Andersonville 7 -- Soul Mates
by Kelly Davidson
This story dedicated to all the writers of TG Fiction.
Fade in...
There I was, in the file room working hard to make sense of the
mess I had gotten myself into. I had accidentally misplaced a
file and suddenly everything seemed to be out of whack, causing
me a great deal of frustration. As a private investigator I was
never good at filing, that had always been Al's job. Now,
unfortunately, the job was mine and asking myself how it needed
to be done didn't bring up any answers in my head. It was a sink
or swim situation and I was slowly going down.
"Looks like you could use a hand," someone said, causing me to
look up. It turned out to be Dennis Butz standing in the doorway
with a pleasant smile on his face. "Happy Birthday, Linda!"
"You're a little late," I replied with a frown while turning back
to the file cabinet. "My real birthday was three months ago."
Dennis laughed and said, "still fighting the system, huh, Linda?
Sorry, I haven't had time to pick you up a present yet. Do you
have anything in mind that you'd like me to get you?"
"Yeah." I looked up from the file bin and said, "how about giving
me a "Get out of Andersonville for free" card; like the ones they
have in the game of Monopoly? Because we both know this is just a
big game we're playing here."
"Aww, you're upset with me," Dennis said in a slightly belittling
voice. "I know how special turning 18 can be. Caught right
between being a little girl and a young woman." He chuckled with
amusement, but I ignored him, which caused him to prod me even
more.
"I was thinking of picking you up some jewelry - or maybe a
pretty dress with lots of lace and ruffles. Something you can
wear on a big date."
I slammed the file drawer shut and raised my small, feminine
fists at him.
"Alright, you want a fight Dennis?" I threatened. "I'll give you
one right now!"
"Rough day?" he asked innocently.
"Yeah, you could say that," I told him. "For your information, I
already got a pretty dress with lots of lace and ruffles today,
from my mother. And since she made the dress herself, it means
I'm going to have to wear it at least once a month, or else her
feelings will be hurt. And my brother, you guessed it, jewelry!
So let me give you fair warning Dennis, I'm nobody's sweetheart
today!"
"Sorry," he apologized but still grinning from ear to ear.
"However, that leaves me with a small problem; I have no idea
what to give you now."
"How about finding me this damn file I'm looking for so I can put
this report in it."
Dennis looked at the report in my hand. "Robinson, huh?" He
reached into the long drawer and pulled out the correct file.
"Here it is," he said grinning smugly.
"How in the hell did you find it so quickly?" I demanded to know,
"I've been searching for that damned file for the last 30
minutes."
"It's just one of the many lovable traits I have," Dennis
laughed. "Okay Linda, seriously, I'd like to get you something
special for your eighteenth birthday. Anything you want, as long
as it's not impractical or too expensive."
I thought about it carefully for a moment. "Alright Dennis.
There's one thing I want, and it won't cost you one red cent."
"What's that?" he asked eagerly.
"I want to see where that elevator in the hallway leads to. I
want a tour of the bunker that sits below the courthouse. And
don't tell me it doesn't exist, because I know better. That's the
birthday present I want from you, a free tour of below."
"That's it, nothing else" he asked. I nodded my head. "You
realize I can't give you a full tour of the bunker?"
"You mean you're actually going to allow it?" I was shocked that
he had even considered the idea. I had expected him to turn me
down flat.
"Of course I'll allow it. How many times does my special little
girl become a young woman?" he replied humorously.
"In Andersonville, it's as many times as you or the Judge want it
to happen," I said with a glare. "And I told you to watch it with
that little girl crap."
"Oh? I thought that was about buying jewelry or a pretty, lacy
dresses for you."
"It's the same thing!" I growled. "So when do I get to see the
bunker?"
"Why, right now. Follow me." He led me down the hallway to the
elevator and pulled out his cell phone. He punched in a few
numbers and waited for someone to answer it.
"Good morning, Colonel, I'm bringing a visitor down with me. As
you can see, she's not armed nor do I have any weapons pointed at
me. Authorization 13, code Bravo Tango. Level 4 visit. Got that?
Thanks." The door to the elevator opened right up.
"After you, Linda," he said in a charming fashion. We got inside
the elevator, and the door closed behind us.
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 flood as
the war ran unchecked. Finally, after centuries of conflict, an
uneasy peace was achieved between the two peoples. Both sides
recognized that 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...
We went down deep, at least three stories. I still couldn't
believe Dennis was allowing me to visit the nerve center of
Andersonville. It made me wonder if the director trusted me that
much or if it was because he didn't think I could harm his
project no matter how much I knew.
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened up to a wide hallway
with benches on each side. There were two surveillance cameras
located near the ceiling watching our every move. At the end of
the hallway was a very impressive, metal door that stood ten feet
high and was at least eight feet across.
"We're now underneath the Andersonville Courthouse parking lot,"
Dennis stated. "But if you're thinking of digging out, Linda, you
can forget it. There are three thick sheets of lead between the
outside and us. This bunker can survive a 20K nuke blast directly
overhead."
"Impressive," I replied while filing that little bit of
information away. "And I thought all this was built only a couple
of years ago, but the bunker has been here since the 1960's."
"Late 50's actually," Dennis corrected. "It was abandoned in the
70's due to financial reasons. Then, a couple of years ago I
dreamed up Andersonville, and the rest, as they say, is history."
He placed his hand on a palm reader and his eye up to a scope
device. There was a slight clicking inside the wall and the door
slowly opened up. A tall, distinguished-looking man whose hair
was slightly graying met us at the door.
"Linda, this is Colonel Myers, our tour guide. Barry, I'm sure
you know Linda Anderson from her file."
"Hello Linda," Colonel Myers greeted me warmly. "And Happy
Birthday as well."
"You don't miss a trick do you?" I replied as I gazed into the
large room behind him. It was filled with more then 70 people
sitting in front of computer monitors. Off to the side I saw
seven glass rooms, each of which contained a huge mainframe
computer.
The main room, where the men were stationed, was set up like an
office with plush carpeting and luxurious desks. On another side
of the room was a row of false windows made to look like they
overlooked the town. From where I was standing, I could see it
was snowing outside, giving a peaceful feel to the room. Of
course, I knew it wasn't snowing at all, since I had just come
from upstairs, but down here the people didn't know that. What
puzzled me was how they got them in and out of the bunker without
drawing attention to those above. Then one of the men turned and
I saw the twinkling in his eyes - they were all temps except for
the Colonel and the three men I saw leaving each night.
"Why don't I introduce you to my staff?" Colonel Myers said as we
walked to the front of the room. I noticed Dennis stayed behind
to ask one of the temps a question.
"Linda, I would like to you meet Mac, Edward, and of course
you've met Jeff already."
"Nice to see you again Linda," Sergeant Summers said. The other
two men looked on with curiosity. So this was the girl their
friend was so interested in. They gave him room to maneuver.
"You told me you didn't work for Dennis Butz," I said to Jeff
with an accusing tone.
"Actually Linda, Jeff was telling you the truth," the Colonel
intervened. "He works for me and I report to someone else. And
we're not very formal down here unless we have a VIP in our
presence that requires us to be. I hope you're not one of them?"
"I'm not, and I didn't realize you thought of me as a VIP."
"As you may have guessed," the Colonel smiled slightly, "we
rarely get guests down here. So anyone who visits us is
considered a VIP. Now, do you have any questions you want to ask
- within reason, of course?"
"How do I know what's reasonable and what's not?"
"I'll politely let you know," Colonel Myers grinned.
"Okay, let's start with the town. Is it -"
"No, it's not real," the Colonel answered before I finished
asking the question. "Well, the Courthouse is a real building, as
are some of the houses, including the one you're living in. The
rest of the town is like the placeholders; computer generated."
"I thought they were called temps?"
"That's the common term, but technically they're known as
placeholders by the designers. As you know, we have lots of names
to describe them."
"How do you create them...the computer images I mean?"
"Sorry." The Colonel made a buzzing noise. "That's classified.
And even if I could tell you, you'd be bored to death by the time
I was done. It's very technical."
"Can't you tell me anything? Like how many computers it takes to
keep them going?" I said, pointing to the different mainframes
close by.
"Well, it takes one computer to keep the town up and operational,
but we have two backups. One of these backups is always running
while the other waits offline. So two of the computers are
running at the same time, although only one is really needed."
"So if one computer breaks down suddenly, the whole town doesn't
suddenly disappear."
"Exactly," the Colonel answered. "I think you can understand
Linda that even going off-line for a half-second would be
devastating above. And to be honest, I think we really need at
least two more backups for the town. Having five would almost
guarantee such a disaster never happened."
"What about the people, the temps I mean?"
"Two computers, both with a backup." He saw the surprised look on
my face and explained. "Keep in mind, Linda, it's easy to create
a program of a building, all it does is stand there. But when you
create a person, the program for them is huge. The temps are
created to do everything a regular person does, right down to
going to the bathroom."
"You're kidding me?" I chuckled slightly. "They really use the
bathroom?"
"Why of course," Colonel Myers answered, as if it was a stupid
question. "We want them to be as real as you or I, which is why
each temp has its own personality."
"What about their eyes?"
"A small glitch the tech people are working on, we hope it'll be
fixed soon. When that happens you won't be able to tell the real
people from the temps. Then we won't have to be so secretive
about our presence, as we were when Mr. Allen and Mr. Kohl showed
up. It should reduce the stress level down here."
"Colonel," one of the men, I think his name was Mac, called out.
"We have a target on the ramp."
Colonel Myers and I both walked over the computer screen that
showed a picture of a man in a car driving down one of the back
roads.
"A new citizen for us?" I asked directly. The Colonel frowned.
"I'm sorry Linda, but this is classified. Yes, it's a car that
could end up in Andersonville. But if he's clean, we're going to
do everything we can to make sure he avoids us. If you could
please step over to where Jeff is."
"Come here, Linda," Dennis Butz told me as he gently grabbed my
arm and pulled me away. "There's something over here I know
you're really going to be interested in seeing." Dennis didn't
release his grip on my arm until we had walked over to where Jeff
Summers was sitting.
"Jeff, show me where Peggy Williams is," Dennis commanded. The
young man looked at me then at the director with concern. "It's
okay, I'm giving you the authorization to do so."
The Sergeant turned to his computer like a good little soldier
and started typing in some information. A moment later, a layout
of the High School building appeared and then changed to a room
inside the school. There were three dots in the room, one pink
and two blues. The pink dot was flashing.
"She's at the high school. Second floor, room 212. Want me to
find out what class she's in?"
"No, that's alright," Dennis stated. "So Linda, what do you
think?"
"You can track her movements."
"Pretty much, as long as she remains within our area of
influence."
"How large is the area?"
Dennis smiled at the question. "Sorry, I can't tell you that.
Let's just say it goes outside the town borders. The other two
dots are also real people. The blue dots are boy residents and
the pink represent girl residents naturally."
"What about me? Can you show me where I'm at on your screen?
"Of course," Dennis replied. "Jeff, you know her number, bring
her up."
The young man blushed as if he had been caught with his hand in
the cookie jar. He silently typed in my access number that he
knew from memory. The screen changed to show the room in the
bunker, with only one red dot in it.
"Hey, why I am the only one showing up here? What about you and
my secret admirer here?" Jeff hung his head in embarrassment
while Dennis laughed loudly.
"When the Judge transformed you into Linda, you were tagged. We
don't track the movement of our people down here, or the
Andersonville police force, because there's no reason to. And, as
you may have guessed already, we have surveillance cameras inside
and outside of town watching various locations."
"So big brother is watching," I muttered softly.
"It's not what you think," Jeff spoke out in a defensive tone.
"We only watch those who we think will be giving us trouble, like
you would if you think someone is shoplifting from you. Normally,
we don't pay any attention to the regular citizens."
"Unless you have a special interest in them," I added while
giving him the evil eye. The man cringed a little. "By the way,
why I am a red dot and not a pink one? Is there something special
about me?"
Dennis answered the question. "You're in a restricted area that
you don't have the clearance to be in. The computer is just
sending us a warning to let us know that. When you get back
upstairs your dot will change back to 'bright' pink." I gave
Dennis a scowl that he ignored.
"Speaking of which, I believe Steve is most likely waiting for us
by now. We should be getting back upstairs." I noticed Sergeant
Summers breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"So soon? I was hoping to stay and explore for a couple of
hours."
"I'm afraid so," Dennis replied. The Colonel walked over to us
with a relaxed look on his face.
"Linda, you'll be happy to know that the person in the car kept
on driving. From what we could tell, he was clean. Most likely,
he decided to take a back road home and got lost. I guess we'll
never know for sure."
"Barry, we need to get topside." Dennis shook the Colonel's hand.
"Always a pleasure to have you down here, sir," he replied with a
warm smile. "And it was nice to finally meet you in person,
Linda. I hope you can visit us again one day."
"How about tomorrow?" I commented. Both men laughed.
"You never give up, do you Linda?" Dennis replied. He turned to
Colonel Myers. "By the way, Barry, I'm taking Linda and her
brother, Steve, out of town for lunch to celebrate her birthday.
I just wanted to give you a little 'heads up'."
"Fine, I'll let Jeff know," the Colonel replied. "He's going to
be disappointed that he can't go with you."
"Tell him to come along," Dennis said giving me a wink. "You
don't mind, do you, Linda?"
I gave the director an evil glare. The last thing I wanted was
some lovesick male sergeant ogling me over lunch. The Colonel saw
my disapproving expression and smiled.
"He's a little busy right now, Dennis," as he gave me a wink. I
breathed a sigh of relief; at least I had one ally in this room.
"Maybe next time," Dennis replied. "Let's go Linda."
I followed Dennis back to the elevator while taking in everything
that I could. It was truly amazing what they'd been able to
accomplish in a couple of years. We got inside the elevator and
went back up to the town.
"Linda," Dennis told me in a cautious tone, "I took a big chance
by bringing you down here. I don't want you telling anyone about
this place. If the new residents knew, it would only make it
harder for them to adjust if they thought someone was spying on
them all the time."
"But isn't that the truth?" I asked.
"No," Dennis remarked. "Unless they're trying to harm themselves
or others; we leave them alone. The equipment in the bunker is
being used to provide a safe and normal environment for everyone
in Andersonville."
"I guess I'll just have to trust you on that, Dennis," I said,
knowing that I didn't trust him at all. It wasn't that I had ever
caught him in a lie before, I just didn't trust the director for
some reason.
"That's all I ask," Dennis said as we got out of the elevator.
Steve was already waiting for us when we got back to my office.
"Where have you guys been?" he wanted to know.
"Out shopping," I replied. He noticed I wasn't carrying anything
and gave me a funny look.
"Well," Dennis stated, "I don't know about you two, but I'm
starving. Let's get to the restaurant so we can eat."
His car was parked in front of the Courthouse in a reserved guest
space. As planned, Steve got into the front passenger seat while
I sat in the back. Dennis gave us both a funny glance.
"Is there something going on that I should know about?"
"I was hoping I could talk to you about something, Mr. Butz,"
Steve answered.
"Oh," he said with some reservation. "You mean about the football
game last week?" He started the car and drove toward the town
limits.
"Well no, but I'm sorry we lost to Peace River so badly. We tried
our best, but we need help with our offensive line. No disrespect
sir, but the temps aren't as good as the real thing."
Dennis grinned slightly and tried to bait the young man. "I'm not
sure I can do anything about that. And 48 to 13, I think it's
more than just the offensive line that needs work. If you want
better players you should take it up with Judge Herns."
"I guess you're right about that, sir," Steve answered
respectfully.
'Whatever he wanted, it was going to be big,' Dennis said to
himself. He decided to stop playing with the young man and find
out what this was all about. Besides, it wasn't any fun if they
didn't play along.
"Alright Al, what are you looking for?"
Steve shot him a curious glance. "If it's all the same to you,
Mr. Butz, I prefer you called me Steve. That's who I am now, and
it's who I want to remain."
The director raised his eyebrows slightly. He knew Al Parker had
taken well to his new life, the numbers from the computers had
shown him that. Dennis just hadn't realized how well until now.
"Okay then Steve," Dennis replied smiling. "But you have to call
me Dennis. Now, what can I do for you? Hold on a second." Dennis
pulled out his cell phone and cleared their leaving with the
people below. "Alright Steve, go ahead."
"I was wondering if you know what's going on with my
ex-girlfriend, Sally Johnston?"
"A little," Dennis responded. The truth was, he had been looking
over her files a few days ago and had decided to close it. Sally
Johnston didn't appear to be a risk to his project, and both
Linda and Steve had informed him they had never told her what had
happened at Dr. Jensen's house. From what he had found out this
appeared to be true.
"The last time I talked to her, she was getting married," Steve
said. "I was wondering if you knew anything more."
'So that was it,' Dennis thought. He wanted his old girlfriend
brought here. The director had thought about it himself. Sally
Johnston had been a victim of all this and he did feel some
responsibility toward her well being. But by the time he was
ready to move her, she had already become engaged to another man.
His agent had reported her soon-to-be husband was a real jerk;
but if the woman loved him enough to get married to him, why
should he interfere with her plans? Dennis had decided that,
considering all things, she had moved on with her life and it
didn't require him getting involved.
"From what I know, she's going to get married in two weeks. Her
fiance' is a computer salesman. I'm sure they'll be happy
together."
"I'm not so sure," Steve replied with a frown. "If I thought that
was the case I would let her go. But talking to her as Jennifer,
I know there are problems - big problems. You see, women tend to
share things, personal things, that a piece of paper can't tell
you."
"So what do you want me to do about it?" Dennis asked knowing
full well what was coming next.
"Allow me to go visit and talk to her."
Dennis let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh yea, I'm going to allow
that to happen! I just turned down your sister's request for a
'get me out of Andersonville' card, but I'll grant you one! And
what do you think you'll say when you see her? 'Hi, it's me your
ex-boyfriend - slash - ex-girlfriend.' Sorry Steve, but it's not
going to happen."
"Would you please hear me out, Dennis. I know what you're
thinking, but you're wrong. I really want to stay in
Andersonville. I really do love my new life here, and I can't
thank you enough for giving it to me. I know I didn't do anything
to deserve it, but I've never been so happy before, or felt so
normal. Not even when I was living life as Al Parker, and
certainly not when I was Jennifer. You don't know what's it like
growing up without a mother and father. You miss something
wonderful."
"I do know what it's like, Steve. You see, I was an orphan
myself," Dennis explained.
"Then you know how much being here in Andersonville means to me.
I have 'real' parents who love me!" Steve's voice cracked a
little. "But as good as my life is, I can't stop thinking about
Sally and how wonderful our life could have been together."
"I don't see how I can help you," Dennis answered, pulling up to
the restaurant. "We've all lost loved ones in our lives. Why
should you be the exception?"
"Because," Steve said, "you have the power to fix my mistake."
"Your mistake," Dennis replied with surprise.
"Yes," Steve answered. "It was my actions that caused me to
become Jennifer and lose Sally. I don't blame anyone else for
losing her but myself. And maybe I don't deserve a second chance
at her, Dennis, but I'm begging you to let me have one. Because
it's not just me who suffered when I was transformed into
Jennifer, it was also Sally. I want a chance to fix that
mistake."
"You're asking me to send you out there as young teenager." Steve
tried to say something, but Dennis stopped him. "Yes, we both
know you're older then 14, but not in your current physical
state. While I have no doubts you have the 'wits' to survive out
there, I don't think you'll fit in at your current age."
"Then make me older, at least while I'm out there."
Dennis shook his head with a frown. "I have no power to do that,"
he stated. "The only person who could help you is Judge Jasper."
"Why not Judge Herns?" I asked. The last person I wanted to see
back in this town was that cranky son of a bitch.
"Because Judge Herns didn't transform you two," he answered in an
exasperating tone. "Look, I'm breaking one of my own rules by
telling you this. Judge Herns can make you younger but not any
older than you currently are. The only one who can do that is
Judge Jasper! And don't ask me why - that's just the way it is.
She could make you both 4 years old today and turn you back to
your current age tomorrow, but she can't make either of you 25
years old."
"What would it take -- "
Dennis shot my brother an angry glare. "Don't - even - ask," he
said slowly and clearly. "You couldn't afford the price tag for a
favor like that." He softened slightly and said, "Steve, I know
it hurts, but you have to forget about her. In the big picture,
she's not worth it."
"The hell she isn't," Steve said angrily, while opening the car
door. He got out, slammed the door, and started heading back
toward town.
"Where the hell are you going?" Dennis yelled at him angrily.
"Home," he shouted without looking back.
"The hell you are! You get back here right now!" Dennis ordered.
I looked at Dennis then turned and ran after my brother.
"Wait a minute. Where in hell do you think you're going, Linda?"
"With my BROTHER. Enjoy your lunch Dennis!"
"You two can't walk back to town all alone!" he screamed.
"Then follow us in your car. It should only take us an hour or
two to get back."
"I told you I can't do anything to help you out," he pleaded.
"And what about lunch? I said I was starving."
"Get it to go!" I yelled back and continued to walk.
I guess he could have ordered the Marines out after us, but that
would have made him look pretty silly. What was he going to tell
them? That we were walking back to town and he wanted us stopped?
"Alright! Alright!" he yelled to us in a pissy tone. "I'll talk
to Judge Jasper and see if I can set up an interview for you. But
that's all I'm going to do - understand? This will be in his
hands. DEAL?"
We turned around. "Deal," Steve said. We walked back to him.
"You know, you guys can be a real pain in the ass sometimes,"
Dennis said as he opened up the restaurant door.
"No Dennis," I replied. "We just happen to play the game a little
better than you do at times.
******
True to his word, Dennis set up a time the next week for Judge
Jasper to meet with us. Judge Herns made her usual clever exit
about 15 minutes before he was to arrive. Steve was waiting in a
chair, wearing a suit and tie no less. Judge Jasper walked into
my office, dominating, silently, and unsmiling. He stopped at my
desk and gave me a cold stare.
"Are we ready to begin?" he asked in an even tone.
"Judge Herns said we could use her office, Your Honor." He nodded
and we followed him in. The Judge took a seat behind Judge Herns'
desk and looked at me.
"Close the door, Miss Anderson," he commanded, "with you on the
other side."
"I beg your pardon, Your Honor," I said politely. "I would like
to stay and represent my brother."
"This isn't a trial," Judge Jasper said crossly. "He doesn't need
any representation."
"I understand, Your Honor, but with my brother being a minor,"
both Steve and the Judge shot me an evil look, "he should have a
least one adult present with him." I stood stiffly with respect.
"Funny how you play both sides of the street," the Judge remarked
dryly. "Your argument has always been that you're both older than
you look, and thus should be given adult privileges."
"And yours has always been that we're not," I pointed out.
"Humph," he replied. "Alright then, we'll play it your way. Stand
over there by the window and don't say anything else unless
you're asked. Do you understand me?" I nodded my head and did as
I was told.
"Mr. Anderson, this is a most unusual request. In fact, I must
say I've never been asked to do something like this before. Can
you tell me why I should honor your petition?"
"Because I love her, Judge," Steve answered truthfully. "And
while I have a fulfilling life here in Andersonville, it's not
complete without her."
"Suppose she decides not to join you here?" Judge Jasper asked.
"I understand she's to be married this weekend."
"Then I'll put an end to this chapter in my life, Your Honor. I
won't hold on to her memory anymore. I'll wish her luck and move
on."
Judge Jasper sat silently in his chair for a minute debating
before clearing his throat. "Despite what you may have heard
about me," he shot me a frown, "I'm a fair Judge. Since Sally
Johnston was a victim of this entire Jensen mess, I'm going to
grant your request with restrictions. First, I'm going to change
you back to your original body."
"Thank you, Your Honor," Steve smiled nervously. "I just hope
seeing Al Parker again won't frighten her to much."
"Who said anything about changing you into Al Parker?" the Judge
replied coldly. "When we first met you were Jennifer Anderson."
"Yes, but..." Steve searched for the words to continue.
"Your Honor," I interrupted.
Judge Jasper spotted me a cantankerous glance. "I didn't ask you
anything, did I, Miss Anderson?"
"No, Your Honor," I replied back in a frosty tone. "But you said
you're going to return my brother back to his original body, and
that would be Al Parker's body."
"Wrong, Miss Anderson, and I'm going to tell you why! The serum
Dr. Jensen gave Al Parker changed his entire DNA to Jennifer
Anderson's specifications. IN OTHER WORDS," he gave me another
ill-natured look, "he may have been born Al Parker but he ended
up becoming Jennifer Anderson, the person 'I' had to work with. I
expect him to take some responsibility for his past actions and
accept that as fact."
"I do," my brother said weakly.
"So, do you accept my proposal?"
I kept quiet this time. Only my brother could decide if it was
worth it.
"Do I have to change at all? Can't I go there as Steve Anderson?"
To my surprise Judge Jasper actually softened his tone.
"How would it look to have a 14-year-old approach a young woman
in her mid-twenties and ask her to run away with him, Mr.
Anderson?" the Judge explained calmly. "For your own benefit,
it's better if I turn you into someone Miss Johnston knows and
trusts if you are to have any chance at success. I know you've
had some contact with Sally Johnston as Jennifer Anderson. She
would listen to Jennifer, but not some stranger claiming to know
her from a past life. And bringing a dead person back would
complicate matters for everyone who knew Al Parker."
"But convincing her that I'm really Al Parker in a different body
won't be, Your Honor?" Steve asked.
"That's another one of those restrictions I was talking about Mr.
Anderson. You won't be permitted to tell Miss Johnston who you
once were. You can try talking her out of this upcoming marriage
and coming back with you, but you can't tell her why. Again,
doing so would complicate things greatly, and I would be very,
very angry if I found out you did tell her." He gave Steve a look
that showed he meant business.
"Can I ask you something, Judge Jasper?"
"You can, my son."
Steve gathered up his nerve. "Does she love the guy? I mean, will
she be happy being married to him?"
"No," Judge Jasper replied simply. "This marriage is a mistake on
her part, and her future husband is what I would consider great
material for my peaceful little town. But," he cautioned Steve,
"I won't interfere with her life, young man, and neither will any
of my people. I'll give you 48 hours to stop this marriage, plus
travel time to get there. If you can't convince Miss Johnston to
come back with you in that time, then that's it. No matter what
else happens to her in the future, this is a one shot deal. She
either comes with you to Andersonville or she doesn't. Do you
agree to my rules?"
"I love her, Judge, I would agree to anything to get her back." A
tear of his love for her formed in his eye. This caused the Judge
to smile slightly
"I thought you would. Stand still, please."
He lifted his hands and placed them together in front of my
brother. Then he whispered a few words and a ball of light rose
from his palms. Unlike the other times, this ball of energy/light
entered my brother's chest at about half the speed it usually
did. Almost immediately, Steve's entire body changed back into
that of Jennifer Anderson's. Apparently it was easier for the
Judge to transform a person back to their original form -
although Judge Herns hadn't been able to do the same thing with
Mr. Kohl weeks before.
My brother - now my sister - looked over her new body. Judge
Jasper had decided she would wear a pretty red and white dress
instead of the usual blue jeans she used to wear while I was
married to her. The outfit just covered her calves, and to be
honest, made her look very pretty. I had to admit the Judge did
have taste in women's clothes. However, I don't think my brother
was as enthused by the outfit as the Judge was.
"One more restriction that I haven't mentioned yet. It's too
dangerous for a young woman to be traveling alone. So you'll have
a traveling companion on this trip." My brother turned and looked
hopefully at me.
"Don't even think about it, young lady!" he snorted. "Your
traveling companion will be one of my choosing, someone I
'trust'." The last shot was directed at me. "I'll introduce you
to her now."
Without lifting a finger the door opened and a familiar, blonde
haired woman walked into the room. I gasped, why did he have to
pick her?
"This is my daughter, Diane. She'll be at your side the entire
time you're gone. I expect you to listen and follow any orders
she gives you, young lady. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Jennifer answered respectfully. "I won't do
anything to ruin your faith or trust in me."
"Good," the Judge managed a weak smile. "You will remain as
Jennifer Anderson until you enter back into Andersonville. When
that happens you will instantly become Steve again. And young
man, I do wish you the best of luck!"
"Thank you, Your Honor." Jennifer turned and followed Diane out
the door.
"I told you that you weren't needed," Judge Jasper said smugly
while leaning back in his chair.
I thought about coming back with a smart reply but common sense
got the better of me.
"I should get back to work," I replied, while making a hasty
retreat to my office.
"You think I should have assigned someone else to go with your
friend," he said to me. I stopped and turned to look at him.
"Yes," I said firmly. I sensed he was trying to bait me, but I
wasn't going to let him, at least not enough to get me into his
trap. "Having to take orders from the sister of the person who
raped Jennifer every night - I think it's wrong. And I don't see
how they can avoid not talking about it either."
"You're right, Miss Anderson," the Judge said half-smiling. "They
can't avoid talking about it. And while you may be thinking I'm a
sadistic bastard for doing this, I assure you that by the end of
the trip, both of them will come back the better because of it."
"I hope for your sake that you're right," the voice of Judge
Herns rang out. "Because if anything happens to that young child,
I'll hold you personally responsible, you old goat. And you know
what that means." She gave him a warning glare.
"Have you ever known me to be wrong, my dear?" Judge Jasper
chuckled.
I decided to leave the room before the real fireworks started.
******
The two women drove silently down the open highway in a white
Trans-Am that had been specially modified for high-speeds. While
Jennifer was impressed with the car, she didn't let on. Instead
she choose to stare out the car window. Finally Diane had had
enough.
"Look Jennifer," she said calmly. "If we're going to work
together we need to talk about it."
"Talk about what?" Jennifer asked knowing full well what she was
referring to.
"My brother," Diane said in a serious tone. "I don't condone what
he did to you, but he is being punished for what he did."
"Fine," Jennifer lashed out. "So what has that got to do with you
and me?"
"Because you're punishing me for being his sister."
"NO!" Jennifer faced the other woman and said, "I just don't
think the apple falls far from the tree. I think if your father
can produce one piece of work like Gerald, then there have to be
others out there just like him. So it's not a matter of punishing
you, it's a matter of trust and respect. I don't trust or respect
you, Diane!"
"You may not believe this," Diane replied, her voice rising a few
decimals above normal, "but no one else in my family is like
Gerald, including me! I happen to have a great deal of respect
for other people's rights. If I had known what was going on two
years ago, I would have stopped my brother immediately."
"Yeah, well those are real fine words Diane, only they don't do
JACK SQUAT to help me get over what he did to me each night. Do
you know what I feel like right now? Like I'm dirty! All I can
think about is how your brother had his hands all over me all the
time. Do you have any idea what it's like to be raped over and
over with no reprieve? If it weren't for Tom I'd still be
experiencing that horror. And you think I'm punishing you?"
Jennifer snarled. "Trying living in my body with my memories for
a while lady, then you can talk to me about being respectful to
others."
"Okay, do you want to talk about respect and rights? Well do you
MR. PARKER?" Diane yelled back while speeding the car up to over
one hundred and twenty miles per hour. "What about Dr. Jensen's
rights? Oh, you showed A HELL OF A LOT OF RESPECT for her rights
when you were stealing from her. Tell me AL, how much respect
does it take to go through a woman's underwear drawer looking for
things to steal? Private, personal items, and you didn't give it
a second thought now, did you?"
"I was wrong," Jennifer admitted harshly. "But I never said I
wasn't. I have accepted that being turned into Jennifer was my
punishment for that crime. But I didn't desire what your bastard
brother did to me afterwards, no matter what I was planning to
do."
"Punishment?" Diane said in mock surprise. "So you think being
turned into Jennifer was a punishment? You don't know how lucky
you were to be turned into a woman for a few years. It was the
best thing that could have happened to you, you selfish piece of
skin. Do you know how much stronger you are because of it?"
"All I know is that I feel dirty," Jennifer snapped back. "And no
one in your family has ever taken responsibility, or apologized
for what he did to me!"
Diane slammed on the car brakes hard and almost got rear-ended.
The other driver flipped her the finger as he went by but Diane
ignored it. She pulled the car onto the shoulder of the
expressway and faced Jennifer
"Is that all it's going to take to end this hostility?' she asked
in a temperate tone. "A simple apology?"
Jennifer shook her head. "No! I want to know how Gerald became
the piece of work that he is. I want to know where your father
went wrong." Diane took a couple of deep breaths to calm down
before explaining.
"I don't know, Jennifer," the goddess replied calmly and
honestly. "Believe me, many of us have asked the same thing over
and over again. Have you ever known someone who was just born to
be in trouble all the time? I can't explain it; my younger
brother didn't get away with much. My father certainly didn't
treat him any differently than the rest of us. But for some
reason, Gerald never learned to respect others. One day he pushed
someone too far, and the person died because of it. My father was
so horrified and angry by what my brother had done, as well as
his lack of responsibility for what had happened, that he took
away Gerald's powers and threw him out of our town. That's when
my brother met Dennis Butz, who assigned him to watch over Dr.
Jensen."
"So your father thought that taking away his powers and sending
him away was punishment for murder?" Jennifer asked angrily.
"Al, I know you don't believe this, but losing his power was the
worst thing my father could have done to Gerald. It was ten times
worse for him than it was for you being turned into a woman and
having him rape you each night! It's one of the worst things that
can happen to us. Please, you have to trust me on this."
Jennifer was silent for a moment. "I want to believe that, Diane,
I really do. Not because I want revenge, but because I want to
believe that this was all one big mistake. That your father was
really trying to punish Gerald when he kicked him out."
Diane looked deeply into the young woman's eyes. "It was a
mistake, Jennifer, it was. And I'm sorry for all the things he
did to you. It's been very painful for me and to my father. My
family has spent a lifetime trying to stop people from becoming
what my brother is. It's been a very shameful time for all of us,
especially my father. He doesn't show it much, but I can tell how
much this hurts him."
"I believe you, Diane," Jennifer sniffed. She felt a good cry
coming on again. Those damned female hormones.
"Friends?" Diane asked softly.
"Oh God, yes," Jennifer said and reached over to hug her. The two
ladies embraced on the side of the expressway while the cars
buzzed by them at 75 mph.
******
"Jennifer! I didn't think you would make it." The bleach-blonde
woman gave her old friend a hug.
"Hi Sally," Jennifer replied cheerfully. "This is my friend,
Diane. We were driving up the coast and thought we'd stop in."
"You're not staying for the wedding?" Sally seemed a little
disappointed that this was only a short visit.
"I'm afraid not," Jennifer told her. 'And neither are you if I
can help it,' she didn't add.
Jennifer carefully looked over her ex-girlfriend who she hadn't
seen in almost a year. It was the same old Sally, except that she
was about 40 pounds heavier and had shorter hair. But her
personality was still there, just a little beaten up.
"I heard about your baby," Sally said softly with a sad,
respectful look. "I'm so sorry for you and Tom." The comment took
Jennifer back; she had forgotten how much it hurt losing their
son.
"Thank you, Sally, it means a lot coming from you." The older
woman bit her lip and gave Jennifer a comforting stare.
"Let's go inside." Sally suggested.
Sally had moved out of the old apartment that they had once
shared many nights together when Jennifer was still Al Parker.
The move had occurred a couple months after their first meeting,
the one where Jennifer had told Sally that Al was dead. It was
true of course; the real Al Parker was dead. But having to tell
Sally this so she could continue on with her life had been the
hardest thing Jennifer had ever done. Sally's new apartment,
while a step up from where she once lived, didn't seem as cozy as
the old place.
"Nice place, Miss Johnston," Diane commented.
"Call me Sally," the older woman smiled. "Any friend of
Jennifer's is a friend of mine."
"Sally, then," Diane replied with her own warm smile.
"What happened to your rocking horse collection?" Jennifer asked.
"Bill didn't like them messing up the place so I got rid of
them," she said a little hurtful. Jennifer noticed there were
several trophies and other sports memorabilia on the cabinet
where Sally had once kept her collection.
"By the way, how is Tom doing?" Sally inquired.
Jennifer looked at Diane for guidance but got none. "I guess you
didn't hear. We broke up."
"Oh no," Sally said sadly.
"It's okay, it's for the best. I still keep in contact with him
on a daily basis. In fact we're great friends now." Jennifer gave
Sally a reassuring smile to show that everything was okay. It was
something she had found out while living as Jennifer; that woman
worried and comforted each other.
"Well, Bill should be home any minute," said Sally. "I can't wait
for you to meet him Jennifer. He's a computer salesman and last
week he sold a 1.5 million-dollar system to a big manufacturing
plant not far from here. The commission check from the sale is
going to be tremendous - enough for a down payment on a house."
"Still working at your old job?" Jennifer asked.
"No, I'm a waitress at Denny's now," Sally answered while looking
away.
"What?" Jennifer blurted out in surprise. Sally had been a
purchasing clerk at a plumbing manufacture and a damn good one at
that. She had been given several nice raises along with a few
awards for outstanding performance. Sally's boss loved her
attitude and work habits.
"I had to quit. You see, I was making a little bit more money
than Bill was and well - you know how men are."
Jennifer couldn't believe her ears. What had happened to the old
Sally she had once knew? If Al had asked Sally to quit her job on
account that she was making more money than he was, she would
have told him to go to hell. Now Sally was a waitress when she
should have been managing the restaurant.
"Sounds like you love him a lot to give up your job for him,"
Diane observed.
"Oh yes, I do love Bill a lot." But Jennifer didn't hear the
passion in the words like she did when Sally had talked about Al
Parker.
"Sally. Can I -"
The sound of the front door opening and someone walking in
interrupted Jennifer's train of thought. He was a big man, about
6"3' with a belly that indicated he was a heavy beer drinker. He
wore a suit that didn't fit very well - obviously purchased when
he was 20 pounds lighter. He gave both ladies a smile, but it was
one out of politeness, not friendship. Jennifer found herself
disliking Sally's fianc? immediately.
"You're home early," Sally said cautiously.
"Yeah, well, I decided to knock off a couple hours early to see
you." He came over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
"Where's my beer?"
"Sorry, I forgot." Sally went to the refrigerator and got him
one. "Bill's such an important person down at the company. I was
just telling my friends about the big deal you closed on last
week. Did Harry say how much commission you're going to get out
of it?"
Bill plopped down in a chair and took a long swig of his beer.
"Those rotten bastards. The bigwigs are giving my commission
money to Hank. They say he made the deal, not me. What a bunch of
Bull Crap! I do all the shit work and he gets all the glory. If
it wasn't for me calling the president of that company and wooing
him along, we wouldn't have gotten this contract at all. But you
think that matters? Nooo - 'good old Bill' gets the shaft again."
"But didn't you tell your boss about the conversations you had
with their president?" Sally asked in a low, inoffensive tone.
"Boy, the blonde really does go to the roots on you, doesn't it,"
Bill snapped sarcastically. "Of course I told him. Do you think
he believed me? Hank happens to lie better than I tell the truth.
So he gets a big, fat commission check and I get almost nothing.
If it weren't for me threatening to quit right then and there, I
wouldn't have gotten anything. But they know who brings in the
bread and butter for the company. They sidestep around the issue
to calm me down. I had them on the ropes; you should have seen
the old man begging me to stay. And since I'm such a nice guy, I
forgot about what they did, and agreed to stay; but only if they
give me the afternoon off."
His entire story turned Jennifer's stomach. She wouldn't be
surprised if Bill came home the next day and told Sally he had
been fired by those same ungrateful bastards. Al Parker had
tracked down enough deadbeat fathers to know a loser when he saw
one. If Bill was doing so great, why did Sally have to quit her
job to make less money than him? But to Jennifer's amazement, the
man wasn't through bitching about it.
"I tell you, I get half a dozen job offers each week. One day I'm
going to quit and then they'll be sorry. To bad I can't prove it
was me who made the deal honey, otherwise we'd be living high on
the hog right now." Jennifer couldn't take it anymore.
"Why don't you just call the president of the company and ask him
to call your boss? Then they would have to believe you." The man
gave Jennifer a dirty glare.
"Boy, you don't know nothing about business, do you lady?" he
stated rudely. "That may be how they teach you to do things in
one of those fancy college books, but in the real world that kind
of selfishness could cost my company this deal. How would it look
to the president of the company buying the computer if I asked
him to let my bosses know who made this deal? It would make us
look like assholes."
"Actually," I started out in a lecturing tone. "You would be
doing your company a favor by forcing out the truth. The
president who bought the computer system would want to continue
dealing with the person who talked them into buying it in the
first place. Your bosses would benefit by knowing they have an
employee like this Hank who steals sales from other people. And
of course, you'd get the reward you so 'richly deserve'." Diane
put her hand over her mouth to stop from laughing.
"Oh, and one more thing, Bill. I happen to hold a PHD in Business
management and communications." That was a lie but Jennifer was
convinced Bill wouldn't know the difference.
"You're way too young to hold a PHD!" he said uncertainly.
"I happen to be very smart, Bill. I started taking college
classes when I was 16 and graduated from college by the time I
was 20. I worked hard and took night courses, finishing in half
the time. School was a breeze for me. And, as you can see,"
Jennifer said smartly while holding out a section of her long
hair. "I don't have blonde roots!"
Bill's face turned red with anger. He wanted to explode but
wasn't about to do so in front of them. Suddenly, Jennifer felt
sorry for what she had said. It was Sally who would have to pay
the price later on, but Jennifer wasn't about to let the SOB off
the hook yet; she was going to expose him for the loser that he
was.
"So give him a call, Bill," she told him firmly. "I'm sure the
President will be happy to hear from you and set the record
straight."
"I don't have the number, it's at work," he snapped.
"Then call information. I'm sure a company that buys a million
dollar computer system is listed in the white pages."
"Look, who in the hell are you?" he demanded to know.
"This is Jennifer McClain and her friend, Diane," Sally said
softly. Jennifer could see she was nervous.
"Look, Ms McClain," the man almost hissed. "At my company we do
things a little differently. I'm a team player, see? The only
reason why I didn't quit today is because the company wouldn't
last a month without me. And if they go under, then all my
friends I work with would be out of a job. So don't lecture me on
what to do, I've made it this far on my own."
'And not very well,' Jennifer wanted to add. This man was filled
with hot air.
"Now if you will excuse us, Sally and I have a private matter to
discuss. Goodbye." Sally quickly led them to the door.
"He's just in a bad mood," she whispered to them. "We were really
looking forward to that commission check. Bill spent a lot of
hours making this deal come together, and he's just a little
disappointed, that's all. Come back tomorrow, you'll see the real
man I fell in love with." Jennifer doubted that coming back
tomorrow would change anything.
"Sally, get me another damn beer," Bill yelled from the living
room. "Then get your fat butt in here, I need to talk to you."
"I have to go guys, thanks for stopping by." She closed the door
before Jennifer even had a chance to respond.
"Boy, he sure was pleasant to be around," Diane commented as they
walked back to the car.
"Yeah. He left a real bad taste in my mouth. Now I know what your
father meant by being great material for his town. What does she
see in him anyway?"
"Her last chance at happiness," Diane said sadly. "Al Parker's
death left a big void in her life. She was depressed and started
eating a lot, which caused her to gain a lot of weight. She lost
her self-esteem in the process, and didn't think any man would
love her again. Then Bill came along, only he's not looking so
much for a wife as for someone to boss around and serve him.
"But it shouldn't have been that way," replied Jennifer. "Sally
used to be a strong woman."
"Even strong people have their breaking points," Diane replied
while getting into the Trans-Am. "She cared about you deeply."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Jennifer asked tearfully. "To
illustrate how much of a fool I was for leaving her?"
"No," Diane answered. "I'm trying to show you how important it is
that we get Sally out of this destructive situation. Bill's not a
wife beater, yet, but he's already started to beat her down
mentally. We need to make sure he doesn't complete the job."
"Can't your father help? I mean, he did mention that this guy
should be at Peace River. You can ask your father to pick him up,
and then we could approach Sally and ask her to leave with us."
Diane shook her head sadly. "It doesn't work like that, Jennifer.
First, we just don't grab people off the street; they have to
come to us. Sometimes we lure them into our town but everything
has to be just right before we do that. We just don't take
anyone. Second, having Bill disappear would cause too many
problems. Don't ask me why; just trust me on this. He needs to be
where he is. And besides, my father doesn't want to get involved
in this."
"But he let you and me come out here," Jennifer argued. "He's
already made that commitment."
"No," Diane said shaking her head. "Dennis Butz made the
commitment, my father only agreed to allow us to try. He didn't
think it was such a good idea to begin with."
'So Dennis came through for me after-all', Jennifer said to
herself. She would have to thank him properly when she saw him
next.
"What about Dennis Butz, then?" Jennifer asked.
"He can't help us either. That was part of his agreement to my
father in exchange for his help. I'm afraid you and I are Sally's
last line of defense. If we fail, she will more than likely marry
Bill in hope of finding happiness again."
"And fail miserably." Jennifer added glumly. "Diane, I don't know
if we can do this alone."
"No one said this was going to be a cake walk, Jennifer." She
stopped the car at a traffic light. "Do you want to go to the
motel room now?"
Jennifer stared out at the buildings that made up downtown
Seattle. This was her town, and it was like seeing an old friend
again.
"Do you mind if we drive around some, Diane? I'd kind of like to
see some of my old haunts again. Maybe it will help me think up a
plan."
Diane smiled. "You're the boss lady."
******
The night out did Jennifer a lot of good. First, she took Diane
to an old Italian restaurant that Al Parker and Sally used to go
to all the time. It wasn't one of the fancier places in Seattle,
but the food was incredible. That was one thing Jennifer
regretted about living in Andersonville, it didn't have a good
Italian restaurant.
Next, they went out to a few clubs where Al Parker had hung out.
They hadn't changed a bit, something that Jennifer was grateful
for. After a while, she realized that being around Diane had a
good influence on her. By the end of the night, both ladies had
let their hair down, and Jennifer found herself accepting
invitations to dance with some of the male patrons, something the
old Jennifer would never have done.
It was sad the way things had worked out, Jennifer thought to
herself. If she had met Diane instead of Gerald after her
transformation, then maybe she would have accepted living as
Jennifer for the rest of her life. Instead, the old memories of
being with Gerald kept coming back to haunt her.
Early in the morning, the two women made their way back to the
motel room. Diane helped the exhausted girl remove her clothes
and get into bed. In less than a minute, Jennifer was sound
asleep, dreaming about how wonderful tonight had been as a woman.
Diane smiled at the dreams Jennifer was having. The young girl, a
victim of her brother's evil ways, needed a good night out as a
woman to remember.
******
"Come on, Jennifer, time to wake up." The young woman rolled over
to face Diane, who looked as fresh and pretty as the day before.
"Let me sleep some more," she moaned.
"You can't. We have to be at the restaurant in an hour and a
half. Now get moving." Diane pulled the covers away, revealing
Jennifer's half-naked body.
"Hey, what's the big idea," Jennifer said grabbing for a pillow
to cover her naked breasts. "Can't you see I'm not properly
dressed?"
"If you hadn't been so tired last night, you could have worn one
of the pretty nightgowns I packed for you," Diane replied.
"Great, pretty! It always has to be pretty with you people,
doesn't it? A pretty dress, pretty bras, pretty panties, pretty
slips, pretty jewelry, pretty shoes. Why can't it just be
practical, why does it always have to be pretty?
"Because there are too many 'practical things' today that make
this world not very pretty at times," Diane explained. "So we do
our best to add some color to it and to remind everyone it's not
about being 'practical' that matters."
Diane could see Jennifer was back to her usual, grumpy self. She
tossed Jennifer a robe to cover herself with.
"Now hit the showers so we can make you all pretty," Diane said
smiling.
Jennifer grumbled as she put on the robe and went into the
bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she came out in a slightly better
mood, having been wakened up by the hot shower. She started
rummaging through her suitcase.
"Need help?" Diane offered.
"I can manage, Mom!" Jennifer replied loudly. She looked around
inside the suitcase for a few more moments and then shot Diane a
glare. "There doesn't seem to be anything in here except skirts
and dresses."
"Remember what I said?" Diane replied with a smile. "Pretty!"
"Can't I look pretty in a pair of jeans?" Jennifer moaned.
"I suggest the black dress," Diane answered in sweet tone that
annoyed Jennifer even more than the lack of pants in the
suitcase. "Skirts look good on you, but if you want my opinion,
you're really a 'dress' girl."
"Great," Jennifer said, while pulling out the outfit Diane had
mentioned. While the dress was respectable looking, it didn't
come anywhere near her knees. She started to pout just a little.
"Cheer up, Jennifer, it could be worse. If my adopted Aunt were
here, you'd be walking around in something both pretty and
revealing. She's real big on promoting love between the sexes."
"Yea," Jennifer responded sarcastically, "and what's her name,
Venus?"
"How did you know?" Diane grinned. Jennifer shot the woman
another dirty look and grabbed at the lacy bra and panties Diane
had packed for her, both quite pretty.
******
At this time of the day Denny's wasn't very busy. The breakfast
crowd had just left, and the lunch crowd wouldn't start coming in
for another hour. Diane had planned it that way so they could
talk to Sally uninterrupted. Al's ex-girlfriend greeted them at
the door.
"Jennifer and Diane, did you come here to see me or to eat?
"Both," Diane said cheerfully. "We're hoping you would join us."
"I'm sorry, I can't," she said disappointedly. "My boss won't let
me take my break this early."
"Oh, I think I can get him to change his mind," Diane said.
"Where is he?"
"Over at that table checking out the morning receipts," Sally
said, while pointing to him.
"Let me handle this while you get us a seat where we can talk in
private."
"Okay then," Sally smiled cheerfully. "By the way, both of you
ladies look nice today, especially you, Jennifer. I love the
dress you're wearing."
"Kind of makes her look 'pretty', doesn't it," Diane giggled
slightly. Jennifer turned to give Diane an evil glare, but she
was already walking away to see the manager.
"Well, don't look so mad about it, Jennifer," Sally said, "She's
right. It does make you look pretty. I wish I looked as nice in a
dress as you did."
'I wish that I didn't,' Jennifer told herself.
"You look nice wearing a dress," Jennifer stated.
"Right," Sally said while picking up a couple of menus and
leading Jennifer into the back room. "I'm a fat pig, no one wants
to see me in a dress."
"That's not true," Jennifer said as she watched Diane reach into
her purse and pull something out. "That uniform doesn't look bad
on you. Besides, it's what's inside that counts."
"Please," Sally responded sarcastically. "Men want to see girls
like you in those kinds of dresses, and women like me in these
kinds of uniforms. That's the way it is."
"What happened, Sally?" Jennifer asked carefully. "I know Al's
death upset you, but why did you give up? You weren't this heavy
when we first met, but you've changed since then, and I don't
mean just physically." Tears formed in the older woman's eyes.
"You don't understand, about me or Al, or what we had; so don't
judge me," she said defensively.
"I want to understand," Jennifer answered back. About this time
Diane showed up at the table.
"Your boss said we can have you for an hour. Do you mind taking
our order? I'm a good tipper!"
"Sure," Sally answered while wiping the tears from her eyes and
taking out her pad. Diane and Jennifer ordered breakfast and
Sally went off to hang it up.
"How did you get her boss to let her take off an hour?" Jennifer
asked.
"Simple, I slipped him a hundred-dollar bill," Diane explained.
"You gave him a hundred?" Jennifer gasped.
"Relax, it's not going to break me. By the way, I thought we
agreed you wouldn't talk to Sally unless I was present." Jennifer
had forgotten about that.
"I'm sorry Diane, I really am. It just kind of happened and, to
be honest, I forgot about our agreement." Diane flashed her
smiled.
"It's okay, Jennifer, I forgive you. Just remember the next time.
You know how much of a stickler my father is on rules."
"So Linda's told me. Besides, you didn't miss much. Sally was
just telling me how pretty I looked, and I was trying to tell her
that beauty is in the soul of the individual."
Diane looked at the young girl thoughtfully. "That's very good
Jennifer. You don't know how refreshing it is to hear someone say
that besides me. Is that how you see Sally?"
"Yes," Jennifer answered. "Diane, even if she doesn't come back
with us, I want more then anything to make sure she's happy. It's
what I always wanted." Diane frowned at the suggestion
"You can't make someone be happy, Jennifer," she cautioned.
"Are you saying this isn't going to work?"
"What I'm saying," Diane replied carefully, "is that you're not
responsible for making sure Sally is happy all the time. Sally
may be struggling with a lot of things in her life, but she's
still responsible for her own happiness. If she doesn't like
something, then she needs to change it. You can't be the one who
does that for her. If you think taking her back to Andersonville
will be the end to all her problems, then you're going to be
sadly disappointed. Sally needs to take control of her life
again."
"But I'm the reason she's like this. It was my death that changed
her."
"No," Diane stated firmly. "It may have triggered the event but
the trouble was always there. Sally leaned on you for support far
too much. It's not wrong for two people to support each other,
but it is wrong to have one person be responsible for how the
other person feels all the time. Do you understand the difference
here?"
"Yes, a little." Jennifer replied.
Diane grabbed Jennifer's hands. "Jennifer, sometimes people make
their own hell and blame others for it. But the truth of the
matter is, they always have the freedom to change directions.
Sadly, I've found that most of your kind doesn't do that. They
become trapped and then later on, bitter."
"Is that what's going to happen to Sally?"
"I don't know," Diane said softly, "I'm not a fortune-teller, but
if I was a betting man like Officer Merrick, I would put good
odds on i