I went into mom and dads room. Sitting on the bed. Still crying. What do I do? What will happen to me. Will they put me in foster care since there are no relatives.

“Wait, Aunt Carman.” Moms sister. None of the other family members know, other than Sarah but I have been talking to her. Aunt Carman is Mom's twin sister. Mom had said, She had got into drugs and alcohol. Mom doesn't want to have anything to do with her anymore. It is like she never had a twin sister.

But Aunt Carman has been clean and sober for 7 years. Goes to NA and AA meetings. She had joined the Navy just after getting clean. Carman is a bad ass. She was even in the Navy. She got hurt in Afghanistan and was medically discharged.

I met Aunt Carman purely by accident. I had gone to the Point shopping center to see the latest Call of Duty. I literally ran into her when I left.

I came out the door not looking and ran right into a lady. She had knocked me over. She lifted me to my feet.

“Sorry, Mom.” I said when I saw who thought it was. I knew Mom was a twin but Mom had said her twin sister had died.

“Excuse me, you must be mistaken. I don't have any children.”

“But you look like my Mom.”

“Robert?” She asked me.

Yeah, that is my name. If you don't know me how do you know my name?”

“Your Mom is Caren Dunkirk?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Are you my Aunt Carman?”

“Yes, I am Carman Southridge.”

“Mom said you where dead.”

“ Caren would tell you that.” Aunt Carman told me her whole story.

It was terrible what Mom did to her twin sister. I found out she actually lived about 5 blocks from us.

“Robert, I would love to have you come visit me.” She handed me her business card. She was a Real Estate agent. Specializing in Commercial properties. We have been friends for a year and a half. I go to her house at least once a week.

Aunt Carman will know what to do. Using the house phone in Mom and Dads room I dialed her number from memory.

“Hello” Aunt Carman sounded skeptical. I always called her on my cell phone. Maybe she thought it was mom going to lay into her for seeing me.

“Aunt Carman, Help.” I cried. “Everybody is dead. Mom, Dad, Sarah, Sam and Jessica. They are all dead.”

“Robbie, Where are you, What happened?”

I told her the short version of what happened. What I saw. Everything. The line went silent.

“OK, I am on my way over. Is Sarah's phone with her or in her room.”

“Unless it is charging she keeps it with her.”

“Go check if it is.”

I went to Sarah and Jessica's room. There it was on her dresser charging. Going back to the phone.

“Aunt Carman, It was charging. I've got it.”

“Good. I am backing out. I will think on my way over and call you on her phone.”

“OK, please hurry. I am scared.”

“everything will be alright. I will call you.” she hung up.

I had told Sarah about seeing Aunt Carman and she started to too. I carefully went down stairs and waited by the back door. Clutching Sarah's phone. I almost jumped out of my skin when Aunt Carman called.

“Robbie, I am pulling in your driveway now. Meet me at the back gate.” I heard a car pull in. I went to the gate and waited. Carman came up to the gate.

“Robbie, are you OK?” She asked.

All I could do is shake my head.

“OK, I figured out what we are going to do.”

“Uh huh.” I whispered.

“You wait in my car. I will get the things we need and join you.”

I went to her Mustang. She had a 1970 Mustang Mach 1 Fastback. I waited and waited. I was getting scared. What if those guys came back. It was almost half hour before she came back carrying two of mom and dad's suit cases. She put them in the back seat and we left.

“Robbie, I'm afraid that you will not be able to come back to this house. Once the police are notified they will investigate. Then the news will get a hold of it. Saying there was one survivor. Who wasn't home at the time of the murder. She was with her aunt at dinner. Hopefully the ones who did this will think she had no knowledge of it.”

As we drove down her street. “Aunt Carman, Why are you saying she? Sarah was the one who was killed.” I began hearing sirens. I saw 2 fire trucks drive past Aunt Carman's street.

“To protect you from who ever did that. You are going to become Sarah Michelle Dunkirk. You are going to be a girl. You would have been murdered with the rest of your family and burned in the fire. That they set.”

I'm going to what?” I was confused. Aunt Carman pulled into her driveway putting her Mustang in the garage next to her other car. A Ford Taurus SHO.

Shutting off her car she turned in her seat, to look at me. She took my hand gently.

“Robbie, Like I said, you will need to become a girl. That is the only way I can protect you is to actually hide you.”

“I don't know if I can do that.”

“OK, Fine. I guess I will take you down to were that guy you saw was murdered. I'm sure they will find you shortly and take care of you.” Aunt Carman turned back to start her mustang, again.

“Aunt Carman, What are you doing?” I said in a panic.

“Since you don't want to hide. Might as well take you downtown, Right now, no use dawdling around. As Grandma used to say. Maybe they will do it quick.”

“Aunt Carman wait. Don't you love me.”

“Yes, Robbie I do, that is why you must become the girl. To hide you. But you don't want to become a girl. So I don't want to be killed as well. So, I'll take you back downtown.”
Aunt Carman started the car, put it in reverse and turned to back out of her garage.

“Aunt Carman don't”

She stopped and looked at me. “So live or die. It is your choice.”

I knew she would take me back. Her nephew or not. I had to decide and quick.

“I want to live.” I finally said.

“Good choice, Robbie.”

As Aunt Carman turned off her car.

“Robbie isn't here, I am Sarah.” I said softly.

“Lets get in the house, young lady. We have work to do.”

Aunt Carman's house was almost twice as big as our house. She even had a hot tub. Everything in her house was clean and tidy. With her working so hard. She has a housekeeper come twice a week to clean, and do her wash.

“OK, You can have the spare bedroom. I have my room and my office in the other two.”

Aunt Carman's spare room was bigger than my room at home. She had me wheel the two suitcases to my new room. I tried to put them on my bed. But they where two heavy. My aunt picked them up with ease. I am only 9.

“Well young lady get your clothes out and put them away.” Aunt Carman said referring to the dresser in the room. “Then get changed into your Pjs it is getting late.”

“OK,” I said dejected. Like the whole world has dumped on me. Well it has. My family is dead. I opened the suitcases. They were full of Sarah's clothes, looks like every piece of clothing Sarah had. Aunt Carman must have just dumped her drawers in here.

“Sarah,” Aunt Carman called. “Please put away your clothes neatly, not like Robbie does.”

“OK” I called back. I wanted to say. I'm not Sarah I am Robbie. I knew she would drag me out to the car and take me downtown and drop me off. So, each piece was carefully folded before I put it in the drawer. I put Sarah's or should I say, my underwear and socks in the top drawer. Including pantyhose and tights. I put my Pjs in my top drawer also. The next drawer was my shorts, skirts, and T-shirts. God Skirts. I'm going to have to wear skirts. The second from the bottom was pants, and jeans. By the time I got to the bottom of the second suitcase. It was hanging stuff. Dresses mostly. A couple of jackets.

It took me just over an hour to get it all put away. I may have done it quicker but I was crying the whole time. Finishing I sat on the bed. After a minute I just fell over crying my eyes out. My family is dead. I should never have went to that game alone. I had thought I could find the right buses. But didn't and wound up in this situation. Where I am to be my twin sisters sister, and to live like a girl.

I felt a hand gently on my back. It was Aunt Carman. I didn't even hear her come in. She rubbed my back. In a soothing voice. “Robbie, it will take some work and courage from the both of us. But we will get though it. Please trust me.” turning to look at her.

“That is why I called you.” I sniffled. “I knew you would help me. I don't know if I can be Sarah.”

“I will help you be the girl you need to be. While it may not look like it. I was 9 once.”

“Do you think I can do it. Be Sarah?”

“With my help, yes.”

“OK, I will become my twin sister.”

“Well, go ahead and get into your Pjs, Sarah. Then come into the living room. I will get some Hot Chocolate. For us.”She hugged me, and left.

I was able to stop crying some. Looking in the top drawer. I found only what I think are called babydoll nighties. None had any bottoms. I have seen both Sarah and Jessica wear them. They just wore underwear for bottoms. That means I will have to wear girls panties,yeah.

I picked out a purple babydoll with flowers. I found panties that kinda matched. They had flowery ruffles on the butt. I just laid them on the bed and stared at them. Finally I began to take my clothes off. My prized mud hens jersey, then everything else, came off. I stood naked. I timidly picked up the top like it was fragile. I took a breath and slipped it on. Then the panties, as I pulled them up. They felt different, but in a good way. Did I just think that. Oh, god.

Once in the correct position. They did feel good, a lot better than my boxer briefs. Embarrassed I went out to the living room. Aunt Carman was in the lazy-boy. I plopped myself down in the couch, like I normally did.

Carman shook her head. “Try that again, Missy.”

I must have given her a look.

“You need to start learning to do things as a lady. You need to sit gently. When you have a skirt or dress on, you smooth it under your butt as you sit. So try it again.”

So I got up and sat down again. Slowly this time.

“that is better.” She said smiling. She went to the kitchen and brought back two mugs of hot chocolate. Handing me mine I took it slowly and set it on the coaster on the side table. Sitting back down she turned the 11:00 news on.

The news started with the story of the guy I saw shot. Next I saw my house, burning. Saying that they are at the scene of a house explosion and fire.

Shortly after Aunt Carman picked up her house phone and dialed.

“Yes, I saw the story on the news about the explosion and fire at a home. That home is my sisters. Yes. My name is Carman Southridge. My sister is Caren Dunkirk. She is married and has 4 children. As far as I knew they were going to be home. My niece Sarah has been staying with me for the last couple of days. She is 9.

“Let me see, Samuel is 15, Jessica is 13, and Robert is 9, She is Sarah's twin. Caren is 36 and is my twin. James, her husband is 38. Yes, we will stay up. If need be.” Aunt Carman gave the person on the phone her address and phone number. She thanked the person and hung up.

“They are going to relay the information to the on scene officers, one will be over shortly. So, this is important. You must become Sarah. As soon as the officer is in the house. You ask about your family. Where your family is, are they safe. You need to sound panic-ed. Like you are worried about them.”

“OK, I'll try.”

“You need to more than try. You need to sound convincing. Now, any bad news which there may be. You start crying, Then grab me in a hug.”

“OK, Aunt Carman. Can I put on something over this,”

She nodded. “There is a robe in my bedroom.”

“Thanks” I found the robe and returned to the living room.

We heard a vehicle pull up in the driveway. Shortly there was a knock on the door. Aunt Carman opened it and conformed it was the police. She led them in.

“This is my niece, Sarah Dunkirk.” Carman said. As two officers came into the living room.

“Hi,” I said. “Where is my Mom and Daddy. Is my brothers and sister alright?”

The lady officer came over an sat on the couch. “I am sorry to tell you this. But your family is dead. They all were in the house when it exploded.”

“What????” I cried and jumped up to hug Aunt Carman. The tears were not fake. I am still upset about what happened.

“What happened?” Carman asked.

“Well, Ma'am.” the other officer started a male. “Looks like it was a gas explosion. The fire Captain says that the whole house was saturated with natural gas. It wasn't a small explosion. The firemen found the bodies in the rubble. We are truly sorry. Here.” She handed me a stuffed rabbit.

Through my tears, I gently took it. Thannnkkssss” I said in a teary shaky voice. I hugged that bunny to my chest.

“Sarah, we won't be needing you for anything else. If you like you can go to bed.” The female officer said.

I just shook my head.

Aunt Carman looked at me. “OK, you can stay here and watch some TV. Just keep the volume low.

“OK,” I said nodding.

I took the TV remote from Carman's side table. I sat back down on the couch. I did it lady like. I channel surfed a little finally finding something that interested me. The old series M.A.S.H reruns. The only thing decent to watch.

Next thing I am waking up in Aunt Carman's spare room. Thinking,was all that a bad dream. Are my parents and siblings OK.

Once I threw back the covers, I knew it was real. I was still wearing Sarah's purple baby doll nightie. I had to go, so I made my way to the bathroom. As soon as I closed the door. I heard Aunt Carman call. “Sarah, remember you are a girl now and have to sit down to use the bathroom.”

“OK” I called back. I decided that she couldn't see me pee. So I peed standing up as normal.

Finishing I looked in the mirror. With the Pjs I was wearing. I looked like a girl I looked like my twin sister. I looked like Sarah. We were almost identical With one exception I have a wienie.