Beth was staring out the side window of her parents Ford Focus as they drove up to the house she grew up in. In the driveway with a puddle under it sat her grandfathers old Dodge pickup. The one tire was raised so it looked as if her father was trying to fix something even in this cold weather. Beth did not really care about the old truck all she wanted to do was go to sleep in her soft bed and wish the day had never happened. She could see it all in her mind exactly what she wanted to do. Go in the door take off the heels she was still wearing slip upstairs to her room with its pink walls, white antique dresser that should have a nightie in it. Slip into the nightie and crawl under the quilt her grandmother had made for her snuggle in with one of her stuffed kittens and that would be it. The nightmare that was today would be over and she could recharge her batteries so to speak.

Her father had followed behind them and parked her Diplomat off the side partially on the grass as the truck was in the middle of the driveway. She waited in the focus for a minute before opening the door and sliding her legs out to stand. Although her mother said nothing she knew that her mother was proud that she had remembered her young lady lessons well.

Beth walked to her car to help but her father shooed her away saying he had her bags for her. Shrugging she went to the door, now open because of her mother, and stepped inside. From the looks of things the small living room had a new television in the form of a 40 in flatscreen. The dvd player and the vhs where she had played her Disney video tape in till they were all but worn out was still there but it looked unplugged as the timer didn't flash. The amount of times she had watched Beauty and the Beast or Little Mermaid was uncountable. The still watched but less so Ferngully probably survived.

Beth still knew each and every scene of her two favorite movies by heart and could see them in her mind any time she thought of them such as now. Aladdin was also a good movie but it had come later and on dvd. Her eyes scanned the walls looking for her picture. She did not see any of them. The picture on the mantel should have been of her in her cheerleading outfit with both her mom and dad beside her. There was no such picture. Nor was there one of her graduation in which she wore the strapless silver taffeta gown. In fact none of the pictures there had her at all. Not her baby picture, not her girl guide pictures nothing.

In their place was a boy holding a fish with her father looking over him. A picture of a boy holding a trophy for something. Another picture of the same boy much older with the school gown and hat. A grad picture but the man had a mustache on his face and looked quite happy. There was even a picture of the same young man standing before this mantel in a suit very much like one of her fathers.

Beth breathing hard now looked to the movie case. There was a Cinderella movie and the Aladdin movies but her favorites were gone. She almost panicked before she remembered they were at her room in the sorority. She started to look around the house. Nothing much else seemed to have changed that much. The closet near the garage had one pair of white skates but two black ones and some hockey equipment. Her figure skating skates seemed to be missing.

Beth walked back into the living room almost afraid to go upstairs. Her mother now wearing black ballerina slippers on her feet came over and tried to calm her. She flinched at the touch. Beth had to know so with a deep breath she stepped upstairs still in her heels holding the side of the skirt of her dress as she did so. At the last step she realized she did not even remember taking off her fur coat and looked back to see said coat laying on the edge of the couch.

The door to her room loomed large in her vision just down the hall. Opposite that room was the quest room and then further her parents bedroom. The door to her room was closed. With her heart pounding in her chest she closed her eyes and wished to herself that inside it would be just like she remembered. Her hand slick with sweat turned the knob and the door opened.

It was not her room. Her mother had come up behind her silently as Beth stared open mouthed into the room that should have been hers but wasn't. Gone was her room and everything she had grown up with. Her mother touched her arm gently and Beth jerked her arm away.

"What have you done?" She screamed at her mother.

"What do you mean E? It's just as you left it, well a little cleaner perhaps but."

"That's Not My ROOM!" Beth stressed each word hard to get her mother to understand."My walls were never blue. You threw away my bed, my dresser, all my fluffies, my barbie house and barbies. OH god you didn't?" Beth rushed into the boys room and opened the folding closet doors with enough force that the doors clacked together loudly. On a hanger or two was a boys hockey shirt and winter coat. There was a men's suit, the same suit from the picture downstairs. Gone were her three prom dresses. Gone was her girl scout uniforms. The first communion dress and the Halloween dresses she had worn when she was a little girl. All of them gone.

"What have you DONE!" Beth screamed out loud as she backed away from the offending closet. She kept backing away till she was out of the room and across the hall in the quest bedroom. She backed up till her knees hit the bed forcing her to sit down heavily on the bed. She hugged herself rocking back and forth as the tears came. At first just a tiny trickle from each eye but as the whole day caught up with her more came. As more came she started to heave her breasts bouncing as she did so. Her mother came into the room after closing the door to the boys room that was no longer her own. Her mother sat down and held Beth from the side. As the shakes came and the heaves continued she turned her head and buried her face into her mothers chest sobbing and no longer caring if she smeared all of her makeup into her mothers dress or not.

Beth cried long and hard into her mother before exhaustion overtook her. It was to see Beth asleep but still half crying into her mothers loving embrace that her father brought the bags up the stairs at last. Not knowing what was best he put the bags into the quest room for now and closed the door on the two women.

Henry removed his suit and shirt in the master bedroom before he put back on the clothes he had worn yesterday to finish the work he had started on the truck. He passed the door to the guest room and heard some movements but thought better of opening the door as he nothing to say that could possibly help. He walked down the stairs thinking about the days events and how the Diplomat sounded like it needed a bit of a tune up since it was not quite running right. The touchy feelie things were never his strong suit especially when it came to their son. His son. Henry paused with that thought as he remembered how Eric had sunburned rather badly with his shirt off on the lake the one day when he was 10. The boy was all arms and legs at the time but smiling ear to ear as he had casted without snapping the hook off the line.

Henry remembered how his son and himself had worked for days to get the old Diplomat to run again. He never told his wife but they had had to unseize the engine a little. It was Eric with the long pipe on the 1/2 drive ratchet that had worked the old 318 to turn over a little at first. They had put diesel fuel into the cylinders and turned the engine over manually a couple of times the next day before using the starter and battery. They carb they had carefully cleaned up from the salvage yard with a new kit into it. The same kit still sat on the workbench in his garage right where Eric had left it. While it was an older carb it was, at least in his opinion, a much better one that original. Still a Dodge carb but a better one. The car and snorted and farted draining the battery twice before they changed the spark plugs one last time. The huge cloud of black smoke that came out of the car as the y pipe exhaust totally blew out dirtied them both along with the front ceiling of the garage.

But it stayed running. As surprised as he was it ran until they shut it off 10 minutes later and changed the now very dirty oil. The new exhaust took care of the mice nest that was apparently in the original muffler system blocking it all. They drove the car, unlicensed, around the block a few weeks before they changed the now black oil once again. Nobody was more surprised than him when his son had licensed the car and drove it for a long road trip and back without a single problem. The road trip had been to the collage he was later to go to in the city. Even now on the drive from the church the car ran smooth and quiet. It was only at idle that it seemed a little rough. He suspected that his son. No correction now daughter, had not done any maintenance on the poor old car in the last 2 years. It was past time for an oil change and filters.

Henry flicked on the light in the garage as he walked in. The Diplomat took the same filters as the truck so he checked to see if he had any. Oil filter yes, fuel and air filter no. He had 1 liter of oil left too so he would see if E..make that Elizabeth might want to come with him tomorrow to get some oil and filters for his uh her car. When he had driven the car back he had opened the glove box to check the registration and was more than a little intimidated by the mass of tissue, feminine products he wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, and what looked to be some makeup thing or another. That more and the fact that the inside of the car was spotlessly clean told him it was a girls car. The stuffed fairy in the back window beside another kleenex box was just window dressing.

He had grabbed the heavy suitcase from the back along with the smaller one and the bag from the front seat and brought them into the house. Nobody had been there as he took off his now dirty dress shoes. It was the crying upstairs from the quest room that alerted him that something was off. He found his wife and new daughter sobbing away on the bed and put down the bags with relief as his back was starting to act up a little. Old age was not something he would surrender too.

Henry stared down at his hand on the removable and portable top of the tool chest. In it were wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, sockets, wrenches, and ratchets. All the tools and a few bolts he needed for the truck. The new water pump was in its box on the table all ready to go. Henry picked up the tool tray and closed the door to the house before hitting the button for the garage door opener. The rush of cool air hit him with a refreshing breeze. This focused him as he went out to start the work of replacing the old water pump.

Henry was cold before he finished by the use of the trouble light on the truck as the late fall evening the sun set fast. The pump was in place, glued, all the bolts tightened, and the radiator stop cock was checked to be closed. All he had to do tomorrow was pour in the antifreeze and start it up to check for leaks. A simple job but he was tired, hungry and a little too cold to do that tonight. He cleaned up after closing the garage door. The garage, while not heated, managed to stay just warm enough with the small heater switched on. With the tools put away in their respective places and no extra bolts left over Henry switch off the lights in the garage before opening the door to the house.

Beth woke up yawning with a stretch under the warm covers of the guest bed. As she looked around the bedroom she saw her dress, the short jacket for the dress, and her silk half slip sitting on the antique chair not far from her. She realized this meant her mother had therefore seen how naughty she had been with her lingerie choice. Beth blushed as she realized what her mother might be thinking. She knew that she didn't want to put the dress back on at the moment thought. She spotted her bags sitting by the door and hauled her lavender suitcase onto the bed. The combo lock was not hard to undo but there was this tiny trick to it. The double zippers opened all the way to the base before you flipped open the top onto the bed. She sorted through her clothing to find a comfortable pair of jeans, They didn't cling to tight to her legs as they were an older pair. She also selected one of her university sweaters. The white pullover sweater with the university name in gold trimmed in black was warm and two sizes to big for her. She liked it. The fact that it once belonged to one of her old boyfriends was just a bonus. She also selected a much more less confining and comfortable bra. From her side pocket she removed her pink ballerina slippers for her feet. She debated on the garter and stocks and decided to not too.

Sitting on the bed she removed the clips from the stockings and slid them down to her calves to remove from her feet exposing her lavender, and badly chipped feet. A pedi would have been nice but she had not gotten as good at tips this week so she passed. She also removed the garter belt and the strapless bra leaving them on the bed to be hand washed before she slept. The release of her from the bra was nice. It wasn't that it was tight but she had been in it long enough that marks had formed in her skin and it felt so much better to be out of it. The comfy bra being white didn't match her panties but she was long past caring. Tonight would be about comfy after the day she had.

Beth slide into her jeans with practiced ease and the sweater was a bit big around her slim neck exposing one of her bra straps. She grabbed her makeup case from the floor and slipped out of the room into the hallway bathroom closing the door behind her. With the case on the counter she unfastened the jeans again to empty her bladder. Being female and having a tiny bladder was an annoyance she had grown up with. She was still envious of the guys and their limitless bladder. She was lucky to not have to run to the girls room during the middle of a movie. With the pressure done she wiped front to back flipped the paper and did so again just to be sure. She had a small infection a few months back and had unfond memories of the experience.

She stood up onto the carpet in the bathroom on the throw rug and used the cleanser from her kit along with a moisturizer. Her eyes looked like hell and she was tempted to use a few bits to hide them. It wasn't like her parents hadn't seen her with red eyes before over the years as she had cried often. Whether it was a skinned knee or ruined outfit or boys she remembered her eyes would open up and she would run to mommie for a hug and kiss on the forehead. She brushed out her hair and put it in a high ponytail with a squishy. Her earrings stayed along with her necklace for now. Feeling more presentable she stepped off the carpet onto the cold tile floor with a shock. She had forgotten to put on her slippers.

After depositing her makeup bag in the guest room, and putting on the missing slippers, she exited the room but saw that door again. It was closed. She prayed it had returned to normal and all was well again. The room was unchanged as she flicked on the light. This depressed her as she really liked those dresses and their loss really hurt her. The tough industrial carpet on the floor was an unassuming blue color darker than the walls. There was a newer, and apparently much cheaper, dresser where her old one used to sit. Its drawers were nothing like her old ones as a few didn't even want to open. Others revealed disgusting male underwear that she wanted nothing to do with and she shut the drawers hastily.

The bed was also where hers used to be. She tested the feel of it and it was hard. Not something she would be able to sleep on as she much preferred a soft mattress. The woolen knitted bed cover had woven patterns of blue and purple in it. It was probably warm but wool had a tendency to irritate her sensitive skin.

Beth stood up and walked around the room looking for any hint of her former room. For a moment she thought that there was some pink exposed paint beside what was a worktable of sorts in the corner. It turned out to be some spilled grey paint splashed in that one spot. The matching splotch in the metal wastebasket beside that. The table was where her barbie doll house used to be. The wall where her vanity used to be had a small stand of some sort. Not a shelf like on the wall where she used to store her stuffed kitten and unicorn collection but almost like a badly made birdhouse table. It was not something she would ever be proud of but the boy whose room this was apparently was. There was a picture of the boy with his arm around Angela. It looked like the two of them were out on a date of some sort.

"Does any of this bring back some memories for you?" Her mother asked her. She had not noticed and stood up from her leaning with a start a hand to her chest.

"You startled me!" She admonished her mother.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you but you looked so intent at that picture."Her mother picked up the picture and caressed it lovingly just as she remembered her once doing to one of her old pictures of her first day as a girl scout when she was 7.

"This picture was taken a week before your graduation. The two of you seemed so much in love at the time and I was hoping you might tell me you had plans to marry. Alas the two of you got into a fight the night before grad and it was over. Your prom night was a sad day indeed as you mopped about the house." Her mother placed the picture back to its spot.

Beth remembered her own Prom night well as she had been the date of Bradly Thomas at the time. Her red satin gown with its v neck showed off the cleavage she had created with the gel breast enhancers under her own small breasts. The diamond necklace and earrings having been borrowed from her mother. She remembered the feel of the corsage around her wrist as they danced the night away. Her mother had gushed at how beautiful she was. Of course she had done the same at the other prom nights she had gone to the previous two years as well but she let that pass as she preened in front of the camera on her special night 4 years ago.

"I'm sorry but no. This is not my room and I am not your son. I'm sorry mother." She actually felt her eyes start to water again as she suddenly started to grieve for the brother she never had. Her mother just nodded twice saying nothing. Beth saw her mother's eyes start to water and she gave her mother a hug.

"Perhaps it's for the best as I get a new and pretty daughter to get to know instead."

"I always wanted a daughter." The two women said in unison. They then giggled like naughty school girls after.

"Come supper is ready as I'm sure your starved. If we can just get your father to come in we can eat." her mother with Beth following closed the light and the door before stepping into the hallway." We can discuss your choice of lingerie later." Her mother said.

That was something she knew her mother would say to her and Beth smiled. Even though she should feel naughty it somehow made her feel quite the opposite. Warm, loved, and much more at peace. She followed her mother down the stairs with a smile on her face and was just in time to see her father step out from the garage his hands an awful mess along with an older shirt. She didn't remember ever seeing her father that dirty before.

"Did you finish playing with your truck then dear?" Her mother, displeased, asked as her father used the dishsoap to wash his hands in her sink.

"Yep the new pump is in. I'll put the antifreeze back in tomorrow. I was thinking that Er..uh E could perhaps come with me to get a few things for his, I mean , her car." Her father finished washing his hands in the sink reached for the dishtowel to dry his hands. Never once turning around to face her.

"Not on my good dish towel! Use the old towel under the sink!" Her mother stated while running forward before crouching to get said towel from under the sink for her father. Her mother hand changed into a light blue flower patterned house dress. Beth stood there as she admired this new side to her father that she had never seen before. He had always played at fixing things around the house but the truck and her car was new. Beth decided that she kinda liked it.

"I didn't know you could fix cars!" Beth blurted before she covered her mouth with both hands her eyes wide as she wondered if she had offended him.

"I didn't used to but you got me hooked a few years back when we got that Diplomat going and I found I actually enjoyed getting my hands dirty with a few things. I was never so glad that you took that course in mechanics..." her father trailed off when he noticed Beth eyes had started to water. The mention of her doing things she never remembered brought back the pain she had felt earlier. She was not Eric and she had never been a boy.

"Sorry E.. it's just that you feel so much like him and you look so. But I guess your not him. Still uh would you like to maybe let me make it up to you." her father said while his eyes showed the sadness he felt. Beth lowered her hands and arms to her side.

"H...how so" She got out of her tight throat not sounding to bad she thought.

"Well I was thinking of going to Marksville and getting a few parts for your car. I'm guessing that you haven't done any maintenance to it while at university." Marksville was the next bigger town over about 12 miles or so and a 15 minute drive down the 12.

"I wash it in the summer while I work on my tan in my bikini. I also vacuum it and wipe down the inside." At the word of her bikini both of her parents had flinched.

"That's a no then. So how about it sp..weetie wanna go with your old man tomorrow?" She could hear the unspoken sport as if she was boy but he had tried.

"So this is like shopping then?" Beth asked her father.

"Yeah I suppose it would be like shopping I guess..." Her father had not realized what that meant to a girl. Her mother's eyes opening wide on the other hand let her know she knew exactly that it meant. Beth smiled with a genuine wide smile on her face. Retail therapy was just what she needed.

"I would love too."

"Oh lord! Now you done it Henry." her mother exclaimed while she got a casserole dish out of the oven.

"What did I do?" he asked sounding genuinely puzzled.

"I'll explain it later when we go to bed." Beth giggled at her mother's remark. Some things don't change. Beth found the cutlery and plates where they always were and placed them out on the table like she always had. Her mother looked at her for a moment before putting the dish on the pot holders in the middle of the table. Beth brought over the spoon she figured they would need if it was what she was thinking it smelled like. As her mother removed the tinfoil top she saw it was the leftover casserole. She could never get leftovers at the sorority to make such a casserole. She found herself actually missing it.

Beth and her parents sat down for the small grace before dinner and dug in. Beth told her parents of a few of the things she had done at university and about of few of her sorority sisters. Her parents listened as best they could. Then her father let her know of the projects he had accomplished since she had been gone. Only once referring to her as Eric and then apologizing. Beth asked her mother questions about some of her old girlfriends from highschool and if she knew much about them. Sadly her mother admitted she had not kept track of the girls for her.

When the meal was over Beth helped her mother washing the dishes while her mother dried. It was the way she had remembered doing it. Her mother thanked her with a kiss on the cheek before they joined her father to watch the movie for the evening in the living room. They had not left her room on the couch to snuggle in so she cuddled into the chair to watch the movie.

Beth volunteered to make the popcorn when her father asked about it so her mother wouldn't have to. Both her mother and her father told her the popcorn was good but a little surprising. She did not know why as she always made it the same way. Beth found herself falling asleep towards the end of the movie. It was just going past 10 according to the clock on the wall and she got up to tell them she was going to sleep. Her mother got up to give her a hug goodnight but her father did not stand up as well to give her her customary forehead kiss goodnight. Feeling a little dejected Beth went upstairs to change into the one nightie she had managed to pack before going to the bathroom. She searched under the sink and found the box of Woolite and washed her delicates before setting them to dry on the over the shower bar like she always remembered doing before she slipped back to her new room and under the covers clutching her fairy to her.

As Beth lay there she couldn't help but to recall the days horridly strange events and wonder what it all meant.