Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

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Josh awoke at six as usual. He almost didn't need the alarm he'd set the night before, having gotten used to rising at that time anyway, but he was taking no chances. Jumping out of bed quickly, he got dressed. Putting on fresh white undies and white tights easily now that he'd had practice at it, he put on a pretty bra and then got into the skirt and blouse.

Going to his vanity, he spent half an hour fixing his hair, nearly burning his fingers on the curling iron a few times having only ever seen his mother use one twice. Content with the result after brushing the curls out into a cute wavy style, he moved on to makeup. Wishing he'd paid more attention when his mother had given him his one lesson, he ended up having to remove it all a few times before he felt happy with the result.

I get it! he praised himself on the fourth try. Less is more!

Picking the pink pearl stud magnetic earrings and the heart locket, he donned them and looked over the finished result. Smiling weakly that he looked every bit the sweet and innocent girl, he sprayed some perfume on his wrists and went to the closet, retrieving a pair of pink Mary Janes with a low heel. Putting them on, he looked at the whole picture in the closet mirror.

Wow! he stood in amazement, looking at the girl in his mirror. Perfect! Not too dressy, but still nice and sweet! I hope it's right!

Making his way out of his room, he noted that he had over twenty minutes before he needed to catch the bus. Allowing for five minutes to walk to the stop, and a few extra minutes to make sure he didn't miss it, he tried to sit and relax for the last few minutes before leaving.

Nibbling on a piece of toast to tide him over until brunch, he was surprised to see his mother come in. Gulping, he watched her cross the room and make her way into the kitchen. "Good morning, Mom." he said nervously.

"Good morning, sweetheart." she said groggily, putting the water on to make a cup of tea. "I wanted to see you off." Walking to the table, she sat while her water heated up. "Is that all you're having?" she asked concernedly.

"We're supposed to have brunch together." he explained. "That and my stomach was a bit jumpy this morning."

Getting up, she felt his forehead. Smiling as she sat back down, she sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting that cold Tracy got. You look very nice, by the way!"

Blushing, he looked down and took another nibble of toast. "Thanks!" Noting that he didn't feel weird or icky when she complimented him, he chalked it up to thinking he was getting used to liking being a girl.

"Sweetie, I also wanted a quick word with you before you go." Melanie said softly. "I know you have high hopes for today, I just don't want to see you get hurt is all. So... just don't try to go too fast, OK? Take it slow and enjoy your time with her!" Reaching out, she fixed a few hairs back into place.

"Oh, Mom!" he whined as he finished his toast and got up to rinse the small plate and put it in the dishwasher. "It's not a date, OK? It's just a nice brunch with a friend and her family! It's not like I'm gonna ask her to marry me or somethin'!" Drying his hands on a dishtowel, he looked at the time and saw he still had almost five minutes left, but he wanted to get away from her. "I should go." he lied. Walking over to his mother, he hugged her weakly and kissed her cheek as Melanie returned the hug.

"I know, sweetheart. I trust you. You're your own person and I can't control you. I just worry sometimes. I shouldn't. It's bad for your self-esteem and sense of self." Releasing him, she got up to walk him to the door. "You don't have a purse, honey?"

"Do I need one?" he asked impatiently.

"Come with me." she ordered as she led him up to his room. Opening the side of his closet with his blouses and skirts, she opened a drawer full of purses and pulled a shiny pink one out that matched his shoes. "Take this." she said as she went over to his vanity. Seeing the makeup he'd left out, she picked up the blush, compact, lipstick, and eyeshadow and put them in his purse. "Put your money, phone, and ID in there too, sweetie." Seeing him fish his phone out of his bra strap, his money folded inside it, she shook her head.

"What!" he protested. "All the girls put their phone there!"

Walking back to the door a few minutes later, she sighed. "Good thing I got up! Hope you have a nice time, sweetheart! Call if you need anything!"

Heading out the door at a brisk but still dignified pace, he turned back and waved at her. "I will, Mom!"

Strutting down the block toward the city bus stop, he pulled out his phone and looked at the time. Smiling that he was still ahead of schedule, he slowed his pace, not wanting to work up a sweat, and truly enjoying the bright and crisp late summer morning. He could smell the flowers from Mrs. Hanson's yard as he passed her house, giggling at how she might react if she knew who the pretty 'girl' going by her house was. Soon he arrived at the stop, a few minutes later seeing the bus turn the corner ten blocks down the road at a cross street.

The trip passed uneventfully as he was the only one on the bus, other than the driver and the man sleeping on the furthest back seats. The driver gave him an odd look as he paid the fare, but nothing more than that. Getting off at his stop, he started down the street and read the house numbers, searching for Jennifer's home.

The neighborhood was nice, the houses all upper-middle class in style, and he actually thought it a much warmer and more welcoming place than his own upper-scale neighborhood. Seeing the pattern in house numbering, he determined that Jennifer's house must be three more down the street. Looking it over as he approached, he smiled at the homey looking dwelling.

White trim adorned a simple single-story house of pale gray. The outside was nicely maintained with a small rock garden in the front yard, a fence of trees and nicely trimmed hedges lining the yard along the sidewalk. A flowerbed bordered the driveway and a healthy green lawn filled the spaces in between. A red minivan sat in the driveway, off to one side so as to not block access to the one-car attached garage.

As he turned up the driveway, he nervously took a deep breath. Heading up the walkway that curved around the garage to the front door, he noted his appearance in the glass of the screen door while the scent of fresh-cut grass tickled his nose and the sound of a lawnmower somewhere in the distance filled the silence of the morning. Checking his hair and straightening his blouse and skirt before ringing the doorbell, it was just eight twenty-five.

Hearing heavy footsteps approaching the door, he knew it wasn't Jennifer. Peering through the screen mesh and glass, the door opened to reveal a lovely woman in her early thirties, but appearing more like her mid twenties. She wore a cream satin shirtwaist dress that came down to mid-calf, low heeled pumps the same color, and her soft dirty-blonde hair was worn in an up-do of curls that emphasized her long neck and lovely face that had only a little makeup to enhance her natural beauty.

"Jocelyn?" she said with a smile. "Please! Come in!"

Opening the screen door, he cautiously stepped into the entry hallway of the brightly decorated home. "Hello, Mrs. Healy." Josh said politely and softly. "Thank you for allowing me to come." While his own parents downplayed social niceties as phony social posturing, he'd been influenced by Joyce Edwards to appreciate the natural 'glue' they provided to awkward initial meetings with people you didn't know.

"Well!" Victoria Healy said with a smile as she closed the door. "Don't you look lovely, Jocelyn! My Jenny has been glowing about you for days now, and I can see why! And please, call me Vicky!"

Just as Josh was about to say something, Jennifer came around the corner from the living room and the two stopped and stared at one another for a heartbeat that lasted several hours. While Jennifer looked Josh over from toe to bow, Josh similarly took in the vision in front of him. Wearing a long-sleeve white blouse with lace around the collar, the skirt was a similar color to her mother's dress and fell just below her knees. Her straight blonde hair was pulled back with a simple off-white headband, showing off her lovely smile. Altogether, she was a vision of youthful beauty just about to spring forth from the sapling.

"Wow!" Jennifer said after a moment. "You look great! Is that what you usually wear to church? It's lovely!"

Swallowing hard, Josh forced himself to pull his mind together from the shattered pieces Jennifer had left it in and answered as best he could. "N... no. I actually got this yesterday with my Mom just for today. We don't normally dress up on Sunday." He hoped that not mentioning church, just alluding to it, would be enough.

"I hope your mother didn't go to too much trouble." Vicky said, stepping over to the mirror in the entryway, touching up her hair and adding a small flowered hat. "We as a family like to put in an effort to look nice. It's our way of respecting Him in our hearts and helps us feel closer to one another as a family. You could have worn what you normally wear and it would have been fine, Jocelyn!"

"It's alright, Mrs. ... um... Vicky." he corrected himself. "It wasn't any trouble. Mom and I needed to do some shopping. I needed more clothes than I have right now anyway. When Jenny said you dress nice for church, I just didn't want to disrespect your faith. She didn't get into the reasons."

Finishing touching up, she looked down at the small child. "Well, so long as it wasn't any trouble!" she said with a smile. Putting on her off-white gloves, she walked with a carefree grace into the living room. "Come on! We'll introduce you to the men in our lives!"

He tentatively made to follow Jennifer into the living room, feeling her take him by the hand and walk with him into the room wearing a broad smile.

Looking at the place, it was modestly decorated but felt warm and inviting. The opposite wall held a broad fireplace with a large photo of the family above it, obviously taken somewhat recently as Jennifer looked much the same. Though dressed in a formal gown, her genuine smile and the mirthful sparkle in her eyes made the picture look candid and alive. Along the wall to the right was a white gauzy curtain that extended to the floor, hiding a large sliding glass door behind it, while a flat-screen TV sat to the right of the door. Along the left wall was a white leather couch facing the TV, with a matching loveseat on the wall opposite the fireplace. A creamy plush carpet covered the floor while a ceiling fan turned slowly in the cool of the morning.

Seated on the couch was a small boy in a dark blue suit, fidgeting with his feet as they dangled over the edge. He appeared to be a few years younger than Josh, perhaps nine or ten. His short light brown hair was nicely combed and his suit made the boy handsome, despite the many freckles adorning his nose and cheeks. "Are we ready now, Momma?" he asked impatiently.

"Luke? I want you to meet a friend of your sister's. This is Jocelyn. Jocelyn? This is our son, Luke."

The boy politely got up and walked over to Josh, looking him over. "Nice to meet you." he said rotely as he extended his hand.

Taking the boy's hand gently, Josh barely shook it. "Nice to meet you too, Luke. You look nice!" she answered, secretly envying the boy's attire.

Dismissing the compliment with an eye-roll, Luke was about to turn and walk back to the couch when he saw his mother's stern look. Turning back to Josh, he sighed. "Thanks. You look OK too, Jocelyn." Looking back at his mother for approval, she shook her head and repressed a laugh.

"Boys!" the woman said softly. "Let me introduce you to a real gentleman!"

Walking over to the dining room table, which was in an open room adjacent to the living room just to the left of the fireplace, Josh's eyes fell on a man wearing a suit very similar to the one Luke was wearing, but much finer. His foot was up on one of the table's chairs, using a rag in his hands to buff his black leather shoes. Stopping as his wife approached, he looked up at her and smirked.

"Who, me? A gentleman? Who blabbed?" he joked, looking over at his guest.

Laughing lightly, Vicky smiled and turned to Josh. "Jocelyn? This is Jenny's father, John. Honey? This is Jenny's new friend, Jocelyn."

Dropping the cloth on the dining room table and moving into the living room, the man towered easily eighteen inches over Josh's height. His frame was obviously well muscled, but not so much as to mark him as vain. His face was ruggedly handsome, and his short light brown hair, while well groomed, looked to need a haircut soon. As his blue eyes gazed down at Josh, he bent at the waist slightly and offered his hand. "Very nice to meet you, Jocelyn! You look very beautiful!"

Blushing and feeling funny at the compliment, like a sick feeling in his belly at a grown man finding him beautiful, Josh tentatively took his offered hand. Shaking gently, he released it and watched John straighten up and turn to his wife.

"Was that OK, love?" he said with an impish grin.

Dismissing him with a slap to the shoulder, she laughed. "Oh, go on then! Get your coat and let's go!" Turning to the two apparent girls, Josh's left hand still in Jennifer's right, she sighed. "You ready, Jocelyn? Need to use the ladies' room first?"

Thinking it would be better to use it there than at the church where he'd have to use the men's room, he nodded. "Which way?"

Vicky started to point back the way they'd come, Jennifer interrupting her mother's explanation. "I'll show her, Mom. This way, Jocelyn!" Leading him past the entry hallway, they entered a hallway and went back towards the garage. "Here." she said simply, pointing to the first door on the right. "I'll wait for you right here!" she said with a smile.

Going in and locking the door, he quickly sat and did his business, having already learned that going while standing and wearing a skirt was next to impossible with only two hands. Washing up afterward, he checked his makeup in the mirror, using the compact to touch up a little shininess on his nose before approving of his appearance.

He had no clue what was about to happen to him, having never been in a church in his life, but based on the way he felt at that moment, there was no way on earth he was going to leave Jennifer's side. Even if they began a ritual blood sacrifice at the alter, he was committed. Hearing a gentle knock on the door as he tried to calm himself, he started at the sound.

"Jocelyn?" Jennifer called out. "Time to go."

"Coming!" he shouted back as he closed his purse and unlocked the door. Exiting and seeing Jennifer looking at him with her wonderful smile, he completely forgot where he was or what he was about to do. Smiling back as Jennifer held out her hand, he took it and the two joined the three others in the entry hallway.

Heading out into the still-rising sun, the heat of the day was nowhere near, but the promise of it could be felt in the warmth on their skin. John locked the house while the four made their way to the minivan in the driveway. When Vicky opened up the driver's side sliding door and gestured for the three children to enter, Luke attempted to rush in.

"Me first!" he shouted, trying to vault into the booster seat on the passenger side.

Catching him by the arm, Vicky tutted. "Ladies first, young man!"

Cowed, he bowed his head in shame. "Sorry!"

At last letting go of Josh's hand, Jennifer climbed in and made her way to the back row bench seat. "Back here, Jocelyn! We can sit together!"

Following the girl to the rear seat, Jennifer having taken the driver's side, Josh gracefully placed himself on the passenger side and buckled in while Vicky situated Luke in his booster seat. When at last the two adults took their seats in the front, John driving and Vicky next to him, John looked back at the two as the engine started.

"Everyone belted in?" Hearing no objection, he smiled at the two. "Good! Church is about fifteen minutes away, so we have plenty of time." Pulling out onto the residential street, he waved at one of the neighbors working in their yard who waved in return as they drove past.

Turning to Jennifer, Josh noticed she seemed to be staring at him. Feeling self-conscious, he leaned in slightly. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Smiling at him, Jennifer shook her head. "No. It's just..." At a loss for words, she blushed and looked at her lap. Taking a breath, she looked back up at him. "It's just... you're too beautiful!" she said barely above a whisper.

Worried, Josh looked at his outfit. "I thought this was just right. I'm sorry I overdressed!" he answered embarrassedly.

"No! Not that!" Jennifer said softly. "I mean you! The outfit is perfect! You fit right in! I mean you're too beautiful for anyone to think you were ever..."

"A boy?" he finished for her. Suddenly feeling guilty for being and feeling like one, he cast his eyes downward. "I know."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Jocelyn!" Jennifer said, trying to cheer him up. "I meant it in a nice way! You... you're..." she blushed heavily as she stared at him. "You're like a dream. You can't be for real!"

Now feeling quite flattered, he smiled at the compliment and looked in her beautiful blue eyes. "Jenny? Can I ask you something?"

"Anything!" she answered.

"Do you... um... like... uh... like me? Like more than as a friend?"

Her face rapidly turning from elated to terrified, she looked away from him quickly and out the window. "Um... why would you ask me that?"

Fearing that he'd misunderstood, he shrugged. "I guess no reason. Maybe... the way you look at me? It's OK, I didn't mean to offend you by asking. I don't wanna lose you as a friend. I just thought... never mind. It's stupid."

Turning slowly and shyly back to face him, Jennifer looked near to tears. "If I tell you something, you promise to keep it a secret?"

Gulping, he nodded and said, "I promise."

Biting her lower lip, she looked at him and decided he meant it. Leaning in as far as she could, she waited for Josh to lean his ear closer. As soon as she felt he was close enough she could whisper and he would hear her, she shared her secret. "I like you. A lot! Too much for you being a girl! I think I did from the first moment I saw you on the first day of school!"

Leaning back to look at her, he saw the fear in her eyes and knew she was telling the truth. Stunned, he looked down at his lap. "And me being a girl doesn't change that?" Looking back at her, he saw her just shake her head no.

The rest of the drive to the church was passed in silence. When they arrived, Josh looked out the window to see a simple building with a high vaulted roof and a steeple off to one side. It was a modern building, obviously built in the last thirty years, but it still had an old-world style to it. Pulling into a parking space, John killed the motor and the two adults got out and opened the side doors. While Vicky helped Luke out and closed his door, John offered his hand first to Josh and then to his daughter to help them out.

Walking toward the building together, Josh felt Jennifer's hand in his again and her gripping it tightly. Looking over to her, she was smiling at him and blushing heavily before turning away embarrassedly. Squeezing her hand in return, he was glad to see her turn to see him grinning at her.

Entering the open double doors, the pastor was there, greeting the people as they entered. "John! Vicky! Glad to see you, as always!" he offered happily. Looking behind them, he saw a new addition to their usual group. "And who are we lucky enough to have as your guest this morning?"

Vicky took charge of introductions. "Pastor Roberts? This is Jennifer's friend, Jocelyn. She wanted to join us this morning!"

Looking at the man, Josh got a sense that he wasn't someone to be feared, but someone you could trust, like a teacher or a Principal. As the man knelt down to his level, he held out a hand to Josh.

"I'm so glad you did, Jocelyn! Have you ever been to church before?"

Faced with someone directly asking the question he'd hoped no one would, he swallowed hard and lowered his gaze before slowly shaking his head. "N... no, sir." Looking up at Jennifer and then her parents, he expected them to be angry, but they only looked puzzled. "D... do I need to go? I'm sorry."

Looking up at the Healys as he continued kneeling, the pastor turned back to Josh. "I don't want you to go, but maybe you should talk with Mr. and Mrs. Healy first, OK?" Standing up, he nodded toward a small room off to the side used for coats during foul weather that was currently unoccupied.

Vicky took Jennifer's hand and lead her, and Josh by virtue of the girl's unwillingness to let go of his hand, into the room while John told Luke to go off to his Sunday School class. After John came in and closed the door, the two parents turned to Josh and knelt down to look him in the eye.

"Are you mad at me?" Josh asked terrified. "I... I never said I went to church, I just... I never told you I didn't go."

Jennifer tried to intercede on his behalf. "It's my fault, Mom! I just assumed she went to church! I never actually asked her! Please don't be mad at her!"

"We're not mad, sweetie." John said calmly. "We're just... concerned."

"Jocelyn?" Vicky said gently. "Do your parents know where you are?"

"They know I'm with you." he answered truthfully. "They trust me! Honest!"

"Did they know we were going to church?" she asked more directly.

Shaking his head, he sighed in defeat. "No. If they did they'd have never let me come. They say really bad things about Christians."

Closing her eyes in sorrow, Vicky sighed before opening them and looking at Josh. "Then why did you want to come with us?"

Looking from Vicky to John and then to Jennifer, he turned back to Jennifer's mother. "Because I think they're wrong a lot. They've always told me things I know are wrong... I can't say what... it's very private... but I know they say things that are wrong, so I wanted to see for myself. Please? Let me stay? I just wanted to know what it's all about."

"I'll be thirteen in like five months!" Josh continued arguing unbidden. "My parents trust me to go anywhere in town without me even having to ask! If I wanted to, I could have just walked into a church... or a synagogue... or a mosque... anytime. I just thought... well... since Jennifer seemed so nice, and she invited me, that it'd be OK. If it's not, I'll just catch the bus back home and maybe try going to a different church next week on my own. I don't want to cause you any problems."

Looking at one another and shrugging, not sure what to do, the two adults stood back up and John went to the door, opening it and gesturing for Pastor Roberts to come in. Explaining in brief what Josh had just told them, the pastor came over and knelt down in front of the boy again.

"Jocelyn? Have your parents ever told you that you cannot attend church?" he asked gently.

Josh shook his head slowly. "No, sir."

"And you're telling me the truth? It's important. If they have, you have to tell me, unless you want me to get in trouble."

Smiling, Josh shook his head again. "No, sir! They've never told me not to go to church. Not ever! I think they think I just wouldn't want to go."

Standing up with a grin, he turned to the concerned parents. "In Ohio, it's perfectly legal to expose someone, even a minor, to religious ideas. So long as Jocelyn here is not violating the rules of her parents' home, and I choose to believe her when she says she isn't, then no law is being broken and she's welcome in my church. I trust her because she could have easily lied to me when I asked if she'd ever attended church before, but she didn't. If you two are uncomfortable with the situation, then she can be my guest today!"

John and Vicky looked at one another before Vicky shook her head and turned back to him. "No, Pastor!" she answered for them both. "It's fine! Jocelyn was Jennifer's guest, and she should remain so! Thank you for your help!"

"Anytime!" he smiled at them and then down at the two children holding hands again. "And girls? Let this be a lesson to you both. When all else fails... just tell the truth!"