This is a work of fiction, with a few real life experiences added in. All of the characters in this story are fictional, and any resemblance to anyone else living or dead is probably a coincidence. Please notify me if you are archiving this and the other chapters of the story on a web site. Permission specifically granted to Sapphire's Place and Crystal's Story Site to archive this. If you intend to publish this story in magazine or book (paper or electronic) format, please contact me for arrangements. Additional information on this story may be found at: http://www.stardustr.us/zapped/ .

This chapter is in memory of my friend Rebecca Anne Stewart. She passed away from cancer in early May 2003. She will be greatly missed.

Thanks to my "beta readers" for keeping me on track and to Amelia R. for help with editing this chapter.

From the Diary of Jennifer Stevens…

Tuesday, January 7, 2003

The sun was streaming in the window when my eyes fluttered open. It took a bit longer this morning than most for my bewildered mind to connect with the reality of who I was and especially where I was. I tossed aside the covers then headed for the bathroom.

With the bathroom business completed, I was glad that I had the foresight to rinse out my panties and leave them to dry. Despite the fact they still reeked of smoke, I got dressed in the same clothes I had worn on the flight since there wasn't anything else currently available. I wondered how the hotel had done with my laundry so I called the front desk to check.

A few minutes later a hotel staff person knocked on my door and left my now freshly washed clothes. It looked like they were able to salvage most of the stuff with only a few things having stains from the foam used to put out the fire. I changed into a nice cotton blouse and skirt with panty hose after checking the weather forecast and learning that temperatures were expected to be in the low seventies both here in Charlotte and in Orlando by the time I got there. The dirty clothes went into a plastic bag tucked into a corner of the singed luggage. The clean stuff went into plastic bags in the luggage too since the damaged luggage was all I had to work with.

As I was completing my packing my cell phone started to ring. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Jennifer. Mark Townsend calling. Are you ready to come visit us this morning?"

"I just finished packing, Mark. When will the plane be here?"

"It's here already and I'm here with it. Where are you?" I gave him the name of the hotel. "Well, get ready to leave. I'll have someone there within twenty minutes to pick you up."

"OK. Do I have time to get breakfast first?"

"Don't worry about that, Jennifer. Just be ready to go, OK?"

With the cell phone put away in my purse I made a call to the main desk to have my bags moved downstairs. I had just arrived in the hotel lobby when someone came in and walked over to the front desk looking for me. The clerk pointed in my direction as the man tipped his hat. The man that walked toward me was in his early thirties with a lean and extremely fit body. A somewhat windblown mop of black hair topped his head. Two brilliant blue eyes punctuated a pleasant face with a strong nose and handsome jaw.

"Hello, Jennifer. I'm Mark Townsend. I'm so pleased to finally meet you in person!" He took my hand and kissed it gently. I think I blushed about three different shades of red.

"Thank you, Mark. I thought that you'd send someone else. I never expected you."

"I would never think of sending someone else on an important job like this one, especially after what you went through last night. I'm so sorry about that, Jennifer."

"You needn't be, Mark. It was just an accident. Fortunately we all made it through without much damage."

"Were you hurt?"

"Some bruises and a few cuts. Nothing that will leave any long term problems, Mark."

He seemed to relax some with that little bit of news. "That's good. Shall we get going? I have a few surprises for you."

"No more surprises like last night I trust?" The smile on his face immediately disappeared.

"I hope not! I… I…"

"Oh, Mark, stop sputtering. It's all right, really! I was just teasing!" I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Now it was his turn to blush.

"I feel so bad about what happened…"

"Well, Mark, put it all behind you, OK? Now tell me what's planned for today."

He visibly relaxed. "I'd rather just show you. Shall we go?" He presented his arm.

I wrapped my arm around his. "I'm all yours, Mark. Lead the way!"

The trip back to the airport took only a few minutes. The van pulled up alongside a Boeing 737 with the MouseWorld corporate logo high on the tail. I was more than a little stunned that they had used such a large aircraft to transport me and said so to Mark.

"Well, Jennifer, when the CEO heard what happened he authorized the use of his personal jet to come and get you."

"I would have settled for a first class seat on a commercial flight, Mark. I don't expect treatment like this you know."

"I know but forgive us please? It's an attempt to make up for the disaster of last night."

"I understand, Mark." I walked up the steps and into the passenger area on the plane. There, sitting in two of the seats, were Bill and George, the pilots from last night.

"Hi guys!" I gave each of then a huge hug and a heartfelt kiss. "What are you doing here?"

Bill spoke up. "Heading home, Jennifer. We're passengers on this flight just like you."

"So what going to happen, George?" I was worried that the two of them were going to be out of a job because of last night's disaster.

"We're headed back to home base for re-assignment. Mark told us you went to bat for us with the corporate folks."

Mark turned toward me and smiled. "That's right, Jennifer. The other thing that helped was the fact that the investigators found the lightning strike points on the plane. One was on nose of the plane. The other point was just where the engine that exploded attached to the hull. The strike must have damaged a fuel line and knocked out the power. The ruptured line caused the explosion when the engine tried to start. Pulling the fire bottle switch shut off the fuel pump for that engine stopping the fire. Everyone was surprised that you were able to make it back at all. The damage was much more severe than even you knew about. It will be months before the final report is out though."

I felt more then a little light headed and sat down heavily in the seat. "I guess we were really lucky after all."

"Lots of luck and some skill on everyone's part, Jennifer. If you hadn't been able to get the power restored we wouldn't be standing here talking about it."

"Thanks, guys. Look, can we change the subject please. I'm a little rattled already."

Mark took my hand and squeezed it. "Of course. Let's get into the air then we'll all have something light for breakfast. How do croissants and coffee sound?"

"That sounds wonderful." As if to punctuate my statement, my tummy picked that exact moment to make a growling noise. Everyone, including me, laughed. The plane quickly reached cruising altitude after take-off and a large tray of croissants appeared soon after the seat belt light went out. I must have had at least half a dozen of them since I hadn't eaten much last night.

The plane touched down in Orlando around an hour after we left Charlotte. We taxied off the runway to a large private hanger with the corporate logo on the side. A limo was waiting by the ramp.

"Jennifer, would you like to go to the hotel first to freshen up or should I send your bags on ahead and we'll go to the office?"

"I think I'll go with you to the office, Mark. I'm fine at the moment."

'All right. I'll be with you in a few moments then." He walked toward a waiting aide. A few moments later he motioned for me to follow him down the stairs from the jet.

As I neared the bottom steps I tripped about three steps up and screamed. Mark instantly turned around and caught me as I fell. His strong arms held me tightly as I shook.

"Are you OK, Jennifer? What happened?"

"I tripped on the step. Damned heels… I don't think I'll ever really be used to wearing them."

"It must get a little strange from time to time I guess?"

"Yup. Like right now. Ummm… Mark, you can let go of me." The tight hug he was giving me was starting to do things to my female anatomy that I didn't want to go any further.

"Oh, sorry. It just felt so nice." He had one of those kilowatt smiles that warmed me all the way to my toes. Reluctantly he set me back on the ground and released the hug.

It took several seconds for me to regain my balance and composure. Unfortunately, when I took a step I felt a sharp pain in my left ankle. "DAMN! That hurt!"

"What hurt, Jennifer?"

"I think I did something to my ankle." Mark put his arm around me and helped me toward the limo. I managed to climb in with Mark following close behind me.

"Let me take a look at that." He reached over and gently prodded at my ankle. His touch sent little electric shocks shooting up my leg straight into my estrogen-soaked brain. The way my body was responding was the stuff that steamy romance novels are made of.

"I'm fine, Mark, really." I pulled my foot out of his warm hands and placed it back on the floor of the limo.

"OK." The look of disappointment on his face was quite clear. We rode the rest of the way to the corporate offices in silence. The limo finally rolled to a stop just outside the main entrance of a huge building just north of the entrance to the theme park. "This is it, Jennifer."

Mark opened the door then extended a hand to help steady me as I got out. I winced visibly when I put my weight on the injured ankle and Mark was looking directly at my face when it happened. Without a word he again offered his arm to help me steady myself as we walked into the building. Since I didn't want to risk hurting myself further I willingly accepted his offer of aid.

The conference room turned out to be on the third floor of the massive building nearly halfway down the long hallway from the elevator. The walking did help to limber up the tensed muscles in my ankle and by the time I took a seat at the huge table in the room I was feeling quite a bit better.

There were at least a dozen other people at the table. All were introduced but as I write this a few days later I can't remember any names. The meeting started off with Mark introducing me to the rest of the people and then he presented a short video with information about me. I put my hand over my eyes as the pictures of my transformation flashed briefly on the screen and did the same again when video of me before and during the play popped up. Part of the video was me singing "The Future is Now" on the stage at the theater. I was never one to watch video of myself before my change and I guess that habit had survived the change as well.

If the first part of the meeting was targeted at introducing me to the MouseWorld decision makers, the second part of the meeting was targeted squarely at me as far as the extent of my involvement with the project. The video talked about my hosting duties at the opening ceremonies of the attraction then went deeper into the plans for the live television show to introduce the attraction to the public. The second video lasted nearly thirty minutes. The room lights slowly returned to normal as the video ended.

"Well, Jennifer, what do you think so far?"

"It's pretty much what we talked about on the phone, Mark. I think I'd like to go ahead and commit to doing it."

He smiled broadly then sat back down in his chair. "But we have more to tell you. First, we want to use your song as the theme for the attraction."

"You want to use 'The Future is Now'? But it's just something I tossed together because I couldn't get the music out of my head. Why do you want that piece of trash anyway? The song was never really intended to be heard by anyone else."

"Well, we're delighted that it leaked out anyway. It's everything we wanted to say about the new attraction and more. Even if you declare it as a piece of trash remember that someone's trash can turn into someone else's piece of gold. We think that it's our piece of gold. So much so in fact that we're willing to offer you a half a million dollars for total rights to the song."

"Half a MILLION dollars? For that?" My head started to spin.

"Yes, five hundred thousand dollars for the rights to the song. There's a catch though. You'll have to sing it for us. We'll pay you another five hundred thousand dollars for that."

"A MILLION dollars for the rights to the song with me singing it? Are you crazy? IT'S not worth that much! I'M not worth that much!"

"But we think you are, Jennifer. And there's more."

I took a few moments to try to calm myself down. "And that is…?"

"We'd like you to perform the song live at the opening ceremonies and again on the TV special. Both will be large scale production numbers complete with dancers, backup singers and a large orchestra to back you up."

The shock of it all was just starting to sink in. "And…?"

"We'd like to have you provide the voice for a computer animated character based on yourself that would serve as the greeter to people for the attraction. We'd also like you to do that same voice for a half-hour pilot series for television based on the same character."

"Is there anything else?"

"Well…"

"Spit it out, Mark."

"We think that 'The Future is Now' should be a big hit. We'd like to offer you the chance to record enough other material for an album we can release."

I fainted as my poor mind finally went into total overload.

When I woke up I found myself in a darkened room with something cold on my forehead. I groaned a little as I tried to sit up only to have a pair of strong hands push me back down. I heard a few footsteps then one of the blinds over a window was moved aside to let a little more light into the room. I made out Mark's smiling face hovering over me.

"I guess that was a little bit much to try to absorb all at one time wasn't it?'

"You got THAT right. Where am I anyway?" I started to sit up again. This time Mark helped me and then sat down beside me on the couch.

"You're in a smaller meeting room off the conference room. We thought that you probably needed to lie down for a little bit. I hope you don't mind."

"Mind? I don't mind. It sure beats waking up to find my face mashed into the table don'tcha think? HEY! Where did my shoes go?" I looked down in astonishment at my bare feet complete with the red polish that I had put on my nails that morning.

"Oh, they're in the conference room. I didn't want you waking up and possibly thrashing around with those spikes on. How do women wear those things anyway?"

"They… I… got used to them. Comes with the territory." I stretched briefly to work out a few kinked muscles in my neck from lying at an odd angle.

"Need some help?" Mark started to work his warm hands into the tense muscles at the base of my neck. It felt so good that I started to make little mewing sounds as I relaxed. His hands slowly worked toward my shoulders then continued down my back. The feeling was incredible and I almost started to melt on the spot until I realized what was happening.

I gently pushed his hands away from my hips and turned to face him. "Umm… thanks, Mark, that felt wonderful. I think we'd better get back to the meeting though."

He deflated just like I had poked him with a pin. "The meeting ended almost two hours ago, Jennifer."

"Just how long have I been out anyway?"

"Almost two hours. We… I decided you needed the rest. You had to be pretty wound up still from all that happened yesterday. You just don't get over something like that overnight. It takes much longer."

"And how would you know, Mark?"

"The Gulf War." I gasped a little when I heard that. "I went down on board a chopper taking my platoon to secure an area. Most of the guys didn't make it. I was laid up in the hospital for over six months."

"Oh, Mark, I'm so sorry to hear that."

"It's behind me now but it took me a long time to get past what happened and go on with my life. It shouldn't take you very long though. Nobody with you was killed and you managed to walk away from the crash. That's some luck you have there, lady."

I giggled a little. "Yeah, talk about luck. I shoulda fried when the lightning hit me. Instead I turned into this." I pointed to my now female body.

"What's it like?"

"What is WHAT like?"

"What's it like living as a woman?"

"You know, I've never really thought much about it. I suppose it's a lot different but it's still the same. A woman still has the same… Hey, I don't think I really wanna have this conversation, Mark. It's kinda personal for someone I just met this morning."

"I understand, Jennifer. Maybe after we get to know each other better at some time in the future. Are you feeling up to continuing with the tour?"

"Tour? There's a tour? This isn't one of those 'three hour tours' where I get stranded with six other people on a deserted island is it?"

"Well, we were going to show you the attraction and how we're doing with it. Do you want to see it?"

" I suppose I had better before I make a final decision about what I'm getting into. I need my shoes too."

Mark produced a pair of boots and some socks. "We got these for you. The site is still under construction and we didn't want you hurting your feet. You'll have to wear a hard hat too." He set a hard hat with my name stenciled on the front on the table.

"Umm… isn't it a little early to start personalizing equipment for me? I haven't even signed the paperwork yet."

"We do that for all of our guests, Jennifer. All the people on the job are expecting to meet you too. Seems you have quite a following among the techie crowd out there."

"Ah, more fans from the radio show. I love meeting them."

"So change into your boots and we'll get you something to eat then go visit the new attraction. On second thought, take the boots with you. I'll get your shoes." Mark jumped up before I could say a word and returned moments later with my heels.

He kneeled at my feet then looked up at me. "Umm… may I?"

I nodded my agreement as his warm hands gently placed the shoes on my feet. Little tingles traveled up my legs into my spine and straight to my brain. I blushed at the thoughts running through my brain at that moment. Mark stood up then extended his hand to help me up. Again, little tingles traveled all the way to my brain as our hands touched. I recognized what he was trying to do and at that moment I really didn't care. The feelings nearly overrode any shred of control I had left. I had my limits of course but at the moment I felt like a princess being courted by her Prince Charming. I rationalized that as long as Mark didn't go past my limits there was no harm in surrendering temporarily to the wonderful feelings I had.

He extended his arm and I wrapped mine around his as we walked out of the meeting room to the bank of elevators. We entered an elevator then he pressed the "Basement" button.

"The basement?"

"Yes, Jennifer, the whole complex is connected by tunnels. There's more of an underground city that supports the attractions than anyone knows about. We're going to the basement so I can get a battery operated golf cart to take you for something to eat. Then I'll use the same tunnel system to take you to the new attraction."

"I was wondering how that worked! Now I know."

"Jennifer, you're going to see more of the behind the scenes things than most non-company people see even on the special tour we run. I have to ask you to keep most of it to yourself. You wouldn't want to give away the magic would you?"

"I wouldn't dare, Mark. Parents and kids would roast me for all eternity if I ever gave away the magic behind MouseWorld. Your magic is safe with me."

The elevator stopped with a slight jolt then the doors opened to reveal a bustling basement area full of people and golf carts moving everywhere.

"This is one of the hub areas that connect several other areas together. That's why it's so busy. Let me get a cart. Stay right here!"

I wished I could have melted into the wall. There were several kinds of electric carts whizzing by carrying people and supplies along with a considerable number of people using bicycles. The pace was a bit frightening as was the volume of traffic flowing in the rather confined space. I was almost ready to press the button to call the elevator when Mark glided to a stop with a golf cart.

"Sorry it took so long, Jennifer. I had to make sure we got one with a full charge. We'll be on the go all afternoon. Hop in!"

I slid onto the bench seat next to Mark as the cart started to move. Soon we were flying down one of the hundreds of connection tunnels. I had absolutely no idea where we were headed so all I could do was watch as the signs and scenery flew by. It seemed like we traveled for about fifteen minutes after stopping several times for stoplights at intersections in the tunnels.

We stopped near a sign that read "The Islands". Mark again presented his arm and once again I accepted it. We walked up a flight of stairs into a short hallway. We were headed toward a set of double doors at the end of the hallway.

"I should warn you that we're headed outside now. It's gonna be kind of bright out there after being in the tunnels this long. Ready?"

I nodded then we stepped out into the bright sunlight. I blinked several times as my eyes adjusted to the bright light. When they finally came into focus I found myself in the middle of what seemed to be some kind of tropical forest, behind us was the building we had just come out of. I heard the noise of the crowd in the park all around us.

"Where are we, Mark?"

"We're in the Hawaii/Polynesian area, Jennifer. This is one of our access points for the underground tunnel system. Most of them are sort of hidden like this one while others are disguised as part of the various attractions. We need to go this way…"

I followed Mark as we walked for a few seconds toward a small opening in the grove of trees that surrounded the building. We stepped out next to one of the main walkways in the area. Across from where we stood was a restaurant with island food.

"How about it, Jennifer? Want to try a taste of the islands?"

"Sure. I like to try new foods. Lead the way." He gently took my elbow as we walked into the restaurant. The staff must have recognized him since they waved him over to a table off to one side of the main dining room.

"What can I get for you, Mister Townsend? Your usual today?"

"Of course, Albert, and a menu for my guest please. This is her first time here."

"Miss Stevens, how nice to meet you in person. I've listened to your radio show from the start, most impressive. Can I get you something to drink while you're looking at the menu?"

"Sure, I'd like a nice large ice cold lemonade if you have it?"

"Sure, one Townsend Special, a large cold lemonade and a menu coming right up!"

"A Townsend Special? What do you do, eat here every day?"

"Well, almost every day. They have the greatest pork barbeque here and they make the best fried pineapple I've ever had."

"Sounds yummy. I think I'm going to try that."

"Really?"

"Sure. When you're in a new place always try what the local folks recommend. They've lived in the area the longest and usually know the best places to eat and what to eat there. That philosophy hasn't failed me yet in all the traveling I've done."

Albert returned with Mark's platter and drink and my lemonade. Mark slid the platter to me and turned to Albert. "Will you bring another platter for me, please? Jennifer's decided to try the special today." Mark passed the menu back to Albert.

"Of course, Mister Townsend," was the reply as Albert rushed off to the kitchen.

I looked to Mark to see it I should wait for him to get his food.

"Go ahead, Jennifer. I can wait a bit. The smell always drives me crazy so dig right in."

"It's having that effect on me too. I can't wait to taste it!" Try as I might I just couldn't pick up the huge sandwich from the plate. I used a knife to cut the sandwich in thirds and managed to take a bite of one of them. The flavors that exploded in my mouth were incredible. The bun had the soft buttery quality of a croissant while the barbeque pork literally melted away in my mouth. After a few more bites of the delectable sandwich I got a little rosy glow in my mouth and lips indicating that there were some subtle spices in the sauce.

The other part of the meal was two slices of battered and fried pineapple with a cup of something that resembled duck sauce. I cut several pieces of the pineapple then added a little of the sauce to the pieces. When I popped a piece of the pineapple in my mouth the contrasting sweet of the pineapple and the slightly bitter flavor of the sauce were a wonderful contrast to the afterglow of the barbequed pork. I must have rushed through the sandwich and pineapple because Mark was smiling as I looked up from my now empty plate.

"I guess you were really hungry, huh?"

I must have blushed five different shades of red. "Yeah, I guess so, Mark. I don't usually go through my food that fast but it tasted so great and I was SO hungry!"

"I thought so. I've never seen anyone put that sandwich away that fast before. God knows I've tried myself though. The taste combination is just incredible isn't it?"

"I love spicy food but I absolutely HATE food that's so hot with spices that it's all you can taste. I love it when you get that little rosy glow in your mouth and lips as the spices sort of sneak up on you."

"Me too. Umm… I'll be finished in a few more minutes." Mark glanced at his watch. "It's almost time we were heading to the construction site. I suggest that if you need a stop in the ladies room that you use the facilities here. It's still sort of primitive at the site if you know what I mean."

"Mark, I used to be on construction sites quite frequently. I know exactly what you mean. Thanks for the warning. I think I had better go now."

I grabbed my purse then followed the signs to the rest rooms. A few minutes later I had relieved myself, repaired my makeup and returned to our table. Mark was waiting for me. His platter and mine had disappeared to be replaced with two plastic mugs with lids and a straw.

"I took the liberty of getting us something to drink. It's awfully dusty on the site at the moment with all of the sheetrock work."

"I'm ready, Mark, lead the way." We waved to Albert on the way out of the restaurant and returned through the hidden access to the underground tunnels where the golf cart was still parked.

As we flew through the underground tunnels I tried to change from my heels into the boots Mark had supplied. I was having only a little trouble until Mark had to swerve the speeding cart to avoid another cart headed straight for us. The swerve slid me across the seat almost a foot and a half right into Mark. His arm came up around me as the cart swerved from side to side. Mark finally managed to get the skidding cart under control and brought it to a complete stop.

"Oh my God! Are you all right, Jennifer?"

"Other than my life parading before my eyes for a second or two there I'm ok. How I LOVE parades!" I sat there shivering for a few more seconds then started to calm down as he hugged me tightly.

He must have detected that my breathing was returning to normal since he gently put his finger under my chin and lifted my head to look directly into his smiling face. "All better now?"

"Umm… yes, I think so."

"Is there anything I can do to make it even better, Jennifer?"

"Well…" Our lips drifted close together and I felt his warm breath caress my cheek. It seemed like an eternity as our lips moved closer and closer to kissing. Our lips were just millimeters away from touching. My heart was pounding more now than when I was scared just moments ago. My body was sending me all kinds of signals that said "GO FOR IT!" while my brain was screaming "JUST WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THING YOU'RE DOING?"

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!' The shrill horn of another golf cart behind us broke the mood and we quickly pulled apart.

"Mark, I think we need to get moving." I forced myself to take several deep breaths to try to shake off the sexual tension that had built up inside me. I wasn't having as much luck as I wished I could.

He sighed deeply then nodded his head in agreement. The golf cart moved out again. Strangely, I made no effort to move away from him on the seat and he made no effort to remove his warm inviting arm from its tight hug around me. I sat snuggled tightly against his side for the rest of our trip.

In about five minutes we were at the entrance of a hallway section that had warning signs all over the walls. Mark slowed down considerably as the cart climbed a rather steep incline into the building above. At the top of the incline the ramp became wider and blended seamlessly with the concrete floor of the building.

"This is it, Jennifer. What do you think of it so far?"

"So far I can't really say much yet, Mark. If you've seen one construction site you've seen most of them. What makes this one so special?"

"Just follow me and I'll show you!" He stepped out of the cart and extended his arm. Again, I accepted and we made a top to bottom sweep of the massive structure.

I saw the beginnings of a huge theater, some sort of amusement ride and several exhibit areas. The whole tour took almost three hours as he described how each part of the building would look when finally completed and what the various sections would be used for. Near the end of the tour we walked through the area where the people would come into the attraction. The construction crew was busy running cabling then putting up sheet rock to cover the walls. As we walked past everyone stopped and gathered around us.

Mark introduced me to the crew then I spent another hour signing autographs and talking with the crew about the project. The excitement level was quite high on the crew despite two major design problems and several setbacks caused by design changes. It was here that I learned I was partially responsible for some of the problems.

I thanked the crew for their support and excitement for the project then walked with Mark back to the golf cart.

"Mark, what did they mean when they said that I was partly responsible for the delays in the project? What have I done?"

"Nothing yet, Jennifer. We've been holding off on several key pieces of the project until we knew if you were going to participate or not. If you are going to come on board we wanted to incorporate you in the actual design of the building and get some of your thoughts and recommendations. You know that we want to use you to greet the people via a video presentation of course and we had hoped to make several animated figures of you for the various venues in the building."

We got into the cart and left the building for a quick stop for some supper before I was to head back to the hotel.

"So you're telling me that I'm going to be a very large part of the project?"

"Much more than when we first talked last week, Jennifer."

I rode in silence for a few minutes. "Well, I need a few days to digest all of this and make a decision. How soon do you need to know to keep the project on schedule?"

"Next week will be fine. I should tell you that if you do decide to participate we'll be delaying the opening until late May or June instead of March."

"There's that much more to do?

"Yes. Oh… here we are. I picked out a nice quiet place for us to eat."

Mark and I walked out of another concealed entrance to the underground tunnels into a quiet setting resembling a garden. Off in the distance a fairytale castle rose up over the trees. We walked a few hundred feet and slipped through a small gap in a high hedge onto a busy small town street.

"This is our 'middle America' area. There are several good places to eat here. Would you like anything in particular?"

"Just a salad and something to drink, please. I stuffed myself at lunch today."

He nodded then motioned toward a small outdoor area with tables and chairs under brightly colored canopies. We seated ourselves at a table and moments later a waiter was taking our orders.

My salad was fantastic with lots of veggies and some chicken. The iced tea was ice cold with just the right twist of lemon in it.

Mark watched me eat in silence for a few minutes then started the conversation again.

"So did you have a good time today?"

"Other than the shock I got this morning I had a great time, Mark. This is a truly amazing place."

"Thanks, we worked very hard to make it that way. Umm… Jennifer, did you really mean it earlier when you said you liked parades?"

"It's true, Mark. I've enjoyed parades since I was a little kid. I even have a few record albums of parade music in my collection. There's just something about a big marching band or the big band musical sound that really gets me going."

"Do you have to be back at the hotel early tonight to leave or can you stay over a day or two?"

"I have to be back home by Thursday. I have a play rehearsal then performances over the weekend. What did you have in mind?"

"Ever heard of the Festival of Lights parade?"

"Yes I have. I use the original theme music for the parade as my theme for my radio show. You know, 'Baroque Hoedown' by Perry and Kingsley?"

"How would you like to see the parade from the inside out?"

"Do you mean see the behind the scenes activity? I'd love to, Mark!"

"Great, then finish your salad and we'll go over to the preparation area."

I was really looking forward to the parade. This was the one where they had over twenty different floats all lit up with colored lights. The parade was held at night and wound through several areas of the theme park to the accompaniment of music from speakers along the parade route. The parade culminated in a fireworks show over the huge lake in the middle of the park. I was going to get the chance to go behind the scenes and actually see the floats and how the parade was put together before it started.

Not wanting to miss a single thing, I hurried to stuff the rest of the salad in my mouth and wash it down with the iced tea.

"WHOA there woman! I don't want you getting sick on me! SLOW DOWN! We're got about three hours yet before the parade starts. There's plenty of time."

"OK, Mark. I'm just so happy that I'll be seeing the parade close up."

"That pleases me, Jennifer. I'll make certain that you get a front row seat for the parade." He had a big smile on his face at the fact that I was so excited about seeing the parade.

Since I really didn't want to get sick and toss the wonderful salad I slowed down and in about half an hour we had both completed our meals. The ride to the parade area through the tunnel system took another twenty minutes since traffic at that time of day in the tunnels was heaviest with one set of staff leaving and another set of staff members coming in for the evening hours.

Mark slowed the cart to a crawl as we neared the dressing area for the parade's costumed characters. We slowly inched past the congestion in the area then continued along to the float area above ground.

I spent the better part of an hour and a half looking at almost every float in the parade. In the light of day they were almost ugly in their simplicity. A skeleton of metal rods supported hundreds of colored light bulbs in whatever form was needed to give the float it's "lighted" shape, everything from a dragon to a huge corporate logo in the form of a hat to a mouse drawn carriage in the shape of a pumpkin. Each float had space for a driver and a huge bank of batteries to run the lights and electric motors to move the floats along the parade route.

Mark finally caught up with me and pulled me away from the floats. "I promised you a front row seat for the parade. We need to get you ready now."

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"For the parade of course. You have to change into your costume."

"Costume? Whatever for?"

"Remember that pumpkin coach you saw?" I nodded in agreement. "Well, you're going to bet the princess riding in it. We need to get you into your costume now."

"But I…"

"Hey, YOU"RE the one that said she loved parades, remember? I just arranged for a front and center seat for you. Do you want to be in the parade or not? All you have to do is ride in the coach and wave to everyone. That's not a very hard job, Jennifer."

I gulped away my fear and slowly nodded my agreement. Mark gently took my elbow then guided me back over to the waiting golf cart. A few minutes later we were at the underground costume area.

"Jennifer, I'd like to introduce you to Rose Bartell, our costume director. She'll get you all set in the Princess costume and take care of your hair and makeup. If you'll excuse me I have a few things to attend to before the parade." Mark left me with Rose.

"Hi Rose, I'm pleased to meet you."

"Me too, Jennifer. Let me get some measurements and I'll get a costume for you." She took out the tape measure and jotted down my measurements then went off in search of the proper costume among an endless sea of clothes racks.

"I found one that will do the job. There's a screened off area in the corner, you can change into this there. Bring your street clothes back here and I'll make sure they're secure for when you return." She handed me a large garment bag and pointed to a corner of the room.

The bra in the bag was strapless and rather low cut leaving loads of breast exposed and lots of cleavage on display. The sleeveless dress was cut to match the bra and hugged every curve I had tightly. Fortunately the dress extended to my ankles with huge petticoats to make the bottom extend out at least a foot or more. The shoes that Rose gave to me were totally clear and resembled the fabled glass slippers of the popular story. These were made of a heavy Lucite material instead of glass and fit my feet perfectly. The red polish on my toenails gleamed inside the see-through shoes. I put on my best Princess manners and stepped out from behind the screen.

"Enchanting, my dear, absolutely enchanting."

I curtsied to Rose them glided over to the makeup table and seated myself regally.

"Good! I'm glad to see you're in character. Please STAY in character until you come back here to change out of the costume. While you're out in public remember you're a REAL Princess to our guests."

"Thanks, Rose. I'll remember that."

"You know your hair is almost perfect already. Is this your normal style?"

"The ponytail fixed like this, yes. I wear it almost every day. People expect to see me like this after having my picture on all those billboards."

"Then we'll work with this. Mind if I fluff it up a bit and add a few highlights?"

"No problem, go ahead."

Rose worked on my hair for several minutes then removed my old makeup and applied much heavier and more colorful makeup to stand up to the lights that would be shining on me inside the coach. The view in the mirror when she was finished was amazing. I really did look like a Princess waiting for her Prince at the dance.

"WOW! Are you ready m'lady?" I jumped a bit at the sound of Mark's voice coming from behind me.

"I'm ready, Mark how do I…" I stopped talking as I turned around to see Mark dressed as a Prince complete with a large jeweled crown on his head. He held a golden tiara encrusted with jewels and a long flowing cape.

He simply smiled back at me and said, "Well, you didn't think I was going to let you have all the fun by yourself did you? Are you ready, my Princess?"

"I am, my Prince." I stepped closer to allow him to place the tiara on my head and the cloak around my shoulders. He extended his arm and I again willingly accepted it playing Princess to his Prince.

"Just remember m'lady, act the part in front of our guests. As for looking beautiful you can't improve on the perfection I see in front of me right now." He raised my hand to his lips then kissed it. Little jolts sped up my arm and blasted into my brain. I blushed a deep red. We got into the waiting cart and sped off toward the parade's starting point.

Within minutes of our arrival we were onboard the pumpkin coach all ready for the parade. Promptly at eight PM the lights in the park started going out leaving the parade route in near total darkness. Only a few pools of light were left to light the designated crossing zones where people could cross the street during scheduled breaks in the flow of the parade.

The lights on the coach gently ramped up to full brilliance as the coach started to move. I could hear the sounds of "Baroque Hoedown" echoing all over the park. The pomp and majesty of the opening fanfare sent little shivers of anticipation streaking up my spine.

As the coach cleared the assembly area the crowd erupted into a roar of applause as we waved to them. I doubted that anyone would recognize me the way I was dressed but I soon found out I was seriously mistaken. Someone yelled my name then pointed to the carriage. The noise from the crowd ramped up a few decibels more as word was passed ahead of us that someone special was in the coach.

The entire parade route was one huge wave of applause that traveled with the coach. In some spots it completely drowned out the music. The feeling that I had from the crowd response was beyond words. Up until now I had absolutely no idea that I was that well liked because of the radio show. It certainly wasn't the play since that was a local thing back home. Maybe it was the television appearances on the morning show too. Whatever the reason, I was on an incredible high that no drug known to science could duplicate.

The coach stopped in the parade end area that was screened off from the rest of the park. I was a jumble of nerves as we transferred from the coach to a waiting golf cart. Mark climbed into the driver's seat while I sat beside him.

"Want to see the fireworks before you go back to change?"

"Yes, I do. I need a little time to wind down if you don't mind, Mark."

He simply nodded then pointed the golf cart toward the large lake in the center of the park. The cart eventually stopped in a secluded area on a little bluff overlooking the lake.

"I hope you like this spot. I come here often myself to watch the fireworks in summertime." He looked over at me to see that I was starting to shiver. "Cold?"

I nodded my agreement. "I have just the thing." He reached behind us and pulled up a large blanket from the storage compartment on the cart. "Slide over beside me."

I just sat there looking at him. "What? Haven't you ever heard that two people in a blanket were warmer than just one?"

I shrugged then slid across the bench seat to snuggle up beside him. He wrapped the blanket around both of us and pulled it tightly closed after he put his right arm around me. We sat there watching the moonlight and the lights of the park shimmer on the small ripples in the lake. The soft smell of flowers and the fresh outdoor air washed over us in little waves as the wind playfully rippled the lake.

It was true. Two people in a blanket ARE warmer than just one can be especially when one of then is a man turned woman with an estrogen soaked brain. The feeling of our two bodies snuggled tightly together under the blanket was an incredible turn-on for me. Even the lingering smell of his cologne had an effect on
my sex-starved body. It had been at least two months since the last time Adam and I spent a night together and I was decidedly feeling the effects.

"Jennifer, did you have a good day today?"

"I had a great day, Mark. An incredible day in fact."

"Is there something I can do to make it even better?"

"Well…" I buried my head in his chest afraid to admit that what I wanted most now was a soul-shattering kiss.

Once again his warm hand lifted my face toward his. Our lips slowly inched toward each other. I couldn't stand the suspense any longer and closed my eyes to await the heat of his lips against my own. Suddenly our lips were locked together in the most shattering kiss I've ever experienced either as a man or a woman. My mind simply went into near-total meltdown as our lips danced with each other.

The only thing that stopped that kiss was the first volley of fireworks going off high over the lake. We broke the kiss as the loud crack of the first explosion reached us from high overhead. My heart was racing as I leaned up against Mark and put my head on his shoulder to watch the show above us. I didn't think it was possible but Mark held me even tighter until the last flash and crash of the last shell echoed off the lake and buildings surrounding us.

"I guess that's it for the night, isn't it, Mark?" I was hoping that he might have had something else in mind. One more kiss like that last one and the right words and I could have been his for the night quite willingly.

He looked at his watch after hitting the light button on it. "Yes, we'd better get you back to change then get you to the hotel. You must be exhausted from the day's activities."

"I am tired, that's true, Mark."

"Hang on then."

I wrapped both of my arms around him as he backed the cart out of the parking area. We rode quietly back to a nearby tunnel entrance then sped underground across the park to return to the costume area.

Rose was waiting for us when we returned. Mark went off to another dressing room to change. "I was wondering where you two went. I was getting ready to send out the security folks to check on you."

"We stayed to watch the fireworks, Rose."

"On the bluff overlooking the lake?"

"Yes. I had a wonderful time."

"Oh, did he wrap his arm around you and hold you tight during the fireworks? Did you kiss just as the first shell went off?"

"How did…"

"Honey, listen, Mark Townsend is one smooth operator. You're not the first skirt he's chased and you certainly won't be the last."

What little hair there was on the back of my neck was now at full attention. "Oh really? And how would you know?"

"He did it to me too. That kiss in the moonlight, the hugging under the blanket, that swerve on the golf cart, it's like he has it all planned out."

I sat down heavily in a chair and put my head in my hands.

"It worked didn't it? You were almost going to give yourself to him weren't you?"

"Rose, one more kiss and the right words and I would have gone to bed with that creep. Are most men like him?"

Rose walked over and put her hand on my shoulder then handed me a tissue for my teary eyes. "No, sweetie, they aren't. I've met a few that cared about the love of their life very deeply. I just bet you have someone like that already back home don't you?"

"It's just that we haven't been together in almost two months. I've got this burning…"

"Ah yes. The itch you can't quite scratch, eh? I know all about it, dearie. If your man is as devoted to you as you seem to think he is he'll have the same 'itch' as you do. I can just about guarantee that he'll be in your arms real soon if that's true."

I remembered what happened on Sunday night with Adam, or rather what didn't happen. Rose was right! Adam really DOES care deeply for me! Otherwise it wouldn't have upset him so at what happened that night.

"So what do I do about Mark?"

"You've got a few choices there. You can let him go ahead and scratch that itch of yours if you want. Just remember he'll be a one-night stand. If anyone even hints at marriage he goes running off to his wife."

"HIS WIFE?"

"Yup. She's the one with the money in that family. She got an inheritance when she turned twenty-five and had to be married to get it. She's got to STAY married until she's thirty to get the whole thing and keep it. She just keeps him around to get to her money. Other than that there's very little between those two."

"That dirty son of a…"

"Easy there, dearie. Remember you're still in costume. Words like that shouldn't come out of the mouth of a princess!" My anger deflated as we both laughed.

"So what's another choice?"

"String him along until your deal is all set then dump him or you can tell him off now. If the company wants you as bad as the rumors say they'll have someone else available to negotiate the deal in his place."

"So how should I handle this, Rose?"

"I have absolutely no idea how YOU should handle this. Hon, I'm just giving you the facts as I see them, what you do with that information is entirely up to you."

"I can understand that." I walked over to the screened-off corner and started to change back into my street clothes.

"And I'll tell you one more thing from the rumor mill. Nobody has been able to get a solid lock on this one though. Ya know that huge theater they're building at the new attraction?"

"Yup. The thing is huge. Looks like they'll have a complete HDTV production studio setup there."

"Ah, you did notice that then. You know what they're gonna use it for?"

"Mark mentioned something about a live TV show from there once a month after the opening ceremonies."

"That's what we hear. Ya wanna know who's the leading candidate to host those shows?"

"You can't mean…"

"Yup, YOU! Face it girl, you're HOT right now. Did you notice what happened the last time you appeared on the morning show?"

"Well, I was supposed to do just the gadget segment but they talked me into doing quite a bit more: doing the weather outside, talking with the crowd outside, a cooking segment inside and I even got to sit in on a book review with the book's author. Thank God I'd actually read that book!"

"Wanna know why they did that?"

"I sure do!" I had shimmied out of the costume and was starting to put on my own clothes again.

"They wanted to see if the ratings the show got that day were as good as the ratings for your first appearance on the show. Was the first show just a fluke or do you have real drawing power? Know what they found out?"

"COME ON, GIVE GIRL! The suspense is killing me!"

"Your last appearance totally trashed the ratings your first appearance generated since they were able to promote you for a week ahead of time. You're so hot, girl, you're almost radioactive. The execs around here have been drooling over the prospects of getting you into something regular on the TV network. If you do the special and the ratings are as good as they think they should be, you're almost certain to get an offer of a variety show."

I finished dressing then plopped down in a chair next to Rose. "So I'm sort of in the center of all this, huh?"

"Girl, if there was ever one of us that had a chance to grab that brass ring and turn it into a jewel encrusted golden ring it's you. If it was me I'd go for it for all I was worth but that's just the way I am. So what are you going to do?"

We heard a knock on the locked door to the costume room. "Are you almost finished, Jennifer?"

"Almost, Mark. I'll be out shortly." I turned back to Rose and whispered. "Rose, how come you didn't tell me about this BEFORE I went out into the park with him?"

"The company has a rule. NO SEX IN THE PARK. If you're caught screwing like rabbits on the Tilt-A-Whirl it's grounds for immediate dismissal and he knows it. You were completely safe from him in the park. Outside of the park though…"

An eerie shiver went up my spine at the thought of what would have happened in my hotel room tonight if Rose hadn't filled me in.

"Rose, I think I'm going to run a delaying action so I have some time to think this through. The only problem is what do I do about him?'

"Whatever you do, let me know, OK? I slipped a card with my number in your purse. I gotta know what you do to that lounge lizard." She handed me my purse then pushed me toward the door after unlocking it.

"G'nite, Jennifer!"

"Thanks for all the help, Rose! BYE!"

Mark extended his arm and I accepted it again. This time I was able to maintain my resistance to his charms but I didn't let on that I no longer felt the same depth of emotion as before when he pulled me close.

"I have a limo waiting. Where can I take you?"

"Just back to the hotel I think, Mark. I'm very tired from the activities today. I need to get some sleep."

"All right." He seemed a little disappointed that I hadn't taken the bait to go out with him tonight. I had something just a bit different in mind to keep this fish on my hook.

We arrived at my hotel and, as I figured, he offered to escort me to my room. I decided to let him and spring my own trap outside my hotel room door. He accepted my hotel card and scanned it in the lock. The door popped open as we stood facing each other in the hallway.

"Thanks for a wonderful evening, Mark. I really enjoyed our time together. Can you set up another meeting at around nine AM in the conference room? I want to talk with everyone a little more about their plans for me after I've seen what's involved today. The entire day has been quite an eye-opener for me."

"Consider that meeting scheduled. Jennifer… do you want to go somewhere for a nightcap? My treat?"

"I don't think so, Mark. I just want to go soak in the tub for a little while then crawl into bed. I will give you something to think about overnight though."

I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him very close to me. Our lips locked together as I played a little tongue tag with him. I slid one hand down his back and gently groped his firm butt. I felt him stiffen briefly and his body shook just a bit. Feeling that I got my message across, I broke my hold on him and watched as he tottered unsteadily for a second or two. I turned on my heels and waved goodbye as I disappeared into the hotel room locking the door behind me.

The peephole in the door let me see that he stumbled back toward the wall opposite my door then stood there for a few more seconds as he recovered from my little trick. He was walking rather stiffly as he passed out of view of the peephole.

Giggling softly to myself, I watched for as long as I could see him through the peephole. I knew that he was probably mentally primed for sex and my little trick had paid off big time sending him into a mental meltdown. My plan now was to fend him off until I could make a deal with the MouseWorld organization. Thanks to getting the word from Rose I was no longer under the influence of Mark's advances.

One thing that I told Mark was true, I was very tired from the activities of today and the day before. I skipped getting into the tub and showered instead. Within a few minutes I was stretched out in bed deep in thought. It was going to be an interesting night if I couldn't get any sleep.

---------------------------------------------------------

Monday, January 6, 2003 — Jennifer's office

Barb sat at her desk idly drawing doodles on a sheet of paper as she waited for a knock on the office door. She deeply dreaded this visit and the memories it would dredge up but there was no way around it. Her friend was simply the best person for the job of finding out what was happening with one of Jennifer's checking accounts. With Jennifer on the way to Orlando, the task of finding out what was going on was up to her.

Just as the clock on her desk turned to six PM, there came a gentle rapping on the outer office door. Barb smiled then commented out loud to the empty office. "As punctual as ever…"

She opened the door to reveal a woman standing in the cold. "Hi, I see you found the place. Come on in."

The woman smiled and stepped into the warm office. As soon as the door was closed the woman gave Barb a big hug and the two woman cheek-kissed like they were old friends. Barb toOK the woman's coat to place it in the closet then they both got comfortable at Barb's desk.

The woman handed Barb a business card. It read…

Stewart and Company
Private Investigations
Rebecca A. Stewart

Barb looked up from the card to the woman seated across the desk from her.

"It's good to see you again, Becky. How've you been?"

Becky frowned. "Shouldn't I be asking you how you've been? You've certainly changed since the last time I saw you over a year ago, Barbara."

"I suppose I do owe you an explanation." Barb fell silent for a few seconds trying to think of how to begin.

"I'm waiting…"

"You know most of it, Becky. You and I were partners in the city police task force investigating the sex slavery ring that had moved into the city. Women were being kidnapped and sold as sex slaves in foreign countries. I had to go under cover to try to crack the ring."

"I remember. You were doing pretty well at it for a while there"

"Then my cover got blown. I still don't know who or how that happened. Instead of just killing me they got creative. I woke up to find I had tits and a woman's voice and overall appearance, and quite a striking appearance at that! They removed the family jewels but left the rest of me intact down there. When I healed I was sold as a shemale sex slave in Thailand."

"I remember from your report that you spent most of a year planning how to escape and bring the ring down. I was involved in the arrest of Joey Scarvone and the mob that ran the operation. After your return from Thailand you just disappeared."

"Yes, I did."

"You know I quit the department and spent over eight months looking for you when you disappeared? WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?" Becky glared at Barb. The look of anguish on Barb's face was all that Becky needed to see.

"Trying to make some sense out of what happened, Becky. Trying to see if I could ever return to something approaching a man again. The government helped me and set up appointments with one doctor after another trying to reverse the damage those bastards did to me." Barb lowered her head and stared at the desktop. "After three months of the best doctors in the world looking at the problem the only recommendation anyone could come up with was for me to go ahead and finish what those people started."

"I didn't know, Barb… I…"

Barb raised her hand to stop Becky. "Look, I'm sorry I left like that. I needed time to try to adjust to this. To have everything I knew, everything I was, just ripped away and be told I could never restore things to the way they were devastated me. I spent the past nine months trying to adjust. I finally got a new identity thanks to my government connections. I only started here a few weeks ago." Barb waved her hand around the small but cozy office.

The office was quiet for a couple of minutes as the two women simply looked at each other.

"Are you happy now, Barb? You were always so happy and easy-going when you were Jeff…"

Barb raised her hand to silence her former partner again. "He's dead, Becky. He died when they did this to me. Let him rest in peace."

"All right, Barb. I can accept that. Now, are you happy here? Are you really adjusting to all of this?"

"I am adjusting to the change, Becky. It's a day-by-day process. Am I happy here doing this job? I'd have to say yes. I'm needed and I can make a difference here."

"As an office manager? Why not go back to the force?"

"And do what? Ride around in a patrol car or go into public relations? I'd never be able to go back to under cover work again so why bother. Besides I'd be the laughing stock of the department. You know what it was like for YOU when you joined the force, right?"

"I remember, Barb. It was hell until I proved myself to those male swine." Becky took a few moments to suppress a growing rage as she remembered her first few months in the police department. She sighed then looked at Becky again.

"What makes this job so special, Barb?"

"My boss."

"Is that the one that got hit by lightning and…"

"That's her. She's such a unique person. In some ways she's wise beyond her apparent years and in others she's like a six-year-old child all wide-eyed to explore the world and savor every second of it. I can make a difference for her, Becky."

"Is this what you really want, Barb?"

"Yes. It doesn't matter to her what I am or what I was."

"Does she know the truth about you?"

"NO!… and I'm NOT going to tell her anything either."

"She deserves to know, Barb."

"Maybe one day, Becky but not right now. Both of us have too many unresolved personal issues to deal with."

Becky sighed deeply again. "So why did you invite me here? I'm certain it wasn't to talk over old times."

"I have a job for the best private investigation firm in the city. One of her old checking accounts was re-activated by someone and we want to know who and how." Barb pushed a stack of paper across the desk toward Becky.

Becky took a couple of minutes looking through the evidence the bank had faxed. "This is all you've got?"

"That's WHAT we've got, yes."

"Not much to go on." Barb put the stack of paper back on the desk. " Well, I can start by finding out more about that address and who or what lives there. That's the first clue. I'll look into some of these other organizations that had funds moved through the checking account. I'll bet I find a few that aren't quite legitimate businesses or charity organizations."

"Then what happens?"

"We need to get more evidence before we turn it over to the police, you know that or you wouldn't have called me. What you have there isn't even close. We need enough information to make any conviction in a trial stick beyond any reasonable doubt."

"Any idea how long this could take, Becky?"

"A day, a few days, a week? There's no way to tell on something like this. If someone did set this up they need to get sloppy for us to catch them. If they pay attention to what they're doing then we won't get much up front."

"All right, Becky. Do whatever it takes to find out who's behind this."

"Do you have any idea what this could cost, Barb?"

"I have and knowing my boss it won't matter to her one bit."

"I'll get started on this tonight, Barb. Can I take these?" Becky picked up the pile of papers.

"Yes, they're photocopies."

Becky glanced at her watch. "I've got to go, I have another appointment. You gonna be OK?"

"I'm getting better about what happened to me, Becky. I'll be fine."

"I have to ask, have you had the surgery to…"

"Not yet but very soon now, Becky. That will bring some closure to the whole mess. I've accepted who I've become and the surgery will remove the last painful reminder of who I used to be."

Becky rose and hugged Barb tightly. Barb watched as Becky let herself out the door of the office into the cold black night.

Barb glanced at the clock on her desk noting that her boss was just about halfway through her flight if the plane took off on time at six PM. Another hour and the plane should be landing in Orlando. Somehow Barb couldn't shake a nagging feeling of impending disaster. She grabbed her day planner with a duplicate of all of Jennifer's travel information and switched out the lights in the office. She pulled the collar of her coat tightly around her neck as the cold wind hit her full force when she locked the outside office door behind her.

<<<<To be continued in Chapter 13 of Zapped! >>>&gt

To my more technically oriented readers,

I freely admit that great liberties were taken with the airplane segments of this story and that the scenario would most likely happen in a quite different manner. I went for dramatics effect and not accuracy in that section of the story. This is, after all, a work of fiction isn't it?

Bob Arnold