Flashback - Three months earlier...
Judge Jasper opened up the chamber door with such great force
that he almost ripped it from its hinges. Behind him followed
Andrew Marshall (Mars), Pete Akins (Apollo) and Ashlee Gang.
Jupiter slammed the crumbled note down on his desk in rage and
faced his two sons.
"This is intolerable!" he almost screamed. "A few months ago it
was just one person, today it's two. What's he going to do the
next time, bring in a busload?"
"Father," Apollo interrupted. "Perhaps it would be a good idea if
we discuss this matter in private." He made a motion over to
where Ashlee was standing.
Jupiter took a deep breath and nodded. "Ashlee, if you would
please."
"Of course, Your Honor," she said politely and left the room,
closing the door behind her.
"Father," Apollo started out. "We've checked every lead -
'twice'. Whoever this person is, he's crafty and very thorough.
"I want him," Jupiter said firmly. "I want this mailman brought
to me by the end of this year - ALIVE! I want him brought here to
face trial in MY COURTROOM!"
"We're doing our best," Mars replied evenly in an attempt to calm
his father down. "But every person he brings in has a different
description of him. It's like he can change his appearance at
will. And if that's not enough, even his car has been different
on each delivery. We checked the license plates we got off the
people he brought in. Each plate was stolen off a junked car
similar to the one he is driving at the time. As Apollo said
before, he's very thorough."
"Maybe he's a Titan," Apollo threw out.
"I don't believe so," Mars answered with a frown. "If he were a
Titan, why help us out by bringing in people we can use? No, it
has to be a human who thinks he's doing a good deed."
"Then how does he know so much about us?" Jupiter asked.
"Perhaps from one of our past residents," Mars suggested. "We
still have three people unaccounted for."
Apollo rolled his eyes at the suggestion. "If their government
won't do anything about us why would one man? Besides, the first
place these escapees's would've gone running is to the FBI. We
know from our sources that they didn't do that, nor did they go
to the local police. So why would they go up to a complete
stranger and tell him all about us?"
"Have you got a better suggestion?" Mars shot back with fire in
his eyes.
"Yea, I do! I believe the Titans are behind all this. I think
they're trying to rattle our cage and turn us against one
another."
"Utter nonsense!" replied Mars. "The Titans want to see us
stopped, not play games with us. It has to be a human. If you
don't believe me, why don't you confirm that with your friend,
Dennis Butz!"
"He's not my friend!" Apollo countered, and moved closer to his
half-brother. "I negotiate with him on our behalf, nothing more!
If you want to try and make something more out of it, we can
settle this right now!"
"That's enough you two," Jupiter said, putting his massive arms
between them. "It's clear we don't know for sure what's going on
here. Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to help the problem
go away." The two Gods gave each other a strong glare but stepped
back.
"Now let me make this clear," Jupiter said slowly to his son,
Mars. "I don't know how you're going to do it, but you're going
to find this mailman and bring him to me. We have to catch him
before he does any real damage to our plan. Look at his last
note!"
Jupiter picked it up off his desk and handed it to Mars. "He's
becoming more demanding about what he wants me to do. He now
threatens to tell everyone about Peace River if I don't follow
his instructions to the letter. Well I can guarantee you this my
sons, that one day he's going to grow tired of this game and do
it anyway. Number 6 & 7 just got delivered, how many more are
left?"
"We'll catch him, father," Mars assured him.
"If you don't we'll have to move our operation," Jupiter
explained. "I don't have to tell either one of you how many
people we'll lose in the process." Mars and Apollo both nodded
with a frown.
"Then find him before that happens." Both Gods started to leave
when Jupiter stopped one of them.
"Stay for a moment, Apollo. I have something else I wish to
discuss with you."
Mars looked disappointed that he wasn't asked to stay, but left
without saying a word. Apollo took a seat and waited in silence
while his father picked up the note given to him by one of the
two ladies he had just converted. He read it carefully again for
some kind of clue. Like the other five before them, the two girls
brought in today were young and Transsexuals. Under their own
guidelines, only one of the two would've been considered to
become a resident of Peace River. Oh, both could be used, but
only one was really compatible with their system.
Of course Jupiter had not choice in the matter, not as long as
this mailman person was holding the cards. To add insult to
injury, the mailman had instructed him to make them sisters and
keep their first names the same. This didn't go over to well with
Jupiter. He had to make up a brand new family just so Angie and
Anne Felton could live their life the way they wanted to, not the
other way around.
Jupiter wanted to get mad at the two girls, but deep down he knew
it wasn't their fault. He also couldn't take a chance of having
their secret discovered by the outside world. There were still
many years to go, maybe even a century, before their dream would
become a reality. No, he couldn't please his ego and put the
entire operation in jeopardy by not obeying.
The king of the Roman Gods took a deep breath and laid the note
back down on his desk. There was another matter needing to be
taken care of right now. He pressed on his intercom button and
said, "Ashlee, can you come in here please."
A moment later his secretary opened the door holding a pad of
paper in her hand. She smiled brightly, and Jupiter couldn't help
but do the same. They were always so pretty during this time.
Each pregnant woman gave off a certain pink and blue aurora that
made the gods feel at ease. Jupiter had to admit to himself;
Ashlee Gang was probably his favorite secretary out of all the
ones who had worked for him before. It had been a good choice to
grab her when he did.
"Ashlee, I want you to have Officer Ganymede bring Sally Rider to
me right now." She nodded and left the room.
Apollo gave his father a bewildered look. "Sally Rider. The same
Sally Rider that used to be Al Parker's girlfriend?
"That's correct my son. I want you to set up a meeting with
Dennis Butz and do some negotiating for me. When you meet, tell
him I'm purposing a trade. Sally Rider for the services of Linda
Anderson while Ashlee is on maternity leave."
"Linda Anderson!" Apollo almost protested. "But we have more
qualify people here, and she's also Dennis' favorite. Why bring
her here?"
"Simple," Jupiter smiled tightly. "I have no doubt that who ever
is running this underground movement in Peace River will try to
contact her. When they do, we'll nab them."
"How do you know Dennis Butz will go for the trade?"
"Oh, he will," Jupiter answered with a thin, evil smile. "He's
too much of a romantic to pass up an opportunity like this. No
doubt he'll try to bargain for her with something else; don't let
him. Tell him this is a non-negotiable deal straight from me.
Sally Rider for Linda Anderson, nothing less."
"I'll talk to him," Apollo replied without debating the issue
farther. He knew when his father made up his mind it was
pointless to do so.
Fade out...
***
Voice of Judge Jasper - We are the Roman Gods, who fell to your
world long ago when your people were still learning how to crawl.
We have guided you through the years, rewarded you for good
deeds, and punished you when needed. With our leadership, we
helped you defeat the Titans in a terrible but glorious war. Once
your path was set, we went to sleep, waiting for the day you
would reach for the stars and take us home. But the Titans
interfered, and turned you away from your destiny. When we awoke,
we found much work to do; so we established a base and called it
Peace River.
The Titans, with our help, established their own base later on.
It's a town where we can work together, a last ditch effort to
avoid another war that may destroy the human race forever. Some
would like to see the town and your people destroyed, others
would like to see it work - to have peace at last. There is much
hatred between our people, and the road ahead won't be easy but
the rewards if we do are great. The name of this last chance for
peace is called Andersonville.
***
Andersonville 14 - The mailman
By Kelly Davidson
Edited by Geoff Green and Nelson T
This story dedicated to Beverly, who owns and maintains Beverly's
Balcony. Her creative insight and hard work has made her web page
a favorite of mine. Thank you for allowing us a place to post our
stories, Beverly.
Fade in...Present day
I was going into the local Andersonville drugstore to pick up
some gum for my long trip back to Peace River. Judge Jasper, much
to my surprise, had called me into his office on Thursday and
given me permission to take off Friday and most of Monday morning
so I could spend a long weekend with my family. I had to admit it
felt great to be home again, even if it was for just a few days.
My flight back to Peace River was due to leave in an hour, but
first I was going to have quick meeting with Dennis Butz. It
wasn't going to be a pleasant one either considering what I now
knew.
I was so busy thinking about what I was going to say to him that
I absentmindedly ran into a teenage boy coming out of the store.
In the process of doing so, I spilled the contents of my purse
onto the ground.
"Excuse me," he said politely while reaching down to help me pick
everything up. There were some tubes of lipstick, a tray of eye
shadow, and a couple of tampons that announced it was that time
of the month for me.
"My fault," I replied absentmindedly. "I wasn't looking where I
was going." I raised my head to make eye contact and was startled
at who I saw.
"Frank?" I gasped in surprise. The teenage boy reminded me of how
I once looked. Average height, a protruding nose, and sandy brown
hair that lay straight across his forehead. Even his smile was
similar to my own.
My older brother, Frank, had died when he was only six years old
in a car crash, along with my real parents. Even though this
young man had to be at least 15, I knew right away it was him.
"Something wrong, honey?" I heard an older female ask.
"Mom?" I responded with tears forming in my eyes. It was my
mother, just as I remembered her the night she had died.
"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else, young lady"
she replied with a tad of concern at my reaction. "I don't have a
daughter. Come on Frank, I need to get to my appointment."
The teenage boy said goodbye as he got up and followed his
mother, my mother, back to the car. I sat down on a bench in a
daze, torn inside as to what to do. Should I run after them and
make a fool of myself? Or should I accept that they were really
dead and my new family, the Anderson's were not? It was like a
sick joke being played out on me, and I didn't know whether to
laugh or cry about it. Why hadn't Dennis told me they were here?
I forgot about the gum and drove straight to my appointment with
Dennis Butz.
***
The director was already sitting at the table waiting for me, a
pleasant but rather smug smile on his face. I was going to take
great pleasure in wiping that smile away.
"Linda, how are you?" he asked cordially.
"Forget the pleasantry's, Dennis." I informed him angrily. "I
want to talk to you about my brother!"
"What about Steve?" he asked a little confused.
"I'm not talking about Steve, I'm talking about my real brother,
Frank. I just ran into him by accident at the drugstore, along
with someone who looked amazing like my mother. Why didn't you
tell me you created my family here in Andersonville?"
"Because if I had, I knew it would only upset you," he explained
calmly. "Frank Harvey, that's his name by the way, was supposed
to be the person you were going to be transformed into. However,
at the last minute I decided to it would be better if you became
Linda Anderson.
"YOU DECIDED!" I shot back while getting within inches of his
face. "I'm getting DAMN tired of you deciding what's right for
me! What gives you that right to decide who I should live as for
the rest of my life?"
"I created the town, I financed the program that created your
family, and you signed a contract with me," he explained. "Pick
any of the three, Linda. And it was your relationship with the
Anderson's that made up my mind. You hardly knew your real
parents, and my program probably doesn't come close to recreating
what they were really like. It was clear from the reports I read
that you thought of Sox and Norma Anderson as real parents. I
couldn't bear the thought of breaking the three of you apart."
"And what about me?" I asked in an irritable tone. "Is there a
little Tom running around Andersonville as well?"
"No, you were replaced by someone named Sam. So you see, I really
didn't recreate your entire family, only their images. I wasn't
going to keep this a secret from you forever, Linda. I was
planning to tell you about them as soon as the time was right."
"Was it going to be at the same time you told me you were a
Titan?" I snapped back. Dennis's head jerked about in surprise
and his mouth opened wide. I knew that I had asked him something
he had been completely unprepared for.
"He wasn't suppose to tell you," Dennis whispered angrily after
he recovered from the shock.
"Was he also not supposed to tell me about the man-eating
mermaids?" I asked in an accusing tone. "Or that you turned some
of your own people into one-eye monsters!"
"You don't know what you're talking about," he responded
defensively.
"Don't talk to me like I'm an uninformed little girl, Dennis," I
snapped forcefully back. "I saw the Titan's greatest achievements
with my own eyes! Let me tell you, I wasn't too impressed with
your work. That's why I set up this meeting, so we could have a
talk about them."
"You didn't come here to talk, Linda," the director pointed out.
"You came here to condemn me."
I came here to find out the TRUTH!" I yelled, pounding my fist
hard on the table in front of him. "But every time I try you
throw up a God Damn smoke screen. Well not this time, Dennis!
This time you're going to tell me what I want to know!"
"And if I refuse?" he asked calmly.
"Then I'll give my support to Judge Jasper. I'll tell him
anything he wants to know."
"I don't deals with blackmailers, Linda," Dennis replied coldly
while now moving within inches of my face. "Go ahead, Linda. Go
to Old Jupiter if you think he'll treat you better. You won't be
the first person I tried to help who left me high and dry, nor
will you be the last."
Dennis sat back down at the table and calmly placed his napkin on
his lap as if the matter had been settled. I turned and took two
steps toward the door before my anger got the best of me. It
wasn't going to let this matter end this way. Not this time.
I turned to Dennis and shouted, "Aren't you even going to defend
yourself?"
"How do you suggest I do that, Linda?" he asked in a puzzled
tone. "Yes, our scientists experimented on the Roman Gods, and
the results were those flesh-eating monsters you saw swimming in
Peace River. We didn't mean for them to come out that way but
they did; and the results were just as terrifying to us as they
were to you.
"We also created the Cyclopes, although we've always suspected
Judge Jasper and his friends had something to do with that. You
have to understand, Linda; those were desperate times for us. We
were losing the war to the Olympians, and we knew all to well
what would happen to us if we did. So we grasped at a straw and
lost. I'm not happy about it, but that's the way history played
out.
"And that's it? That's your defense!" I snarled. "It was a
desperate time and we had no choice."
"No!" he replied back in an equally, unpleasant tone. "My defense
is that you're judging me based on decisions made over 10,000
years ago. How can I defend my people or even myself against
those actions made in the past that I now know are wrong? Don't
you think that over the centuries I've changed some, Linda? Look
at my actions since you've known me, don't they count for
anything? And that's my point, Linda. I could talk till I'm blue
in the face about how much I've changed and it wouldn't matter to
you. Because in the end, you would still associate me with events
that happened while your people weren't even 'potty-trained'.
"Oh, and just so you know, the Roman Gods did some pretty
despicable things to us as well. I personally suffered, losing a
daughter almost 200 years after our war was over because Jupiter
decided 'we' needed to suffer some more. By "we" I mean the
original Titans, not our offspring. I'm one of the original
twelve he declared war on, but I was the last to be defeated so I
had to suffer the most for holding out the longest."
Dennis stopped for a moment, and a rare, angry expression crossed
his face. "Most of my brothers and sisters are now located in
Peace River," he added in silent anger. "Locked underground and
guarded by those same Cyclopes we created to save us. Two of my
sons are there, and it's unlikely I'll ever see them again in
this lifetime or my next one. Jupiter will never let them out,
and I'm not be allowed to visit them unless I wish to become a
permanent resident underneath 'Peace River'."
He sighed slightly and stared into his coffee as if trying to
find the words to describe what he was feeling.
"We all lost something in that war, Linda," he said quietly with
regret. "That's why I never want to see a repeat of it again. We
need to bridge our differences because if we can, maybe, just
maybe, one day I'll see my entire family again. Unfortunately
that will only happen if and when we trust each other - when we
declare peace on each other instead of war. So until that day
I'll work as hard as I can to make sure it happens - even if it
means taking the insults my own people toss at me who are still
walking free. That's its, Linda! That's my grand defense you've
been waiting for. I'm doing this to free my people, nothing more,
nothing less. I'm sorry if that disappoints you! Now you can
curse my presence if you wish and leave; but if you want a piece
of my flesh you better get in line. Let me warn you, Linda, it's
a very long line!"
"We're not quite done yet, Dennis," I pointed out and not giving
the man an inch. "I want to know where we fit into your plans?
Why do you need humans in Andersonville for your plan to work?"
"That, I'm not going to tell you," he said tightlipped. "I've
told you more then you should know at this time. You can think of
me what you want."
"I think you're a secretive, Son of a Bitch!" I hissed slightly
"Then you and Judge Jasper finally agree on something," he said
turning away.
"UP YOURS, Dennis!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I rushed out
to my car feeling both sadness and angry. Sadness for Dennis, who
I could tell was feeling pain for his people trapped in the
bowels of the earth; and anger for still trusting him more then I
did Judge Jasper, who had been open and honest with me since I
arrived in Peace River. I drove home so my mother could take me
to the airport.
'My mother," I thought. Could I still make believe that Mrs.
Anderson was my mother while knowing my own dead mother was alive
here in Andersonville? I didn't really know anymore, but I wished
I hadn't run into them this morning. Why in the hell hadn't
Dennis told Colonel Myers to pull the plug on them and saved us
both this misery? Bitter tears began to form in my eyes.
***
Robert Cardon the III was surfing the net bored out of his mind.
That was the price he paid for being rich and not having to work;
he still had to find something to do with his time. When his
computer alerted him that Sweet Candy had just logged in, he
smiled. Quickly he entered in his user name, waited for a moment,
and then pressed on her name.
"Good Morning, Candy, how was work?" he typed. Almost thirty
seconds passed before he got a reply from Candy, indicating she
had had a very bad night.
Although Robert had never met Sweet Candy before, he had a large,
impressive file on her. Her really name was Candy Stern, and she
was young, single, and lived alone in a bad neighborhood. She was
also a transsexual, which was why Robert was so interested in
her. He had taken great pains to gain her trust, and was waiting
for the right moment to make his move. This looked like it might
be it.
Slim-man: What happened, Sweet?
Slim-man was the Internet name he used with her. He had other
names, each one assigned to a different target. It made anyone
trying to find him very difficult, if not impossible.
Sweet: My boss wrote me up for taking an extra 5 minutes on my
break last night. Later on I heard several of my co-workers
cracking jokes and insults about me. Why can't they accept me
like you do?
Slim-man: Most people are bigots when it comes to gender, Sweet.
I'm sorry you had such a bad night. Is there anything I can do to
help?
Sweet: Not unless you can supply me with a new life
Robert smiled at her response. He had been very carefully with
the ones he had picked out. Those that posed too much of a risk
he broke contact with. Out of the 70 TS's he had started with,
only 19 were still left. Candy, if things worked out, would be
his next delivery.
Slim-man: Candy, if I tell you something that's pretty wild, do
you promise not to tell anyone else?
Sweet: Of course, Slim-man, you know you can trust me.
Slim-man: You have to promise me, Candy. This is very big, and if
it gets out it will ruin everything for those already there.
Sweet: I promise, Slim. What is it?
Slim-man: Supposing I could take you to a place where you would
be turned into a real girl, without any pain involved. Would you
be interested in going there?
There was almost a full minute of non-activity on Candy's end
after the question had been asked. For a moment Robert thought he
had blown it. Finally she replied:
Sweet: Is this a joke?????
Slim-man: I know you may not believe this Sweet, but I know of
such a place here in the US.
Sweet: Where is this place, Slim? How do I get there?
Slim-man: I would have to take you there, myself. I'm serious,
Candy, this place exists.
Sweet: I want to believe you, Slim, but you have to tell me more
before I can. This is a pretty wild story you're telling me.
Slim-man: I understand Candy. You see, I found out about this
place almost three years ago. It's run by a bunch of aliens who
created this town so they can study human interaction in a
control setting. I'm one of their agents. I search for people who
won't mind living in a town like this for the rest of their
lives. That's the price, Candy, you have to be willing to give up
your present life for a new one. In exchange for doing so,
they'll grant you the body of the gender you want to be. They'll
turn you into a beautiful, young woman and set you up with a
fabulous life. All you have to do is live it and be happy - oh,
and not try to leave.
Sweet: Slim, this all sounds so incredible. Can you tell me where
this town is located?
Slim-man: I'm sorry, I can't. Look Candy, I know you have doubts
about what I just told you, so just answer the question. If such
a place does exist, and I could take you there, would you go?
Her answer came back almost immediately.
Sweet: YES!!!!!
Slim-man: I'm glad. When we first met I knew this place
was meant for you.
Sweet: So what do we do now?
Slim-man: I'm going to send you a first-class plane ticket and
$1,000 dollars in cash. The money is to show you I'm serious
about what I just told you. Use it to have a good time, but
don't' buy any clothes. The people who run this town will supply
you with a new wardrobe. The same with the money, you won't need
it once you get there so spend it all. In a week you'll board a
plane for Chicago, I'll take care of the arrangements on this
end. Plan on boarding another plane when you get there. And
whatever you do, don't tell anyone where you're going. These
aliens are watching the Internet and phone lines very closely. If
you tell anyone else about this then the deal is off, and you'll
never hear from me again. Do you understand, Candy?
Sweet: Yes, I understand, Slim.
Slim-man: Good. I'll overnight you the money and a plane ticket.
Have a good time with it, Sweet.
Sweet: I will, Slim. Thank you!!!! You've made me so happy.
Slim-man: That makes this all worth-wide, Sweet. I better go and
get your money ready. Talk to you later. Hugs
Robert logged off the computer and smiled happily. In a week he
would pull the wool over the eyes of the Roman Gods - again.
Gosh, how he loved doing that. He only wished he could've been in
the courtroom when old Jupiter saw two of them standing in front
of him from his last delivery. It had been a very risky move on
his part, but the reward had been worth the risk. His contact in
Peace River said that Jupiter had blown a fuse afterwards.
Robert stood up and walked over to the bar to fix himself a
drink. He was a wealthy man, although he had inherited his money
and not worked for it like others had. He was a student attending
Princeton University at the time he heard what happened. The
headmaster himself had called Robert into his office to tell him
the bad news. That day, the 19-year-old lost both of his parents
in a tragic car crash, and inherited 21 million dollars at the
same time.
That was almost 8 years ago, and since then Robert had done
absolutely nothing with his life. The day after the funeral he
quit school and retired, planning never to work again. At first
it was fun, staying up late and sleeping in as long as he wanted.
Then the routine became boring, and Robert found something
lacking in his life - excitement. Going on trips had helped. In
one year alone Robert had logged over 30,000 miles in the air
traveling around Europe and the Asia. Then even that became
monotonous. So Robert started looking for other ways to entertain
himself, and his search lead him to Peace River.
He recalled how it happened. He was traveling down a deserted
road late one night when a young woman came running out in front
of him. Robert had to slam on his brakes and barely avoided
missing her. No sooner had he stopped, she was climbing into the
passenger side of his brand-new Corvette and asking if the car
could move. Robert proceeded to tell her that it had an intercept
motor when she interrupted him with a proposal; free sex for a
ride. All he had to do was get her at least 70 miles away from
where they were in less then an hour. The young girl was skinny
and very good-looking. Robert never passed up a chance on free
sex with a beautiful girl. He drove like the wind to please her.
She said her name was Judy, and along the way told him a very
strange tale. It was a story about a town run by the Roman Gods
who kidnapped people and transformed them into other people,
including those of the opposite sex. At first Robert thought the
girl was whacked out, or maybe even trying to invent a wild tale
so he would forget about the sex. But the more she talked, the
more interested he became. Early in the morning they stopped at a
4-star Hotel and had a wild night of passionate sex. Robert
almost felt as if she were celebrating some event. Later that
morning she bummed $100 dollars from him and got on a bus for
Kansas City. That was the last time he saw her, despite his best
attempts to find her again.
Afterwards Robert kept wondering how much of what Judy had told
him was true. While he didn't particularly believe in God, or the
Roman Gods for that matter, it didn't mean that there wasn't
something strange going on. He checked his map and found there
was no Peace River listed in the area.
With his curiosity peaked, Robert made his way back to where he
had picked up the girl. After a number of criss-cross patterns,
he came upon a town with a wide river in front of it. Both the
town and river shouldn't have been there according to his map,
and yet there they were!
Still a little suspicious, Robert pulled out his video camera and
pointed it at the river as he drove across the bridge. There
appeared to be something in the far distance sitting on a rock,
but he didn't dare stop to check it out. Instead he pointed the
camera at the location and zoomed in on it.
He passed by a sign welcoming him into Peace River, and continued
to drive (and pray) that the people here would think he was just
passing through. The town for the most part looked normal, except
for the extremely large courthouse that sat in the middle of the
downtown area. It seemed to be the focal point of the town. When
he started to cross over the river again, Robert stuck the camera
up once more to record any movement he could see. Then he kept
driving for more then an hour until he reached a truck stop.
His hands were shaking as he replayed the tape to see what it had
captured. That's when he saw the object and gasped. In the viewer
was what looked to be a mermaid, with a fin for legs. It was
sitting on a rock sunning itself and combing its long, blonde
hair. Robert played the video back several times to be sure. Yes,
it was still there. He lay the camera down next to him and
thought about it. This was big - real big.
Not totally convinced that what he saw was real, Robert visited a
friend who worked for NASA. After a rather large bribe, his
friend took some high-profile photos of the area with one of the
weather satellites he control. What they saw was acres upon acres
of green forest trees, and no town. Robert knew this was
impossible. He had crossed the mile-wide river twice and had seen
the town with his own eyes. That's when he noticed the roads
leading into the area all disappeared underneath the mass of
trees.
Robert felt his heart pumping as he left the building, and for
the first time in a long while felt excited about something in
his life. His mind race with idea's about what to do, but in the
end his thoughts kept going back to how he felt. He liked how his
body was feeling, and wanted to find ways to keep the rush going.
So he hurried home and played with several idea's in his head.
One thing Robert didn't do was let others know what he had found;
that would ruin the fun. He was determined to use the situation
to create a huge rush while at the same time, not posing too much
of a risk for himself. Finally he hit upon an idea. Supposing he
started sneaking people into Peace River? The possibilities were
endless.
He would become a covert operator, like the Navy Seals or Delta
force he had read so much about in his spy novels. Each delivery
would have to be planned out and executed with fine precision,
right down to the final detail. The main drawback was finding
someone to deliver to the town. That's when he hit upon the idea
of using Transsexual's. Since Jupiter liked to change people into
the opposite sex, they were the perfect candidates.
Back in college Robert had met his first and only MTF Transsexual
in his entire life. She was taking a class he was in, and even
though she seemed nice, he was still a little leery of her. When
he came home one weekend from school he had mentioned her to his
parents. Robert remembered his father going off on a tangent
about how sick this person had to be, and how she should be
locked up to keep others from catching her illness. Of course
Robert knew better, but the message to him was clear. Stay away
from her or be prepared to find yourself a new home. Afterwards
Robert avoided her as much as he could.
Still, he remembered the day she walked up and asked if she had
offended him in some way. Robert tried to make up an excuse, but
she saw through it and left with tears in her eyes. Robert
regretted how he had treated her, but he didn't have a choice in
the matter. He had his own problems to deal with.
Getting back to Candy, Robert sat down and drew up a plan. He
would first fly her to Chicago and then on to Des Moines. From
there she would go by private plane to where he was waiting.
After that, he himself, would drive her to Peace River.
There were several items he had to take care of. Two old cars to
buy, both under someone else's name. Hiring the private pilot to
fly Candy to the place he would meet her at. Money that couldn't
be traced back to him. After six successful inserts, Robert had
become pretty good at working out all the details. He picked up
the phone to begin the process.
***
The past week had been a good week for Candy. After receiving the
money from Robert, she called in and quit her job. Her past
position wasn't anything to look back on. It was a low-paying
factory job making plastic parts for other companies. The pay she
received had barely paid her bills. So telling her hard-nose boss
that she was leaving made Candy feel wonderful. He had always
treated her badly since she had been there.
With the money in hand, Candy used it to go sightseeing, see
movies, and eat out each night. All of these things, normal
things for most Americans, had been a rarity in her life. She
also packed up her stuff as if she were moving. Slim-man had told
her to put everything in a rental storage unit and it would be
picked up later. She thought she didn't have a lot of personal
stuff, but it turned out to be a much bigger job than she
imagined.
Perhaps the hardest job Candy had to do that week was writing a
letter to her parents. Almost two years ago she had confessed to
them about her feelings of wanting to become a woman. Her parents
were rather old-fashioned, and had consulted their church leader,
Reverend Fred Phelps, about what to do. He in turned filled their
heads with images of two men in bed sucking each other's dicks,
and bringing in children to satisfy their sexual lust.
"God HATES FAGS!" he told them directly. Their son, by wanting to
dress and act like a girl, was a fag condemned to hell. Candy's
parents had no other choice but to disown her if they wished to
remain in his church and under God's good graces.
Candy was bitter at this bigot pretending to be a religious man.
He was leading people away from God's real message, to love thy
neighbor as you wanted to be loved! It was such a simple message
to learn. Yet so much heartache had been created in the world by
not following the simple command Jesus had given them. With much
emotion, Candy wrote them a note saying she forgave them despite
the hurt they had bestowed on her. She also added that she hoped
they would forgive her for the pain she had placed on them. After
the letter was written, Candy's heart felt cleansed.
The next morning the young woman boarded a plane from Little Rock
to Chicago. It was her first plane ride ever, and she had
butterflies in her stomach. For the trip she had wore her
favorite blouse and a pair of new blue jeans. Slim Man had told
her not to wear anything flashy, such as a mini skirt and 5"
heels. He wanted her to dress casual so she would fit in. The
problem was, no matter what she wore, some people could always
tell she wasn't quite the same as other girls. One reason for
this was she was tall, almost 6'1". Another was that she had
broad shoulders and huge hands that you would find on a
construction worker.
Still, Candy couldn't deny that inside her soul she was a woman
who had been born in a man's body. It wasn't just about things
she liked to do; it was also the attitude on how her life should
be. While most men focused on careers and getting ahead, she was
more content to dream about a family she could take care of and
share her life with. Candy knew that couldn't happen, that she
could never have children unless science came up with a way to
fix the problem. So Slim Man's offer was more than just a dream
come true, it was the only path she could follow.
Candy found her seat, next to a middle-age woman dressed in a
light tan business suit. The woman greeted her politely, but
Candy saw the fear and disgust in her eyes. The woman fidgeted in
her seat for several minutes before excusing herself to use the
restroom. When Candy looked back, she saw the woman talking to
the airline stewardess. Candy kept her eyes straight ahead, but
she knew what the woman was saying. She didn't want to spend the
rest of the flight sitting next to that 'freak'.
Tears formed in Candy's eyes at the insult. She was a woman, DAMN
IT! How many times did she have to explain that? Why couldn't
others just accept her word, instead of setting up hoops to make
her prove who she was? People knew it was wrong to discriminate
against someone based on the color of their skin, the size of
their body, or the religion they worshiped - so why was treating
someone who had a gender issue any different? Why did they treat
her like a criminal, no 'worse', a perverted monster? DAMN IT,
she was a human being just like everyone else!
Candy tried to calm down. Part of her wanted to forgive them for
treating her that way. She knew most people's negative reaction
was out of ignorance, not hate. Most likely their only exposure
to a transsexual had come from watching the Jerry Springer show.
On the other hand she wanted to lash out and make them feel some
of the hurt and pain they made her feel. Candy knew the latter
was wrong, but she was so tired of turning the other cheek only
to find someone else slapping it again.
'Well, in a few hours this old life will all be over,' she told
herself. Either that or she would be flying back home feeling
completely foolish. Candy sat back as the plane started to taxi
for the runway.
***
In Chicago there was a man holding up a sign with her name on it.
Candy walked over and identified herself to the man who smiled,
handed her an envelope, then turned and left without saying a
word.
"Wait," she called out. "Isn't there anything else you need to
tell me?"
"It's all in the envelope," he replied crispy. "I have to go
now."
With those few words he walked away in a rush, carrying a book to
read on the return trip home. The man had been flown in the day
before, stayed at the airport's 4-star motel, and had eaten one
of the best steak dinners he had ever had - all paid for by his
unnamed client. And to top it all off, he had earned $1,000
dollars to do a 10-second job. It was the easiest money he had
ever made.
Candy watched the man disappear into the crowd then opened up the
envelope. Inside she found a note and some cash. The note read:
Dear Candy,
I'm sorry for the runaround, but I think you can appreciate the
seriousness of the situation. Please bear with me, soon you will
be where you belong. Enclosed you'll find $50. Please have a nice
lunch while you wait for your next flight. See you real soon.
Love - Slim Man.
Candy folded up the letter and placed it back in her purse, along
with the $50.00. Who ever Slim Man was, she was convinced he was
serious about this town. However, just in case he turned out to
be a crazy, she had a can of mace hidden in her purse. Not far
away she spotted a small caf? and headed for it.
From a distance Robert tugged at the mask he was wearing and
watched Candy leave. He had two masks with him, one for today and
the other for when he went back to Peace River. Both masks were
made of a special silicon rubber that looked and felt like real
skin. The problem was, they were hot to wear and made your real
skin itch real badly after a few hours. The upside to his
situation was, he looked like someone else and didn't have to
fear about having his picture captured on video. If the Roman
Gods did ever wise up and started backtracking Candy's trail, he
wouldn't have to worry about the security cameras spread around
the place. They might be able to figure out which person was the
mailman, but they wouldn't have a clue as to what he really
looked like.
Carefully Robert pretended to read his newspaper as he glanced
around the terminal through his dark sunglasses. There were
almost a hundred people getting off the plane, but Robert had
been gifted with a photographic memory. He would store the face
and outfit of each person from the plane and check to see if any
of them followed Candy to Des Moines. He didn't think she had
told anyone, but one couldn't be too careful. Once the last
passenger had departed, Robert folded up his paper and walked
toward the restaurant that Candy had gone into.
***
The flight to Des Moines had been long and boring. Even though
Candy had brought along three love novels, she found herself
unable to read them. Instead her thoughts were flooded with the
promises Slim Man had made to her.
"A town where I will finally become on the outside what I am on
the inside," she whispered to herself. She daydreamed about
staring into the mirror and seeing a perfect, female body
reflecting back at her, instead of the ugly, male body she had
been cursed with. By the end of the day her long-time dream would
come true.
After the plane landed, Candy was disappointed to find another
man waiting for her with an envelope. Inside the envelope was yet
another plane ticket and note. She opened it up and it read"
Hi Candy,
By now you must be tired of flying all over the place. I
guarantee you, this is the last plane you'll have to get on. Soon
we will meet and I'll drive you to Peace River. Here's $60 for
the taxi ride to the airport. Please give the driver these
instructions.
Love - Slim man
Candy sighed. So she was to leave this airport only to ride to
another airport so she could board yet another plane. For a
moment Candy had reservations about the whole trip. How could she
be sure this wasn't some elaborate trick being played out on her?
Well, if that were the case someone had spent a lot of money just
to watch her tramp around the country looking for her promise
land. Candy picked up her backpack and walked outside to a taxi.
She handed the cab driver the instructions, and he looked over
them with great interest.
"You do realize this isn't the most direct route to the airport,"
he told her.
"No, I didn't," she exclaimed. "In fact, this is my first time in
Des Moines. Please, just follow the instructions. I'm sure
there's a reason why he's doing this."
The cab drive shrugged his shoulders and drove off. Robert
watched them leave and hailed his own cab. Unlike Candy, he would
go directly to the airport and board a plane right away so he
would meet her at the next meeting place. His heart raced as he
told the cab driver to step on it. The thrill of setting this
scheme up and executing it made him feel so alive. Sure, it was
costing him a fortune, almost half of what he would receive from
his trust fund this month, but it was worth it. He tugged at his
mask again and wished it didn't itch so much.
***
The plane Candy boarded was a small Cessna piloted by a man who
had been very well paid not to talk to her. They took off from
the private airfield and headed in a northerly direction. Half an
hour later the pilot turned the plane to the southeast as if they
were doubling back. Fifteen minutes later he turned the plane
again and flew west for a while. This continued for almost 2
hours, and by the time they landed on a small, deserted airfield
Candy wasn't sure where she was at.
The pilot taxied his plane over to a small hanger where a brown,
beat-up old Chevy was parked. The pilot left the engine running
and told Candy to get out. As soon as she did, he revved up the
engine and headed back toward the runway. Candy was so intent on
watching the plane that she never noticed the man inside the car
step out and walk up to her.
"Hello Candy."
The lone woman almost screamed in surprise, but managed to keep
her response to a low squeal.
"You scared me," Candy panted with her hand on her chest.
"I'm sorry," the stranger replied. "I'm Slim Man, but you can
call me Slim. It's a real pleasure to finally meet you." He held
out his hand in friendship.
"What's going on?" Candy demanded to know in a rather curt tone.
"I'm sorry Candy, but I had to make sure you weren't being
followed. You see, while you may want to live in Peace River, I
do not. I would rather be out here, free to help others like
yourself. So I flew you around to make sure everything was okay."
"And if it hadn't been?"
"Then you would've driven yourself," Robert replied formally.
There's an envelope in the car with your name on it. Everything
you would've needed to get to Peace River, including the keys to
the car, are in there."
"I thought you said you were an agent of theirs? That was a lie,
wasn't it?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it was, Candy. You see I found out about the
place by accident. I just didn't want to scare you off by telling
you the truth. But everything I told you about Peace River is
true. It's real and waiting for you."
"Are you taking me there, then?" Candy asked with a more relax
tone.
"Yes" Robert smiled. "You can read everything I have on Peace
River along the way. It's about an hour and a half drive from
here."
"And it's really there?" Candy asked suspiciously. "This isn't a
trick."
"No Candy, its no trick. I didn't spend all this money to make a
fool of someone I met on the Internet. By the end of this day you
will be a complete woman." Robert saw the young woman frown
slightly. "That's what you want, isn't it?"
"Yes," she said with reservations. "It's just that - well, I have
-"
"Doubts!" he finished for her.
"Yes," she said. "No offense, Slim, but how do I know you're not
taking me somewhere to hurt me. How do I know I won't be killed
or even sold off into some kind of perverted sex scheme?"
"Yes, I can see your point," Robert nodded gently. "Candy, if I
had wanted to do any of these things to you, I would've just
kidnapped you. Look, if it helps I'll let you pat me down for a
weapon. Heck, I'll even let you search the car if you like. I
understand your fears."
"Well, that would help," she told him. "If you don't mind."
"Go right ahead," he smiled while holding out his arms. She did a
quick check of his body to see if Slim had a gun. Convinced that
he wasn't carrying a weapon, she then did a search of the car,
checking the glove box and underneath the seat. It was also
completely clean.
"Feel better?" he asked.
"I'm sorry," she said softly.
"Don't be, I'm not," he smiled as if he meant it. "Now, lets be
on our way."
Robert held open the passenger door for her and waited until she
was properly seated before closing it. He drove down the dirt
road leading away from the small airstrip.
"Here, you can read about your new home while I drive." He
pointed to a pile of papers sitting between them
Candy picked them up and started shuffled through the pictures of
the town. It seemed like a cozy place to live.
"Did you write down what you wanted to look like?" Robert asked.
"Yes," she said while holding up a letter. "I decided I wanted to
be a single, 18 year old woman with long red hair. I want them to
make me so attractive that I'll have boys fighting over each
other to date me. I also want enough money so I'll never have to
work again. I just want to sit around the pool and work on my
tan. Do you really think the people will honor all this, Slim?"
"I can guarantee you that they will," Robert grinned while
handing her a white envelope. "This letter will insure that the
Judge will give you what you want. Just don't open up, otherwise
they'll think it's been tampered with. See this seal on the back,
it identifies me to the Judge. Now, if for some reason he refuses
your request, don't fret about it. When I find out about it, I'll
make sure he honors your wishes. You see, I have the judge in my
back pocket and he will do exactly as I say. However, sometimes I
have to nudge him every now and then, if you know what I mean."
Candy nodded as she looked at the wax seal with a large 'M' on
the back of the envelope. She placed it in her purse and looked
intensely for a moment at the man she knew only as Slim. He felt
her stare and asked, "What is it, Candy?"
"Why are you doing this, Slim? Why would you risk your life to
help out someone like me?"
"I guess it's because I feel you've suffered enough and could use
a break," he lied. "I have a lot of compassion for the underdog.
Being a FTM Transsexual in a man's world, well, you can't be more
of an underdog than that."
"Thank you," Candy replied with tears in her eyes. "No one has
ever said that to me before. I wish I could pay you back."
"You being happy is payment enough," he smiled thinly. "Besides,
there are a group of investors paying for all this so it's not
costing me a cent."
"Still, I wish there was more I could do."
"Really Candy, I'll get my satisfaction knowing you're happy. Why
don't you read over some of the stuff I have on the town now? You
may find it useful later on."
Candy took his suggestion, and Robert was only too glad that he
had finally gotten her to shut up. There was a feeling inside him
that made him uneasy. He was sensing danger, but couldn't
understand why. He had been careful as always, more careful in
fact than the last five deliveries. Still, he sensed something
wasn't right. As much as he hated to do so, he decided to drop
his plan to take Candy all the way into Peace River. She could
drive the rest of the way there herself. Of course, Robert had
planned for such an event to. His back up plan was already in
place.
A feeling of disappointment came over him. He hated the idea of
not following through on his plan. Still, something inside kept
telling him it was better if he didn't. With some reluctance, he
headed for his backup vehicle hidden close by. When he got there,
Robert pulled the car over.
"Candy, I'm sorry," he started out. "I was going to take you all
the way there, but something changed my mind. I can't put my
finger on it; it's more of a feeling than anything else! Just
don't worry, you'll be fine. I've already drawn out a map on how
to get there."
"But what about the car?" she asked.
"Don't worry about it, Candy. It's an old car; the judge can have
it. Just follow the map, it'll take you straight to Stephanie
Hall's office. She's an attorney in Peace River and has handled
my other cases before. Just promise to be happy there."
"I will, Slim. Thank you so much."
Robert cringed as Candy hugged him before getting behind the
wheel. He watched as she disappeared from sight then ran up an
overgrown path through the woods. About 200 yards from the main
road he came to an old shack that had been abandoned years ago.
He unlocked the heavy padlocked and went inside. Parked in the
single room shack was a motorcycle.
"First I'm getting rid of this damn mask," Robert said out loud.
He pealed it off and felt the cool air hit his skin. "Damn, that
feels good."
Next Robert took out a rag from his overnight pack and used it to
remove a few of the more stubborn pieces. After all traces of the
mask were wiped clean, Robert put on a full-face helmet with a
dark visor and pushed his motorcycle outside. He turned the key
and it started up without a problem.
Robert looked back on the old shack one last time, knowing that
he would have to find a new hiding place. It was too risky to
come back here again. He knew Jupiter would have his people
search the area once they found out where Candy had dropped him
off. They wouldn't have much trouble finding this old place. That
really didn't concern Robert, he had made sure the place was
clean of anything that could point back to him. He twisted
accelerator on the bike and headed away at a fast rate of speed.
***
The car crested the hill and Candy got her first good look at the
town of Peace River. From the distance it looked even more
charming than in the pictures. The town sat there along the
river's edge, surrounded by lush, green trees and a beautiful
park. She crossed the long bridge and noticed the river curved
toward the east in both directions. The color of the river was
unusual too, more of a sea blue than river green.
Just after entering into town, Candy spotted the brick building
with white shutters on the windows. She pulled up in front and
checked herself one more time. Butterflies formed in her stomach
as the moment of truth was at hand. Candy would know in the next
few minutes if Slim had told her the truth. She got out of her
car and went inside.
Stephanie was working at her desk when she heard the door chime
ring. She didn't bother getting up; her secretary would take care
of the matter and send the person away. She had given her
secretary specific instructions not to be interrupted unless it
was a matter of life or death. Judge Jasper had asked her to
handle some paperwork involving a land deal in South America. It
had turned into a bear of a job to figure everything out. There
was a knock on her door.
"Come," she said without looking up. "What is it, Carrie?"
"I'm sorry, Stephanie. I know you didn't want to be disturbed
but, well, it looks like that person you told me about, the
mailman, has sent someone else to you."
"Oh shit," she said out loud and then corrected herself. "Sorry
Carrie. Send her in and then call Judge Jasper."
"Yes, Stephanie," Carrie answered obediently.
Stephanie smiled. Carrie was a new recruit from last month who
hadn't been very willing to join in on the game. Actually, her
being here was her own doing. She had driven into Peace River to
deliver some lobsters to Crystal's restaurant and had the
misfortune of backing into Judge Jasper's car. It would've ended
there if the young man had admitted his fault, but he insisted
that since the car had been parked illegally, he wasn't
responsible for the damage. This infuriated the Judge, and when
the truck driver boasted he was a confirmed bachelor and would
wait around to fight the case in court, his fate was sealed.
Judge Jasper transformed the rough-looking, 25-year-old truck
driver into a very cute, 19-year-old brunette female. The fact
that Judge Jasper had assigned Carrie to work under Stephanie's
authority only confirmed to the young attorney that she was
earning his trust. That trust brought her another step closer to
her dream of being able to travel outside of Peace River on her
own. It would be nice to visit some of her old art museums again.
The strange thing about the incident was the way it was handled,
in the Judge's own chambers without Linda Anderson around. It
seemed Judge Jasper wanted to keep this a secret from her.
Stephanie figured this was because Linda was new and wouldn't
understand Judge Jasper's reasons.
This is Candy," Carrie said formally with a weak smile. Stephanie
could see her young secretary was trying. Carrie hadn't yet fully
accepted her new life or the fact that she could never leave
Peace River. Well, there was time for her to learn. Once Mr.
Cupler set her up with a young man and they had a family, those
feelings on wanting to leave would disappear for good. Still, she
understood what the young girl was going through right now and
tried to be sympathetic.
"Thank you, Carrie. By the way, that's a nice dress you're
wearing today." Stephanie figured a little praise may help her
ego, and reinforced the idea that she was now, and forever would
be, a young woman. However, her compliment seemed to have the
opposite affect on her secretary.
"Thank - thank you, Stephanie," Carrie replied slowly, making her
appear rather shy. "Ms. Marshall picked it out for me. She said I
looked pretty in it."
Before Stephanie could answer back, Carrie ran out of the room as
if she were embarrassed at the comment and her reply to it.
Stephanie frowned; she would have to take care of this matter
later. She stood up and greeted her new client.
"Good afternoon, Candy. I'm Stephanie Hall but please, call me
Stephanie. Can I get you something to drink?"
"If it's all the same to you, Stephanie, I'll like to go see the
judge and get this over with. You don't know what it's like to
feel trapped in the wrong body."
Stephanie laughed loudly. "Oh, yes I do, Candy. But don't worry,
I'm having Carrie set up the meeting right now. Please, sit
down."
For the first time Stephanie looked carefully at her new client.
She was tall and muscular, and wearing a wig that clearly looked
like a wig. On her neck was an Adam's apple about the size of a
large walnut. The shoes Candy wore were about a size 16, a much
bigger size than what regular women wore. The mailman was getting
less picky about who he was bringing in. The last few had been
very passable.
"Will everything be alright?" Candy asked slightly concern.
Stephanie smiled brightly. "You don't need to worry, Candy, I've
dealt with other girls like yourself. Judge Jasper won't hurt
you."
"I have my requirements, would you like to see them?"
"Requirements? Sure." Stephanie took the list and quickly scanned
through it. "Are you sure about this?" she asked cautiously.
"I've thought about it for a long time," she answered firmly.
"I've had to work hard and struggle every day. Now that I'm here,
I want to relax and enjoy life."
"Work is still important, Candy," Stephanie pointed out. "It'll
also help you meet new people."
"Oh, I'll work," Candy agreed. "I want to volunteer my time to
help others here. I want to make Peace River a better place to
live."
"Well, that's a good start." The phone buzzed and Stephanie
picked it up.
"Hi Linda. What did Judge Jasper say? Good, we'll be right over.
Bye." Stephanie hung up the phone and smiled. "That was Judge
Jasper's secretary. The Judge will see us now."
Candy stood up and followed Stephanie out to where her secretary
was working. "Carrie, I'll be at the courthouse for a little
while in case you need me. Oh, can you work late tonight? I still
have a lot of things that need to be done."
"I - I'm suppose to go out tonight," Carrie whispered softly with
her eyes facing down. "Mary, my helper, told me I needed to get
out more and set me up on a blind date."
"Oh, well I don't want to keep you from your fun!" Stephanie
replied while eyeing her secretary gently. It was a first painful
step, but Stephanie knew it had to be taken or Carrie would never
grow past the stage she was in. She would have to be gentle with
her secretary right now, to help her accept what had to happen
next.
"When I get back we'll talk about it over a cup of coffee," she
told the young girl in a comforting fashion. "It'll get better,
Carrie, I promise."
Candy noticed the young secretary looked like she was ready to
cry and wondered what her story was. Did the poor girl have a bad
experience with a man? Candy felt compassion and she made a
mental note to get to know Carrie better. Maybe she would be able
to help her out somehow.
Stephanie drove them to the courthouse and ushered Candy into the
courtroom. A teenager girl was already waiting for them, as well
as an incredibly beautify blonde hair lady, a police officer, and
a man in an expensive business suit.
"Have a seat while I go talk the ladies for a moment," she told
Candy. The attorney walked over to them and asked a few
questions. After a few minutes she walked back to her client with
a smile.
"Good news, Candy. I talked to Linda and she says that Judge
Jasper is in a good mood today."
Stephanie didn't get to say anymore, because the sound of a door
opening up turned everyone's attention to the front. Judge Jasper
walked up to his desk and sat down. He frowned, but more out of
frustration than anger.
"Miss Stern, I understand you wish to join our little community,"
he started out, ignoring the usual procedures.
"Yes sir, I have a list of my requirements." She handed it to the
police officer, and he handed it to the judge. Judge Jasper
looked over the list and frowned.
"Miss Stern, I'm willing to honor most of these request, but not
all of them. For instance, everyone in Peace River works,
including my people. Work builds character and good, social
behavior. I can't have you ruining that balance."
"I'll volunteer for odd jobs, sir, but I don't want to live my
life from paycheck to paycheck anymore. I've done that already,
Your Honor."
"I'll make sure you get a good-paying job here. You needn't worry
about doing that. However, you will work. You'll also start out
by living in a luxury apartment. A home such as what you want is
something that is earned here. Again, it's a matter of keeping
the harmony in our town."
Stephanie leaned over and whispered, "Take it Candy, it's the
best deal he'll give you. If you refuse it'll only make him mad."
"Perhaps a apartment will work for now, Your Honor," Candy
agreed. "After all, it'll make it easier for me to meet men."
"I don't think you're have much trouble meeting men after I'm
done with you, Miss Stern," Judge Jasper answered with a small
smile.
"Thank you, Your Honor," Candy replied with a grin of her own.
"Oh, there is one more thing, sir. The man who brought me here
wanted me to give you this." She handed it the officer who passed
it on to the judge.
"Thank you, Miss Stern. Now, if you would please close your
eyes."
Candy did as she was told, and a moment later felt something warm
enter into her body. She felt herself shrinking and become
lighter, as almost a hundred pounds disappeared from her frame.
Her wig fell off as a mass of hair pushed out of her head and
fell down her back. Other feelings bombarded her mind, as she
felt her breast grow out and her penis shrink inside her body.
When the activity stopped and Candy opened up her eyes to looked
down at her new body. She couldn't see her face, but she knew she
was beautiful. She held out a mass of red, curly hair in her hand
and stroked it lovingly.
"I'm - I'm beautiful," she announced while looking over her body.
She gently caressed her smooth, tanned legs that peeked out from
underneath the short yellow sundress. "Oh thank you, Judge
Jasper, thank you!"
"You're quite welcome, Miss Baker. Officer Ganymede will show you
to your new apartment now. In a little while someone will be by
to welcome you into our town more properly. Ms. Hall, you can go
back to your office now, we don't need you anymore. Vickie,
Andrew, Linda, I'd like to see you in my office right now.
I picked up my things and followed the Marshall's into Judge
Jasper chambers. I noticed that Andrew Marshall wasn't very happy
about the event, and even Vickie seemed a little concern about
what might happen next. In the background I heard Candy asking
Officer Ganymede if they could stop by a mirror before leaving. I
smiled inwardly about how happy she was. Candy was truly one of
the lucky ones here.
"Close the door, Linda," Judge Jasper ordered. I found myself a
little surprised that he had invited me inside with them. Perhaps
this was due to the talk I had had with him last week, after my
fight with Dennis Butz. He had been very sympathetic toward me as
I spilled my guts and even cried a little about my frustration
over my old boss. Of course I wasn't really as upset as Judge