part of
male bonding she thought ruefully - God, she hoped she would be able to
enjoy it again soon.
"How did your evening go Sis" said Stephen with a big grin on his face.
"I've been out with Mum and Dad for the evening and ended up shooting a few
games of Pool with Dad".
"Yes, and you know for once I beat him. That's the first time in years" Dad
said with relish. "He seemed to be right off of his game tonight for some
reason. Never mind, better luck next time eh son" his father said as he
topped up his glass with whiskey.
"Well Sis, you haven't said anything yet about your evening. It seems like
you must have enjoyed yourself from the look of your smudged lipstick"
Stephen laughed uproariously.
"Oh ... O ... Oh, y ... you go and mind your own business" she said with
venom as she stormed off to her room.
Father and son both looked at each other for a split second before spurting
their drinks out in laughter and saying in unison "women ... I'll never
understand them".
'Imogen' heard this and felt so helpless and frustrated that she broke down
and sobbed into her pillow before falling asleep from both physical and
emotional exhaustion.
7 ... Next Day
'Imogen' woke up first the next morning with the sun already streaming
through the cracks in the blinds. As she walked over and opened them the
heat hit her fully again instantly awakening her fully. She went over and
checked the alarm clock next to the bed and gasped as she saw it was
already 11:15am - everyone had slept in today. It must have been a
combination of the lack of sleep they had experienced following their
night flight and the alcohol they had all consumed last night.
She quickly grabbed a clean pair of shorts and a full length tee-shirt,
again marvelling how it seemed that she looked lovely in whatever she put
on, and went to knock on 'Stephen's' bedroom door.
"Stephen, come on - the morning's nearly gone already - come on get up" she
called realising that there was no way that they could get back to Skiathos
town, re-new the hire on the scooter and also get back to the village
before it got too late to find their way back. This would mean another day
as Imogen she realised with horror!
She heard Stephen groaning "Oh, my head". After a few moments the door
opened and he stepped out. Imogen wondered if he had really looked that
bad after too much to drink !
"Hi Bro - sorry Sis" he said as he rubbed his sore head. "I'm sorry about
last night, I really didn't mean to upset you. I'd had a few too many
whiskey's last night and got a bit silly. It was when you came in all
nervous looking, and with your lipstick in a such a state, that I knew that
you had been getting to know Marius better, much more than I would have
imagined possible. I never really thought you would kiss him and, with all
that whiskey inside of me - well - I just couldn't help myself. Never
mind, it'll all be back to normal soon". As an afterthought he said "Hey,
you did only kiss him didn't you - you didn't go any further I hope?".
"NO, I certainly did not" Imogen stamped her foot in irritation. "How dare
you".
"Yeah, yeah" said Stephen dismissivily, "I suppose you're going to tell me
that you're not that kind of girl in a minute as well!" as he walked off to
the kitchen to pour himself a cool glass of orange juice.
Imogen followed him still feeling angry with his attitude "God, men can be
such pigs sometimes" she thought and then mentally kicked herself, "I don't
believe this - I'm starting to think like a girl now! - I've got to get
changed back soon! ".
"Anyway", she continued, "there is no way that we going to get this sorted
today - there's just not enough time. Oh ... come on, think of something -
I don't want to spend another minute like this let alone another day"
Imogen moaned.
"OK OK, 'Stephen' said unwilling to start an argument in his current
delicate state. "Look, just face up to it - we're going to have to spend
another day like this whatever - I can live with it, you'll just have to as
well. Let's get some breakfast and we can think about what we're going to
do".
Over breakfast Stephen suggested that they should make their day productive
and, after renewing the hire on the scooter, they could do some
investigative work and see if they can find any details of the village they
had found and if there were any legends or superstitions associated with
it. They could also see whether the Greek writing they had copied meant
anything.
Calming down a little Imogen agreed that this seemed like a good idea and
after finishing breakfast they set off to Skiathos town.
By the time they had gotten into town and had finished re-hiring the
scooter for another two days it was nearly 2:30pm. They walked around town
for a short while and inquired in the usual tourist centres about the
history of the island. All they got was the usual high level information
that you get in the guide books. Nobody really knew any more details about
Kastronissia than what Imogen had already picked up when she had been
Stephen.
They had begun to get disenchanted at this lack of success when they came
upon a small museum that had just re-opened again after lunch. They looked
inside and found a number of small rooms dedicated to the island and each
room displayed a different period from the islands history.
It didn't take much more than a few minutes to find a room containing
information about the Greek Gods and how they had been worshipped by the
islanders. There seemed to be a lot of general information about Greek
mythology but one recurring theme was that of the myth of Teiresias and the
Greek spelling of this was exactly the same as the writing that they had
found underneath the statue. They began to get excited as the read about
the Myth.
Stephen read the English translation of the legend aloud :
"Teiresias was a Theban seer. During his youth he came upon two snakes
coupling on a mountain near the city. He struck the female with his staff
and walked on. He immediately found himself transformed into a woman. Seven
or eight years later, coming upon the same snakes engaged in the same
activity, Teiresias struck the male and returned at once to his masculine
form. Not long after, while Hera and Zeus were debating whether a man or a
woman takes the greater pleasure from sex, it occurred to them to call in
Teiresias as arbiter, since he was the only man on earth who could answer
the question from first hand knowledge. The young man responded that women
experienced nine or ten times more pleasure than men. This reply infuriated
Hera, who blinded Teiresias on the spot. Zeus, on the other hand, rewarded
him with the gift of prophecy and gave him long life as well".
They were stunned as they read this. This account tallied with the tale the
statues had appeared to depict. They immediately went looking for the
curator to see if he could shed any more light on why this should be so
relevant to this island.
He invited them into his office and in excellent English confirmed the
legend and expanded on what it meant to Skiathos. "Skiathos was indeed rich
in history having been invaded many times in the past by Romans, Persians,
Byzantine's, pirates, Turks - it seemed like everyone had invaded it at
some point" he said "Through all of this the original Greek dwellers of
this island, and their descendants, had remained true to the 'old'
religion. When the Romans invaded legend had it that the native inhabitants
built new housing over existing chambers of worship, where the ruined
village of Kastronissia now stands, to keep them hidden".
"Due to the devotion of his worshippers, they remained the last bastion of
Greece to continue to worship Zeus and his fellow Gods, Zeus decided to
reward the citizens of Skiathos. Zeus had decided that the reward should be
spiritual rather than providing them with riches and, following the
experience of Teiresias, considered that the greatest spiritual gain that
any Skiathian could receive would be to experience life from all aspects,
even if this was for just a brief period of time. Therefore Zeus fashioned
a mystical chamber on the North West side of the island pointing to Mount
Olympus, where his followers could gather to worship him and effect the
necessary transformations".
Stephen and Imogen sat in the curator's office spellbound as the curator
continued his story.
"Zeus, in all his wisdom, decreed that any two members of the opposite
gender who approached his chamber and, jointly, touched the statue of the
female Teiresias would have their souls transferred into each others body.
This ability to experience life from each others perspective would help the
young couple, for it was usually those who had chosen to wed who made the
change, appreciate both the joys and tribulations they would each
encounter during their life".
'Imogen' had a bad feeling about this. She desperately hoped that the
curator was going to continue and tell them how a change back could be made
- it didn't make sense that a strong and powerful man would want to spend
the rest of his life as a female in times when women were virtually men's
servants. She was getting nervous and wanted more than anything else in the
world to go back to being Stephen again.
She asked him hesitantly "d ... did they ever swap back to their original
bodies, they surely didn't remain like that did they?".
The curator laughed softly "no, no my dear - this was merely a short term
experience - there were two conditions imposed. The first was that one of
the pair should be no more than eighteen years old, usually the female. The
second condition was that after one sunset and before three sunsets had
occurred since the time of the transference, the couple must return to the
chamber and re-enact the ceremony by holding the female Teiresias statue.
If they did this then they would be returned to their bodies of birth far
richer for the experience".
Stephen quickly leapt in "if, you said if they returned to the chamber and
held the statue then they would be restored - does this mean that failure
to do this meant that they ended up staying in their new bodies?" he
questioned nervously.
"That is correct my son" the curator said. "Indeed, some of the transferees
found they preferred life in the other gender and decided to remain as
such. If they didn't reverse the procedure before the third sunset then
they would never be able change again, ever - the transfer of souls would
be permanent. Oddly enough this was usually prompted from the former male.
This was truly a unique gift that Zeus allowed Teiresias to make".
"Was the chamber ever found?" asked Imogen with a mixture of relief at
knowing it was possible to reverse the change and fear at realising that
they had to find the chamber and to both hold the statue again - fear
because they had to do so by tomorrow before nightfall else she would be
Imogen forever!.
"No my dear, at least not in a very long time. Legend, as I mentioned
earlier, says that it lies under the ruins of Kastronissia. The last
recorded use of the chamber was during the 13th century following the
invasion by the Byzantine's. Wholesale slaughter of villagers from around
that area meant that the location was either lost or forgotten - it was a
very jealously guarded secret, a gift from the Gods is not to be given away
lightly!" he exclaimed.
"Now my friends, I thank you for your interest in our lovely island and its
myths but I now have to return to tend to the museum - there are likely to
be others that may need my help" he said as he shook their hands and bade
them goodbye.
Stephen and Imogen went back outside into the bright sunlight. It would
soon be getting dusk. As they looked at the setting sun they were both very
aware of its significance. This would be the second and last sunset they
would be allowed to experience in their new bodies and if they hadn't
changed back before sunset tomorrow there wouldn't be another chance if
the legends were true. In their heart of hearts they knew that they were -
they were living testament to that fact.
-----------------------------
After leaving the museum they decided to share a meal together, they had
often done this in the past but never in such unlikely circumstances.
Imogen decided to give the wine a miss this time and stuck to mineral water
- she was not in the mood for drinking and didn't want to risk losing any
semblance of control whatsoever.
Neither wanted to even think about not finding the chamber tomorrow and
there was very little conversation as they pondered their futures.
As they returned to the scooter Imogen went to the front and was about to
mount when Stephen said "here Sis, let me -I think I'll drive us back".
Imogen stepped back "but you can't drive, you haven't even got a driving
license".
"Wrong Sis, it's YOU who hasn't got the driving license now. I was thinking
over dinner that if we got stopped and you were driving they might hold us
at the Police station for a while. They would certainly confiscate the bike
and if either of these situations happened tomorrow that would put paid to
our chances of getting to the village".
"You're right, it's too big a risk to take. How are you going to ride back
though - you've never done anything like this before" Imogen said passing
Stephen the ignition key.
"I know, I suppose you'll just have to give me a 'crash course' if you'll
pardon the pun" Stephen chuckled trying to see some humour in their
situation.
Imogen took Stephen to a quiet back street and within half an hour had
taught him the basic's of riding a scooter. "As long as he doesn't go too
mad it shouldn't be a problem" she thought. She had so easily lapsed into
thinking of the real Imogen as a 'he'!
Stephen got them back to the hotel safely. It had felt strange sitting on
the back with her thin arms wrapped tightly around what had been his own
chest. It had felt even stranger to feel her breasts pressed firmly into
his back as she hung on for dear life. The bumps over the road made them
bounce slightly and, despite the worry, she found it was not a totally
unpleasant feeling.
They decided to remain in the hotel for the night so that they wouldn't
risk sleeping in too late in the morning. Their parents had already gone
out for a meal by the time they had returned and they didn't see them again
until just before they went to bed. They were going to bed early to get a
good nights sleep so they would be fresh for tomorrow.
"What are you two doing tomorrow" their Mother Clare said putting down her
handbag and putting on the stove to boil some water for a hot drink.
"Eh, well - we thought we'd go exploring again tomorrow - we wanted to see
if we could find that village again" Stephen said yawning.
"Off together again !" their father said incredulously. "It's nice to see
you two getting along so well. I know you've always been close in the past
but never as close as you seem to be now - this holiday is doing us all
good" he said happily.
"Yeah right Dad" Stephen said ironically, "I feel just like a new man" he
said flexing his muscles in the mock pose of a body builder.
Despite the trauma she had been through during the last two days even
Imogen laughed at this. If her parents hadn't known any better they might
have thought the laughter was verging on hysteria as she continued laughing
as she walked to her room.
"What's she finding so funny" Bill said turning to Stephen quizzically.
"I don't think I'd know where to start" he said wryly.
"Maybe it's women's problems or something like that - she certainly looked
like she didn't feel herself last night" Bill said taking a cup of tea from
their Mother.
"You've never seen a truer thing" Stephen said under his breath as he
walked to his room. "Goodnight Pop's" he said shutting the bedroom door.
"Pop's?" thought Bill. "That's what Imogen always calls me - I don't know
what's gotten into these two tonight".
8 ... From Dawn 'til Dusk
Imogen had risen by 7:00am having spent a restless night tossing and
turning. She just wanted to get today over with and get back to normal. She
knocked on Stephen's bedroom door to make sure he was awake and was
relieved to hear him answer.
He joined her in the kitchen for a cup of coffee but neither of them felt
like eating. Stephen noticed that all the pictures were off-centre and
observed that there must have been a some minor earth tremors here during
the night - they were quite common around these parts apparently. Imogen
was not really paying much attention to this - she had other things on her
mind.
Imogen had dressed in a pair of jeans and a baggy 'V' necked tee-shirt that
seemed to hide most of her assets. The outfit was finished off by a plain
pair of sneakers. She didn't want to feel too feminine today, she just
wanted to concentrate on the task at hand. She shivered as they stepped
outside and went back for a denim jacket. The sun had only just started to
show itself and hadn't yet warmed the air.
They mounted the bike and set off for the mountain. Stephen found the ride