The Legends

Chapter 2 - The Woman Soldier

A girl dies and resurrects 80 years later, in a divided world. Each chapter is the story of a person who encountered her, in a different place and a different state. She sometimes helps other people, but nobody knows who she is.

I might had a name once, but now people call me Cat. I am a woman but all my life I wished I were a boy. My father was a war hero, who fought and died on foreign soil. I don't remember anything about my mother, she was killed when I was too young. I still remember things from the front, where I grew-up with my dat. At 10, I got my first kill. That was when the nukes were flying. Then, as I was nearly 20, I had to return home, only that there was no home at that time. Earth map has changed beyond recognition. So, I just stepped into a state that once was a province of a larger empire. There, I became a nobody. Weapons are not for women and women are expected to get married and obey their husbands. Well, not for me. I grew-up among soldiers and all the time I felt like one of them. I feel like a man. I even watched them when they had a pleasant visitor, as they used to call women doing prostitution. I wished I could make love like men do. How could I accept to be married with a man? How could I accept to listen to a man? But, in this new world, you have to do what everyone does. Gay and lesbian people are killed without question.

So, I got married against my will with a guy. He used to get drunk over and over. One day, I could not support this any longer and I killed him. From that moment on, I knew I have to run. So, where to go? I had only one choice. About 50 km from that town, there was a big city once, but it was nuked. Nobody lives there, except for a few outlaws. That was my only chance. I ran away, to save my life.

Now, I have been living in the ruins for 5 years. The bomb exploded 20 years ago. I should be worried about radiation, but what can I do? After all this time, nature started to reclaim the land. The former city is now becoming a forest. I sustain myself by hunting. Sometimes I go out for a robbery, alone or with other people. I always protect women, who have a harsh time in these days. In fact, I am a lesbian, but don't dare to say to anyone.

I managed to survive here and have everything I need, except one thing: smoke. I am a convinced smoker. I started smoking very early on the front, before I even knew how to read. This addiction is beyond my limits and it made me once kill for a pack of cigarettes. I managed to plant tobacco seeds and now I smoke pipe, here, in the ruins.

**************

It is now spring. Good that the winter passed away. It is a cold morning. The campfire at the entrance is smoking its last branches. I get out from my bed, which is just a heap of hay. It is cold, but as a soldier, I have to start the day. I go out, take my old military clothes off. Naked, I wash my self in the icy water of a pond. Then, I dress back. Breakfast is some rabbit meat from my previous hunt. I put some tobacco in my pipe and light it. My lungs are hungry for smoke, more then my stomach was hungry for food. The smoke gets inside me and I feel it.

"Well, Cat, time to put a new trap, to catch something else", I say to myself.

A few days ago I caught a dog, yesterday I got a rabbit. I go out and prepare the trap. Who knows what will this time be. Then, I go back to make fire again, to heat some water. I need to wash some clothes. After washing, I put the clothes on a wire, to dry-up. I light a new pipe and smoke.

Then, I hear something. Gunfire, some dogs barking, then a scream. What is going on? I throw water in the fire and grab my gun. Carefully, I move keeping myself down. I know very well how to hide. People cannot smell, but dogs can. People cannot see you in certain areas. Dogs don't have that good view, but can smell and hear. Once, I hidden from a patrol in a road ditch. They just moved along the road, scanning the horizon for me and had no idea I was near them. I move on a former street. A few abandoned homes are on both sides. Plants have grown all around, even on the road. I lean down on the ground, beneath a big boulder of concrete. My head is behind a bush. I know that dense vegetation can allow me to see them, but not them to see me.

I see them. There are four guys, with dogs. They are after something. Then, I see something else: a woman. She is running, but she really does not know how to hide. She is moving to another street. They see her and run after her. She forces the door of a house, but it's locked. I hear another gunfire. She runs again. This time, she goes to a former supermarket.

I start moving towards her position. She enters. The four men have seen her and they are heading in the same direction. They don't see me.

"What should you do, Cat?" I ask myself. "Should I save her? These guys have weapons, which is a dangerous thing. I might catch them, but they might shoot me as well". I enter the supermarket on a back door. Everything here is a mess. Everything that was food, was long eaten before. But, there still are many useful things. "Wouldn't it be nice to toast some guy eggs?" I say to myself, laughing.

I grab a big cover pot and put it beneath my soldier uniform. This should deflect some bullets. Now, let's go to where the woman should be. If I am right, she would not see the many small holes that can save her. Instead, she will run forward. And yes, I see her.

"Maybe she has something to trade", I say to myself.

She goes forward and... falls into a trap. Someone placed a wire on the ground, to catch an animal. The wire gets around her foot and she falls down. A counterweight falls somewhere and she ends-up hanging above ground and screaming.

I run to her and take my knife. With a jump, I cut the wire.

"Come with me", I say fast.

I take her to one of the many holes that might have saved her life. She is so scared, all sweat and hyperventilating. Oh mine! What should I do now? If she doesn't calm, she will attract the dogs.

"Calm down!" I whisper.

She does not say anything, but doesn't calm down.

"I am Cat", I say. "What's your name?"

"Rosalia", she answers, crying.

"Rosalia, what have you done?" I whisper.

"Nothing", she says, crying.

The four guys are here. They split and search every corner. I know they will come to where we hide. Dogs will find us before.

"I need to know what you really did", I whisper again.

She says nothing. I need a plan. But first, I need to calm a bit.

"Roaslia, do you have a cigarette?" I ask.

"What?" she says surprised.

Well, she does smoke and gives me the whole pack. I grab one and light. This is good and will calm me down.

"Dogs will smell the smoke", she whispers.

"I don't think so", I say.

Well, one guy is closer. I push Rosalia deep into the hole, while I hide close to the exit. He doesn't see us, just passes by. He is more interested in useful things that might be recovered. By the time I finish this cigarette, another guy is coming. It is the one with the gun.

"Get ready, Cat", I whisper.

He comes closer and sees the hole. He pulls his shotgun inside. Then, with one hand I grab it, while with the other hand, I hit his balls. As I grab the gun, a bullet is discharged in the whole and Rosaila shouts.

"Die, infidel!" I scream to him.

He retreats about one meter away. I point the shotgun to him. The other guys come here fast, but the dogs are faster. I shoot one dog and it dies instantly. The other one, just move away. I drop the shotgun back in the hole and take my gun.

"Who wants to get out of this life first?" I ask.

I see that they don't have any other weapons, except a few knives.

"What has she done?" I shout.

"She was caught with another man", says the guy that had the shotgun. "You know the law, she must die".

"If you want her, you have to bargain with me", I say. "What do you give me in exchange?"

Rosalia cries in the back, hearing this. The guys say nothing.

"Yea?" I say. "But her lover got no punishment, I bet".

"He is a man. Men have the right to have extra-marriage relations".

"You know what?" I say. "I think I will make an omelet with all your balls. Wow! Four persons, that means eight eggs. I take your balls and she goes with you. Deal?"

"Damn you, bitch!" shouts one of them.

"Pathetic", I say, spitting on the ground. "Ok. If you have nothing to trade, then I put it simple. I count to 3 and you leave. If not, I kill you. One..."

They don't move. They just don't know what to do.

"Two..."

Then, I shoot the former owner of the shotgun, between his feet. I don't intend to hit his organs, just to graze his skin. He shouts of pain and moves away. They all move away.

"Three!"

I shot again, not with the intention to hit someone. Well, that was enough. They now run like crazy. We get out and head to my hideout. We also take the dog with us, to cook.

"Thank you for saving my life", says Rosalia.

"Yes, I saved your life", I say, "but that's not big deal. Tomorrow, maybe you will save mine".

"Were you really going to bargain me?"

"Yes, if you were guilty of something very bad".

"I didn't cheat my husband", says Rosalia. "That lover went in, but not for me. For Marguerita".

"Another wife?" I ask. "How many does he have?"

"Five", she answers.

Oh mine! This rotten world is really turning upside down. She doesn't say anything, only helps me to raw the skin, take the guts out and make a fire. We are going to eat dog stake today. Then, as we eat, I notice she is not used to this kind of food. She has a strong smell of perfume and expensive clothes. Sure, she comes from a rich family. There is no way she can survive for long here.

Now, what should I do? It is not easy to survive alone in here, but with another mouth to feed, this will be really hard. I advice her to cross the border. It is the only hope she has. I know well how these things work. Some bribery to the customs and all is done. No big deal. I tell her exactly what she needs to go and she leaves, giving me some gold. That is good. I got more then if I would get by selling her. Anyway, I would have sell her only if she did something very bad, like abandoning her children or killing someone helpless.

As evening comes, I make the campfire, close to the entrance door. I eat again, then prepare my pipe for a smoke. It is hard to be completely alone for a long time. So, sometimes I just talk to myself using voice.

"If my father were here, to see what he died for"... "I wish I were a man"... "Someone has to bring justice to this place".

At that moment, I see a green light outside. Or is it a green light? Am I hallucinating? It vanishes almost instantly.

The next day, I go out from my hideout. Not far from here, there is a lake. Once, it was a recreation park, now it is a forest. I often sit here and enjoy the view. Buds are growing in the trees, waiting to become leaves and branches. Flowers are everywhere. A few trees are white or pink because of the many flowers they hold. The fresh green grass is growing under my feet. Birds are singing, undisturbed by anyone. How much beauty does the nature have? How much joy? I watch a squirrel going down from a tree, a few butterflies moving in the sun and the endless insects roaming.

I just take the boots off, to feel the grass with my toes and lean down. I take one cigarette left from Rosalia and light. Smoke gets out in the air. Then, I see something that I never seen before. Above the trees, there is something green flying. And that green thing goes down to the ground. I look closer. It appears to be a human, a green human, but with wings. It looks like a woman. As it gets closer, I see her to have some sort of green fire above her head and surrounding her body. Even more, she has horns. She looks partially like a hologram, partially real. I instantly stand, but don't take a defensive position. She doesn't seem dangerous.

"Cat, don't worry. I am not going to hurt you", she says, with a feminine voice.

I see her closer. She has a short top, a summer skirt and some unusual, transparent shoes. Her hair is green and nearly touches her shoulders. She has green lips, green eyes and green glasses. Oh mine! Is this real or not? I pinch my hand. If this is a dream. I should wake-up.

"Sit down on the grass, I won't hurt you", she says again.

"Who are you?" I ask.

"I am The Legend", she says, sitting on the grass, near me.

Now, I see her much better. Her body is covered with some sort of pantyhose costume. Her skin is in fact white, perfectly white and glowing. She has green nails and a green necklace. With one hand, she holds a cigarette with green flame. When she smokes, she also puffs green smoke. I sit on the grass near him.

"What legend? Whose legend?" I ask.

"Just like this: The Legend. I seen you saving Rosalia. I seen you saving Esmeralda. You have a good soul, Cat".

"I am not a good person. I killed people".

"Don't worry, some males really deserve to die", she says. "I know you. I can see it in your eyes that you are a soldier and you want to fight for a better future".

"I did fight", I say. "My dad was a soldier too".

"I know. I see in your eyes this. And you would like to fight again".

"Me? But with who and what for?" I ask. "How could I fight? Who will join me? And besides, I am a woman".

"Do you want to be a man?" she asks me.

"I would. But how could that be possible?"

"It is", she says.

As saying so, she touches my body. Well, her hands gets inside me. I feel a gently touch, more like air is flowing over my skin. It is a bit cold. She moves her hands to my breasts. I feel her, working inside them. Then, she moves down to my genitals.

"Don't worry", she says. "Just let me. You will become a man in all aspects. The only thing that will not change is your DNA. You will have the DNA of a woman, but with the organs of a man. You will not have the Y chromosome".

"What does that mean?" I ask, feeling her working in my genitals.

"It means that you will be able to have children, but only girls".

"How could that be possible?" I ask, not trusting her.

"In a week, Cat. Just wait a week".

Just as she works on my body, I start feeling some sort of pain in my breasts. What is going on? I take the last drag from my cigarette and throw it away.

"Your transformation will be complete in a week", she says. "Then, you will return to the town and change your life".

After saying this, she opens her wings and starts flying. As she moves away, I notice she also has a tail. Then, I feel the pain increasing in my body. My breasts are hurting. Everything hurts. I try to get back to my hideout... and hardly make it. As I arrive, I throw-up.

"What is this?" I whisper.

But my voice is not that of a woman. It is more that of a man. What??? Am I becoming a man? I hardly make the fire and prepare my bed. Everything hurts in my body.

When I wake-up, I am surprised not to feel my breasts as usually. I take down my soldier jacket and look. Wow! They are separated from my body. Fresh skin has grown beneath them. My former breasts are just pieces of meat covered by skin. I take them out and drop them near me. I continue to feel a lot of pain inside me and I cannot eat anything... but I feel a need to smoke more then usual.

The second day, I notice another change in my body. I feel less pain, but I piss with blood. The 3rd day, I urinate as I should do, even if I feel a lot of pain inside me. My genitals are shrinking and closing. Everything is changing. The fourth day, I have no genitals, just a pee hole. The fifth day, I feel a lot of pain from the area and see something unexpected. Something is growing. I have a small penis, but it hurts me a lot, as it is growing. Also, I start to notice some mustache and beard. It takes me about ten days until I no longer feel any pain at all.

Now I look like a man and feel like one. I have everything a man has. I have no idea who this ghost was, but I know that this changed my life. I return to the town, without any problem. I am a bit shorter and thinner then an average man, but I am going to show them some respect.

Men are treated equal in this land, while women are oppressed.

**************

After I go back to town, I quickly find myself a job, as a bodyguard. I earn money and in a few weeks get a house. Then, in an year, I start my own business, a textile factory. I higher lonely women and pay them equal salaries with men. This is my new fight: to offer an alternative life to women. In fact, they are keeping the factory running and growing, not me. And soon after this, other employers start to higher women, which in many aspects are better then men.

At the factory, a woman comes and asks for a job. Immediately I recognize her. It's Rosalia, the woman I saved. I grant her a job. As time passes, I get in love with her and she with me. Time passes and we form a couple. Then, one day, she says:

"You know, two years ago I was not like that. I was running away and a woman named Cat saved my life".

This makes me laugh.

"What is so funny, Cat?" she asks, not knowing that she is talking to the same person.

"And that woman tried to sell you to her attackers?" I answer.

"Yes. How do you know?"

"She told me", I answer, laughing even more and lighting a cigarette. "Do you want a cigarette, darling?"

"Ok", she says, taking my offer. "But still I don't understand why are you laughing".

"Because you gave me a cigarette back in the abandoned supermarket. Now I give it back to you".

**************

There are a few other people that have seen The Legend flying around. Even Rosalia has seen her in the day I saved her, as she was running to the border. Just over that border, there is an idyllic democracy, where people are equal and where probably nobody is suffering. There, people also have spotted a strange green light in the sky. What amazes me is that The Legend came to me and changed me from a woman to a man. Why did she do this? Why did she help me? There are many sick people in hospitals and on the street and she never came to them. She never talked with anyone else.

The biggest question remains unsolved: Who is she? I think she is a ghost... but the ghost of who?