This story is dedicated to Susan M. Bidwell - a young lady who died before her time.

 

Andersonville 1 - Home Sweet Home!
by Kelly Davidson
Copyright 2001

 

Fade in...

Dennis Butz worked on some last minute paperwork with a certain relief. In a few hours his dream would become a reality and then the real work would begin. He heard his secretary buzzing him.

"Yes?"

"Your 7:30 appointment is here Mr. Butz."

"Thank you Nancy, send him in." Dennis rose and greeted the muscular-built man as he entered his office "Good morning Apollo." The director gave him a slight, mischievous grin. "Your father isn't with you?"

"You didn't really expect him to come, did you?" Apollo answered back.

"Pissed off, is he?"

"Let's just say the town of Peace River is lucky to still have a courthouse standing after he found out what you did." The young God gave him a concerned stare. "That was a dangerous thing to do Dennis, out-maneuvering him like that."

"Like he out-maneuvered me on the plains of Apur?"

"That's ancient history Dennis." Apollo warned.

"Tell that to your father!" Dennis almost shouted back. "We wouldn't need Andersonville if he wasn't so stubborn." The director took a deep breath to calm down and continued. "But you're right Apollo, I didn't call you here to discuss past events. Today we begin a new era in our history."

"When does it start?" Apollo asked with great curiosity.

"This morning. I'm having the Anderson's picked up, along with Tom McClain and his family." There was a small, pressed smile on the man's lips when he mentioned the detective's name. "Trisha is meeting them at the airport and will bring them here. I'd like you to be there with her."

"I don't work for you," the God of truth announced defensively.

"You misunderstood me Apollo, it was a request, not an order. A first, positive move in the mutual cooperation between our two people."

"A number of your people still object to what you're doing."

"Yes," Dennis sighed. "But given time they will come around. Your father could help speed the process along if he were willing."

"Show him that Andersonville works and he will be. What you did to him didn't help."

Dennis smiled slightly. "I couldn't help myself. But I promise to behave from now on." Apollo gave him a 'can you be trusted' stare. The director sighed at the lack of trust that still existed between them. "We are both creatures of truth Apollo, you have my word on this. No more tricks on your father. As proof of my good intentions, I'll drive Gerald to Peace River after everyone leaves."

"You're not allowed there and you know it," Apollo told him sternly.

"I am well aware of my agreement with your father, Apollo. I have no intentions of ending up as a resident of Peace River like my friends. One of your people can meet me at the crossroads, I'll make the drop there."

Apollo nodded with some satisfaction that this was agreeable.

"So, will you go?" Dennis asked.

"I'll go," he half-grunted.

"Good. There's a plane waiting to fly you to where Trisha is. I'll inform her that you're coming. Tha--Thank you Apollo." He held out his hand, which the God took.

'A couple of years ago this would have been unthinkable,' Dennis thought to himself. How the times have changed.

Fade out...

******

Voice of Dennis Butz - Thousands of years ago there was a war in the heavens, between the gods of old and the new arrivals. During the process the earth was almost destroyed by fire and floods as our war ran unchecked. Finally, after centuries of conflict, an uneasy peace was achieved between our two people. Both sides recognized they needed the other, but neither side was willing to trust the other. However, as man grew in power and knowledge he challenged the gods themselves. To maintain the balance and keep the peace, a buffer zone was needed.

It's a small town -- just like thousands of others spread across the land. Quiet streets, family-run businesses, and Saturday afternoon picnics. But this town is different. It's a place for lost souls, for misguided individuals, and for those who are in need of a second chance. It's also the last, best chance I have of freeing my people from their captors. The name of the project is Restoration; the name of the town is Andersonville!

******

Fade in...

Sox Anderson looked over at his son-in-law with slight concern. For months Tom McClain had been hiding his pain - almost too well. But Sox saw it and he knew if his son-in-law didn't talk about it soon that it would destroy him. He cleared his throat.

"What's on your mind Son? You seem troubled."

"Noth - nothing Dad," I stuttered. "It's this business deal. I've never made a land deal before. I been studying their proposal for weeks and I still don't feel like I'm ready to be involved. Now they want me to take a look at what I'm going to be investing in and - it's a little disconcerting not knowing what I'm doing."

"That's why you brought me along Son. I may not know a lot about real estate but I can spot a crook when I see one. Don't worry, it'll work out fine." Sox continued staring at his adopted son in the hopes he would keep talking but the young man went silent.

"What is it Tom?" he inquired. "What's really eating at you?"

"I guess it shows." I got a discouraged look on my face and continued, "It's me and Jennifer Dad, we're having problems. I guess you know that by now."

"I figured you were. Jennifer hasn't been the same since - the baby."

"It's more then just that Dad." How could I explain to my father-in-law that I didn't love his daughter anymore? The first year of marriage had been like a fairy tale to us. Our love was so strong that whenever we made love there was nothing to compare it to. I couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like without Jennifer next to me. And when she got pregnant, I fell in love with her even more. Then, tragedy struck our young and fragile lives. The baby, our son, had been born with an incurable nerve defect; a genetic disordered that Jennifer had probably picked up from the serum Dr. Jensen had administered to her. Six hours later he died in her arms.

It was a devastating blow, only to be followed up later by another blow that was even more shattering. Test revealed that Jennifer would never be able to bear children without the same thing happening again. In fact, their family doctor was amazed Tracy had been born without the defect until it was explained that she had been adopted.

'No side affects! That's what Dr. Jensen had told me,' I thought bitterly. Well, the damn bitch had screwed up again. Or maybe she was reaching out from her grave to extract her revenge on us.

"Want to talk about it Son?" Sox asked.

I pulled my car into the airport parking lot and stopped. "It's over Dad. After months of trying it's all over. I - we don't love each other anymore; not in the way we use to. It's not that I don't want to be around Jennifer anymore. I love her Dad, but not as my wife. It was foolish to think I could forget my past with her."

I got out quickly and started walking toward the terminal. Sox got out of the car and caught up with me.

"I knew something was bothering you Son. I suspected there were problems. But before you give up, maybe the two of you should see a marriage consoler. A death can put a lot of strain on a marriage."

"I wish it were that easy Sox, but it's not. When I look at Jennifer I don't see my wife - I see my sister. Just as I used to see Al as my brother. I do love her, but not in the way I need to love her. Making love to her now just feels wrong. I wish it wasn't like that but we both feel that way. I'm sorry Sox."

The older man raised his eyebrows slightly. "Sox is it. So I'm no longer your dad now?"

I stopped walking and turned to the older man who I had come to love as my own father. "Jennifer is your daughter - I'm your son-in-law. I can put two and two together."

"So what you're saying is that since you've announced your intentions to divorce Jennifer, I no longer want to have anything to do with you, is that right?" I didn't answer him so he answered the question for me. "Well you're wrong Tom. Norma and I need you in our life just as much as we need Jennifer. You're my son Tom. You're as much of a son to Norma and I as Steve was when he was alive. Don't ever think that what happens between you and Jennifer changes the way we feel about you. We'll work it out one way or another."

"Thanks Dad." I said softly.

"I mean it Son. You're family, don't ever forget that."

I spotted a finely dressed petite woman standing by the entrance. "We can talk about this later over dinner - alright Dad?"

"Sure Son. Let's get started on what we came here for."

I smiled slightly; my father-in-law had a way with words. As we got closer, I noticed a huge, muscular man standing nearby. It brought back memories of another person I once knew - or rather still knew only now he looked different.

"Hi Tom, glad you could make it." The woman extended her hand to me.

"Good Morning Ms. Brown. This is my father, Sox Anderson. He's going to be joining us on this little field trip if that's all right."

That's fine Tom. And how many times have I told you to call me Trisha instead of Ms. Brown?" She gave them both a friendly smile.

"You'll have to excuse my son-in-law Trisha, he's famous for forgetting stuff when he's around an attractive woman." Sox returned her smile with his own, causing the young woman to giggle slightly.

"Oh, I almost forgot, my business associate will be joining us. This is Mr. Atkins."

"Please, call me Pete," Apollo told them.

"So, shall we get started," Trisha said. "Follow me, my plane is over here."

The way she twisted her rear in that short skirt I would have followed her anywhere. That's when I noticed Pete Atkins was walking behind us, almost like a guard. There was something unnerving about this man. It wasn't just his size that bothered me; the man seemed to have an air of confidence in his personality as if nothing could hurt him. It was the same confidence I had seen in Gerald years ago; only the ex-bodyguard no longer had that attitude today.

We stepped onto a rather large jet, which could have held thirty or more people. No sooner had we gotten into our seats than the plane started taxiing. With a loud roar of its engines, the jet raced down the runway and took off on an easterly heading.

"How long before we get there, Trisha?" I asked.

"About an hour Tom. Why don't I show you and Sox the diagrams I have drawn up during this time."

Trisha laid a large drawing out on a wooden meeting table and started going over the finer details of the project. While she was going over the plans I noticed that Mr. Atkins remained sitting a few seats back watching us carefully.

'No, that isn't right,' I said to himself. 'He seems to be watching me.'

My father-in-law didn't seem to be concerned; he was caught up in the charm the younger lady was dishing out to us.

About 45 minutes later I excused myself to use the bathroom. As I walked toward the back the man gave him a pleasant smile as if nothing was wrong. But when I turned my head back quickly I spotted the man watching me with a nervous look on his face. Now I knew it was a trap.

The truth of the matter was, I had been expecting this day to come for some time now. I knew we been living on borrowed time since I helped Jennifer escape from Dr. Jensen's house but now, today, our luck had run out; Dr. Jensen's bosses had come to collect on an old debt. I only wished my father-in-law could have been spared from whatever was about to happen to us but it didn't appear as if that was going to be the case.

I locked myself in the bathroom and considered my options. There weren't many. I didn't have a weapon on me - not that I would use it if I did. Besides, I didn't want to spend the rest of my life running and looking over my shoulder. I considered not coming out of the bathroom but that was just plain silly; they would only come in after me. So I tried to think of another option and came up empty.

But I did have one ace on me as I took off my jacket and turned one of the sleeves inside out to make sure it was still there. Hidden inside a small pouch of the sleeve was my emergency backup plan in case anything happened to me. It was a small, leather case that contained two vials of the doctor's serum with my DNA sample; along with a spare driver's license, a couple of credit cards and $1,000 in cash. Dr. Jensen had warned me sternly that I would never survive a second transition back to my original self but I didn't believe her. The doctor had been wrong about her serum before.

Upon leaving the bathroom, I decided to look out the airplane window and see if I could figure out where they were. What I saw sent a shiver up my spine. It was an airforce base, one that I had seen pictures of on the Internet; one that the Air Force told people didn't exist. It went by many names - Dry Lake, Dreamland, and more commonly, Area 51.

"Relax Tom, no one's going to hurt you." It was the voice of Pete Atkins.

"I've heard that line before," I said turning to face the bigger man. "What's going to happen to my family?"

"They'll be brought here in an hour or so, perfectly safe I assure you." The big man, who I now took to be a government agent, flashed me a comforting smile. "You're only here for a visit, I promise. In a couple of hours you'll be leaving again."

'Dead or alive?' I wondered. "And where will we be going after that?"

"That depends on you Tom. There's a gentleman who wants to meet with you. Take my advice, listen carefully to what he has to say." The muscular man sounded sincere.

"Can't you tell me what this is all about?"

"I'm afraid not. You see, it's sort of an agreement I worked out with him. We'll be landing soon, let's get to our seats."

The man motioned me forward in a polite manner. Seeing that I really didn't have a choice, I did as I was told and took a seat in front of the mysterious man. A few minutes later we felt the tires of the plane hit the runway pavement and then taxi to a nearby hanger. When the plane stopped Trisha stood up and gave us both a smile.

"If you both will follow me please." She opened up the door and stepped outside. Sox followed her out and was shocked to see soldiers with assault weapons standing near the plane.

"What's going on here?" he demanded to know. Trisha tried to calm him down with a comforting smile.

"Don't worry Sox dear. Nothing is going to happen to you as long as you don't try to escape. Let me assure you and your son in law that any attempt would be futile. You're in the middle of the dessert, many miles from any town. If the soldiers don't get you the sun and elements will. Trust me, there isn't anywhere to run." Her voice was pleasant but the tone was very matter of fact, and the comforting smile never ventured from her face. "Now please follow me."

I took my place beside Sox and whispered, "Don't worry Dad, I'll get you out of this mess."

"Where are we Son?" he whispered back.

"Ever hear of Area 51?" The older man's face went pale, he had.

Trisha Brown led us through a series of hallways with Pete following close behind. At least the soldiers didn't come with us although I suspected both agents were armed to the teeth. We stopped at a door, which Trisha knocked on and opened up. She went in followed by me, my father, and finally, Pete Atkins.

"They're here." Trisha told the person who had the back of the chair turned toward us. The chair turned slowly around, revealing the one person I had actually expected to see when I found out where we were.

"Hello Tom." The voice was neutral, neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

"Dr. Jensen," I replied back in a similar fashion. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Am I?" she answered in mock surprise. "You don't seem to be surprised to see me."

"Maybe it's because I always knew you'd pop back into our lives one day doctor."

"Tom, is this the person that brought back my little girl?" Sox asked eagerly.

"Well, I see someone appreciates all my hard work," she smiled ever so slightly. "I'm Dr. Sarah Jensen - the one who gave Jennifer back to you."

"At the cost of Al Parker's life!" I added dryly. "Or have you forgotten about that little detail doctor."

"Let's not be bitter Tom," Sarah answered sternly. "I paid for what I did with my own life if you recall."

"But now, somehow, you're back from the grave and you run this place."

"She doesn't run this place," someone else said. "I do."

A well-dressed man in his late 40's walked into the room and held out his hand to me. "I'm Dennis Butz. You don't know how glad I am to finally meet you Tom. I've heard and read so much about you."

"Dennis Butz," Sox repeated the name. "I've heard your name before."

The man smiled and said, "Think hard Mr. Anderson. It was almost two years ago, just before you met with Tom and Jennifer in Seattle."

"You're the man who put an end to that miserable scumbag who murdered my daughter, aren't you. I definitely want to shake your hand." Sox grabbed a hold of the man's hand with both of his and shook it vigorously. "My lovely Linda didn't deserve to die that way. Thank you for finally bringing justice to her and all the other women he murdered."

Dennis Butz smiled appreciatively at the elderly gentleman. "You're quite welcome Mr. Anderson. You don't know how much pleasure I got out of putting an end to that ugly chapter in your life - as well as all the other families. But I'm afraid the information was a little off. You see, Robert White didn't really die, he just got replaced."

"I don't follow you?" Sox replied confused.

"I do Dad. It means Dr. Jensen isn't really who she appears to be. Remember me telling you about Keith Bennett and how we activated parts of his memories. That's what Mr. Butz did. He cloned the doctor from Robert White's body."

"You're very perceptive Tom," Dennis said with a grin, "and also very right. But don't be discouraged Mr. Anderson, this is a far worse punishment for Mr. White then death."

Sox suddenly got anger. "If he's like Keith Bennett then you can give him the power to speak freely, isn't that right Mr. Butz?"

"Yes," Dennis answered cautiously. He knew where the man was heading with the question.

"Then I want to talk to him directly - man to man."

"I don't recommend it Mr. Anderson," he warned strongly. "Robert hasn't improved with age. He's still the same worthless scumbag today as when I first met him."

"All the more reason why I have to speak with him. Please Mr. Butz, I've waited years to tell this low down murdering-scum what I thought."

Dennis sighed realizing this was a mistake. "All of you, step outside for a moment while I get him ready." The four of us stepped outside and waited by the closed door. A minute later Dennis Butz let us back in.

"Okay Robert, remember what I told you about trying to stand up. You may start talking now," Dennis commanded him.

There was a panic wail from Dr. Jensen, who then started jabbering, "Please, please help me. This is horrible. If I have to endure another damn period I'll lose my mind! Set me free, I beg you."

"Do you know who I am?" Sox asked angrily.

"Please, please help me," Robert continued to beg while ignoring the question. "I don't deserve this. I thought there wasn't anything worse then death but there is. Oh God, she's going on a trip next week! We - we're suppose to be meeting a man at the hotel for a long weekend get away. MY GOD, SHE'S PLANNING TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM ALL WEEKEND LONG - I know, I CAN READ HER THOUGHTS. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS BUT SHE WON'T LISTEN TO ME. SHE IGNORES WHAT I WANT TO DO. IT'S MY BODY - NOT HERS. She has no right to it or to tell me what we're going to do. She's already forced me to try on several sexy teddy's and nightgowns for our weekend date. It's NOT HER BODY, IT'S MINE. PLEASE -- HELP ME GET IT BACK!"

"I want to know about my daughter, LINDA! What did you do to her you monster?" Sox was clinching his fist hard, barely able to keep his anger under control. Robert, realizing his pleading was falling on deaf ears, changed tactics. Misery loves company after-all.

"Yes, I remember Linda," he sniffed slightly. "Dark hair girl, pretty face. GREAT FUCK! She was an experienced whore!"

"You're lying!" Sox sibilated. "My Linda was a virgin. She was saving herself for marriage. She would never have sex before marriage you lying-scum."

"You're delusional old man. Who was in a better position to know - you or me?" he laughed loudly in a feminine pitch. "Of course, you weren't there - when she was BEGGING FOR YOU to save her. Yes, I had a lot of fun that night. She died slowly - painfully. You should have seen her cry - no SCREAM for me to stop!" A look of pure, evil pleasure appeared on the doctor's face "Apollo," Dennis whispered to the muscular man.

"The knife I had was very dull," Robert continued. "It had to hurt like hell when I cut her no-good..."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Sox lunged forward but Apollo was ready for him. He caught Mr. Anderson in mid-air and pulled him back.

"Enough Robert, stop talking." Dennis ordered.

"He murdered my daughter! Why...Why." Sox kept repeating as he broke down crying. I moved towards my father-in-law but Dennis held out his arm and stopped me.

"Trisha, take Mr. Anderson to conference room A, and stay with him until Dr. Green arrives." The young woman nodded and gently led the weeping man away.

"As for you Robert, you can plan on spending more weekends like the one coming up. Plus," Dennis added with a thin smile, "I'll make sure to throw in a few other surprises for you. Pete, see to it that Robert is taken care of and Dr. Jensen is returned back to her proper place. Tom, if you would follow me please. We have a lot to talk about and not much time."

He led me down the hallway to a large, luxurious office filled with expensive office furniture. It was almost of the size of a small apartment and I noticed there was even a small kitchen in the corner.

"Not bad, don't you agree."

"Must have cost the taxpayers a pretty penny," I observed.

Dennis laughed slightly as he made his way to his private bar. "Drink Tom?"

"No thanks."

"Sure?" Mr. Butz asked with a mischievous grin. "You're paying for it after all."

"Since you put it that way. Give me a whiskey-sour on the rocks - without the drugs in it of course." Dennis chuckled at the last part and went about his task. While he was mixing the drinks, I looked over the many awards hanging on his wall - a few of them over 200 years old.

"Some of the many awards my ancestors received for various services to our grand country. I keep them on my wall as a reminder for what they fought for - true patriots everyone one of them." He handed me my drink and motioned for me to take a seat in one of the comfortable chairs nearby. "They help me to remember what I'm trying to do here."

"And what is it you're doing here Mr. Butz?" I looked at the drink with some reservation and decided I didn't have anything to lose. I took a sip but didn't notice any strange tastes to it.

"Please Tom, there's no need to be formal here. Call me Dennis."

"Okay Dennis - what are you trying to do here?"

"Yes Tom, a very good question. I sometimes find myself asking the same thing." The man stopped talking and stared back at me.

"And?" I asked a little impatiently.

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't answer your question Tom," Dennis smiled slightly while taking a sip of his drink.

"Well Dennis, I must say that was a waste of time. What other games should we play? Counting the dots on the ceiling of your office?

The older man chuckled. "Sorry Tom, it's part of my nature to be secretive. Okay, I guess you're curious as to why I brought you here."

"Just a little," I answered back with slight sarcasm.

Dennis smiled warmly. "Dry humor, I like that Tom. Yes, but I think you're right, we need to get down to business. You knew this day was coming, didn't you."

"More or less. I tried getting rid of any evidence of us but I knew there had to be some loose ends out there. Frankly, I thought a bullet to my head or a horrible car crash would be the way this would all end."

"Tom McClain, you're my guest. I have no intentions of hurting you or your family. I brought you here to offer you a job, not end your life. You're much too valuable for me to simply kill you."

"What kind of job?" I found myself somewhat interested in what he had to offer me.

"I'm starting up a new project in Montana and I need good, quality people to help run it. You'll start out as the assistant to the Court Judge. Your duties will be to keep records on everything that happens in his court - as well as other events around town. Then every Friday you'll email me a weekly report. Now if you think this sounds like a menial job you're wrong - it's one of the most important jobs there is. You'll find working for the judge to be most interesting. He's a little rough around the edges but you'll get used to him - just like he'll get used to you."

"Sounds interesting Dennis but I already have a job trading stocks on-line. It keeps me busy."

"Okay Tom, let's cut to the chase." Dennis Butz leaned forward in a very serious manner. "I know about your son and how it's affected your relationship with Jennifer. I also know your marriage is going down the toilet. And most important, I know how your friend, Al Parker, really feels about his current role as mother and wife. Like Robert in the next room, he's never accepted his role as Jennifer Anderson and most likely never will. Oh, he has good weeks, sometimes even an entire month. But then he goes back to denying who he has become. It's been a burden on your marriage and now - now with the death of your son, your marriage can no longer stand the stress.

"Seems like you've had your eye on us for some time now," I said in a neutral tone.

A pressed smiled formed on the man's lips. "I've followed your career with great interest. I also knew this would be a hard sell since you have a somewhat suspicious mind, so let me add some incentives to my offer. If you take this job than I guarantee you that Al Parker will be a 100%, bonafide male by the end of the day. I'm serious Tom. Your friend won't look like he use to but he'll be a young, healthy male again with all his memories in tack."

I eyed him with deep suspicion. "Okay Dennis, what's the catch?"

"Only one - that he stays in my little town without trying to escape until the day he can be trusted to keep his month shut. Then he'll be free to leave whenever he wants. But I doubt that he'll want to. Your friend will find living in Andersonville to be very pleasant. So will you Tom."

"And the Anderson's? What happens to them?"

"They go with you of course. After all, I named the town in their honor. It has a rather charming sound to it, don't you think? And they get their children back as well."

"Are you telling me you can bring back the dead?" I asked.

Dennis shook his head and said, "No, I can't. But I will provide them with replacements just like the ones they remembered. In fact, they won't even remember their own kids dying. To them it'll be as if they lived in Andersonville all their lives. You'll see some positive changes in both of the Andersons when they don't have to live with that terrible burden. Oh, one thing. It's rather a small item but you need to know. Tracy won't be going with you."

"What do you mean she won't be going with me?" I replied angrily. "She's my daughter. I just can't abandon her to you."

"Lets be realistic here Tom. Tracy is no more your daughter then she is mine. She's a 30-year-old man who is being forced to pretend she's a well-behaved 5-year-old. Her real parents want him back. And after tonight, Jennifer won't need her. It's better this way. Gerald has been punished by you two long enough. If you don't give him back well, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes when his father comes looking for you."

"Okay Dennis. We've been talking about what happens if I accept your job offer. Now what happens if I don't? You give me a shot of the doctor's serum and order me to do it anyway, right?"

"Not really Tom. Yes, I would have to give you - all of you - a shot of the control serum so you'll never be able to tell anyone about what you've seen and talked about today. Then I'll send you all home - except for Tracy that is, she stays here. You'd be free to live out the rest of your lives as you want without any interference from me."

"Sounds too good to be true. How do I know you're not lying to me?"

"Because Tom, I never lie. If I can't tell you the truth then I'll tell you I can't tell you the truth. I don't lie, not even to spare someone's feelings. Besides, the control serum is a failure. I couldn't use it to control you even if I wanted to."

"What do you mean it's a failure? I saw what it did to Al. He couldn't have acted any other way then a young female under its control."

"You're missing the point here Tom -- 'control'. When this happens it takes away the 'free will' of the person and turns them into a mindless robot. I need someone who is free to think for themselves, not follow my orders to the letter. Oh, it works great for someone who's dusting tables and fixing meals - slave labor you could call it - but it's useless when you want the person to think for themselves. The job I'm offering you requires a lot of personal decisions and the freedom to act on it. You can't control that without losing what abilities the person has to offer."

I nodded; it made sense. "So Dr. Jensen - "

"That's right, she's a failure. Her mind is so locked down that she can't finish her research anymore. I thought that re-creating her thinking process would fix the problem, but it didn't. Without her mind free from the control serum she's totally useless to me. And unless I release Robert's mind as well, there's no way to fix this. It's ironic that the only one who has a chance of fixing this problem is Dr. Jensen, the one person under its control.

"You guarantee me that the Anderson's or Jennifer won't be hurt?"

"I do." The phone rang and Dennis picked it up. "Thank you," he said to the party on the other end and hung the phone back up. "Your wife and mother-in-law have arrived. I need to know your decision Tom."

"Right NOW? Can't I discuss this with them?"

"No, you can't. It's your decision alone Tom. Whatever you decide effects all of them. I need your answer now so I can make the arrangements."

"I don't trust you Dennis."

"Then don't take my offer Tom. I have enough control serum at this facility to get you out of here within an hour. But ask yourself this, do you really want to go back to your old life? Does Jennifer? What about the Andersons once they lose their only grandchild? Will any of your lives be complete again? If you take my offer I'll make sure their lives are complete. And I promise you more excitement then you'll get by trading stocks on-line all day Tom."

I thought carefully about what Dennis Butz had just said. I hated making a life-changing decision that affected all of them but what choice did I have. Could the Andersons stand losing another child in their lives? They had grown so attached to Tracy. And what about Jennifer? Dennis Butz had been dead-on about Al not accepting who he really was. Maybe if our son had lived things would have been different but now Al hated being Jennifer and my wife more then ever. It had destroyed our marriage and I could see it was slowly destroying my friend.

"When do we leave?" I asked. Dennis Butz smiled back triumphantly.

******

They had been brought to a small but comfortable room - except for Tracy that is. She had been separated from Jennifer and her Grandmother when they got inside the complex. I walked into the room and gave them both a hug.

"Tom?" Mrs. Anderson asked nervously.

"It's okay mom. We're all okay. Dad's fine and will be joining us shortly."

"What's going on Tom?" Jennifer asked.

"I was talking with Dr. Jensen's boss. They know who we are and what we did Al." Jennifer raised her eyebrows slightly. It had been over a year since I had called her by her past name.

"The doctor is still alive?" Jennifer wanted to know.

"Yes, in the same way Keith Bennett is alive. Her boss, Dennis Butz, is moving us to a town up north." I paused for a moment before adding, "And you should know buddy, he's going to make you a man again."

"Have you gone NUTS!" Jennifer yelled back. "You know what they did to me! Do you think they're going to make amends for everything that happened to us and then set us free."

"Yes Al, I do."

******

The little girl sat at the table playing with her doll while Trisha sat close by in silence. Apollo stood in the darkened room watching the little girl play through the one way mirror. There was irony in this moment he thought humorously. Well, it was time for him to explain to Gerald what the real irony of all this was. Apollo gathered up his nerve and opened the door that separated the two rooms.

"If I may have a moment please." Trisha nodded and left the room. The little girl watched as Apollo raised his hand slightly and snapped his fingers. The spell that had been controlling her vanished.

"APOLLO!" The little girl ran over and hugged the God's massive leg affectionately.

"Hello Brother," he replied nonchalantly.

"Where's Father? Didn't he come with you?"

"This is Butz's domain, he isn't about to come here. You'll be seeing him tonight in Peace River when we get back."

"Where are you going?" he demanded to know.

"That's not your concern Brother! Just be ready to leave for Peace River in an hour."

"That's unacceptable," the little girl raved while kicking over a chair. "I want to be changed back into my male form right NOW! Use your power and take me to him"

"He's not interested in seeing you right now Brother. As a matter of fact, he's not very happy with you at all. You disappointed him by going to work for Dennis Butz, our sworn enemy."

"If he hadn't taken away my powers I wouldn't have had too. He cursed me by changing me into a mortal."

"No Brother, you did that yourself. You still haven't taken responsibility for your own actions."

"It was one human female - what's her life compared to the millions out there?"

"Every life is sacred Brother. Every life is unique! He was hoping you would've learned this lesson while being trapped in your current body, but I can see the lesson has been lost on you."

"You mean to tell me he knew where I was all this time and didn't do anything to free me?" Gerald growled.

"Correct Brother. We've known where you've been for almost two years now. Diane wanted to rescue you but Father wouldn't allow it."

"That lousy son of a..."

"Watch your tongue Brother. He may not be in this room but he can hear you if he wants."

"If he is listening then he's most likely laughing his butt off." Apollo nodded that was probably true. No doubt his father was listening in on them with the help of the orb.

"Cheer up Brother. Soon you'll be seeing your family again, in a slightly different light that is."

"You don't mean..." Gerald responded in horror.

"If I were you Brother, I'd get used to wearing dresses for a long time," Apollo smiled ever so slightly. "Don't worry Brother, this will be a family affair. Diane and some of the others ladies have already offered to help you along in your new journey."

"HE CAN'T DO THIS!" the young girl tried to roar.

"He's not doing anything," the God of truth explained. "You did this by your actions. Maybe after a lifetime of living as Tracy he will change you back - maybe. It depends on how well you fit into your role."

"I'll never go through with this!" he snarled. "Never - do you hear me. And he can't make me either."

"Then my advice to you Brother is to get used to wearing dresses and playing with dolls for a very long time. You know what happens to those citizen's in Peace River who don't accept their new roles."

"He wouldn't!"

"I wouldn't tempt fate. You may be his son but you've disappointed him too many times. What you did to Jennifer Anderson sticks sorely in his mind. You made him look very bad in front of everyone by your 'actions.' It's one of the reasons why he left you where you were. He doesn't tolerate sexual assault or abuse from anyone, especially his own children." For once Gerald didn't have a response.

Apollo sighed slightly and continued. "Dennis Butz will be driving you to Peace River after everyone has left. I would advice you to be polite to him on the way there."

"I won't get into a car with that Macoe!"

"Would you rather I make arrangements to have Mercury or Mars pick you up instead?" Gerald cringed in terror at the thought. "I didn't think so."

As he walked away Apollo smiled inwardly. His father had arranged for both Mercury and Mars to meet Dennis Butz at the drop off point - a small detail that he had forgotten to mention to his brother. He wasn't sure if his father felt the situation required both of them to be there or if both Gods had volunteered to pick him up. Most likely the latter was true; neither Mercury nor Mars liked Gerald very much. Then again, a lot of his other family members felt the same way. It would take them almost an hour to drive his brother back to Peace River from the drop off point - an hour of pure hell on his brother for sure. Mercury and Mars wouldn't allow an opportunity like this to pass them by. Apollo was glad he wasn't in his brother's shoes.

******

We had been flying north for more then an hour. I sat in the back, separating myself from the others. Had I made the right decision? In the distance I could make out the town of Andersonville - almost dead center in the middle of thick woods.

"We should be landing soon Tom," Pete said to me. "Care to join us up front"

"May I ask you a question Mr. Atkins."

"Only if you call me Pete," he replied with a comforting smile.

"Why me? Why not pick someone else for this job?"

"I guess it all relates back to what you did to Gerald. Something like this has never happened to us before. You gained Dennis Butz's respect by your actions, even if you did ruin all his plans by killing Dr. Jensen.

"Wait a minute, what do you mean 'something like this has never happened to us before.' Who is this 'us'?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you Tom. For now, let's just say you have a pool of untapped resources within you."

"And you want to tap them, is that it?"

"Something like that. But this isn't about you, it's about stopping a conflict that has been going on between our two people for a very long time now."

"Care to tell me what it's all about?" I asked. "It would be better if I had a little background on what has happened than going into this job blind."

Pete gave me a serious glance. "I'd like to tell you everything Tom, but I'm not allowed. When the time is right, you'll be told. For now, not knowing won't affect your job. In fact, not knowing will probably make your job easier."

"What about Tracy? What's going to happen to her?" I was still slightly concern about her fate.

"You don't need to be worry about her Tom," he stated with a mischievous grin. "She's going to be well-taken care of when she gets back home. When my sister, Diane, found out that Tracy was coming to Peace River, she made sure her room was properly decorated. Tracy may not end up being the happiest 5-year-old in town but she will be the most pampered. My brother is going to find life very different than what he once knew." Apollo couldn't help but chuckle just a little at his brother's punishment.

"You mean Gerald is your brother?" It explained why the two had similar body structures.

"Yes, my evil brother you could say. He has no respect for others. What he did to Jennifer each night," Pete got a distasteful look on his face, "was hideous. Which is why I hold no grudges against you or your friend, Tom. It was a fitting punishment for him. It's also why your friend is being changed back into his male form again, to right a wrong."

"How is that going to happen?" I wanted to know. "And if you're brothers why don't you have the same last name?"

Pete just grinned back at me and said, "That's also something I can't talk about. As for how Al Parker is going to change back into a man, you'll see when we get there. Don't worry, the process isn't painful and it'll be over in less then a minute." He stopped talking and pointed out the window. "Look Tom, you can see your new home from here."

Below I spotted a number of two and three story buildings making up the business district of Andersonville. There was one main road through downtown stretching four blocks long. Close to downtown was a good size park with a small pond. The houses were scattered on three sides of Andersonville - the larger neighborhood being located on the East Side. Toward the west I noted a rail-line serving an impressive-looking mine complex. As I looked closer I saw other railroad tracks slithering around the town serving various businesses.

There weren't any houses prior to entering Andersonville so anyone driving in would have to go through downtown first before getting anywhere. Looking north, the main road north dead-ended near a giant lake. And as if that wasn't enough, the town was located in a box canyon, with huge cliffs on the west, east and north sides. Unless you were an experienced rock-climber the only way out of Andersonville was the main road from the south.

"Beautiful, isn't it!" Pete said. I nodded my head - it was. "Maybe we can go fishing at the lake one day, I hear it's supposed to be good. We'll be landing at the airport soon, let's get our belts on." The big man patted me on the shoulder and moved forward to join the others while I continued to look down at the town.

The landing was smooth and unremarkable but it did nothing to help calm my nerves. I couldn't stop the jitters inside my stomach, knowing that we had arrived at our new home. I didn't trust Dennis Butz and as much as I wanted to, I didn't trust this Mr. Atkins fellow either. What were they really up to? Pete had mentioned a conflict between their two people. What type of conflict and which two people were they? Was it some kind of private family feud?

The first indication there was trouble was when we stepped out onto the tarmac. A tall, skinny cop with a bushy mustache was there to greet us. He stood there calmly, perhaps one of the most laid-back cops I had ever seen. Yet he had a slightly suspicious look on his face as if he was expecting trouble.

"This is Sergeant Williams," Trisha said. "He's going to follow us to see the judge." I noticed Pete Atkins didn't get out of the airplane, instead opting to stand inside the doorway.

"If you will get in the van please," the officer told us. "And buckle up, I'd hate to have to issue you a ticket on your first night in town." The officer's joke broke the ice and even I found myself smiling.

"Tom?" Pete said just before I got in the passenger side of the van. "Take care of yourself. I'll be seeing you soon." Then he ducked back inside the plane.

Trisha drove the van while Sergeant Williams followed close behind in the dark-colored police car. "Pretty laid-back cop," I threw out while putting my plan into action. I moved the emergency pack out of my pocket and with one hand, jammed it up underneath the padding of the seat. I just hoped I'd be able to find the van once what ever happened to me was over.

"Dave's a nice guy," Trisha replied. "It took us a while to find him. If you want some advice Tom, you should get to know him better. He's a good man to have in your corner if he feels you can be trusted."

We pulled up in front of the huge city hall building. It had three massive pillars supporting an equally massive overhang. The building was two stories tall with Victorian-type windows and made entirely of brick. No expense had been spared when the contractors had put this building together. Trisha led us inside to an impressive looking reception area where another tall, well-built cop was waiting for us.

"These doors lead to the courtroom," Trisha told them, pointing to a pair of dark, wooden doors. "You'll get a chance to go in there later if you want. Right now the judge is waiting for us in his chambers. This way everyone."

She led the way with us in the middle and the two cops following at a close distance behind. The looks on the police officers' faces indicated they were concerned that someone in our party might change their mind and try to leave - although Trisha didn't seem to be concerned. Maybe it was in a cop's nature to be on the lookout for trouble.

We walked through a small office and straight into the judge's chambers. The Judge was a well-built man in his late forty's, wearing an expense 3-piece gray suit that looked like it had just been pressed. He stood about 6' 2" and sported a nicely trimmed beard that made him rather distinguished. But it was his eyes that caught everyone's attention - he had cold, steel blue eyes that made him somewhat intimidating when he stared at you. The frown on his face indicated he wasn't too happy at the moment.

"I've been waiting for you," he started out in an almost unpleasant tone. "Let's get this over with so I can leave."

He closed his eyes and held out his hands together in front of him. The four of us, Jennifer, the Andersons, and myself stood there wondering what was going on. To our amazement, the Judge's hands started to glow as if a light had been turned on. Moments later a ball of energy, about the size of a small grapefruit, rose slowly out of his hands. It stood still for a moment then took off in a flash and struck Jennifer in the chest. She moved back slightly, as her body seemed to absorb the light. A second later more balls of energy shot out and hit the Andersons, causing them to shift back slightly.

I tried to move but found my feet frozen in place. Then I saw a ball of light rise out of the Judge's hands and come right at me. It hit my chest, causing me to move back slightly although I hadn't felt any impact. It was more like a reactionary movement, knowing that something had hit me. A slight tingling of pins and needles spread throughout my body and then quickly faded. I felt slightly dazed but managed to maintain my balance.

"What was that?" I asked.

"You can go home now," the Judge announced unceremoniously. One of the officers, Dave Williams, started pulling me out the door while the others seemed to be walking out on their own. Jennifer, it was still her, gave me a worried look but didn't try to stay. She seemed relieved to be leaving the presence of this man.

Outside we were loaded into the same van that we had ridden in before, only this time Sox got behind the wheel. I noticed that both of the Andersons had an almost hypnotic look on their faces. Only Jennifer and me seemed to understand what had just happened.

"Officer," I asked Dave Williams as he helped me into the van. "What's going on here."

The officer smiled back and said, "You'll find out soon enough son. Just try to relax and not fight it." He closed the door and Sox drove off in a hurry.

"Dad, where are you going?" I demanded to know. He couldn't possibly know his way around town.

"Home honey," he replied without any thought.

'Home?' My father-in-law's answer and strange behavior perplexed me. And why was he calling me 'honey?' I was about to ask him something else when Sox began to change before my eyes. His hair started growing thicker and darker - and he sat up a little bit straighter in his seat. In the rear-view mirror I could see my father's face getting younger as some of his wrinkles started disappearing.

I looked over at my mother and saw that she was also going through some changes as well. Her gray hair turned to a darker shade of brown while become fuller and longer. Her face also started looking younger - at least 10 years younger. What shocked me the most was that neither of them seemed to notice these changes that were happening.

As I turned to say something to Jennifer I was equally surprised to see her, or rather him, changing as well. My wife had grown taller in stature; her long hair disappearing and being replaced by short, dark hair. Her face now appeared boyish, about that of a 14-year-old and showed many of the same facial features Sox had. The jeans and blouse she had been wearing changed into a pair of cutoffs and tee shirt and girlish shoes into a pair of sneakers.

Suddenly, I felt an attack of pins and needles inside my body. To my horror, I started shrinking in size by several inches. While this was happening I felt a heavy concentration of activity around my chest and groin area.

'Oh no,' I gasped. I hadn't asked to see what changes Dennis Butz had in store for me. I felt my hair growing longer and by now there was no question on what my fate would be. This Judge, who ever he was, had decided to change me into a girl. I deduced that the people in charge must have figured this was a fitting response to what I had done to Gerald.

With great terror I watched my breasts start to grow. I could feel the skin stretching, as they grew bigger before my horrified eyes. My butt moved in the seat on its own - and I discovered this was due to that fact my hips were shifting as they changed to a more female-like mode. My clothes also started shifting to fit its new body. The pants I was wearing changed into a pair of girl's jeans that showed off my female figure. The shirt and jacket became a loose fitting blouse and colorful vest. Then there was a great deal of intensive tingling in and around my groin - announcing that a change was taking place. I felt some tugging around my manhood that wasn't painful but caused me to sweat in fear. Suddenly the tingling stopped as if a switch had been thrown. I didn't have to look to see what it had done, I knew. I sat there in a semi-state of shock.

"We're home," someone shouted happily from the rear seat.

I turned and saw what I could only guess to be a younger version of Jennifer. She looked to be about 12 years old but was just as cute and beautiful as the older version. And there was also something odd about her - a slight twinkle in her eyes that didn't look right. It looked like a small white light in her pupils.

The place she had called home was a very nice two-story, white-framed house build on an acre of land. There were trees surrounding the property and along the roadway giving the place a lot of privacy. In back was a small pond with several ducks swimming in it and some thick woods.

Jennifer scampered out of the van first despite being in the back. She seemed to be a ball of energy that couldn't be contained. Al, who used to be Jennifer, got out next. He looked around in a daze, wondering if this was all just a dream. I followed him out of the van and we both looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Hey Son, think fast," Sox said picking up a football and throwing it at them. The teenager caught it with remarkable ease.

"He called you Son?" I whispered to him. "That must mean you got changed into Steve? Jennifer's playing over there so that means...Oh no?" I gasped.

I ran into the house looking for the first mirror I could find - while at the same time terrified at what I would see. For some reason I knew exactly which room in the house was mine and headed right for it. There was no question that it was a girl's room when I entered. The bedroom was painted light pink from top to bottom with a darker pink rug to match. The big canopied bed, quilts, old dolls on the shelves, and the furniture all announced this was a girl's room.

Still in a state of bewilderment, I peeked slowly into the mirror in fear of what I might see; my reflection told the story. I stood about 5'5" and weighted around 115 pounds. My eyes were now baby blue, and I had shoulder length, brunette hair that had been feathered in the front. The rest of my body was pretty much that of your typical female body and I couldn't help but notice that I now looked like a younger version of Mrs. Anderson, my mother. Just to make sure this was for real, I opened up the purse I had carried in and pulled out my new driver's license. It read "Linda E. Anderson, Female,"

"Oh God, I'm 17 years old!" I said out loud. Next I turned to the dresser and started opening up the drawers in the hopes I would find something familiar. Instead I found them filled with panties, bras, slips, and other female things that my new body now required. I rushed over to the closet and flung it open only to gasped in horror. It was packed with all kinds of female wonders, including a large number of skirts and dresses. There must have been at least 15 pairs for shoes, fortunately most of them being the low-heel kind.

'Oh my God, it's true!' I cried out inside. 'They turned me into Linda Anderson. That's what Dennis Butz had meant by the Anderson's getting their kids back.' Al had become Steve; I had become Linda. But who in the hell was Jennifer? She hadn't been there in the van when we first got in, I was sure of that.

"Are you okay Tom?" Steve asked softly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Make them change me back?" I answered with tears in my eyes. Steve walked over and gave me a big brotherly hug. He felt so strong to me now - or maybe it was because I was now so weak.

"You're Linda, aren't you? I guess that makes sense. Tom - Linda, it's not as bad as you think."

"That's easy for you to say, isn't it Al. You're a man again."

"I think it's better if you call me by my current name Linda. And I'm not a man; I'm still a boy. I think I'm only 14 years old."

I gave my new brother a mean stare. "Stop calling me Linda damn it! I'm still Tom, do you understand? I'm not your damn sister!" Steve put his arm around me and sat me down on the bed.

"Tom, remember in the lab - when we had just gotten control over Sarah Jensen. You called me Jennifer and I told you that wasn't my name? But you told me now wasn't the time to get confused and spoil everything. I don't know what's going on here but I think until we do, it's better that I don't refer to you as Tom in front of anyone. We need to play along with this charade for now."

"That's easy for you to say, isn't it?" I cried out. "You get to play the part of the boy. Me - I'm supposed to be your older sister. How can I play a role I'm not accustomed to?"

"I'll help," Steve offered. "First, don't panic. This isn't the end of the world. I know what you're feeling right now; I felt that way too. And I had more than two long years of practice being Jennifer. It seems bad at first but it gets better, I swear it does."

"Oh, cut the bullshit Al! You never got used to being a woman so don't sit there and lie to me about it."

"It's Steve now - not Al," he stated firmly. "And my circumstances were far different so don't try comparing your experience to mine. I was thrown into the arms of a sexual deviant and a doctor who didn't care how I felt. She allowed him to rape me every night without a second thought. You don't know what kind of hell that was to accept; knowing you were going to have sex with someone you hated and couldn't do anything about it. That's how I began life as Jennifer Anderson - in a hellish way. But you, look around you. Sure you're a young female now but you were dumped into a nice, family setting with people who love and respect you. I wasn't, and being Jennifer always reminded me of the nightmare I once lived in. Is it any wonder I hated being Jennifer? It wasn't being a woman I hated so much, it was knowing why I was turned into one."

There was logic to what Steve was saying but I didn't want to admit it. I wasn't ready to rollover and become this sweet young woman for everyone to see. I was going to fight this condition. I was going to find Dennis Butz and this Judge and have them change me back.

"I think it's time we see what this town is all about Brother. Why don't you and I go for a drive."

******

I told my mom, now my real mom, we were going out but would be back soon. I opened up the van door and retrieved my emergency pack from underneath the seat.

"What's that?" Steve wanted to know.

"My insurance policy back to a normal life," I replied. We got into my new car, a 1996 white Chevy Cavalier. Not much in the way of power but it got great gas mileage.

"Where are we going?" Steve asked me.

"West, toward the mine I saw when they flew us in. No doubt they'll be watching the main road out of town. So we'll going to try the rail yard first."

"You mean you're planning on escaping? But we just got here," Steve protested slightly.

"I have 'no' intentions on staying in this body Al. Once we get out of this place I'm going to use the doctor's serum to change me back. Are you with me or not?"

Steve nodded his head that he was but it was clear he wasn't happy about leaving. There was a risk that he may end up being turned back into Jennifer if he tried. But he couldn't turn his back on me, someone who had been there when he needed me the most? Normally I wouldn't have involved him in this but I needed his skills if I hoped to accomplish what I was starting.

I parked the car close to the small railroad yard and looked around before getting out. There didn't seem to be anyone watching them, a good sign. However, I was a little surprised about the lack of cop cars in the area. We looked out at the small rail yard filled with cars, most of them open 100-ton hopper cars from the mine.

"Let's get in that car," I said, pointing at the yellow boxcar close by. Steve stopped me.

"Let's get in the Southern boxcar instead," motioning to the one right behind it.

"What difference does it make?" I wanted to know.

"The last time I rode in a 'Railbox' boxcar I got turned into Jennifer," Steve said glumly.

"Oh - sorry. Okay then, but let's hurry. It looks like the train is getting ready to pull out."

I led the way, checking to make sure no one saw us as we got closer to the boxcar. I spotted a sign on a nearby pole that read, 'Warning, you are now leaving sector 125. Level 2 security is required' but paid no attention to it. All I was worried about was catching the next train out of town without getting caught in the process. When we were about 10 feet from the first track I suddenly ran into something that felt like a cushion. It stopped and threw me back.

"What the hell?" I cried out to my brother. Steve put his hand forward and felt some resistance, as if there were an invisible wall in front of him.

"It feels like it's some kind of force field," Steve blurted out. "It must be there to keep people from doing what we're trying to do."

"Then let's see if I can run past it." I took a few steps back and ran forward with a full head of steam.

"Linda, wait," Steve shouted but it was too late. I hit the field hard and it gave - allowing me to go forward for about five feet. But then it recoiled and I found myself being thrown back in the opposite direction at a much faster speed. Steve was able to catch me on the rebound to keep me from falling hard to the ground.

"I was going to tell you that won't work but you didn't listen," he pointed out. "The force field most likely reacts to a strong push with more power. The harder you run into it, the stronger it gets. It's hopeless trying to run past it."

"Then let's try something else," I angrily responded while shaking Steve off me. "My car may not be very fast but I bet I can shake them if they try to pursue us.

"You're can't be serious Linda?" Steve said with disbelief. "You're going to try and outrun the Andersonville police force? Their cars are made for high-speed chases. You'll never get away from them."

"Look, are you in or out?" I asked in an angry tone that indicated I didn't want to argue about it.

"In," Steve said reluctantly.

"Then let's go." We got back in the car and I headed toward downtown. When I turned the car onto Main Street we found it completely void of traffic. There weren't even any cars parked in front of the parking meters.

"Do you notice anything funny about this picture Steve?"

"Yea. It's 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon and there aren't any cars or people out. It's like a ghost town. Where is everyone?"

"Maybe we're the only ones here," I answered. "Let's not worry about that right now. Be on the lookout for cops - we're about to leave town."

We passed a sign that said, 'You are now leaving Andersonville, have a nice day and drive safely'. I checked the rearview mirror but didn't see anyone following we.

"That was too easy," Steve said. "Where's all this security Mr. Atkins was telling us about?"

"Maybe they didn't think we would actually leave," I replied while not believing my own words for one minute. The people in charge had to figure we would at least try to leave. About a mile out of town the car crested over a small hill and we saw the outline of a town ahead of them.

"What town is this?" Steve asked. "I thought Andersonville was in the middle of no-where."

"It is," I answered with a bad feeling inside.

We passed by several businesses, including a small strip mall that looked abandoned, and stopped at a traffic light right next to a huge building.

"Um, Linda, you're not going to believe this - look." I looked to my left and saw an impressive looking courthouse with three huge pillars. Written on the stone frame above were the words, "Andersonville Courthouse."

"How in the hell did we get here?" I yelled.

"Maybe we went in a circle," suggested Steve knowing that we hadn't. The road out of town had been as straight as an arrow.

"Let's try this again," I replied.

I punched the accelerator and headed out of town 'again'. We passed by the same 'You are now leaving Andersonville' sign we had gone by not more then 5 minutes before. And just like before, when we crested over the small hill we found ourselves looking south at Andersonville again.

"FUCK!" I swore loudly. "Tell me this isn't a bad dream."

I spun the car around and headed back the way we just came. There was an orange sign that read, "Warning, road dead-ends 1,000 feet ahead but I ignored the sign and kept driving.

"What are you doing?" Steve screamed at me. "Are you trying to get us killed?" He could make out the metal guardrail across the road, with several orange barrels in front to protect it.

"This is some kind of loop," I told him angrily and not thinking clearly about what I was doing. "I'm betting this is really a secret way out of town. If it's not then we should find ourselves heading into town from the south."

"But what if this loop only works one direction?" Steve queried as we found ourselves on top of the barrier. It was too late to stop even if I wanted too.

There was a horrible scrapping sound as the Chevy plowed head-on into the plastic barrels at nearly 30 miles per hour. While the barrels took most of the impact the front of the car still managed to reach the metal guardrail which infected a terrible blow on the front bumper and grill. The plastic pieces buckled backwards and cracked in several places as the car continued to move forward at nearly 15mph. The front frame pushed upward into the radiator breaking it open and causing a mixture of steam and water to shot out in the air. The car continued to move forward despite the massive blow as the hood of the car bent upward in a vicious V-shape.

Inside the vehicle the effects of the crash were less felt. The seatbelts we were wearing along with the airbags took 99% of the impact. One of Steve's knees managed to hit the dashboard that would cause it to bruise later on, but the safety devices had kept both of us from getting any serious injuries. Then the accident was over. The Cavalier had gone from 30mph to zero in less then a 10th of a second - not even enough time for the brain to comprehend what was happening. But it had left over $2,800 worth of damage to the car's body.

"Are you okay?" I screamed in shook and panic at the thought I had been wrong.

"I'm - I'm okay," he answered, still dazed from the accident while he grabbed onto his knee. "My knee hurts but I don't think it's broken. What about you?"

"I'm fine, just shaken up some. I better check the car."

I stepped outside to check the damage - it was bad. Then I heard a car pull up behind us. There was an officer standing halfway outside his car staring at us and shaking his head back and forth with a silly-ass grin on his face. I sat back down in the driver's seat and put my head on the steering wheel.

"Oh God, has this been a bad day," I said out-loud.

******

"I can't believe you would do such a bonehead move!" Sox started yelling when we got home. He had driven down to the police station to pick us up and hadn't said a word to me the entire way home. Now his anger was coming out in full fury.

"You're supposed to be the smart one in the family. Graduated a year early and number one in your class. So WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING OF YOUNG LADY?"

I tried to think up an answer. It was clear Sox didn't remember anything that happened before we arrived in this quaint little town. He truly believed he had lived in Andersonville all his life. So how could I explain to him that I had been looking for a way out of this town? I stood there biting my lip trying to think of a good answer.

"WELL, I'M WAITING 'EINSTEIN'! Don't tell me you planned on running into that wall." I continued to stand there nervously; I had never seen my father this mad before.

"I'm sorry," I replied quietly, "it just happened."

"It just happened!" Sox mocked me while rolling his eyes. "You could have been killed. Worse, you could have killed your BROTHER." It was a poor choice of words but my father was too angry to realize it.

"Sox, let's try to calm down." Norma interceded. "They're both okay, that's what's important." She tried placing her hand on his shoulder but he brushed it off.

"No, I'm not going to calm down. DO YOU KNOW THE RIBBING I'm going to get on Monday when my co-workers find out that my bright daughter, the one I've been bragging about for months, ran her car into a wall? I'll be the laughing stock of the company. And by the way Missy, you're paying for the damages out of your own pocket. You can walk or ride a bike to work until your car is fixed. Maybe that'll teach you some responsibility in driving a car." It was too much pounding for me to bear.

"I'm SORRY!" I shouted out. "I'm sorry to be such a disappointment to you. I'm sorry you value Steve's life OVER MINE. I'm sorry I'm not like Jennifer, your favorite daughter who can do no wrong."

"Now wait a MINUTE YOUNG LADY," Sox bellowed. "I said no such thing."

"Yes you did!" I cried out. "Yes you did. When I was Tom McClain you use to tell me all the time how Jennifer was your favorite daughter - and how different your two girls were. It became clear that you liked Linda the least of your three children."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Sox's voice boomed out. "Who in the HELL is this Tom McClain and why are you referring to him as if he were you? I don't know anyone named Tom McClain and you sure as 'HELL' aren't him. So now you're telling me I have a daughter who is both 'STUPID' and 'CRAZY'?

"I'M NOT CRAZY!" I screamed back. "You know you feel that way about Jennifer and me - and I know it too. You're just not man enough to admit it."

Sox turned beet red in anger. He was about to say something else when I turned and ran upstairs to my bedroom in shame and embarrassment. Upon entering the room I threw myself on the bed and started bawling my eyes out. Why hadn't I thought about what I was doing first? Sox was right, it had been a bonehead move. But I had let my anger at the situation get the best of me. It had always been my downfall.

I cried some more and for some reason, the more I did the better I felt. As Tom McClain I rarely cried, it just didn't feel right. But now it felt so natural and was a relief to do so. I heard a car start up and drive off in a hurry. There was a short knock on my bedroom door and someone asked if it was okay to come in. I dried the tears from my cheeks and told them to enter. It was my mother. She looked at me with loving, compassionate eyes and sat down beside me while gently placing her arm around me.

"It's okay honey. Your father was mad; he really didn't mean all those things he said about you downstairs. He's taking a drive to cool off and when he gets back everything will be okay, you'll see."

"Mom," I said, enjoying the comforting touch of my mother's compassion. "I'm so sorry for embarrassing both of you like this." My eyes teared up and I found myself wanting to cry again. Mrs. Anderson guided my face into her shoulder and held on to me tightly.

"There, there sweetheart," she said in a comforting tone. "It's okay. We all do dumb things now and then. I've always been very proud of you Linda. You've grown into such a strong, young woman." There was a noise at door. It was Jennifer standing there looking at us with big, soft eyes.

"Linda, I'm glad you weren't hurt," she said with big, teary eyes. I held out my arm and Jennifer came rushing to me. The three of us sat there in a big group hug.

******

That night was very un-restful for me. The events of the previous days kept filling my mind and every couple of hours I would wake to discover I really was girl just like in my dreams. Once I got up and listened to the crickets chirping outside in the cool night. It seemed so unreal to be sitting in this house like a regular family member. I lay back down to sleep and was surprised to see my mother opening up the curtains to a lovely sunrise.

"Rise and shine sleepy-head," she announced cheerfully.

"What for?" I groaned. "I want to sleep some more."

"You can't, you have to get ready for church."

"Church?"

"It's Sunday morning. We always go to church as a family. Let's see," Mrs. Anderson opened up the closet door, "why don't you wear your yellow dress today Linda. You always look so pretty in it." She hung it on the door handle.

'Church! Dress!' I wasn't ready for this. "Can't I stay home mom. I'm really not feeling like myself today."

"Oh come on now Linda," Mrs. Anderson responded cheerfully as she pulled the blankets off my bed. "All your friends will be there. Now let's get cracking."

I forced myself out of bed and got into the shower, letting the warm water run over my long hair and down my new body. It felt surprisingly good. The last time I had taken a shower was when I had still been a 'he'. Now I had long hair, wide hips, breast, and - yikes - internal plumping.

Yesterday's events seemed like a blur and so far away this morning. I had wrecked my car; the only way to get out of this god-forsaken town Dennis Butz had dumped me into. And the argument with my dad, being bawled out like I was actually his own child. I remembered a much different person when I had been Tom and Sox was just my father-in-law. Sox had never treated me this way before. Was it love that had caused him to act this way? I heard a pounding on the door; it was my sister wanting to come in.

My sister, it sounded so foreign and yet exciting to me. To have a real brother and sister, as well as parents who thought of you as their own; it was a dream come true for me. But then I looked at my new body and realized everything wasn't right. Why couldn't the Judge have allowed the Anderson's to have two sons and one daughter? What harm would it have done - they wouldn't have known anyway?

I wrapped a towel around my body and let my little sister in. Jennifer smiled sweetly and thanked me for doing so. Now I knew what Sox had meant that first day we had met at my apartment. Jennifer was a pleasant child to be around, and now she was my little sister.

I dried off quickly with the towel. It didn't seem to bother Jennifer that she saw me partially naked. In fact the younger girl didn't seem to even notice while she brushed her teeth. I slipped on my robe, glance one more time at my younger sister, and left. Steve was waiting nervously for me in my bedroom.

"Um, Lin - Tom. Do you need any help getting ready? I can help, I've had plenty of experience you know."

I started laughing out loud. "Do you know how ridiculous that sounded. Like you wear women's clothes all the time." Steve just gave me an embarrassing grin. "Are you happy Steve, now that you're a male again." I had to know if this had been the right decision.

"More then I can tell you Tom," he smiled brightly. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"

"Yes, only I didn't know I would end up as a young woman, especially Linda Anderson. It's all so weird to believe this has happened."

"It took me a while to get used to it to Tom. But it's not too bad and I'll be here to help you whenever you need it."

"Then start by calling me Linda. If I'm going to accept all this then I need to be treated as your sister." Steve nodded his head to signify he understood. "I um, guess I could use your help with this outfit - like what kind of slip I should wear and what shoes to put on, maybe help picking out some jewelry."

Steve beamed and said, "That I can do. Let's start with your underwear. Do you have a full slip in there?" I didn't know, I had avoided going through the girls' clothes yesterday - especially the underwear.

"I guess I should check, shouldn't I." I opened up a few drawers and found three full slips, one pink, one blue, and one white.

"Which one?" I asked.

"The pink slip is prettier but wear the white slip so it won't show through your dress. Now let's find you a pair of shoes." I didn't seem to own a yellow pair so Steve pulled out a pair of black shoes with almost no heel to them.

"If you want, I would suggest putting a few yellow ribbons in your hair to make it stand out more. You could dress flashier but it's probably not a good idea to wear something flashy to church.

"No, I guess not," I agreed. "I better get dressed now." My brother turned to leave but I grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Steve, I'm sorry about yesterday. It was a stupid thing to do. I'm so glad you weren't hurt. Please, forgive me."

"I've done a few stupid things myself Tom which you had to pay for. If I hadn't made that deal with Klein Walker we wouldn't be here right now. But I'm happy we are. We now have a real mom and dad plus a great sister. A REAL HOME Tom! And the Judge made us young enough so we can stay with our parents for a few more years but inside we're old enough to appreciate them." He grinned with happiness. "Okay - that's the last time I call you Tom Sis. Wow, it's getting late. I better get ready myself." He left my room in a hurry.

I closed the door and pulled out a pair of yellow panties from my underwear drawer.

'Might as well try to color coordinate' I thought, not knowing what difference it really meant. The old Tom McClain certainly wouldn't have bothered with such foolish things.

I pulled the panties up my legs and around my waist. Next I hooked a yellow bra around my chest and placed my breasts into the cups. It actually felt good having them secured instead of bouncing around all over the place. I placed the smooth, nylon slip over my head and it slid down into place with almost no help from me. I decided to look at myself in the mirror and noticed that I didn't look half-bad standing there - maybe even a little sexy.

The pantyhose were a little bit more difficult to put on. The last time I had worn a pair was when Jennifer and I were sneaking Klein Walker out of the motel room past his two bodyguards, more than two years ago. It took me three tries but finally I was able to roll them up my legs without getting a run in them. The dress my mother had picked out was stylish, with a high neckline and a faded flower print on it. It fit me like a glove and in fact, looked like it had been worn quite a few times before. I wondered how someone could keep track of all these small details like supplying me with a wardrobe that included worn looking clothes.

I sat down at her makeup table and put on the gold necklace that Steve had picked out for me. It made me look more grown up. Next I placed a bracelet around my wrist. Engraved on the side was "With all my love, Dad." I almost cried thinking about the fight I had with Sox yesterday. I wondered if he was still mad at me.

I avoided putting on any makeup, my face didn't require any and I didn't want to try applying any at this moment anyway. But I knew I would have to experiment putting some on before tomorrow, my first day at work. Something told me inside that it was better if I presented myself to the judge as a young, mature woman, not some scared unconfident little girl. I made a mental note to ask Steve for some tips later on. There was irony that I had to ask my brother for tips on how to dress and look like a woman.

'I bet Dennis Butz is having a great laugh out of all this,' I thought to myself.

Deciding not to put anything in my hair, I headed downstairs for breakfast. I found my mother at the stove cooking up a stack of pancakes and eggs with a happy smile on her face. I sensed my mother was someone who enjoyed giving of herself, so she thrived on taking care of her family. No wonder it had destroyed Mrs. Anderson when she had lost all three of her children. She no longer knew what to do with herself anymore.

"Good morning honey," she said pleasantly. "Breakfast is almost ready. Can you give me a hand getting it on the table?"

"Sure mom." I had never seen Mrs. Anderson like this before. Even after she had unofficially adopted Al/Jennifer and me as her own children there had always been a certain sadness in her mood. Now, free from the knowledge her children had been killed, she flourished with joy. I realized the old Jennifer had been a lifeline for the older woman for the past two years but not a cure. At least Dennis had been right about how my mother would thrive about not knowing they had all died.

My father came into the room joking about something with Steve, both dressed in a pair of good pants, nice shirt, and tie. It was obvious that my brother had taken to his new role with gusto. Sox looked at me with slight embarrassment and said good morning. Suddenly there was an awkward moment between the two of us, which thankfully was interrupted when Jennifer came bouncing into the room full of energy and smiles.

"Hi pumpkin," Sox said to her. He reached down and gave his younger daughter a big hug, who returned his with her own. Mrs. Anderson in the meantime was placing the last of the food on the table.

"Okay everyone," she said with warm energy, "let's eat."

We sat down at the kitchen table and dove into the pancakes, eggs, and sausage she had prepared for us. I found this to be a strange but wonderful feeling of eating a meal as a family. They were nothing like the meals we had had together at my house when I had been Tom McClain. There was closeness, like a bonding of family members.

Sox and my brother were talking about the high school football team Steve was trying out for. Both were excited about the upcoming season, still a month away. Mrs. Anderson sat there watching with a content look on her face. Jennifer didn't say much, although I did catch her trying to take some of my pancakes off my plate in a playful manner. I was getting used to having a little sister around.

After the meal was done and the plates had been picked up we piled into the family van and headed to St. Michelle's church a few miles away. It was a small, white church with a tall steeple surrounded by towering pine trees. I was surprised to see about 40-50 people inside the church but like Jennifer, they weren't really real people. It was the eyes that gave them away, a white twinkling in the pupils when you looked right at them. Otherwise they looked, dressed and even felt normal to the touch. What was strange was my mom or dad didn't notice the irregularity.

There was only one other person in the church I knew was normal besides Steve and I and that was Officer Dave Williams. He was seated on the other side of the church with his wife and two sons who also appeared to be normal people. I remembered what Trisha Brown had told me and decided to talk with them after church.

The service wasn't as bad as I expected. While not a regular church going person in the past, I still had a strong belief and faith in God that he did things for the best. Now I prayed with a passion for my parents, my brother, and for myself. I prayed to have the strength to accept what had happened to me and what was still to come.

After the service I made my way over to Sargent Williams. His wife stood close by, a pretty woman in her early thirty's. Their kids were still fairly young, about 5 and 8 years old.

"Hello Officer Williams," I said cautiously.

"Hello Linda." He grasped my hand softly. "I'm off duty right now, so you can call me Mr. Williams."

"I didn't think cops were ever off duty." I was a little annoyed that he hadn't offered to let me call him by his first name. He was going to treat me as a young kid, not as an adult. In reality I was almost as old as he was, but reality didn't seem to have a place in Andersonville as I was discovering.

The cop smiled oh-so slightly. "In Andersonville things are a little different as you may have noticed. Allow me to introduce my wife, Janet. Honey, this is Linda Anderson."

His wife smiled warmly and said, "Dave's told me so much about you." She gave her husband a side look and continued, "I bet you must be excited about starting your new job tomorrow."

"I'm not really sure yet," I stuttered out, wondering if his wife knew the full story about what was going on. "I hear the Judge can be a little hard to get along with at times."

"You'll do fine," Dave replied but with some caution in his voice. "Just remember who you are now and what you're supposed to be doing. It'll work out okay."

'Who I am now!' It was the first indication anyone had given me since I arrived that I wasn't really Linda Anderson. Even the cop who had taken care of my accident yesterday had played dumb, acting as if I had been Linda and lived in Andersonville all my life.

"Mr. Williams, can I talk to you in private for a moment please?"

He hesitated. "Not now Linda, I promised to take my family to the lake for a picnic after church. Plus I have to be in early tomorrow to welcome five new 'residents' to our town. I'll talk to you after the Judge gets done with them, if you still want to talk that is."

It wasn't the answer I was hoping for but if the man didn't want to talk I couldn't make him. I said goodbye to Dave and his family and watched them walked away. Trisha was right, he did seem to be a decent guy. As I turned to go back to my family I found my path blocked by a girl about my age.

"Hi girlfriend," the redhead teenager said. She gave me a quick hug that I reluctantly returned. "Why didn't you call me last night?"

'Call you, I don't even know who you are,' I wanted to tell her. This place was crazy. Cops claiming I lived here all my life; strangers coming up to greet me like we were old friends; parents who remembered me as their daughter. I wondered what other surprises were in store for me.

"Yesterday was a bad day. I wreaked my car and my dad was really upset with me," I told her.

"Are you okay?" For not being real this fake person held a look of deep concern on her face like she meant it. Perhaps that was how things worked around here - these temporary people were here to make the new citizens feel more relaxed and maybe even normal in a non-normal situation.

"I'm doing better, my car's a mess."

The red-hair girl gave me a comforting smile. "It can be fixed, at least you're okay. Look, Teresa and I are going over to the mall, want to join us?"

"I better not, I think I'm grounded even though my dad hasn't told me so. I better stick around the house today." The other girl gave me an understanding look.

"I'll call you later. Good luck on your job tomorrow." She gave me another hug and happily trotted off.

'Luck?' Why was everyone wishing me good luck on my new job tomorrow? Was I going need it? This Judge didn't seem like a very happy person and Dennis had warned me that he was a little rough around the edges. Even officer William's had expressed some reservations about tomorrow. Someone tugging on my dress pulled me out of my daydream.

"Daddy says it's time to go," Jennifer told me. I could see the others were already getting into the van.

"Then I guess we better get going," I told my sister with a smile.

******

From my bedroom window I stared out at the lush, green, lawn below. Twenty-four hours! I had been here that long and had already made a mess of things. I had managed to crash my car, turned my father against me, and make a first class fool of myself in front of everyone. Oh, Dennis Butz had to be laughing his ass off right now I figured. Yet there was a sense of peace and security being here in Andersonville. I was normal now, just like all the other kids I had gone to school with when I was Tom McClain.

I used to envy them being dropped off at their homes with their mother or father waiting for them outside, while I had spent my entire life in an orphanage. It wasn't that the orphanage had been so bad, but it wasn't like being in a real home with loving parents to call your own. Now if only I could make amends for the past 24 hours. There was a slight knock on my bedroom door.

"Come in," I said.

The door open slowly and I was surprise to see it wasn't my mom or Jennifer but my father. He looked at me with sad, loving eyes. "Can we talk sweetheart?"

"Sure - sure Dad." Sox sat down on my bed across from me and leaned forward.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you the way I did yesterday honey."

"No Dad, I'm the one who should be sorry. It was a bonehead thing to do."

The older man shook his head. "We all make mistakes Linda. Lord knows I've made my share. But you've always been a smart and mature girl all your life, it's hard for me to think of you as still being a young girl and not yet an adult."

There was that 'kid stuff' again. I was in my late 20's; not some mindless teenage kid who didn't have a clue about what life was all about. Why couldn't they treat me as such? My father continued.

"I guess it shows that I do favor your sister a little more, but it doesn't mean I love you less Linda. You have always been so independent all your life - you never really needed me."

"That's not true Dad," I said while wondering if it really was. Had the real Linda been so independent and unattached from her father? "You've always been a big influence on my life.

"But you never wanted me in your life sweetheart. Sure, we did a few things together but your independent streak never allowed us to be very close. And then there was - my drinking problem. I guess that had a lot to do with it. I wasn't a very pleasant person to be around when you were growing up. Thank God for the local AA chapter! They helped me become a better man."

I was a little shocked to learn that Sox remembered being an alcoholic. It meant this make-believe life of mine didn't hold happy answers all the time.

"Daddy," I started off while finding it easy to fall into the role of his daughter with him sitting across from me. "I've always admired you for courage to stand up to your problem. That's where you went last night, wasn't it. What I did and said almost caused you to drink." The middle-age man shook his head.

"No, that's not true and don't you believe it. I've had this trouble ever since I joined the Navy. It was my crutch for too many years, to blame my drinking on everyone else but myself. The truth was, I didn't have the courage to face my problems so I hid from them by drinking. But now I know better, except it cost me my relationship with you. That's why I spend so much time with your sister, she's like my second chance to experience all the things I never could with you. You've never seemed able to forgive me for how I use to be.

"Oh Dad." I got up and sat down on the bed next to him. "I have forgiven you, and I want to have a good daughter/father relationship with you. I just hope I can be the daughter that will make you proud."

"You already have," he said with a heartfelt sigh. "I am so proud of you. Graduating a year early while still being number one in your class. You've grown up to be a lovely, young woman."

I cringed slightly at the 'lovely, young woman' part. I still hadn't gotten use to that idea yet.

Sox hugged and patted me on the back. "Come on, let's go downstairs and sit on the front porch for a while. Your mother is fixing a pitcher of ice tea and we can sit outside and talk about your new job. I bet you can't wait to start?"

"I'll let you know tomorrow Dad." Sox just laughed and led me downstairs.

Fade out...