Abducted
By Mary Beth Sanford
Synopsis:
A boy missing for decades, returns. The girl he borrowed the dress from
for Halloween is an old woman now, but she remembers. She remembers
everything. The dress, slip, panties, even the doll, and it sent shivers
down her spine. "Impossible!" she whispered looking at the boy in her
dress.
Players:
Sheriff Andrews, Ms. Abby Vanderhoven, Susan Sharp - dispatch, Mark
Carson, (Rose and Matt - Mark's parents), Penny - the doll, Buck the
bartender, Cindy and Sandy Hanson, Doctor Ruth Rush - MD, Carol Baker -
Social Services, Julie Sternson - psychologist, Sheriff Broadbent - Clark
County,
Abducted
Sheriff Andrews cursed under his breath as he shoved the half eaten pie
forward to the middle of the counter in frustration. It never failed he
mused as he rose. His pie was still warm from baking. It had just
starting to melt the ice cream Clair had covered it with. That blasted
Ms. Vanderhoven and her burdensome complaints was going to cost him the
first taste of a fresh baked apple pie.
"Susan, you get a location... an exact location for those lights?"
Sheriff Andrews asked. He was walking out cocking his head towards his
radio after pressing the mic button clipped to his left shoulder. He'd
already started his Ford Explorer when his dispatch told him to stand by.
It wasn't seriously cold yet but you could feel the weather changing.
The radio cracked....
"No Sheriff. Ms. Vanderhoven just said she thinks that light was at or
near the top of Hagar mountain. She said it's got to be on that old
logging road if it's a car. Not too far off the road if it's kids with
flash lights," Susan said over the radio.
"Thanks. Okay, show me out and heading there now," Sheriff Andrews said
as he backed out of the parking spot. He gunned his Ford Explorer
heading West deciding to run with just the lights just so the rush took
care of his anger.
Ms. Vanderhoven owned most of Ridge County and nearly all of the logging
rights, so it was in the Sheriff's best interest to show his deference to
her concerns. He was running for office again in another 14 months and
if she didn't like you, you didn't get elected.
The Hagar logging road hadn't been used in several years and oddly
Sheriff Andrews actually had to unlock the padlock holding the chain
across the road. He had never used the "county key" before. If it was a
car they had to have come in some other way or they had a key as well, he
mused. He was just tossing that chain to the other side when the blast
of warm wind hit him.
"What the hell," Sheriff Andrews yelled picking himself up from the
ground. The warm blast of wind had bowled him over. Not too odd during
a storm but there was no storm and no warning of one. Not a sound as he
brushed his pants clean. Even more odd was that abrupt end to it as the
Sheriff looked around.
"Hey Susan," Sheriff Andrews said keying his mike.
"Go ahead sheriff," Susan responded.
"Susan, we got any complaints or calls on aircraft operating around the
Hagar mountain vicinity? Maybe a helicopter or something?" Sheriff
Andrews asked over his radio.
"Nothing here Sheriff? You want me to call Gus at the airport and ask?"
Susan replied.
"Nah, whatever it was it's gone now or stopped," the sheriff said.
"What's stopped Sheriff?" Susan asked.
"Wind. Look, never mind, I'm back behind the wheel and heading up Hagar
mountain road," the sheriff said.
"Roger that," Susan answered.
Sheriff Andrews eased his Ford Explorer forward slowly with high beams
and both top spot lights on. It was bleak at night although brighter
with the trees now gone and a clear sky. Tonight was fairly clear so he
had a good command of the road all the way to the curve. He was just
starting to make that curve when he saw the child.
"What the hell?" the Sheriff said stopping the car and then pressed the
button on his mike. "Susan, standby. I've got a child, a little girl,
just standing right here in the middle of the road? Hold on a second,
I'm leaving the car," Sheriff Andrews said putting the SUV into park and
setting the break. Out of habit, he un-clipped his holster the instant
his foot hit the dirt.
"What did you say? A child?" Susan radioed back.
"Susan hold on the chatter, I don't want to scare her," the sheriff said
in a whisper as he lowered the volume on his radio.
"Hi honey, are you OK? I'm Sheriff Andrews," he said as he carefully
approached.
The child was standing there motionless and unflinching. She wasn't
blinking either, just looking at the Sheriff.
"Are your parents nearby? Is anyone else with you? Okay, never mind any
of that," Sheriff Andrews said deciding to ignore the police work for the
moment. It was the child he was concerned with.
The child still hadn't moved.
"Look honey, it's going to be okay. Come on and lets get you into the
car. It's going to be a little more comfortable. Come here sweetheart,
I have juices and candy that I keep just for emergencies. Would you like
a juice?" the sheriff asked.
The little girl, looking very confused, nodded a yes and let the Sheriff
take her hand. She was holding a very large doll almost as big as she
was.
The Sheriff walked the little girl to the SUV looking down at her and
wondering about the hair. It was done in a flat top and clearly not
appropriate for a little girl. The style wasn't right either but he
wasn't sure that he should ask. It triggered a thought, fearing it might
be abuse and his question might also trigger some sort of emotional
response.
"Here we go," the sheriff said unlocking the back door. He helped the
little girl onto the seat then opened the back for his emergency ration
case. He had packets of water, apple juice and energy bars. He grabbed
an energy bar and apple juice.
"What's that?" the little girl asked looking at the juice bag. The apple
juice was in a disposable silver bag that had to be pierced with the
sharpened straw that it came with.
"It's apple juice," the sheriff said.
"What kind of glass is that?" the girl asked.
"That's not glass honey," the sheriff said and added, "It's a bag."
"It's a bag?" the girl said in surprise before adding, "How come it
doesn't leak?
"It's an aluminum container honey, it's not a bag actually," the sheriff
said poking the straw into the hole. The little girl sipped from the
straw for a second then held the container out at arms length looking at
it curiously before sipping again.
"What's aluminum?" the girl asked.
"It's a kind of metal," the sheriff answered with more confusion on his
face.
"That's radical," the little girl said.
"Honey, can I ask you your name?" the sheriff asked softly, cautiously.
"My name? Oh, sure. It's Mark. My name is Mark Carson," the girl... or
rather the boy said as the sheriff registered instantly the name as a
boy's. The name definitely matched the hair, but clearly not the
clothes.
"Mark, this is a silly question, but are you a girl or boy?" the sheriff
asked in a quieter voice fearing he'd upset the child but the
contradictions made it necessary.
"A boy silly and it's not my dress if that's why you're asking," the boy
answered and asked, "Can I have another juice bag?"
"Of course," the sheriff said walking to the back of his SUV. He grabbed
another apple juice and walked to the passenger door to hand it to the
boy before asking, "Does the doll have a name?"
"Her name is Penny," Mark said holding the doll up for the sheriff to
see.
"She's pretty," the sheriff said before adding, "She's wearing a dress
just like yours. Did your parents dress you like that?"
"No, I dressed at Abby's house," Mark said and added, "I mean this was
the dress I got from Abby before they took me. I've had lots of dresses
since then because they thought I was a girl, but they wouldn't let me
keep any of those and made me wear this one for my trip home."
"Who is 'they' sweetheart? Who took you and brought you home honey?" the
Sheriff asked.
"Si and Ti. I think they're brother and sister. They took me, but they
got in trouble from their mother. I mean I think it was their mother but
I'm not sure. She got angry and made them bring me back," Mark said.
"Were they driving a car or truck? Do you remember the kind of car or
truck it was?" the sheriff asked.
The boy didn't answer. Sheriff Andrews hackles raised the instant the
boy said he was taken. He stepped back towards the front of the car out
of ear shot and pressed the mic button.
"Susan, you copy?" the sheriff asked in a whisper.
"Loud and clear sheriff," Susan answered instantly forcing the sheriff to
lower the volume even more.
"Listen carefully and get ready to copy this. You know what? Wait,
just to be safe, start the second recorder as well," Sheriff Andrews
said.
"It's going Sheriff," Susan said and added, "Go ahead."
"Okay, I've got a male, approximate age... hold on," the sheriff said
before turning around to face where the boy was to ask, "Son, how old are
you?"
"I'm nine," Mark asked.
"And do you live around the Ridge or in Ridge county?" the sheriff asked.
"I live at 1277 Caster street," Mark answered.
"Was this Sigh and Thigh the only two in the car? Was this bother and
sister in a car or truck or maybe a jeep?" the sheriff asked.
"It was a ship," Mark answered.
"A ship? You mean like a plane?" the sheriff asked before realizing
there was no place to land as he modified his question from the logic,
"Maybe a helicopter?"
"No, it was a ship. They had a ship when they took me and it was the
same one when they brought me back," Mark said.
"OK Mark, thank you. Okay Susan, listen carefully: I've got a child,
boy, male, age nine. He said he lives at 1277 Caster Street. That's the
same Caster street in town. Copy?
"Copied that," Susan said.
"Okay, first things first, I want an all points bulletin for a couple.
Two people. One male and a female, description to follow, vehicle
unknown but they should still be somewhere in Ridge County. Next I want
the doc woken and alerted that I'm bringing in a boy age nine that may
have been abused."
"A boy, you said girl earlier," Susan said sounding confused.
"Thought he was a girl at first. Look Susan, he's wearing a little
girl's party dress with those country western slips under it..." the
sheriff said.
"Country Western slips? You mean petticoats? Are you describing
petticoats Sheriff?" Susan asked.
"Petticoats? That's it, petticoats. He's got layers of them, and he's
got a doll dressed the same exact way as he is. That's what made me
think it was a girl. I was guessing younger because of the shoes," the
sheriff said.
"Shoes? Not boots?" Susan asked trying to get as much information down
as she could before adding, "And that country western slip? I mean if
there are no boots then you could be talking about a crinoline?"
"Damned if I know what that slip type is. Whatever it is it really full
and it's under his dress. A bunch of layers of slip or something, okay?
Anyway, it is shoes! Not boots. So Susan, tell me how old were you
when you stopped wearing those black shiny shoes with the strap that
little girls always wear?" the sheriff asked.
"Mary Jane? Oh gosh, sheriff.... I stopped wearing my last pair of Mary
Jane shoes when I was maybe five. I cried when my mother made me wear
them to Kindergarten. Too old fashioned for me. Why?" Susan asked.
"She... strike that I mean he's wearing those kind of shoes with lacy
socks," the sheriff said and added, "Oh, and get a phone number for 1277
Caster street. He said he lived there just recently. Better call and
alert social services as well."
"Got it," Susan said and then added, "Sheriff, you know that Caster
street was taken out for that new terminal and shopping center right? I
mean I'm trying that address now and nothings coming up. Like I said,
it's no longer there."
"How long has it been since that street was there?" Sheriff Andrew asked
curiously.
"Been... let me think... 5, 6... No, longer, I'm thinking it's been
almost 10 years now," Susan said.
"Okay, forget trying for a number. We'll keep working on that. Go ahead
and get that APB out and the rest of it and show me heading to the
hospital. Oh, and alert the emergency room... talk with the admitting
nurse or whoever is in charge that I want some discretion, make that
privacy, when I come in. God knows what that boy has been through and
how he's feeling dressed the way he is," the sheriff said.
"Roger that," Susan answered.
Sheriff Andrews opened the passenger door and carefully fixed the seat
belts around Mark's dress and petticoats. His skirt was very full as
Sheriff Andrews closed the door. A moment later he started the SUV and
carefully maneuvered it to head down the mountain road again.
At the chain he stopped and closed the road once more before starting off
again. Once he didn't have to worry as much about driving he looked in
the rear view mirror. The boy was happily sitting there with the doll in
his lap. He was fussing with the doll's dress.
"So Mark, you said ship a little bit ago. Why did you say ship?" the
sheriff asked.
"That's what they called it. They told me I was aboard a ship," Mark
said.
"Did it have windows?" the sheriff asked.
"No. No windows. They said space gets dilated or something like that
and you can't see anything anyway," Mark said.
"Dilated," the sheriff repeated and mumbled the word, "Space?"
"That's what they said," Mark answered and added, "But I think they said
elongated as well."
"How long were you in that ship?" the sheriff asked.
"Not long. Maybe a week or two," Mark said and added, "They said to make
sure and tell my dad that it's not my fault for being gone and that they
didn't harm me."
"They didn't harm you?" the sheriff asked trying to decide if the boy
would even know that dressing him like a girl would be harming him. He
decided not to.
"No sir," Mark said.
"What's your dad's name?" the sheriff asked ignoring the hints that the
boy was in a space ship. Traumatized the sheriff decided as he punched
the radio again.
"Matt," Mark answered and added, "That's my dad's name."
"Go ahead sheriff," Susan said over the radio.
"Sorry about that," the sheriff apologized to Susan for keying the mic
without talking before adding, "Susan, look up a Matt Carson as well...
wait, hold on a second..."
The sheriff looked up in the mirror to meet Mark's eyes as he asked,
"Mark, what's your mother's name?"
"Mother's dead. Her name was Rose," Mark said and then added, "And dad
might be at the bar. He's always at the bar."
"Okay Susan, mother's deceased, father's name is Matt and if there is no
new address then call Buck at the bar and see if he's got a regular by
that name and where he might be living now."
"Will do sheriff," Susan answered.
"Can you call Abby? Abby's got my regular clothes," Mark yelled at the
radio as he was leaning forward.
"What? What's that? Who?" the sheriff asked and added, "What's Abby's
last name?"
"Vanderhoven. Abby Vanderhoven. She's in my school. She helped me
dress," Mark said.
"Abby Vanderhoven helped you dress like a little girl?" the sheriff asked
starting to get a headache as he added, "She's in your school? What kind
of school?"
"She's in my school? You know, my school. She said I could wear her
clothes for Halloween. She went dressed as a princess, I was going
dressed as a girl," Mark said.
"Went where?" the sheriff asked.
"To the community center. Actually I didn't get to go because they took
me, but I think Abby did. I got chased by the Hanson's," Mark said.
"The Hanson's?" Sheriff asked.
"The twins," Mark said.
"Wait? Do you mean the Hanson sisters? You're telling me the Hanson
sisters chased you on Halloween?" the sheriff asked.
"Yes sir," Mark said.
"The Hanson sisters chased you, and Abby dressed you like a little girl?"
the sheriff asked.
"No sir. Abby dressed me like a little girl. I guess it wasn't really a
little girl because she was still wearing this dress and slip but it was
old for her, and on the way to the community center the Hanson sisters
started chasing me. They almost got me, but when they grabbed my hair
bow the wig came off and when I got to the lumber yard I hid. That's
when the ship took me," Mark said.
"Susan," the sheriff said to his radio mic.
"Go ahead," Susan answered.
"Susan, for the heck of it get Ms. Vanderhoven on a land line and connect
me with her," the sheriff said.
"Wait one," Susan answered.
"What were the Hanson sister's name?" sheriff Andrews asked for the sake
of curiosity.
"Cindy and Sandy," Mark answered but added, "Sandy was the mean one.
Cindy just went along I think."
"Why were they chasing you?" the sheriff asked.
"Promise you won't tell," Mark said.
"Promise," the sheriff said.
"They wanted to diaper me again," Mark said.
"Diaper you? Again? Why would they want to diaper you?" the sheriff
asked. His temple was beginning to throb.
"Because-" Mark said.
"Doesn't answer the question Mark," the sheriff said firming his voice a
little, but fearing he might push too hard.
"You promised okay," Mark said.
"I promise Mark," Sheriff Andrew said.
"Because I wet the bed sometimes and my dad makes me wear diapers and
plastic pants to bed and the Hanson sisters found out," Mark said in a
lower voice.
"It's okay Mark, your secret is safe with me," the sheriff said and
added, "Mark, you used the word again. You said they wanted to diaper
you again? They did that to you before?"
"Couple of times. Found out it was their mom that made the diapers my
dad used and that's how Cindy and Sandy found out. Sandy made me wear
them at their house and act like a baby or they were going to tell
everyone at school," Mark said.
"And Abby dressed you like a girl?" the sheriff asked.
"But that was for Halloween," Mark said and added, "It don't mean
anything if you wear girl's clothes on Halloween... right?"
"True enough," the sheriff said.
"Sheriff?" the radio screeched. "I have Abby Vanderhoven on the line.
Go to tactical one and you can talk with her direct," Susan said.
"Thanks Susan," sheriff Andrews said as he switched the radio over to
tactical zero one.
"Ms. Vanderhoven?" sheriff Andrew asked.
"Yes sheriff. What did you find out?" Abby asked.
"Well first of all, thanks for returning my call at this late hour," the
sheriff said.
"You're welcome, but I was awake anyway. Did you find out what those
lights were from?" Abby asked.
"Not exactly. Ms. Vanderhoven I did find a young boy on that old logging
road. Taking him to the hospital as we speak," the sheriff said and
added, "Might be an abduction."
"Good heavens, thank God I called you. Is the boy okay?" Abby asked.
"He seems fine, more or less, but he's giving me some pretty bizarre
answers to a few of my questions and some of those answers are beginning
to involve you in some odd way," the sheriff said.
"Me? How is that even possible?" Abby asked with a suddenly cautious
tone in her voice.
"Ms. Vanderhoven please don't take offense with what I say next and if
you'd like you're more than welcome to have an attorney with you but I
need to give you your rights, "sheriff Andrews said.
"My rights? What the hell are you talking about?" Abby said.
"It's for your own protection," sheriff Andrews cautioned.
"Go on then and do whatever you've got to do so we can get some answers,"
Abby said.
"Okay. As to that, you don't have to answer any of my questions. You
can have your attorney present if you want and I'm recording this
conversation. Do you understand what I just said?" sheriff Andrew noted
and added, "And this recording could be used later in a trial."
"I understand sheriff and I'll answer any questions you have," Abby
said.
"Thank you. I know this is going to sound crazy, Abby, but he's dressed
like a little girl. His name is Mark. Mark Carson and he said you
actually dressed him like a girl. He's that way now. Look, I know
that's crazy and I'm sure there has been some sort of trauma but it would
help me a lot if you know anything about this," sheriff Andrews said.
"Wait? What? Sheriff, you've gone round the bend. I sent you up there
because I saw some lights and now I'm part of a kidnapping," Abby said
with anger in her voice as she added, "And you think I might dare harm a
child?"
"No ma'am, I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just telling you what
the boy said and I only told you because I was hoping to sort his story
out before I get to the emergency room," sheriff Andrews said and added,
"Might help them help him."
"Wait? What did you say the boy's name was...." Abby started to say.
"Abby? Abby is that you? You sound like an old woman? They said you'd
be older when I got back but you sound way old. Abby, it's me. Know
what? I've been in a space ship and this is going to make you laugh, but
for a long time they thought I was a girl," Mark said excitedly.
"Mark? Mark Carson? Wait a second? You are telling me you're supposed
to be Mark Carson? Impossible," Abby said and added, "Sheriff Andrew
this is some kind of sick joke."
"Abby, It's me. It's really me," Mark yelled and added, "And this is
going to make you laugh but they made a bunch of pictures for me of
dresses, slips, and panties and all sorts of girl stuff. Kept pointing
at things till I chose a chair and as soon as I did that a chair
appeared. Abby it was awesome."
"Listen young man, you're not fooling anyone. You can't be Mark, you
realize that don't you? You literally can't be Mark," Abby said with
conviction in her voice as she added, "Sheriff! Seriously, is this some
sort of joke?"
"If it is, I'm not part of it," Sheriff Andrew said.
"Impossible! Sheriff, just for the sake of argument, can you tell me
what sort of dress he's wearing?" Abby asked.
"Well, it's a soft pink, like a pastel I suppose, and it's got a wide
sash around the waist that has been tied into a giant bow at the back.
There is a white collar that's rounded with lace, and it's got really
puffy sleeves also with lace. Susan tells me that the slips I described
might be crinolines and he's got on Mary Jane shoes with lacy socks," the
sheriff said.
"Is the dress two layers over the slip or one?" Abby asked.
"Two! He's showing me the second layer and holding up two fingers, and I
can see through it," the sheriff said.
"And I've got Penny," Mark yelled.
"Penny? That can't be! Sheriff, is he really holding a doll?" Abby
asked.
"Sure is? Dressed almost exactly the same as he is matter of fact? Is
any of this making sense?" the sheriff asked.
"No it's not making any sense, but let me see if I can sort out some of
this. Obviously the boy's fibbing about some of this because it's been
about fifty years since Mark Carson went missing. So here is what I know
of that," Abby said pausing for a moment before adding, "Let's see, it
was 1958. I was twelve, Mark was nine."
"1959 Abby. Remember? It was Halloween 1959," Mark said and added, "You
had a birthday party, remember?"
"That's right. That's exactly right. I had just turned twelve. So yes,
it was 1959. Who told you that?" Abby asked.
"No one, I just remember is all. Come on Abby, it was only a couple of
weeks ago," Mark said.
"That's impossible. This is 2010 and that makes you, if you are Mark....
No, it can't be. If that is supposed to be you you'd be at least 59 and
me 62 and I'm 62 and you sure as hell are not 59. According to the
sheriff you're still a young boy so you can't be who you say you are,"
Abby said.
"They said you'd be older but that's as old as my grandmother is," Mark
said and added, "Abby, it is me! Abby I can prove it. Remember what you
told me... you know, about the panties? You know, because of the doll?"
There was a pause almost long enough for the sheriff to say something.
Then Abby began talking again.
"I remember," Abby said and added, "But you can't know anything about
that because no one outside of Mark and I knew that."
"Exactly, only I did remember it because you said it when I was dressing.
Abby, you said I couldn't wear the pink panties with the lace because
those went with the doll panties and those were your favorites and you
didn't want me messing in them, so you gave me a plain pair of regular
pink panties," Mark said and added, "Remember?"
"Sheriff," Abby said and added after another pause, "I'm telling you this
can't be. It's impossible but no one else can know that stuff... No one
in this world."
"Tell me about it," sheriff Andrew said.
"Sheriff, this is going to sound very odd, but can you please see what
color the doll panties are and do they have lace around the edges?" Abby
asked.
"Doll panties? Hold on," sheriff Andrew said looking in his rear view
mirror. Mark had lifted the doll along with its skirts and slips high
enough and sure enough it was wearing pink panties. Pink panties with
lace around the legs.
"Just as you described," the sheriff said looking at Mark.
"It's not my fault sheriff, Abby made me wear panties," Mark said
smiling.
"I did not! I said if you're going to wear everything else you might as
well wear the panties," Abby said before adding, "I was teasing you....
What am I saying? Oh, hell, this is insane. This simply cannot be and
yet here I am arguing with a ghost. Are you a ghost?"
"I don't think so," Mark said.
"So is any of this making sense?" the sheriff asked.
"Not even a little sheriff, but I've got to tell you, so far it's all
true. Every last word of it. Let's see? It was 1959. Mark came over
to my house when I was twelve to borrow and wear one of my dresses for
Halloween. I let him wear a very fancy dress, that pink one he's in
because my Patti Play Pal had a dress just like it and she was already in
it. Both were gifts from my mother but from last year. The panties and
slips came with the doll, but I wouldn't let Mark wear those panties."
"And don't forget Sandy's shoes," Mark said.
"That's right? My shoes didn't fit so I called Sandy and she brought a
pair of shoes she wore when she was like four or five but chubby. Mary
Jane shoes, right," Abby said.
"Black patent leather," sheriff said before Mark answered.
"They tried to run me down and diaper me," Mark said.
"Who did?" Abby asked.
"Cindy and Sandy," Mark answered.
"I heard that when you disappeared. I heard the police talked with them,
but they never connected you with them. They said you ran into the
lumber yard and disappeared," Abby noted and added, "They said they had
the wig because the wig came off when you were running into the lumber
yard and they didn't know where you went."
"They grabbed for me and got a handful of your pink hair bow," Mark said
laughing.
"Sheriff, you still there?" Abby asked.
"I am," Sheriff Andrew answered.
"Sheriff, if it's at all possible, I've got to see him face to face. If
I see him and it's him we can take it from there. I can say this Sheriff
almost everything he's said so far is accurate because it's impossible
for anyone to know all of this," Abby said and added, "And if this is
being recorded make it known that I don't believe in UFOs."
"No chance someone has gotten hold of your memoirs, notes, tapes or
something like that? No autobiographical in the works? No notes written
of the past or anything about these events?" sheriff Andrew asked.
"Nothing Sheriff," Abby said.
"But it's true I did run. I mean I ran into the lumber yard and then I
got a little scared and ducked behind a stack of boards then suddenly I'm
inside this glass room," Mark said and lowering his voice he said, "Been
there a couple of weeks before I was finally brought home."
"Sheriff is there anyway you can bring him here first?" Abby asked.
"You didn't answer my questions about the information," Sheriff Andrew
said.
"The answer is nothing. Not a shred of information that this boy has is
available outside of me! Period. Until right now I've never talked with
another soul about this or that. And it never came up when he
disappeared," Abby said and added, "And if you think I've had something
to do with this then what better reason than to discover what or how I
was involved."
"I was taking him to the emergency room to see the doc. He's meeting me
at the hospital," the sheriff said worried that he was turning the boy
over to someone that could be just as insane as the boy and may even be
the reason as he added, "Tell you what! If you allow the rest of those
people I've woken up tonight to meet us there then yes, I'll bring him by
if for no other reason than to rid myself of this story and establish
some facts. It might even help the boy if he thinks he's telling the
truth. If you agree to that then okay."
"Agreed," Abby said.
"Even though I now... or may consider you a suspect," the sheriff said.
"Even more so because you consider me a suspect. Anyway, call whoever
you think will help the boy and then bring him by. Meanwhile, I'm making
some tea," Abby said.
"Can we use your tea set?" Mark asked over the radio after asking the
sheriff to press it on.
"Honey, we can use whatever you want but you must tell me how you know
all of this stuff?" Abby asked and then suddenly said, "Sheriff, do you
have a secure channel?"
"Not really, every channel I have gets recorded. Cell phone as well,
why?" the sheriff asked.
"I wanted to ask Mark a very personal question that only he could answer
no matter what," Abby said.
"Ask him that when we gets there but I'd have to be there when you ask,
and I don't want him answering any more questions without an advocate
standing nearby," sheriff Andrew said.
"Fair enough," Abby said after a moments pause.
"Sheriff," Susan said over the loud speaker before adding, "Can you go
private?"
"OK, speakers off. I'm on the ear plug," the sheriff said.
"Sheriff, the boy may not be who he thinks he is but for sure he knows a
lot about the boy that once lived at that address. Sheriff there was a
Mark living at 1277 Caster street and he lived there with a man named
Matt. Get this sheriff! I called Buck over at the bar and he said Matt
lived with his son Mark. Matt's wife died when Mark was born and his
father more or less ignored him from then on," Susan said.
"What happened to the boy?" Sheriff Andrew asked.
"You on a straight road?" Susan asked and said, "Don't want you swerving
off some curb when I tell you this."
"Go on," the sheriff said.
"Okay. So the boys father is a kind of town drunk and the boy is pretty
much on his own till Halloween back in 1959 when that boy Mark
disappears. I've got the police report on microfiche and he's wearing
exactly what this boy is wearing. The clothes came from Abby Vanderhoven
age twelve. There were two girls who last saw him: Cindy and Sandy
Hanson - they had the boy's wig when they were picked up and questioned,
Sheriff, believe it or not, the wig is still in evidence! I just
checked," Sandy said before pausing and then adding, "Want more?"
"Go ahead," the sheriff said shaking his head to clear it.
"Hold onto the steering wheel, but did you know that there was two UFO
sightings about that same time? There was a handwritten note added to
the evidence with "ha ha ha" written at the bottom. Seems they
interviewed the night watchman, an alcoholic at the lumber mill who was
just walking into the yard and he claims he saw a space ship flash a
light on the ground. Didn't see a boy and was four sheets to the wind
which was verified with a toxicity screening according to the report,"
Susan noted.
"And they didn't believe the guard?" Sheriff Andrew asked.
"Of course they didn't believe him," Susan said.
"What the hell? Okay, forget all that, I can read it when I come in.
What about the dad?" the sheriff asked.
"Died. Acute alcohol poisoning a few months after the boy disappeared
and the active search for the boy ended about six months later. His name
was forwarded to the missing children database in Washington. The house
and belongings were sold off and the case here went into the cold files,"
Susan noted and added, "I've got a copy of the case report and a picture
when you need it. Does the boy have a flat top style hair cut?"
"I've got a headache. I'll call you back in a bit," the sheriff said as
he turned under the sign that read Bridgetown Estates. A Vanderhoven
Development. He started up the well manicured road with some very large
homes every quarter mile as he added, "I'm on Abby's road. Listen, I
need the doc, social services and that psychologist what's her name to
Abby Vanderhoven as soon as possible - make it an emergency. And did you
get that APB out?"
"I did and I'm making those calls now. You need anything else?" Susan
asked.
"Couple of Aspirin and a small shot of something that isn't coffee," the
sheriff said before clicking off.
Sheriff Andrew was pulling up to Abby's gate when Susan came back on the
radio and said, "Okay, doc's on her way, so is Carol Baker - Social
Services, Julie Sternson - staff psychologist. She's at the school so
she should arrive first. Need anyone else?"
"Nope, sounds like we've covered it pretty good. Oh, call Sheriff
Broadbent over in Clark and ask him if he's seen anything unusual on the
North side of Hagar mountain," the sheriff said.
"What should I tell him if he should ask why?" Susan said and added, "You
know, the weird stuff?"
"You never mind about that. Treat it like a good old fashion kidnapping
drop off and that's that. He should be seeing the APB anyway," the
sheriff said and added, "You hear? I don't want this in the tabloids."
"I hear," Susan said.
"Okay Susan, I'm here at the house," the sheriff said and added, "Show me
code twenty at Ms. Vanderhoven's place and my cell is on. Hold on.
Okay, I've got a car pulling in behind me with a young woman in it."
"That's going to be Julie Stevenson your psychologist. She said she was
just a few blocks from Ms. Vanderhoven's," Susan said and added, "And I'm
going on the phone to Sheriff Broadbent."
"Thanks Susan," Sheriff Andrew said before waving at the woman setting
her car to park before adding to Mark, "Mark, you mind talking to some
other grownups about what happened to you?"
"No, I mean I don't mind," Mark said before adding, "Do I have to tell
them that I like dressing as a girl?"
"Not if you don't want to Mark. Do you?" the sheriff asked and added,
"Do you like dressing as a girl?"
"Yes sir," Mark said as he stepped out of the car after the sheriff
opened the door for him as he added, "If Abby said I can keep her dress
can I still wear it?"
"I don't see why not," sheriff Andrew said shaking his head.
"And you won't tell them about the diapers right?" Mark asked.
"Not a word," Sheriff Andrew said.
"Interesting. Okay let's meet our Ms. Stevenson and then Abby and see if
any of this is going to make sense," the sheriff said as Julie walked up
smiling at the sheriff. The sheriff smiled back, extended his hand and
added, "This is Mark. Mark Carson this is, I take it you're Julie
Stevenson."
"Correct sheriff. Hi Mark. Mark my name is Julie Stevenson. I'm a
psychologist Mark and I'm going to try and see if I can help you with
your memories," Julie said.
"Because no one believes them, right?" Mark said in a matter of fact
voice.
"No Mark, because sometimes what a boy of nine means isn't always what an
adult thinks it means. I've studied children and I've learned to listen
to them better than most adults. And Mark, just for the record, I want
to believe you," Julie said.
"So can I see Abby still?" Mark asked.
"That's her on the porch," sheriff Andrew said. Everyone's attention
turned to that porch as the Sheriff added, "Julie can you stand with Mark
while I take a minute to talk with Ms. Vanderhoven?"
"Sure," Julie said as Mark nodded his yes.
Sheriff Andrews walked to the steps, up the few to the porch and stopped
right across from Ms. Vanderhoven. He cleared his throat and said,
"Listen Abby, I've got to treat this as an abduction and right now, like
it or not, you are not my prime suspect but there is a connection under
suspicious circumstances. That means I'm already in hot water with the
District Attorney by being here. It also means I've got to remind you of
your rights. Understood?" Sheriff Andrews said.
"I understand," Abby said.
"So you okay with me reading them from a card?" Sheriff Andrew asked and
added, "And I'm going to turn my cell phone on to record this, okay?"
"I'm okay with it sheriff," Abby said.
"Okay.... Abby Vanderhoven, for the moment I am holding you in my
temporary custody as a material witness for the possible abduction of
Mark Carson. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to
an attorney...." Sheriff Andrews continued with Abby's Miranda reading and
asked if she understood what he'd just said. Abby said she had and she
also agreed to remain at least 10 feet from Mark.
The Sheriff told Julie it was okay to bring the boy up but repeated the
10 foot rule, and Julie came over to help Mark walk to the house. As
both began walking towards the large house. Abby gasped a little. As
Mark stated up the stairs Abby's composure began to unravel.
"It can't be! It just can't be," Abby said and added as she blew her
nose and cleared her eyes of tears, "Mark, how is this even remotely
possible?"
"So you're saying you believe this is Mark? The Mark you remember from
1959," sheriff Andrew said.
"It is or a damn good likeness Sheriff," Abby said shaking her head from
side to side before adding, "But of course that's impossible so you tell
me who that is?"
"Abby, they said to tell you that the reason I'm only a few weeks older
than I was, and you're as old as my grandmother is because of time
dereliction," Mark said before adding, "They travel very fast they told
me."
"Who told you?" Julie asked.
"The aliens that took me to their home," Mark said before adding, "They
go so fast that time slows down for me and speeds up for you. You know,
time dereliction."
"You mean time dilation?" Julie asked.
"Yes that's it," Mark said.
"What's he talking about?" sheriff Andrew asked.
"It's far more complicated than I'm capable of explaining scientifically,
but the gist of it is that time dilation is the literal difference of
time measured between say two people as one travels faster than the
other. It can also be those same people moving relative to each other
differently situated from gravitational objects like stars and planets,"
Julie said and added, "The faster one goes relative to the one watching,
time moves faster for the one watching as compared to the one watched."
"It's more complicated than you're capable of explaining," Sheriff Andrew
said with his eye brows raised and added, "I don't have a clue what you
said."
"I was an avid fan of Isaac Asimov who wrote a lot about Albert
Einstein," Julie said with a grin.
"So you're saying this is all possible?" sheriff Andrew asked.
"No, not by any process or anything I know of... But, if this is all
hypothetical yes. As for his age? In a word, yes. If you believe the
theories. We actually have enough evidence between our atomic clocks to
tell us the theory is possible, but of course not all the proof you might
need someone to investigate for something like this. Other than the
observable right now," Julie said and added, "And a good UFO expert
perhaps."
"The observable right now?" sheriff Andrew asked and added, "And no I
don't."
"Sheriff, have you ever heard of Occam's razor?" Julie asked.
"I've heard the words before, I think, but no, the truth is I don't know
anything about that razor," Sheriff Andrews said.
"Well Sheriff. Occam's razor is from a principle taken from philosophy.
William of Occam's, a Franciscan friar while studying logic in the 14th
century came up with this theory that suggested: If there exist two
explanations for something, say in this case this occurrence sitting
between the possible and impossible. The simpler explanation is usually
the right explanation," Julie said.
"I'm not sure I follow," Sheriff Andrews said.
"Let me see if I can put this another way? Okay, another way of saying
it that is simply that the more assumptions you have to make, the more
unlikely an explanation becomes. It just means that if you ignore all
the complications that this story presents then the simplest truth is
most likely the actual truth," Julie said.
"So you're saying this boy was taken by aliens?" Sheriff Andrew asked.
"Well, sheriff, ignoring everything else, there are some facts that can't
be ignored. We have a boy age 9 that seems to be claiming he's only been
gone a few weeks of his time when in fact he's been gone for nearly 50
years of our time. If he is in fact that boy then he is in fact the very
living proof of that theory," Julie said looking at Mark and smiling as
she added, "Which can obviously then prove everything else he's said.
Including UFOs"
"Is this the Mark you remember?" sheriff Andrew asked as Abby fought to
control herself.
"If he's not, someone has gone through extraordinary lengths to make him
appear so," Abby said and added, "Mark, before everyone shows up and
muddy's these waters further would you tell me why you're wearing that
dress?"
"I already told the sheriff. I'm wearing your dress because I like
wearing dresses," Mark said and added, "You know that."
"Do you crossdress a lot?" Julie asked.
"What's crossdress mean?" Mark asked.
"It means to cross over from one side to the other and wear the clothes
of the opposite sex. In your case a male cross dressing in female
clothes," Julie noted.
"Oh, okay. Then yes, I crossdress," Mark said and added, "I didn't do
it a lot because I'd get beat up if too many guys knew, but Abby let me
dress a lot. We pretended we were sisters."
"Oh my God," Abby said as she moved to a wicker chair and sat down hard.
She was sobbing softly while looking at Mark.
"So I'm guessing that's also true then?" Julie asked.
"True enough. Mark, do you remember me teasing you back then... I mean
the other day, a few days before Halloween when you came over wearing
just that diaper and baby top?" Abby asked.
"I remember," Mark said and added, "That was the day dad got really mad
because I'd stained the mattress. He made me go outside wearing just the
diaper, baby pants and a tee-shirt. That's why I came running over
here."
"And what did I say?" Abby asked.
"You wanted me to laugh because I was crying," Mark said.
"That's right, but what did I say?" Abby asked.
"You said you'd have to make me your little baby sister," Mark answered
as he snickered and added, "Till I was potty trained."
"That's right," Abby said and added, "And it made you feel better."
"It did. It made me laugh," Mark said and added, "You always made me
feel better."
"Oh my God.... It really is you," Abby said as she began to cry again.
This time Mark started crying and quickly ran to Abby as they both began
hugging.
Sheriff Andrews was about to quickly step in and stop them by enforcing
his 10 foot rule, but paused, shrugged and then just stood there.
"You got old," Mark said as Abby began wiping his face with another
tissue.
"That's not polite. I've aged a little yes, but I'm not old," Abby said.
"No, you got old," Mark said laughing as Abby smiled.
"So how in the world did you manage to keep my clothes and doll so
clean?" Abby asked.
The sheriff tugged on Julie's elbow drawing her slowly and further away
from Abby and Mark before saying, "I need two quick assessments: First I
need to make sure this isn't some sort of hoax involving Abby in some way
that might harm the boy, and secondly, if Mark is even remotely telling
the truth?"
"Honestly, unless those two are the world's greatest actors I'd say they
are both telling the truth but I'll need more, to say that with enough
conviction for you or a court of law. Meanwhile, I don't think Abby is a
threat to that boy. If anything, she seems to understand him and frankly
that's important for the boy," Julie said.
"Very important," the sheriff said as he turned his attention back to
Abby and Mark..
"Yes," Julie said.
"So Abby, on the ship I got a ton of dresses," Mark said and growing more
excited added, "Si and Ti brought a glob in and it started to glow and
all of a sudden there were just these dresses showing. Like they were in
a catalog or something. I wasn't sure what they wanted me to do but
suddenly I felt my hand moving, then a finger and discovered they wanted
me to pick something."
"Did you?" Abby asked.
"I did and the instant I picked it there it was," Mark said.
"A dress or what?" Abby asked.
"A nightgown at first because I was really tired," Mark said.
"What kind of nightgown?" Abby asked.
"Like the ones you have. Like the one your mother was wearing that time
I got to sleep over," Mark said.
"A baby doll?" Abby asked.
"That's it. A baby doll. It had panties that matched. It was exactly
like the picture. I picked another then another. I picked dresses,
slips, panties, even a bra," Mark said excitedly.
"Did they let you wear the things that were being created?" Abby asked.
"Oh yes. I started to take your dress off and suddenly it was gone. The
same thing happened with the slip and then the panties. All I had on
were the Mary Jane shoes from Sandy and your lacy socks. When I went to
pick up the nightgown there was like a quick flash and I was wearing it,"
Mark said.
"So it was these aliens?" Abby asked.
"I thought so. I mean at first I thought it was them but then I
discovered it was me," Mark said.
"What do you mean you?" Abby asked.
"You know I guess I wasn't sure, because I was really tired and suddenly
there was a bed almost like yours against the glass wall. When I got to
the bed there was already a diaper laying open on the sheet and next to
the diaper baby pants. So I'm thinking about wearing the diaper and
suddenly it's already on me. It's on me and I don't remember putting it
on. That's when I decided that all I had to do was think about them on
or off and suddenly the diapers back on the bed. I think again and I'm
wearing the diaper over the panties," Mark said almost whispering when
Abby looked surprised.
"You thought about wearing them over the panties?" Abby asked.
"I did. Abby, don't you remember? I was in the diaper that Sandy made
me wear, that time. Remember? I was telling you I wanted to wear
panties and not the diaper, and you said wear both by putting the panties
on first," Mark said laughing.
"I remember. I was twelve then," Abby said guiltily looking around to
see the sheriff and Julie had heard that part.
"OK, so you can think these things into existence and put them on and off
at will, so what happened then?" Abby asked.
"When I laid in the bed I started to play a little and the diapers got
thicker. Then there were two panties, you know, layers, another style
nightgown then ruffled panties then those panties like the doll wore.
And I guess I finally went to sleep," Mark said.
"And that was that?" Abby asked and added, "I mean was that all you did?"
"Abby! I didn't do that if that's what you are asking," Mark said as he
bowed his head before adding, "OK, maybe I did just a little."
"You see! That's why I wouldn't let you wear my good panties," Abby said
suddenly forgetting she wasn't twelve again and ignoring the sheriff and
Julie as Mark continued.
"I remember. So anyway, suddenly your dress and the slip and panties are
gone and I'm looking at these pictures of girl's clothes. Then I realize
I can have anything I can think of and I forget about your dress. I'm
wearing everything, all kinds of things, when suddenly I felt the
change," Mark said.
"What change?" Abby asked.
"Not sure how long it had been but things changed. Can't explain it but
after we landed I realized I was on the way back home. I didn't know
that at first but all of a sudden I'm wearing your dress again, the
slip, panties and everything I wore that day they took me. A little
while later I'm standing on the road and the Sheriff arrives," Mark said.
"So is he making this up or what and is Abby who he said she is back
then?" sheriff Andrew asked of Julie before adding, "No prints in those
days and no DNA so it's impossible to physically prove any of this."
"It's hard to say sheriff," Julie notes with a serious look on her face.
"Even a guess would help," Sheriff Andrew notes.
"Sheriff, even if it's not true, he believes it is, or at least I believe
he believes. It could be an elaborate hoax, but I don't think the boy
believes anything else other than what he's told us. Hypnosis could do
some of this, maybe all of it? Not sure. As for Abby, nothing she's
said suggest otherwise and that slightly guilty look when they talked
about those moments of childish sex there was genuine guilt so yes, I
believe she believes it as well," Julie said.
"So you think he's been abducted by aliens?" the sheriff asked.
"No," Julie said.
"Neither do I but if that's not the case, how can a story like this
become so complicated and so deeply embedded to be believed. Abby truly
believes that boy is the boy from her past and that boy thinks Abby is an
older version of that girl from his past? How the hell do I sort that
out," the sheriff mumbles and then adds, "And what kind of case do I have
here? Abduction? Child molestation and by whom?"
"Again, hypnosis perhaps," Julie suggested.
"Will that theory get me further than I am now?" the sheriff asked.
"It will confirm if he's telling the truth or at least that he believes
he's telling the truth, and if I do so on Abby I'll be able to establish
her part in all of this.... If she's willing to do so," Julie said.
"Got to do something because right now I have a boy with no family that
likes dressing as a girl and wears diapers to bed still because he said
he wets at night, and is going to at least need a place to stay. Who the
hell is going to take in that kind of boy?" the sheriff said in
frustration.
"You don't have to report all the other stuff you know, just that you've
found a boy," Julie said looking contemplative.
"What are you saying?" the sheriff asked.
"Okay, I'm not sure how this might work, but what if you found a boy,
just an ordinary boy on that road and he couldn't remember how he got
there. What if you put him back in boy's clothes and tell Social
Services just that and nothing else? What happens?" Julie asked.
"He goes into the hospital, briefly, for a physical exam which is
mandatory and then gets put under the responsibility of Social Services.
It's their job to find him a place to stay till we find out who he is and
where he came from. Within a day or so there is also an advocate
assigned to represent him," the sheriff said and added, "And if I ignore
everything I could be withholding evidence of a crime or crimes."
"And what if you can't find out where he came from or who he is?" Julie
asked.
"Ultimately he goes into foster care and I suspect he gets some sort of
therapy," sheriff Andrew said.
"Exactly," Julie said.
"Exactly as in what exactly?" Sheriff Andrew asked.
"What if I was to volunteer his therapy and Abby offered to take care of
him till you discover who he is and where he comes from. Would that
satisfy Social Services?" Julie asked and added, "I mean before the world
gets here that is."
"Then I've got a simple, more or less, case of child abandonment or
possible abduction. It they don't find anything wrong with him at the
hospital and you certify him okay to reside with someone like Abby, it
gets pretty simply. Turns into a more or less routine investigation. I
take prints, run them along with his picture and he gets thrown into the
middle of thousands of children," sheriff Andrew said but adds, "Trouble
is he's got to get out of those clothes, fast, and both he and Abby have
to cooperate."
"Abby? Mark? Have you been listening?" Julie said.
"Yes," Abby said.
"Yes," Mark answered.
"Is that something you both could do?" Julie said.
"Definitely yes," Abby said.
"Absolutely, yes," Mark answered.
"How about you sheriff?" Julie asked.
"Hell yes. Last thing I want to do is tell the world I'm investigating
an alien abduction," sheriff Andrew said.
"Then we need to get a move on. First we've got to get him out of those
clothes and into something less odd," Julie said.
"I've got noting to fit him," Abby said before adding, "If I wrapped him
in a blanket would that be okay?"
"Yes," sheriff Andrew said and then adds, "If I can get Carl Evans to
open his store and provide whatever the boy needs the county will pay him
back."
"I'll call Carl and I'll take care of the cost," Abby said as she walks
over to a wireless house phone and starts dialing.
"She owns the store," sheriff Andrew said to Julie who is looking on in
confusion. She nods her understanding and walks over to Mark.
"Come on we've got to get you changed. I'd suggest we all go into the
living room and wait there for the others to arrive. We can spend a
little time cleaning up the facts," Julie notes and adds, "We can do the
hypnosis sometime tomorrow and get that documented which should also help
your case."
"We can do that," sheriff Andrew said.
"And how is this going to start? I mean for my sake," Julie said.
"Found the boy on the road. He can't remember how he got there," sheriff
Andrew noted.
"That cleaned it up a little," Julie said laughing.
"Exactly," Sheriff Andrew notes.
"Meanwhile-" Julie said.
"Meanwhile, I've got a thousand and one questions," sheriff Andrew said
as he looked on in confusion.
"Like what?" Julie asked.
"Like, first of all, is Mark 59 or 9?" Sheriff Andrew asked.
"His age is subjective. If his travel time only took a few weeks then
he's only a few weeks older. Doesn't matter how old everything else is
as in universal ages," Julie said and adds, "At least that's my
understanding of how this is suppose to work and looking at him I'd say
it does work that way."
"It's going to take a while for me to wrap my head around the rest of
this," sheriff Andrew said.
"No kidding? I mean we're talking about life on another planet," Julie
said and added, "And I'm guessing they're a whole lot smarter than we are
at the moment."
"True. Okay, so let's get into the living room and Mark under a blanket
for now. I'll take the other things for now and hide them in bags. They
are evidence anyway," sheriff Andrew said.
"I've got clothes coming," Abby said hanging up the phone.
"I'll need several paper bags and a stapler," Sheriff Andrew said to
Abby.
Abby nodded. She walked to the front door and opened the screen telling
everyone to go into the living room while she goes and gets a blanket.
Mark walked in first followed by Julie who is followed by sheriff Andrew.
Once inside Mark walked down a hall to the bathroom to take his dress and
slips off. Sheriff Andrew suggested Julie do the honors and take his
things off while Abby gets the blanket. Sheriff Andrew noted that each
item must go into a separate bag and the bag stapled closed.
Julie nodded and walked off with Mark. Abby returned from the kitchen
with several paper bags and walked down to give them to Julie. She
grabbed the stapler on her way. Abby was back with the Sheriff standing
in the living room.
Tires on Gravel announce someone and the sheriff turning back from the
window said, "It's the doc. There is another car behind him so I'm
guessing that's going to be Social Services."
"Hi doc," sheriff Andrew said letting the doc come in. Doctor Rush walks
in and then Carol Baker from Social Services follows as the sheriff adds,
"Hey Carol."
"Hi sheriff, so were you able to find this boy's parents?" Carol asked.
"Nothing so far. He knows his name is Mark, he thinks, but he can't
remember how he got on the road where I picked him up. Listen, Carol, if
you don't have a place, Abby has offered him a room and is getting some
clothes for the boy. I'm taking his other clothes for evidence. I've
also got a psychologist in there looking at him as we speak. She said
she'll stick it out for the boy's sake. That is if you don't mind.
Meanwhile, I'll work the case," sheriff Andrew said.
"Nice work Sheriff. Tell you the truth we're always booked up to our
eyeballs so if he can stay here that would be wonderful, better than
wonderful. I'll just need the doc to tell me he's none the worse for
wear and that goes for the psychologist as well. If they both say he's
okay to stay, he's okay to stay," Carol noted on a page in her day timer.
"I'll check him out right now," Doctor Rush said as she moved to slid an
ottoman towards where Mark will be sitting. Doctor Rush opened her bag
and took her stethoscope out. A few minutes later Mark and Julie emerged
with Mark wrapped in a blanket.
"Can you physically guess his age? Doc," the sheriff said.
"Within a year or two," the doc said before asking, "Why?"
"Just want to make sure I get as much facts established as I can," the
sheriff said and added, "The boy is a little confused over things."
"Will do," the doc said.
The doctor started with Mark's eyes and ears then put her fingers on
either side of Mark's neck. She had him stand with his back to everyone
with Carol holding the blanket like a partition. Dr. Rush ended her
exam, put a sample DNA in her bag while she moved her stethoscope and
listened at his back. She then had him turn slightly to hear the front.
She used a tongue depressor and flashlight for his throat and then a
small rubber hammer for his elbow and knees.
"No obstructions, no bruises and a sound heart. His throats clear as are
his eyes and ears. Could use a bath and a tooth brush, but I've never
examined a boy that didn't need one or both. I'm guessing his age
between 8 and 10 so 9 would be my best guess," Dr. Rush said and then
started asking him questions before adding, "He can add large blocks of
numbers, knows some fairly big words and is starved. I'd say he's
healthy but would insist on a complete physical in the very near future.
Say within days," Doc said.
"I'll set it up for tomorrow if it's okay," Abby said.
"I'll start his file when I get back to my office," Carol said as she
started writing in a notebook.
"So he's okay to stay here?" the Sheriff asked.
Everyone looked at everyone else and all nodded.
Another car crunched on Abby driveway.
"That's Carl Evans from the store," Abby noted looking out the window and
recognizing the car pulling up. Abby stepped out onto the front porch
and took several shopping bags from Carl.
"I've added three sizes of underwear, jeans and shirts. Call in the
right sizes when you get a chance and I'll put more stuff together," Carl
said as he turned to go down the stairs.
"Thanks Carl," Abby said turning back into the house.
"You're welcome," Carl said getting into his car. He drove off by
the time Abby reached Mark.
"OK everyone, let's close this out for tonight," the Sheriff said as he
closed his book and looked at Julie before adding, "I'll stay out of the
scheduling for his exam but I'd like to talk with you after you've done
one and same goes for you doc. Meanwhile I'm going to leave the steps
already taken for the APB just to make sure that if we have an abduction,
we're covered."
"Good enough and I'll do a preliminary exam tomorrow just to verify what
I've already been told and then possibly get him under hypnosis. In any
event I'll call your office when I'm finished," Julie said.
"Good enough," the sheriff said and then added, "OK everyone that's it
for the night. Abby, I'm depending on you keeping him safe."
"I'm going to have him sleep in the guest room," Abby said taking Mark
into the library.
Carol, Julie and the Doc filed out of the house as Abby walked back in
with Mark wearing a tee-shirt and jeans over socks. Sheriff Andrews
smiled and gave Mark his card and another to Abby after he wrote his
home phone number on them.
"Any time day or night," the Sheriff said as he too headed for the door.
Abby turned to Mark and asked if he's tired. Mark nodded yes.
"Mark, would you like to sleep in diapers tonight?" Abby asked.
"I sure would," Mark said and added, "Or you have a wet bed in the
morning."
"Can't have that. Come on. I had Carl include a package of disposables
in with your clothes," Abby said.
"What's a disposable?" Mark asked.
"It's probably better if I show you," Abby said and then added, "And
while I tape you into your diaper you can tell me about this fantastic
voyage you've been on."
"OK," Mark said as he took Abby's hand. They walked up the wide stairs
to the landing that led off to bedrooms. The bedroom holding the bags of
clothing that Carl brought also held a package of disposable diapers.
"Wow, it's like a diaper and baby pants combined," Mark said as Abby let
him feel the texture of the waterproof cover.
"And you can throw them away once they've been used," Abby said as opened
it while Mark started removing his jeans, shorts and socks.
"Now what did these aliens look like?" Abby asked as Mark happily jumped
up to lay over the diaper.
Mark and Abby played house a lot when she was twelve and he nine and the
memories of those times came back to Abby she looked at Mark through
twelve year old eyes. It was like old times dressing him first into his
diapers before dressing him like a girl. Abby treated Mark like her doll
back then and was almost doing so again.
"Only way to describe them is they were like Christmas decorations. You
know, like glass ornaments only their surfaces were always changing
colors like oil on water. I couldn't tell the girl orb from the boy orb
and I wasn't sure they understood me when I asked if one of them is a
girl. I remember them asking me if I was a girl and I just told them I
just wanted to be. I don't think they understood me," Mark said and then
looked down at his diaper before adding, "That feels nice."
"We can get you proper diapers tomorrow if you don't like these," Abby
said as she smoothed the front. Most times she treated Mark like a
living doll but back then she used a lot of her clothes from when she was
six and seven. She was always bigger than Mark and it made Mark happier
dressing like a little girl or baby girl.
"Got any of your old nightgowns?" Mark asked.
"I'm afraid not honey, but if you'd like you can wear one of my bed
jackets," Abby said.
"What's a bed jacket?" Mark asked.
"It's kind of like a very short robe but it's really short so a person
can wear it in bed while you read," Abby said before adding, "On you it
would be kind of like a baby dress."
"OK," Mark said following Abby out of the room they were in as Mark said,
"I like they way these crinkle."
"They do sound nice," Abby said coming back in and adding, "It would have
been fun making you run around in those when we played."
"Cindy and Sandy Hanson would have liked these because they liked it when
my baby pants crinkled like these do," Mark said and then asked, "Where's
Penny? I promised her I'd let her stay with me."
"Still playing with my old doll?" Abby asked.
"She's a lot more fun since Si and Ti fixed her," Mark said.
"What did they do?" Abby asked.
"You can ask her yourself if you like, she knows about you," Mark said
leaving and returning with the doll, and then added, "Hi Penny. Abby
wants to know what Si and Ti did to you."
"Hello Abby. I was given limited capabilities. What specifically would
you like to know Abby?" Penny asked.
"I'm feeling faint," Abby said looking at the doll as she suddenly
started walking around the room looking at everything. Abby watched
backing up and asked, "How is this possible?"
"Processors for my movements and an Artificial Intelligence geared to
Mark. Not too unlike your own crude computers except I adapt and have
the capacity to reas