Last time...

I groaned, "That's not the only thing I have to remember not to do! She's been drilling into me how I should sit, stand, walk, you name it!"

"Why don't you tell me about it while we wait for Mom to arrive?" Marcie suggested.

"Okay." I agreed. "I guess I should start with when she picked me up, after you left..."

I pleaded to Mom one last time before aunt Karen showed up. "Mom, couldn't I stay with Mark or something? Aunt Karen hates me, it's going to be the most miserable summer vacation ever, for both of us!" I whined.

"We've been through this a hundred times John! She's going to try and get to know you better, and I expect you to do the same. Then maybe you'll learn that my sister isn't so horrible, after all. It's very important to me that my only son and sister get along. Please just give her a chance, alright?" Mom said. The doorbell rang and she gave me a look that told me I'd better drop it if I knew what was good for me before going to answer it.

It was aunt Karen, of course, and she breezed into the room on Mom's heels. She was all smiles, and for once it didn't look forced. "Hello John!" she said cheerfully. "We're going to have a great summer together! I've all sorts of activities planned so that we can spend lots of time together. So, let's get your things together and get out of your mom's hair, okay?" I groaned inwardly at that. I had hoped she might just let me go do whatever I wanted, since she can't stand to be near me, but it looked like she had different plans.

Aunt Karen helped me gather up my bags and load them in her car. I noticed her glancing at me weird; like she was just itching to eat me up or something. It was really freaking me out.

After that we both said goodbye to Mom. "Don't worry about a thing, we'll have a great time together!" Aunt Karen gushed, "You just enjoy yourself in Mexico and relax."

I admit I got a bit teary-eyed as I hugged Mom goodbye. I wouldn't be seeing her for a couple of months, which was the longest we'd ever been apart. I really like Charlie, the guy she's going with, but I wished she wasn't going to be away so long.

Mom saw us out to aunt Karen's car and waved as we drove away. I waved back and tried to look, well, not too unhappy, anyway. Cheerful would have been a stretch!

"Relax John, we'll have lots of fun. You'll see!" Aunt Karen said. I gave her a weak smile in return; I had been told to try to get along with her.

Neither of us said anything else on the drive over to her house, although I caught her smirking at me a couple of times. What's up with her?!

When we got to her house aunt Karen told me how she'd converted the basement into a room for me. She helped me carry my stuff down the stairs and gave me the tour. There were actually two rooms, plus a bathroom. The bedroom was kind of small...and girly. Just what I'd expect from my man-hating aunt. The other room had a desk, chair, lamp, and not much else. Aunt Karen said she had a TV she wanted to move down there so I could hook up my Wii, but she needed me to help her move it. Which sounded kind of weird, because aunt Karen would never admit to needing any help from anyone. Especially a guy!

The bathroom was pretty girly, too, but at least it was roomy. I was all set to get that TV down and hook up my Wii, but she wanted me to get unpacked first. So, I got to work unpacking my clothes while aunt Karen went upstairs to get lunch ready. I heard her close the door at the top of the stairs and I could have sworn I heard a click sound, like she'd locked it, but I didn't pay much attention to it.

By the time I was finished putting my clothes away my stomach was telling me it was time for lunch. I walked up the stairs to open the door, but it was locked. I just figured she'd locked it on accident and started knocking on the door to let her know I was locked in. When my knuckles got sore I stopped and looked around, thinking maybe there was a key somewhere or something. I thought it was weird that the keyhole was on this side. As I looked around I noticed there was a box next to the door. It looked like one of those intercom things, so I pushed the button on it.

"Aunt Karen, can you hear me?" I asked, while holding down the button. I didn't hear a reply, so I asked again. Then I took my finger off the button and heard aunt Karen talking mid-sentence.

"off the button to hear me!" she snapped. That sound more like the aunt Karen I knew! "Take your finger off the button you stupid boy!"

"Okay, okay!" I said, releasing the button.

"That's better!" she said, clearly annoyed. "Now...your mother and I have been concerned at your rather antisocial behavior." I gaped at that; what antisocial behavior was she talking about?! I never got in trouble! "As a result, she has agreed to leave you here in my care. You will not leave the basement until I am satisfied that you have learned your lesson."

"What are you talking about?!" I exclaimed. I hadn't pressed the button, so I did and repeated my question.

"Don't act innocent with me, young man! You know very well what you've done. You boys are all alike; doing whatever you feel like and treating women like servants, or worse!" Aunt Karen spat back at me. I'd never heard her sound quite that mad before, it was kind of scary. Especially since I was locked in her basement!

"I haven't done anything! Just ask Mom!" I said.

"I have! Whose idea do you think this was? I certainly didn't want you here. But she is my sister, so I agreed to try and teach you some manners." Aunt Karen replied. I stood there, stunned. Did my mother really want her to lock me up like this?! What had I done wrong?

"Can I...talk to Mom?" I asked.

"No! You are not to bother your mother until she's returned from her vacation. Now, you can think about your behavior while you eat your lunch. I've lowered a tray down in the dumbwaiter next to the door. And don't get any ideas about climbing up or riding on the dumbwaiter; it's far too small for that." she said.

I tried to get more out of her after that, but she must have moved away from the intercom. After a few minutes of calling for her I gave up and looked around for the dumbwaiter. The door was designed to blend into the wall, so I took a while to find it. She was right about the size, there was no way I could climb up that tiny little shaft! I took the tray over to the desk and started nibbling. I wasn't really hungry, but it was something to do while I tried to figure out what was going on.

I'd thought it strange that Mom was so insistent on me staying with someone who despises me, but her explanation of her wanting us to get along had seemed normal enough. Now I had to wonder what I'd done that my own mother wanted to leave me locked up in this basement like this! Had I been so terrible? I didn't think so. Maybe I took Mom for granted some, but I did help out around the house. I even cooked meals sometimes, though I only knew how to do simple stuff.

By the time I'd finished about half of the sandwich and the milk that was on the tray I was feeling really sleepy. After almost falling out of my chair I decided I'd better take a nap. I took off my shoes and climbed onto the bed and was asleep almost instantly.

When I woke I still felt a bit groggy and just laid there for a while. When my mind finally rebooted I started worrying about what Aunt Karen had in mind for me. And why had I gotten so tired at noon, anyway?! I went to check my watch, but it was gone! I reached for my cell to check the time on it, but it wasn't in my pocket. I searched all around, but neither it or my watch could be found, nor anything else I'd had in my pockets.

Not only were the contents of my pockets and my watch gone, but my bags, too! I checked the closet, but all I found there were a bunch of dresses. I thought that was weird, as I'd never seen my aunt wear a dress or skirt in my life, and these looked a bit small for her anyway. I pushed them all aside to look behind them, but there was no sign of my stuff. I looked up on the shelf, but all I found there were some boxes that were still sealed and a jewelry box.

I wondered why all this stuff was down here; hadn't she said she had remodeled the basement just for this? Why have her old clothes and stuff down here? I forgot about that, though, when I heard my aunt's voice seeming to come from the ceiling. "Finally awake John?" she asked. She sounded amused.

"Uh...yeah?" I replied, uncertain whether she'd be able to hear me. Apparently she could.

"Good! Then it's time to start your training." she said. Training? I had a bad feeling about this. "First thing you need to do is put your tray back in the dumbwaiter. I won't have you leaving a mess down there. Once you've done that, I want you to take a shower."

"Uh...okay." I said. I went and got the tray and put it back where I'd found it. I closed the door and soon I could hear the sound of an electric motor. Going back into the bedroom I opened one of the drawers in the dresser to get out something to wear after my shower. I didn't notice anything different, at first, until I picked up what I thought was my underwear. But it was softer and silkier than anything I owned, and a lot lighter. "Um, are these panties?!" I asked after unfolding it.

"Of course Joan, what else would you wear?" she replied sweetly. Wait a minute, did she say Joan?! Had my aunt totally lost her mind? I checked the other drawers and groaned; they were filled with feminine clothes, even bras! Yep, she's lost it!

"Where are my clothes?" I asked.

Aunt Karen's voice changed as she said, "Those are your clothes, until I say otherwise. Until then, you're going to be my sweet little niece Joan. Understood?" It wasn't really a question from the way she said it.

"You've got to be kidding!" I exclaimed.

"I'm very serious. Our society encourages boys to act badly. So I'll teach you to be a girl, and maybe you'll become a decent human being in the process." she replied.

"I'm not wearing this stuff." I said, looking around for the cameras and speakers that must be there for her to be able to hear and see me. I couldn't see a thing; if they were there they were well hidden.

"You will!" she said angrily. "Don't think for a moment that I'm afraid of you. If you refuse to cooperate I'll come down there and make you cooperate!" She was screeching by the time she'd finished and I was really getting scared. I knew she wasn't afraid of me. At five nine she's still a few inches taller than me, and I know she works out and studies martial arts. Some guy tried to mug her last year and got pounded for his trouble. She wasn't even scratched.

Things were moving too fast and I didn't know what to do. I just couldn't believe this was really happening! Why would my mother put me in the hands of this lunatic? Did she hate me? Had I been so horrible? I couldn't think of anything particularly bad that I'd done, though.

Aunt Karen screeched threats at me and I numbly picked up the panties I'd dropped, grabbed the robe I saw hanging on the back of the door and headed for the bathroom. She stopped yelling after I closed the door. There was a hamper in the bathroom so I tossed my clothes in it and wondered if I'd ever see them again.

I was moving on autopilot as I turned on the water and stepped into the shower. As the warm water poured over me my mind cleared and I started thinking about how I could get out of this situation. Maybe I could pick the lock, or break down the door? I knew I couldn't overpower Aunt Karen, unless I could get her by surprise some how...

My aunt's voice startled me out of my thoughts as she told me to wash. She's got cameras in here, too?! She told me where the shower gel was and I washed up; it was a really girly smelling soap that I doubt my aunt had ever used. Then she had me wash and condition my hair, with more flower smelling stuff. Then she told me to shave my legs and armpits! "I can't do that! The guys at school will kill me if they find out I've shaved my legs!" I might have been exaggerating a little, but there really were a lot of homophobic jerks at my school. I knew plenty of them would be going on to the same high school as me.

"You won't be back at school for months, that's plenty of time for your hair to grow back." Aunt Karen replied calmly. I was kind of surprised she was keeping her cool now, and it worried me. She seemed most calm when she had something up her sleeve that she knew I wouldn't like. I decided to play along for now and shaved my legs. I'd never shaved anywhere before, so I cut myself a few times before I got the hang of it.

After drying myself off I put on the panties, which were surprisingly comfortable. I threw on the robe and stepped out into the bedroom to find that Aunt Karen had apparently been down here again because...

I trailed off when I heard the door open. Marcie and I turned to look at the door and found her mother standing there, looking very angry. "What is going on here, Marcie?! I told you not to open the door for anybody!"