Before we seriously get into Cindy’s high school years, we have to lay some background. We’re going to meet some of Cindy and Bobbie’s friends. They won’t all be magical; however, they are very important. Just how important will take many years to resolve. Part 1 addresses the first three years of High School. We will discover there are some mysteries that will not be resolved immediately, either. Cindy and Bobbie have matured greatly over the summer, and have become real head turners. Something else very important is going to happen. They are going to find romance. Cindy is a bit surprised the direction her romance takes; however, no one is prepared, (with the exception of The Wizard), for how the romance is terminated.
Before we seriously get into Cindy’s high school years, we have to lay some background. We’re going to meet some of Cindy and Bobbie’s friends. They won’t all be magical; however, they are very important. Just how important will take many years to resolve. Part 1 addresses the first three years of High School. We will discover there are some mysteries that will not be resolved immediately, either. Cindy and Bobbie have matured greatly over the summer, and have become real head turners. Something else very important is going to happen. They are going to find romance. Cindy is a bit surprised the direction her romance takes; however, no one is prepared, (with the exception of The Wizard), for how the romance is terminated.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story. There are some interesting revelations of what went on behind the scenes.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but no where near ready to post.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations. I’m sure that could happen at any time. In fact, this just might be the time.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 1
Cindy was in one of her contemplative moods. She had been forcibly abducted a few weeks before by a very evil, depraved individual; but thanks to her friends and The Wizard, she was no worse for having gone through the ordeal. In fact, she’d learned many important things from the ordeal. What had been a very traumatic experience hadn’t had any lasting negative effects on the Lewis’s or Schmedlaps, primarily due to The Wizard affecting a minor spell that smoothed over the effects of the trauma.
Both families had learned some valuable lessons about how vulnerable young people can be, and all of them became a considerably more cautious. The Wizard immediately initiated some training to ensure Cindy and Bobbie learned more about how to recognize auras, especially the bad ones. The Wizard knew this was one of the areas where their strengths lay, and he wanted them to be a proficient as possible.
Since, as far as the rest of the world was concerned the incident had never occurred, there was no notoriety surrounding Cindy or Bobbie about the kidnapping; however, there was some notoriety of another sort.
As their community high school was a four year school, ninth grade was their first year as high school students. The students came from four junior high schools, and there were many new friends and potential friends. Of course, for social protection, the students from each of the schools tended to cluster together with their previous schoolmates, at least for the first few weeks. However, there had been a deliberate attempt by the school administration to mix the various student bodies. It worked out that each class was about 25 percent from each of the junior high schools.
“My God!” Myrna Breckenridge exclaimed the day school started, “The boob fairy must have visited you two twice. Those can’t be real. You had to have stuffed your bras.” Myrna had become a good friend of Cindy and Bobbie over the last few years, and she wasn’t above teasing them when the timing was right.
“I’m sorry to disappoint you Myrna, but Cindy and I are all real. I’m a B, and Cindy’s almost a C. I guess we’ve been pretty lucky. We went to the beach last Saturday and a bunch of college guys tried to pick us up. They didn’t believe us when we told them we were only 14. They called us jailbait. I loved it. I think Cindy did, too, didn’t you, Cindy?”
“Yeah, it was cool. I think a couple of the boys got ‘woodies’ while they checked us out. A couple of them were pretty good looking.”
“What, the woodies?” Myrna laughed.
“No, the boys, you idiot,” Cindy fired back defensively, flushing a bit. She thought about how the two families had joined for a trip to a pleasant beach on the sound south of where they lived. It had been a fun weekend, and a pleasant way to end the summer.
Cindy had been wearing her new two-piece suit, one that had taken more than a little convincing of her mother before she was allowed to get it. Based on current standards, both her and Bobbie’s suits were definitely revealing, but not to the extent of some of the thongs and barely nipple covering outfits some other beach-goers were wearing.
The two fourteen year olds definitely caught the attention of many of the male beach-goers; however they were a bit overshadowed by Cindy’s mother, whose spectacular figure and beautiful natural blonde hair definitely caught the eye of many. When Cindy had come forward with the suit she wanted to wear, and had convinced her mother that it was alright, the next thing Cindy knew, her mother was buying a similar suit. “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” she laughed.
Some of the more conservative beach-goers had made some disparaging remarks about the well endowed mother with the well toned figure. Stan Lewis had picked up some of the disapproving glares and half-whispered comments and all he could think was, ‘Eat your hearts out.’
Being freshmen in a school of nearly 3,000 students was somewhat intimidating. Cindy didn’t like to think back to the previous time she’d gone to high school. It hadn’t been a very pleasant experience, and she knew that most of the reason for it rested on her shoulders. She determined she would make this time much more pleasant, and she found she didn’t really have to try. She fit in, and the best thing was she loved herself. It wasn’t an egotism thing; it was just that she knew she belonged where she was, the way she was.
High school was a time of many decisions. Being an apprentice witch was fun, but serious business; however, there was going to be much more than magic to strive for in her adult life. Magic would be there when she needed it, and she knew it was important. The thing was, what would she do in her adult life? She’d had a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business management, and although there was no paper to confirm that, the knowledge was there. She could always rely on that. She needed to expand her education and she felt she wanted to do something to help others, even though the final decision was going to be many years in the future. What she needed to do was do the best possible in all things so that the options would remain open for her.
The autumn weather had been very pleasant for the last few days; however, this was the time of year when good weather was usually the portent of nasty weather to come. Having finished lunch, Cindy was sitting at one of the outdoor picnic tables, just enjoying it while it lasted. Her reverie was interrupted by someone’s approaching.
She looked up as a shadow crossed her face.
“Well, hi Babe, I think it’s time that you and me got acquainted.”
“That should be ‘you and I’ not ‘you and me’ and if that’s your idea of a good pickup line, you need to reassess.”
“Well you got the picture. They said you was pretty smart as well as good looking.”
“So, what do you want besides English lessons, uh, Mr. ….”
“I’m Dave, Dave Growell. I’m the best athlete in the school. You and me should get acquainted, being as you’re as good lookin’ as you are. Besides, that hot body of yours is just beggin’ to be tried out and I’m just the guy to do it for you.”
Cindy knew darn well who Dave Growell was, and so far, finally meeting him had done nothing to improve her opinion of him. He had already hit on several of her friends, including Bobbie. From everything she had heard, and it was now being supported, his opinion of his athletic ability was exceeded only by his opinion of himself as a lady’s man. She knew he was a jock; however, no one in her circle had come forward to say anything about his prowess as a lover.
Dave was 16, and a junior. His parents were members of the country club that Cindy and Bobbie’s parents had recently joined. He had to know that Cindy was a freshman and only 14. Wondering why he would be hitting on 14 year olds rather than girls his own age, Cindy thought it might be time to test some of her newly developed skills.
“Dave, have a seat. We have a little time before the lunch period is over. I need to tell you something, and you won’t ever be able to repeat what I’m telling you unless I let you.”
“Sure, like you have any control over me. Once you find out what a real man is, you will be beggin’ me for whatever I can do for you.” His bravado was building.
“Dave, you’re a big phony. Tell me, and you have to tell me the truth, how many women or girls have you slept with or made love to? I guess in your vernacular, that would be ‘fucked’.”
“Well Cindy Babe, you have a treat in store for you, there have been dozens, and every one more grateful than the other.”
“Tell me the truth, Dave. I won’t tell the world.”
“Well, doz, er doz ….”
“Tell me the truth, Dave.”
“Er, none.”
“Speak up, Dave. How many?”
“None.”
“So, you thought you would try to seduce a fourteen year old girl so that you could brag to your friends about it. Is that what you wanted to do?”
“Er, yes.”
“That certainly isn’t very admirable. Well there are some new rules in effect from now on. You will never be able to lie to a woman, or anyone else for that matter, about your sexual conquests. You will never be able to express affection for someone unless it’s the truth.
“Now, tell me why you want to get to know me. Tell me that you are a great lover and that I will appreciate your skills as a lover. Tell me that you love me. There’s no one around to hear you. I just want to hear how you intend to make me fall into your arms.”
Dave was very confused. He had been rejected many times, but no one had ever talked to him that way. There seemed to be something compelling him to speak.
“Uh, you’re real good looking and have nice tits. I want to fuck you because my friends would stop bothering me about being a virgin.
“Oh my God, what did I just say?”
“You told me the truth. It’s not a very good line though. Okay, here’s the way it is. When you speak to a woman, and have the intentions you have, it is always going to come out the truth. You need to find someone you like, someone who is a bit closer to you in age. Get to know her, let her get to know you. When the time is right, she will let you know. You won’t have to lie to her because it will be the truth.
“David, you won’t be able to tell anybody, but I’m a witch, and so are some of my friends. This little spell I’ve put on you won’t mess up your life; in fact, it should help. You have some good athletic skills, but there is a lot more to life than being a basketball player, and you will never be good enough to go to the pros. You are going to have to do a bit better academically if you want to succeed. Your command of the English language is atrocious. So, you need some help.
“Patty Breckenridge is the sister of a friend of mine and she is in your class. She is an A student and could really be a help for you. She has tutored other students in English before. I am going to be honest with you; in fact, I will always be honest with you. Patty has had a crush on you for a long time. I’m not sure I know why; however, she’s very nice, and cute in a plain sort of way. You never know what might happen if you treat her nicely.”
“Sheesh, ‘Flatty’ Patty? Why would I want to be around her?”
“David, you have a lot to learn. It’s what’s between the ears that matters, not what’s in her bra. I’m not telling you to date her or anything like that. I’m saying you need help, and she might just be the person to do it. The fact that she thinks she likes you just might help, especially if you are nice to her.
“If you’re not nice to her, I can do some things that you might find very unpleasant. I don’t think you will want to find out what they might be. Let’s just say I could be your worst nightmare.”
Cindy knew she would never use magic in a revengeful way. She would only use it for positive results. She felt David was not beyond redemption, but if things really got bad, there was always The Wizard. He always came up with some interesting solutions for anyone who mistreated women.
Any doubts Cindy had about her giving David a nudge toward Patty Breckenridge were alleviated within a few weeks. David started meeting Patty in the library during their free period. By the time Christmas break came, she was wearing his letterman’s jacket. His improved grades helped get him into the same university where Patty went. He became known as the ‘Sixth Man’ on the basketball team, and helped take his team to The Final Four twice. Patty and David would have four children.
Well, the big adventure has started. In the next chapter, we will learn a bit more about Myrna Breckenridge and her family. We go back a few years to where Bobbie insists that she and Cindy have slumber parties. After all, what better way is there for two girls to learn about other girls and the mystery of sex?
Cindy reflects back on growing up with girl friends. It was something she had wanted so much, but at the same time, it terrified her. We are going to learn more about Myrna, and how she develops as a true friend. Female sexuality becomes a central point of discussion.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story. There are some interesting revelations of what went on behind the scenes.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. I will try to post at least one chapter this weekend.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 2
Being a teenage girl was hell, especially when one is rather good looking, and doesn’t really have a clue. Bobbie Schmedlap was Cindy’s mentor in many ways. Even when Bobbie had been Bobby, she had studied how to fill her role as the girl she felt she was. Her parents and brothers had always supported her even before the magic had changed her. She subscribed to all the teenage girl related magazines plus several on sports, and golf in particular, although when her family had reached near poverty, the subscriptions had expired, and the magazines had stopped coming.
When Amos Schmedlap recovered from his back injury and became gainfully employed once again, Bobbie plunged headlong into her task of being a pre-teenage and soon to be teenage girl. What was most enjoyable for her was that her now best friend, the girl who had gifted her with the magical transition, needed help, and needed help in a big way.
Cindy’s problem was that although she was definitely female in body and spirit, she had not truly experienced early girlhood. There were the memories from the previous occupant of her body; however, the links were not always easy to find for some of those memories. The Wizard had deliberately not given Cindy any artificial memories. She was on her own in many ways. So Bobbie took it on herself to bring Cindy up to date.
The basic ingredients were there, i.e. Cindy was physically and mentally a female. She had turned nine years old, physically, shortly after her transition. It had taken a while for the awe she felt of her achieving her desire to wear off. The fact that she had a wardrobe full of little girl clothes helped. It also helped that some of her faux pas could be written of as being due to her ‘brain injury’. However her mother realized that her daughter needed a little more help than she had needed in the past, and did what was necessary to keep her daughter presentable when she returned to school.
Many of Cindy’s past ‘friends’ attributed her difficulties in some areas to be due to her injuries and prolonged coma. In fact, her grade school teacher had advised her classmates before Cindy had returned to school, that Cindy might have ‘problems’. Most of the early problems were more physical in nature because of her muscle weakness; however, some of her lapses could have been related to brain trauma.
One of the things that Bobbie had wanted to do for years, and had been unable to do, was to have a slumber party, (after all, how many boys have slumber parties?). As soon as her family had moved into their new home, Bobbie had convinced her mother that a slumber party was absolutely essential.
Cindy, to be truthful, was terrified. A slumber party was exactly what girls her age were doing; however, there was still a ghost of a past life and Cindy felt she might be perceived as some sort of voyeur. She expressed her doubts to Bobbie.
“Nonsense,” Bobbie replied somewhat strongly. “I think you and I have seen each other without clothes enough to know that our reactions are perfectly normal. You never ‘lusted’ after girls in your past life, and I didn’t either. We wanted to associate with girls and do girl things because we felt it was the right thing to do. Right now both of us have a lot to learn about girlhood, and the best way for us to do it is to immerse ourselves in it.
“I think a slumber party with some of our friends will be great. We can experiment with makeup and our outfits; and, we can talk about boys. It will be a lot of fun. You can have the next one at your house.”
“Bobbie, you are beginning to sound too much like an adult,” Cindy said in mock exasperation.
Cindy did overcome her self-consciousness. It didn’t happen immediately, but eventually, walking around in her panties in the privacy of a bedroom with a group of her friends, became a non-event. It was just something that young teenagers to be did. She studied the differences in female anatomy, not in a prurient way, as she and her friends matured.
Some girls were developing earlier than others. Breasts started showing up in different shapes, sizes and ornamentation. Myrna Breckenridge was similar to her older sister in that her natural cup size was barely an A; however, her areolae and nipples were very well developed early on. She was the first in the group to have pubic hair and start her period. She was also the one to bring up the subject of masturbation, or ‘jilling’ as she called it. Her description of what it was like had piqued the curiosity of those who hadn’t ventured in that direction before.
“Why would anyone want to do anything like that?” exclaimed Francie Sexton. “I mean, how gross; eeeeuuuuw!”
“Francie, I think I know the answer to this, but do you intend to get married and have children?” asked Myrna. Cindy could see a bit of a glint in her eye.
Myrna Breckenridge was very intelligent, a genuine free spirit, and a bit outspoken. Her mother had divorced her father after a string of infidelities came to light. The divorce had been very nasty, and the court session was rather lengthy. Nancy Breckenridge had been a faithful wife and excellent mother. She was a full time elementary school teacher. When the judge gave his decision, Ken Breckenridge stomped out of the court calling his ex-wife a “ … titless, cold hearted bitch.”
Nancy might have put herself back in circulation after the divorce; however, she never had the chance. Sharon Spitzer, a fellow school teacher, had decided early on that she was going to be there for Nancy after she knew that the marriage was heading for the divorce court. She had been attracted to Nancy for years, but had avoided making any overtures. Once Nancy was free, she invited Nancy to have a post divorce celebration dinner with her.
Nancy probably had the better part of two bottles of Prosecco, and the couple eschewed desert. Sharon had picked Nancy up earlier in the evening, and it was probably a good thing. Nancy had never been much of a drinker, and was certainly in no condition to drive. Nancy would recall many times, rather happily, that she allowed Sharon to take her back to her two bedroom condominium on the pretense they would share a couple of glasses of port before Sharon took Nancy home.
Nancy looked around the warmly decorated living room as Sharon busied herself at the dry bar with the port. It was a very friendly place. She looked at her friend across the room. She was several inches shorter than Nancy, and considerably bustier. She always presented herself well. Her hair was always done perfectly. Her makeup was just right, and she always dressed very tastefully.
Sharon handed a small glass of port to Nancy. “To the future,” she toasted. They raised their glasses and then took a sip of the sweet, fortified wine. Neither would ever admit as to who the initiator was. Sharon had considered seducing Nancy early on. Nancy had probably realized that. She set her glass on the end table and gently took Sharon’s glass and placed it next to hers. Gently placing her hands on the sides of Sharon’s face, she leaned over and kissed her wine sweetened lips, and then without a word, led her to Sharon’s bedroom. For the first time in more than six years she shared an orgasm with someone else.
The condominium was placed on the market, and Sharon moved in with the Breckenridge’s the following month. Sharon’s king sized bed replaced the one in Nancy’s bedroom. The latter was picked up by a local charitable organization.
Neither Myrna nor Patty had any problems with the arrangement. Their mother was happy for the first time in years, and one of their favorite elementary school teachers had become a second mother to them. The whole home situation had improved many fold times. There were some raised eyebrows; however, the pair was accepted by most.
Myrna and Patty’s mother had been sexually neglected for years, and it was no secret that Nancy and Sharon had an active sexual relationship with each other. Myrna had discovered fairly quickly what orgasms were all about. She’d had a rather intense self-exploration one night and was basking in the after glow when she realized her mother had come into her bedroom. There was no denying the fact that her nightie was up around her neck. There was no denying something else, and that was the aroma created by her arousal.
“Mom, I’m sorry; I can’t help it.”
Her mother sat on the edge of the bed and took her daughter’s hands in hers. “Myrna, you don’t have to apologize for anything. There’s nothing wrong with finding sexual gratification. I didn’t realize what you were doing at first and I apologize for walking in on you. I heard some sounds, and thought you were having a bad dream.
“Don’t ever let what happened between me and your father turn you away from men. There are many decent men out there who will make excellent lovers, husbands and fathers. I am certainly not going to tell you not to explore and find whoever might be right for you. I could have very easily found another man; it was just that Sharon was the right person and came along at the right time. Loving someone is loving what’s inside that person. Sharon and I love each other very much. We are right for each other, and I imagine we will marry soon.
“I’m happy that you have found out what you can do for yourself; however, I will tell you this: it is much better when you can share with others.”
“Francie, do you mean to tell me that you have never played with yourself, never gotten off?”
“Well, no, Mom says it’s dirty. She says sex is just a necessity to have babies. She says that there is nothing pleasant about sex, and it’s a woman’s duty to submit to her husband. She says that any woman who says she enjoys sex is just lying.”
“Hmmm, that is certainly an interesting concept,” Myrna said while looking around Bobbie’s room. “Do you have any posters like these?
“A few, why?”
“I guess that’s my question: why?”
“They’re handsome. That one,” she pointed at a poster on the far wall, “is one of my favorites.”
“Oh, so you do think that some men are handsome. What does he do to you? Do you get a little tingly when you think about him?”
“I guess so, a little.”
“Okay, we’re going to try a little experiment. Francie and I are going to need a little privacy. We’ll take a sleeping bag into Bobbie’s closet for a while.
Leading Francie by the hand, Myrna said, “I want you to pretend that I’m that handsome guy in that poster.” She closed the door behind them. At first there were some sounds of protest; however, those sounds gradually changed to little coos and moans of pleasure.
The girls didn’t say a thing when a somewhat subdued and embarrassed Francie returned to the larger bedroom. The other girls were in their sleeping bags or sharing Bobbie’s large bed. There weren’t any comments about what had transpired, and none were needed.
After that night, Francie formed a bit of an attachment to Myrna; however, that was never Myrna’s intention. It took a bit of work, but Myrna was eventually able to wean Francie. She explained to Francie that she enjoyed their relationship very much; however, neither of them was really totally into girls, and it was time to broaden their horizons. Now that Francie knew a bit about physical pleasure, it was time to find out what boys were about, both physically and socially.
Both Cindy and Bobbie viewed the relationship from a distance. They felt, and rightly so, that Francie was better off for it. Her mother’s attitude about sex had been on the verge of doing serious damage to Francie’s attitude about sexual relations and her relationship with men in particular.
They were both elated when Francie eventually found that men were not nearly as bad as her mother had indicated.
We are rejoining Cindy and Bobbie in high school in the next chapter. At Bobbie’s insistence, Cindy has entered into competitive swimming, and is doing quite well. Then a remarkable thing happens, Cindy meets someone new. She is a beautiful Latina girl, and as we will find out, she has a troubled background.
Now begins one of the most important phases of Cindy’s life. She becomes friends with a new student, a beautiful Latina girl who is living with Andy’s family. Donna Brewer is an orphan and a ward of the state. We don’t know her background yet; however, it has been very tragic. She is welcomed into Cindy and Bobbie’s circle. Their lives will never be the same.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story. There are some interesting revelations of what went on behind the scenes.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. I will try to post at least one chapter this weekend.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 3
Cindy was firmly ensconced in the high school environment and so much had happened, the first year of high school was gone practically before she realized it. She no longer had to try to act like a girl, or young woman. She had caught up quite well. Her old personality had been thoroughly absorbed, the dichotomy was gone. She was popular even though she didn’t seek popularity. She wasn’t that much of a joiner, and there were certain aspects of high school life that just didn’t appeal to her.
She felt that the mystique of being a cheerleader was ridiculous. Probably part of that was due to the fact she felt it was an exploitation of women. Bobbie insisted that she get involved in sports, even if she wasn’t very good. Strangely, it turned out she wasn’t a bad athlete; she just needed encouragement, and Bobbie saw to it that she was encouraged. Cindy had become a strong swimmer, partly due to her near miss with death in the pond that winter many years before.
The country club her family had joined had a 50 meter pool and a diving pool. They had hosted a number of swimming events over the years and Cindy started competing in some of the events. Many in her age group had a distinct advantage in that they had been swimming for years; however, Cindy did very well in the competitions, and the next thing she knew, she was on the high school swim team.
Cindy accomplished many things by being on the swim team those first two years of high school. Winning a race was not among them. There were comments, some of them not out of earshot, about the fact the drag created by her bust line probably cost her several races. She took it all in stride. Winning wasn’t that important. And if the truth were known, though she might have been able to use magic to give her an edge, that had never been considered. She remembered what Bobbie had said to her Grandmother Naomi about the fact she would never use magic to enhance her golf game because it wasn’t in the spirit of the game.
What it did accomplish was that she became more and more part of the social group. She was happy. She made several new friends, and among them was Donna Brewer. Donna had moved to the area at the beginning of Cindy’s sophomore year. She was very quiet and made no attempt to mix with the other girls. She was very attractive, and she was athletic, as Cindy was to quickly find out. They had only one class together that semester, and that was gym. Their lockers were almost next to each other and they were in position to appraise each others’ physical qualities rather quickly.
Cindy had developed as her mother had thought she would. There really hadn’t been much guesswork involved, as Cindy’s refinements were due to the spell that had changed her mother from a brunette with rather average endowment in the bust department to a stunning platinum blonde with perfect DD breasts. As The Wizard had said, Cindy inherited her mother’s genetics as well as her father’s. She was now 5’ 8”, and her bust was a perfect, for her body, D cup. As her mother had expected, her waist had trimmed down to 26 inches. Her hips were decidedly female, and the overall impression was definitely that of a well proportioned hour glass. Her body was also well toned and would never know the meaning of cellulite.
Bobbie’s insistence that Cindy maintained good physical conditioning would reap many rewards over the years, and right now it was garnering some very appreciative glances from Donna Brewer; not that Cindy wasn’t giving Donna’s figure some appreciative glances as well. Where Cindy was a well packed and stacked blonde, Donna was considerably different. She was about 5’ 6” with a dark complexion. Her breasts were proud little beauties that perched high on her rib cage and stuck out impudently for all who could, to see. She probably didn’t need a bra; however, school dress codes required she wear one. Her body, to put it mildly, was ripped. She wasn’t bulky by any means; it was just that there was muscle definition everywhere.
These mutual appraisals took all of three seconds as the girls undressed and donned their gym togs.
“Hi, I’m Donna Brewer,” she said as she stuck out her hand to encourage a hand-shake.
“Hi, yourself, I’m Cindy Lewis. You’re new here,” she responded as she took Donna’s hand in her own.
“Yeah, I live with the Andersons. They’re my family of the year. I just moved in there a couple of days ago.”
“Oh, I don’t know what to say. I mean, are you adopted, or something? I’m sorry, that was rather insensitive of me.”
“No, I’m not adopted. No one would have me anyway. I lived in a children’s home near Fallsville, and it burned down. The Andersons were nice enough to take me in until the county can find another facility for us. They’re nice people, and they don’t seem to be too worried about me.”
“Why are they worried about you? Are you sick or something?”
“That would be ‘or something’. I don’t want to talk about it now; maybe later.
“Say, who is that gorgeous redhead I saw you with? You and she make quite the couple.”
“That’s Bobbie Schmedlap. We’re best buds, and have been for a long time. Do you have lunch next period?” Donna nodded. “Why don’t you have lunch with us? I think you’ll like her, and we can introduce you to our friends. Bobbie’s the best golfer on the school team. She’ll probably go pro someday.”
“I didn’t know there was a girls’ golf team at this school.”
“Oh, there isn’t. She’s on the men’s team. She beats all of them.”
The regular gym classes rotated through a number of sports, and Cindy’s class was starting out in soccer. Soccer was still an alien sport for many in the U.S. It was difficult for many of the girls not to use their hands if there was an opportunity to do so, and Cindy was no exception to this weakness. Donna was something else. When the opportunity arose, it was as if she and the ball were one. Her footwork was amazing, and it wasn’t long before several of the coaches were neglecting their own students and were standing on the sidelines watching Donna put on a demonstration of the way the game was supposed to be played.
“Wow, you sure know how to play soccer!” Cindy exclaimed at the end of the period as she stood under the shower nozzle in the community locker room shower.
“Actually, in most places in the world they call it football. Thanks for the compliment. I learned to play in Germany when we….” Donna stopped talking and turned to immerse her face in the warm shower water. She didn’t complete the sentence.
For the second or third time that morning, Cindy got a rather strange feeling. It came and went, and it was difficult to attribute any significance to it. It was almost like a sense of wrongness. Something was not right, but she couldn’t tell what it was. The Wizard had been working with Cindy and Bobbie on the differences in aura; however, this was not like anything they had encountered in any of their training sessions. She was going to have to tell Bobbie, and they were going to have to talk to The Wizard about it.
Cindy did a quick retouch of her makeup and noted that Donna barely redid what little she was wearing.
As they headed from the gym to the cafeteria, Donna started opening up a bit. “You’re not exactly a slouch out there, Cindy. You play pretty well for not having been exposed to the game.”
“I try. I’m on the swim team. Bobbie keeps after me about staying in shape. I don’t have the physical skills like you and she do. She also plays fast pitch softball. She’s the best player on that team, too.”
They entered the cafeteria, dumped their books on a shelf, and proceeded to make their selection of items of mostly unpalatable food from the serving line. They found a spot by one of the outer walls.
“Ah, here comes Bobbie and her latest admirer. He’s real nice, not like some of the lost puppies she’s dragged around in the past. His name is Andy Anderson.”
“Yeah, I know him,” Donna said looking up from her salad. “I live with him. He’s okay I guess, if you like boys.”
Cindy turned to look at Donna. She wondered if that statement had a greater implication than she thought. She wasn’t going to worry about it too much. People are who they are inside; and she and Bobbie would be the last people on earth to criticize anyone for his or her sexual or gender orientation.
“Hi, Donna, I see you’ve met Cindy,” Andy said, greeting the two girls. “This is Bobbie Schmedlap. Cindy’s probably told you they are best friends.
“Bobbie, this is Donna Brewer. She is living with us this year. She was living in the home in Fallsville before it burned down. She’s cool.”
Andy, actually Felix, but no one would ever call him that to his face, was a junior. He had been the number one seed on the golf team when Bobbie showed up, and he, as had the others on the team, showed her no mercy as far as the comments that were generated. The golf coach hadn’t been too pleased about being forced to have a young woman on the golf team, but he figured ‘What the hell’, he would have to put up with her as an alternate, and probably would never actually have to put her in competition.
There was a seeding process, as in each tournament, each player would play against a player of similar seed from the other team. They would determine the seeding for their first tournament by a stroke play tournament among the team members at the nearby country club.
The guys were really nasty to her. There were three foursomes, and Bobbie through the luck of the draw was in the last group to tee off.
“Okay, Bobbie, you have to hit the ball down there between those trees. See those red balls down there? That’s the lady’s tees. Are you sure you don’t want to hit from there?”
“I’ll tell you what, fellows. We’ll play El Paso Rules.”
She had won the honor, and teed up her ball. The boys were riding her unmercifully. She took a couple of practice swings.
“Hey, Bobbie, you have to stand closer to the ball if you want to hit it.”
“What’s that, you’re lying three already and you haven’t even hit it yet.”
Bobbie backed off and scowled at her tormentors.
“That’s enough fellows. At least give her a chance to hit the ball.” The coach had to give the impression that he would be fair.
Bobbie addressed the ball, took a slow back swing, and unleashed a drive that caused some jaws to drop. The ball started down the right side, then gently drew to the left, bounced off the gently sloping side of the fairway, and came to rest in the middle about 290 yards from the tee. The silence was deafening.
She leaned over, giving a couple of the boys a brief glimpse of cleavage, picked up her tee, and stepped to the side of the tee box.
“Okay, guys, El Paso Rules, remember?”
Andy was next to tee up. “El Paso Rules, what are they?”
“Surely, you’ve heard of El Paso Rules? If your drive doesn’t pass the lady’s tee, you have to unzip your pants and let your dick hang out for the entire hole. I thought everyone knew what El Paso Rules were. I mean, the lady’s tee is only a hundred yards away. Surely, you big strong men can hit the ball further than that.”
Andy didn’t stand a chance. He made the mistake many golfers make, especially those who don’t play in much competition. He tried to kill the ball, and topped it. It didn’t go 50 yards. The cheers and jeers were almost deafening. Poor Andy picked up his tee and slunk bank to the side of the tee. His face and ears were burning. Not one of the other players was able to hit their ball as far as Bobbie did on that hole, and she was out-driven only on two of the other holes. The only reason for that was that she had deliberately laid back for strategy reasons.
As the foursome approached Andy’s ball, Bobbie walked up to him. “Andy,” she said quietly, “you don’t have to play El Paso Rules. It’s okay. I’ll let you know when you have to comply.”
They turned in their score cards to the coach at the end of the round. “Not bad, Anderson, a seventy-five should keep you in the number one seed position.”
“Uh, coach, Bobbie shot a seventy, and I think she sandbagged. She’s unreal.”
Andy asked her out the next week. Bobbie gladly accepted.
Next: Things will never be the same for Cindy again. Cindy and Bobbie’s powers continue to develop. The four friends go to the beach for one last time before fall sets in, and Cindy learns about the tragedies in Donna’s life.
By Portia Bennett
Cindy and Bobbie are having a problem. Their special senses are being piqued, but not in a way they have been before. They can’t explain it, and are not sure what they are sensing. Andy takes Bobbie, Cindy, and Donna to the beach. It’s their last opportunity to get some sun before the fall sets in. The weather changes rather drastically, and their sunbathing is cut short. Donna tells Cindy the story of her life. It had been a wonderful life until the last few years.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story. There are some interesting revelations of what went on behind the scenes.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. I will not be able to post Part 1, Chapter 5 until the middle of the week.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 4
They finished lunch and took their trays to the window that opened into the dish cleaning room. Cindy pulled Bobbie aside.
“Bobbie, I’ve been getting some really strange feelings ever since school started. I am sensing wrongness, but it’s unlike anything we’ve been learning about. Have you been sensing anything these last couple of days? I mean it kinda comes and goes. I’m not sure who or where it’s coming from.”
“I was going to ask you about that. I’ve been feeling something, too, and I think someone is hurting. The problem is, it’s not focused. I can’t pinpoint the source. It was real strong in the cafeteria, but it was like going in and out of a cloud. I’ve felt it in the hallways, too. It might be from more than one person, if it is from a person.”
Bobbie changed the subject. “If the weather holds, Andy wants to go to the beach. He wants to know if you would like to come along. He already felt obligated to invite Donna.”
“I’d love to. It’ll probably be the last chance to get some sun before it turns cold. I’ll ask Mom this evening.”
Andy was sixteen and able to drive; however, Bobbie was only fifteen, and Bobbie’s parents had some firm rules about dating. One was that Bobbie could not go on a date with anyone unaccompanied. It had to be a double date or on a chaperoned event. Cindy’s parents had similar rules.
Andy wasn’t too concerned about the fact that he couldn’t be alone with Bobbie. He was just very happy that she would even give him a second look after the way he and the other members of the golf team had treated her. If one was to measure his status as a BMOC, he had definitely accumulated some points. There was no question that Bobbie was one of the more attractive girls on the campus, and she was definitely a feather in his cap. However, he didn’t think about her in that context. Yes, she was beautiful, intelligent and athletic; however, there was something more about her that just drew him to her. She was just a nice person to be with.
He felt her friends were nice, too. Cindy Lewis was drop dead gorgeous and friendly. She didn’t have any steady boyfriends, and seemed content just to hang around her best bud. Myrna Breckenridge was another of the group who was fun to be around. She was definitely different, and her relationship with Francie Sexton had raised a few eyebrows. That relationship had waned a bit, and Francie now had a boyfriend.
Then there was the issue of Donna Brewer. Andy’s parents were very active in the community and their church. When the children’s home in Fallsville burned down in the middle of the night, the Anderson’s were among the first to offer their home to put up some of the children. When Donna had first moved in, there had been several discussions between his parents. Andy had not been included, and had basically picked up some fragments of the discussions. Apparently there was something about her past. As soon as his presence was realized, the discussions were cut short. It couldn’t have been too bad, because she was welcomed with open arms, and as Andy said, she was cool.
There were some conversations among the parents about the kids going to the beach; however, it was decided that a trip to the beach one more time before the fall weather set in, in earnest might be a good thing. The days were rapidly shortening and the cold blasts from Canada weren’t far off.
The remainder of the first week of school was pretty much uneventful. Cindy and Bobbie, after several cases involving The Wizard and his correcting some gender errors, found they didn’t have a whole lot to do in that area of magic. They knew that Cindy’s power lay in being able to recognize girls who were in the wrong body, and that Bobbie’s power seemed to be in recognizing physical problems in transgendered individuals. Cindy had identified a few students at school, but unlike the conditions revealed in transgendered fiction, the school was not rife with transgendered individuals. There were, however, significant numbers of gay, lesbian and bisexual individuals.
Some might call it ‘gaydar’, and Cindy and Bobbie had no trouble identifying those students (and teachers) that fit into those categories. In a way, they were glad that they could, because if they could detect that a conversation was going in the direction that might cause embarrassment or hurt someone, they could exercise some influence to prevent what might be considered bigoted statements. They were also able to conduct a little persuasive education when the timing was right.
At first they were very worried about their ability to ‘brainwash’ someone. They didn’t feel it was ethical. The Wizard had some different thoughts on the matter.
“I don’t think we can call making someone understand the truth, brainwashing. I’m not talking about the ‘truths’ or dogma that some of those fanatics spout, I am talking about good science, reality.
“Cindy, you saw a lot of it when you had that little adventure, out of body experience. I think our friend explained it to you very well. What the spirit told you were not beliefs, they were reality. If you can turn some uneducated, undereducated bigots into people who can be objective about reality, I wouldn’t call that brainwashing, even though that’s exactly what many of their kind will say it is.
“You are going to have to learn to be subtle. Don’t dump the whole thing on them. Give them some basics, and when they digest that, pass on a little more information. I think both of you can do a lot of good.”
The weather wasn’t bad when they first arrived, and they had a few hours of some sunning and splashing; however, a little after lunch the wind shifted to the east and then northeast and the temperature started falling. Along with the temperature drop, scuddy stratus clouds started to fill the sky.
“Guys, I think the sunning and swimming is through for the day. Think we ought to pack it in, or do you want to hang out around here a little longer?” Andy was putting his windbreaker on while checking out the clouds. The sun was definitely playing hide and seek.
“I’m kinda sandy and stuff,” Bobbie said while looking at Cindy and Donna. “If we go back now, we’ll just have to go home. I don’t think I want to go to the mall or anything like that. We’re certainly not dressed for it. We still have some time. Why don’t we hunt for sea shells? We could walk down the beach towards that jetty. What do you think, Cindy, Donna?”
“I don’t mind staying around here for a while,” Cindy said. “Mom and Dad are going out tonight and wanted me to watch Tom, Randi, and Stan, Jr., so we have to be back by 6:30. I know! Why don’t we spend a couple of hours here, go home, and get cleaned up?. Then everyone can come over to my place while I watch the kids. We can order some pizza and watch a movie.”
So they decided that was what they’d do. Andy and Bobbie, holding hands, headed down the hard packed sand along the water’s edge. They weren’t seriously looking for shells, Bobbie’s left hand in Andy’s right, left leg synched to right, the two enamored youths led the way.
“They really do like each other don’t they?” Donna remarked as she and Cindy lagged behind. “Aren’t you jealous? I mean you two are closer than any two sisters I’ve ever known. I don’t know how to explain it. You two are … like connected. If I didn’t know better, I would say you are on some secret mission. Shoot, I thought you two were a pair, but Andy says you are just good friends.
“Is it true that you almost drowned?”
“Yeah, that was more than seven years ago. I fell through some ice near my house. I was in a coma for a long time. Bobbie and I became good friends after I got back to school. We had a lot in common.”
Donna paused for a few moments, seeing an old partially deflated rubber volley ball at the edge of the water, and she left footed it back into the ocean to be washed up later on. “So, do you have a boy friend? I mean you are drop dead gorgeous and have boobs to die for. How come you’re not going steady with anyone?”
“I guess because I’ve never met the right person. I’m in no rush. I go out with some of the guys on double or group dates. I have fun, but I don’t get emotionally involved. I’m only sixteen. Someday, the right person will come along. I just don’t need to be distracted right now. My education is primary.”
“Are you into girls? Maybe that’s a bit forward of me, but I’m curious.”
Cindy pondered the question for a moment. “Mom asked me that once, and I told her I didn’t think so, but if the right person was a woman, then that was the right person. I would just have to go with how I felt.
“Bobbie and I are very close, so very close, and I love her very much, and will for the rest of my life. She loves me, too. That will never be questioned. Bobbie is probably as heterosexual as they come.” She almost added, “… and always has been.” But that was going into an area that couldn’t be discussed.
She started walking again.
“What about you? You said something the other day about ‘if’ you liked boys.”
“Yeah, I did say that, didn’t I? I’m not sure why I said that to you, but for some reason, I feel I can trust you.
“I’ve never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. I don’t think I’ve ever had as many friends as I have now. Someday the shit is going to hit the fan about me, so I might as well tell you now, and let you decide what to do about me.”
“Why should I do anything about you? I like you just the way you are. You certainly haven’t done anything to make me feel any other way,” Cindy said with a slightly raised eyebrow.
“You may think differently in a while. Bobbie and Andy are way ahead of us. Why don’t we sit out of the wind over by that shack, and I will let you know a few secrets.”
Donna led Cindy to the sheltered spot, and they sat on a weathered driftwood log.
“My mother abandoned me shortly after I was born. I was found on the steps of a convent in Laredo, Texas. There was a note in Spanish that said, ‘Tenga cuidado de mi niá±a (Please take care of my little girl.).’ They named me Donna Linda. I think you can tell from my appearance that I am probably Latina. I was put up for adoption and was adopted almost immediately by an Air Force pilot and his wife.
“They were wonderful and doted on me from the start. Mom was German, and Dad had met her when he was station at Ramstein. Mom couldn’t have children and they planned to adopt more after me. I remember leaving Laredo, Dad was an instructor pilot, and we moved to Little Rock Air Force Base. When I was eight, we moved back to Germany. Dad was a squadron commander. I remember how happy Mom was to be back. Dad liked it, too. That’s where I learned to play soccer, and I got pretty good at it. By then I had a little brother.
“Dad got another promotion and they shipped us to the Pentagon. I remember Dad saying that he was a highly paid shoeshine boy. He was a Lieutenant Colonel, and he said they were a dime a dozen. We lived in Reston, and they had good schools and soccer programs.”
Donna stopped for a moment, and Cindy could see something was bothering her. Her eyes started to fill with tears. “Th, th, that’s when those snipers killed him and my little brother. They had just gone to the convenience store to get some milk and stuff. Mom was never the same after that. I had problems, but not like Mom did.
“Dad had a lot of insurance, and Mom and I still had all the dependents’ privileges. We could go to any of the military installations, and Mom started going to the clubs. She’d come home drunk; sometimes bringing someone with her. She would take him into her bedroom and they would do things. She’d wake up in the morning screaming and yelling for the guy to get out of her house. She couldn’t remember that she brought him home.
“She started seeing one guy a lot. I thought he was a real creep. He kept leering at me, and would make suggestive comments all the time. I hated him. I came home one Sunday morning after sleeping over with a friend. I hoped he would be gone by then, but his car was still there.
“I snuck in, but he heard me. Mom was asleep or passed out. He raped me.”
Cindy didn’t know what to say. She pulled Donna to her and sobbed. Her tears mixed with Donna’s. “It gets worse. Mom heard me screaming, and she tried to get him off of me. She had grabbed a poker from the fireplace and hit him across the back. It didn’t faze him.
“He had finished with me and he turned on her. He beat her with his fists. Then he started strangling her.
“I killed him with the poker, but not before he had killed her. The neighbors heard the screaming and called the police. I don’t remember much after that.
“It was pretty easy for the police and investigators to figure out what happened. It took me several weeks before I could tell anyone anything. I was in the hospital for a long time. I had no relatives, and no one in Germany seemed to want me.
“Eventually, they sent me to the home in Fallsville. They were nice people over there. They tried to find a foster home for me, but when anyone found out that I killed someone, they decided I wasn’t for them. Then we had that fire. The Andersons know what I did, but it doesn’t seem to bother them. Andy doesn’t know, but I will have to tell him some day.”
Cindy was speechless for a moment. Donna looked at her almost as if she expected Cindy to bolt, or worse, hit her. Instead, Cindy embraced her, and said nothing. Finally she leaned back and looked into Donna’s dark brown, almost black eyes. They were unusual eyes in that there were little flecks of gold that caught the light. Cindy gently reached over and raised Donna’s chin. She gently kissed her on the lips, then embraced her again.
Next: The Wizard tells Cindy and Bobbie to tell Donna and Andy about their magical abilities. He also tells them that Bobbie and Randi need to find a familiar. Both Andy and Donna are able to understand Maddy. Maddy and Cindy give Donna a rather convincing demonstration of their abilities. Chapter 5 will be posted about midweek.
They return from their day at the beach. A day that might have been a bit more emotional than either Cindy or Donna expected. Randi continues to amaze everyone with her advanced talents. The Wizard tells Cindy that Andy and Donna need to know about him and their magical abilities. The Wizard also gives the impression that Donna is very important. Cindy and Maddy give rather impressive demonstrations of their powers.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story. That’s a few chapters from now and there are some interesting revelations of what went on behind the scenes.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. I will post Chapter 6 in a few days.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 5
They sat in silence for a long time, keeping each other warm against the wind.
“Okay guys, we need to get back. What happened? Did we walk too fast for you?”
“No, Donna and I had some things to talk about. Yeah, we’d better get back or Mom or Dad will be calling."
They returned in plenty of time, and Stan and Marissa had no problems with the four teenagers looking after the other two Lewis’s children. Bobbie returned before Cindy’s parents left, and Andy and Donna got there shortly afterwards. It was starting to spit rain, and the weather was probably a precursor to what would be a nasty winter.
Cindy had gone upstairs to check on her little brother and little sister. The latter was at her computer and chatting with The Wizard. Maddy was draped over her shoulder, and turned as her friend entered the room.
“Cindy,” Maddy said in her cute little voice. “His Wisdom says it is time for Randi to have an associate. He also says that Bobbie is long overdue finding one. He says we need to go to the county animal shelter tomorrow.”
Cindy looked over her little sister’s shoulder, and watched The Wizard as he was demonstrating how to cut up four leaf clovers to make a good luck potion. The Wizard looked up at her as he continued to mince the leaves. “Cindy, they will be waiting for you. Take Maddy. Just tell them, if anyone questions you, that you need to make sure that they will get along with her. It shouldn’t take too much persuasion. The arrangements have been made, so you just need to get there.
“Now there are a couple of other things. There shouldn’t be any problems with Bobbie telling Andy about you two. I’ve checked the time lines and there aren’t any reasons not to tell him. Also, there are a couple of things I need to talk to Bobbie about. Ask her to come up when she get’s a chance, and she can bring Andy.
“Okay, young lady, that’s it for tonight. It’s time for bed and be sure to brush your teeth. Also, ask your mother before you practice with the clover. Be sure it’s clover, and not shamrocks. All the shamrocks will do is summon a bunch of ill-tempered leprechauns.”
Randi ran off to take care of things. The Wizard continued to busy with some things on his counter. “So how is Donna doing? Is she okay? She’s certainly had a rough time of it.”
“You know about Donna?”
“Of course I do, I’m a ….”
“ … Wizard,” Cindy chimed in. “I think I like her a lot. I’ve only known her for a short time, but I think she’s a good person who has had some really shitty luck. I think I would like to get to know her better.”
“Maybe you should. Make sure you send Bobbie and Andy up here. I need to go over a few things with them.”
Randi returned to the bedroom. She raced to her dresser, found a nightie to her liking, and quickly donned it. She ran over to the computer screen, reached through it grabbing The Wizard around his neck, and gave him a goodnight kiss. Cindy shook her head in disbelief. Her little sister wasn’t waiting for puberty to exhibit some of her powers.
Cindy kissed her sister goodnight, turned off the computer, and went to her own room to her computer. She could see that The Wizard was still online. “Your Wisdom, were you aware she could do that, or did you teach her?”
“I must say, she caught me completely off guard. That takes some special ability, and I don’t think anyone expected her to be developing so soon.
“How is she doing with the old memories? They’re not overwhelming her are they?”
“She’s doing fine. She says she just puts them in her scrap book, and she can find them if she wants. She enjoys life so much. She is going to be a real heart breaker; she’s already a consummate flirt.
“I guess I shouldn’t second guess you, but do you think it’s wise for Andy to find out about you?”
“It will be fine. He will need to find out some day, anyway.”
“Oh.”
“Take care of Donna. It’s very important. The reason will become apparent after a while. I’ll just leave it at that.”
Cindy returned to the family room. Her other brother had just come back from hanging out with some friends and was watching the movie along with Andy, Bobbie and Donna. He was thirteen and starting to sprout. He seemed to take most of the goings on of his family in stride. He knew about The Wizard and the fact that his sisters seemed to have some special powers. He didn’t tell his friends about the strange things they could do, nor did he tell them that his sister had a talking cat. If he had friends over, they never seemed to notice anything unusual.
Maddy bounced up on the couch next to Donna and sniffed at her a bit. Her upper lips curled up and her mouth was slightly open. “Donna, this is Maddy. She’s been part of this household for seven years.”
“Well, Maddy, you are certainly a beautiful little cat,” Donna said as she reached out and stroked Maddy’s chin and lower jaw.
“Thank you Donna, you are very pretty, too.”
Donna turned to Cindy, “Wow! you are some ventriloquist. Where did you learn to do that?”
Cindy’s jaws dropped. The Schmedlaps knew Maddy could talk, as did Cindy’s family. Bobbie’s grandparents also knew, but they hadn’t told Bobbie’s mother and father. There was a problem there that still hadn’t been resolved. Now Donna could hear her as well.
“Er, Donna, I’m not a ventriloquist.”
“Well, who is: Bobbie, Andy, Tom?”
“I’m afraid,” Cindy said carefully, “none of us are. Maddy do you want to explain yourself?
“Uh, Bobbie, His Wisdom wants to talk to you and Andy. He’s waiting.”
Andy was also startled by what he too thought was a ventriloquist’s trick. “What’s going on, and who is this wisdom character?”
“I think I’ll let Bobbie explain that to you. It will all become very apparent soon enough.
“Tom, why don’t you go upstairs and play games on your computer. Apparently, Maddy and I have some things to explain to Donna.
“So Maddy, what do we do now?”
“I guess we tell her everything. If she can understand me, then that is the only logical thing to do.”
Donna shook her head. “This is getting weirder and weirder. What did you guys do, put some sort of drug in my Coke? I have to be hallucinating.”
“There’re no drugs. I certainly didn’t expect this to happen; however, I guess you’re meant to know what’s going on.” Cindy took a deep breath. “We’re witches; Bobbie, Randi, and I are witches. Maddy’s my familiar; although, that is an oversimplification. Maddy is very magical, and she helps me focus our powers.
“Bobbie and Andy are talking to The Wizard right now, and I guess he and Bobbie are explaining the same thing to Andy.”
“Right, and I’m Ellen Degeneres.”
“Maddy, how’s the holographics going?”
“Fine, what do you want me to do?”
“Well, since she mentioned it, why don’t you put an image of Ellen up over there? We’ll let Donna make up her own mind.”
Maddy hissed something unintelligible, and there was a sparkle of an image coming in and out of focus. The image suddenly solidified as much as a holographic image could. It walked over to Donna, who wasn’t sure what to do, whether to run or laugh.
“Hi, Donna, I just wanted to tell you that Cindy and Bobbie are witches, and I’m, er, Maddy is the most beautiful and intelligent cat in the world.” The lip synching was perfect and Maddy had done a pretty good imitation of Ellen’s voice.
“Sorry about the voice thing. I still have some practice to do on that. His Wisdom’s always after me. He says that a little slip up can mess up the whole effect.” The image of Ellen blinked out.
“This is unreal. I mean witches and talking cats. I suppose the next thing you will do is cast a spell on me and have me strip naked and dance on the dining room table.”
“I don’t cast spells on people without reason, and I never cast spells on my friends unless there is an emergency. We’re just learning witchcraft and The Wizard wants us to take it slowly. My little sister is somewhat of a prodigy, though.”
“So, are your father and brothers sorcerers or something like that?”
“No, they don’t seem to have any magical powers as near as we can tell. It seems that the sort of magic we have is passed down through the girls’ side of the family. I’m doing some study on that. I’ll show it to you sometime. I’m still trying to figure out The Wizard thing though. I haven’t figured out what happens there. There are also sorcerers, but I’ve never met one of them.”
“You are serious aren’t you? You are really trying to tell me you are a witch, that that image thing wasn’t just a parlor trick.”
“Donna, would you let me try something? I promise I won’t hurt you. There won’t be any fire or knives, or anything like that. Just stand there and relax.”
“Sure, I have nothing to lose.”
“Donna, if this doesn’t work, I think I have everything to lose.
"[Maddy, I’m going to need your help. I want to levitate her. We’ll pick her up and move her over in front of the fireplace. Any problems with that?]”
“[I think we can do it. We’ve practiced enough]”
They formed the correct sequences in their minds and Maddy focused on Donna. Donna’s eyes widened as a sense of weightlessness overtook her. She gently rose off the floor.
“Holy shit!” She wasn’t terrified, just surprised. She looked around and passed her hand over her head to see if there were any wires somehow supporting her. They gently placed her in front of the hearth.
“I guess we could do some more, if you want. Need any more demonstrations?”
“That was fucking amazing. No, I think you’ve shown me enough for now. Why are you telling me all of this?”
“Because it feels right, and The Wizard indicated I should. I think he wants me to tell you many things.”
“Maddy, besides being exceptionally beautiful and intelligent, what do you do?”
“I kill cockroaches. I also kill starlings and Norwegian rats. I talk to dogs and wolves. The Wizard’s companion is Wolf, and we’re real good friends. The Wizard lets me be a mountain lion sometimes when we go out in the woods and play. I was a real good friend with Bobbie’s dog, Einstein, but he died last year. He told me he was coming back as a border collie next time. He was hoping he could come back here. That’s the fun stuff.” Maddy became a bit less self important. “I saved Cindy’s life once,” she added quietly.
“Actually she saved my life more than once, although the first time, neither of us understood what was going on,” Cindy reminisced about the tiny kitten struggling on the ice. That had been so long ago.
The sound of footsteps descending the main stairway into the entry hall diverted their attention for a moment. Andy and Bobbie entered the family room. She had her arm around his waist. He had a wide-eyed look of incredulity.
“If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it. There really are wizards, and sweet, not so little Bobbie is a witch: fucking amazing. I think I’m just beginning to understand what’s so special about her.
“Donna, did they tell you? Can you believe it?”
“I believe it. They gave me a rather convincing demonstration.”
“Maddy, would you entertain Donna and Andy for a moment? Bobbie and I have something we need to talk about.”
“Sure, the usual parlor tricks?”
“Why not; just show them a little of what you can do.”
Cindy led Bobbie to the kitchen just as her parents were coming in from the garage. “Hi Mom, Dad: Andy and Donna are in the family room. Maddy is showing them some tricks.”
“You mean they … ?”
“Yeah, they know. The Wizard said we should tell them. I guess there are some important reasons, but he hasn’t told us what they are.”
“Did you tell them about you and Bobbie?” her dad asked.
“No, and that’s why Bobbie and I are back here. I wanted to find out what The Wizard had to say to her.”
“He told me that it wasn’t time, but that it would be soon,” Bobbie said. “He felt that there was no reason to inundate them with too much at one time.
“You’re going to like Donna, she’s sweet.”
Next: The two couples and Randi go to the County Animal Shelter. As they near the shelter, Bobbie, Cindy and Randi hear the young kittens calling for their mother. Maddy assures them everything will be alright. They meet two witches who bring the two kittens to them. They get their shots and Maddy leads the way. Randi continues to demonstrate her developing powers. We’re expecting more snow here. I might put up the next chapter on Friday. We’ll see.
By Portia Bennett
Chapter 6: Following The Wizard’s instructions, the friends, with Randi and Maddy, go to the County Animal Shelter to pick up two ‘associates’ for Bobbie and Randi. All goes well, and the two little darlings are returned to the Lewis and Schmedlap households. A few days later Maddy awakens Cindy. It seems Randi has done it again as the two new additions are seated with Maddy at the foot of Cindy’s bed.
Chapter 7: Things have settled down for a while as far as the cats are concerned. At Donna’s urging, the four friends take up jogging seriously. None of them are in Donna’s class as far as running is concerned; however, they find their weekend runs to be very enjoyable, that is until they are accosted by some hoodlums. For the first time, Cindy has to rely on magic for her survival, and does rather well. The Wizard is very pleased with how well she handled herself in a very serious situation. Once again, though, he expresses his concern for Donna.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story. That’s a few chapters from now and there are some interesting revelations of what went on behind the scenes.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. I will post Chapter 8 & 9 in a few days.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 6
The county humane society, for some reason was open on a Sunday. That was definitely not the usual thing; however, two of the teenagers, a five year-old girl, and the world’s most intelligent and beautiful cat didn’t question it. Andy and Donna were along for the ride, so to speak, though Andy was actually driving. The facility was tucked beside a country road that wound through the hills and valleys with their patchwork farms, and country homes. Stone walls that were probably pre-revolutionary lined many of the roads.
As they rounded a corner, maybe a mile from their destination, Maddy’s ears perked up. She was riding on a padded platform place between the two front seats. It was enclosed in an elastic web designed to secure her in the event of an accident. Maddy wasn’t offended in the least about being confined in her perch. She knew it would protect her in the unlikely event of an accident. Besides, they would be making some modifications to it on their return journey.
“They’re there. I can hear them. In spite of what their mother told them, they are a bit scared.”
“[I’m coming little one’s. Your Aunt Maddy will be there in just a few minutes.]”
“[Mommy, Mommy, where are you Mommy?]”
“[Your Mommy’s fine, and now you are going to have some new Mommies to take care of you.]”
Cindy sniffed back a tear, “They sound so pitiful. This is the first time they’ve been away from their mother, and they’re not too sure what’s going on. I think all the animal sounds and smells are probably bothering them, too.”
“The gray one’s trying to be brave, but she’s not going to hold up much longer,” Bobbie added.
“What are you guys talking about? You can’t be hearing those kittens. We’re still almost a mile away.”
“They’re mind speaking. That’s what Maddy does when she wants to talk to me in private, or when we’re apart.
“Bobbie, you heard one of the kittens?”
“Omigosh, I did. I heard both of them, and I heard Maddy, too.”
“The black one says she wants to stay with me. Her name is Silky. Her sister is Chloe. They want us to hurry,” Randi added.
“This is amazing,” Donna laughed. “I’m sitting in a car listening to a cat tell me what some kittens are saying in a building a long ways from here. Not only that, I am riding with three gorgeous witches who could probably turn me into a toad if they wanted to.”
“You don’t have to be worried about being turned into a toad,” Bobbie laughed. “The Wizard says that honor will be Cindy’s. Besides, neither Cindy nor I can do any transformations, yet. I’m not sure about Randi, though. She’s doing stuff that Cindy and I haven’t even thought about. She just goes and does it.”
The animal shelter appeared as they rounded a bend, and Andy pulled into the mostly empty lot. A couple of cars that probably belonged to the employees were parked at the rear. They could hear many dogs barking as they approached the entrance.
They were greeted by two middle-aged ladies who were dressed as if they had just come from church, which they had. The next thing the group knew they were being hugged and kissed as if they were long lost relatives.
“Bobbie, you are even prettier than Naomi said you were,” waxed the matron, whose name was Evelyn. “Andy, you take care of this young lady. I don’t want to have to come back here for any negative reasons.”
“Ma’am, her brothers already made it very clear to me about that. Besides, she can take pretty good care of herself. She gives me two strokes a side and still beats me.” The two ladies laughed. It would be a while before the meaning of the double entendre hit him.
“So, this is Donna. It is so good to see you. We are so glad you are here.”
Donna was a bit disturbed. “You know about me?”
“Of course we do, dear; His Wisdom has told us about all of you. He can’t say enough about how proud of all of you he is, either. Of course he will never tell you that. He is especially proud of Cindy and the progress she has made.
“He wanted us to remind you to make sure to take Randi to Dillard’s to see Santa this Christmas. He says you will understand when you get there.
“Esmeralda, I think it’s time we brought the babies out.” Esmeralda retreated to the office, and the group could suddenly hear some pitiful meows. Esmeralda returned holding two unsure, wide eyed kittens. They were probably about 12 weeks old, and they were clinging to her silk blouse while looking at the humans. Their demeanor changed a bit when Maddy spoke to them.
“[Silky, Chloe, these are your friends. They are going to share their homes with you. I am going to be your teacher and guardian for a while. Silky, you will live in my house, and as you get older, you and Randi will be working together. Chloe, you are going to live with Bobbie and her family. They live close by so that everyone will be able to talk like we are now. We will be doing a lot of things together and there is no reason for you to ever be lonely.]”
Maddy turned to Evelyn and Esmeralda. “We don’t have any problems in our neighborhood, but we need to be safe. Have they had their shots yet?”
“Not yet, it will just take a minute.”
“[Silky, Chloe, I don’t want you struggling. Just relax, and you will hardly feel a thing. Look, I will get my shot first. It’s the right time for me to get mine, too. These shots have powerful magic and they will help keep us from getting all sorts of nasty diseases. They just mean there are a whole lot of things we don’t have to worry about.]”
Maddy sat on the counter and never flinched as Evelyn injected the shot into the loose skin at the nape of her neck. Then she went to each kitten and scrubbed their eyes and ears as Evelyn administered the shots.
“[Now, I want both of you girls to behave nicely on our trip to your new homes. We have a special place for you to ride in the car. When we get to your homes, I want you to stay inside unless Cindy or I, or Bobbie is with you. Randi is not old enough yet to go out and explore on her own.]”
As the got ready to leave, Esmeralda took Randi aside and knelt beside her. “Randi, I want you to be very careful with your spells. I want you to think how it was before. Remember how Captain Mike did things. He was very powerful, but very thoughtful. He always did the best things for his men. You were part of his team. Now you are part of this team. Cindy and Bobbie are your sergeants, and The Wizard is your captain. There will be a time when you will have to do things by yourself; however, that is a long time from now. Promise me that you won’t do any spells without your sister’s or The Wizard’s knowledge.”
“I promise Aunty Esmeralda.”
Again, there were hugs and kisses as they loaded their precious cargo into the special seat. Maddy immediately held the two kittens down and groomed them, forming an unbreakable bond.
Andy started to back out of his parking slot, and looked to where the other cars had been parked. One was no longer there.
The two kittens were short haired little beauties. Silky was what most would call a ’black cat’; however, she was really a very dark auburn. The reds in her fur glowed in the sunlight. Silky’s eyes were the color of gold, very similar to the mineral tiger-eye. Chloe was a shiny platinum gray. Her eyes were almost a hazel green.
The two sisters were quickly assimilated into their human families. They visited each other often, and could converse whenever they wanted, though Maddy had to teach them how to focus their mind speaking abilities so that they wouldn’t intrude on the others.
Things got interesting a few weeks later. Neither family felt that the sisters were old enough to explore the outdoors by themselves, and they were too far apart to travel between their homes which were several cul de sacs removed from each other.
The fall football season was in full swing, and Boston College was in the midst of an undefeated season and the families were engrossed in watching the television. No one paid much attention to Randi, who was traveling from her bedroom to the basement and back.
The next afternoon, the Lewis’s were visiting the Schmedlaps. They had had a bit of a break in the weather, and the men folk were doing some late season grilling before the New England Patriots’ game with San Diego.
Randi wasn’t much of a football fan, and being the youngest non-infant, had to sometimes resort to other forms of entertainment. Her mother and Bobbie’s mother were both dealing with infants, and Randi liked to help out; however, the older sisters got more involved. “Bobbie, may I visit Chloe?” Chloe liked to sleep on Bobbie’s bed. She wasn’t very gregarious; however, that would change as she got older.
Once again, no one paid any attention to the fact that Randi was carrying a bag of ‘stuff’ with her. Most assumed that she was carrying some of the dolls that she enjoyed playing with.
No one gave it another thought until late that night.
“Cindy, wake up. We have a problem.”
“What? What is it, Maddy?”
“I think you had better turn on the light.”
Cindy turned on the light and looked at the foot of her bed. Maddy was sitting there, Silky on her left and Chloe on her right.
“[Chloe, what are you doing here?]”
“[I was lonely, so I came over.]”
“[What do you mean you came over here? We told you that until you were older you couldn’t walk over here by yourself.]”
“[I didn’t walk over here. I came through the door.]”
“I don’t think I understand,” Cindy said out loud.
“Cindy, she came through the cat door. The one Randi put in her closet wall. I’ve already been through it. It opens into Bobbie’s closet. I don’t know how it works, but it does.”
It was too early in the morning to call Bobbie, so Cindy went to sleep with three little cats snuggled up to her.
She didn’t have to worry about calling Bobbie. Bobbie called her first thing in the morning.
“Cindy, (sniff) Chloe’s gone. I can’t find her anywhere. She was sleeping next to me last night, and this morning she’s gone. She’s not in any of her favorite places.”
“Don’t worry, she’s with me; just a minute.
“[Chloe, tell Bobbie you’re with me. You’ve been a bad girl.]”
“[Bobbie, I’m sorry. I got lonely, so I came over here to be with my sister.]”
“[Chloe, you need to go home now. It’s real early. Now the rest of us are going to have to figure out what’s going on.]”
“[Okay, but may I come back after breakfast? I want to play with Silky.]”
“[I guess so. I guess there’s no way to keep you from going back and forth.]”
Chloe hopped off the bed and headed for Randi’s bedroom.
“Cindy, she’s here. How did she do that?”
“She went through the cat door. Now I am going to have to talk with that little sister of mine.”
“This is really advanced stuff,” The Wizard said as he examined the two halves of the pet door. They had removed them so that The Wizard could examine them. He was having a slow week, and the Lewis’s had invited him for dinner so that he could see what his little protégée was up to. Amos and Stan had removed the two halves from their respective closet walls. Randi had used some duct tape and a few nails to mount the two halves. What was amazing, was that as soon as the door was removed from the wall, there was no sign of anything having been there other than some nail holes and tape residue.
After dinner the two families sat around the family room, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace. The adults were sipping some 200 year-old port that The Wizard had brought. They were being amused at the moment by the antics of the two kittens. The two halves of the door were placed face up on the floor about fifteen feet apart. One of the kittens would dive into one of the openings and disappear, ostensibly, into the floor, only to pop out of the other door fifteen feet away. It didn’t seem to matter which way the doors were placed, the kitten would go through one and come out the other. There could be half a kitten at one side of the room and the other half appearing at the other side of the room. It was rather disconcerting.
The adults and children had experimented, also. Both Cindy and Bobbie’s stomachs did little flip flops as they watched Stan’s arm disappear through one panel and appear across the room coming out of the other.
“What she has done has created a worm hole in space between the two doors,” The Wizard explained. “Essentially, no matter how far apart they are, there is no space between them. One of Stephen King’s universes has something like this, and Heinlein talks about star-gates in one of his books. Of course I do it all the time.
“Randi, tell us how you did this. You’re not in trouble. We would like to know, but you have to realize that until we know more about what you have done, we can’t let anyone else see them. This door could create all sorts of problems if the wrong people got hold of it.”
“Chloe and Silky wanted to play,” Randi said hesitantly. “They miss each other, so I put the kitty door in the wall so they could be together when they wanted to. They’re sisters and they need to be together.”
That night the doors were reinstalled in the closets, and the cats went back to going between the houses at will. The Wizard cast a spell so that the doors could not be seen by anyone but family members and others with a need to know. Everyone felt that there might be some other uses for them. It would be a while before they were able to put the magic Randi had found to use in other areas.
Not only did Donna play soccer, she was also an outstanding long distance runner. She was the number one runner on the women’s cross country racing team. Cindy marveled at how Donna’s hard body flowed as she clipped the miles off on the 3.2 mile course. The track season started the following spring, and Donna convinced Cindy, Bobbie and Andy to run with her on weekends when the weather permitted, which wasn’t all that often. Donna explained that the running would help Cindy develop her endurance for the longer races in the pool, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt Bobbie and Andy’s golf game.
The little group found a nice route along some of the country roads, and they could jog along at a pleasant pace while talking about school and other more pleasant subjects. Donna would usually get bored with the leisurely pace, and would take off on her own for the last two miles of their five mile route. It was a pleasant late fall day, and they were about three miles into their run when a car coming toward them caught their attention. They could hear it from some distance away. It wasn’t because of the noise of the engine; it was because of the booming rumble of the sound system.
They were climbing a slight grade when the car came over the crest of the hill. Instead of yielding space to the runners, the car drifted into the bike lane, forcing the runners onto the shoulder. They could see the four occupants laughing at the runners’ consternation.
“Bastards,” Andy grumbled, “it’s just one big fucking joke to them. I’ll bet those are the same guys that have run bikers off these roads. One guy was badly hurt.”
They had run about another half mile when they heard the car returning. There was a wide spot, a pullout, in the road, and the runners went as far left as they could. They could hear the car downshift, and then it pulled in front of them and came to a stop. Four greasy looking individuals piled out of the car. They were wearing the ‘uniforms’ of a local gang and the runners realized that there was going to be a confrontation.
“Shit, that’s the Goldsmith brothers and two of their pals. They’re nothing but trouble. Word is one of them knocked up Amy Epperson. They got a bunch of people to say she willingly took on their whole gang. She’s over 18, but not very bright. I heard they paid her $20.00 to put out. I think she thought she was going to make some new friends. Instead they just dumped her when she turned up pregnant.
“This could get messy. I’m not sure what we can do,” Andy said looking around for an escape route.
“Well, well, if it ain’t Feeleex Anderson. What you say Feeleex? It looks like you got more wimmin than you can rightfully handle. I tell you what, you just have those ladies come over here and get in my car and we might leave you alone.” That was Acey Goldsmith speaking. He was the oldest brother.
“Andy, don’t try anything,” Cindy whispered. “They’re more than we can possibly handle. Don’t feel bad about this, but I think Bobbie and I need to use some special resources.”
“Hey, you with the tits, why don’t you come over here and show me and my friends what you got under that shirt? They can’t be real. Why don’t you just get in the back seat and I will show you what eight inches of hard dick can do for you.”
“I don’t think that would be a good idea, Acey.”
“Just shut your face, bitch, and do what I tell you and maybe you won’t get hurt too much.”
By this time the gang had moved to surround the four runners.
“Boys, it seems something is wrong. I think that food you had this morning had something wrong with it. Not only that, you drank so much that you have to take a leak. Unfortunately, there’re no rest rooms around here, so you are just going to have to wet your pants.”
“Holy shit, Acey, you just pissed yourself,” one of his cronies remarked.
“Well shit, asshole, I wouldn’t talk. It looks like you pissed yourself, too.
“I don’t know what you did, bitch, but I think for that, you’re going to die.” He pulled out a rather impressive switchblade and released the blade.
“Unfortunately, your feet are glued to the ground and you can’t move. Your knives seem to be getting very hot, so the best thing to do would be to drop them.”
Four switchblades dropped to the ground.
Cindy realized she had things under control, but she also realized that if she relinquished control over the four, they would never be rid of them.
“Andy, what do you think these four have been responsible for?”
“Well, I know what I hear, but I don’t really know for sure. There are a number of alleged rapes. I think they deal in drugs. I wouldn’t doubt that they have been responsible for a number of burglaries in the area.”
“If that’s the case,” Cindy said while looking at the four, “I think the best thing would be that they tell us what they have done.
“What do you think fellows? Before we let you go, boys, I think you had better tell us what you have done.”
For the next fifteen minutes they listened as the four listed a litany of crimes that was hard to believe. Cindy finally had them stop.
“This is the way it is going to be. The food poisoning you have been suffering is just about to be manifest in severe diarrhea. The only thing you can do is report to the police station and use their restroom. Of course in return, you are going to confess all your crimes to them. They will be very grateful and will see that all your housing and food needs will be taken care of for a long time.
“Now get in your car and drive carefully to the police station. Your radio is broken, so you might as well turn it off.”
The four watched quietly as the four gang members with rather dazed expressions got into the car and slowly drove off.
Donna collapsed to the ground, sobs wracking her body. Cindy sat next to her and pulled her close. She knew Donna had flashed back to the rape she had experienced several years before.
“Cindy, you showed remarkable restraint. I am proud of you.” They looked up to see The Wizard and the wolf. The wolf nuzzled up to Donna and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “I might have done differently; however, what you have done will allow for a lot of closure for many people. I’m not sure what I would have done to them; however, I think the punishment they will suffer is far worse than if I had turned them into rocks.
“I did strengthen the compulsion you put on them to report to the police. I think yours would have held, but we certainly didn’t want them out and about. They are reporting in to the police as we speak and they will be old men before they ever see the light of day from the outside.
“Why don’t you get into my limousine, and I will take you back to your car.
They quietly got in the limousine and started down the road, the Wizard joining them in the back. “Donna, I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. Sometimes these things happen, and I’m not always aware of that they will happen. In this case, Bobbie called me; however, Cindy was already in charge of things. She had to act as she did. None of you should get in the habit of me responding immediately to your calls, as I am involved in many things, and sometimes I just can’t get to you quickly enough.”
Andy was a bit agitated and kept looking around as the limousine headed down the road. “Excuse me, Your Wisdom (Bobbie had told him about the proper forms of address), but who is driving the limousine?”
“Wolf’s driving. He’s a very good driver. Besides, no one will notice.” He turned to Cindy. “We need to talk about what happened. Cindy, why did you have those hoodlums pee in their pants?”
“I had to know I was in control. I had to know I could really make them do what needed to be done. Bobbie and I have done some minor mind control things before, but never anything as important as this was. I knew if I could make them do that, then I was pretty sure I could keep things under control.
“Thank you for reinforcing the control, though. It really could have been bad if everything had worn off after they drove away. They were so evil. You should have heard what they’ve done.”
“Oh, I did. I think I would have been much harsher in my treatment of them, but in my old age, I find my patience runs thin rather quickly. Turning them into rocks would have been too easy.
“I remember a similar case I had in southern France. When was that? Let’s see: that was just before or just after the Salem witch trials. What a horrid state of affairs, that was. All those innocent people executed like that. Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes, southern France. There was this gang of highwaymen, and they would hold up a coach, and they weren’t satisfied to just take the money and jewelry, they would rather violently rape the women and young girls. I was sent down there to take care of them. I turned them into flagstones, and they were used to pave a stable floor. I think they are still there.
“I was asked afterwards why I didn’t turn them into women and throw them to the wolves, so to speak, to be raped again and again. First of all, I couldn’t do that to any woman, and second of all, all that does is encourage rapists, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. They were better off as rocks.”
“Sir, may I say something?”
“Sure, Andy.”
“Well, I’m just very thankful that Cindy and Bobbie can do what they can. We wouldn’t have stood a chance against those guys if it hadn’t been for magic. I think some guys would feel inadequate, embarrassed, or worse that they had to rely on a girl to save his ass. I just want everyone to know that I am not eaten up by that macho shit. Bobbie put me in my place a while ago, and I have learned a lot about personal relationships since then. I’m sure there will be a day when I’m able to do something for them because of some talent I have. I am proud to be associated with this group, and they may use magic anytime they want to save my ass.”
The Wizard had turned his attention to the pretty brunette who had been pretty quiet up to this point. “Donna, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You have experienced some very traumatic events over the last few years, and you had every right to be fearful about those hoodlums. Things will get better over the years and you will gain much strength.”
“Okay, here we are. I think there is some of ‘that tea’ in your kitchen cabinet, Cindy. Why don’t you fix everyone a cup or two when you get back to your house? I think Donna might want two cups for sure.”
The headlines in The Courant and the accompanying article the next morning shouted the fact that the gang that had been terrorizing neighborhoods, and had been responsible for a huge amount of drug trafficking, had turned themselves in to the local authorities. The author of the article speculated that they would be providing numerous names involved with a major crime syndicate headquartered in the Hartford and Boston areas.
The thugs had waived their legal rights to silence, in the presence of their appointed attorneys. There was a lot of speculation as to why they had turned themselves in; however, the local constabularies were happy they did.
Next: I’ve decided to post two chapters again. Many of you will be familiar with chapter 8, as it is “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” from a different perspective. We now have some additional information of what went on. Chapter 9 is the turning point in Part 1. Cindy is deeply and truly in love for the first time in her life. The storm in this chapter is very reminiscent of what I experienced in the Washington, DC area last week, although I wrote this chapter months ago.
Portia
Chapter 8: Friendships continue to be solidified. Cindy, Randi, Bobbie, Andy, and Derrick (Andy’s brother) go to the mall to see Santa. They find out why The Wizard had kept reminding them to go. This chapter has a bit of a different look at a story presented as a stand alone story (“Cynthia and the Christmas Gift”).
Chapter 9: Winter turns out to be rather nasty, but the friends make the best of it. Maddy has a plan, and brings in the neighborhood cats, both domestic and feral, to help her with its execution. Cindy has known for a while that she feels very strongly about Donna, but it takes the catalyst of a major early spring snowstorm to encourage Cindy to take the final steps. Strangely, Cindy’s mother knew all along.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this posting.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. Chapter 10 will be posted alone soon.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
The winter had been particularly cold and a number of the lakes and ponds had frozen over, including the beaver pond below the house. The group went ice skating frequently; however, it was always on a manmade rink, whether indoors or outside. Cindy never would venture out on the ice of a frozen lake or pond.
Christmas was just around the corner and Cindy and Bobbie remembered The Wizard’s request that they take Randi to see Santa Claus. As far as Randi was concerned, Santa Claus was real, and who were they to argue. They knew there were many areas of magic that they had yet to explore.
Andy maneuvered his car around the huge piles of snow at the far reaches of the mall parking lot and felt fortunate to even found a place to park the car. Randi, and Derrick, Andy’s little brother, were excitedly bouncing up and down in their special seats in the rear of the car. Donna had stayed at home to help Mrs. Anderson prepare some care packages that their church was going to distribute at the local shelter.
The temperature was in the lower 20’s and there were a few flakes drifting down as the three teenagers and two kindergarteners headed for the warmer interior of the mall. Randi and Derrick had some shopping to do; however, the highlight of the day as far as they were concerned was going to be the visit to the department store Santa in Dillard’s.
The shopping scene was typical of the season. There were the harried clerks trying to complete as many sales as possible. There were pleasant shoppers and not so pleasant shoppers who thought their needs were more important than anyone else’s.
One little drama unfolded in front of them that brought back some memories that hadn’t surfaced in many years. A young mother was trying to corral a four year old, carry an infant in a sling, and shop at the same time. The four year old was probably shopped out and running on vapors. The mother was near to tears.
Cindy thought back to that day when she’d flung her arthritic body in the path of a retirement home van to knock a child of similar age out of its path. The body she had been in had been killed instantly, and Cindy, not yet Cindy, started her multidimensional journey with the spirit. This time, Cindy had no intention of throwing herself in front of a bus.
“Ma’am, we can watch your son for you while you finish your shopping, and we’ll help you take your things to your car.”
The harried mother never even thought to question the group about anything. Randi and Derrick entertained the little boy, who was maybe a year younger than they, while the three near adults watched closely.
After a while, Cindy looked up to see the young mother returning. “Jimmy, I want you to be very nice to your mother and do what she tells you. There will be no more running around and carrying on. This is a very tiring time, and your mother needs all the help she can get. Now, until you get in your car, you will stay right with me. Do you understand?”
Jimmy looked up, somewhat in awe of the near adult who was quietly talking to him. He didn’t really understand what was going on, but he knew he had to do exactly what the pretty lady was telling him.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you; little Samantha got hungry and I had to nurse her. It would have been impossible with him running around and screaming like he was. I would have ended up with two screaming children.
“All the shopping I had to do is done, but I have to go back to the gift wrapping counters and pick up the packages. Could you possibly help me get the packages to the car? I feel awful; I just didn’t plan this trip very well.”
“We will be glad to. I think the next time you do something like this it might be a good idea to get a baby sitter so at least you can leave Jimmy at home.”
How the woman thought she was going to get all her purchases and children in the car was beyond them. They helped her load the SUV, and she thanked them profusely for their help. “I should pay you something for your help.”
“That isn’t necessary, we were glad to help.”
“Here, take this and buy something nice.” The woman thrust some bills into Cindy’s hand. The children were secured, and she backed the car out of the slot, and made her way through the parking lot to her home, wherever it was.
“She doesn’t have a clue, does she?” Bobbie remarked. “Cindy, I have a feeling you were involved in this for a reason.”
“Yes, something like this happened a long time ago. I will tell you about it some day. Right now, we need to get in and see Santa before he closes up shop.” As they re-entered the mall, Cindy reached over and dropped the bills into the Salvation Army Bell Ringer’s bucket.
The line to see Santa was rather long, but as they neared Santa, Cindy started feeling something.
“Oh, look,” said Bobbie, “that’s the same Santa that was here when I was a little girl. I haven’t been up here to see Santa for ten years or more. I guess he did grant my wish, though.”
“Uh, Bobbie, do you sense anything? Andy, would you watch the two Munchkins for a minute? Bobbie and I have to make a phone call.”
“Sure.” Andy had a feeling they were calling The Wizard about something.
Cindy and Bobbie stepped out of the line and found a spot out of the way. “Did you feel anything? I’m sure it’s Santa, and the feeling was very strong.”
“I felt it just as you said something. He’s very sick. It’s his heart. He’s going to die very soon. What do you think we should do?”
“I think that’s why The Wizard wanted us to see Santa. He kept making a point of it every time we’ve seen him lately.” Cindy retrieved her cell phone and hit the automatic dial for The Wizard.
“Yes, Cindy, what do you think?” The Wizard responded immediately.
“I’ll let Bobbie tell you what she thinks; however, I don’t have any question about his inner gender. If you knew about him, why did we wait until now to do anything?”
“It’s all a matter of timing. He has no family, no relatives. It creates problems with the continuum if we have to make too many changes. We had to have a place to put him. Of course he might just die and we could hope that the next time there would be gender compatibility; however, some things have recently happened, and I think I’ve found an ideal place for her to be.
“Let me talk to Bobbie, for a second.”
Bobbie took the phone. “Yes, Your Wisdom?”
“Bobbie, what do you think his chances are? I want to see if what you read coincides with what I have here.”
“It’s his heart, along with a whole lot of other things, but it will be his heart that gets him. Several arteries are almost totally blocked. I think he will have a minor attack followed by a major one. My best guess is sometime around Christmas Eve. There isn’t anything that can be done, unless you want to repair things in the way you are able. Even if you could cure his heart problems, his diabetes and other things will eventually kill him. His quality of life is really going downhill.”
“I think your assessment is right on. Good work as usual, Bobbie. Let me talk to Cindy. Do you have much planned for the next week?”
“Not really, we’ve done most of our shopping. Here’s Cindy.”
Cindy took back her phone. “Yes, sir?”
“Cindy, you and Bobbie have jobs as Santa’s helpers until Christmas Eve. The store is expecting you to show up tomorrow. I will be up there in a little while to take a look. Meet me at the store entrance. Andy can watch Randi and Derrick for a few minutes.”
The girls returned to Andy who was just about ready to call for help. Derrick was first to sit on Santa’s lap. He was a bit nervous, but Santa put him at ease very quickly. There were several toys that he wanted, and he managed to tell Santa about a couple of them.
Randi, assured as usual, hopped on Santa’s lap. Her light blonde hair made a halo as it escaped from around the edges of her woolen cap. “Hi Santa, I just wanted to say hello. I have everything I want, but if you want to bring me anything, that’s okay. Right now, you need to get well so I can see you next year.”
“Well, thank you, sweetheart. Santa is getting a bit old, but I will get to rest after Christmas Eve.” She gave Santa a hug, hopped down, and ran back to her sister and friends.
The group sat down outside the entrance to Dillard’s and waited for The Wizard to show up. Sure enough, it wasn’t long before an elderly blind man with a guide dog (make that guide wolf) showed up.
“Excuse me, could someone help an old man? I get so confused in this mall, and I’m afraid my dog isn’t much help.”
“Thanks a lot,” Wolf muttered. The others were a bit surprised because they couldn’t recall ever having heard the wolf say anything before.
“Well, you’ve just blown your cover, now everyone will want to talk to you.
“Hi, Mr. Wizard, are you going shopping?” Randi wasn’t fooled a bit.
“Actually, Cindy, Bobbie and I are going to see Santa for a minute. You need to wait here with Andy.”
Derrick seemed oblivious to the conversation, and the girls were sure that The Wizard had put a zone of silence around them.
The two grown up girls escorted the elderly man through the store to Santa’s workshop. They stood to one side as he assessed the situation.
“Yes, it is exactly as you said. These things are much more accurate in person than reading them through a crystal ball. I want you to watch him closely. Everything should come together late in the afternoon on Christmas Eve.”
Things worked exactly as he said it would right up to that afternoon before Christmas. Bobbie kept a close monitor on the condition of Santa, his name was Virgil Stankowski, and reported to The Wizard about every half hour. Cindy and Bobbie watched as a mother and dad with their son approached Santa during the mid afternoon. The boy had to be about ten, which was at the upper limit for visitors to Santa.
“Well, young man, what’s your name and what do you want for Christmas?” he said, thinking all the time that the boy was much too old to be sitting on his lap.
The boy spoke softly as if he didn’t want his parents, who were standing a few feet away, to hear him. “I’m Barry, and I don’t want anything for me. It’s just that Mom and Dad are so sad, and I wanted to get them something to make them a bit happier.”
“That’s very nice of you. What did you have in mind?”
“I don’t know, and that’s why I’m here. I need some help. You see, my little sister died last month. She got the swine flu. I got it, too, but it wasn’t too bad. All mom does is cry at night, and dad is so sad. I guess I am, too.”
Virgil didn’t know what to say. “Barry, I’m not sure there is anything I can do. I would sure like to.” Then he said something, and he wasn’t certain why he did. “Why don’t you and your parents come back after a while? Maybe I can come up with something.”
“Thank you, Santa. I know you’re not really Santa, but I thought you might have some connections.” He slid off of Santa’s lap and rejoined his parents, who gave Virgil a sad little smile as they turned to go to somewhere else. As they were making their way towards the store exit, an older man bumped into the mother. He apologized profusely before wobbling down the aisle.
“I think he may have had some Christmas cheer a bit early,” she remarked. She noticed that the clasp on her purse was open, and made a quick check of the contents. Everything was there.”
Bobbie’s phone rang shortly after that. “Everything is ready,” advised The Wizard. “There is a portal in the dressing area which leads directly to the rear of the shop. Just bring him through. It’s time.”
Virgil noticed that the elves had put up the barrier and a sign saying Santa would be back in 15 minutes. He could use the break. His arm ached from holding the children and he was becoming short of breath. He realized that Cindy and Bobbie were holding his arms as he hobbled to the break area. It was really strange, though, because when he sat down he realized he was not in the usual place. In fact, he was sure he had never been in this place before. It had to be in the back of one of the connecting stores.
“Where is this? I don’t think this is part of Dillard’s.”
“No it’s not, Virgil. You are in the back of my shop.”
Virgil looked up to see a gangly man dressed in what appeared to be a tatty robe decorated with stars and crescents. He was wearing wire-rimmed glasses, and he had a rather scraggly beard. A large dog next to him was wearing a guide dog harness. The man looked familiar to him and it took a few seconds for him to realize that this was the elderly blind man he had seen with Bobbie and Cindy the week before; except he wasn’t blind.
“What’s going on? I don’t feel very well.”
“You are having a heart attack. It’s a mild one at the moment, but tonight you will have a severe one, and it will be fatal,” Bobbie said rather sadly.
“How do you know that? You are only a sixteen year old girl. You’re not a doctor.”
“No, I’m not. I am a witch, and Cindy’s a witch; and His Wisdom is a very powerful wizard. We know some things about you and want to help you, if you will let us, before it is too late.”
“First of all, we know something that only your late wife knew about you,” Cindy had entered the conversation.
“What would that be?”
“That you have always felt that you were a girl. I sensed that last week when we were in line with my little sister and Bobbie’s boyfriend and his little brother. That’s one of my powers. Bobbie’s power is that she can sense what’s physically wrong with someone who is like you are.”
“That’s the silliest thing I have ever heard,” Virgil said, his voice expressing his exhaustion. “Have you been spying on me? Did you break into my house and look in my computer?” He slumped, too tired to care anymore. “Since you know what you know, I guess there’s nothing I can do about it. What do you want — money? I can assure you I have none.”
“No, the only thing we want is for you to trust us. You deserve a better fate than to die in your home on Christmas Eve without a family at your side. You lost the only family you ever had when your wife died, and now we want to give you a chance to have the family you never had.”
Virgil realized that the diagnosis of his having a heart attack was probably correct. There was pain in the collar bone area of his left shoulder and it was radiating down his left arm. He was beginning to feel slightly nauseated and a bit cold and clammy.
“I think you need to call an ambulance.”
“That won’t be necessary if you let us help you.”
“I mean, what are you going to do? You aren’t doctors. You already told me that. And, this magic stuff you are spouting is ridiculous.”
“You don’t have to believe any of this,” Cindy said a bit too strongly, “but seven years ago I was a thirty-five year old man and Bobbie was a nine year old boy. His Wisdom helped both of us become the girls you see.
“Your Wisdom, we don’t have much time. Show him something.”
“How about this?” He started morphing as Virgil watched. His clothing changed from a tattered robe into an ermine decorated, red Santa Claus suit. The Wizard lost a few inches and gained a few pounds. In a matter of a few seconds there was a very acceptable image of a Santa Claus standing before them.
“Ho, ho, ho,” he rasped in a rather high tenor. “That won’t do at all.” He stretched and rotated his neck a bit. “Ho, ho, ho,” he said in a much more pleasant and lower voice. “That’s much better.
“What do you think, Virgil? Will I pass?”
“I think you will. That was amazing. That still doesn’t mean you can do anything for me.”
“Here, take these aspirin. They’ll help for now.” The Wizard handed him two 325 mg tablets and a glass of water. “We already know that you are a girl inside. Why don’t you let me fix that while I can? I can only do it while you are alive. I can fix your heart, if you want, and you could live a few more years with bad knees, a bad hip, diabetes, and emphysema. However, there is something you could do that will make a family whole again. You can grow up as the girl you know you are, and when you reach a certain point a few years from now you will remember what you want to about your previous life and what happened. If you feel up to it, you could give me an endorsement. I can always use good publicity.
“What do you say? Would you be willing to try it? I think you will find it exceeds all your expectations.”
“You know, I have nothing to lose. If you can’t do this, there’s always the heart attack and dying. Go for it.”
“It’s already done, Ginny. How old are you?”
“I’m five, Mr. Wizard” she looked down at her warm woolen outfit and little inclement weather boots. “I’m really five, aren’t I? I want my Mommy.”
“She will be here in a moment. So will your father and brother. You shouldn’t wander away like that. You stick with them from now on.”
The bell at the front door tinkled. “What a strange little shop. I thought this was a Hallmark Shop.
“Ginny, are you back there?” her mother called.
“I’m back here, Mommy. These nice people gave me some hot chocolate. I got losted.”
“Young lady, am I going to have to put a leash on you?”
Barry followed by his parents came through the beaded curtain to the rear of the shop.
“Thank you so much for looking after our little girl. She does this all the time. She’s there one moment, and then she’s gone. The folks next door said they thought they saw her come in here.
“Ginny, there’s a Santa Claus next door in Dillard’s. Do you want to see him?”
“Mommy, is that the same Santa we saw at Penny’s last week?”
“No, this is a different Santa. Remember what we said about Santa having helpers? He can’t be in all these places without helpers.” Ginny’s mom looked up and smiled at The Wizard, who was now in his familiar attire. “Thank you again. I guess we are going to go see another Santa.”
The family turned and left the shop to the sound of the little bell. Cindy and Bobbie burst into tears and cried on each others’ shoulder while The Wizard pulled a linen hanky out of his previously non-existent pocket and dabbed at his eyes. The wolf wagged his tail.
“Oh, my God, we have to get back to the store. The break’s over,” shouted Bobbie. “Wait, there’s no Santa. What are we going to do?”
“That’s not a problem at all.” They turned to see The Wizard as he had been before. The only difference was that he was wearing dark glasses and the wolf was once again in his guide dog harness. “We have a few minutes: are there any questions?”
“Your Wisdom, that was the fastest transformation I never saw,” exclaimed Cindy. “I mean, it was instantaneous.”
“Actually, it took 43 nanoseconds. I extracted her DNA from some hair that was in her mother’s purse, so I didn’t have to be too creative. I did boost her immunity factor a bit, so the flu thing shouldn’t happen again. Fix your makeup. We have a couple of hours before the store closes.
Cindy and Bobbie felt it was one of the best Christmases ever. For that matter, The Wizard was pretty proud of how well things had gone, too. Try as they may, no one could coax the wolf to say anything. He might some day; however, he just didn’t feel he had much to say.
After the Christmas break, Randi went back to kindergarten with her friends. She got home at her usual time and told her mother, who was working on the company’s books, that she was going to work on her computer. She bounded up the stairs and found Maddy, Chloe, and Silky engrossed in a conversation with The Wizard. The kittens weren’t very magical yet; they were just able to ‘push’ some light objects; however, Maddy felt they were coming along quite well.
The Wizard looked past the cats as Randi entered the room. “Hi, Randi, how was it getting back to school after that long break?”
“It was neat. Ginny was there; I suppose you knew that. Nobody remembers that she died. She’s a little confused sometimes, she doesn’t remember some things, but she is very happy. I missed her a lot. I’m glad she’s back, even if she’s not the same Ginny.
Winter lingered to the point of being tiresome. But finally the massive piles of snow accumulated by the snow removal equipment started melting in earnest. The acres of soil exposed to the warming sun were sooty and muddy, and the oily water in the parking lots and along the highways left a dingy coat on everything. Then a couple of warmer rains cleaned things up a bit as the crocuses opened up on their short stems.
The golf courses were finally playable and Bobbie and Andy could extend their golf practice to the fairways. Their friendship and romance was solidifying, and most had written them off to be together for the rest of their lives.
A romance blossomed in Cindy’s life as well, but not where she expected it. She dated infrequently, and as had Bobbie, received her driver’s license. As she neared her seventeenth birthday, her beauty continued to grow. She was the object of desire of many of the most popular boys on campus. The trouble was they were boys in her mind and in fact.
Bobbie had her boyfriend in Andy, and he truly adored her. No longer restricted to double dating, they were often alone together. Bobbie was on the pill; however, she maintained that she and Andy had not done ‘the deed’ yet, though they’d had, according to her, some pretty intense make out sessions. Andy wasn’t talking.
The thing that bothered Cindy about dating was that it always seemed to boil down to sex. To every boy in high school, she was a goal. Unquestionably, she and Bobbie were probably among the ten most beautiful young women in the school. Probably half of those ten were no longer virgins. Neither Cindy nor Bobbie was a member of that half. Cindy’s solution was simple, if a boy became too aggressive or amorous, she would let him have his orgasm — in his pants. That usually cooled his ardor on the spot.
Cindy had another problem, and that was her feelings about Donna Brewer; feelings she felt were reciprocated. She was confused about them. When asked years later, she wouldn’t say exactly when it happened, although she was pretty sure when it had.
Donna was a bit of an enigma. On the surface, she was tough. There was a bit of bravado about her, especially when she scored a goal, or finished well in a cross country race. Beneath that bravado was a fragile shell that she did her best to protect. Below that, there was another layer and that was her spirit. In spite of losing her brother and parents, and having had to kill her mother’s murderer, she had survived. She was bruised, but the bruises were slowly healing.
She had made few friends beyond the circle that Cindy and Bobbie belonged. A few boys had asked her out; however, she refused. It was widely assumed that she was a lesbian or asexual. No one in the school but Cindy, Bobbie and Andy knew about her having been raped and killing her mother’s murderer. By the spring semester of their junior year, many assumed that Cindy was probably a lesbian, too. Cindy wasn’t sure.
Cindy knew better than to question The Wizard about things. He had a huge picture of events to assimilate and manipulate, and the little bit occupied by Cindy and her friends couldn’t really be that important. Still, she often wondered why His Wisdom had been so free with letting Andy and Donna in on the magical activities going on with the Lewis and Schmedlap families. She knew there had to be many anti-disclosure controls in place; however, Donna and Andy never came close to even slipping up about the fact that there were three young witches living in the local community. There were a number of times that the group sat around Cindy’s computer as a conference on some matter magical, or maybe a little lesson in magic was going on.
By early spring, Chloe and Silky’s ability to talk was improving daily. Maddy would take them out to the nearby fields and teach them things that all cats were hard wired to do. She imposed strict rules, and as far as the girls knew, they were never violated. Non-native species of vermin were the main objects of their hunting. They knew their efforts would probably have little effect on the starling population, and they felt no guilt about exercising their hunting skills on the flocks that descended into the copse down by the creek. The non-native rodent population was something else. The rats were large, intelligent, and nasty. They had pushed the native, less aggressive species into the shadows.
Maddy had an idea, and she with the two half grown kittens in tow, made the rounds of the neighborhood. She held nocturnal meetings with the feral cats, and those domestic cats who were allowed out, and organized them into an anti-rat battalion.
The cats were in awe of her ability to communicate with the humans as well as with the cats, and dogs. The non-feral cats allowed themselves to be fed and pampered by their human associates, but often held them in a bit of disdain for their inability to understand anything but the most rudimentary things about the cat language. Housecats, Felis domesticus, traced their ancestry back to the cats of North Africa and the European Wild Cat, and they were proud of that ancestry.
Even though domestic cats formed loose communities centered around the females, and their human families, they were solitary hunters. Maddy had been watching a show on Nature, the PBS program, about her distant relatives, the African Lion. The males, in her opinion, were chauvinist slugs, who would kill the cubs that were not theirs. The toms would do the same thing to domestic cat kittens if given the chance. What she saw that really interested her was the way the lions did cooperative hunting. The lionesses would separate their intended prey from a herd and drive it toward another lioness lying in ambush. She was amazed at how well it worked.
“So you want us to work together to catch and kill these rats?” said a scruffy tom who had lived in the area for several years. He didn’t think much of humans, as he had been abused, then abandoned. “So, what’s in it for us?”
“I’ll see that there is food put out for you if you want it, and I will get rid of all your fleas, ticks, and other parasites.”
“Sure you will, and you will let me mate with you as often as I want. Right … !”
Maddy scowled mentally at the disbeliever.
“What did you just do? My tummy got all warm and my skin feels funny.”
“You will feel a little digestion discomfort for the next day or so. I just killed all your intestinal parasites. You need to stop eating those dead possums. I also killed all the fleas and ticks on you. They’ll be dropping off shortly.
“I’ll do the same for all of you. I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything for the leukemia a couple of you have. That’s beyond my abilities; however, there are some nice homes around here that don’t have cats, and they might take you in if you let them. They can get you the medical attention you need, and you might have a few comfortable years. It will certainly be a lot better than how you are living now.” She didn’t mention the neutering and spaying; however, she knew that that would result in one less burden for them.
The rat battalion worked well, perhaps too well. Several people observed cats working in what appeared to be in cooperation, and one aspiring animal behaviorist wrote her Masters Degree thesis about the cooperative hunting. In ten years, the phenomenon was being observed in New York City.
Cindy’s parents were out of town for a weekend conference in Miami. They were combining business with pleasure in Miami, and Cindy was the baby sitter. Stan, Jr. was walking, babbling, and getting into everything; however, Cindy enjoyed the domestic duties of taking care of an infant, now toddler. Often times she would let her mind wander a bit, thinking about her own babies that she desired very much to have. She imagined them nursing at her breast, and she thought about the attentions of a loving husband. She didn’t have much trouble imagining the babies; however, the imagined husband was always a blank. Try as she might, she could never bring up a picture of how he looked, much less how he would act. It was just emptiness.
The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and Saturday began to get ugly. There was talk about a late winter/early spring nor’easter forming. Andy, Bobbie, and Donna had spent the late afternoon and evening with Cindy while she was taking care of the children. Tom didn’t need any watching, and he had gone off to play video games with some friends up the street.
They had just finished watching a video, when Tom came stomping in through the service entrance. “Hey, guys, it’s really starting to snow out there. The temperature on the garage thermometer is 25 degrees. I’m going to bed.”
“Randi, it’s probably time for you to hit the sack, too. Maybe we can get some good sledding in tomorrow,” Cindy shooed her little sister up the stairs.
They looked out and confirmed what Tom had said. It was snowing hard and the driving snow was almost horizontal in the wind. Some of the early sprouting plants were definitely going to be nipped in the bud.
“I think I’ll take Bobbie home,” Andy said. “Donna, you might want to leave too.”
“Yeah, I’ll be right along. I’ll help Cindy clean up, and I’ll be right behind you.”
The phone rang five minutes later. It was Andy. “Guys, I almost didn’t make it down your driveway. I couldn’t even start to get up Bobbie’s. She made it up to the house okay. It’s snowing harder than ever.
“Donna, you don’t need to be out in this shit. I’m on the main road now and we are just creeping along.”
“Andy, Donna can stay here for the night. You’re right, there’s no reason to be out there. We’ll just wait until they get the roads cleared.”
They spent the next fifteen minutes cleaning things up before they went upstairs.
“Here’s a nightie for you. Take a shower if you feel like it. I’m going to check on Randi and Stan.”
The phone rang while Donna was in the shower. “Cindy, I’m almost home. There are wrecks everywhere and they are getting ready to shut down some of the roads. At least I don’t have to climb a hill to get to the house. I’ll call back if I have any problems.”
“Okay, we’ll see you as soon as they get things cleared off. Talk to you later.”
Donna had just dried off and was heading for Cindy’s queen sized bed. There had never been any question that she would not be in the same bed with Cindy. Cindy showered and dried off in front of the fogged mirror. For some reason she was shaking in anticipation of something she was not sure she understood. Then she smiled to herself. She took a bottle of her favorite cologne and dabbed a couple of drops in strategic places. Returning to the bedroom, she turned off the lights and slid under the down filled duvet.
“Mmmmmm, you smell nice,” Donna said sleepily.
“So do you, my love.”
Donna froze; then turned slowly to face Cindy. “I didn’t know for sure. I thought I knew, but I was afraid to say anything.”
“Shhhh,” Cindy said, gently touching Donna’s lips with her index finger. Then she leaned forward and gently kissed the lips she had kissed the previous October. Donna’s response was immediate. Cindy gently pulled Donna’s nightie over her head and lost hers quickly afterwards.
“Now, where was I?” Soon their tongues were gently dueling. Their nipples were like hot daggers pressing into each others breasts. The feeling of their breasts pressing into each other was something wonderfully unexpected. Cindy could resist no longer. She let her lips trail down to the base of Donna’s throat, and then on to her breasts, those gravity defying cones she had fallen in love with the previous year. She drew a hard nipple into her mouth and teased the point with her tongue.
“Ohmygod,” Donna gasped as she gently pressed Cindy’s head into her chest. Cindy continued her journey across Donna’s hard belly to her sparsely furred mound. She was playing things by ear, having never ventured this way before. In the back of her mind was one thing. Donna had been brutally raped, and now was the time to make her forget that. She wanted Donna to feel truly loved both spiritually and physically.
“No, not there, you can’t. That’s….”
“Shhhhsh, just relax and let me make you feel good.” Donna tried to push Cindy away, but there wasn’t much resolve in the motion. Cindy gently paid homage to Donna’s pretty folds. She found the right spot and gently teased her. For a while Donna lay still, then Cindy’s ministrations began to elicit a response. She could feel the muscles in Donna’s belly start to twitch and contract. Her hips started to thrust upward meeting Cindy’s gentle probing. Suddenly, she started vibrating and little moans escaped her clenched jaws. It hit Donna very hard. She barely had time to pull a pillow onto her face to stifle her screams. Finally the spasms ceased; then the sobs began.
Cindy cradled Donna to her breasts, gently rocking her back and forth. “It’s okay, my love, it’s okay. I will be here for you forever. I will never let anyone hurt you.”
Donna’s sobs gradually subsided. “I thought I was the strong one,” she sniffed. “I was going to be big, strong and macho for you, and then you went and did this. God, I love you so much. It’s not right. It wasn’t supposed to be this way.”
“I know; but it is. Mom asked me a number of years ago how I felt about men, and how I felt about women. I told her that what was important was the person, what was inside. You are that person. We’ll worry about the details later.”
“I don’t understand. You are always talking about finding the man of your dreams: someone to be the father of your children.”
“Well, I guess plans change. I realized something a while ago: you are important in my life in a way no one else is. Yes, Bobbie is my best friend, but we will never be lovers. I think she knows that. She and Andy are the real thing, and I could never come between them.
“What am I going to do about you? I have a strong feeling that you are already accepted by everyone around here. I don’t think there’s a thing you have to worry about. But are you okay with this? I think I did okay for my first time ever making love to anyone, but for me it was very important that I did it.”
“I have no complaints, but one. This will never be a one sided relationship, and I think I am one up on you. Cindy, do you realize how incredibly beautiful you are; inside and outside?
“These lips for instance: they are so soft and pouty.”
“Ummmm ….”
“And these breasts; I’ve never seen any more perfect. I mean, look how these beautiful nipples pucker when I do this. They look like little strawberries, and they are just as sweet.”
“Yesss, oh yes. Please do the other one, too. God, you’re making my toes curl.”
“And this delightful little innie navel; my tongue fits in there just like this.”
“(Giggle), that tickles so good.”
“This golden forest is just waiting for me to pass through it. And, look what it leads to. This is so sweet, just like an orchid, dew covered and opening to the sun. I may linger here for a while.”
“Please do.”
The record March snow continued well into the next day. In the little upland area where Cindy lived there was close to 30 inches on the ground and the wind was still howling when Cindy woke up. Donna was snuggled up to her, breast to breast and it was a very comfortable feeling. Donna’s eye’s opened, and a smile spread across her face. “I wasn’t dreaming, was I?”
“Only if we are having the same dream.
“I need to check on Stan. He probably needs changing. I promised to make pancakes for them this morning, so I’d better get up.”
Cindy walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and opened the blinds. It looked like an arctic scene. It was still snowing at a moderate clip. As far as she could see, it was a winter wonderland. There wasn’t a sign of any human activity, other than clouds of condensing moisture coming rising from the vents on the roofs of the other houses.
“I’ll get you a toothbrush. I have a feeling we may be here for a while.”
Maddy jumped up on the bathroom counter while Cindy brushed her teeth. “I thought it best to leave you two alone for a while. I apologize for Chloe and Silky. They were curious about what was going on. I sent Chloe home, and Silky and I stayed with Randi.
“I think what you and Donna were doing was nice. Am I right?”
“It was very nice, Maddy.”
“That’s what I told Silky and Chloe. I told them that adult humans do things like that. When they are older, I will tell them more.”
“Oh, Maddy, I forgot about you. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“You didn’t hurt my feelings. You need to do human things, just like I need to do cat things. I like Donna very much. She is right for you.”
Cindy changed Stan Jr.’s nighttime pull-ups and put on his daytime underwear. Stan Jr. wasn’t totally potty trained yet; however, he was beginning to get a pretty good idea what it was all about. Randi was still sleeping, and Cindy decided to let her sleep for a while. Tom was already up and downstairs playing a video game on the big screen.
Things had changed over the years. Cindy used to love the smell of coffee, but hated the taste. Now coffee was a regular thing for her. She doled out the correct number of spoonfuls of grounds into the filter and started the coffee maker on its way. The smell of brewing coffee gradually made its way through the house.
Tom was on his third helping of pancakes when Bobbie showed up at the back door. “Well, I put the clubs away, and got my skis out. It is beautiful out there. Any more pancakes? I wish Randi would make that door bigger so I didn’t have to go through all that snow.
Cindy served up a stack of four, and Bobbie smothered it in butter and maple syrup. She made quick work of them. She kept giggling to herself the whole time.
Bobbie was helping Cindy put the dishes in the, and they were alone together for the first time that morning. “So, you two did it last night. I am so happy for you.”
Cindy’s face felt as if it were on fire. She couldn’t not look at her best friend, but she was at a bit of a loss at what to say. “Er, well, uh….”
Bobbie grabbed her in a bear hug and then kissed her on the lips. “Don’t worry about it. You two are so right for each other.”
Cindy’s parents called later in the morning. All flights into the area had been canceled, and it would be at least two days before they could get back. Schools had already been canceled for the next day, so Cindy was stuck with babysitting for another day.
“Mom, Donna spent the night. It wasn’t safe for her to drive home.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I think everything is wonderful.”
“Do you want to talk about it when we get back?”
“If you want to: it just seems so right. I think Donna needs me, and I think I need her.”
“Well, we were wondering when you were going to figure it out. Just don’t be too flagrant in front of the kids, at least, not yet. Give Donna our love.”
Next: Cindy and Donna’s romance solidifies much to the disappointment of some of their schoolmates who are no longer in the picture; however, the romance is quite easily accepted by the Lewis, Schmedlap, and Anderson families. Myrna realizes Cindy may be responsible for the changes in Dave Growell and his growing affection for her sister. Cindy and Bobbie decide to give Myrna a gift. Myrna undergoes a transformation much to her liking.
Portia
Chapter 10: Cindy and Donna’s love for each other is stronger and stronger, and out in the open. There are some disappointed boys. Bobbie’s golf skills are remarkable and she wins her Country Club’s match play and stroke play championships — against the men! Myrna confronts Cindy about what happened to her sister and Dave Growell. Cindy realizes that Myrna needs to know about her and Bobbie’s powers. They give Myrna a special gift purchased at the SRU Shop.
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. Chapter 11 will be posted alone in a few days.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 10
Spring finally set in for real and Cindy and Donna’s relationship blossomed. There was some talk at school about the fact that what had been suspected as a lesbian relationship had been confirmed. A number of boys were greatly disappointed and it wasn’t that any of them had any love for either of the two. It was just that two pretty girls were off the potential conquest list. There were some of the usual remarks behind their backs; however, they weren’t the only ‘couple’ on campus. In reality, it was a pretty liberal place. Most got over it very soon, and the level of acceptance was gratifying.
The Andersons had no problems with the relationship either. They knew Donna was fragile behind the veneer of toughness, and that the relationship with Cindy was a good thing for her. They had been seeking to obtain legal guardianship of her, as she was still only 17, and they wanted to make the family an official thing for her. To say Donna was happy about their acceptance was an understatement.
Donna’s ability on the soccer field was garnering notice from several universities. The fact she was an outstanding distance runner was also creating a scholarship buzz. Cindy continued to work out in the pool, and she actually won a race. Bobbie’s progress on the golf course was amazing. She won her country club’s match play tournament competing against the men. There had been a hue and cry among the members that a teenage girl had no business competing against men, several of whom were pretty solid amateur golfers. The club pro put all his cards on the table.
“What are you afraid of? We are fortunate to have probably the finest woman golfer in the northeast as a member of this club. I think she will be going pro very soon. Think of what it will do for this club to have her associated with us over the years. She will bring in new members and a lot of good publicity. I know what your problem is. You’re a bunch of damn cowards.
“There isn’t one of you she hasn’t shellacked out there. Hell, she beat me on one of my good days. I think it’s time that everyone around here grew up. There are several other clubs in the area that would gladly have her family’s membership just to get that feather in their cap.”
She was allowed to enter, and it came down to the last hole when she chipped in for a birdie and closed her opponent out. Several of the diehards claimed that it was just a matter of luck and that her opponents choked. They changed their tune when she won the stroke play championship two months later.
As they approached the end of the school year, Cindy couldn’t be happier; however, she felt something was going on, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. Sometimes, Bobbie and Donna would go off by themselves and discuss something. Whatever it was that they were talking about, they would stop as soon as Cindy approached. Cindy didn’t like to snoop, and she felt that if she needed to know, they would tell her.
Cindy, Bobbie, and Randi’s lessons continued, and Randi continued to amaze everyone with her prowess. Her self-control was better than it had been, and she began consulting with Cindy or The Wizard before attempting to do anything unusual.
Some people are smarter than others, and some people have some pretty good reasoning powers. Myrna Breckenridge was one of them.
“Cindy, may we talk in private?”
“Sure, what’s up?”
“What did you do to my sister and Dave Growell? I mean, she sort of had a crush on him, but at the same time thought he was a bit of a jerk. I mean, he’s real good looking, but hell; he wouldn’t give my sister the time of day. He kept calling her ‘Flatty Patty’. That hurt her a lot. Damn, she’s smart and real nice.
“I remember that day I saw you talking to Dave. He was always bragging that he was going to fuck you. I couldn’t hear what you said to him, but I guess you put him in his place. Then the strangest thing happened. He apologized to my sister for everything he had said, and asked her to help him with his English and some other classes. She didn’t want to, but he insisted. Somehow he found out when her birthday was and he sent her some roses. She was a lost cause after that.
“As you know, they started meeting in the library. He asked her out, but she refused. She said she wouldn’t go out with him unless his grades improved. They did and she did. He came over to my house and talked to Mom and Sharon. I never saw anything like it. Then there was the strangest thing. He said he loved Patty and wanted to be with her. He almost cried. Mom and Sharon went to the kitchen to fix some lemonade or something. He sat there and shook his head. He said, ‘She told me I couldn’t say it unless I meant it. I mean it, I really mean it.’
“I think he was talking about you. I think you did something to him that day. I mean, it’s all good. He loves her, and she loves him, and they’re screwing like minks. They’ll probably get married before they graduate college.
“I saw you break up that knife fight behind the cafeteria. You told them to stop, and they did. You told them to get out of the gangs, and they did. They haven’t missed a day of school since then, and are actually doing well enough to go to college.
“What are you, a witch, or some sort of hypnotist?”
“That would be the former. I guess I’m going to have to be a bit more careful.”
“You can’t be serious: a witch? That’s wild. My mom and Sharon are always saying that there are probably some covens around here.”
“Myrna, you won’t ever be able to tell anyone what I told you; however, since you figured out as much as you did, I don’t think there will be any problem letting you know some more. Come on over to the house after School. Bobbie will be there, too.”
“So, Bobbie’s a witch, too?” she said somewhat sarcastically.
“Well, yes, and so’s my little sister.”
Myrna showed up about ten minutes after Cindy got home. Bobbie had gone to her house first. She showed up at Cindy’s shortly afterwards. “You’re really going to show her?” Bobbie asked.
“I might as well. Myrna’s been a good friend, and I think it would be better if she knew the truth than to have to form an opinion based on half truths and bad guesses. Besides, I think the regular rules will apply.”
They proceeded to Cindy’s bedroom and her computer desk. “Your Wisdom, do you have a moment?”
The screen flickered on, and The Wizard could be seen rummaging around in the back of his shop. “Sure, Cindy, I’ll be right with you.” He fiddled around some more before coming to the screen.
“Well, hello everyone; hi Myrna, so Cindy’s decided to tell you a little bit about her. Well this is my shop. I’m in Cleveland at the moment, but will be going to Auckland, New Zealand in a few minutes.”
“Excuse me, but how do you know who I am? I don’t think we’ve ever met before.”
“Well if Cindy hasn’t explained it to you, I’m a Wizard, and it’s my job to know these things. By the way, how’re your mom and Sharon? Sharon’s a good person.
“What did you have in mind, Cindy? As if I didn’t know, but you may tell me anyway?”
“Well, Myrna’s been a real good friend, and she’s done some nice things for some people. I thought maybe you could do something for her: something nice, maybe a bit of lingerie. Call it pro bono, or just put it on my account. Keep it simple. I don’t think we need any side effects, not like what almost happened to Mom.”
“I think I have just the thing. I’ll send it over FedEx. I have to go now. I have to take care of some rowdies. They never learn. I’ll talk to you later.
“Myrna, it was nice to talk to you. Enjoy.” The screen went dark.
Bobbie was looking out the window. “FedEx truck’s coming up the drive way.”
Two minutes later Randi rushed in. “Here’s a package for Myrna. It’s from The Wizard. Can I watch?”
“Probably not a good idea: We’ll ask you what you think afterwards. Why don’t you let us big girls have a little privacy.”
“Okay, I hope you like your gift, Myrna.” Randi closed the door behind her.
“What sort of joke is this? I mean you have some sort of closed circuit TV with an Albus Dumbledore look alike, and he says he’s sending a package FedEx, and it gets here three minutes later? I mean, what is this?”
“Why don’t you open your package and see.”
The box had a pull tab on it, and it opened quickly. There was some bubble wrap, and inside the bubble wrap were two small tissue wrapped objects. There was also a note: “Dear Myrna, I hope you are pleased. Because these are undergarments, they cannot be returned. Your friend, The Wizard.”
Myrna slowly unwrapped the two articles. She was shaking her head in disbelief. “Well, these are lovely; however, your wizard certainly got these sizes wrong. I’m going to be lost in these panties. I’ve no ass at all. This bra is ridiculous. I mean, he got the band right. I am a 34, but a ‘D’? I have to pad to fill out an ‘A’.
“Myrna, did you ever wish that your figure might be a little fuller?”
“Well, I used to, but the boob fairy used up all his magic on you and Bobbie. I’ve thought about getting implants some day, but most implants don’t look very good, and I don’t think I can afford the best.”
“Did you really want to be a ‘D’? These aren’t returnable.”
“Yeah, I kinda did, but with this bean pole figure, it wouldn’t look right.”
“Why don’t you try them on? I think you might be pleasantly surprised.”
“Guys, you’re gonna laugh at me. These panties will probably slide right off, and I will be lost in this bra. Okay, but this is ridiculous.”
Myrna removed her clothes, placing them on the edge of the bed. She unhooked her bra, and stepped out of her panties. She put on the nicely cut panties, and then put on the bra. She had adjusted the shoulder straps a bit before she had donned it. Then she reached around behind her and deftly hooked the band.
“See? I look like a scarecrow. This is silly, I mean, I mean ... Shit, ... what’s happening?”
“Just relax, Myrna,” Cindy said as she positioned Myrna in front of the mirror. “The Wizard sometimes likes these things to happen slowly. Let’s just watch.”
Watch they did. Myrna’s bottom and thighs slowly filled out, and her waist to thighs ratio became very pleasing. Then the magic in the bra started doing its thing. Myrna watched, and tears formed in the corners of her eyes.
“What am I going to tell my mom, much less my sister? What’s Avery going to say? He loves to suck on my nipples and now there is all this boob behind them, and there’s more. My God, I have a figure!”
“Myrna, only a few people will know what happened.”
But Myrna apparently wasn’t listening. “I mean, I can’t get into any of my clothes. I’d better take these off right now.” She did, and stood looking at her reflection. She had a beautiful figure. Maybe it was just a bit top heavy. Without the bra, her breasts sagged slightly, but they were beautifully placed and contoured. The Wizard was never one to leave a project undone. She had definitely put on a little weight. Her arms were fuller and her shoulders might have been just a bit wider. She had a pert bottom, and there were lovely dimples above her buttocks.
“I didn’t change back. What am I going to do? I can’t go naked.”
“Myrna, put your old clothes back on. Everything will fit,” Bobbie said as she handed Myrna her old bra and panties. They fit perfectly, as did the rest of her clothes. “All of your clothing at home has changed to fit you. Only a few people will know what happened. To almost everyone, you will just be the slightly voluptuous young woman you’ve always been.
“I hope you are happy with the changes: as The Wizard said, there are no returns or exchanges. Consider this our gift to you for being such a good friend.”
“Boy, this is going to take some getting used to. These girls,” she lifted her breasts, “are pretty perky, considering their size. Wow! I have a bod.”
They talked for a while, and Myrna cycled a while between giggles and sobs of gratitude. Finally, she had to leave. She was still apprehensive about her changes, and Randi didn’t help when she exclaimed, “Wow, you got boobs. I’m going to have boobs some day. I hope they are as pretty as yours.”
They headed through the kitchen to the driveway. Marissa was working on dinner, and she looked up as the girls passed through. “You look very nice, dear.”
Next: Bobbie’s golf skills garner national attention, some of it not what she really wanted when a picture of her and Cindy dressed in revealing bikinis surfaces. Bobbie is invited to compete in a women’s professional tournament as an amateur, and after a slow start, does very well. Cindy and Donna go to a summer camp for athletes so they may refine their skills. Cindy is just glad to be with Donna, as Donna is glad to be with her. Cindy realizes there is something bothering Donna; however, she respects Donna’s privacy and doesn’t ask what it is. Then Donna disappears, never to be seen again. Needless to say, Cindy is nearly destroyed with grief as she finds out Donna no longer exists in their universe. The whole thing reeks of magic gone wrong, and The Wizard admits her existence has been terminated. He doesn’t seem to be too concerned.
Portia
Chapter 11: Bobbie’s golf skills garner national attention, some of it not what she really wanted when a picture of her and Cindy dressed in revealing bikinis surfaces. Bobbie is invited to compete in a women’s professional tournament as an amateur, and after a slow start, does very well. Cindy and Donna go to a summer camp for athletes so they may refine their skills. Cindy is just glad to be with Donna, as Donna is glad to be with her. Cindy realizes there is something bothering Donna; however, she respects Donna’s privacy and doesn’t ask what it is. Then Donna disappears, never to be seen again. Needless to say, Cindy is nearly destroyed with grief as she finds out Donna no longer exists in their universe. The whole thing reeks of magic gone wrong, and The Wizard admits her existence has been terminated. He doesn’t seem to be too concerned. And, what’s this about ducks?
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story.
This story is a bit longer than the previous ones in this series. It is 13 chapters and 34,000 words long. The High School Years, Part 2 is partly written, but nowhere near ready to post. Chapters 12 and 13 will be posted alone in a few days. That will be the conclusion of Part 1.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 11
The feeling of distress and discomfort that Cindy and Bobbie had detected in the past kept popping up. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to it. They could be at the mall, or school. They might be at church; it would just suddenly hit them. A major problem was that there was no direction to it. It was like walking through that cloud. It hadn’t changed much at all over the last two years.
They had talked to The Wizard about it, and his response was that they were just going to have to work it out. Cindy felt she had a responsibility to find out what was going on. Her frequent statement was, “If I know something is wrong, I have to try to fix it. The problem is, I didn’t know what’s wrong and I don’t have a clue where this distress is coming from.” They did the best they could.
School ended, and now they had to look forward to the last summer break before their senior year at high school. Bobbie had actually qualified for, or received invitations to several significant tournaments. This was going to be a test far beyond anything she had experienced before. There was a lot of talk on the sports pages, golf magazines, and Golf Channel about the 17 year old ‘phenom’ who could drive the ball as far as many of the men, and had a spectacular touch around the greens.
Her first major pro tournament as an amateur was an eye opener for her. She drew two well known and successful lady golfers as partners for her first round. They were very polite and supportive. The press was not. Someone had dug up a photo of her on the beach with Cindy. No one knew where the photo came from. It was probably somebody’s blind luck that they had taken a picture of two beautiful teenagers on the beach in their revealing bikinis.
Regardless, the headline “Bikini Clad Beauty to Compete in First Pro Tournament” unnerved her. The picture was very complimentary; however, she didn’t want to be known as a bathing beauty, she wanted to be known as a ‘damn good golfer’. She shot a 75, and was in position not to make the cut. Andy was carrying her bag, and after the round, he gave her a pep talk. Cindy called and did the same. Of course her family was there, too.
The next day she shot a 68, and made the cut by a stroke. Another 68 followed by a day’s best 67, and she finished in fifth place and the top amateur. She never looked back. It would be only a matter of time before she turned pro.
Cindy and Donna’s romance became firmer and firmer. It wasn’t just the sex, as powerful as it was. It was like a Vulcan Mind Meld, Cindy would say. Donna was receiving more and more looks because of her soccer prowess, and there was some talk that she might even try out for the US Olympic Team. Donna was non-committal.
An athletic summer camp in northern Vermont designed for pre-college athletes had sent Donna an invitation. A number of sports were addressed, and Donna asked Cindy if she would like to attend. There was a good swimming program, and Donna felt Cindy could benefit, even if she chose not to continue swimming in competition in college. Cindy applied and was accepted. Her parents were very supportive, and the next thing Cindy knew, she and Donna were driving off to the mountains near Woodstock, Vermont to spend two weeks of concentrated athletic training.
The camp was not inexpensive; however, there were some perks. One was that that rather than open barracks or multi camper tents, there were two attendees per room. Cindy couldn’t complain. It was tough, and the training was intense; however, they had a lot of private time. Besides the formal training, there were hikes and nature walks. They made new friends, and best of all, they enjoyed each other.
There were times that Cindy felt Donna’s lovemaking was almost frantic. It was as if she was trying to cram in as much as possible. Cindy wished Donna would take her time and draw things out. Still, sex, even when it is not the best, could be pretty damn good.
All in all, it was a very fulfilling two weeks, and it did nothing to lessen Cindy’s feelings about Donna. However, while she did have a feeling something was bothering Donna, she didn’t feel like pushing.
Two days after they returned, Cindy’s world crashed down. Donna disappeared. The bad thing was Cindy knew magic was involved, and some of the evidence terrified her.
It began when Andy called on his cell phone. “Cindy, Donna’s gone. It’s scary.”
“God, what happened?”
“I don’t know. I got up this morning to use the bath, and when I went in, none of her stuff was there. Her shampoo, towel, shower cap, razor: they’re all gone.
“That’s not all, I looked in her room, and it’s like no one lived there. Bobbie and I were out rather late last night, and when I came in, Donna’s car was gone. I just thought maybe she and you were out, or she was spending the night with you. She’s not there, is she?”
“God, no, I haven’t seen her since yesterday afternoon. She told me she had to do something. She started to walk away, but came back to kiss me. I thought she was going to cry. I just thought that it was just because it was her time of the month. She does get emotional, sometimes.”
“Cindy, I think this goes beyond anything I understand. No one in my house even knows she existed. She’s not in any of the family pictures. All the paperwork we had getting ready to adopt her is gone. That really got me going.
“Get out your yearbook from last year.”
“Just a minute, it’s buried in my closet.
“Okay, I have it.”
“Take a look at page 67. Who was most valuable player on the women’s soccer team?”
“What? That can’t be. My book says Lucile Graff. Donna was; I know it.”
“Look at the team picture.”
“Andy, she’s not there, and she’s not in the picture with the cross country team either. I’m going to have to get hold of The Wizard. Maybe, he knows what’s going on.”
“Cindy, what’s wrong? You sound distressed.” Cindy looked up to see her mother looking at her with a worried look.
“Mom, Donna’s gone. Andy just called. It’s like she never existed. There’s no trace of her. She’s not in the high school year book. It’s like her existence has been erased. Mom, she’s my life. What am I going to do?”
“Dear, we’re just going to have to let things work out. I’m sure that everything will be okay. Why don’t you talk to The Wizard? He might have some answers.”
“I was just getting ready to try to call him.”
Cindy went to her computer and made her call the way she usually did. It took a horribly long time for The Wizard to respond. While waiting, Cindy grabbed her purse and pulled out her cell phone. She’d call Donna. Maybe she would answer. The problem was there was no phone number for Donna in her cell phone. Someone had removed it. That shouldn’t be that much of a problem. She would just dial it in. She knew the number by heart.
“We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is a non-working number. If you have dialed this number in error, please check the listing and dial again.” She knew the number, and knew she hadn’t misdialed. She called again, anyway. The response was the same.
She called Bobbie. “Bobbie, have you heard anything from Donna?”
“No, I haven’t talked to her since yesterday afternoon. She seemed to be in a bit of a hurry about something, and didn’t stick around. I think she was going to the mall. Why?”
“It’s like she dropped off the ends of the Earth. Andy said there’s no trace of her at his house. She’s not in the family pictures. She’s not in the yearbook. Somebody has erased her existence. Look in your cell phone directory. I’ll bet her number is no longer there.”
There was a brief pause. “You’re right, the number’s gone.”
“Don’t bother to try to call her. The number is a non-working number. This has to be magic. I’ve been trying to get hold of The Wizard. He’s not responding. Oh, here he is. I’ll call back. Bye.”
“Good morning Cindy, what’s going on?”
“Your wisdom, Donna’s missing. It’s like her existence has been erased.”
“Well, that is odd. Let’s see what I can find. Hmmmm, how unusual; her existence was terminated yesterday afternoon. Let’s see, it was a code 3712, Temporal Discontinuity. That is not done very often. There’s nothing I can do about it right now, but I’m sure things will work out.”
“But I love her. She can’t be gone. My God, you said her existence was terminated. Does that mean she’s dead?”
“Not exactly; what it means is that she never existed in this universe. There have been a number of adjustments. I’m afraid she is gone, my dear. Love is very powerful. It’s amazing what love can do in the right circumstances. Try to be strong. Sometimes things happen for a reason and it takes a while for us to figure out why.”
To say Cindy was distraught would be putting it mildly, and she was really disturbed by what seemed to be a lack of concern on the part of The Wizard. She headed downstairs to find her mother fixing breakfast. It was several minutes before Cindy could stop crying long enough to tell her mother what she had found out.
“Mom, she’s gone, Donna’s really gone.”
“Gone where dear?”
“I don’t know. The Wizard said her existence was terminated, that she never existed in this universe. I don’t get it. If she never existed, how come I remember her? You remember her, Bobbie remembers her.
“Remembers who?” Randi asked as she entered the kitchen while rubbing her eyes.
“Donna: she’s disappeared, and The Wizard says her existence has been erased. Oh God, where is she?”
“Cindy, I forgot to tell you. Donna called yesterday afternoon. She said she was going away, that she had to do something about some ducks. She wanted me to tell you she loved you very much.
“I don’t know why she wanted to do anything about the ducks. I like the ones down at the pond.” No one else could figure it out either.
Cindy did a little discrete research and made several discoveries. The Lewis’s and Schmedlaps remembered Donna, as did all of their families. Only Andy remembered her in his family. Maddy and the kittens remembered her, as well. That’s when Cindy realized that there was a lot more to Donna’s disappearance than she’d first thought. If her existence had been erased, why did a handful of people remember her? Something was going on and it was beginning to seem very complicated.
For the next few days, Cindy would go in and out of crying jags. She had trouble sleeping, and her appetite was almost non-existent. Everyone who knew, or remembered Donna sympathized with Cindy, but there didn’t seem to be anything they could do to cheer her up. Since she didn’t exist, a missing persons report would never get off the ground.
About three days after Donna’s disappearance, Cindy had a strange dream. It might have been wishful thinking, but she wasn’t sure. She was having a rather ill-defined dream, when suddenly she was in the tunnel she had been in many years before. She looked around and saw the endlessness she had seen before. Suddenly, The Spirit was with her.
“How are you doing Cindy?”
“Not very well, thank you.”
“Cindy, I want you to understand that what’s happening in your world started a long time ago, and you have a very important place in that world. Sometimes things happen that are difficult to explain or justify.
“How old are you now?”
“I don’t know, I guess fifty two, fifty three.”
“No, no, forget about Al and all that stuff. That doesn’t matter anymore. You are a young woman, a bit over seventeen years old. You’re not even of legal age yet. If you add up all my lives in your temporal space, I’m over two thousand years old. Your Wizard is over nine hundred years old in this life alone. You have so much to learn, and you have done so well with what you have learned so far. As you get older, you will find out that there are many twists and turns to reality that don’t make sense to you right now. They will some day.
“I’m not warning you or advising you. I just want you to know that all of this will make more sense, some day.”
“Yeah, like losing the love of my life. She’s gone. She doesn’t even exist in this world. I wish they had taken my memories of her like they did for most everyone else. At least I wouldn’t feel so sad.”
“How, can you be sure she’s gone? As you said, some of you remember her. The fact you have these memories must mean something. Be patient. Things will make more sense.
“I told you I will stay in touch with you. You will hear from me again.”
Cindy returned to a much less logical dream world after that. When she woke up the next morning, she had forgotten about the dream meeting with the spirit.
It was a couple of days later when Bobbie arrived shortly after breakfast to find Cindy moping around.
“Come on Cindy, we’re going out.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Regardless, we’re going over to the park and get some sun. It’s a beautiful day, and maybe we will run into some of the kids from school. There’s a bunch over there playing soccer.”
At the mention of soccer, Cindy almost started crying again. Reluctantly, she got up and did a little work on her makeup. Her eyes weren’t as puffy as they had been. She got out a scrunchy, and put her hair into a loose ponytail. Her hair had a lot of volume and it spread out in a narrow golden fan across her shoulders. She grabbed a purse and slowly followed Bobbie to her car. “Mom, we’re going to the park. We might get some lunch while we’re out.”
As Bobbie had predicted, there was a pickup soccer game in progress. There was also a tag football game, and the tennis courts were full. Soccer doesn’t garner much attention, especially a pick up game; however, several families were sitting on the low bleachers, plus some girls who Cindy figured were girlfriends of some of the players.
They sat on the first row next to a family of four. The father was probably in his forties. He was quite attractive, as was his wife. She was blonde, but based on her apparent age, was probably coloring her hair. The boy with them was about twelve to fourteen, and fairly dark complected. He was probably of Latin American origin. The little girl was eight or nine and had an oriental heritage.
The family was shouting encouragement to one of the players. After a few minutes, Cindy realized he was the player she had been watching for a while. He would look over their way and wave, she assumed, at the four sitting next to her. He was about six feet tall, maybe a bit more, and rather slender. He wasn’t skinny or anything like that. His muscles stood out; maybe wiry would describe him. He was dark like the other boy, and Cindy realized he was very handsome, a bit like a young Antonio Banderas. She noticed dark hair in a narrow strip climbing up his six pack belly to above his navel. He was wearing a half tee shirt, and she could see some of the dark hair on his chest. There wasn’t a lot, but it stood out. There was something very familiar about him.
Someone kicked the ball out of bounds, and it rolled up to them. Bobbie footed it back to the boy Cindy had been watching. He picked it up to do a throw in, and as he did, looked Cindy in the eyes. He winked at her.
“Hey, guys, let’s take a time out. I’ve got to do something.” He came over to the family sitting next to Cindy and Bobbie.
“Mom, Dad, Jorge, Lucy, I would like you to meet someone.” He grabbed Cindy’s hand in his, and pulled the stunned girl to her feet. Bobbie followed. “This is Cindy Lewis, the girl I told you about from the sports camp, and this is her best friend, Bobbie Schmedlap.”
Cindy looked into his dark brown, gold flecked eyes; and for the first and only time in her life, fainted dead away.
Next: Wow! What just happened? I think we know, but we are going to have two more chapters to try to straighten everything out. Who is this handsome fellow, and what are he and his family doing there? We shall see. Well, we need to wrap up a few loose ends. Actually, there are more than just a few; however, some will have to wait for Part 2 and future stories.
Portia
Chapters 12 and 13: Did what I think just happen really happen? Well, we have two chapters to straighten this mess out; however, there is much more going on than will ever be revealed in Parts 1 and 2 of Cindy’s high school years. You can read a lot between the lines. There are many others working in the shadow of The Wizard. The question is going to be asked again and again: why is The Wizard going to all this trouble?
If you haven’t read the previous stories about Cindy and how she arrived where she is now, you should probably read them. Start with “An Incremental Journey”, “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend”, “Cynthia and the Dumpster Diver”, and “Cynthia and the Moment of Truth.” “Cynthia and the Christmas Gift” is looked at from a slightly different perspective in this story.
Well, we have come to the conclusion of Part 1. Cynthia and the High School Years, Part 2 is being researched. I hope you find it interesting.
I have researched the Spell’s—R-Us Universe diligently and cannot find anything that violates it, other than that The Wizard is a bit kinder and gentler than sometimes reported. Don’t get me wrong. Given an opening, The Wizard could resort to some of his more ironic and nasty transformations.
Once again, Holly has taken time out of her busy and hectic schedule to correct my many and grievous errors. Thank you so much!
This work is copyrighted by the author and any publication or distribution without the written consent of the author is strictly prohibited. This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of the characters to persons living or dead is coincidental.
Chapter 12
“Okay everyone, I’m a doctor. Stand back, let’s let some air in here.
“Young, lady, are you alright? Here, drink this. You will feel better in a minute.”
A cup of something was place at her lips and she took a sip. It didn’t take long, and soon everything came back into focus. Bobbie was standing there with a wide grin on her face. There was Donna — no, it wasn’t, but it was. ‘What’s going on?’
“You should be fine in a moment. I think you stood up too fast. Your knees were probably restricting your circulation, and when you stood up, your blood pressure dropped, and you fainted. It happens sometimes, especially when it’s as warm as it is. Just take it easy for a few minutes.
“Let’s help her sit down. Now, young lady, why don’t you come by my office in the mall later today, and I will check you out. There won’t be any charge.
“It’s a good thing my dog and I were taking a walk through here when we were. I think we will go now. We’ll see you later.”
The Wizard was wearing a light warm up suit, and he had the wolf on a short leash. He also had several plastic bags and a pooper scooper. He headed for the parking lot, but disappeared before he got there. No one noticed.
“Are you feeling better, Cindy? You look great. You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”
“These are my parents, Robert and Hilda Brewer. Dad’s a colonel in the Air Force, but he’s retiring. I think I told you about them. This trouble maker, Jorge, is my brother, and Lucy is my sister.
“Cindy, it’s so nice to meet you,” his mother said with a slight German accent. “Ever since Don came back from camp, he couldn’t stop talking about you and your friend there,” she said indicating Bobbie. That was really strange, because Bobbie hadn’t gone to camp. It had been Donna.
“He was so excited when we found out that Bob had been accepted for a job up here. Bob decided to ‘punch out’ as he puts it, and retire, and there was this job offer. We’re staying in a Residence Inn right now until the house closes.
“I can certainly see why Don was attracted to you. You and your friend are very pretty.”
“Mom, you are embarrassing her.” Then he turned. “Cindy, do you feel well enough to take a little walk? It’s so nice to see you again, and I would like to catch up.”
Cindy didn’t know what to say. She felt she should be hysterical with joy; however, the potion The Wizard had given her must have been very powerful. “Sure, I would love to. It’s great seeing you again.” ‘That has to be the greatest understatement I have ever made,’ she thought.
“Mom, Dad, I’ll see you back at the motel. It’s only a couple of blocks. I can jog back.”
Bobbie sat on the bench seat as the two lovers walked hand in hand toward a path that wandered through part of the park that was along the river. Bobbie was having a difficult time holding back her tears, and not succeeding very well.
Don and Cindy said nothing for the longest time. Cindy was soaking in the feeling of Don’s grasp. He held her hand the same way Donna had. They kept looking at each other. Cindy was smiling the entire time, but couldn’t keep the tears from flowing. They finally stopped at a fallen sycamore near the edge of the river.
“It’s still me, Cindy. I’m still Donna inside. Nothing has changed about how I feel about you. It’s just that there’s a bit more of me than there was before.
“I’m sorry I had to do this to you. There was no other way. It was the only way to avoid a serious paradox. To you, I may have been gone a week, but to me it’s been more than seventeen years. Thank God, I didn’t remember you until a bit more than a month ago. I would have gone crazy knowing you were out there and we couldn’t be together.
“Cindy, I love you more than ever, and knowing I was going to see you again some day made all this worth while. Are you mad that I came back this way?”
Cindy looked at him, trying to make sense of everything. There was a tremendous feeling of peace taking over what had been so much distress. “There’s so much going on in my mind right now that I can’t explain. I should be in shock, but I’m not. The woman I loved was taken away from me, and this last week has been hell, and nothing anyone said or tried to do has made any difference. I kept getting these reassurances, but they seemed so hollow.
“Then, there you were. Bobbie talked me into coming down here to see the kids and get some sun. She knew, dammit, she knew! I saw you, and there was something about you. You have the same grace, that same beautiful body. Well, not quite the same. God, the hair, the color of your skin, your smile: you came over to me, all the while talking to your parents as if you knew me. There were tingles going up and down my spine, and I didn’t understand it. Then you looked at me and I saw your eyes, Donna’s eyes. Suddenly, I knew. Suddenly, everything was alright.
“My God, you’re back! My beautiful Don or Donna, I don’t give a shit, you’re back, and I am whole again.” She turned and wrapped her arms around him. He smelled of perspiration and maleness, but there was Donna’s smell, too. She planted a kiss on his lips while feeling the slight stubble on his cheeks. She had seen and could feel his arousal. There would be time for that later. It certainly did put a different perspective on things, though. The kiss lingered for quite a while, and was being lovingly reciprocated.
She slowly broke away, as tears of happiness trickled down her cheeks. “No, I’m not mad. I guess I’m going to have to shutoff the egg factory, because I have no intention waiting very long before taking you to bed.”
He pulled her close, again. “The Wizard wants us to meet at the mall. I think he can explain things far better than I can.”
“Does it bother you being in a male body?” Cindy had given his body a very appreciative appraisal.
“Not at all, I could be just as happy being Donna again, if it had to be. Being raped didn’t help, but being a woman with you was a wonderful, wonderful thing. I don’t think this is going to be any less wonderful. In a way we are starting over, but I think that is only a physical starting over. I remember everything about you, every little nook and cranny, and frankly, you turn me on more than ever.
“Over the last few years I’ve had all these fantasies that most boys have. Some day I was going to find a gorgeous, stacked blonde. The thing was, now I know it was you all along.”
“You say you’ve known for about a month. What happened?”
“I was in the Tyson Corners Mall #2 looking for some games for the computer; except, the game store wasn’t there.”
“Let me guess. It couldn’t have been a quaint little shop called ‘Spells-R-Us’, and filled with all sorts of magic stuff and a great big wolf.”
“That would be the one. Well, someone in the back called out my name and said he would be with me in a moment. He came out in that ratty outfit of his and offered me a Coke. I took it, and suddenly, I knew who he was, who you were, and everything else. It knocked me on my ass, literally. The wolf licked up the spilled Coke.
“Have a seat. I’ve closed the shop, and no one will bother us. So how are your folks, and brother and sister?”
“They’re fine. Oh, my gosh! I have a mother and father. They’re not dead. My brother is alive, and I have a little sister.”
“And …?”
“And, I’m a guy!”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Well, yes, but you knew that didn’t you?”
“Yes, I’m a Wizard, and I know these things. Besides, I already told you.”
“Wow, I’ve got to call Cindy. I hope she won’t be too disappointed in the change.”
“She won’t be, but there’s a little problem up there. See, your Donna self is still there. It will be three weeks before you come to me and we start to fix everything from that end. You’ll get your chance to see her in about a month. Right now, you have to get ready for your move. Your dad has a job offer up there to go to work for Cindy’s dad. Your dad’s eclectic background is going to be just what that company needs to take another step forward.”
“I seem to have all my other memories from those other seventeen years. Will that be any problem?”
“Not at all, but they will just be memories. They won’t affect your life like they did before. I think we took care of all the bad things that happened to you and your family. This time, your brother and father never made that trip to the store, and your mother never had that breakdown.
“By the way, the fellow who raped you and killed your mother in that other reality was instead killed by the sniper who killed your father and brother. His behavior had been set many years before, and he had raped and abused several others.
“You are going to a sports camp next week. This is where it will take some good acting on your part. This camp will be the place where you allegedly meet Cindy for the first time, as far as your family is concerned. You need to tell your family that you met her there, and you need to tell them how enamored you are of her. That shouldn’t be too difficult, because that is the truth. There would just too many problems if you actually went to the same camp with your other self. It could be disastrous.
“Things are going according to the plan. Right now you don’t have to worry about anything else.”
“Will Cindy know me? Will she recognize me?” he said, still unsure.
“You have nothing to worry about. Cindy has always loved you, and although your change in sex will be a surprise, it won’t matter.
“Oh, to be young again.”
“He told me that we need to meet him at his shop this afternoon. Bobbie and Andy need to be there. I think he has already told your sister what’s going on. I missed that little imp.”
“Why has all this happened? Why couldn’t we have just stayed together the way we were. I don’t mean that I am upset with this change, but why is the system going to all this trouble?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think this is about you and me. Cindy, I wasn’t unhappy about being Donna. I was pretty, and a good athlete. I was never strongly attracted to men; however, there wasn’t much attraction to women, either. It took you to really make me love anyone sexually.
“Deep inside, I think I knew I would have been happier if I had been born a boy. Then The Wizard contacted me. We talked about many things, especially you and me. He made me realize that I should have been a boy, but that there had been a mistake at my conception. He asked me if I wanted to fix that mistake. I said I would if it meant I could be with you as your lover and husband. He told me it wouldn’t be easy; however, if I wished to fix the things that had happened to my family, I would essentially have to go back to square one.
“I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. I finally broke down and called your home, but you weren’t there. Randi answered, and I told her that I had to stop a paradox.”
Cindy started laughing hysterically, “She said you were going to take care of some ducks. So that’s what it was, a paradox, a pair of ducks.”
“What I realized was that if I had already gone back, and The Wizard confirmed this, there would be two of me, and that couldn’t happen. I had a feeling that I was somewhere else even as I went to the mall. The whole process had actually been going on for a long time, and that I was the last of the previous reality that had to be corrected. I think the two realities have finally become one.
“Don’t get mad at me for saying this; however, I think our love is just part of what’s going on.”
Cindy kissed Don again and again lingered quite a while. “You know something? You really are kinda cute.”
They walked back to the soccer field. There was a touch football game in progress, but Bobbie was waiting for them. “So, have you two made up?” She hugged Don. “It’s so good to have you back where you belong.”
“Guess what? Don’s dad is going to work for the company. That’s why they’re up here. This is so great and it keeps getting better.”
“Kids, I’m in the back. I have some refreshments.”
“He’s always in the back. That’s part of the rules,” Cindy muttered.
The wolf greeted everyone with some slurpy kisses, before he retired to his place in front of the counter. Don parted the beaded curtain so Cindy and Bobbie could pass through without messing up their hair. Then he and Andy followed.
Andy had been shocked when Bobbie told him that Donna was back, except that ‘she’ was now a very handsome ‘he’. Knowing what he knew about his special group of friends, he had little trouble accepting Don. Andy had loved Donna as a sister, and although Don could never be an adopted sibling, Andy realized he had a great deal of fraternal love for Don.
The Wizard had placed some comfortable chairs around a coffee table that was loaded with sandwiches and cold cuts.
“I know you have many questions, and I will try to answer as many as I am allowed to. I just checked things, and as far as I can tell, all potential paradoxes have been nullified. This was a good piece of work, if I say so myself. It’s not easy to stitch two realities, but we pulled it off without too many disturbances.
“First we had the line where Donna was a foundling, where her parents and brother were killed and she was sent to the home in Fallsville. Then we have the line where Don was a foundling. The thing is, Don and Donna are one and the same. We created a little breach in the line, a diverticulum, a weak point, and let the line with Don develop there.
“Yes, Bobbie, you have a question?”
“Yes, Your Wisdom, how did you turn Donna into Don?”
“That was fun. Our people are very good at what they do. If I remember correctly, we searched 97 parallel universes before we found the mother who had an embryo that was virtually identical to Donna, except for the Y chromosome. Where the genes are parallel in the X and Y chromosome we again matched to about 99.9999 percent. You may think that is pretty close; however, when orangutan, chimpanzee, and bonobo DNA is about 95 to 97 percent the same as human’s, you can see there is little room for error.
“Anyway, we switched embryos. The female one went to a universe where Cindy doesn’t exist. She has had a beautiful life with her adoptive family.
“The line with Don was virtually identical to the line with Donna. We kept narrowing events down so that other than Don’s family surviving, and Donna’s not surviving, there were no differences. In reality, the two lines were superimposed. We started stitching the two lines back together after the murder of Donna’s mother. We gradually eliminated the differences until the only anomaly was Donna.
“So what do we do with Donna? Donna already knew that she wanted to be with Cindy for the rest of her life; however, she knew that as Donna, she couldn’t give Cindy the family she wanted. The thing was that the plan had been for Don and Cindy to get together from the beginning, but as Cindy and Bobbie will tell you, what was intended doesn’t always happen. My job was to tell Donna what we could do to make things right. I don’t think it took any convincing on my part.
“Donna knew that magic existed because we let her find out, but we still had to convince her that we could do a one hundred percent perfect sex change, so that she could come back and be a husband for Cindy. That’s still up to you two, though.
“Bobbie, Cindy, please forgive me, but Donna had to know about you. I had to tell her about you, and Randi, too. That was our trump card. I think she may have had an idea that something was different about the three of you, besides your magical talents.”
“I was beginning to wonder,” Don interjected, “because they were so matter of fact about things. There many comments that could be interpreted several ways. There was something else: Cindy and Randi were too smart, too worldly. They knew things and talked about things that were way beyond what their experience should have been, especially for a six year old. The last thing was that they enjoyed being females almost too much. It’s difficult to explain, but when His Wisdom told me, it all made sense.
“Because I had been a bit conflicted about my gender, it was an easy decision. I had nothing to lose. I went to the mall that afternoon with one goal in mind. I was going to return, sweep Cindy off her feet, and be the best damn husband I could possibly be. I wasn’t going to lose her to anyone else.”
“I don’t think you had to worry about that,” Cindy responded while giving Don another kiss. “What was it like? I floated around for ages with a spirit until I got this body.
“Omigosh, the spirit, the spirit came to me in a dream and told me that things were going to be alright. I had forgotten all about that. I was so miserable when you disappeared.”
The Wizard continued with his narration, “We initiated the Temporal Discontinuity, 3712 at that point, at the point your physical existence as Donna ceased. We did allow the memory residue to remain for just a few of you. When that happened, the two lines were joined. Cindy’s spirit, the one she just mentioned, took your spirit back in time and inserted you into the male embryo. We’re getting better at these early insertions. We learned a lot when we did Randi.
“So, what are your memories of your second childhood?” The Wizard probably knew all the answers; however, he wanted Don to explain things in his own words.
“I don’t remember anything about going back. The Wizard put me in a trance and that was the last thing I remembered until he woke me up last month. It’s amazing how parallel my second life was to my first one. Other than being treated like a boy, I didn’t sense much difference until that night Dad didn’t go to the store. Some other unfortunate person was shot instead.”
“That was your mother’s murderer.”
“Things continued to be great. I got a new sister, Mom was well, and Dad was promoted to colonel. Until I met The Wizard in Tyson Corner, I had no idea about this other life. I think things are going to be just wonderful. We’re going to be seniors in high school, and then there’s college. There’s going to be a lot going on.
“You look puzzled, Cindy. Is something bothering you?” The Wizard asked.
“Yes there is, and I imagine as I learn more, much of this will make more sense. I have magical abilities that I am just beginning to learn how to use. I suspect that this body always had these abilities, and when I was inserted into it, the abilities became mine. I think my little sister is in basically the same situation. Her spirit was inserted into a body that would have magical talent.”
“That’s true,” The Wizard said with a smile.
“But what about Bobbie?” she said then hesitated. “Oh dear ….”
“It’s okay, Cindy, Andy knows. I told him a while ago. He’s cool about it,” she said while smiling at Andy and squeezing his hand.
“Boy, I thought I screwed up big time there, but come to think of it, Andy hasn’t said a thing about all these changes we’ve been talking about. Of course he knew.”
The Wizard continued. “Bobbie’s transformation was a bit more difficult. Once the gift certificate was created, it was just a matter of execution. Then we realized something. There was a chance to continue the line. I’ve known Bobbie’s grandmother for years, but I hadn’t been aware of what happened. Naomi was very upset with herself about what happened to Sally, and cast a little obscuring spell. When you gifted Bobbie, some of my associates realized we had an excellent opportunity. We basically did a little gene splicing.
“For a lot of these transformations, we just insert some generic templates we have on hand to change the Y chromosome to an X chromosome. As you are well aware, I favor certain templates. When it comes to magic, there are no templates. We have to use what the individual has. In other words, we can’t take an ordinary mortal and turn her into a witch. Two things were in Bobbies favor. One was she was always a woman at heart.” Andy nodded his head in agreement. “The other thing was she was carrying the magic trait inherited from her mother. We duplicated the missing portion of the Y chromosome from her X chromosome and attached it. It worked perfectly, as you can see. We are very proud of how well it worked out.
“There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. There are all sorts of little loops in the time continuum to make these transformations appear to happen as fast as they do. There are many special affects, and sometimes some serious mind control. When I disguise myself, it’s all an optical illusion. I know Cindy can usually see through the disguises.”
“Your Wisdom, there has been something else that has been bothering Cindy and me for quite a while. Cindy was sensing, for want of a better word, wrongness, and I was sensing distress. It was intermittent. Sometimes we were bathed in it; then it would go away for a while.”
“So, do either of you sense anything right now?”
“No, I don’t. Do you Cindy?” Cindy shook her head.
“That’s because nothing is wrong anymore. If you think back to an earlier part of this discussion, you should already know. The problem is that both of you are a bit biased in favor of the female. Your abilities in gender issues have always been focused on the female in the male body, not the other way around. I’ll fix that with a little training. You knew something was wrong, you just couldn’t recognize what it was and focus in on it.”
It hit both girls at the same time. “Oh my gosh, it was Donna!” exclaimed Bobbie.
“Now Don,” said The Wizard. “The problem has been fixed. What was difficult for you was that Donna was a beautiful young woman. Either of you would have been very happy if you had turned out to be like Donna, and the thought never entered your minds that she might have been happier as Don. Well, it’s a moot point now.”
“Why didn’t you just change Donna into Don?” Cindy asked, already knowing what the answer was.
“Because, doing it this way fixed many more problems. Don would have had to live with the trauma that happened to Donna. This way, the knowledge is there, but the trauma is gone. Don’s parents are living, as are his brother and sister. We have eliminated an unfortunate portion of the time line. There are other reasons, too, but we will go into those later.
“I’ve sent a zip file to Bobbie and Cindy’s computers. There’re two spells in it that you need to learn. The first will help you overcome your bias to FTM individuals. You will do a lot of good there. The second one will be obvious to you when you read it.
“Bobbie, just a little advice, when you get to the 12th at Augusta, use your nine iron. Forget the wedge.”
”ƒ
“Andy and I need to do some shopping,” Bobbie said. Her intention was obviously to let the two reunited lovers have some more time alone. “Why don’t you let Don take you home? I know you have a lot more to discuss.”
“Bobbie, I do have a question before you go. How much of this were you aware of? It doesn’t bother me if you were. I just have a feeling that there was much more awareness on your part than you are letting on. I saw you and Donna talking several times, and it was obvious you didn’t want me in on it.
“There’s another thing, now I finally understand why Donna was so up tight those last few weeks.”
Don didn’t give Bobbie a chance to answer. “I went to Bobbie for several reasons. I still had trouble understanding why you didn’t have a boyfriend. I think I was a bit insecure about our relationship. I loved you so much, and feared I would lose you. Bobbie told me you had a very liberal opinion about interpersonal relationships, and that your feelings wouldn’t change whether I was male or female. That just supported what you had told me.
By this time they were walking back to the parking lot. “Then The Wizard contacted me on my computer. I was a bit surprised, but by then I had pretty much accepted this whole magic thing. That was when he told me about your origins. I was surprised, but he was very convincing. I realized, too, that it didn’t really matter. I knew about transgendered individuals, although before then I don’t think I considered myself transgendered, and I realized how fortunate Cindy and Bobbie were.
“The Wizard revealed his plan to me, and said there wasn’t much time. I couldn’t tell Cindy, but I could ask Bobbie. I imagine it was one of those discussions you came upon. She explained about what happened to her and how wonderful it was. Even though I knew my situation was more complicated, it was Bobbie’s assurances that made my decision to go forward easy. I was scared, though. I was so afraid I would lose Cindy, but Bobbie assured me again that Cindy loved me. It didn’t matter what body I was in, Cindy would always love me. I know Cindy felt something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t tell her.”
“I couldn’t tell her either,” Bobbie added, “however; The Wizard contacted me this morning and told me to take Cindy to the park. I knew then, everything was going to be alright.
“This is so wonderful!” Bobbie joyfully exclaimed.
They parked next to Marissa Lewis’s car and walked, hands tightly clasped, through the service entrance into the large country kitchen. Marissa was working on some culinary project.
“Mom, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”
They had stopped just a couple of feet behind her. Marissa turned, wiping her hands on the apron. She hardly hesitated before grabbing Don in a loving embrace and smothering him in kisses. “I am so glad you are here. Cindy has been an absolute mess since you took off on that journey of yours. Thank God everything worked out. Now we can get back to normal around here.” There were some tears in her eyes.
“MOM, YOU KNEW!”
“Of course I knew. When I realized that magic was involved, I contacted that wizard of yours and gave him a piece of my mind. The nerve of him: making my daughter so miserable. He assured me that everything was going to work out just fine. I was about to try to go over his head, I was so mad. He promised me that all these temporal shenanigans were over as far as you two were concerned.
“How did you contact him?”
“Well, I do have a computer in my office, and I am your mother, young lady, and until you are of age, I have a responsibility to look out for your welfare. I am not going to go snooping in your computer or Randi’s, or Tom’s for that matter, but I do have a right to know what’s going on. I made that very clear to His Wisdom a long time ago. I think he’s very understanding, in spite of his not having a child of his own.
“I have a lot of power, you know, since all my daughters will be witches.
“Don, your family is coming over for dinner. Of course they have no idea what’s been going on between you two, and I imagine it will be a long time before they do, if ever. We know what to say and not say, and so do the Schmedlaps. They will eventually learn about the magic, but now is not the time.
“Now, about you two: obviously things have taken on a bit of a different perspective. I know what you have between you is not an infatuation. Mothers know these things, and your mother, Don, will find out soon enough how strong the bond is between you and Cindy. You have been making love for a long time, and it would be foolish of me to expect you to stop now; however, I am not ready to be a grandmother, and I don’t want grandchildren who are older than any children I may have in the future.
“Could you use a little restraint for a while? And, above all, use protection. Young lady, you are going on the pill immediately, and as you know, it takes a while for them to take effect.”
“Mom, I am still a virgin; however, I do intend to take care of that in a while.” Cindy looked back over her shoulder at Don who was standing behind her and hugging her to him. “Our first time together before was very special, and I intend our first time together again to be just as special. The one thing for sure will be that it will be planned. I will let you know. You are going to have a lot of grandbabies, and we will contribute to that number. Don’t worry; it’s going to be a while. I don’t intend to be a teenage mother.”
Randi took that moment to come bounding in from wherever she had been playing, three cats right on her heels. “Mom, I’m thirsty.
“Hi Cindy, Hi Don. Don, you sure are handsome. We’re sure glad you’re back. Cindy was real unhappy.”
Maddy and the kittens began winding around Cindy and Don’s ankles; they jumped onto the counter and received some strokes and chin scratches. “Well, if you had to be a boy, you’ve done pretty well. I guess it’s okay. [Just kidding.]”
“I heard that Maddy,” Don picked her up, turned her over, and scratched her tummy.
“[You did! Well this certainly puts a different light on things. Come on girls. Don’t forget to kill those fleas. We have some lessons to go over].”
Dinner was a very enjoyable affair. The younger children were being feted with pizza at the Schmedlaps, while the adults and older children were seated at the Lewis’s house. Both of Bobbie’s brothers were at college on the west coast, and did not attend.
The Brewers were very pleasant dinner companions. Bob Brewer was not eaten up by having spent 22 years in the Air Force. He had two early promotions and was being groomed for a flag (general’s) position. He knew he was in line for a star, but had decided he needed a better grounded life. “I bought my soul back when I put in for retirement,” he said as Hilda held his hand. “This is going to allow us to do a lot of family things that we haven’t been able to do before. My blood pressure dropped 20 points the day I handed in those papers in.
“Don really got our attention a few weeks ago when he told us about a certain young lady he had met at camp. Imagine our surprise when it turned out to be this beautiful young lady, and that she was the daughter of my new boss. I think there were other reasons he was happy to come here. He says they have an excellent soccer program and a very good cross country program at the high school. He’s already getting a lot of attention from several universities that are offering athletic scholarships. However, I think the biggest reason he’s happy we’re coming here is Cindy.
“There was a time I had hoped he would try to get into one of the academies. Now I’m glad he didn’t. Hilda and I talked about this for a long time. We want to stop moving around, and the kids have said the same thing. When I came up here to talk to Stan, Amos, and the rest, I was sure this was the place. Now I know there are many reasons to be glad we are here.”
Cindy, Bobbie, and Don excused themselves from the table. Andy was coming over, and the four were going to hang out somewhere. Andy was going to be going to College at Wake Forest on a Golf Scholarship. His game had improved considerably over the last year, and he was the best male golfer on the team, just not the best golfer. Bobbie had never given up that honor.
There were many more important things than golf going on in the minds of the four young lovers that night: four young lovers who had not yet taken that last step in consummating a relationship. Cindy and Donna had made love many times, but it wasn’t that ultimate man and woman thing. Now they had been given that chance. It would probably work to Don’s advantage that he knew every little spot on Cindy’s body that elicited the responses they so enjoyed; however, there was that one special thing that they could never have done before now. Truthfully, there would be no rush. It would happen in the not too distant future. Right now they just had each other and that was enough.
Andy parked the car on the bluff overlooking the river. They talked about their future, some of their hopes and dreams, but mostly the two couples just held on to each other.
It was an out of the way bed and breakfast in the Berkshires about 75 miles from their home town. They had arrived late in the afternoon, and taken their single piece of luggage to the remote cottage. They freshened up, and then went to a nice little out of the way restaurant. The waiter never batted an eye when the young man ordered two glasses of white wine with dinner. Neither of them finished the glass.
The couple talked quietly, and frequently held hands over the table. There was no doubt in the minds of several of the other customers that the two were newlyweds. They were a bit premature in that guess.
The couple made their way back to the inn. He locked the door and secured the curtains. They met in the center of the room and while kissing, slowly undressed each other. He gently cradled her breasts in his hands and then lowered his lips, gently caressing her nipples. Then he led her to the bath, and they joined each other in the shower. They finally were able to join the jigsaw puzzle images they had of each other’s bodies into one image. After gently drying each other, they returned to the bedroom.
“I was going to invoke the El Paso Rules; however, I don’t think I will be able to because of a technicality. It doesn’t seem to be hanging. I would have been worried if it was. Now come here and make love to me. I think we have waited long enough.”
They didn’t get much sleep.
Next: Part 2 will be coming along in a month or two. We will start with Cindy’s senior year in high school. We’ll just have to see how far we can get. There are many mysteries that we have barely scratched the surface of. There is the overriding concern about The Wizard’s interest in all this. Why is he so involved? We may not find out for a while yet. We may not even find out before the end of Part 2 of the high school years.
Thank you for reading. I would love to hear from you.
Portia