Before we went to sleep for the night, Jamie and Sharon took me aside to talk. “We want to thank you and say we are pleasantly amazed by the neat Sister you are turning out to be.” They could tell that I did not understand... Jamie said, “By Sister, we are talking about you as a woman in the best sense and how you are there for others. ...your appearance has changed, along with your mannerisms and your heart and caring wisdom say you are one of the ‘Sisters’.”

Jamie was watching for a sign that the Camp was safe to return to, but Polly’s pursuers had a contingent of lawmen checking the Camp; pretty sure Polly was there. The longer they were asking questions it could prove problematic.

Jamie asked, “It would be a nice time for ‘Willy Can Do It’ to come up with an idea.

I said “Well Patti’s idea is for them to run up on the pole the trunks that Sharon caught the other day. And let Camp get back to fun as usual." Lisa called someone with the idea calling through the camp land phone. Soon Camp Rainbow was getting calls from Camp ArrowHead complaining their flag was inappropriate. Director Laura invited them over to discuss the problem.

Soon Congressman Paterson’s people were leaving, Laura suspected they did not want anyone more people to witness their presence. The County Sheriff and Deputies met them at the Camp entrance and questioned various law officials about their presence outside of their jurisdiction. Two Deputies were taken into custody, as their identity did not match records from the corresponding counties. While Congressman Paterson could not be held or questioned. Their group had not been ready for the people with him to be questioned.

Officer Jamie and Sharon led our group back to Camp via the long trail.

Willy got to ride up with Jamie, while Sharon tagged along back with Lisa and Polly. “Officer Jamie, do you think things will work out for Polly? She's really afraid of the system, the authorities, and institutions and I don’t blame her. I’m scared for her.

Jamie smiled and said, “Why do you think, I am going to be her Foster Parent?”

Enthusiastically Patti asked, “Do you mean that she will stay with you? She and I were afraid that was just temporary.”

“It is only temporary if she doesn’t like it or we can be sure that we have something better. I’m afraid she might be afraid of me because I am a State Trooper. I came from an abusive home and was sent to bad places too many times.”

Patti said, “But won’t it make it awkward to attract a guy having a teenage girl?”

She says, “Most guys seem to be distracted enough by the badge and gun. While there are some others who seem to be attracted to the gun.”

Patti proudly said, “I told Polly that you were not the normal trooper and that I for one trusted you. Polly said, but I was never in trouble and I told her you might tell her better someday. She asked what I meant, I will tell you someday, but you might not like me after that." Something Jamie said now hits me, "You were kidding about the gun and handcuffs aren’t you?”

We were just entering the main area of Camp and three officials of Camp Arrowhead were with Director Laura. I quickly became very nervous as Willy knew all three quite well. Officer Jamie got off and introduced herself to them and asked Patti to take her horse to the stable. Lisa, Polly and I took the horses to the horse barn.

We made the mistake of going back to our campsite and Polly asked me why I had to stay in the smaller tent with Samantha as a special counselor. Seemingly one of the other girls had said I had done something that caused another girl to get hurt. Officer Jamie and the Camp Director are punishing her as befit the crime.

“So what did you do,” asked Polly, “And how does the punishment fit your crime?”

Staci stuck her head out of the Conestoga wagon, “He’s a prankster from the boys camp next door, but now she’s one of us!” she said laughing.

It would be a short while before Polly remembered how Patti helped clean her.

For now, she laughed, “No wonder you had the balls to stand up to those guys yesterday.” She swung Patti around as to take a better look at her.

Patti went into her tent feeling a bit sad and shy. She changed into a swimsuit for canoeing and put on some shorts and one of Samantha’s tops. Counselor Samantha was about three inches taller than her and her top covered a little bit more.

Samantha heard I was back and came to relieve Lisa from watching me. Lisa took Polly over to Nurse Jane to be checked out.

Polly insisted she was not going to any hospital until she was sure she was safe. “They would have to report my injuries and then, 'They' would know where I am.”

An hour later Patti was out canoeing on the lake when she was being called ashore. “You need to see Dir. Hills as she said you have a package from France.”

The Director welcomed Patti with a big smile, “Your mother sent a special gift for you and I think you will need Nurse Jane’s help in getting it on properly.” Patti asked what it was but Director Hills taped the box shut and told Patti to deliver it to the Nurse unopened.

She did as she was told though Patti was sure she wouldn’t like it since the Director wouldn’t tell her what it was. She knocked on the door to the Nurse’s Office. Nurse Jane welcomed her in asking her to be quiet as Polly was resting in the next room. She took the package and asked me to sit upon the edge of the examining table.

There were actually several boxes in the larger package, but none of them were fancy like one might suspect from France. Miss Jane first gave Patti a glass of water and a tablet to swallow. She said, "You will be taking one a week while at camp."

She told Patti to undress and to lay on her back on the examining table. She slid out an extension so Patti's legs were resting on the table as well. “I will need to shave you a little more before I proceed.” I didn’t have a lot of hair there, and Jane ended up being the one to shave between my legs, which was very embarrassing. I wasn’t giving anyone any satisfaction of crying or throwing a fit.

But the embarrassment was just beginning as she drew circles on her chest and attached small breastforms. Jane had the nerve to ask her to hold them in place for a few minutes. Then she brushed the adhesive between Patti's legs to hold a natural looking vagina gaff from France.

Jane told Patti to be still or she would call a couple of others to help her. Saying, it would prove more awkward for Patti than her. She slipped his penis into a special spot and then pushed this plastic form and pressed it to her body adjusting it until Jane was pleased.

“Now you will look as pretty and normal as the other Rainbow Campers.”

“If this isn’t poetic justice,” said another voice in the room. It was Polly, Patti expected to see her laughing. Instead, she said, “I'm very mad at you remembering last night. I am still hurt and angry. Why didn’t you tell me or get someone else to do it?”

Patti was in shock, seeing Polly there. “I didn’t mean it to hurt you, you were already hurt and a mess and you asked me to clean you up. Lisa offered to do it and I want her to, but you said ‘No you trusted me’ and I thought it would scare you, to tell the truth. I like being your friend, though I know now you will hate me.” Patti started crying big time and Nurse Jane had to give her a sedative.

Patti was surprised to wake up partly dressed. She had fallen asleep and Nurse Jane had a blanket over her. But the pillow was different. Patti looked up and realized her head was in Polly’s lap. Polly looked down at Patti with a warm smile.

Before they left the Nurse’s Station, Jane gave Patti a small package of lace panties and a cute matching bra. She said, "It too is from your Mom for when you go to the big social later in the summer." When Patti lifted them up Polly giggled. Patti could not believe such delicate things could be hers.

Polly told her, “Officer Jamie is coming to take us in her squad car to get a sundae, you had asked for. I guess your life was a bit messed up like mine.”

It was a half-hour later that Jamie showed up in her squad car. Polly and Patti were both excited to see her. She said she was treating both of them to dinner and an ice cream sundae so they had to watch what they ate.

Patti found herself ordering a spinach salad, it came with strawberry slices, slices of chicken, pecan pieces and a tangy dressing. The past week she has started into eating more salads. Jamie asked her if she was on a diet.

Patti asked if she should be, but Jamie and Polly just laughed.

Polly and Patti were bombarding Jamie with questions and she seemed to enjoy having the two campers with her.

Polly was surprised that Jamie had come from an abusive life growing up. Polly, was worried that she was 'crap' and couldn’t expect to be much. “When you hand me over to an institution, I suspect I will just return to being myself.”

Jamie asked, “Why would you want to go to an institution instead of staying with me?” Patti had told Polly that Jamie, was hoping that her being a foster parent was to be lasting, but Polly didn’t trust good news. It was nice to see joy come over Polly and for her to have tears of happiness. Patti used a moment in the restroom to redo her make-up and let Polly and Jamie have their own time together.

While the three were enjoying their sundaes, Patti finally asked about the other Troopers who had followed them from camp and stayed out in their car. Jamie said, “Yes, there will often be another unmarked car as we have concerns for Polly’s safety and a lesser concern for you and Lisa. …We believe we have covered our tracks quite well and that they are chasing a ghost into Pennsylvania. But they are powerful people so we will go the extra steps to keep you safe and to nab them if they come here.”

Jamie continued, “…Things like this are very ugly and with Polly’s help many girls and a few boys will be saved from living nightmares.”

When we were finished eating, Jamie arranged for Polly to get to the salon and then she would help her shop for some new clothes. Polly asked if I could go with her as she was still scared to be with adults alone. I noticed a look on Jamie’s face and suggested that she could ask Susan to go if that would be better.

We don’t mind if you two are friends, but others might suspect who is Polly if you are always together. Because Susan was a dirty blonde with blue eyes we did not automatically look like sisters. Susan was also a bit more mature and capable of handling herself. She actually had a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do; I only had a green belt and was not confident in using it.

When I got back to my campsite Samantha was interested in seeing the new me. Luckily I got away without modeling my panties and bra over my new girl parts. She had me wear a pair of short shorts and a small top to the campfire. It was a warm night so I didn’t mind.

A camper named Brandi was getting snide and upset with the attention I was getting. She and two friends started to make preparation to go to bed and getting an early shower for me became more difficult.

Sam realized what they were doing but it was something I needed to put up with.

Sam would remind me I was intruding into their territory, but a few times I said, “I'm a girl with as many rights as they had.” Sam. Susan and Sharon took turns in reminding me, I was Willy being punished by living as a girl at the Camp.

Thursday was one of those “Life Lesson” days a normal boy doesn’t have, we went to town to buy for ourselves a new bra. I had been to the nurse and the director to get out of going. But it was an uncomfortable experience they wanted me to remember.

I couldn’t be in the shop when they were having their experience but they were allowed to be there for mine. First I got frustrated when I was back in the changing room as I was taking off my top. I was experiencing trouble in pulling my top over my head and this time was no different.

Cami who was a better endowed young woman; smiled and said, “Patti haven’t you been watching us girls?” She crossed her arms and grabbed the bottom of her top and pulled up. I wasn’t sure what I was to be watching, but I was distracted by another thought.

Cami enjoyed being at a girl's camp and not having to worry about wearing a bra. Cami smiled as she checked her breasts before she pulled the top back down. My face was red, and Cami remarked about my smile. She came up to me and whispered, “A girl crosses her arms she lifts up and pulls it a little away from her body.”

She crossed my arms and placed them to the bottom of my top and I tried again. It went easy and I said thanks as Cami gave me a pat on the butt. “You’re welcome, keep your eyes and ears open as you become one of us.”

Cami stayed as they took measurements. Cami suggested they measure my waist, hips, and inseam as well as my top. They said my waist was 25” but I knew it was over 26” in April when I had to order a pair of dress pants and a sports coat. I argued but Cami giggled and said I think that inch and half dropped down to your hips.

I held my breath as they measured my inseam, hoping my gaff hid me properly. They measured my top and it was just under 30” and a nice “A” cup bra. Cami had one in hand with a lacy yellow edge on top of the cups. I tried it as well as the style I had picked. I did like Cami’s pick better, but I asked if it was too fancy for camp.

“You wear that one to the dance and they won’t see ‘Willy’.” I was appreciating friends like Cami more as I was experiencing more girls like Brandi.

I asked Cami on the way back to Camp, “Why are some girls friendly like you, and some are disliking me, even being mean?”

“Some dislike what you did as a boy; others may not be happy with how good you look. You know in a way you are competing not only against boys but other friends at camp. I’ve liked you more since you befriended Polly. Polly’s become one of my friends. She said you risked yourself for her... She was certainly surprised when she found out you were a boy. She said she forgave you and you’ve become friends. She won’t tell me what she forgave you for, only that it wasn’t a big deal.”

During FOB I found my sleeping bag and underwear with whipped cream in them. I was getting very angry, when Staci sent word via Cami, to tell me it was about acceptance and not from those who don’t like you.

Cami went out canoeing with me and swamped our canoe, saying I needed to cool things down. “Don’t be so tense about everything. We overturned the canoe to get the water out and Cami told me, “Patti, meet me inside.” That meant to see her underneath the canoe while it was still turned over.

Cami was underneath first and I came up right next to her, she smiled and planted a kiss on me. I broke my girl mode and Cami said “Cool it, boy. This is about people loving you, not necessarily a girl/boy thing. It was Patti I invited under here, but don’t make too much of that either!” I didn’t know what to think other than I did need to cool down with the quick feelings overcoming me.

We still had canoeing, but I decided to go out with two girls that I did not know before and have a good time. We swamped our canoe and were underneath but this time we sang a Brittany Spears song. I really didn’t know the words or tune but found myself catching on. I liked the way she sang “Baby, baby” and as we approached the shallow water, I was able to sing the refrain.

Friday morning came and It was to be an enjoyable day. The theme lesson for the week was what we have a passion for. It was something as some were traditions such as dance, fashion and design, and nursing. Several of the campers were interested in being doctors, computer techs and programmers, though most did not appear to be geeks.

Cami and another camper were interested in diplomatic services or international relations. Both already had two or three years of a second language and Cami was to begin Swahili as she begins high school in the fall.

God, I like her for her good looks, but could my male ego handle a girl with so much ability. Dah, I probably didn’t need to worry about being on her radar. Hmm, maybe Patti would have a better chance. …WHAT AM I THINKING?

The Life Lesson was on self-image, and though the Camp program dealt with it as issues in girl’s lives, much of what it taught and talked about could be put into context for guys too. I stayed pretty much out of today’s discussion. It was surprising how smart and good looking girls had image problems as well as others such as Plain Janes, good girls or bad girls, too heavy, too thin, to too average.

I had a friend who was really good at basketball and most sports, but he said two bad games and he was an “untouchable”. So many people gave him advice, he had trouble being himself. Seemingly girls felt the pressure more so with magazines, and chat groups deciding who and what was in.

A girl named Cali had nice clothes, but others thought she and her family were poor. The reason was that she and her family didn’t wear name brands of clothes, so those they were a year behind in fashion. They told me Susan’s ratings went up when people heard our Mom was in France.

They did some neat activities during camp in general and the Life Lessons, in particular, to help us to get to know each other as a person outside of labels and groupings.

I know in my short time at camp I wasn’t so much a freak, loser, or a prick of a guy as most originally thought. I knew I was considered a Sissy/Mommy’s boy when I accepted my punishment to dress as a girl. Several now actually decided it took courage.

“So what are you wearing to the dance tonight Patti,” asked Brandi? She was forcing herself to sound sincere. “At least you won’t have to worry about the boys from Arrowhead.”

“I think I will sit out the camp dances as guys aren’t my type.”

Sharon burst my bubble, “Sitting out is not an option for a Rainbow Camper. You haven’t worn your golfing skirt yet; I think you should try that.”

I said, “You got to be kidding if you think I am dancing with another boy!”

Sharon said, “If I were you, I would try very hard to be a Rainbow Camper. If you show up as Rainbow Boy, you will cause yourself a lot of grief and get the wrath of unwanted consequences.”

I was actually happy that Sharon dressed me down in public. I wanted to go to the dance but was afraid of what others would think if it appeared I wanted to be there.

The skirt I was thinking about was not as short as the golf skirt.

The first community dance usually attracted a lot of guys as they wanted to evaluate and get first shot at the good looking girls. Cami and Polly delivered a note saying I had to dance with at least five boys before I stopped or repeated whom I danced with.

Polly came over and polished my nails and helped me redo my makeup. I also had to critique three outfits she was choosing from. Between the salon visit, the clothes, and being happy, she was not recognizable. She was now going by Julie which I needed to remember.

I didn’t dance the first dance, but the second dance was slow so some shy kid asked me for a dance. He was surprised when I said yes. Austin was the second guy I danced with and Matt was the fourth. These times it was me who was surprised about being asked. I figured they were hot guys. Both were disappointed that I needed to dance with others.

After my fifth dance, I took a break and Austin was making a fuss over me. We walked over to the canoe dock and made small talk, he got a drink for me and we shared the next two dances. It would have been three but Cami and Matt cut in and made us exchange partners.

I am not sure but I think Cami put Matt up to giving me a kiss on the cheek. When I looked up he kissed me on the lips, and I kissed him back. I wished it was Austin as he had nicer breath. And I was right his kiss was sweeter.

I danced a fast dance with Julie as I knew she was uncomfortable and ready to cry.

Brandi made a snide remark of us making a nice couple. Before I hit her Staci and Cami made it a group dance.

It would be three weeks until the next community dance and neither Matt nor Austin wanted to wait. They pushed to come back the next week and wanted to stay as long as they could for a day. Staci said, "We have one boy here and you don’t have what it takes."

Both insisted they would do what was needed if one was able to do it so could they. Sharon took the boys aside and told them, the boy Rainbow Camper isn’t one of the guys you recognize.

Well, neither Austin nor Matt was going to be the first to back out. So Director Laura quickly met them and told them what they needed to do. They would need to be at Camp Rainbow the following Friday and take part in all the activities and appear as a girl, though they did not need to be convincing as the male camper already there.

Matt didn’t tell Austin, but he had no intention of coming back next week. Austin didn’t plan to come but he would not be the first to back out. He would need to dress and take part like all the girls; he was not required to shave his legs. He didn’t plan to until Thursday when his Mom helped him see what he would look like.

He did not realize it meant a dance with Camp Arrowhead guys and experiencing a sleepover as a girl.

I thought it was cute but crazy; especially when I learned Matt was not coming. Matt and Austin lived in different towns in different directions, so Austin would not know until he was at camp.

Sunday, Mom called from France to see how Susan and I were doing. She was a bit surprised I was cooperating and that I was a bit of a “heroine”. I thanked her for the package she sent.

“You really appreciated what I sent?”

“It was not like I appreciated all of it, but I thought you went out of your way to help me, in your thinking it made sense.”

Mom asked, “What was it that you liked or appreciated?”

She was catching me with my own words, realizing I had, in fact, liked something. I ended up liking it all, but I told her “It was the bra with the yellow lacing that I thought was cute.”

She asked, “How poorly did it fit your figure and new breast forms?”

I told her, “The combination turned the heads of a few guys at our dance.”

She asked, “So who in particular liked how you looked, and did he try to kiss you?”

“Mom! You are not to ask something like that. You wouldn’t do it to Susan; she would tell you it wasn’t any of your business.”

She cheerfully asked, “So someone did kiss you, what did you think? Did you kiss him back?” I didn’t answer her anymore but Sharon told her what happened. Susan said she didn’t see it but was told by enough campers to believe it.

I told her I liked horseback riding and we needed to get some horses to keep at Grandma’s. 'Besides being a little expensive, what do you think she would think about Patti coming over to ride now and then?" She reminded me that Willy would be too busy to ride a horse that much.

I told her, "Patti would be as busy, but a girl is usually a better planner." We would have gotten into a discussion on how my opinion of women was changing, but it would need to wait until she was home.

Susan was brushing my hair as she waited to talk to Mom and I returned the favor by doing her nails. Susan was joking with me in a new way and I later asked her what was up?

“I am not sure Squirt, I just find it easier to relate to Patti. I thought you here at Rainbow would be embarrassing. I like what I see."

When Susan was talking, she asked Mom if she could pierce my ears.

“You didn’t ask me? And I say No!”

“I am asking Mom, please don’t interrupt me. Mom, I think it should just be part of Patti’s experience at Camp. Plus all Willy needs to do if he doesn’t like it would be easy enough to let the holes close up. I am not trying to be mean Mom, you should see how Patti is so girl.”

Mom says, “I thought piercing ears is against camp rules?”

Susan asks Patti, “Tell me in one minute the pranks you have pulled on girls, go?”

“Pulling hair, putting ice down their back, down their front, looking up a skirt, bumping them when they’re putting on lipstick, messing their hair, teasing, interrupting, knocking books out of their hands…”

Susan giggled, “Thanks, the girls wanted a list of possible paybacks.”

“Susan, I won’t tell you to break the rules, but I will want a picture of her at the next dance.”

Mom told us what she was doing both in work and on her free time. We were looking forward to her being back. She hoped she would be back in time to visit us at Camp as she had been planning. “I can’t wait for you Mom; the girls here think you are special because you're in France. The guys always gave me a hard time and didn’t understand.”

She said, “Well, I am glad you will be happy to see me. I hope to go canoeing or horseback riding with two daughters.”

I threatened Susan about teasing and prank’s she and other girls were planning. “Well, I am going to make lists and turn them in about who does what to me.”

“If you do that you better start with the guys who helped in your prank, or you would be going against your word of not tattling.” I was getting fed up and had snapped at people a few times.
Mom shared on the phone that I would be getting two hormone shots, hoping it would mellow my mood and enhance my girl experience.

I told her I didn’t want to be any more girly. She shared that while I was doing well overall, the times I snapped badly enough they almost called an end to my time at camp. Mom said one medication was used as a medication with boys for such purposes.

Those at camp who were having trouble with me were the extended-stay campers like us. Two groups were going for overnight campouts under the star, tonight and tomorrow night. There was a challenge concerning enjoyable meals with minimal weight. Susan chose a site with a heavy Dutch oven already there. The Ice we used to keep things cold often got wasted, but we made spaghetti and two sauces using tomato pastes and spices. Fruits and items needed for smores were snuck up earlier for our desserts.

We had reached the site, settled in and had begun dinner when I was pounced upon by no less than six girls. I guess my ears were to be pierced. Ice was held to my lobes but I complained when they were going to use one silver stud and one silver circle. They told me they had another pair like it for my right ear.

I was the one cooking the fail-proof spaghetti and the traditional sauce but a bit spicier with some Italian sausage. Just before we ate Officer Jamie rode up. She needed to keep an eye on Julie/Poly.

There were two more arrests made in the case today, so Jamie was feeling a bit protective. It was nice to see a State Trooper let down her hair and have a good time. It was a bigger deal for us just finishing 7 and 8th grade to hear stories and see the bodies of girls older than us.

Before we went to sleep Julie, Staci, Cami and I talked about how we wanted to be liked and how we wanted to be like our bigger sisters and mothers. One of the most moving times was to listen to Julie talk about Jamie and shared for the first time she was not afraid to have a baby who might be like her.

When it was my turn, I shared I couldn’t and with that Cami pounced upon me, bounce quite hard on me taking away my breath. “Now I am going to put you under my trance, and if you don’t I will pounce and bounce the smithereens out of your former boyhood. You are now going under my trance and until breakfast is finished you are Patti and always will be a girl. You will share about your sister and mother and the girl you want to grow up and become.”

They started by asking questions like how my sister could help me? “I would like my sister to teach me the way she does make-up. I wish she caught me in her room and decided to give me a makeover. Boys tend to use too much and look like clowns, my sister has already been teaching me, but after Camp, she will help me for school.”

Staci asked about my mom. “My Mom is a single parent and she has taught her daughters raising us that it is important for a girl to get people to respect her and for her to take pride in herself. I would like her to be proud of the woman she'll help me to be. I would like to learn how she cooks, I hope to be able to wear some of her jewelry. I don’t know if she knows how but I would like to learn to put my hair in a French braid.”

Cami again pounced on me but softly and suggested we pray, Dear God, what we have shared, and the pride we have in Moms, sisters and Jamie that we spoke, needs to be remembered and where possible lived to be made true. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Cami, “I heard that ‘Amen’ means 'so be it'. So if that is indeed our prayer let us loudly say “Amen’.” And we all loudly said “Amen!”

Come morning, it was suspected that Rachel had her period because several of the older girls went off to console and celebrate with her. Somehow, several girls thought it would be a good time for Patti to use a feminine napkin and a tampon. Several of the older girls knew I had used them for horseback riding, but no one shared that information.

Consistently I was riding a horse named April, somehow the second night I thought of using her horse blanket to sleep soundly. But in the morning the idea literally stunk. My sister led me down a path to a spring fed pond. The good news was the water was very good for coming clean, the bad news was it was cold mountain spring water.

The high school girls were crazy as they stripped down to their bras and panties or shorts and jumped in. I got to check backs and help shampoo hair as we looked for tick or leaches. Girls would give me a big hug knowing their breasts were a bit warm. It was purely to embarrass me and it went no further.

But I was down to my breast forms and vagina gaff as I dried off and they too were down to their birthday suits. I knew my thinking was getting screwed up when my biggest thought was if my body look as good as Susan’s.

Last night’s girl talk/prayer came to my head. I got back to camp and before I could fully dry my hair, Jamie came over and styled it into a French braid at Julie’s request. We were back horseback riding and this time going off the Camp property and into Oak Ridge State Park that surrounded the Southern end of the lake.

Susan and two other high school girls road back to the Camp Rainbow to get the food and canoes to meet us at the State Park Campgrounds. Susan called back to Officer Jamie to tell her of two men they passed hiking up the trail. Jamie told Susan to get to camp and to confirm to the Sheriff’s office about where we were heading and about the two men hiking on the trail.

Lisa had ridden down the long trail to the lake far enough to see more hikers coming up that trail. We had a four-mile ride back up the trail ride to Rock Mount Look-Out. With luck, we would be met by 2-6 Troopers using horses and dirt-bikes to meet us. The two horse riders would meet us as we crossed a road. The dirt-bikers would meet us at the Rock Mount. A team of Federal Marshals would converge on the campground, expecting key players to be there to confirm Polly’s capture or tragic death.

The Troopers did not want us involved in any shoot-out but needed us to keep riding to keep up the allusion that it was still a normal outing for us. We progressed slowly on the trail so the hikers would keep up with us, yet not get too close. Once we reached Rock Mount we were directed to a hidden area for safety and the trap for the bad people was set.

Patti had an attack of the Willy’s and could not stay out of trouble. As Willy the past two summers we had trouble with town kids and we set up booby-traps to change the odds to our favor. Lisa went with me, and after the armed hikers passed over the gulch bridge, we set up a trap to trip anyone trying to get away quickly. It was a small task of tying some trip ropes and putting a good group of round rocks as obstacles onto the bridge.

There were five bad guys who passed us and a minimum of three coming from the direction of the campground trail. Within two minutes orders to surrender were met with gun-shots. Not too many were from the well-armed bad guys. One guy ran toward Jamie and the Campers and surrendered to Jamie. Two fell wounded and three more surrendered immediately.

Two retreated down our trail to the gulch bridge where one tripped over the rope onto some rocks and the other turned his ankle on the round rocks and fell off the bridge. The fall was far enough to break a leg, yet it was soft enough into water and mud that he didn’t kill himself. Two Troopers were down the trail quick enough to make arrests.

The Marshalls in unison with the actions on Rock Mount, made a sweep of the Campgrounds arresting one district judge who was there with a couple of social workers and Rep. Paterson. Paterson sang like a canary. Officer Jamie said the key dirty politician a Jeff Kinney got away.

I spoke up and suggested they should ask the Mafia to keep him from leaving the country and to help have him be arrested. Two days later Kinny was found beaten and tied up in the back of an abandoned car.

I had heard once from an uncle that some in the Mafia were still principled enough not to involve children in prostitution or sexual abuse. Seemingly he was right.

Some community people complained that they did not like this type of police work in their community. We liked Sheriff John Walters’ statement, “You should be proud to have Law Officers who cooperated with each other to match forces against such criminals seeking to invade your community. Today State Troopers, U.S. Marshals and local law officials worked together for the sake of abused and exploited children now and possibly your children in the future.”

My actions came to the notice of the State Troopers and then the U.S. Marshals, as well as my identity as a boy at the girls’ camp. U.S. Marshal Douglas Kelly came up to thank me, “We Lass, I sadly admit transgendered people often don't receive the best treatment from the law community, today we and your friend Julie are greatly indebted to you.” He gave me his card, told me to stay out of trouble, but to call him if trouble comes my way.

I had been good at that point, but then I broke down and cried in Marshall Kelly’s arms. We did sleep out at the State Park, but apart from seeing some of the fireworks, I was one of several girls who fell asleep in our tents.

Staci, Julie, Cami, and I were a mess of legs and arms entangled as we woke. Julie woke me and with a kiss on the cheek, thanked me for being there with her. Unfortunately, I was just waking up and did not understand her intention. I wrapped my arms around her and gave her a big passionate kiss. Cami decided to kiss my earlobe and things progressed from there.

Lisa threw a pitcher of cold water on us and we soon calmed down. What we had done did not leave the tent under Lisa’s orders, nor was it to continue back at camp.

A dozen of us paddled to the other end of the lake and up the main river that fed the lake. Many people, unlike us, had seen the news and treated us like heroine superstars. We stopped at the town with the best boutiques and were treated like royalty. We split up into three groups to shop and none of us paid for lunch. Two shops matched our purchases with gifts of matching value. I said I didn’t need more than one more pair of sandals so I let Julie choose the second pair. I got a pinky ring and was given a bracelet to go with it.

We met and had our pictures taken with a group of Girl Scouts and their moms. I got to hold some babies and pull a few boys into the pictures with us. On our canoe trip back to camp I was harassed for being flirty with several boys, charges I repeatedly denied.

I was wondering more if Austin and Matt would come to camp on Friday...

To be continued.........

Thanks for the many comments received on the last two stories. They have been helpful and I appreciate your interest, please continue