Let It Rain free porn video

It has been four years since I have submitted my last story. Writers block, life in general as well as a lack of a muse has contributed to the sharp drop of stories. I hope that this story meets with those expectations that many who like my stories have had in the past; hopefully it will transport them into a place and time that they will remember fondly. Thank you, Anon Allsop Let it Rain By Anon Allsop A shrill whistle woke the young woman. She raised her head up from the crook of her arm and took in her surroundings. The first thin light of dawn was breaking the horizon, golden rays of sunshine creating a strange glow within the car. The gentle rocking and steady rhythmic clacking of the train reminded her of where she was. Sitting up slowly she adjusted her skirt, carefully brushing the dust from where it clung to the material. Folding her arms over her bag, she became aware once again to the small farms and towns that the train passed. She thought about how she came to be on the train, knowing that it was her own doing that resulted in her being there. Her past had been considerably different than what would be her future, almost like two parallel worlds each racing along its own separate path. She sighed deeply, seemingly trapped in her own thoughts, absentmindedly picking at a biscuit her mother had packed for the journey. She thought back to something her mother once said about enduring hard times, 'Storms of worry, trouble and doubt will always build, that's why they say that in everyone's life some rain must fall.' She sighed deeply as she returned her gaze out the window. In a hushed whisper she found herself reply to her own thoughts, "It seems as though it's been raining most of my life!" Glancing forward, she watched as the lead engine was rounding a slight bend, sunlight catching the windows of each car like a mirror. Her crystalline blue eyes taking the entire panoramic scene in, and yet her soul feeling none of it. The rhythmic clacking of the locomotive, the bright sun streaming into the window warming the glass began to lull her into a troubled sleep once again. The sleep was an uneasy one, her dreams both terrifying and surreal. Always while she was sleeping they came, haunting her with their very presence. Her dreams repeating, playing over and over again the tumultuous play that had become her life. As her mind relaxed, the dreams formed into one she knew very well and had often. One Ashley Orville leaned into the railing as he watched his family head out of the barnyard toward their weeklong trip into town. Two huge black horses pulled the long wagon; his parents in the seat, sisters in the back. His father had business to attend in town, while his mother and younger sisters planned on doing a bit of browsing and minor shopping. Ashley knew that the trip would take a full day just to get to Greybull and with the family gone that length of time, it was decided that he would stay behind and see to the farm and livestock. While the farm was near Worland, the actual business his father needed to do was in the city of Greybull. Some might think it odd that a family would leave a youth of sixteen alone in the heart of Shoshone country, but for the last year there had been an unsteady peace existing between the white man and the Indian. On top of that, Ashley did almost insist that they all go and leave him behind. His father took it as young man finally growing up to face the rough and tumble world of Wyoming, he was happy to allow the boy some 'man' time alone. Ashley, on the other hand just wanted all of them to be gone so he could play out his little idiosyncrasy without prying eyes stumbling upon him. The youth gave the retreating wagon a wave as they entered the dusty path that would take them eventually into Greybull, then turned on his heel and headed toward the barn to do his chores. The mid June morning gave sign that it would be warm, while the light breezes which blew, carried upon them the scent of wildflowers in bloom. Ashley busied him-self for half the morning cleaning stalls, feeding animals, and grooming and currying his horse. Once done, he stood in the doorway of the barn, removed his hat, shielding his blue eyes from the bright light outside. Surmising that it was almost noon, Ashley ran his fingers through his fine sun kissed hair and moved toward the trough he and his father had just finished to catch water spilled out from the hand-pump. As he approached the pump, he slid his suspenders down his arms and began to remove his sweat soaked shirt which he threw into the bottom of the pump box. Placing his hat on a nearby rail, Ashley pumped the handle severely until water began to flow from deep underground. Leaning over, he allowed the liquid to run over his head, and then began to wash his face and neck before the pump would need to be manipulated again. Slowly standing, he pushed his blond locks back, squeezing the water out as he did and allowing it to race down his bronze back. The wiry lad surveyed the surrounding area, the corral and barn, their small orchard all dwarfed in comparison to the majestic Big Horn Mountains to the west. Dotting the landscape closest to him were tall pines, towering high into the sky. Looking east, Ashley could see the slow rolling foothills down toward a stand of trees and a small creek, beside it grazed several elk. He squinted in the bright sun, he couldn't tell whether they were bucks or does, they were just too far away and looked no bigger than blackened dots. He made a mental note to attempt hunting later on in the week, at least he could provide meat for a few weeks should he be successful in getting one. Turning, Ashley headed toward the house, climbed the steps and paused at the end of the porch. Even though he was out in the middle of nowhere, he was taking precautions and did not want to be surprised by anyone once he began his experiment. Satisfied, the youth retreated into the house and closed the door. Hanging his hat on a hook, Ashley whetted his lips and climbed into the loft where he would begin his brief adventure. At the landing, he looked from the area he slept, toward that of his sisters. The loft was divided by a wall and no door, he slipped into his room and gently moved a board on his bed. Lying beneath the board was a small item wrapped in a dark cloth, he stood and carried it into his sister's room. He paused at the doorway, working up the courage to enter. Ashley glanced at the cloth in his hand, the item it contained he had traded for his pocket knife. With a deep sigh he took a step into their room, it looked much the same as his own except for the little items which screamed 'female'! He only hoped that what the peddler from town told him was true and it would allow him to alter his very body into the form of a girl. The man had said that if he wore clothing that had never been worn by someone prior, his body would alter into the shape to 'fit' that body. At the time, he used the example of larger clothing donned would make him transform older. In the beginning Ashley was not interested, believing that the peddler man was only a charlatan after something much more valuable. The constant niggling in his mind though, kept Ashley returning to the corner throughout the day, and it wasn't until after he had concocted this plan, did he orchestrate the trade. He pulled off his boots and socks, then proceeded to remove all of his clothing and tossed them into the corner in his own room. Ashley stood in his sister's room completely naked, then crouched and stretched out beneath his youngest sister's bed and pulled out a package held closed by a long string. He knew it contained clothing that his mother and youngest sister Beth had made for Rachael as a birthday present. Rachael was fifteen, though only eleven months younger than Ashley, she was already blossoming into a spectacular beauty in her own rite. True, she was his sister, but of late, Ashley noticed her young, pert bosom filling out the bodice of her dresses. He knew from overhearing his mother telling Beth that this new dress would fit her sister well into adulthood as she made enough room in the bodice for her blossoming breasts. After hearing that talk between mother and sister, his strange thoughts slowly swayed from wonderment of Rachael's changing body, to that of how and why her body was changing. Somehow he wondered what it was like for her as sometime she seemed so aloof and naive, when other times she was calculating and smoldering with an erotic vibrancy. Often, it didn't seem that she was really trying, but somehow he could see his sister slowly transforming before his very eyes and it was that development which confounded him. The youth shook the thoughts from his head. If the item worked as the peddler said, he would know soon enough. Slowly, almost reverently, Ashley unfolded the item from the cloth. Within its confinement was a small pendant on a necklace. Neither was much to look at, but the power that it may wield would be awesome to experience...if it were true. He knew that should the charm work, it could only be reversed after twelve full hours simply by touching something that he once wore against it. Glancing down toward the clock in their kitchen, he saw that it was almost one. Ashley knew that once it started the transformation, there would be no going back until into the early hours of the morning. He also knew that if it did indeed work, he wanted to spend a day or two in the form he altered himself into. He paused a moment and pondered his chores. Should he stay for two days as a female, he would still have to do the chores. Ashley considered the extra effort it may be to complete those chores in a weaker body, but convinced himself that if other females he knew could do them...he could too. He sat the necklace with the charm aside and gently pulled the strings on the package. He swallowed hard as it opened to reveal a pastel colored yellow gingham dress with white around the collar. He held it out and examined it. His mother's hard work and abilities were evident as the dress was very well made and quite beautiful to look at. The garment was just the perfect gift for a very feminine young woman that Rachael was becoming. The dress went almost to the floor, ending in a plethora of ruffles which raced around the base of its skirt. Sandwiched among the yellow gingham ruffles, the central material was white. The sleeves were loose at the wrist and also had a slight ring of white ruffles among the yellow. A wide white sash was stitched into the dress and would tie off into a bow in the back. As Ashley held it up admiring it, a bonnet fell from where it had been folded into the dress. It too was yellow trimmed in white lace. The youth picked it up and examined it; the stitching on the bonnet was not as well done but it was remarkably good for something that a youngster such as Beth could do. As the youth laid down the dress, he noticed that also in the package was a pair of new bloomers, obviously made by Beth. He slowly pulled them up over his hips and tied the draw string. Gathering the dress he pulled it over his head and allowed it to settle downward toward his bare feet. It puckered out loosely where her breasts would have been. Carefully he placed the bonnet upon his head and tied the bow at his chest, then turned back toward the necklace. Gathering it up, he allowed it to spin freely for several moments. Taking a hopeful sigh he allowed it to touch him ever so slightly. The resulting tingle caused Ashley to begin to search for the bee which had just stung him, apparent it had been hiding out in the loose folds of the clothing. Shaking the material revealed nothing, bee or otherwise that could have stung the panicked youth. Remarkably, Ashley began seeing a subtle change to his hands and realized, perhaps the necklace might be the real thing! Carefully he rewrapped it and returned the cloth to his hiding place. Examining his hands even more closely, he watched in awe as his fingers became more slender and the nails elongated slightly into a more oval shape. He giggled and sought out his sister's looking glass, the reflection it returned was simply short of amazing. His blue eyes seemed even bluer, almost crystalline in appearance. His lashes began to lengthen, even darken and curve ever so upward. Even the simple shape of his eyes seemed different, more open and rounder than before. The contours of his face softened as his nose narrowed slightly, his chin began losing its masculine square-ness right before his stunned eyes. All these changes were happening minutely before his astonished eyes. Ashley carried the mirror back to Rachael's bed and sat, he glanced toward his feet and realized that they too were changing, growing smaller like those his mother and sisters had. Each foot slowly transformed; dainty digits small and petite replacing his former blocky ones. Gently raising the hem of the dress he laughed aloud as what had been very hairy legs, were now much less so. Gone were the vast amounts of coarse male hair, replaced with a now sparse and almost non existent feminine variety. Running his dainty hands along the length of his leg, he shuddered at the softness of the skin and sleekness of what appeared there. No longer were they muscular and stocky, but rather femininely slender and lithe. He felt his hips widening ever so slightly, his waist tapering almost in direct contrast. His maleness began to shrink, slowly being transformed into the female version like he assumed was that of his sisters and mother. He felt a momentary surge of panic, unsure of exactly what he was trying to accomplish going this far and whether it would return when he had to relinquish his ruse. Ashley knew that he had already gone well past 'too far', he must now wait until the early hours of the next morning if he lost his nerve and wanted to return to his old form sooner. Again he held up the mirror and studied his face, his chin had tapered and softened, leaving him look like a female somewhere between that of his sisters and mothers age. Against the bodice of the dress, he felt a strangeness which could only be caused by now ever expanding feminine nipples. This movement caused him to look down quickly. Gently pushing out against the bodice he glanced down into what could only be described as a 'maturing cleavage' of a growing young woman. Ashley's bosom began growing outward slowly at first, then as if being filled from within, swelling rapidly until they began to snug up the material of the dress. He again panicked as they started to draw the dress' bodice tighter and tighter, pulling against the buttons that held it closed, using all the room available until they slowed down and stopped altogether. As a female, he would have become the object for many a male suitor to try and woo, scarcely could he believe it was him confined within that gloriously beautiful shell of femininity. For another few agonizingly wonderful minutes Ashley could feel subtle changes working over his body until it finally subsided. Slowly the former boy stood up and looked down, it was like looking at an older version of Rachael, only from this perspective it was on him. Ashley was now a spectacular vision of the female form, no longer a girl but rather a woman. He...no, this youth could never be considered in the male vernacular, now she was Ashley, a young and beautiful woman of the world. She laughed softly, tears rolling down her flawless cheeks. Two Ashley wanted to see the woman she had become in total, and the only way would be to go down to the creek and try to see her own reflection. Slowly Ashley climbed down from the loft and padded barefoot to the door and opened it just a crack. Peering out, feeling confident that he was alone, the once-boy slipped outside. Picking his way down to the creek only took a few moments, he gingerly knelt beside the stream and gazed upon the girl he had become. "God, I'm very pretty!" He whispered, then laughed as he realized that his voice too had changed to the soft timbre of a female. In the mirror image of the water, Ashley noticed that he was still wearing the bonnet. The girl in the reflection raised her demure hand and gently pushed it back. As it fell, copious amounts of golden tresses cascaded downward until they came close to touching the very ground she was kneeling upon. "Oh my God!" Ashley gasped, "It's so long!" He straightened up and felt behind himself, the golden locks ended just above his now shapely bottom. Again leaning over his reflection he admired the beauty he had become. She had full lips, large eyes which rivaled the color of the sky; thin arched brows, long dark eyelashes and tiny almost petite ears. Her skin was flawless, with a slight hint of the copper color that Ashley had as a male only now, entirely over her whole body. His mother and sisters all shared this light olive colored skin, being told that it was because of his great grandmother's Mediterranean heritage. Ashley's hips were wider than they had been as a male. Perched above were a much narrower waist and a very full bosom which seemed to be the first thing that his former male eyes were drawn toward. It began as a giggle, erupting into a full blown feminine laugh. Ashley collapsed into the soft grasses and covered his face with soft hands, rocking back and forth in almost inebriated giddiness. Stretching out along the bank, he lay quietly and staired upward at the clouds, watching them roll slowly by. All around him birds, crickets and the creek itself added to the litany of sounds. Ashley folded his lithe arms behind the back of his beautiful head, cradling the luxurious blond hair as he lay. It did not take long for the former boy to succumb to slumber under the warmth of the sun, the creek gently babbling, lulling the beautiful changeling into a deep, deep sleep. High overhead two pairs of eyes studied what they thought was a prone girl, lying beside the water's edge. Three "Is she daid?" One greasy fellow whispered softly as he peered over the hill. "Can't be...there, she just moved!" The other spat tobacco in mid sentence, his voice as low as his companion. The first one looked toward the man at his side, and whispered, "Sure is damn pretty!" "Where you supposed she's from?" He said hushed, looking around the surrounding area, the house well hidden over the rise by the hill and trees. "I say, finder's keepers." He laughed, showing his blackened teeth. "And what I find, I plan on keeping!" "Suppose she's old enough to poke? It's been a good long while since I poked me a pretty lil thing like that-un!" The man laughed softly as he climbed upon the back of his horse. The other rose from his position and returned to his horse as well, "If she be bleeding, she's old enough for breeding! That's what Pappy always said." "We'll have to grab her and go. That posse from Gillette isn't very far behind us and we still got to get into Montana afore they get wise on us for doubling back." He glanced back toward the sleeping girl, "We can take turns with the gal after we camp for the night." The picked their way closer until they closed within half the distance, then they tied their mounts to bushes and continued their decent until they were almost on top the girl. In a bull rush of a move, they were on her. Ashley felt a hand close over his mouth, the sudden weight on top of him forcing his air outward quickly. Upon opening his eyes he looked straight into the lustful gaze of a very filthy and unkempt man. He struggled and kicked about, until another greasy looking man grabbed at his feet and quickly tied them to prevent his movement. "I'm Clem and this here's Emmett, you quit your struggling and we won't be bringing any hurt on you!" He smiled evilly and spat, the blackened string of tobacco juice spittle threaded across his lower lip. "Well...not much." He began to snicker. The former boy did the only thing he could at the time; he bit down hard on the man's leather gloved hand that was held over his mouth. For his efforts, he was backhanded hard. The impact caused Ashley's head to spin, sending him into a darkened spiral of unconsciousness. As he came to, his hands and feet were tied and he was flopped over the saddle face down, held in place by one of his captors strong hands. A gag on his mouth prevented him from crying out. Ashley's only vantage was of the man's boot, the horses' legs and ground. The sky had darkened considerably, evident that night was closing fast and he had been out for quite some time. "You see him up there?" the man with Ashley asked of his companion. "I see him, been a tailing us for almost an hour. It's probably one of the scout trackers from that damn posse chasing after us! They must have figured out that we doubled back on them." "Ya think you can dust him? I don't want anybody following us." He continued, "That-un gets away and he'll be bringing that damn posse on top of us afore long." "You know I can. I'll make it quick; especially when we've got a pretty little girlie to bed down with us for the night!" He rode up beside and Ashley felt a hard smack against his well-formed feminine backside, "Don't be a starting no festivities without me Honey!" The slap caused tears to sting Ashley's eyes, so now besides worrying about escape, he had other reasons to fear for his life. He was now a woman and these men only wanted to do those things to him that a man and woman would do. And that scared the complete hell out of him. The rider above Ashley reined his horse and climbed down, it became evident that he was listening. After almost ten full minutes, a sharp report echoed, bouncing among the rocks that surrounded them. He felt a hand slowly caress his feminine bottom, then squeeze slightly. "Now sweet thing," he laughed, "you'll get to feel what a real man feel's like...and soon!" His laugh caused Ashley to shudder, a movement not missed by her captor. He walked around the horse and faced the former boy, still hanging over the saddle and raised Ashley's head up, using the long blond hair like a handle. Ashley stared into the man's eyes, fearful of his captor as he worked the gag from his feminine mouth. "How bout a quick kiss afore Clem gets back?" He pulled Ashley's face close and began to kiss lips that had no intention of being kissed. Ashley struggled to pull away but the man held onto the golden hair to keep the captive still and began an attempt at probing his tongue inside the girl's mouth. Ashley bit down hard causing the man to jerk away quickly, once freed from the forceful hold, he spit blood from Emmett's tongue toward the ground. Emmett also spat his own blood. He stormed back toward Ashley as she still hung over the saddle. "You little Bitch!" The dirty cowboy swung hard and struck Ashley with the backside of his hand, the force making the young captive go limp. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her face first from the back of the horse. She struck the ground with her cheek and fell into the dust hard. Four Ashley woke well into the evening; both of her captors were snoring soundly beside the glowing coals of their fire. Rising up slightly, the youth began to look around for any avenue of escape. Head throbbing with pain, dried blood clung to his feminine cheek. The youth was not trussed up far away from them, wrists tied behind his back and a long rope securely tied around a now slender throat. Using a tongue to probe, Ashley found his lip to be quite swollen. Overhead, the moon was almost full, riding high in the sky. Ashley sat up, the bodice of her dress fell open, completely undone allowing her newly minted breasts to sway with the feminine movement. The skirt of her dress was up around her waist, the bloomers gone altogether and Ashley's inner thighs ached profusely. The former boy glared toward the men who obviously raped him while in the throws of unconsciousness and began to dig at the binds that held small feminine hands secure. After all that has happened, the former male could not refer to himself as a he. What boy has breasts as large as these hanging from his chest? What male could ever look the way Ashley does and still believe of himself as a he. Sadly Ashley looked into the fire, he was nothing now...after being raped and possibly impregnated by these two captors, plunging themselves into his...his maidenhead, Ashley no longer felt he could claim that realm of manhood, for that was something which only could happen to a full fledged woman. Beautiful, yet hardened eyes focused intently upon the sleeping men. She was working feverishly to untie the knots behind her slender back Ashley thought about what had been done this day and the stupid thing she had planned! Now out here in God only knows where, she was alone, had been beaten, raped and tied. She no longer had any idea how long she had been unconscious, was it only one or two days? Three days, possibly a week? Her face paled, who would care for the animals? What would her parents say when they returned and found that Rachael's dress was missing. Her heart fell; tears began welling in her eyes. Redoubling her efforts she concentrated on the knot that held her wrists, she must return home and put things back the way they were before her family returned home. If it were at all possible; she must find a way. Her heart skipped as she felt a knot slip slightly. Focusing her attention she began to feel more and more of the knot sliding, soon the rope fell loose enough for her to remove her slender wrists. Once free, she untied the knot that had been at her throat. Stealthy she picked up a log about as thick and long as a man's arm. Carefully, holding it in her two diminutive hands, she approached the first sleeping man she knew as Clem. With a Herculean swing, she clove his face in, killing him instantly. No sound was made other than the cracking bone of the now deceased man. She now stepped toward the man Emmett, & swung hard. As she was in her downward swing, Emmett opened his eyes and managed to get a hand up enough to deflect the blow. The swing was enough though that the glancing blow knocked him momentarily unconscious and allowed Ashley the briefest opportunity to escape. In a panic, she ran toward the horses with an eye still toward the men, grabbed up a handful of mane and struggled onto its back. Her dress making the movement onto the back so difficult, that she had to try mounting the horse twice. That the horses were not tied up surprised Ashley, for only a trained horse will not roam unless tethered. It was apparent that these horses were ground trained. With a swift kick in the side, she urged the startled animal with her sense of urgency. As she turned the horse, Emmett was slowly rolling over, struggling to gain his feet. Ashley rode by fast, striking the staggering man with the shoulder and chest of her stolen horse. He fell backwards and out of sight as she rode on into the darkness. Five Ashley picked her way along the trail in the darkness, the moonlight seemed to be enough light for now. She then turned and followed a clear path up to higher ground, that path led up and over the foothill of the mountain, then down into a flatter section that appeared to be the beginnings of a valley. She was trying to find any recognizable landmark that would point her into the direction of home and allow her the chance of changing back to the boy she used to be. Nothing though revealed to the girl the location of where she found herself to be. Pausing beside a small creek she climbed down from the beast and cleaned herself up. The horse stepped into the water and began to drink. While she refastened the hooks of her sisters ruined bodice, trapping the unfamiliar breasts in place once again. Ashley ran her thin fingers through the long unkempt hair in an attempt to comb it out. After several minutes doing this, she felt it decent enough to continue. A slight noise behind her caused her to turn quickly, there coming out from the brush walked Emmett. His head bloodied, his look at her was of seething anger. She measured the distance between the horse, the vile man, and herself in her mind; escape once again prevalent in her thoughts. She quickly scrambled toward the horse, this caused Emmett to move quickly to intercept. He caught up with Ashley as she was attempting to climb onto the back, and with a hard jerk, drug her back into the water. The bodice of her dress began quickly tearing under the stress of his attack; once again exposing her feminine form to her attacker. As he was bending over her, he swung hard and slapped the flailing girl across the face. The force of the blow threw her head backward into the water. The man crouched above her and held her by her shoulders, forcing her head to beneath the surface of the water. The girl knew that unless she acted quickly, she would be drowned soon. Her hands fought and clawed at the face of her attacker, only causing him to redouble his efforts in drowning his victim. Her small hands rapidly raced along the gravel, kicking up small stones and dirt on the floor of the river. Desperation crowed her panic stricken mind as she could feel her life slowly being eked out by this evil man. Above her, the water caused a distortion to the face of pure and evil hatred; her life now lay in the balance of immediate escape. Somehow Ashley found a substantial rock, big enough to use as a formidable weapon, yet small enough for her to lift in her weakened state. She forcefully drove it into the man's head, again and again. After several blows to his head, the man fell into the water, blood coursing from his seemingly fatal wounds. Ashley pushed him off and struggled to her feet. Staggering and coughing she made her way to the bank of the river, she cried in tired desperation as she lay half in half out at the edge and watched Emmett's body float away face down, pulled along by the current of the river. Slowly she crawled back toward the horse, her dress wet and heavy from the vicious attack she just experienced. Ashley's muscles ached as she pulled herself onto the back of the horse; slowly drawing her weak legs over its back took supreme effort. The water ran down the horse's side as it dripped from her sisters wet and torn dress. She lay prone along its back until she could gather her wits, long wheezing gasps came until she regained control. Her long golden hair dripping and stuck against her face; as she coughed up much of the water she had swallowed. Ashley gently nudged the horse forward, following the creek & hoping that it would take her toward home. She struggled up, her shoulders sagged with exhaustion; riding slowly until she could regain her strength. After several hours, she heard horses and slowly raised her head up. Struggling into a better position she quickly began searching for an avenue of escape. Panic once again reared her head as she felt fear racing throughout her system. "Oh, not again!" she cried as she attempted to guide her horse off the current path she was riding on. She reacted too late as within seconds the mounted horsemen rounded the bend and made a bee- line directly toward her. Six Her panic began to build the closer they came, her fingers gathering the torn material in an attempt to cover her nakedness. As they came into view she could make out a star on the foremost rider's chest, this must be the posse that had been trailing her attackers. She remembered hearing that mentioned while she had been tied over the saddle. He held up his hand as the rest of the group reigned in beside him, "You okay?" he asked as he noticed the disheveled look Ashley presented. Ashley nodded, tears of relief coursed down his cheeks. Her head lowered and blond unkempt hair spilled forward covering her sobbing face. The sheriff dug behind his saddle bag and untied a blanket, rode closer to the crying girl and draped it around her shoulders. "We're searching for two men. They robbed a bank in Gillette...they killed two while getting away. Did...did they do this to you?" Ashley nodded slowly, through her sobbing she told them what she knew. "They kidnapped...and then raped me," she cried for her violation, "I...I heard them say that a posse was after them." The sheriff looked around to the other men on their horses. "What's your name honey?" The man spoke softly; the name he used was almost fatherly. "Ashley...Ashley Orville," was her almost inaudible reply. "Okay now, Ashley, can you remember the location of where you escaped them?" He leaned close to her as they talked; the girl rocked forward and began to cry harder. "Please honey, we need to catch these criminals before they do anyone else anymore harm." "I heard them say that they killed your scout that you had trailing them," she looked down at her hands and lowered her head, her eyes adverting from those of the sheriff; she replied in a soft voice, trembling with fear. "They won't be hurting anyone...ever again." He slowly pulled his head back, pushing his hat up as he scrutinized her expression, "Well that explains why we haven't heard from Old Blue Dog our tracker." He watched her as he realized what she had just said, "What do you mean by saying, they won't be hurting anyone again, Ashley?" Ashley swallowed hard, hesitatingly looking upward toward the older man. "I...I killed them." The sheriff looked backward toward his men, "The hell...how could a little bitty woman kill those two grown men? I mean, I ain't gonna cry for em at all but how did you do it?" Ashley scowled at him and sat up, "After I was raped, I hit one in the face with a big broken branch while he slept. He died right where he lay." "You sure he's dead?" he asked studying her eyes as a barometer of truth. "He's dead all right," she looked away, ashamed for what she had done, "But he deserved it!" She regained her anger and threw it back. "He raped me!" "You did the right thing little miss. What about the other one?" asked the sheriff. "He attacked me at the river and tried to kill me...he almost drowned me, but I struck him in the head with a rock and watched him float away facedown." "How far away was that?" He looked up at the men who surrounded him and the distraught female. "This morning I think," she replied softly. He glanced around. "Ike, help Ashley find her way home. The rest of you, lets go and find those two!" As his horse turned he swung his head around to Ashley, "If what you told me is true, there'll be a reward coming for you." With that the horses thundered off in the direction from where Ashley had ridden. Trailing Ashley's tracks till almost dusk, then starting up again in the morning; half of the posse going downriver, the other half following her horse's trail up into the high country. By mid morning, the posse came across Emmett's body snagged on a log, and by noon they had found her trail to where the body of Clem still lay. Seven As soon as Ashley recognized the terrain near the family's farm she broke off from the man called Ike, who was eager to return on the hunt for the two fugitives. Ashley picked her way up the trail until once again standing in the safe confines of the Barn. Guiding the horse to a stall, Ashley struggled in her weakened state to remove the saddle and blanket. Quickly throwing grain into a bag, Ashley raced toward the house, altering her body back into the form she used to be her only thought. Throwing her diminutive stride up and across the porch she launched her hand to the door and swung it aside. Ashley practically flew up the stairs and retrieved the odd little necklace from its hiding place. She struggled out of the shredded clothing and found the shirt she had worn when she was still a young male. Closing her beautiful eyes in prayer, she pinned the charm to herself with the cloth and eagerly waited. After a full minute had passed, nothing happened. Ashley repeated the process again; in a panic, she grew fearful and distraught. Terror pierced her heart, again and again Ashley desperately tried to evoke the change, but to no avail. She fell to the floor and bawled, tears cascading down her cheeks as she realized that somehow she was hopelessly trapped in this form...perhaps forever. As if in a trance, she contemplated how she would explain her change to the family. The blow to her father and mother would be crushing, she wasn't even sure she could look them into the eyes again. Collapsing onto the floor she wailed at her predicament, wishing death before facing the wrath of her own family. Eight Upon their return, Ashley's parents found a very disheveled and distraught woman in their home. Although she claimed that she was their son Ashley, and had somehow transformed into this woman in their presence. Added to this preposterous notion, she was wearing the very dress that had been made for their daughter for her birthday! Now no longer suitable for anyone to be wearing, torn and ruined the way it was. Ashley had underestimated the level of anger from her father, for no longer would he speak with his former son, effectively cutting him off from his world and shunning him as he might a mangy cur. Every fitful night since their return, Ashley would cry herself to sleep. No longer part of her family, but a transformed soul; like a ghost, just a stranger in the house. Always she would return to the strange little necklace, but with each unsuccessful attempt to regain her once male body, she felt further and further an outsider in her own family. For almost two weeks she tried, each time becoming less and less hopeful to return to her true form. By the end of the third week the sheriff from Gannett rode up to the house and asked for Ashley, and seated himself at the porch. It was a clear morning as Ashley's mother and sisters all found their way to the porch. Ashley stepped out of the house wearing one of her mothers cast off dresses; however only a sister stood near her. "Ladies." He tipped his hat and smiled, "I told you that if we found the men who robbed the bank, and uh...kidnapped and raped you, we would see you got the reward. We did find them and the reward is yours. It ain't much, considering what hell you went through, maam, but the two of them together got you a tidy little sum of a thousand dollars." Her trembling fingers took the money offered from the sheriff, but it was promptly, albeit gently removed from her hand by her mother. The man noticed and cleared his throat, "She alright?" He questioned the older woman. "We..we don't know who she is! The girl keeps claiming to be our son," she replied perplexed. "...Your son's girl then?" he asked, confused with her whole statement. "I'm not following your lead, maam." "No sir sheriff, this girl thinks she IS my son." Her seriousness played out upon her concerned face as she eyed the oldest blond girl, the female claiming to be Ashley. "Maam, I'm not sure if you've looked in the mirror lately, but this girl here is a dead ringer for you and these other two females on this porch. She was raped for God's sake and that sort of act has a way of addling a young gal's mind." He frowned as he looked from Ashley toward her mother. Ashley's face deadened, she lost the expression she once had. "I might as well have died that..." She stopped in mid sentence and covering her mouth ran from the porch. The sheriff scowled at the three women who watched Ashley running away, "I have never, ever witnessed cold hearted females as the likes of you. Are you so damned unfeeling that you can't help one of your own trying to sort her way through all of this! Christ almighty!" He strode off after the girl, but stopped at the end of the porch. He slowly turned and walked back toward Ashley's mother. "I think your troubles may have just gotten bigger, she's out there puking up her guts right now!" He frowned and studied Ashley's mother for a moment. "She been sick long?" The older woman slowly made her way to the end of the porch, seeing the female who clamed to be her son clinging to a fence rail in support. The girl in her view wiped her mouth with a trembling hand. Her mind retraced the past week, recalling how often the girl became ill. It was as though a complete realization went off inside this older woman's head, a recollection she herself had displayed early on at least three times long ago. The sheriff walked up behind Ashley's mother, "She needs your help, with what that young gal is going to be through, she needs all the help she can get." In confused silence she studied the ill woman, whispering in tired exasperation. "What of my Ashley...did he ever exist?" The sheriff sadly shook his head, feeling like he was the only sane one on the property. "Maam, if there's anything else I can do...you can find me in Gillette. He hesitated, then turned and walked quickly to his horse. Tipping his hat to those on the porch he turned the horse and galloped away. Nine Over the week that followed the sheriff's visit, Ashley's illness returned again and again. Between her battles of the illness, the family's distancing of themselves began to take their toll on the girl. Often while she was outside and approaching the house, she could hear words of frantic discussion until she entered. Once inside, the demeanor changed to an eerie silence with apprehensive gazes were directed her way. The few conversations she had with her sisters after that were as though she was a stranger, pleasant and courteous but aloof and without substance. She no longer felt as though she was a part of the family, more like an outsider staying with acquaintances. Her mind was one of turmoil, having to accept what punishment that damn necklace had issued was bad enough; but dealing with the constant reminders of what she had become would have been enough. Every time she saw her reflection, used the privy, dressed for the day she was reminded that all of this was her own doing and she regretted it immensely. The days grew worse for the distraught girl, as her father avoided her and began eating his meals when Ashley was not around. When their glances would meet, it was as though he was embarrassed, confused and in denial of what his son had somehow become. After one particularly long day grew into an uncomfortable evening, Ashley found herself in bed. Tears glistened in her eyes as she listened to the conversation below between her parents discussing what was about to transpire with the young woman in their care, thinking they were alone. They spoke low, but with the absence of a full floor separating the loft, the girl could hear everything being said. "It's done. I worked it out with Samuel in town," her father said as he entered the house from the barn. "What's done?" the voice of his mother asked. "What have you done?" "The girl...I found a place for the girl." He sighed, boots thudding as he walked to the nail where he hung his hat. "Samuel has a son living in the Dakotas; he's agreed to take her as his wife." "Sight unseen?" she asked, shock written on her expression. "He's probably lonely," he replied innocently. "Does Samuel's son know she's with child?" the woman's voice asked with a hint of sadness. "Most men wouldn't want to care for a child that isn't their own. Lonely indeed! He probably looks like an Ogre!" "He's no ogre, he is big, but no ogre," he replied tersely to his wife. Ashley sat up, and rolled toward the edge of her bed, and tried to see all the way down into the kitchen. So unbelieving what her mother had just said. She felt tears burning her eyes as she realized that her own battle with the sudden illness had implications far beyond just simple influenza. Her bottom lip quivered in the darkness as she felt the total loss of hope ebb from her body. Her hands once again flew to the medallion, in desperation she pressed it with an old shirt she had worn as a boy. Praying desperately she implored the little medallion to once again perform it's magic. As had occurred countless times before, no tingle, nothing, just an absence of anything happening. The overwhelming feeling of hopelessness enveloped the girl. Trapped, alone and unloved as if in a house of strangers. The girl threw herself into her pillow and sobbed deeply. Now a great multitude of demons swung through the troubled girl's mind, each far more hideous than its predictor. Ashley clutched at her pillow and bawled, burying her face in the cool material at the news. The deep sobbing from the terrified girl was subdued enough that those below heard nothing; they continued their conversation all the while, thinking they were alone. The woman took a drink of her tea and Ashley could hear the clink of the cup as it returned to its place on the saucer. "Ok, so we send her off...that takes care of the girl but what about our son?" Her father's voice rose in pitch slightly angry, "That girl ain't our son...get that right in your head woman...that ain't our Ashley! Our Ashley probably concocted this scheme to try and rattle us; he's always been trying that sort of stuff!" "For a month?" Her mother's voice snapped back incredulously. "Then what's become of our Ashley? Somehow he's gone and there's a girl HERE saying she's him!" Her voice trembled and then grew almost hushed. "She knows so much of the things that our Ashley knew, much of it only things HE could know!" Her father pulled his chair out, making a strange grating sound as it slid along the wood planking of their floor. Sitting down he sighed and ran his hands through his graying hair. "I honestly don't know what to do, or if what I just set up with Samuel is right. I want to believe the girl, but what she wants us to believe is impossible to fathom! She keeps claiming it's some damn necklace and we've both watched her try to use it but nothing happens every single time she touches it to herself." "Have you tried using it on something?" she asked softly, to which her husband grunted in the negative. "I'm afraid of it...I don't trust it. You?" "No. I won't touch it." She paled considering what he said. "You talk like it has special powers or something?" He shook his head. "It's a damn excuse. We'll find Ashley soon, you'll see." "And if we don't?" she asked sullenly. "What if somehow in a strange way, our Ashley has been twisted and contorted into that body of the girl?" Her father began to nervously drum his fingers against the table. "Then that's a bridge we'll have to cross together as a family." The sounds came out as though someone was pouring something, then she heard a spoon slowly stirring as it 'tinkled' against the side of the cup. "We could be sending our own grandchild away," the woman reminding her husband of the pregnancy involved. "I thought about that," he said with a sigh, "Maybe after awhile, we can bring her back for a visit...and she could bring the youngin?" "If she comes back here; people are still going to want to know who she is. If she IS our Ashley, won't they be wondering why our son and the girl have the same name?" She ran her hand over her mouth; her gaze was focused onto the floor in deep thought. The silence between them grew deafening; nothing was said for several minutes. "Maybe we could visit her and the child then? Lord knows I don't want to lose the opportunity of knowing my grandchild if I am wrong." He at last whispered the fatherly tenderness once again prevalent in his voice. Ashley could tell that this whole issue was very troubling on her father, even though he wasn't showing it on the surface. "You mean, if WE are wrong," she said as she moved her hand over to grasp his. He nodded slowly as her words took on great meaning, lifting a weight from his shoulders by letting him know he was not alone in this decision. "..if WE are wrong," he sighed. "I feel as though we're sending the girl away to prison." Her mother sighed and sobbed slightly. Almost a full minute passed before she wondered aloud, "Do you think that either...Ashley or Samuel's son will feel differently about the child knowing that it is the result of a rape?" Movement downstairs sounded muffled as though her father and mother were in an embrace. "Is Samuel's son a good man?" she asked softly. "For his sake, he'd better be!" was her father's reply. "I feel so damn guilty sending her away like we are that he had better be a good husband to her." "How soon will she be leaving here?" the female questioned. "And what of the reward money?" "It's her money, she'll need it...but, some will have to buy traveling clothes and a train ticket." The woman cried, wiped her nose and reached out with a trembling hand and took another sip of her tea. "So, there's no way she can stay with us here?" The man sighed deeply, "She isn't married, and she's with child...the folks around these parts would have a field day gossiping with all that. No. it's better if we send her off to be married. At least there she can have some sort of life." "She's only with child because of a rape! That has to count for something!" she pleaded, knowing what his answer would be. "No. She can't stay. The embarrassment of a bastard child will be all our ruin," he admonished his wife for her speaking out. "I'll miss the child...but this is for the best!" "I think it's you that are embarrassed! You'll miss the child, you say...but which child is it that you will actually miss? Your son, the girl he became or the grandchild we may never know?" In her anger she spun and stormed into their bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Her father stood alone in the room, mulling his wife's last comment and whispered, in a voice seeping deep with emotion, "I'll miss...all of them." Then Ashley listened as her father broke down sobbing. She rolled onto her back as the room below grew quiet, tears rolled backward toward her ear. She had never heard her father cry before, it did show he cared. Somehow in his own strange way he really cared about what happened to her. Slowly, the sounds below grew quiet and she heard him go into their bedroom as well. She could still hear talking but it was muffled because of the closed door. She settled back into her bed and thought about the conversation she had just heard. She felt another tear quickly roll back toward her ear, and thought of the times she will miss under the roof of this old home. Those times were about to abruptly end for her. Now her days would be filled with a child and a husband she had never met. Ten The impending marriage to the stranger and news of her own pregnancy was too much for the poor girl to fathom, she lay in the darkness and cry softly for her own actions which put additional weight of her predicament into motion. Often she heard the discussions of her parents and each time it drove home the fact that her days on that little farm were numbered. Once again her night began with a discussion below; the sorrow in her parent's voice reminded her that while she was still loved; they as yet couldn't understand the terror she felt at being abandoned by her family. She began to feel like an orphan living among people who were her parents and siblings. Ashley's emotions were a wreck, often crying for no reason. Her looming future though gave her a real reason to be tearful. As she lay in bed one evening, she pushed the tear away and turned toward movement nearby, it was her sisters as they approached the bed. "We heard momma and daddy talking earlier about you." Rachael whispered softly. "Have you been crying?" Beth asked as she took her thumb and wiped away one of Ashley's tears. "You are crying." "Poor dear.." Rachael maternally whispered as she hugged the young woman before her. Ashley sat up in, Beth sat at the end and Rachael knelt beside the bed. "Is it true that they are going to marry you off?" asked Beth, handing Ashley a kerchief she had tucked into the sleeve of her nightdress. "I guess so..I don't want to leave, but pa is probably for the best." Ashley sighed, dabbing the corners of her eyes. Rachael pursed her lip and looked around. "You going to try using that little medal thing again once the baby is born?" Ashley could tell that her question wasn't out of concern, perhaps only small talk. Ashley looked toward where she had stored the necklace, "I guess I will, if it'll let me." "Then you can come back home!" smiled Beth. "But what if you don't want to change back?" "I can't see that happening." Ashley said with a laugh, "The last thing I ever wanted was to be stuck looking like this for longer than a day or two!" "What about the baby? You going to leave your husband with a child, a child you brought into this earth?" Rachael said, reminding Ashley of what was to come. "I...I don't know. I have no clue what I'm going to do." Ashley sighed. Beth looked toward Rachael as if there was something the two wanted to ask; finally Ashley spoke upon seeing their exchange. "Okay, out with it..." "Why did you do it? Why did you want to look like this?" Rachael asked, indicating Ashley's body. Ashley shrugged. "I just wanted to see what it was like to be a girl." Beth replied without thinking, "Yeah. You found out the hard way, didn't you?" Ashley frowned and looked away; Rachael glared at her younger sister and continued their questioning. "What was it like to have sex...you having started out life as a boy and all?" Ashley laughed. "I wouldn't know...they did it to me while I was unconscious. Frankly, it couldn't have been too good for them as I didn't even struggle and must have just laid there like a dead fish." "Guys like that just want to get off inside you and could care less whether you are participating or not," replied Rachael callously. "And you would know this...how?" Beth shot back, a smug look on her face. "And now I guess I'm pregnant." Ashley sighed, interrupting their spat. "I have a tiny, living human growing inside of me right now!" she said almost reverently, stroking the flatness of her stomach. "What's that feel like? To be pregnant?" Beth wondered aloud. "I really don't know, I have yet to feel a thing," Ashley said as she adjusted her pillow behind her back. "I suppose it's early...but I'm not really eager to experience it yet. Maybe momma is wrong and I'm not pregnant, that's possible isn't it?" "It's possible, but not likely." Beth tapped Ashley's foot to get her undivided attention, "You've been this girl for what? It's been a month now hasn't it?" Ashley considered her question then replied, "I've been one for a little more than a month, why?" "If you haven't had your monthly cycle yet, most likely you are pregnant. All of that illness, the throwing up and nausea you've experienced...it's the early signs of pregnancy," her words were like a hammer to the forehead, Ashley sat in stunned silence. "The smells of things will clue you in as well; some of the things you loved will suddenly want to make you vomit! All that's been going on and missing your monthly are clues to pregnancy." "I don't even know what a monthly is?" Ashley sighed, knowing that there was so much more that she would need to learn while trapped in this form. "If I haven't had one, how will I know I've had it?" Rachael almost laughed and then held it after seeing the gravity of the situation in Ashley's frightened eyes. "Women get stomach cramps and bleeding once a month, from down there." She pointed toward the bed where she could make out the join between Ashley's legs and hips. Beth added, "Momma always says, having a monthly...is a good thing, not having a monthly...very bad. Unless of course, you are trying to get pregnant...then it's the other way around." Ashley stared at the covers in shock at what her sisters had just divulged, like some unwritten secret door into an ancient kingdom. However instead of walking through it as most 'real' women would, Ashley felt as though she was pushed through it. Rachael broke her trance as she gently touched her arm. "I haven't had one of those, if I didn...I'm pretty sure I'd remember," she sadly looked down, looking almost as though she wanted to cry again. "We just wanted to let you know that no matter what happens, we're still your sisters and love you in any form." They each hugged Ashley and slowly stood up. "We want to be able to visit you when you're married off...that is, if you'll have us." "You'll always be welcome. But I'm not sure I plan on getting married," Ashley added, thankful they changed the subject away from becoming a mother. "I don't think I am ready for that little step of womanhood." "Ash, if you think that will be your biggest step - tell that to the baby while it's nursing on your breast." Rachael laughed, "Marriage will seem so easy compared to going through having that child." Ashley looked toward her sisters with seriousness. "I'm not sure I want the baby, I didn't ask for it! It wasn't like I was a 'real' girl and wanted a child; I was raped and I'm not sure I can find a way to love a child conceived in that manner!" "When the time comes, you'll know what to do." Rachael said as she hugged Ashley goodnight, Beth followed her sister's lead and headed to bed. As they neared the doorway, Ashley softly called out to them. "I love you guys...thanks!" "Love you too, Ash. You'll see, it'll all work out for you." With a slight wave they turned from their troubled sister and headed back toward their own bed. With trepidation, Ashley closed her eyes and attempted to sleep, knowing that her time at home was drawing rapidly to a close. She rolled to her side, her breasts laying one over another. Ashley sighed, adjusting them for her comfort; longing for those days where this issue never reared its ugly head. It was going to be an awfully long night. Eleven Ashley stood in the kitchen and felt the flutter once again, it was a strange little twitching somewhere deep within her stomach. She could only compare it to if you had somehow caught a moth and was holding it against the window; the fluttering you would feel in your hand, was similar to what she was feeling inside. She had felt it twice before, the first only a day after she had heard the conversation between her parents. The second flutter was felt only yesterday. The mood in the house seemed somber, although both parents were speaking to the girl once again. The realization that Ashley was leaving finally hit them as they were gathering her belongings for the ride to the train station. Ashley quietly folded the dresses donated by her mother into a bag and pulled the draw closed, her mother chattering away about this or that. "Papa wired $750.00 of the reward money to the bank near where Samuel's son lives; you have $100.00 sewn into your bodice. Only get into that if you have an emergency. You have $150.00 cash money to purchase your ticket and have for the trip." So there, I think that about covers it." "Momma, I know the ticket will be well under $50.00, and I shouldn't need more than a few dollars to get me where I'm going. I want you and pa to keep this for whatever you need." Ashley handed her mother a 100 dollar bill. Her mother looked down at the offered money, slowly pushing it back toward Ashley. We can't take your money, Ashley, after the way we've been to you this past month or so...it wouldn't be right." "It's because I love you, that I want you and Papa to have it; put it into the bank and use it someday to come and visit me." The girl forced a smile, trying to put on a brave front. Hesitantly her mother took the bill and folded it carefully, when she looked up she had tears in her eyes. "I don't want to send you away..." she said as she began to cry. "I know momma, but for the family, it's something I have to do." Ashley drew her close with a hug. "I'll write as often as I can, I promise." While they were speaking, Beth slipped out of the room and climbed into the loft. After several minutes she returned to the kitchen. "Rachel and I want you to have this." Ashley looked down; it was an ornate wooden box with a small lock. "You got that from mama and papa. You should keep it." "We want you to have it. If you get lonesome or worried, write your troubles down and put them into this box and lock them away." Rachel smiled and gave Ashley a hug, Beth followed with a kiss, "When it gets full, bury it; that way all your troubles will be locked away and gone. Don't close the hasp fully though, if that gets closed it needs the key to unlock it...so I guess don't lose the key either." Ashley smiled at her younger sister's naive wisdom; she would miss that optimistic reasoning from them. The four women stood in the kitchen, saying their last goodbyes, the door opened up, and in the doorway, stood her father. "Team's hitched up; I guess we're ready to go." Ashley turned toward her sisters, tears of realization glistened her eyes, "I'm going to miss you two." They both came to Ashley's side and hugged her. "I'll write you, Ash. I promise." "I'll hold you to it." She wiped at her eyes in a very unladylike manner, turned toward her mother and gave her another hug. "Are you coming with us to town?" "No honey. I don't think I could handle seeing you leaving." She dried her eyes and kissed Ashley's cheek. "Let us know once that baby is close, we can come to help if you need it." She sat down at the table and fidgeted with her kerchief. Ashley looked toward her sisters; Beth had her arm resting around her mother's neck. Rachael looked quickly toward her mom, "We're going to stay with momma, as she'll probably going to need us." Ashley nodded as Rachael spoke. Ashley gave her mother's hand a loving squeeze. "I love you momma." She locked onto her mother's sorrowful gaze, "No matter what's happened, I'll always love you momma." Tenderly she bent down and kissed her mother, straightened up and walked out of the house...not because she wanted to, but because it was something she had to do. Papa pulled the door closed behind them and helped Ashley with her bag by putting it into the bed of the wagon. He hesitated and offered to help Ashley into the wagon seat; it felt strange for Ashley but she allowed his assistance. As soon as he had settled into the seat, he snapped the reins and they began to roll away from the farm. Ashley looked back at the buildings until they had disappeared from sight. With a deep sigh, she turned around and faced forward. "It's going to be a mite strange without you being here," her father said softly. "I know papa," she replied. "I know you and momma are doing what is best for me." "It might be best, but I'll sure not like it," he grimaced. "It's one of the hardest things I have ever done." Twelve The chugging train sat at rest like some great iron beast, belching thick black smoke as it anticipated the start of the journey. Ashley sat and stared disbelievingly at her father as he stood on the deck of the station watching as it slowly began to move. Tears were in his eyes as he waived goodbye to his eldest child, his lip was quivering as he forced a smile to his daughter. Ashley sat there and watched as the train began to roll faster, waived slightly to her father as her view was cut off by the window's edge. Had she been able to see him entirely, she would have known that her father stood on that platform watching until long after the train chugged from sight. Lost in thoughts that were all his own. Ashley hung her head for several minutes, and then returned to looking out the window. Not long after she felt movement beside her, and yet so focused on her innermost thoughts that nothing in her surroundings could break her steady stare. "Maam. May I punch your ticket please?" The words broke her from her trancelike gaze; she quickly retrieved her ticket and handed it to the man in the aisle. "There's a pri