Five Levels Deep
by Cleo Kraft
Cave exploration or spelunking if you will, has been a long time hobby
of mine for many years. It's influenced my life so much so that I
deliberately moved to a dinky little out of the way no nothing town up
in the mountains just to be closer to my favorite cave, the Kiperdurn
Caverns.
I belonged to a local splunker club known as the Pylons and as a member
one of the rules we held true was that if anyone wanted to go cave
diving they could ask of any other member to go with them and that I was
back here in Kiperdurn Cave so early this morning.
Terry Daniels was the fellow who called me up so short notice last night
and ask me to accompany him on this cave dive so early this morning. I
think it's mainly because he's so new at this stuff and I'm a long time
veteran of this particular cave that he asked me to join him.
I knew of one other exit in this cave system but hadn't personally been
through there myself. Terry was interested in seeing that so I veered
off my normal route and we carefully headed that way with me in the
lead. Terry followed behind but kept falling back as he wasn't in nearly
as good of shape for this as I was. He followed the life line, that is
to say the fishing line I carefully left trailing behind to mark our way
back to the enterance should we need it again to get out.
My instruments indicated we were at a depth of over one hundred and
seventy-three feet below the surface. The air was getting difficult to
breathe down here and the heat was building up thanks to this cave
system being in close proximity to an old dormant volcano, Mount
Glisten.
"Hold up a sec," Terry called out to me out of breath, so I waited on
hands and knees in the little crawlway we were currently in.
That was just fine I guess because we'd reached a point where we'd have
to either slither through like human snakes or pull away some rocks and
debris to make the way easier to traverse. So in this moment of pause I
began moving rock and dirt behind me some and off to the side with my
little shovel.
Suddenly as I moved away a particularly big stone the ceiling above
began raining down on me. I instinctively hurried forward fearing the
danger of being crushed to death. I don't know how I managed to escape
it but the entire area I'd been in collapsed completely, blocking the
way back.
This wasn't good. Not at all. I couldn't turn around in such a tight
space as this in order to try and maneuver all the boulders and dirt and
even if I could there was really nowhere to put the material here.
I coughed and choked on all the dust and dirt brought up in the air from
the cave-in. Then I heard the muffled sound of Terry shouting at me from
the other side. Good. At least he seemed all right. I shouted back and
heard him give me another round of muffled shouts. Though I couldn't
hear at all what he was saying. The collapse was just too thick.
My lungs couldn't take much more of this bad air so I proceeded onward
hoping Terry would just follow the life line back and try and go get
help.
In the meanwhile I knew based on the map I had, that I could just make
my way to the other marked enterance. The one I never reached before.
I shuffled ahead on my belly, pulling myself on through and out and into
a wide cavern room. I secured a new life line at this point to mark my
way back to the blocked passage and then I stood up and shined my
flashlight up towards the ceiling. Thousands of stalagtites looming down
from high above. They stretched out beyond where my flashlight could
shine anymore, out into the vast darkness beyond. I checked my map and
suddenly realized this was nowhere on there. No room this big had ever
been mapped here before. I was now in no man's land and everthing I
discovered would be a first for me and my club.
I put my map away in my pack and continued on.
The soft earthen floor gradually sloped downwards and evened off but by
now I was so deep that even my flashlight couldn't reach the ceiling
with its beam.
Up ahead I spotted an underground lake surrounded at its shore by a low
lying foggy mist that gradually thickened off into the distance.
I had two options here. I could either go back and wait for help to
arrive or I could try and somehow esplore ahead and discover a new way
out.
I only had enough food and supplies for a few days in this place. If I
waited I could possibly die down here if help didn't arrive soon. On the
other hand, if I carefully planned it, I could explore this new path and
hope to find a way out. I could explore for one full day before deciding
if I should turn back or not. Going ahead seemed to be the smart thing
to do, just so long as I tried my best not to go deeper but to move
upwards towards the surface. Though I knew that we were in the mountains
and going deeper could even lead to lower elevation exits.
With water in sight, hopefully drinkable, I could possibly survive
awhile longer but water, to me, was also a good sign because water tends
to want to carve a way out.
Indeed as I approached the lake I heard the sound of running water on up
ahead. The unmistakable noise of a waterfall off into the distance. I
could not determine if the waterfall was pouring out into the lake or if
it was careening on over an unseen edge up ahead through the fog. Either
way, the sound of this seemed promising, for there were no signs that
the lake level had ever risen here and water had to go somewhere. Maybe
out.
I headed off along the righthand side of the lake towards the sound of
the waterfall. The fog here grew thick and the air dreadfully humid with
the mixture now of coldness from the lake and heat through the cave
walls from the nearby volcano. The humidity was beginning to make
breathing a bit difficult but I carried onward.
The crumbly rocks at my feet were yellow and as I moved with careful
footfalls a thick yellow dust puffed up into the air about me.
I approached the base of a great big waterfall careening into the lake
and shined my flashlight up the cave wall and spotted an opening high
above.
I began to carefully ascend up the face of the sheer vertical cliff
before me. It was an easier climb than I expected, for the rock here was
ancient and solid. Now atop and standing on dry ground beside the
waterfall's edge, I shined my flashlight down a long and winding tunnel
which gradually seemed to lead upward.
I spotted strange markings on the wall here. Crude ones written in a
foreign language that I didn't understand. It seemed to be a form of
German though and all done up in blue chalk. A little crudely made
drawing accompanied this. One of a man, I think, to the side closest to
me and one of a little girl in a dress to his left with little arrows in
between, and there above the arrows half a dozen little exclamation
marks with bunches of hurried underlines beneath them.
I tied off the end of the fishing line around an outcropping of rocks
here and began a fresh line.
I moved forward into the new tunnel I discovered and followed the
underground river upward and into a little round room where water poured
in from above. My heart sank at the sight of this, for if I were to move
upward I would have to climb up slick wet walls to the lair above.
Fortunately whoever scrawled the message on the tunnel wall behind me
had left a rope system in place here. The rope meandered crazily up an
uneven wall through iron spikes with little holes in the top. I tested
the rope and it seemed steady enough if not weatherd with age.
I climbed steadily up and emerged into a stony floored pond of sorts
where the water was only a few inches deep but steadily rushing over the
edges of the hole and into the room and river below. The rope measured
up to waist level at this point and carried onward through long iron
poles to the shore's edge. If it were not for that rope the stong
current might certainly push me over the edge.
I made it to shore and examined the room I was in. Water funneled in
through three holes in the walls here. I spotted another tunnel up ahead
and went that way. The floor of the tunnel was thick with light blue
sand and seemed to be the dry bed of an ancient stream. I followed it
gradually upward as the tunnel twisted slowly round and round like a
corkscrew.
The sand gradually shifted to a whitish coloration as I marched on
ahead. I suddenly stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of the tunnel
evening off into a straight portion. The walls here glowed eerily yellow
and I placed a hand there and felt a mild warmth in the rock.
I moved forward as the glow grew stronger and stronger. The ceiling
gradually grew shorter and by my best judgement I'd have to duck down or
maybe go to my hands and knees up ahead.
The yellow glow now was all about me as the walls brightly radiated the
light. I began to feel slightly funny all over, possibly due to what I
thought was this abnormal supernatural radiation all about me. I heard
the sound of birds chirping up ahead and realized that I must have found
an exit.
I continued on at an even, steady pace, mystified at though how the
ceiling grew smaller it didn't seem to get any closer to the top of my
head.
My clothing seemed rather loose on me by now and I stopped to examine
this unusual phenomon.
My sleeves were too long now and my bluejeans kept trying to slip off me
to the point where I had to pull my belt as tight as I could to keep
them up. My cavers boots seemed a few sizes too big and became awkward
to walk in so I removed them and put them away in my pack.
The sand here changed from white to a light pink coloration as I
continued on ahead. The walls bore strange runic carvings at this point
though my mind was more focused on getting out of here than stopping to
make charcoal rubbings on paper or anything like that.
I continued onward and stopped once I felt the slight tickle of the hair
on my head slightly brushing against the sides of my face. I reached up
and grabbed a handful of blonde hair. Hair that had been light brown
before was now longer than usual and changed completely to blonde. I
frowned at my discovery and wondered if this radiation was in some way
aging me.
I continued on and my jeans suddenly fell to my ankles. I nearly tripped
on them but caught my balance at the last moment. I reached down and
pulled them back on but by now even my belt would serve little use in
keeping them on me in any shape or fashion. So I put them away in my
pack and carried on.
My crotch felt the most peculiar of all now as I continued onward
towards the sound of the birds. I emerged out of the tunnel and into a
small little chamber with a floor of pink sand.
Sunlight dappled in through the cracks of a little wooden door here. Off
to the side I found two large wooden crates here, both with the lids
partly moved to one side. I peered into one and found an assortment of
caver gear mixed in with men's clothing. The stuff looked like something
out of the nineteen-fifties and was dusted over with age and hadn't
looked used in years.
I opened the other crate and frowned in confusion at the collection of
girls clothing inside. Scrawled on the top of this crate was the word
"m?dchen" which of course I didn't understand though the contents of the
crate seemed to give it an understanding that this crate was labeled
specifically for girl clothes or something.
I spotted a little wood framed hand mirror in there and pulled it out
and looked at my facial reflection.
My jaw dropped at the sight of not my own face but that of a blue eyed,
blonde haired little girl no more than perhaps five or six years of age
at best.
In panic I dropped the mirror back into the box of clothes and felt
around my crotch only to suddenly discover my cock and balls missing,
now replaced with a little slit of soft, smooth hairfree flesh.
I gazed back at the strange glowy tunnel with the sudden realization
that by passing through there I had somehow transformed into a little
girl. Then I remembered the chalk drawing on the cave wall near the
waterfall and suddenly realized it was a warning of sorts, that by going
up ahead this route any man who did so would be changed into a little
girl. I wondered if by going back again I should turn back into a man,
so I went back.
As I reached the blue sand I found myself back in my twenty-eight year
old male body once more.
I scratched my head in puzzlement, realizing that although I'd found an
exit to this place I could only leave through this route as a little
girl, not a man.
The decision seemed obvious. I had to get out of here and inform Terry
that I was all right, if not out of body of sorts. The thing is, Terry
nor anyone else for that matter, would believe my story for it was too
far fetched to be reality.
The discovery of this magic tunnel wasn't something I think I wanted the
world at large to know about. For I loved spelunking and wouldn't want
the place taken over by the government or something, as I'm sure that
would be the inevitable outcome. Think of the chaos that would ensue if
common wanted criminals or escaped prisoners could just go through a
short little cave passage and turn into little girls to go into hiding.
No. I would have to keep this thing a secret as I'm sure the other
fellow or fellows who'd been here before must have done. No one else
must ever know of this. For if they did it might spell disaster for the
future of these caverns.
I walked back to the little exit room and turned back into a little girl
again. I decided the extra changes of clothes here were put here for a
reason. Perhaps the person who used this tunnel before me went to
switching back and forth for fun. Maybe I would too once the blocked
passage back there had been cleared away.
Then I remembered the life line I'd left behind!
Once anyone cleared the passage they'd surely turn to following it and
discover the transformation tunnel as I had. That was bad news so I
headed back in a hurry, climbed down the waterfall and made my way back
to where I'd been before. I removed the life line and reeled it all back
in as I made my way back up the cliff and up the river and back in
through the magic tunnel. Sure, they could send blood hounds in after my
scent to find the way anyhow but at least this seemed safer for fear of
discovery.
Now a little girl once again for the third time now, I removed my
clothes and put them away and put on some girl clothes instead.
I opened the little wooden door and stepped outside into the woods where
tall trees loomed up high above all around me. I turned around and gazed
up at a moss covered cliff face where, at the base of it, the little
door had been haphazardly covered with moss and vines in an attempt to
hide it.
I shut the door and headed down the gradually sloping hillside in among
the trees. My little black flats cracked twigs and leaves on the forest
floor as I continued on and now in through a maze of thick bushes that
eventually led out and onto an old hiker's trail. Across the way I
spotted a tall tree there with a little stick man figure carved into the
bark. If I hadn't emerged staring right at the thing I could have easily
missed seeing it if I was just an ordinary hiker passing by but there it
was. A tiny little stick man carved in the bark, and why? Because it was
an obvious marker for the magic cave above.
I grinned at the sight of this, knowing I could easily now trace my
steps back here simply by taking this trail and finding the stickman
tree again.
I glanced up at the position of the sun in the sky, knowing it was near
noon by this time but probably a little earlier. That said I kind of
knew my bearings already based on the cave map and determined that the
way back to town was to my right. So I headed in that direction, my
little girl legs doing their best to keep up with my intended pace.
I decided on leaving my gear and pack behind for this little excursion.
I only took a handful of money from my wallet and stuffed it in the
little white play purse I carried with me slung over my left shoulder.
It was easier this way as my pack was far too big, bulky and heavy for a
little girl to go lugging around all over the place.
The way back to town wasn't too far, thankfully, as the trail emerged
out to a little back parking lot behind what I guessed was Main Street.
I walked out front and onto the sidewalk and noted that the building
between myself and the trail was a little candy shop.
I turned around and spotted a newspaper box and glanced at the
headlines.
Girl Gone Missing!
My jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the picture of a little girl's
face there on the front page, for it was the same face I'd seen in the
little hand mirror.
I felt a hand grip hold of my shoulder and spin me around to gaze up at
the stern face of a policeman. "Lost?" he asked knowingly. "Well it's a
good thing I found you before anyone else did."
"Um... I think there's been some sort of mistake," I said.
"Oh, there's been a mistake all right. Little girls like you ought not
run away from home. Do you know how worried your mother's been since you
disappeared last month?" he asked. "Well it's a good thing I found you.
Think I'll take you to the station and get you fingerprinted, just as a
precaution for next time. Then we'll contact your worried parents."
He took hold of my hand and led me to his police car parked nearby at
the curb. Apparently he'd spotted me almost right away standing there on
the sidewalk all alone and pulled over to apprehend me.
He buckled me up in the back seat and slowly drove down Main Street
towards the dinky little police station our small town had.
Once in the station I was indeed made to give my fingerprints as another
officer phoned this missing girl's parents.
Ten minutes later a distraught looking blonde woman rushed in and
grabbed me up into a great big hug and kissed me multiple times on the
forehead. I was so overcome with confusion over all this that I barely
heard her "oh how we missed you, sweetheart" and other ramblings on.
That magic tunnel was more than just a way to turn a man into a little
girl. It apparently also affected reality somehow. I wondered if anyone
in town was even aware the old me ever existed.
It wasn't long before my apparent new mother led me out to her car and
buckled me in a little car seat in the back. Then she drove me several
blocks away and turned the corner and rode down another road into a
residential district. A few turns later and she pulled up into a long
driveway and parked the car in a two car garage.
As she unbuckled me and helped me out of the child seat I watched the
automatic garage door slowly lower down behind us.
She led me inside and into a large and spacious kitchen. She had me sit
in a seat at the table where she prepared a quick lunch for me. It was
just a sandwich, potato chips, bananna and milk but it was a welcome
meal since my tiny stomach had been grumbling a bit now and then since
my transformation.
"We were so worried about you, Audrey," the woman said. "I understand
you were quite upset when your father moved away, but sweetheart, you
have to understand that he still loves you very much and it's no reason
to run away like you did. I know you meant well, dear, but running
away's not going to solve the problem. Besides which, you know already
that daddy's living in a whole other town. I know it's sad. Believe me,
if I could have had it anyway else your father and I would still be
married."
She paused. I think she paused expecting a reaction out of me so I just
shrugged and said my "okay" and let it be at that.
She gave me some cookies and another glass of milk for dessert.
Afterwards she suggested I go watch cartoons in the living room or play
dollies in my room upstairs.
I headed for the living room if only to get a gist of the place a
little. I spotted a few framed photographs up on the mantle of the empty
fire place. One picture in particular caught my eye and made my jaw
drop. It was a wedding photograph of a man and wife and while I
recognized the bride as the woman who just fed me lunch, the groom's
face is what made my jaw drop. For he was the spitting image of me! The
old male me that is. There was no mistake about it. That fellow there
was ME!
I felt more than a little uneasy about it because I knew darn well I
never married nor had I ever had any children. Therefor it was obvious
to me now that I was in some kind of alternate reality situation here
and one which was more than a little discomforting, to say the least.
To turn into a little girl is one thing but to have myself as my own
father... it just enhanced the humiliation to a whole new level.
So, basically, in this reality I wasn't born me, someone else had been.
In this reality I was born as my own daughter. Too weird and horribly
awkward.
Not interested in television right now I headed upstairs. The stair case
steps seemed so much bigger than they ought to be because I was so
little now. I managed it anyhow taking great big awkward steps up to the
landing. I headed down the hall past a few open doors, realizing at once
that those were rooms for older kids. I reached a room near the master
bedroom at the end of the hall and stood there in the open doorway
nearly gasping at how totally girly the room was.
It was for sure a little girl's bedroom. White canopy bed there over by
the window with frilly white drapes. A tall glass display case stuffed
to the gills with plastic baby dolls and Barbies caught my eye as I
glanced past it to a little pink wooden dresser, beside which sat a
dinky kid sized dressing table and mirror. That was over by an open
closet door by the window. Then, to my right I saw a pink wooden dresser
and rather large wicker toybox. To the left of the toybox sat a doll
house with Barbies still in it.
I slowly made my way over to the open closet and peered inside. Dozens
of little dresses, skirts and other outfits hung there neatly from the
hangars. Below this along both edges of the walk-in closet were
situatied neatly side by side dozens of little girl shoes. Mostly flats
there but a few cute little sneakers as well as some sandals.
I felt a tap on my left shoulder and turned around to face this girl's
mother.
"Sweetheart, your daddy's on the phone," she said and handed me her
cellphone and took a few steps back, then decided at my sudden
unexpected and stunned pause that I needed a little privacy and
said,"I'll just go back to finish up the laundry, dear. Just give me my
phone back when you're done."
She left the room before I could say a word to that.
I slowly brought the cellphone up to my ear and gave out a weak "hello?"
"Audrey!" the fellow said sounding quite excited for some reason.
"Audrey, my pretty little princess, how are you? I heard they found you.
Oh, I'm so glad. Why on Earth did you ever run away for? Don't you know
that your mother and I both love you still very, very much?"
"D-dad?" I asked.
"Yes dear?"
I covered my other hand over the phone and whispered,"Jake Duncan?"
"Now sweetheart, that's no way to address your father," he said. "You
can just keep on calling me daddy as usual. Now what is it, my angel?"
"Did you... did you go into Kiperdurn Caverns today?" I asked needing
desperately to know the answer.
"Sweetheart, daddy hasn't gone cave exploring in a long, long time now.
You know that," he said. "I'm far too busy at work these days to do that
stuff anymore. Besides which, your mother made me quit. She thought it
was too dangerous and... you know... I guess she's right. So I gave it
up. Now why would you ask me such a silly question for anyhow?"
"Nothing. Nevermind," I said.
"Well, I'll see you in a couple of weeks when I get you for the whole
weekend," he said. "It'll be fun. You'll see, and you can go swimming in
the swimming pool and play with the new friends you've met. I'm so glad
you're back, Audrey. Please don't run away ever again. You know how it
worries your mother so much. I know you did it because you missed me but
please don't ever do that again. Promise?"
He kind of put me on the spot there. I wasn't normally one to ever break
a promise and I knew that if I did and kept it then that meant I wasn't
going back to being a man ever again. Something that I wasn't so sure I
could so quickly decide here without serious consideration.
"I...," I started, frowning at how hard it was to say it. "I.... I p-
promise."
I felt an instant wave of guilt pass over me as I knew there was a
fairly good chance I was going to have to break the promise to change
back to normal.
"That'a girl. Now take care now, sweetheart and take care of mommy for
me. Daddy's got to get back to work now. Love you," he said and waited
for me to say it back.
I guess I had to play along with it. "I... l-love you t-too d-daddy..."
"Bye now," he said and hung up leaving me standing there almost too
stunned for words.
I dropped the phone to the carpet I was so stunned.
I stood there for awhile not knowing what I was going to do. This was
one reality I sure wasn't prepared for.
I slowly pressed the palm of my hand over the white cotton play dress on
me and pressed my palm flat up against my empty crotch. I was now in a
reality in a state where I was fully cut off from the existance of being
a man. Sure over half the people on Earth got to live as girls but I
wasn't so sure this was the right place for a guy - well... former guy
anyway - like me to be.
I kept my hand pressed there for awhile.
FULLY cut off. I was fully cut off from my old male life. Not just
because I knew that woman downstairs, my new mother apparently, would
take extra care now to NOT let me run away but also because of the cave-
in blocking my way back to the life I had before.
If I went back now maybe Terry Daniels, the guy I went cave diving with
this morning, would have found help by now and they'd be digging me out.
However, if I stayed here a couple days and went back, then no such
thing might have ever happened. Even if it did - if they cleared out the
cave-in, I'd still have to make my way out and face my old reality once
more. Accidents happen but for me to go so far ahead of a newbie caver
like that was just irresponsible of me. I'd get kicked out of the club
for sure - or at least suspended for it.
I removed my hand away from my crotch and squatted down and picked up
the cellphone and stood up again. I dialed Terry's number and it rang a
few times and he picked up,"Hello?"
"T-Terry?" I said feeling a blush overcome my face now even though he
had no idea what had happened to me.
"Yes? Who IS this?" he asked.
"D-do you know Jake? Jake Duncan?" I asked needing to know.
"No I don't. Why? Why are you calling me about this?" he asked. "Who IS
this?"
"It's not important. I just need to know if you went to Kiperdurn
Caverns today," I said.
"Look, little girl, I'm in no mood for prank calls so I'll ask you to
never call this number again," he said.
"I'm sorry but I just need to know," I said. "Are you in a cavers club?
It's not a prank call, I swear. Please..."
"As a matter of fact I am," he replied. "And no, I didn't go to
Kiperdurn Caverns today. I WOULD have but I couldn't find anyone to go
with me on such short notice. Why? Are you the daughter of one of the
club members? How do you know so much about me?"
"It's not important. Let's just say I know someone in your club who was
worried about you. Worried that....," I said pausing to think up a
rational reason why in the world a little girl might be calling Terry
right now. "That you... that you might decide to go there alone."
There, I said it.
"I'm not that stupid. Well, you tell whoever it is to just mind their
own business then," he said and hung up.
At first I thought he was going to call me right back and ask more
questions but after a few minutes of silence I figured there was no way
he was going to do that.
So in this reality Terry didn't go caving today, which means the cave-in
never happened (at least that's my theory anyway). Which means... I
could go through it again no problem, at least from the usual cave
enterance. I wondered what would happen to me if I went through the boy
to girl passage again this way. Would I just stay the same or would I
turn into a different girl? Would I get even younger? Maybe turn into a
baby? I didn't know but I wanted to find out.
If it turned me into a different little girl would it turn me back into
Audrey if I went back the girl to boy way? Or would it turn me back into
my old self again? Boy, there were sure a ton of questions coming into
mind now. Questions I just HAD to find out. If it would turn me into a
different little girl and not back into a man, but back into Audrey,
then that means I could go through it several dozen times and nest
myself deep into little girl land and NOT so easily change back into a
man ever again.
I had to know but not right now. I'd have to plan it so this girl's poor
mother wouldn't miss me for long.
The cave enterance was within walking distance but I wasn't so sure
these little girl legs could so easily manage it. It was still miles
away from here by my best guess. Dozens of blocks away at this point
even to get to the candy shop in front of the trail to the back door. To
the front it would easily be another three miles or so.
I wished I hadn't left my caver gear behind. Though I could go to the
back door first and get that stuff, then go around to the front and go
in. The way there wasn't TOO hard, except for the climbing UP part.
Though... there were hand holds there in the rocks by the waterfall.
With tinier hands like these those hand holds would be more than big
enough to make it - if I could manage to lift my own body weight up that
is. Still, it might be worth a try sometime.
I took the cellphone downstairs and looked around until I found the
girl's mother standing there in a little laundry room folding clothes
into neat little stacks there on a table.
She took the phone out of my hands even before I could say a word and
said,"Thanks, pumpkins."
I quietly turned and walked away.
I walked over to the living room and spotted the front door there. I
stood up on tiptoe to reach the doorknob but as I turned the handle it
just spun and spun. I let go and spotted a white plastic thing there put
over the actual doorknob. I recognized it as one of those child safety
devices designed to keep little kids from going places they weren't
supposed to. A strong grip was required to make this thing work.
I grabbed hold of the handle again and tried to grip it tight but my
weak little hands couldn't do the job. I was for sure not going out THAT
way.
Knowing the garage would be the easiest way out I headed back to the
kitchen but there was another plastic thing on the doorknob to the
garage.
Maybe through the backyard then.
It was obvious this little girl's mother wasn't taking any chances
"this" time that her pretty little girl was going to run away so easily
a second time.
The backyard was easily accessible through a glass sliding door in the
kitchen. I cautiously made my way, not knowing if these people had a dog
or not and desperately hoping they didn't.
I made it around to the side of the house and sure enough there was a
fence there all right. A fence with a gate leading out front. The fence
was maybe six feet tall, which by the way looked enormous to a pint
sized little thing as me.
A latch high above was there to open the gate but someone had placed a
pad lock through it. So I guess I wasn't getting out this way either
then.
I headed around to the main portion of the backyard and walked along the
grass when suddenly a big German shepard dog tackled me backwards to the
ground and began licking me ferociously on the face.
"S-stop it," I said trying to push him away and he stepped back and ran
in a few circles chasing his tail before he stopped and stared at me,
cocked his head slightly to one side and then barked at me.
I got back up to my feet and stared down at dirty paw prints on the
front of my dress. I dusted those off as best I could and wandered back
in the house. The big dog easily pushed past me and ran in the kitchen
before I knew what was happening. His noisy claws clicked and scraped
loudly on the tan tiled floor.
"Audrey?!" the woman hollared. "Audrey, honey, did you let Spike in?"
"Uh... Sorry!" I hollared back.
She suddenly appeared from around the corner with a frown as she put one
hand on her hip and asked,"Sorry 'what'?"
"Sorry... mommy," I said, playing along with it for now.
"That's better. Now next time if you want to go play in the backyard
you'd better get changed into some play clothes first. Plus you'd better
let me know so mommy can tie up Spike so he won't get you," she said and
grabbed the dog by the collar and let him back out the sliding door
before closing it again and turning to face me. "As a matter of fact,
why don't you get out of those and let's put you down for a bath. Heaven
knows how long it's been since you've had one."
She vanished around the hall for a few moments and returned with a large
pink bath towel and tossed it at me and said,"There. Now go upstairs and
get out of those dirty things while I run the bath water for you."
I took the towel with me upstairs to my new room and closed the door
behind me. I undressed and wrapped the towel about my waist and as I
passed by a tall rectangular wall mirror I stopped and turned to look at
my reflection.
I saw a little girl with blue eyes and a dinky little nose and long
blonde hair standing there with a towel about her waist. It was the
first time I'd seen my new full little girl reflection.
I heard the bath running and headed down the hall to the upstairs
bathroom. The woman was there bent over the tub pouring in a box of
bubble bath into the running faucet.
"There," she said. "Now don't forget to wash behind the ears,
sweetheart."
She set the box into the cupboard beneath the sink and headed out of the
bathroom, shutting the door almost all the way behind her as she left.
I let the towel drop to my feet and gazed down, eyes catching sight of
what I could see (not much from this angle) of my new sex. Just a smooth
hairfree little mound vanishing out of sight to nothing.
I know I should feel creeped out or guilty for the sudden, unexpected
peep show but after all, this was my body now and I should at least get
used to having it - at least for the time being.
I kicked the towel aside and ambled over the side of the tub and plopped
in butt first to a seated position surrounded by bubble bath clear up to
my skinny little belly.
I just sat there for I don't know how long and waited as the tub slowly
filled up to just beneath my arm pits. The tub was so big to my tiny
little self that I had to actually maneuver around onto my knees and
scooch on over to the faucet to shut it off. Then I scooched back to the
other end and sat back down.
The bubble bath felt unusually luxuriating on my girl skin. I grabbed a
little pink washcloth that had been draped over the edge of the tub for
me and I began washing myself.
I did what I had to do and then took a little bottle of shampoo and
squirted some in my hands and began washing my hair. I dunked under to
rinse off and emerged, I think, with bubble bath still in my hair. So I
pulled the plug to drain some water out and rinsed my head off beneath
the faucet.
That was about enough of that, I suppose. So I shut off the faucet and
climbed out all drippy wet. I picked up the towel and dried myself off
as best I could manage and wrapped the towel around me again. I padded
out of there in my bare feet and out into the hall onto the comfortably
warm white carpet and headed into my room and closed the door behind.
I found some clothes laid out for me there on the bed and got into them.
I now had on some white shorts with no pockets in front but two in back.
I also had on some knee high girl socks and white sneakers with pink
laces. Beneath the shorts I had on some simple white cotton panties. For
the top I had a pink and white tanktop little number.
It wasn't too long before my new mommy barged in and dragged me to the
bathroom to brush and dry my hair more properly. It was a miserable
experience sitting there on a wooden stool as she got all the tangles
out. I winced and yelped in pain almost each and every time she hit one
but finally she finished and sent me back to my room.
Bored and not knowing really what to do and certainly not interested in
playing dolls, I headed downstairs to the living room to watch some
television. I grabbed the remote and sat on a large plush white couch so
big to me it seemed ridiculous to even try to sit on it. I did so anyway
with my legs together, feet dangling a bit over the edge, legs straight
out. I turned on the TV set and flicked through the channels until I
found an action adventure movie and began watching it.
After awhile my "mommy" walked in and scolded me and grabbed away the
remote control and changed the channel. "Audrey, now you know that's too
violent for you. Here, here's some nice cartoons for you instead."
She walked out of the room taking the remote control with her.
It wasn't even violent cartoons, much to the deep sigh of regret I let
out in realization. Instead it was one of those Care Bear ripoffs that
pandered to the intelligence of four year olds at best. I watched it
anyhow, not really having anything else in mind to do right now.
Now I suppose there's guys out there who, in a situation like this,
might take to trying on all the girl clothes and go to posing before the
mirror in giddy delight but I'm not one of those kind of guys. I'm just
here because curiosity killed the cat and I expect that as soon as I
figure out all I can about that magic cave I'm going to switch back to
being a man again for sure. Then I'll only use the tunnel on certain
occasions. Maybe for a "vacation" or something. I don't know yet but I
guess I've still got a ton of thinking to do about all this.
I watched cartoons for a few grueling hours just mostly thinking about
stuff in general. Stuff like how much simpler life would be if I just
stayed like this. Stuff like how it would be YEARS before I'd ever have
to go to work and earn a living again. Stuff like that if I stayed this
way and grew up to be a woman that I might not even need to work - not
if I got married to a guy who'd support me. Stuff, then, like how in the
world am I even thinking that?
Diiiiiiiiing....Donnnnnnnng!
I turned to face the front door as the doorbell rang. After a few
moments "mommy" walked in and answered the door and I heard a soft
little girl's voice out there on the porch ask,"I heard she was back.
Can Audrey come out and play?"
The woman turned to face me and clicked off the television with the
remote and said,"Audrey, sweetheart, Gretchen's here. Why don't you two
go over to play at her house for awhile, okay?"
"Um... Okay," I managed weakly, scooching off the couch.
The woman held open the screen door for me as I headed outside but
before I could go she bent down and whispered something into the other
little girl's ear. The red headed little girl nodded yes to whatever it
was and so I found myself walking hand in hand down the sidewalk with
her.
"What was that all about?" I asked.
"Oh nothing," she lied but then told me about it anyway. "Just that I'm
to keep a good eye on you and make sure you don't run away again. That's
all."
As we walked I decided I didn't want to go to some stranger's house to
"play" and most likely with dolls at that. So I decided to steer the
idea around to something else instead. "Hey," I said. "Want to go to the
candy shop first?"
I pulled out a wad of cash from my little play purse and showed her. Her
eyes went big and wide at the sight of it.
"I didn't know you had that big an allowance," she said. "Well... okay.
I guess so but we'd better get right back to my house soon before my mom
worries about me."
"Deal," I said and so we turned around and headed towards Main Street.
After awhile she complained about the long walk and said,"How much
further is it?"
"Not far. Just a few more blocks, that's all."
She grabbed hold of my shoulder and stopped me and said,"Say... are you
making me run away with you or something?"
"Why would I ever do that for?" I asked. "Of course not. That would be a
silly thing to do, don't you think? Running away the day I came back...
How silly."
Suddenly a car screeched its tires and a guy in a black sports car spun
it around in a sudden U-turn and pulled to a stop at the curb beside us.
The passenger door opened and my jaw barely had enough time to drop
before he spoke.
"Audrey! What in the world are you doing?" the fellow asked and I swear
I couldn't believe it because that fellow was ME! The old male me of
course but still me. He pat the front seat and said,"You two'd better
get in. It was a lucky thing I changed my mind and decided to pay you a
welcome home visit."
I turned to look at the little girl beside me and she shrugged and
climbed in the back seat automatically without a word.
I turned to look down the long sidewalk up ahead to where we were going.
Then I turned to look at my old male self there patting the passenger
seat for me once more.
I got in the car and he buckled me up and pulled the door shut. Then we
were off... back to the "mommy's" house again I suppose.
After a short drive later we pulled up into the driveway and "daddy" let
me and my little friend out. He took me by the hand and led me up to the
porch and rang the bell.
The door opened a few moments later to a surprised "mommy."
"Jake," she said. "What in the world are YOU doing here?"
"I changed my mind and decdided to get the rest of the day off work to
pay my daughter a visit," he explained.
"You're not supposed to be here for another two weeks," the woman
argued.
"Yeah but the custody papers clearly say that I can visit her if it's an
emergency and I think my runaway daughter's return is emergency enough,
don't you?" he argued back as she held the screen door open and I walked
in.
The red headed little girl suddenly found herself looking rather awkward
in the situation and said,"Uh... I think I'll just go home now. Thanks."
Neither parent payed her any attention for they were too busy arguing
right now.
The woman said,"Well it's no longer an emergency. She's back home sound
and safe where she belongs."
"Oh really?" new Jake said. "Then explain why I just found her and her
friend over two miles away over on Main Street, huh? You know, I could
have my lawyer look into this and I'll just bet you the court would give
ME custody of the children. Because it looks to me like you're not
responsible enough."
The woman turned and shot me a scold so mean I thought she was going to
slap me across the face. "Audrey, is this true?" she demanded to know.
"Um... we were just goin' to the candy store. I promise...," I said.
Jake pushed on through, letting himself in without futher adu. He took
hold of my hand and led me over to a big black leather recliner and sat
down as he lifted me up into his lap and sat me there sideways with my
little legs dangling precariously over this.
"You shouldn't go places so far away like that, Audrey," he said as
"mommy" walked over and took a seat on the couch on the other side of
the room facing us. "That's not how I raised you and you know it. If you
wanted to go to the candy store, you should have just asked your
mother."
"Jake, please," his ex-wife said.
"No and I think this sort of behavior counts for a spanking," he said.
"Oh no you don't. That's part of why I asked for a divorce. You're too
harsh with the children," the woman argued.
I gulped and felt a slight blush overcome my face at the awkwardness of
it all. Here I was, shrunk and changed into a tiny little girl and
sitting in the lap of my doppleganger old male self. Not only that but
with thoughts of actually giving me a spanking running through his head.
"Look," he said. "We went over this before and the courts were clearly
on my side about it. I'm allowed to give my own daughter a spanking, a
little one, if but only to have her learn a little discipline. It's not
child abuse. I don't ever hit hard enough for it to be that."
"Well not in MY house you don't," the woman argued.
Defeated he shot me an angry look and gave me a forceful smile and
said,"Fine... but I get her in a couple of weeks for the weekend and
when she's in MY house she's not going to get away with things like this
so Scott free."
"Jake, I really think you should leave," she said.
"Nonsense," he said and pulled my hair away and gave me a surprise kiss
on the earlobe, then my cheek and patted me on the knee a few times. He
began shaking his leg up and down with me riding on it. "I'll make this
visit a short one then if it bothers you so much but I think I'm
entitled to welcome my own daughter back properly... in person."
With that he pulled out a folded up piece of paper from his inner coat
pocket and opened it up and said,"I should have shown you this in the
first place. It's a court order. You're going to take Audrey to the
doctor tomorrow and have a tracking chip implanted in her so that if she
should run away again the police will easily be able to find her."
"Do you really think that's necessary? I think that's a little harsh if
you ask me," his ex-wife argued. "And besides which, I'm going to have
my lawyer look at that to make sure it's valid."
"Oh it's valid all right and here's your copy right here," he said
setting the paper down on the little lamp table beside the chair.
He gave my cheek another kiss and gave my knee a good bit of patting
again.
Then without warning he lifted me up and turned me around to face him
and embraced me in a great big hug and planted a kiss upon my forehead
before sitting me back down in his lap again where I was before.
"She's going to be a good little girl from now on and not run away ever,
ever again, aren't you, my sweet little daddy's princess?" he said to me
and when I didn't respond right away his voice got stern. "AREN'T you?"
"Uh... y-yes d-daddy," I managed.
"First things first," he said. "You're going to tell daddy where you ran
off to. Where did you go, Audrey? Where did you go for so long?"
The sternness and authority in his voice was something I hadn't
expected. Nor had I ever imagined it would in a million years convince
me to tell even a portion of how I got here.
I couldn't help it though. Whatever process had turned me into a little
girl had also somehow affected my conscience and ability to keep things
secret when asked in such a manner by someone so obviously in authority
over me.
Like a real little girl, frightened to hold it in any longer for fear of
a spanking, I suddenly blurt it out,"I was at Kiperdurn Cave."
I don't know why I felt I had to say it. I just did and I felt an
instant sigh of relief afterwards too. I couldn't help it. My state of
mind wasn't my own right now and this man, even though he was my old
male self, seemed to have this amazing and crazy power over me. A power
I never ever expected to succumb to.
"That's a very dangerous place for a little girl like you... and what
did you do there?" he asked.
"I... I went exploring with a friend," I informed him.
"And who was this friend of yours?" he asked.
I couldn't help it. He needed to know and his need to know was SO much
stronger than my will to resist in telling him.
"Terry... Terry Daniels," I said.
He frowned at the unfamiliar name. "You were with a BOY?"
I nodded yes and he said,"Did he kidnap you?"
I shook my head no.
"He's not a boy, he's a man. He's a nice man who I went caving with," I
blurted out, helpless under whatever hypnotic spell was responsible for
this. "And...and... there was a cave-in and I got trapped on the other
side and... and... and I found a tunnel. A magic tunnel and..."
I felt a huge blush cover my face and I put both my hands up over my
mouth, nose and eyes to hide myself in shame.
"And?" he prodded.
I shook my head no. I didn't want to have to tell him.
"Audrey," he said. "This is your father speaking. You don't hide any
secrets from me, you see? If something bad happened you need to tell
daddy about it, all right?"
I nodded yes but still didn't want to talk about it.
"Jake," the woman said concerned. "Maybe you'd best not ask her about it
right now. You can clearly see how shook up she is about it."
"You're probably right. It was probably a real big nightmare, wasn't it
Audrey?" he said giving me a slight smile and a few pats on the back. I
found myself nodding yes to that and he added,"Now promise me. Promise
us both, me and your mother, promise us you'll never go to that cave
again. Promise."
I HAD to say it. I HAD to. I had to because he wanted me to.
"I... I p-promise," I said.
I slapped the side of my face with the palm of my hand after I'd said it
because I had a deep down gut feeling that my new little girl mind and
conscience would absolutely NEVER allow me to go back to that cave ever
again.
My hand dropped limply back to my side after the quick face slap.
Tracking chips and promises? Oh I was good and stuck for sure, I knew.
Good and stuck for sure.
Well, kiss your boy life away for sure, self, because HE'S got it now,
not me. He's got it and it looks like he's going to keep it too.
Gulp.
Oh my gosh, I'm his daughter. I'm his little girl!
Oh my gosh!
"It doesn't matter the age," he said. "Girls ought not go to dangerous
places like that with strangers. Now did this Terry fellow touch you in
any way?"
"Jake!" his ex blurted out in astonishment.
"We need to know. It's a perfectly valid question," new Jake said.
"No," I replied. "And anyways... going caving was all my idea."
"Never the less... I think I'll have a little word with this Terry
fellow and get more information. I'm not sure if I'll press any charges
just yet but I think this needs looking into. If nothing else than so he
doesn't exploit another child into a dangerous environment. The nerve of
some people, I swear," new Jake said.
He set me down on the floor on my own two feet again and gave my little
behind a light swat to send me on my way. "Now run along upstairs to
your room, Audrey," he said. "Your mommy and I have a little talking to
do."
Without question I found myself hurrying up the stairs and dashing
wildly into my bedroom at the command before I snapped out of whatever
hypnotic trance had sent me here.
I thought about going back to the cave again but now just even the
thought of it gave me an awful tummy ache. I grimmaced my teeth in
anguish over this new thing which had so much control over my mind's
actions, thoughts and feelings. It wasn't fair he made me promise like
that. It just wasn't fair.
I didn't ask to be stuck a little girl. Stuck as my own daughter for
gosh sakes too.
I was going to go back to normal eventually. I knew I couldn't stay here
forever. Too much to leave behind. My house, my car, my job... my life.
My life as a man.
I walked over to the mirror and saw little girl me standing there
sulking with a boy mind stuck in her head but a little girl's conscience
fully in control over it.
I was twenty-eight years old for gosh sakes and if I hadn't managed to
get married by then in that reality then maybe I didn't belong there at
all. Maybe I was meant to be here. Maybe I just wasn't responsible
enough to be a man anymore. Maybe the magic cave wasn't a mistake. Maybe
it wanted me to go there so I could have a second chance. A second
chance to get things right.
Maybe there was more to it than I first thought. Whoever made that magic
tunnel did it for a reason and maybe that reason was to give former guys
like me a second chance. I know that's got to be what it is. I know it.
I'd been dating Jeanette Meadows for years and we WERE planning on
getting married but I dumped her last night.
I almost forgot about it too. Part of why I agreed to go spelunking on
such short notice with Terry Daniels was I wanted to just forget. Forget
about the awful break-up. Well, until now it had worked but now I think
maybe there's so much more to that magic tunnel than meets the eye. I
know it's silly to expect any man to go there after a break-up because
not all guys know how to go caving like me. So maybe the tunnel just
gets the cavers. Yeah, maybe but that's one heck of a big maybe.
Maybe it was all just coincidence. I could have chosen any path through
that cave but I chose to follow the waterfall instead. I could have
followed the lake to see where it went and then I wouldn't have found
the magic tunnel at all. It just HAD to be coincidence. Then again, an
expert caver like me would have known to follow the water UP.
I was a little girl now but why so little? Why, if I was to be taught a
lesson in love for my mistake was I not turned into a woman instead? It
just didn't make any sense.
The break-up last night could have all just been a coincidence. I'm sure
that that's all it is.
Maybe this is like one of those Wonderful Life things that just happens
to people once in awhile. Maybe I just need to grin and bear it and just
hope things will go all back to normal somehow.
Was Jeanette somehow involved in this? She wasn't a witch or anything.
If she was she sure kept it a good secret. No. Not her. She was too much
of a goody goody two shoes kind of gal to wish a curse upon me. Besides
which, after the break-up I told her maybe some day we could get back
together again. That I just wasn't ready for marriage right now, that's
all. I THINK she accepted that. I mean... I don't know. I don't know if
Jeanette put a curse on me or what.
No, no. The tunnel obviously was there for years. Jeanette was no caver
like me. She was the kind of girl who wouldn't want to dirty herself in
places like that, let alone her fear of heights would never permit cave
diving. No. It couldn't have been because of her. That just leaves it up
to coincidence or... or somehow the tunnel KNEW.
No. That was just too crazy to believe. It had to be aliens or something
who put that thing there. There's no way nature made that magic tunnel.
If so there's be others like it and the whole human race would know so
by now.
But why would aliens build a two way transformation tunnel for in the
first place and why do so in a cave? Maybe they used it to turn human
and back again. If they had that technology why wouldn't they just have
it with them on their space ship? Why a cave?
There were strange markings in the transformation tunnel. Maybe it was
humans after all. Some long lost civilization in a time when a select
few knew real magic and where magic worked. Maybe some wizard enchanted
the cave for his own use.
Okay, let's go with that for now. A wizard built it. Makes the most
sense. Maybe it had to be there because of the nearby dormant volcano
had something to do with empowering the magic and making it work.
I sulked some more as I continued to gaze at my little girl reflection.
For sure something really strange was going on around here. This
alternate reality I popped into really had it out for me. It really
wanted me to get stuck a little girl. No doubt about it. The tracking
chip, the promise... the difficulty of getting back there to the cave so
easily. Nope. This tunnel was designed not to just turn men into little
girl but to trap them that way. To trap them or at least try.
Clearly someone else had been through there and swapped back and forth
multiple times. Otherwise the clothes boxes wouldn't have been put
there. So why didn't that other fellow get trapped?
Well I guess there weren't tracking chip implants back in the days that
guy did it. So then it would just be a matter of making it to the cave
or... or not getting caught so stupidly like I did. Yeah, if I hadn't
gotten caught I could have just goofed around in the woods and swapped
right back, no problem.
Goofed around? Huh. Not much fun in that I suppose.
I gazed down at my crotch and wondered what kind of a sicko would turn
himself into a little girl just so he could do the unthinkable in a body
like that. Yuck! Not me. Never in a million years. Maybe if when I'm
older I'll try it though but not when I'm so little. It's just
disgusting... unthinkable.
Oh my gosh! I'm cut off from sex!
Maybe it WAS Jeanette!
Oh my gosh!
I tiptoed out of the room and slowly down the stairs, hoping to listen
in on my "parents" conversation.
"...Please, Jake, don't take my little daugher away. How was I to know
she'd try running away again so soon... and with her friend?" I heard
the woman say.
"Now you know this goes. The judge was pretty straight forward about it,
that if you messed up the kids would go to me. Now... I don't want to
have to do that to you, Veronica. I really don't. Trust me I don't. I
value my freedom from all that but these are still MY children too. I'll
give you just one more chance but three strikes and you're out," new
Jake said and added,"But... I'm only giving you this chance if you agree
to have that tracking chip implanted in her tomorrow morning."
"I guess you win. Seems like you always win. Well I really hope you're
happy now. Running around with that floozie," the woman said.
"You know darn well I met Jeanette well after the divorce, so don't try
and go there," Jake said. "I'm tired of you always putting the blame on
her for it. It was my fault for hitting you but we've been through THAT
little discussion enough times as far as I'm concerned. Now I've changed
my ways and I swear to you, I'll never hit a woman again and you know
it. Veronica, you just have a way of making a guy SO mad sometimes..."
"Well, you do what you like but I'd like it if you'd leave now. Unless
there's anything further you'd like to say," she said.
"I'd like to say goodbye to my daughter until I see her again," he said.
I gulped and hurried back upstairs so they wouldn't catch me
evesdropping on them.
I hurried into my room just as I heard my name being called out loudly
by my "mother."
I walked back and called out "coming!" as I headed down the stairs.
Jake stood there beside the open front door and as soon as I walked up
he picked me up in his arms and gave me a kiss on the left cheek, then
the right and finally the forehead and hugged me tight. "Ahhh... daddy's
sweet little pretty, pretty princess. I hate to have to go but I must,
Audrey. I must but I'll see you in a few weeks. I'll see you soon.
Everything will be all right, now, sweetie pie. Just never run away
again and everything will be all right. You're so precious, so adorable.
I wish things were different so I could raise you myself but I guess for
now it's best you stay here with mommy, okay? Now you be a good little
girl for daddy and do just what your mommy says, okay?"
"Uh... okay... d-daddy," I said to him.
He scruffed up my hair playfully a bit and gave me three more kisses on
the cheeks and forehead and added,"Good girl. Now you just STAY a good
girl too from now on and be mindful of your behavior. You know how it
upsets your mother so when you run away. You won't run away anymore, now
will you?"
"Nnnn... no daddy," I managed.
"Good girl," he said. "And you WILL be a good girl from now on, won't
you?"
I nodded yes but that wasn't good enough for him.
"Say it," he demaned but not in too stern a tone. "Say it princess. Tell
daddy you'll be a good little girl."
Darn it. That hypnotic effect again.
"I will. I'll be a good little girl for you, daddy," I blurted out
before I realized I was even saying it.
"From now on? Promise?" he urged.
I nodded yes and found myself saying,"From now on, daddy, I promise I
will."
Darn it! Another promise I'll have to keep! Stupid brain, why don't you
do what I tell you to do? Why are you trapping me this way? What did I
ever do to you?
He gave me another bit of scruffing up my hair and kissed my forehead
again. "Good girl. You're just so precious to me. You just stay that
way, okay? Always stay precious and pretty for daddy and be good from
now on."
"Y-yes daddy," I found myself saying as he set me down on my feet again
and waved goodbye. I waved goodbye back, though rather weakly and
blushingly as he turned and left.
I watched him get in his sports car and pull out of the driveway and
drive away in a hurry. Likely anxious to get back to his girlfriend.
Oh my gosh! In this reality he was with Jeanette!
Oh my gosh! And in two weeks I'd have to face her this way.
I watched as my new mother shut the door and locked it. She even put the
chain on it to make sure. Then she put a hand on my shoulder and
said,"Sweetie, mommy needs to have a talk with you."
She led me over to the couch and sat down and patted a spot for me to
sit there beside her.
"Look, Audrey," she said. "I'm very concerned about you. You were only
given permission to go over to your friend's house. I never said
anything about letting you go to the candy shop. It's too far away as it
is and besides, if you wanted candy you should have just said so. By the
way... who was going to pay for the candy?"
"I was," I revealed.
"Oh really now?" she said seemingly surprised and held out her hand.
"Hand over your purse."
I did and she opened it up and fished out the wad of cash I put in
there. She frowned at me and said,"There's got to be over three hundred
dollars in here. Where'd you get that kind of money from? Did you steal
it?"
"Uhh... no," I replied. "It's mine. I saved it."
"Nonsense. You don't have that big of an allowance to save up as much as
this. Now tell mommy the truth. Tell me where you got the money," she
demanded.
I felt that awful guilt feeling come over me again, telling me that if I
didn't tell her right now that I'd be getting another awful tummy ache.
"Well... it IS mine and I earned it and I'm sorry you don't believe me
but it's all because of that cave I was in and I KNOW you don't believe
it but I was a boy before, a grownup, and I went through this magic
tunnel and it changed me all into a little girl and... and..."
I suddenly stopped because I knew I'd already said too much but it felt
good now having the truth out there for her consideration at least.
She swatted me across the face suddenly. It wasn't too hard, just enough
to sting a little and set me instantly to trembling with tears and let
out an awful hollar. I rubbed the side of my face with my little palm
now.
"Fibber," she accused gesturing at me with her fist all full of the
cash. "Well I guess that's another thing we'll just have to work on -
your honesty apparently. What a ridiculous story if I ever heard one.
Just what reality do you think you're in now, I wonder?"
She had no idea how close to the truth she really was.
I didn't dare insist that my story was the truth for fear of getting
another slap on the face for it. I guess all in all it's better she not
believe me because then what was I to do? How would she have handled it?
Certainly not by taking me back to the cave to change back to normal and
lose her little girl forever. No way was that going to ever happen. Not
with her in charge there wasn't.
I silenly, tearfully rubbed the sting out of my cheek as she continued
her little lecture on me.
"Now I know you were always the little tomboy, that's why mommy laid out
those shorts for you after your bath. So it's no wonder you came up with
such a silly story as that. Who ever heard of a grown man turning into a
little girl? Those kinds of things can't happen and you know so. So stop
it or I'll have to take you to the doctor again to have your little head
examined."
"Yes mom," I said.
"Well I guess you missed the last month of the first grade," she said.
"I'm not sure if the school's going to hold you back and I'm strongly
considering what to do about it. Maybe I'll have to home school you for
part of the summer. I don't know but your being away so long has really
messed things up quite a bit. As for your friend Gretchen, I'm going to
have a word with her mother about it and mak