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For old times sake
By a sleepy Alyssa Plant
The following is a short story based around something I dreamt during a migraine induced nap. This is about a young girl who returns to her old college OTC unit for memories sake after she quit to transition. It’s slightly true, mostly fiction. For the Americans out there, OTC is like your ROTC at colleges…
“So, can I interest you in the officer training corps miss?”
Sharron looked around to find the source of the voice that awoke her from her musings.
A young man, probably early 20s stood casting a shadow over her spot on the grass in a military uniform.
“Pardon” She asked groggily shielding her eyes with her hand.
“I’m from the OTC, Officer training corps at the university, were recruiting, can I interest you?”
IT had been a long time since Sharron had heard that name or even thought about it.
3 years earlier, Sharron had been in the unit, a whole year of trying to convince herself she was a man. But then, she had been Andrew those years ago. The lost 18yearold boy, wondering who he was, and who she wasn’t.
“Sure.” She smiled “Id be interested.”
“Would you like to come down to the barracks and sign up?” The young man asked.
Nodding, Sharron got to her feet and followed the young man, whose name was Marcus, to the University’s officer training corps barracks across the campus
Walking through those gates was a wash of memories for Sharron. It had been two years since she set foot in that compound, and hearing her heeled footfalls on the wooden drill hall floor was a strange feeling.
Marcus led her to a small table where a woman in a dark blue suit was sorting some papers, and left her to wait.
The woman turned around and greeted Sharron with a smile. “Hi, I’m Captain Harris, and you are?” she beamed extending a hand to Sharron.
”Sharron Davies, I was here about joining.”
“Davies….” The captain looked reflective. “Do you have a brother by any chance? You really remind me of someone by that name.”
At least Miranda Harris hadn’t recognised her, despite being her platoon commander for a whole year.
“I had a brother, Andrew” She stated with a sad expression.
“Had?” asked Captain Harris.
“He died, about two years ago, he committed suicide” She fabricated.
Miranda Harris’s face fell, “Oh.” She whispered, “I’m sorry.”
”Id appreciate if that was just between us.” Sharron continued, “I don’t want it to spread around, or should I get in, be known as Andrew Davies sister. I know he had a rough time.”
Captain Harris looked even more depressed at that. “He did.” She frowned. Of course, it won’t pass my lips.”
After handing Sharron a sheaf of forms to fill in, she returned to assist some other recruits.
Taking a seat at the small table, Sharron began to write.
Some things were new; some remained the same she mused.
Having filled in the form, she returned it to Captain Harris, who handed her over to a young woman cadet.
Junior under officer Maram led Sharron to the doctor’s office for her medical. Sharron had an invisible grin spread across her face, Anna Maram hadn’t recognised her, despite being one of Andrew’s better friends, if one of his only friends, within the unit.
Sharron began to worry about the doctor’s examination; surely it wouldn’t be pelvic too?
Entering the room, the doctor got up from his desk and greeted her.
Despite her nerves, and what she had endured at her last physical, the doctor merely examined her breasts, eyesight, hearing, and joints. She was saved a complicated explanation.
Passing her with flying colours, an expression that made Sharron giggle. She was lead upstairs to a small bar, the ‘Officers mess’ to meet some of the current cadets and recruits.
Looking around the room brought memories back to Sharron. Usually of sitting in the corner and ignoring people who tried to mock her.
Two of the JUO’s came over and began to chat to Sharron. Both had known her, both had bullied her.
Sharron decided she had to do this for the good of Andrew’s memory. She would make them pay for what they did to her.
The Commanding officer came in and addressed the assembled recruits, telling them of the trials to come in their time with the unit. Sharron had heard this speech before; she knew what she had to do. She would prove to them that she was, and always had been strong. And she would get her revenge for the miserable time she had endured those years ago.
To be continued….
Please comment! id love to hear your suggestions and ideas on this one, Its only random musing, but i think it could go somewhere....
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Comments
For Old Time's Sake
If Sharron has completed her journey, then I see no problem with her joining, but if she still has any unsorted bits, it could cause problems. It will be interesting to see her get revenge upon her tormentors, and maybe she can get help from a few friends there.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Interesting...
... Sorry that she wants revenge. Though, she may have been harassed more than others.
She isn't the first TG person to go through OTC. She won't be the last. I've known quite a few non-TG people that have been through a wide variety of OTC units / schools. Based on the stories I heard and what I saw myself, kids with issues were not abused. They might have been ignored by some.
The only exception to this I'm aware of was the really large schools/units (several hundred cadets) or the academies where in the past cadets would have experienced a LOT of hazing, and kids that reacted more to the hazing, would have drawn more than their share. (For some reason those that haze seem to thrive on getting reactions.)
What does this have to do with the price of beans? Not much. I guess. Maybe I'll end up erasing this bit of my comment after I think about it more.
As to the story start...
Interesting concept. There are a few complexities I'm curious how you'll end up resolving.
1) Service ID #/ National ID. If Andrew was in the unit a few years previously, Sharron is likely to have the same # which would cause a flag to be raised.
2) Knowing too much - Sharron's been through things fairly recently. Pretending she doesn't know much is likely to fail. And only so much can be passed off to stories from her brother. Add that to the fact she's trying to keep her "brother's" existance quiet.
3) How much of the perceived "hazing" was Andrew's heightened sensitivity and how much actual persecution? I'd expect both were involved.
4) How different ARE the personalities? Interests? etc...
The start certainly has potential, even though it's short. I'll be curious to see what you do with this.
Annette
Too Negative
I find the premise for the story continuation too negative. If revenge is the only motive, that's only going to take away from sympathy for the character.
She was in, she's out, she's living her life, she never liked it while she was there, why go back? Why does she need revenge?
Besides, as a lower-order member of a military organization, how could she get revenge in any meaningful way without committing a criminal act, or getting tossed out, or experiencing twice as much strife as she causes others?
You're clearly free to write whatever you want, but I don't see this particular idea as having near as much potential as your other ones.
well
social revenge is sometimes more painful....
and you would be suprised what people can get away with in that organisation... its insanely informal...
Yes its negative, but initial motives dont hold always do they?
motives evolve, plans never survive intiial contact, keeping in genre....
Alyssa
You wouldn't, would you?
Don't tell me she plots to publically embarass one who did the bullying or condoned/covered it up and falls in love and by their mutual falling in love gets an even better revenge?
Who can torment a man better than his *loyal* wife. Or maybe revenge will fall by the wayside as she *finds herself* and ends up stronger for it. Revenege just for revenge's sake is a waste and self distructive but the line between love and hate is a narrow one. She could marry, thus deneying her love/hate interst children but over time would regret that and bemoan the fact she is baren. She seems to happy as a woman, why ruin that by revenge, better to live life to it's fullest.
Maybe turn a few revenge/love conventions on their respective heads with this. Maybe the comanding officer was once a man and had battlefield injures making her eventually choose to become a woman, That would be farfetched but wild. Maybe her worst tormrntor tormented him because subcosicously he saw the woman in him/her. He beat her to avoid confronting what he thought was a homosexual attraction.
There is always the young woman recrute helps them win a big award or saves the day, rescues a child from a fire and then revealals herself as TG jsut tospite the OTC after the heap prasise oon her as "The epitomy of British womanhood/miltary officer," or so on.
Have fun.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
?
looking thru the comments then reading the start of the tale, makes me wonder if you deleted whole sections of this story. As it stands its very open to go any direction, but i guess the title is...
wonder if you plan to continue this
I found this tonight on random solos, and found the start interesting. I wonder if you plan to continue ....