Christina woke just as the first rays of sun hit the mountain. Rolling over, she pulled the blankets over her eyes to block the light. She savored the warm, comfortable feeling of being cocooned in her luxurious bed, remembering that her bed at home wasn't remotely this comfortable. Eventually she pulled the blanket off of her head and looked around, realizing that everything that happened yesterday was real. She didn't want to get up, not only because the bed was so inviting, but also she knew that if she looked in the mirror, she would see a girl looking back.

        As Chris rolled over and opened his eyes he could tell by the light on the ceiling that it was morning, but something was different. He felt as though he was floating on a cloud. This wasn't his bed. His bed was only marginally better than sleeping on the floor, and that was only because he rarely swept. Even the soft feather pillows molded perfectly to the curvature of his head. He couldn't remember feeling so relaxed in his life. Most mornings, his first action was to untwist his underwear, but today, his pajamas flowed marvelously from his body. He sighed, reveling in the sensation of being absolutely pampered.

If you read Part I of "A Year in My Life", you would know that I found the love of my life, Katie. Kate and I became engaged just before high school graduation.

The other outstanding thing that I learned about myself was that I have a more feminine side, named Gwen. Gwen is who I am when I'm dressed as a girl, or now a college coed.

Kate was a driving force in finding Gwen, and helping her blossom. If you haven't read Part I, you might like to. In fact, thinking back, I should have called this story "A Few Years in My Life."

This part of my story covers the first year of our college life. It certainly hasn’t been boring. I can't tell you too much without giving away the story, but things got very interesting for us in college. Among other things, we met Tiffany. She tried to come between Kate and me, and almost succeeded.

And, a special thanks to Jenny van Eik for editing this chapter.

        Christopher Chase stared at the tiny clock in the computer's taskbar. 8:45 PM. "I'm the last one again," he said aloud, the sound of his voice echoing through the old factory building. Chris regularly worked late; it was just part of the job. At the age of nineteen, with only a high school education, he felt lucky to have the job at all. Still, being a full time support technician, aside from his role as an unofficial and underpaid junior programmer, gave new meaning to the phrase "low man on the totem pole." He was more like the guy who waited on the park bench across the street from the totem pole, praying for the day they decided to make it just one face taller. That would only help him if the three guys on the bench with him would quit or drop dead before that day ever came.

Survival
by Karen Page

The survival of the Human Race rests with one person. Can that person be found and the planet saved?