Welcoming Center:
A black, blackout window minibus comes driving up the long driveway leading to the vineyard. It stops in front of adobe style building where several people are outside waiting for it. The black minibus stops in front of the building and the door opens as a Native American woman knocks gently on the doors.

The doors open and the woman walks onto the bus. She looks at all the passengers on the bus. There were ten people in total. She spots four guys and six women. Most of the young women looked to be of Asian descent, except one red-haired young woman. She was sitting next to one of the young Asian women.

“Hi, my name is Awena Running Brook, and welcome to The Vineyard. I know all of you have experienced something no one your age should have. Our staff members will do everything we can to help you adapt to your new situation. I want you to know, that everyone here, including the staff that you will encounter is here to help. For the three of you, that are pregnant. We have counselors that specialize in child care. If you choose not to keep your baby. We will find loving parents for your child. Now, as you exit the bus, you’ll be partnered with others like yourself who have been here for a while. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of the staff or the mentors assigned to you.”

Jesse looks at Awena and wonders if she has been a girl or turned into one like herself and the other girls on the bus. She glances at the girl sitting next to her. The poor girl had gotten pregnant by one of the guys at the massage parlor she worked at.

The massage parlor was a front for a prostitution ring that was ran out of it. The owners of it were part of a criminal organization that used to import women from Asian countries. However, they found that by using certain feminization drugs currently available on the black market. They could take Asian men off the streets and their home countries to turn into women.

That way they could avoid certain agencies that monitored them. She had been turned into a girl by a group of men who found her living on the streets. She was offered some food and the next thing she knew, she woke up inside a room along with several other women.

“Now, if you ladies will follow me. We’ll team you up with your mentors and show you to your room. If you ladies need anything, feel free to ask. Remember, we’re here to help you.” Awena turns and exits from the minibus.

Jesse stands up and helps the girl sitting next to her. The poor girl was five months pregnant, just like the other two women on the bus. She felt sorry for the other two women because they were purposely impregnated. She had overheard that semen from several rich wealthy men had been used. So, they picked out these three ladies to carry their offspring.

As the girls exit from the minibus, they are paired up with other women around their age. Jesse wonders who she is going to be paired up with. As she steps off the minibus, she spots a young teenage age girl with short feathered red and black hair. She was wearing black lipstick and her eyebrows looked like they were painted on her pale-looking face.

As Jesse looked closer at the young woman standing in front of her, she noticed the young woman had red eyeballs and star-shaped pupils.

“Hi, I’m Yurei and I’ve been selected to be your mentor, Jesse.” Yurei holds her hand out to shake Jesse’s hand.

Jesse noticed that Yurei had a deep Southern accent. She reaches forward and shakes Yurei’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Yurei.” Jesse noticed Yurei’s grip was a little light.

Jesse didn’t know if Yurei didn’t like touching her or if she wasn’t very strong. She let go after a few seconds.

“What does a mentor do here?” Jesse was curious about Yurei.

“Well, my job is to help you. You see, everyone that either lives here or works here, besides some of the doctors has experienced everything you must have gone through.” Yurei escorts Jesse to the room assigned to her, which happens to be directly across from her room.

“Did you use to be a boy, that was turned into a girl?” Jesse wanted to know if Yurei was telling the truth.

“Actually, yes. But it was my fault.” Yurei knew everything that happened to her, was of her own doing.

“How so?” Jesse’s curiosity was piqued.

“Well, I never paid much attention to safety or experimenting. I love to experiment and I managed to get my hands on a new experimental drug from a pharmaceutical company. The drug was being developed to help and prevent women from going through menopause. Unfortunately, the formula for the chemicals in the drug was still a little strong. One of the researchers developing the drug asked me to see what I could do to help them. So, I went to work to see what I could do. While I was working on the drug, there was an accident in my lab, and the next thing I knew. I was waking up in the back of an ambulance.”

“Is that when you discovered that you had changed?” Jesse wanted to know more.

“No, my body started to change slowly over a matter of weeks. First, it was my eyes and my chest. Then, my hair and skin were next. All the while my penis and testicles started to get smaller and smaller. It took a total of four months for the changes to occur in my body. I tried to determine what had caused it to see if I could undo the changes, but because of all the chemicals I had in my lab. It was impossible to find the combination of which chemicals was working in my system.”

“Is that why you have such unusual looks?” Jesse wonders if the chemicals made Yurei look the way she did.

“Yes, believe me. I would rather look like you and the other women here. My looks unnerve most people when they see me.” Yurei stops in front of the room assigned to Jesse.

Jesse looks at the door and notices it has a card reader, instead of a key lock. She turns back to look at Yurei “No key lock?”

“Nope, but this is for you.” Yurei pulls out a purple plastic card with a microchip in it. She hands it to Jesse.

Jesse accepts it and looks at it. She then looks at Yurei for an explanation.

“You can use it to open your room and buy snacks at the snack bar. Your meals are provided for. Also, you can purchase items with it when we go into town. You have a ten-thousand-dollar limit. If you decide that you would like to work here, your pay can be deposited into your account as well.”

“What bank is this card issued by?” Jesse presses the card against the card reader.

“It’s backed by a credit union. I’m not sure which one.” She’ll have to ask Dr. Blake when she sees her.

The door unlocks with a click. Jesse pushes open the door and looks inside the room. There was a bed and a computer desk with a desktop computer on it. She walks into the room and notices a dresser and a bed. There was also a private bathroom as well.

She spots a closet and shelves where she can put towels, washcloths, and clean sheets. There was a flat-screen television and a small black color dorm size refrigerator.

“Your room looks just like mine.” Yurei knew all the rooms on this wing were the same. Some of them had a connecting door to another room.

Jesse looks around the room. She stuck her head into the bathroom and saw it was a tub and shower combo. It was already stocked with everything she would need to take care of her bodily needs.

Jesse walks back into the room and notices Yurei just standing there, watching her. She explores some more and wonders where her stuff is. She turns around to look at Yurei “When will they bring what stuff we packed to our rooms?”

“Soon, to make sure no illegal substances or weapons are brought in. Everything is scanned by an x-ray machine and by a drug dog.”

“Well, they won’t find anything illegal in my stuff. What stuff I had, got thrown away by the people who turned me.”

“Well, if you need anything, we can go into town to buy you some clothes or order you some. We have some here at The Vineyard to get you started.”

“Thanks. Is there a place where I can get something to eat?” Jesse’s stomach rumbles.

A smile appears on Yurei’s face. “Come on, we can grab some food in the cafeteria.”

“Okay.”

Yurei leads Jesse out of her room and to the cafeteria.