This is a very short entry. I have wanted to work on this story for sometime, but life has a penchant for getting in the way. Now that I'm ready to work on this story again, I wanted to post this chapter and get a feel from the readers if I'm going in the right direction before I start writing more chapters. One of two things can happen. I can continue in this direction and expand on Amber's connection to the still nameless Society and why she's so important to them, or I can make it to where Amber will never have gotten the letter, and she would be in the dark about her true purpose and the events that led her to becoming a 17 year old girl.

"That's How the System Works" - Interlude
By: Danielle Rose (Danileigh79)

It had been nearly two months since I had woken up in the body of a seventeen-year-old teenage girl. My name is Amber, but I was born a healthy baby boy named Darrell. After being taken from my grandfather’s home, I was due to be taken from the Fullerton Police Department to Orangewood Children’s Home when I had fallen asleep in the Police Precinct’s waiting room. After waking, I found myself in what I could only describe as an alternate universe, where my entire family had tragically been killed when an airplane crashed into our neighborhood. The Amber of this universe had been spending the night with friends at a slumber party. I spent the next month learning the necessities of being female, and dealing with the sudden loss of every single member of my family. I had spent the better part of the last two weeks corresponding back and forth with Serena. Serena was an ex-girlfriend of Darrell’s, and apparently a great friend of Amber’s. I had learned a great deal about Amber’s life prior to me finding myself in her body.

From what I learned from Serena, my entire family was staying at my parent’s house while waiting to go on a family trip. Also, my family was much smaller since I no longer had any stepfamily. My parents had divorced when I was a boy, but seemed to have stayed together in my new life. That being the case, I now had siblings I knew nothing about. I was drastically happier as a girl than I had ever been as a guy. As Darrell, I had been a troublemaker and was often the center of negative attention with my family. But as Amber, I was also dealing with the loss of an entire family. This caused emotional breakdowns, and frequent crying fits on the shoulder of my new best friend, Kim.

I still wondered from time to time how I ended up in this situation. My thoughts kept going back to that one police officer that asked me if I was telling the truth about my grandfather. He really creeped me out with how he kept staring at me after I lied to him. I never believed in magic or anything of that sort, but that is the only explanation I have been able to come up with. Boys don’t just spontaneously turn into girls! Well, that’s what I thought before all this had started.

It was Sunday night, and Kim and I were just getting ready for bed when Stephanie came into our room.

“Hey, girls. I just wanted to let you know that some representatives from different group homes are going to be here tomorrow after school, so try and look your best.”

“No problem, but I don’t think they’d want us,” replied Kim sarcastically. “They couldn’t handle all the trouble we’d give them.”

“I don’t know if I want to leave here,” I stated. “I’ve gotten used to how things are run here.”

“I know, Amber, but you can’t really stay here forever. Besides, at group homes, you don’t have to be confined within brick walls all day. You can get back out into the real world,” replied Stephanie.

“I know, but I just feel secure here. I’m kind of afraid to go out into the world and face real people again. I won’t have anybody to lean on once I’m outside of those walls.”

“Well, thanks,” Kim blurted out in a sarcastic tone. “I guess from now on everybody can start calling me nobody.”

“I didn’t mean you, Kimmy. I’m sorry. Of course I know you’ll be there for me if I need you.”

“Darn skippy. I can see it now. We go to college together. We get married together. We grow old together. My God, It’ll be beautiful. They’d have to stick dynamite between us to separate us,” joked Kim.

“Okay, girls, finish laughing it up, and then get to bed,” commanded Stephanie. “Miss Camacho is starting to complain that I let you two girls get away with too much.”

“Of course you let us get away with a lot,” said Kim. “We’re your favorites.”

“I can’t have favorites, because girls like Juanita Camacho and her friends will think they’re being treated unfairly, and that could cost me my job.”

“Alright, you win,” I said. ”We’ll go to bed.”

“Thank you girls. Oh, Amber, a police officer dropped this off for you.” Stephanie pulled out an envelope from her back pocket. “He said it was for your eyes only, and since it came from a cop, I didn’t read it.”

Confused, I took the envelope from Stephanie and examined it. “I wonder what it could be,” I said.

After Stephanie left, I quickly tore open the envelope and saw a letter inside. I laid down on my bed and began reading the letter.

******

Dear Amber,
I thought I’d drop you a line to see how you were doing. My name is David. I know the officer that took you to Orangewood that night two months ago and asked him to drop this letter off to you. Let me begin by saying that I am aware of your "transformation" and it was not planned. Your real family aren't dead. I guess you could say that they were never here. You also weren't meant to keep the memories you have of Darrell's life. Someone or something changed that. There are other people who have gone through a similar experience. We know you have many questions, but please be patient. We hope all will be answered in time. Meanwhile, I am aware of your desire to remain in Orangewood. You are still confused about what happened and you think that if you leave, you will be alone. This is not true. I implore you to live this life as you would have had you remained as Darrell. There are many out there who will help you. I can’t go into details yet, but you are special. Trust Kim, she will never steer you wrong. I look forward to the day we meet.

David

******

I placed the letter back in its envelope, and set it down on my nightstand. I looked over at Kimmy and saw she was already asleep. I suddenly started crying, overwhelmed by everything I had just learned.