Andersonville 5 - The Guilty Soul
by Kelly Davidson
This story is dedicated to all the TG writers out there, who make
the days easier to deal with by posting new stories to read each
day.
Fade in...
The sun wasn't even peeking over the hills when the alarm started
going off. I hit the snooze button several times but eventually
realized I was going to have to get out of bed and get ready for
work. I stir slightly, stretching my legs and arms in a poor
attempt to wake up. Then I noticed something odd - my underwear
felt wet. I reached down to be sure and was rewarded with a touch
of dampness around my crotch.
'Damn, I wet the bed,' was my first thought. The last time I had
wet the bed was when I was 4 years old. It must have been the
strangeness of this new body - I had had some weird dreams last
night. I rubbed my fingers together and noticed they were sticky,
not wet. A sick feeling rose up inside of me!
I reached down there again only this time I put my fingers
underneath my panties. When I pulled my hand back up there was
blood on my fingers.
"OH GOD!" I screamed.
******
I dressed rapidly - not worrying about taking a shower or how I
must have looked. Then I drove my car as fast as I could to the
courthouse. Normally it would take me five minutes to get there
but I made it in less then two. As the car went screaming into
the parking lot I saw the doctor's car parked in the rear. I
turned sharply into a parking space and slammed on the brakes;
squealing the tires the entire way. Somehow I remembered to grab
my keys and purse as I left my car in a flying gallop. Out of
nowhere appeared Officer Candy, a new hire for the Andersonville
Police Department. There was nothing sweet about the man like his
last name indicated; he was an honest to God 'Prick'.
"What the hell do you think you're doing young lady hot rodding
into town like this?" he berated me.
"I need - to see - Dr Green right away." I wasn't paying
attention to the officer's tone. I was in a state of panic and
shock.
"You can see her after I write you up," he told me angrily. "I
don't care if you do work for the Judge, you won't get away with
this." I saw Dave William's approach us from the corner of my eye
with look of concern on his face.
"What's going on?" he wanted to know.
"Dave - officer - sergeant," I began to stutter in an
unstructured sentence. "I need to see Carol - please - right
now."
"She must be drunk," Officer Candy told his supervisor. Dave
looked closely at my face and then at the small stain appearing
on my pants.
"Let her go Nick."
"What?" the officer replied in surprise. "Not until I write her
up for speeding and reckless driving I won't."
"I said let her go - NOW!" Dave ordered. Officer Candy released
his strong grip on me while glaring at his supervisor.
"She's upstairs in her office," he told me softly. "I just got
done talking to her. Now go."
I didn't have to be told twice. I ran into the courthouse and
went up the stairs as fast as I could. Carol Green was watering a
plant when I arrived. She turned and gave me a worry look.
"Linda, what's wrong." She could tell I was upset.
"I - it's - can't - NO!" Oh, I was really doing a good job of
explaining the problem. Then I saw Dr. Green look down and she
knew. She rushed over to me and put gave me a hug.
"It's okay Linda, it's okay," Carol said in a comforting tone.
She pulled me over to the couch and sat down next to me
"No - no, I don't want this," I cried while burying my face into
her shoulder. "Make it STOP!"
"Oh sweetheart - I can't," she replied in a smoothing tone. "We
both knew this day was coming. I tried to prepare you for this
Linda. It's not the end of the world, it's the beginning."
"But I don't want a damn period," I replied back in an almost
hysterical state. "I can't have one. No, no, no. Stop it, please.
I don't even know what to do with that - that thing."
"It's okay honey - I'll teach you," she cooed to me in a motherly
tone. "It's not so bad - really." I started bawling louder.
The doctor wrapped her hands around me and hugged me tightly.
Fade out...
******
Voice of Dennis Butz - Thousands of years ago there was a war in
the heavens, between the gods of old and the new arrivals. During
the process the earth was almost destroyed by fire and floods as
our war ran unchecked. Finally, after centuries of conflict, an
uneasy peace was achieved between our two people. Both sides
recognized they needed the other, but neither side was willing to
trust the other. However, as man grew in power and knowledge he
challenged the gods themselves. To maintain the balance and keep
the peace, a buffer zone was needed.
It's a small town - just like thousands of others spread across
the land. Quiet streets, family-run businesses, and Saturday
afternoon picnics. But this town is different. It's a place for
lost souls, for misguided individuals, and for those who are in
need of a second chance. It's also the last, best chance I have
of freeing my people from their captors. The name of the project
is Restoration; the name of the town is Andersonville!
******
Fade in...
"Come on Keith, hurry up," Cynthia Bennett yelled up the steps.
"Tom's going to be here any minute."
"I'm coming Sis." The young man strolled down the steps wearing a
pair of blue jeans and a plain tee shirt. Typical brother - and
also what Cynthia used to be before she had met up with Dr.
Jensen.
"Couldn't you dress a little nicer," she told him. "This is
supposed to be a business meeting and Tom is going to be here any
minute."
"Relax sister, this deal is going to happen, or not happen, no
matter how I'm dressed. Beside, Tom's never on time." As if to
prove the young man wrong, the doorbell rang.
"That's him you moron!" Cynthia shouted. She could have ordered
her brother to change but decided it wasn't worth the trouble.
"Well, at least tuck in your shirt brother," she told him.
Cynthia opened up the door and saw Tom standing there with a big
grin on his face.
"Cynthia, how are you?" Tom gave her a big hug.
"I'm doing fine Tom." She returned his hug and added a small kiss
on the cheek. She noticed Tom was alone. "Where's Jennifer?"
"Back at the house," he replied with a grin. "She wanted to have
something special ready when you arrived. Are you guys ready to
go?"
"Well I am but as you can see my brother isn't," Cynthia said
with a frown while looking over at her brother.
"Hi Tom," the young man said.
"Hi Keith." Tom reached out and shook the young mans hand. "You
really need to clean up your act some, you look like a beach
bum."
"What's wrong with that," he replied with a smile. Maybe it was
his imagination but Tom seemed to be acting a little differently
today.
"Nothing I suppose," was all Tom said. "Well, if you're ready we
can leave for the airport. You're going to love the land I picked
out; it's near the small town of Andersonville. Should be worth
something in a few years - Andersonville is really growing."
"Then let's get going," Cynthia said with a false smile. She
sensed Tom was acting differently too.
They drove to the local airport were a rather large plane was
waiting. It was designed to hold 20 people or more but there were
no markings on its side to indicate who owned it. Cynthia found
that rather odd. Why would a company rich enough to own and
maintain a plane not advertise who they were?
"We got lucky," Tom said as he led them to the plane. "Any larger
and this plane would've had to landed at the airport an hour
away."
Just outside the plane they were met by a rather attractive young
woman dressed in a blue business skirt suit. She gave them both a
welcoming smile.
"This is Trisha Brown, the brain-storm behind this land deal I'm
introducing you to," Tom announced.
"Please, call me Trisha," she told both of them while holding out
her hand. "Tom has told me so much about you."
"Has he," Cynthia said giving Tom a mischievous grin. She noticed
he didn't respond back like he normally would have.
"Well, if there are no objections why don't we get going," Trisha
told them. "I can go over the finer details of this deal on the
plane."
"Sounds good," Keith answered but Cynthia could see even he was
now starting to have his doubts about this. They had no sooner
gotten into their seats that the plane started taxiing to the
runway. Cynthia felt the plane power up as it made the turn and
started down the runway at tremendous speed. In less than 15
seconds they were airborne.
"Your pilot doesn't waste any time, does he." Keith observed. "By
the way Tom, are you still flying that old bi-plane of yours?"
"I take it up now and then," he grinned.
"Remember when we had to land in that field?" Keith said. "I
don't think I told you that story sis. The engine overheated and
Tom had to set us down in a field out in the middle of nowhere.
We sat there for two hours while the engine cooled down and Tom
worked on the engine. Finally he was able to figure out the
problem and fix it. Good thing the NTSB inspectors didn't find
out about it, they would have grounded the plane for a month."
Tom laughed. "They never knew we landed. Turns out one of the
hoses got plugged up with dirt. Once I blew the dirt out of it,
the engine ran fine."
'LYER,' Keith wanted to yell out. He had just made the story up
to test out a theory. Tom, or rather this imposter, had failed it
miserably.
"Why don't we go over these plans now," Trisha told them as Tom
and her turned toward the conference table. Keith made a danger
signal to his sister and reached in his backpack.
"I got a better idea," he said pulling out his gun and pointing
it at the two of them. "Why don't you tell us what the hell is
going on."
"Keith," Tom gasped in surprise. Then he noticed Cynthia had also
drawn out a gun from her purse. "What's going on guys?"
"You tell me," Keith answered stonily. "What did you do with the
real Tom McClain?"
"Keith - Cynthia, it's me," he told them. "Why don't you believe
me?"
"For a couple of reasons," Keith explained. "First, the story I
told you about the plane was bullshit but it was the final proof
I needed. Second, the real Tom McClain was never on time whenever
he came to visit us. And third, Tom never shook my hand - he
always hugged me like I was part of his family."
"Keith, put down the gun. I can explain everything," but Keith
and Cynthia could both see the man was starting to unravel. "The
reason why I've never been on time before is because of Jennifer.
I don't know how to tell you this pal, but she takes forever to
get ready. And as for shaking your hand Keith, well - since
you're a man now I didn't think you would feel comfortable having
me hug you."
"That's a good story imposter," Cynthia hissed slightly. "So let
me ask you this. Remember when we were walking outside after my
mother's funeral. What did you tell me about my sister's death?"
The man stuttered and his face grew pale. "That was a long time
ago Cynthia! I don't remember what I told you."
"You would if you were really Tom," she said cocking her gun at
him.
"Alright, enough!" Trisha shouted, staring down Cynthia and Keith
squarely in the eyes. "You're right, this isn't your friend
standing here. We're taking you to him right now. I swear, no
harm will come to you."
"I don't believe you," Keith said pointing his gun directly at
her head. He wondered if he had the guts to pull the trigger if
he had to.
"If you don't plan to harm us then why didn't you just have the
real Tom pick us up?" Cynthia asked.
"I can't tell you," Trisha replied calmly. "When you see him
you'll understand why. Now put down your weapons before someone
gets hurt."
"I have a better idea," Keith said getting angry again. "Why
don't you tell us everything you know before we decide to kill
you both."
"I'm sorry, I don't have time for this," Trisha said with a
frown. "Fail-safe Alpha."
Out of thin air two huge, muscle men appeared and grabbed for
both of them. Keith managed to fire point-blank into the man who
was grabbing his gun but the bullet didn't even phase him. In a
matter of seconds they had disarmed Cynthia and Keith and were
holding on to them securely. Trisha walked up to them with a
disappointed look on her face.
"I really wished you two had listened to me," she said softly.
******
Dave Williams watched the plane land on the Andersonville airport
runway. He had been told to expect two new guests and give them
the VIP treatment. So when he saw them being taken out of the
plane in handcuffs he was a little confused.
"What's going on Trisha?" he asked cautiously.
"Nothing Dave," Trisha said with a weary smile. "Just a little
misunderstanding on that plane, that's all. I think we can take
the cuffs off them now."
She motioned for Cynthia and Keith to hold out their hands and
unlocked the metal bracelets around their wrists.
"Now I expect the two of you to behave from this point on,
understand?" Trisha told them.
Keith and Cynthia both nodded their heads. They were in a strange
place without a weapon or any idea of where they were. Keith
noticed the frightened look on his sister's face - the same look
she had just before plummeting to her death years ago. Trisha
turned to the officer.
"To be on the safe side Dave, I suggest you put them in the back
of your cruiser until you get to the Courthouse. We wouldn't want
them trying to leave when they just got here."
"Good point." Sergeant Williams opened up the back door of his
squad car. "Get in please."
Keith and Cynthia did as they were told and Dave shut the door
locking them in.
"I'll have some backup waiting for me at the Courthouse, they
won't get far if they try to run. Are you heading back out now
Trisha?"
"Yep," the woman answered with a grin. "You know what they say
Dave, no rest for the wicked. I'm glad to see things are working
out so well for you and Janet."
The cop smiled. "She was a little unsure at first but now she
loves Andersonville. I guess it's all the clean air and that
feeling of security this town provides. No one trying to shoot at
me like they did in LA. I can't thank you again for recruiting
me."
"You earned it Dave. Say hello to Janet for me. Maybe next time I
can stay long enough to have dinner with the two of you - my
treat of course."
"We should be treating you for all you've done," he replied back
seriously. "Don't be a stranger Trisha."
She gave him a wave and got back on the plane. No sooner had the
door closed than the plane started moving back to the runway to
take off. A minute later Dave watched it soar into the sky and
disappear. He got into the car and pick up his radio Mic.
"Philips - pick up."
"Yea Dave," the radio squawked back.
"Have Officer Tabler and Candy meet me at the Courthouse steps.
I'm bringing in a couple of visitors."
"Will do, out." The radio went silent again. Sergeant Williams
turned to his guest and saw the young man holding his sister in
his arms. She had a scared look on her face.
"Please don't worry Miss, no one's going to hurt you, I promise.
I'm taking you to the Courthouse to meet a friend of yours. It
wasn't supposed to be done this way - I swear."
"Officer," the young man spoke. "Can you tell me what this is all
about?"
"I wish I could son, but I don't know myself. Sit back and relax,
we'll be there in about five minutes."
Keith held on tightly to his frightened sister, partly out of
protection and partly out of his own fear. He watched the town go
by outside the window of the patrol car. There were several nice
houses in the distance and what looked to be a rather nice size
park. Ahead he could see a line of buildings that he took to be
the business section of town. The police car stopped at a light
and turned right. Two blocks later they pulled up in front of the
courthouse where a couple of police officers were standing on the
steps waiting for them. One of them reached down and opened up
the car door while the other motioned them out.
"Follow me," Sergeant Williams told them. He led them inside the
Courthouse and down a long, tiled hallway to a room. He opened up
the doors and motioned them in.
"Someone will be with you shortly," he said in a comforting tone
as he closed the door with them inside.
******
Across the hallway I was sitting in a small room with my brother
Steve and Dr. Green. My brother was watching the small TV screen
with some concern.
"I guess we need to go in and explain to them what this is all
about," he said.
"Maybe we should give them a few more minutes to calm down," I
suggested. I had seen Cynthia and Keith a few months earlier,
before arriving at Andersonville. It was both a welcoming and
heartbreaking sight to see them sitting there just across the
hallway. I knew one of them would be disappearing for good.
"I don't think waiting is going to help Linda," Dr. Green
commented. The longer you wait the more scared they are going to
become."
I reluctantly agreed with the doctor's logic and headed for the
door. Dr. Green told us she would wait in the room and watch. If
we needed her she would join us.
Steve and I stepped over to the door that Officers Candy and
Tabler were guarding. They were my two least favorite officers in
Andersonville, although Tabler did have some redeeming
characteristics. I couldn't see any in Officer Candy.
"You two be careful," Officer Tabler cautioned. "If you need us
just yell."
"Thank you officer," I replied. It didn't hurt to get on the
officer's good side. Officer Candy didn't say anything, opting to
glare at me instead. I could see he was still upset that Dave
Williams hadn't allowed him to write me up for reckless driving.
I smiled at him anyway and opened up the door.
Keith and Cynthia were sitting at the table holding on to each
other. I guess they were surprised to see two teenagers walking
into the room instead of a couple of menacing men in black suits.
We both smiled in an attempt to reassure them that everything was
going to be okay.
"Hello Keith, Cynthia," I said slowly. "I know you may not
believe this, but I'm very happy to see you again."
"Who are you?" Keith asked while trying to sound brave. I could
hear the nervousness in his voice.
"I'm Linda Anderson and this is my brother Steve, at least that's
who we're known as in Andersonville. The truth is guys, we used
to be Tom and Jennifer McClain."
"Tom?" the young man asked looking directly at Steve.
"No Keith," my brother replied. "I used to be Jennifer. My sister
used to be Tom."
"Oh Tom." Cynthia rushed over and gave me a hug. "I'm so sorry."
"Wait a minute," Keith interrupted in an angry tone. "How do we
know it's really you this time? Remember the man we met on the
plane Sis? He looked just like the real Tom but it wasn't him.
How do we know whoever is in charge isn't trying to fool us
again?"
"You - you saw me?" I gasped.
Cynthia nodded. "He picked us up at the house. I swear, he looked
just like you."
"Which brings me back to my original question, how do we know
it's really you and Jennifer this time?" Keith demanded. I guess
I couldn't blame him for being a little paranoid. I turned to his
sister.
"Cynthia, do you remember what I told about your sister's death?
I said you needed to live your life in a way that respected her
life but was your own path. Remember?" I proceeded to tell her
some more stuff that only the two of us would know.
"Keith, it's Tom and Jennifer," she said with a look of trust in
her eyes. I noticed Keith relaxed a bit. "Tom, what's going to
happen to us?"
"Something wonderful guys. The Judge is going to change you back
into a male after she combines your memories."
"What does that mean Tom, combine our memories?" Keith inquired
suspiciously.
"Please guys, call me Linda. I'll explain why later." They both
nodded so I continued. "In a few minutes Steve and I will take
you over to see Judge Herns. She's going to move your memories,
Keith, into Cynthia's mind. Then later on today, she'll transform
you back into a male body."
"What happens to my current body," Keith protested. "I happen to
like it in here."
"Keith, please," Steve said. "You're going to get your life back
just like me. Only in your case you'll remember living as both
Keith and Cynthia during these past two years. The good news is,
you'll be a man again."
"Suppose - suppose I don't want to be a man again?" Cynthia said.
Keith looked over at his sister.
"Are you crazy sister? Do you really want to remain as a woman
for the rest of your life?" Cynthia gave her brother an uncertain
look.
"You don't understand Keith. I've had to live my life as your
sister for the past two years. Once this judge merges our minds
together then you'll know why I'm asking this question."
"I'm not going to let you make me live as a girl for the rest my
life," Keith shot back.
"Guys," I interrupted, "this is a two part process. First we have
to transfer Keith's memories back into his old body. Then we have
to wait a few hours before anything else can be done. You can
talk about this after the merger - it'll be a lot more clearer
then."
"Won't I be a like separate person inside her body?" Keith asked.
"You keep thinking that you and Cynthia are two different people
Keith but you're not. Look, think of it as living outside your
body for two years and then being returned to it. It wouldn't be
as confusing as you think."
"Do I have a choice?" Keith wanted to know.
Steve answered for me. "Not really Keith. But if for some reason
it's too uncomfortable, the Judge will separate the two of you.
You have to trust us on this."
"Tom, Jennifer, I do trust you," he said. "I just don't want to
lose me."
"You won't," I promised. "We better go now, follow us."
We led them out of the room and down the hallway in silence. The
two cops stayed a respectable distance back but I noticed both of
them kept a sharp eye on us. When we entered the courtroom the
two cops stayed outside in the hallway. I was surprised to see a
familiar person standing in the courtroom wearing a blue police
uniform. On his sleeve was a patch that read 'Peace River'.
"Mark, how are you?" I greeted him.
"It's Officer Merrick, not Mark. Try showing a little respect for
the law Miss Anderson," he said in a somewhat stern voice. Then a
huge smile broke out on his face. "How's your phone working out
Linda?"
"Fine I guess. I really don't use it that much but it makes my
parents happy knowing I can call someone if my car breaks down.
So what are you doing here Mark?"
"All the other officers were busy so I was asked to escort Mr.
Walker to Peace River when this is over. Judge Jasper is very
anxious to meet with him."
"I hope the Judge gives him what he desires," I whispered to him.
I could tell from the officer's thin smile that he would.
"I've never seen you in a police uniform before," I commented.
"You're pretty official looking wearing it."
"You'll be seeing a lot more of me over the next couple of weeks.
Your police force is being sent to Peace River for some training
and I've been asked to fill in while they're gone."
"Cool," I replied. "Maybe we can have lunch and you can tell me
what's really going on around here." He flashed me one of his
most charming smiles.
"I really don't know what you're taking about Linda," he said but
I knew he did. He was part of whatever this game was.
The door to the Judge's chambers opened and Judge Herns walk up
to her bench and took a seat. She made a welcoming head motion
and even smiled slightly at the visiting officer.
"Officer Merrick, thank you for coming. I trust your trip was
well."
"Better than expected Your Honor. My father sends his regards."
This got him a swift look of discontent from the female judge.
"Let's begin," Judge Herns said. "Since this isn't a crime, I'm
going to forgo the formalities and get straight to the point.
Cynthia and Keith Bennett, if you would stand and approach the
bench please."
They did as they were told, with Steve and I right behind them
for support. The Judge gave them her warmest, comforting smile.
"I know what happened Keith, your sister's death was an accident.
Please don't be afraid of me."
"What - what are you going to do to us?" Keith wanted to know.
Cynthia just stood there in silence.
"I'm going to right some wrongs here my child. Please stand still
until I'm through."
She closed her eyes and raised up the palms of her hands
together. Although I had seen this many times before it still
captivated me whenever the Judge performed her magic. Judge Herns
hands started to glow and then a small ball of energy with red
spots circling around rose out of her hand. It hovered for a
moment, then with great speed shot off and hit Keith squarely in
the chest. He backed up slightly but purely out of reaction since
I knew he didn't actually feel any kind of blow. That was when I
noticed there was something different than the other times.
Keith's eyes glazed over as if he was in some kind of trance. He
stood there like that for about 30 seconds before the ball shot
back out of his body, made a U-turn, and shot into Cynthia's
body. It happened so fast that Cynthia didn't have time to react.
"I'm me again," Cynthia gasped out loud. "I can remember
everything about my past life as Keith - and my life as Cynthia.
It's incredible."
The person who used to be Keith Bennett but was now totally Klein
Walker started talking as well.
"How did you do that?" he asked in a somewhat shaky voice.
"Mr. Walker," Judge Herns said in a rigorous tone. "You're lucky
my ex-husband is judging you and not me. I suggest you use what
little time you have left to think up some defense before you
face him. Officer Merrick, get this person out of my sight."
The officer grabbed the old Keith's arm and pulled him out of the
courtroom. Judge Herns then turned to Cynthia.
"Mr. Bennett, it's going to take a few hours before I can do
anything else, so I've arranged for Linda to have the rest of the
day off. She can show you around your new home and answer any
questions you may have. I'll see you back in my courtroom at
three o'clock." She rose from her seat and disappeared into her
chambers. Cynthia turned to me.
"Now what?" she asked me.
"Why don't we go for a ride?" I said.
******
Inside the bunker things were starting to pick up. One of the
temps working under Sergeant Summer's command spotted something
suspicious. He picked up his phone and called his commander.
"Jeff, can you take a look at sector 135. I think we may have a
problem."
The Sergeant flipped his screen over to see what his man was so
excited about and saw why. There was a pink, flashing spot on his
screen, an indication that one of their citizens was about to
enter into a restricted zone. If they did it could only mean one
thing - they were trying to escape.
The reason why his employee was so excited was that such a find
gave him a reward of 50 points in the pool. Each man was awarded
points for spotting problems in his sector and at the end of the
week the one with the most points won the pool. Their reward was
a paid night out on the town for him and three of his friends. Of
course it never really happened but the computer always made sure
they remembered having a good time. And unless the winner was
married, the computer also made sure they scored with one of the
lovely ladies it dreamed up.
Jeff Summer's clicked on the identification key and was surprised
to see it was Peggy Wilson's. The last time she was caught the
Judge had reduced her age until she was 17 years old, complete
with a mother and father to watch over her. And then there were
the restrictions placed on her on top of that. He figured Peggy
would have learned her lesson by now.
"What do you think Jeff?" the temp asked with excitement. "Do you
think she's going to run?"
Before Jeff could answer the question the dot changed from pink
to bright red. The Sergeant picked up his phone and hit a button.
"Colonel Myers, we have a runner."
******
It had taken less then an hour for me to give Cynthia/Keith the
grand tour of Andersonville. For a town of 35,000 people, there
wasn't much to show. There were three schools in Andersonville, a
High school, a Middle school, and an Elementary school. Other
than the fact they looked newer than most schools, there wasn't
much to see from the outside. The small strip mall Andersonville
had wasn't too exciting either for those who had lived in a big
city where 100+ stores in a mall were the norm. And unless you
were a train fanatic like my brother, the small railroad yard
west of town didn't offer much excitement either. By 11:30 we
found ourselves back in the center of town and decided to have an
early lunch at McDonald's.
"At last I feel at home," Cynthia said as she munched down on a
Big Mac sandwich. "Since I'm about to lose this body anyway, I
guess I don't have to worry about my figure."
"You're lucky," I replied taking a small bite of my hamburger.
There were only so many chicken sandwiches I could take, another
thing I missed about being Tom.
"Linda, can I ask you a personal question? Are you happy?"
There was a trace of concern in Cynthia's question and I took a
moment to gather my thoughts.
"I've been asking myself that question for weeks now Cynthia," I
started. "In some ways I'm happy. When I was growing up, I always
wanted a family like the one I have now. I would have paid any
price to be normal like the other kids I went to school with. Now
I have one, and it's better than I had even imagined. And in this
reality Al really is my blood brother, even if I do have to call
him Steve. And I know he's never been happier since being
released from the female prison he was in."
"So what makes you unhappy?" she asked in a whisper. I gave her a
slight, frustrated frown.
"I really loved being a man Cynthia. I mean, being Linda isn't
bad at times but I miss being Tom. It's the little things I miss,
like standing up to pee," I giggled slightly.
"No, it's more than that. It's the way people treat me now, so
differently. They can't understand why a woman like me would want
to go camping by myself instead of going out on a date. Or why
I'm so independent all the time, like a man. And speaking of
which, after years of dating women I'm now expected to start
dating men. The thought is so foreign to me."
I sighed softly. "And this morning I started my - my first
period. God, you talk about being unhappy."
"Oh Linda," Cynthia said reaching out and placing her hand on top
of mine. "I know how horrible it was when I had my first period.
But it gets better over time."
"No it doesn't!" I replied sarcastically back. "Every month it's
going to be the same thing; the cramps, the flow, the feeling
that I'm on some kind of emotional roller coaster. And it only
serves to remind me that one day I may have a baby - or two - or
three."
"Is that so bad?" Cynthia asked. "If I do become a man again
that's one thing I'm actually going to regret losing - being able
to bear children."
"I haven't even asked you yet, what's it like having all your
memories back."
"Like I never really lost them," Cynthia/Keith explained. "It's
strange, I can remember living my life as Keith up to the point
when my mother took me to see Dr. Jensen. After that I remember
everything as Cynthia up until you freed me in your apartment.
From that point on I remember living my life as both Cynthia and
Keith. It's kind of strange but not like I thought it would be."
She took a drink of her soda and continued to explain. "Take my
memories of Keith for instance. One minute I was in the doctor's
office being stuck with a needle and the next minute I'm standing
in your living room. See what I mean? If I think specifically
about one event then I become that person. But if I don't, the
two memories intermix together. It's like I lived two lives at
the same time."
"I guess you have," I concluded. I noticed the restaurant was
getting filled. "Let's go to the park and talk some more."
******
Three police cars pulled up to a stop on the fire road. Officers
Candy, Tabler, Philips, Thomas and Williams got out and faced the
woods that stood between them and the town. Each officer had a
radio so they could hear instructions from the bunker. Sergeant
Williams looked over his men with a certain pride. Dennis Butz
had promised him the best police force in the land and he had
delivered on that promise. Even Officer Thomas, who was a temp,
was a professional cop. It was a shame he would be losing Thomas
one day to a real person.
Dave picked up his radio and punched in the proper frequency.
"Doghouse, this Sergeant Williams. We're in position - where is
she?"
"About 1,000 yards south of you Dave and she's heading right at
you. I suggest you spread your men out about 50 yards and move
in. She won't get away from you."
"Roger, thanks Doghouse." Dave looked at his men and motioned two
of them to his left and the other two to his right. "Remember,
she's going to be scared and unhappy when she sees us so be
careful." Then he made a forward motion and they all went into
the wood together.
******
Peggy Wilson couldn't see the cops ahead of her. The woods were
thick with underbrush and trees, giving her a false sense of
security that nobody knew where she was. The terrain had been
tougher than she thought it would be but in a few hours she would
be far enough away from Andersonville to head west. Then she
would find somewhere to hold up until she thought up her next
move.
Dr. Green had said the contract she signed was binding and gave
the people in charge a right to do whatever they wanted to with
her body. Well, maybe that was true and maybe it wasn't; however,
no one had told her they would be changing her sex, just some
body modification. Peggy thought that meant some kind reducing
program or plastic surgery, not gender reclassification. She
wasn't going to stand for it.
The young woman thought she heard some noises ahead and fell down
behind a log. To her horror, the noise grew until Peggy could
make out the sound of several people walking her way. All of a
sudden they stopped walking and someone spoke.
"Please come out Miss Wilson, I don't feel like chasing you
through the woods today." Peggy recognized the voice, it was Dave
Williams and he was close.
"I know you're out there Peggy. Don't make this any harder than
it has to be. Come back into town with me and I'll put in a good
word for you with the Judge. I'll tell her you made a mistake and
agreed to come back on your own. I'm sure she'll understand."
"Like the last time," Peggy yelled back while standing up. She
saw Dave Williams standing less then 10 yards away with two other
police officers next to him. "I told her I was a man - instead of
changing me back she turned me into a teenage girl. Does that
sound like understanding to you Officer Williams?"
"I can't help that Peggy," he told her honestly. "You have to
live with the cards you've been dealt with."
"Damn it, my name isn't Peggy, it's David Lee Jarvis! You should
know, you're the one who announced my case."
Officer Williams nodded and replied, "I remember, but that was
before Judge Jasper assigned you a new life. David Jarvis doesn't
exists anymore, you have to accept that Peggy. Please, take my
hand. This is your last chance to go back into town on your own."
Dave held out his hand to her with high hopes.
"Go to HELL PIG! I want out of your pleasant little town."
Peggy turned to run but officers Candy and Thomas had already
circled around the young woman without her knowing it. Peggy
screamed in fright and tried to get away but both officers
tackled her to the ground and had the handcuffs on her before she
could do anything else.
"Doghouse, this is Sergeant Williams. We have Miss Williams in
custody.
******
"It's pretty, isn't it," Cynthia remarked, as she looked at the
colored leaves in the autumn sun. "Soon the trees will be bare
and it'll be winter. I bet they get a lot of snow around here."
"Not as much as you may think," I replied. "I was watching the
news last week and from what they were saying, we should've got
hit with a pretty good snow storm. But when I woke up the next
morning there was less than 1/2 inch of snow on the ground.
Dennis Butz told me it's because the town is in a valley but I
don't believe him. I think they're able to control the weather
somehow; don't ask me how."
"So this nice day -"
"Has something to do with their control center that runs this
town. I think they can modify the weather just enough to keep it
from being crappy all the time. I mean, all the towns around us
get 7 inches of snow and we got a dusting. Valley or no valley,
something isn't right."
"How long has Andersonville been in existence?" Cynthia asked.
"They started building on it less than two years ago - or so they
claim."
"You think the town has been around a lot longer?"
"To be honest Cynthia, I don't think the town exists at all. I
think Andersonville is just like the temps around here - some
kind of holographic image. I think it took two years to build it
all on computer."
"Why do you think that?"
"Think about it Cynthia. Andersonville must have at the very
least 15,000 structures in it. You have houses, office buildings,
schools, malls, motels, restaurants; to build a town that size in
less than two years would require a massive workforce. Yet from
what I've been told, no one in the area seems to know about this
place. Plus the material load for such a project would be
enormous. You'd have trucks and railcars arriving here every
hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With that much traffic
it would be impossible to keep this place a secret from the
locals. In fact, I don't think the one road into town and the
rail line could have handled it all."
"But it seems so real."
"So do the temps but they're not. You can touch them, kiss them,
talk to them, but when it comes right down to it they're not
real. Andersonville is just an extension of who they are - a
computer program. At least that's my theory."
******
"Smart girl, isn't she Jeff? How she was able to figure that all
out. I guess I'm going to have to include this into my report to
Dennis Butz," Colonel Myers said while shaking his head. It was a
good thing they had a listening device on the bench where the two
ladies were sitting.
"Think he'll do anything about it?" the Sergeant asked, causing
his boss to smile.
"You like her, don't you?" Jeff pretended that he hadn't heard
the question. "I don't think Dennis will do anything to her. He
seems to favor Linda for some reason."
"She seems like a nice, young girl," Jeff commented. "I just
don't want to see anything happen to her, that's all".
"That's all, uh?" Colonel Myers smiled. "Take my advice Jeff,
meet the girl. Just go up and say 'hi' to her sometime."
"Come on Barry, Linda's not even 18 yet. She's jail bait."
"Only for another month. And I didn't say have sex with her, I
told you to meet her - in person. Maybe even go out on a date
with her."
"She's not the dating type Barry."
"Maybe she hasn't met the right guy yet Jeff," the Colonel
replied smiling.
******
"How are the Andersons doing?" Cynthia wanted to know.
"Fine. Judge Herns made them younger and they don't remember
their past lives. They remember me as their daughter and in this
life Linda never died. I guess that's a good thing for them.
They're a lot different to live with now. Both of them seem
happier."
"You're lucky Linda. I miss my sister - and even my mom at
times."
"Cynthia, do you feel that was a mistake? I mean, what you did?"
The young woman nodded her head slightly.
"I was so angry after you freed me - and I saw myself standing
there. I guess I - we both should have listened to you. But
having the new Keith agree with me only made it seem more right.
Maybe - maybe I could have worked things out with her." I saw
tears form in Cynthia's eyes as she turned away. I put a loving
arm around her.
"You do know you'll be getting a new set of parents with this
life." Cynthia turned and looked at me with a surprise look on
her face. "It's true. Judge Herns is going to drop you back into
a normal family with loving parents. She's really a softy at
times."
"You know about them? What are they like?"
"Like my parents. They have two kids; a boy and a girl with
another one on the way."
"Wait a minute," Cynthia said suspiciously. "How old are the boy
and girl?"
I laughed. "Relax Cynthia, both of them are teenagers. The girl
is 16 and the boy is 15. If you choose to be a male again you're
be in the same grade as Steve."
"You mean I'm going to have to go back to school?" Cynthia asked
in disbelief.
"Yes," I admitted. "But only because the Judge wanted you to have
a few years with your new family before you moved out." My cell
phone started beeping.
"Better get that," I told her while pulling the phone out of my
purse. I was convinced that if a dog was mans best friend then
purses were woman's best friend. "Hello?"
"Sorry to bother you Linda," Judge Herns apologized. "But I need
you back here for a few minutes. They're bringing in Peggy
Williams." My heart sank just a little.
"She tried again?" I couldn't really blame her - I had thought
about leaving several times myself. But after being turned into a
teenager I figured Peggy would have learned her lesson.
"I'm afraid so," Judge Herns said sadly.
"Okay Your Honor, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Bye."
"Goodbye Linda." The phone went dead.
"I have to go back to the Courthouse for about an hour Cynthia,
do you want to go with me?" She gave me a small smile.
"Thanks Linda, if it's all the same to you I think I'll just wait
here. I have a lot on my mind right now."
"Okay. I'll come back as soon as I'm through." I could tell she
was dealing with an internal problem inside her. I just hope she
would be able to work it out before her 3pm meeting with the
Judge. I got into my car and headed back to the Courthouse.
******
When I arrived at my office Judge Herns was already waiting for
me with a frown on her face. "I'm really sorry to drag you away
from your friend Linda."
"It's okay June, what happened?"
The Judge handed me a cup of coffee. "It seems Miss Wilson tried
to leave town by heading out through the woods. The police
officers caught her but now she's claiming someone threatened to
kill her so she was forced to leave. Obviously it's a plan to get
out of being punished but I want to give her enough rope to hang
herself."
"Your Honor, do you have to punish her? I mean, couldn't you just
forget about what she did and let her go this one time." June
Herns looked at me with a careful eye.
"I could let her go but what would she gain? She knows the rules
better than anyone else. If there's one thing we can't have
around here it's people trying to escape. In case you've
forgotten Linda, Miss Wilson is a criminal. We took her out of a
crowded prison and gave her a normal life. While she may not
believe it, she is a very lucky individual to be here. Come with
me - I'm going to show you what I mean."
Peggy Wilson was already sitting in the courtroom when we walked
in. She seemed scared and I felt a little sorry for her. What
could she have done to deserve this? I took my seat next to the
computer and started up the process. The Judge looked briefly at
the report Dave Williams had hurriedly written up and glanced
over at Peggy who was now respectfully standing there silently.
"Well Miss Wilson, I thought our last meeting would have been
enough to convince you not to try leaving us anymore. I can see I
was wrong."
"Your Honor," she started out, "this is all a big mistake. I had
to leave. I was being threatened. Look at these." She handed over
some papers to Dave Williams who passed them on to the Judge.
"I see Miss Wilson," Judge Herns said looking over them quickly
and then giving the young woman an unimpressed look. "I can
understand why you would be scared. Why didn't you tell the
police about these notes instead of running off."
The defendant fidgeted. "Well, I dated a cop - and I wasn't sure
if he didn't send them. He was kind of mad - when I - when I
broke up with him."
Even I could see that Peggy Wilson was lying. She hadn't expected
to be caught escaping and this part of her story hadn't been
worked out too well. About this time Carol Green stepped into the
room next to me. She gave me a silent 'hello' and turned to watch
the case unfold.
"Which cop were you dating Miss Wilson," the Judge asked sternly.
"It was - Officer Philips ma'am." I noticed Philips didn't react
to the comment.
"And you think maybe he sent you these letters?" she said with
some venom in her question.
"Well, I don't really know," Peggy whispered softly, no longer
able to face the Judge.
"Look at ME!" the Judge lashed out. "You wrote these letters -
DIDN'T YOU?"
"No I - it wasn't like that. I - I can't." She started to break
down and cry.
"Miss Wilson, I'm afraid you leave me no choice here. If you had
been honest with me from the beginning I might have been lenient
but to lie and not take responsibility for your actions, I can
see you need some more time to grow up.
"No please - it's not right," she begged. "I've suffered enough!"
"Have you," the Judge hissed. "Do you really believe that young
lady?"
"I'm not a lady," Peggy sniffed. "And yes, I have. Living as a
woman has been hell on me. I don't deserve this."
Judge Herns made a motion with her hand for me to come forward.
"So you think you're a victim here, is that correct Miss Wilson.
Well I'm going to show you who the real victims are. Watch
carefully - and learn." I noticed that June was looking over at
me when she said the last sentence.
The Judge took my hand and slowly everything seemed to change
around us. We were no longer in the courtroom anymore - we were
in a house that was located in a lower class neighborhood.
"Remember this place Miss Wilson?" Judge Herns asked.
I saw a man climbing through a window that I remembered as being
David Jarvis, the person Peggy used to be. We followed him as he
made his way around the house dumping items into a sack. He found
some jewelry in a bedroom and added that to the contents as well.
"You read about her husband's funeral in the paper and waited
until they left before breaking in," I heard the Judge say. "It
was the perfect setup. You knew no one would be at the house
during that time, the woman would be somewhere else burying her
husband. You figured she'd be getting a lot of money from her
husband's life insurance so she didn't need these items? If you
had bothered to check, you would have found out that her husband
had been sick for a long time and they couldn't afford his
insurance anymore. It's kind of hard to justify making the
payments to a faceless corporation when your child is hungry. But
then you wouldn't know about being a responsible parent, would
you Miss Wilson?"
The man went into the little girl's room and picked up her piggy
bank. He took out a pipe from his pocket and busted it open.
There must have been close to a hundred dollars in the pile of
broken glass. The crook just smiled and pocketed the money.
"In case you didn't know Miss Wilson, the little girl whose bank
you just smashed was going to buy a new bike with that money. It
had taken her almost a year to save that much up. She earned it
by doing odd jobs for neighbors and saving her birthday money. A
very responsible young person but then you wouldn't know about
that either, would you Miss Wilson? She had saved up enough to
buy the bike but then her father died - and you made sure she
would never be able to buy it by stealing all her hard earned
money."
I noticed that Peggy wasn't answering but I sensed the Judge had
put a gag spell on her so the only thing she could do was listen.
The Judge continued with her lecture.
"Look, here they come now. Let's see how they react to your
little visit."
A mid-aged, black woman came through the door holding the hand of
a young girl who couldn't have been more then ten. Another woman,
a friend maybe, and a gentleman followed her in. I could see they
had all been crying recently and there was deep grief on the
young woman's face.
"Why don't I fix you something to eat Susan," the other lady
said. The young widower shook her head.
"I'm not hungry right now Sharon. I just want to be left alone
for a while." The other woman draped her arm over the broken
woman's shoulder.
"Maggon," she said to the young girl standing next to her mother.
"Why don't you show Uncle Mike the money you saved up for your
bike."
"Your mother told me it's a lot," her uncle said half-smiling.
"Maybe I can take you to the store later on to buy it. I'm pretty
good at putting things together."
"So was my daddy," the little girl responded sorrowfully. Her
mother fought hard not to burst out crying.
"Come on Maggon, I think your Aunt Susan and mother need to
talk." He grabbed the little girl's hand and led her away. The
young mother laid her head on the other woman's shoulder.
"What am I going to do Susan? How do Maggon and I go on without
Sam in our life?"
"It'll be hard at first," Susan replied in a comforting fashion.
"But you're both strong - you'll get through this."
"MOMMY!" they heard the little girl scream. Both women ran into
the bedroom to see the little girl standing there crying over the
broken piggy bank.
"Someone took my money MOMMY. Why would someone take my money?
I've been saving it for so long." She ran over to her mother and
buried her head into her mother's stomach. "It's gone - all gone.
Just like daddy!"
The mother didn't know what to tell her broken daughter but I
could feel her thoughts. She was wondering what kind of person
would do something like this. Then she remembered her own stuff.
"Mike, watch her for a moment." The young mother pushed her
daughter away and ran into her room. There was her jewelry box
turned upside-down and empty.
"Nooooo!" she cried while falling to her knees. The other woman
came in and gave her a hug to comfort him.
"All the nice things Sam gave me," she sobbed. "All my memories -
they're all gone. Some bastard robbed me of my memories of him."
She broke down in a loud cry as everything got dark and then
changed back into the courtroom. I was a little tired and shook
up about the experience. I also now looked at Peggy Wilson in a
different light.
"She never did get her stuff back," the Judge said angrily. "In
fact, you were never charged with this break-in. You got away
Scott-free, until today that is. And there are plenty of other
victims I can show you with the same results. And you think
you've suffered enough, HAVE YOU? If it was up to me you'd be
boiled in oil for all the misery you caused this mother and her
little girl. But fortunately for you, I have rules I have to
follow here. So now I'm going to implement them."
The Judge closed her eyes while holding out her hands. In a
matter of seconds a small ball of energy rose swiftly out of her
hand and I noticed it didn't take nearly as long as it usually
did. Peggy looked like she wanted to protest but either she
didn't know what to say or Judge Herns was preventing her from
doing so. The ball of energy shot out of her hands and found its
mark. Peggy began to shrink and her clothes started changing to
that of a young teenager. In a few moments she was 14 years old.
"You've lose three years for your little stunt today Miss
Wilson," Judge Herns told her. "I was going to make you even
younger but I'm hopping this little display you saw today will
help make you think more about others and not just about
yourself. However, if I see you in here again I'll turn you into
a newborn baby, DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?" The young girl indicated
that she did by nodding her head fearfully.
"You will go with Dr. Green to talk about this. Don't let me see
you in this courtroom again."
She hit her gravel on the bench and walked back into her
chambers. I followed her in a moment later. Judge Herns looked at
me with tired eyes and a small smile on her face. It was amazing
how she could be so stern one minute and so sweet the next.
"That was some trial," I said truthfully.
"Now you know why I punish people Linda," she said matter of
factly. "It's not that I don't care about them, I care about them
a lot. I want them to become better than they used to be. Life is
about learning from mistakes you've made. Unfortunately, not
everyone learns from these mistakes and Miss Wilson was one of
them. She saw herself as the victim. Maybe she was a victim at
one time; she had a rough beginning. But then somewhere along the
way she crossed over that line and went from being victim to
predator. It's a hard lesson to learn and even harder to accept
that you got what you deserve."
"I guess I learned something as well your honor."
"I'm glad," Judge Herns smiled back.
******
I found Cynthia sitting silently underneath a tree. I couldn't be
sure, but it looked as if she'd been crying. This puzzled me
greatly. If I found out I was going to be turned back into a man
I would have been thrilled yet it was almost as if Cynthia was
dreading it. I approached her slowly.
"Are you okay Cynthia?"
"I miss her Linda - my sister, Cynthia. Why did I take her
climbing with me that day?"
I sat down beside her and said, "because she wanted to go Keith."
Cynthia turned and gave me a strange stare. "Yes, I used your old
name. Maybe it's time you remembered who you are."
"I know who I am," she replied back in an upset tone. "I killed
my sister. I had no right to take Cynthia along on such a
dangerous climb. I should have taken her up on an easier side of
the cliff but no - I had to prove to her and myself how good of a
climber I was. My arrogance killed her."
"Yes Keith, you're right," I agreed quickly. "So what do you want
to do about it? Live your life as a woman to punish yourself?"
Cynthia gave me an icy stare but I knew I had found out what was
bothering her.
"You can't stand the thought of being happy here, can you?" I
pushed. "Not as long as you think you're responsible for her
death."
"I AM FUCKING RESPONABLE!" she screamed. "I was the one in
CHARGE. I should have tied her rope onto me more securely. I
should have made sure her pivot was secure. You don't know, you
weren't there?"
"It happened Keith, stop blaming yourself."
"I can't," she sobbed. "Even now I can recall clearly in my mind
Cynthia falling down the side of the cliff, and see her body
laying there with her lifeless eyes staring back up at me. I
couldn't even take responsibility for her death; I helped my
mother push her into a hole in the ground. I couldn't even give
her a proper burial Tom. What kind of man am I?"
"You know you couldn't bring her body up after I freed you," I
explained. "What would've happened if the authorities found two
Cynthia's with the same DNA and fingerprints. Her body had to
remain hidden but soon that will change."
"What do you mean?" Cynthia/Keith asked with tear-stained eyes.
"Read the headlines in the Andersonville Post," I said handing
her the paper. The paper read, 'Body found in desert exposes
imposter."
"I - I don't understand?" Cynthia/Keith asked. "What does this
mean?"
"It means Cynthia's body will finally be put to rest! I don't
know all the details, but I'm guessing there are already a couple
of substitutes back in San Diego posing as both Keith and
Cynthia. They'll go through and clean up all your fingerprints,
then start leaving their own lying around the house. When your
sister's body is discovered about a month from now, the people
pretending to be you will disappear - never to be heard from
again. Fingerprints will prove it wasn't the real Cynthia or
Keith Bennett living at your house the past couple of years and
the hunt will begin - but the police won't find them."
"But - what happens then? I mean to the money and everything. Not
that I'm worried about it, just curious."
"The lawyers will take a big chunk of it I'm sure. What's left
will go to the charities that your Grandmother wanted it to go to
in case your sister died before turning 21." I paused for a
moment and looked her squarely in the eyes. "Your sister will
finally have closure Keith, you don't need to punish yourself
anymore."
"Maybe I like being a girl," she said smartly - anger flashing in
her eyes. "This isn't so bad!"
"Isn't it?" I questioned softly. "You're a girl Keith but for all
the wrong reasons. If you want to remain as one then do so - but
don't do it out of guilt over something that happened two years
ago. Do it because *you* want to, because it's the life you want
to live. If you think about it, that's what your sister would
want you to do."
"I want to - I want to - " She couldn't get the last words to
come out. The poor girl broke down in my arms, releasing the
guilt demon that had haunted her for so long. After a few minutes
she was able to speak again.
"I guess it's time to go," she sniffed.
"The Judge is waiting for us now," I said with a reaffirming
smile. "Are you ready?"
Cynthia wiped the remaining tears from her eyes. "I - I think so.
Linda - no, Tom - thank you. You've always been there for me."
"That's what friends are for," I replied. As I led her back to my
car I couldn't get a troubling thought out of my mind. Who was
going to help me answer my questions?
******
"Have you decided?" Judge Herns asked pleasantly.
"Yes, I have Your Honor," Cynthia answered nervously. The Judge
looked at her as if she could read her mind. It turns out she
could.
"I think you'll be happy with your decision," she told Cynthia.
She closed her eyes while raising her hands in front of her.
Moments later a small ball of energy rose out of her palms and
shot toward Cynthia, striking her in the chest. Her body started
to grow by several inches and her hair changed from blonde to
dark brown. Her face became narrower but her body weight grew. It
was clear to me now - Keith had decided to become a male again.
By the time the energy source had finished its work, there stood
in front of me a 15-year-old athletic boy. He ran his hands over
this chest.
"Linda, I'm a man again." All I could do was give him a joyful
smile, while at the same time wishing it was me standing there.
Steve stood next to me and I could see he was also happy. He knew
enough about the old Keith to know they're going to be good, male
friends.
"Welcome to Andersonville Larry Smith," Judge Herns told him. The
boy frowned.
"Larry? Couldn't I have a well - flashier name Your Honor?" The
Judge laughed heartily, as did I.
"I'm afraid that was the name given to you by your parents," she
explained. "Sorry Larry."
There was a knock and then the door opened up. A young, rather
attractive teenager girl walked in. She was also a temp.
"Sorry to disturb you Your Honor, I was looking for my brother."
"That's quite okay Sandra. I was just explaining to Larry and
Steve about the finer points of what it takes to be a Judge."
She giggled. "You should explain to my brother the finer points
of doing his homework. My brother isn't exactly an 'A' average
student Your Honor. More like 'C's and 'D's. Not what you would
call Judge material."
Judge Herns smiled. "Oh, I think Larry will be doing better at
school from now on. You could say this little visit with me has
changed him into a new person." The Judge gave me a quick wink.
"We need to get home Larry. Want a ride Steve?" There was a look
of interest in Sandra's eyes toward my brother.
"Sure Sandra. I'll see you at home Sis." Steve flashed me a big
grin before leaving the Judge's office.
The Judge sighed. "Young love, it's such a precious thing.
Reminds me of my first crush. Too bad I married him." I knew she
was talking about Judge Jasper from Peace River.
"June, speaking of Judge Jasper - what do you think he's going to
do when he gets Klein Walker in his courtroom." The Judge got an
evil smile on her face.
"I haven't the faintest idea," she said. But I could tell from
the look on Judge Herns face that she knew exactly what her
ex-husband planned to do to him.
******
"Well Mr. Walker," Judge Jasper said in a most unpleasant tone.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"Judge," Klein spitted out. "I'm a businessman. You may not
realize this but I can make you a very powerful man."
"And how can you do that?" the Judge asked sternly.
"I assume you have the same kind of power as that other Judge
that I saw earlier." Judge Jasper nodded and Klein continued.
"With your power and my organization skills we can go big time.
No offense Your Honor, but running a small town is chump change.
How do you feel about running the entire west cost? I can make
that happen. In one year I can build you an organization that
will put you in charge of everything west of the Mississippi
River. If someone gets in our way you zap them. I'll worry about
the tedious side of running the day to day operations. That's
what I excel at."
"I see," Judge Jasper said with interest. "And what will your
services cost me?"
"40 percent of the profit Judge. Of course," he added softly. "If
that isn't acceptable I'm sure we can come to some kind of
agreement."
Klein saw that this Judge Jasper was actually thinking about it.
But the ex-crime boss had other plans - things he didn't mention.
Once the organization was up and running he would find a way to
dispose of his partner and his friends. Then he would be the top
dog again.
"We'd need to get you a nice place. Nothing too big, something
with 26 bedrooms to house you and all your lady friends," the
Judge added with a half-smile.
"You're the boss," Klein answered with an evil grin. Images of
being a big man flashed in his head. The Judge turned to one of
his police officers standing close by.
"Office Deimos, what do you make of all this?"
"I think Mr. Walker is trying to bribe you Your Honor," the cop
replied in an even-tempered voice.
"I agree," the Judges agreed, his tone become stern again.
"Wait a minute Your Honor. I was making a business proposition.
If you'll let me explain - "
"You've explained long enough Mr. Walker." The Judge held up his
hand and Klein's ability to talked ceased.
"Since you've been missing for more than two years now and the
Seattle Police Force haven't made any progress in your case - nor
do they seem motivated to do so," the Judge said while looking
over his glasses, "I see no reason to change that status. To put
it simply Mr. Walker, you're already forgotten."
The Judge held his hands out and whispered something under his
breath. Klein tried to say something but found it impossible to
do so. A ball of energy rose slowly out of Judge Jasper's palms
and hovered there for a moment. The ex-kingpin stared at the
light in horror and fear - what fate was the Judge preparing to
impose on him. He didn't think he could live the rest of his life
as a woman. The ball of energy/light moved forward at incredible
speed and hit him directly in the chest. Klein felt a strange
sensation as he felt his insides changing - then his body
shrinking.
'Oh my God, he's changing me into a small child.' But any
illusions of him becoming a small child ended when small patches
of fur began appearing on his skin as he continued to shrink
beyond the size of a child.
'Oh God - oh no,' Klein tried to yell out. His hands turned into
claws, and then became covered with fur. Finally the changes
stopped. Klein tried to speak but the only thing that came out
was a high, squeaking sound. Judge Jasper gave him a satisfactory
look.
"Since you were a coward in life I've changed you into a form
that best fits you the way you lived. Our business is complete."
The Judge waved his hands and Klein found himself in a dark alley
covered with trash. Sensing danger, the rat ran to a dark hole in
the wall of a building. His nightmare was just beginning.
Fade out..