The Trading Post

Arthur: Back home, sort of.

We finally did catch a cab last Friday. I gave the address Nell had written down; the cabbie took us to a place on the Bay. Drew helped me with my luggage while the cab waited; when we got to the door of Nell's condo he said he imagined the neighbors had seen this scene a few times. I said I imagined that was true, and they probably couldn't believe how different this time was.

"Well, good night. Meter's running."

He started walking away. "Hey," I said, "give me a call when you wake up tomorrow morning. I'll show you around the city."

"Sounds like a good idea." He waved goodbye and then pressed the button on the elevator. It opened immediately, leaving me alone in the doorway. I tried two or three different key combinations to open the lock and deadbolt, then dragged Nell's luggage in.

Her condo is a studio, and though it's not small, there's plenty of stuff in it: The plasma television is on a swivel mount so that it can be viewed from either the bed, treadmill, or a love seat. The kitchenette has a floating bar with a couple of stools that must be where she ate her meals, since I couldn't see a table. One door leads out to a small deck; there was a window in that one. Another led to a closet, and the next one I tried led to the bathroom.

After disposing of the bottled waters I drank on the plane, I took the new toothbrush that I'd bought two weeks earlier out of its container and brushed my teeth, studying my new face in the mirror. I'd had a couple days to get used to it, but I was still noticing new things. There's a spot under my jaw that evidently just doesn't tan, for instance. I also need a little practice in dealing with this hair; while I'd let my hair grow to about shoulder length as Liz, the hair I'd inherited from Nell was longer, and I wound up spitting toothpaste onto it when I leaned over the sink. Suddenly, all those girls in college who'd told me that a true friend was one who held her hair back when she had to puke made a lot more sense.

I got it out with a towel and then looked at my watch. Three AM? That couldn't be possible... Oh, right, Eastern time. Winding it back to almost midnight didn't make me less tired, though. I stumbled out of the bathroom and to the bed, dropping shoes, socks, and shorts along the way. I kept the t-shirt on, though - I'd gotten used to wearing a nightshirt to bed as Liz, and although Nell's luggage indicated she was more a "just panties" girl, that wasn't me. I crawled under the covers and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

There was no alarm, but I woke up before seven, local time, anyway. I stretched a little to get the kinks out of my back, and it felt pretty good. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Nell's treadmill and I figured, well, it's early and this would be a pretty good habit to get into. I spent a few minutes getting the TV turned on and around, smiling a little when I saw she had left it tuned to ESPN. I have to admit that the operation of the machine threw me a little; it was split down the middle, had poles on the side with which to work the arms, a strap to wrap around the wrist to measure heart rate, and controls to increase and decrease steepness, resistance, and all sorts of other settings. I just left it as is and started jogging in place.

I didn't stop for about forty-five minutes, by which point I'd only worked up a small sweat. I was kind of surprised; the odometer said I'd run five miles, and I never did that. I had a new admiration for the body I'd inherited as I took my shower; as much as the obvious physical differences between me and Lizhad been impossible to ignore, I'd never really noticed a difference in how I felt, not like I did at that moment. For the first time in months, my breasts weren't my primary focus as I observed my naked body - the overall combination of softness and strength was.

There was nothing edible in the refrigerator or cabinets - two planned weeks away and another two on top of that made sure of it - so I threw on some clothes to find some coffee and bagels. It was a little chilly - cooler than Maine, especially in the mornings and evenings. This wasn't my old neighborhood, but I'd been here before, and after so long in Boston, it was like rediscovering my home town all over again. I ate, and then jogged back to the condo to see what I could learn about Nell beyond what was in the letter.

It was almost one o'clock when Drew called me. I told him I'd be right over, and then headed right out. His new place was a little pricier than mine, with more rooms and a nice view of Telegraph Hill.

We basically spent the day zigzagging the town; I showed him how to get from his home to his office via public transportation, and then from there to the various places listed in his address book and day-planner for the next few weeks. He was hoping that's all that he'd need, and even took a call from New-Drew while we were doing this.

Dinner was at a little jazz bar I knew. He had a little too much to drink and I got him home.

"Why don't you stay? I've already checked - there's a drawer full of stuff for a tall girl in the dresser."

"And just one bed - not even a sofa, just a matching set of recliners."

"I'm sure we could find some way to share."

He smiled charmingly, and I kissed him on the top of the head. "Ah, Drew, Drew, Drew. If I were in your place, I'd want to try my new equipment out for something other than peeing, too, but you'll have to find someone else."

"Why? I am your boyfriend, after all."

"Ah, see, that's why not. Call it a 'New Body's Resolution' - no sleeping with anyone that the last person with this body did, just because she did. That got me in enough trouble already."

"Don't know what you're missing."

Maybe not. But after all the drama with Ray and Stewart, I think I can live with that.

-Art

Labels: Arthur, condo, Drew, exercise, San Francisco, tour

posted @ 11:26 PM 1 comments

Trip / Kat - Home... uncomfortable

I've never felt so vulnerable and on-display as I did on the drive home. It wasn't enough that the tight jeans and bra kept annoying me as I drove, but the having to stop and pee every few hours made me even more insecure than before. I could feel my heart start to race and my stomach start to turn at every stop. I could almost feel the men staring at me. I kept trying to ignore the feeling, and the thoughts of what they were thinking as they stared at my new form. I had to push-down thoughts of the more sinister things they might be thinking - reminding myself that those evil actions are not that common... that I wasn't like that; that my friends are not like that.

Jadyn kept assuring me that we'd be fine... as long as I listened to her advice of what places were safe and which ones were not. It only took the first rest-stop for me to decide that she was correct in her suggestion that we NOT drive straight-through back to Iowa. I decided that it would probably be more prudent to be someplace safe at night, rather than being at-risk on the road somewhere.

I was so glad when we finally got home Sunday night. I still didn't feel completely comfortable, but I felt safe.

Monday morning I faced a challenge that I hadn't really given much thought to - How to interact with Mom and Dad. I've known these two people all my life as their son, and now I'm their niece. I had to think quickly, try to remember how Kat addressed them. I must have done okay, they didn't seem to notice anything strange.

I suppose that last statement is nearly as confusing to everyone reading this, as it is to me. So, since I haven't mentioned this before, Kat's parents were killed by a drunk driver several years ago and she came to live with my parents.

Fortunately for me now, I also happened to be living with my Mom and Dad at the time, between jobs. So I remember some of those first few months that we were all living under the same roof. Since I don't... didn't live too far from home after finding my own place, I still visited pretty often. Perhaps I'm one of the luckiest people the inn has victimized - I've got some prior knowledge of the life and people in the life of the person I've become.

Still, the moment felt weird... everything still feels weird.

Talking about weird, yesterday's family gathering was surreal, really. I felt like I didn't really belong. I wanted to scream to the world what had happened, but I was afraid... afraid of what would happen if everyone believed me, and more afraid of what would happen if they didn't. I decided that perhaps if someone notices something out of place with 'Kat', that perhaps they would be open enough to believe the truth. So here I am surrounded by people who've known both Kat & I since birth... and nobody detects that anything is wrong or even different. Maybe they just attribute it the long drive back from Maine. My silence feels like a prison.

I found that the feelings of vulnerability must go hand-in-hand with a woman's life, they just don't seem to go away. Mom insisted that I wear a nice dress to the family gathering. I know how the rest of the family frowns on too casual of dress for these occasions once you've reached your teens. I really didn't have much choice but to comply, the last thing I need right now are more problems. This wasn't the first time I've worn a dress, but it is the first time I've worn one since I was a child... and the first time I've worn one in public. I thought that I was on-display and vulnerable when I was wearing tight jeans and a t-shirt... but the dress amplified those feelings so much more. I could feel the breeze blowing around under the dress, causing chills to go through me as I thought of how naked I felt wearing such a thin piece of material... and not much else.

I don't know how long it will take me to get used to being a girl. I can't tell you the number of times I had to remind myself to keep my legs closed. Even though we were at a family event at the church, and my dress was long enough to prevent anyone from getting a nice view of my underwear, keeping my legs closed was something that I would have to get used to.

Darren's right about one thing... I'm very glad that I have Jadyn to go to when I need help with this "being-a-girl" stuff. I've got more questions for her, such as the proper way to pee when wearing a dress. I think I did okay just gathering it up and in front of me, to rest on my legs... but it was a bit of a hassle keeping it there.

Well, I guess I'm going to log off now and get ready to help Jadyn unpack. That should prove interesting with this new body.

Labels: cousins, feeling vulnerable, home, Inn, Jadyn, parents

posted @ 7:51 AM 3 comments

Darren/Jamie: “There’s Too Much Confusion Here”

From the moment I awoke Thursday morning I’ve been a wreck. This just isn’t happening! Never in my life has every minute passed with such slow agonizing uncertainty wondering… waiting for something to happen. I’m actually afraid and I haven’t felt this way since I was a boy sitting in my room just waiting for my father to come home and punish me for whatever mischievous thing I’d done.

I’m a girl, a chick! I didn’t choose this; I don’t want this! My whole life has been turned up side down. I hardly know what I’m going to do next. For the past few days I’ve been trying to make sense of this; trying to regain some composure. It’s taken me awhile to do that and to have the desire to put any of this down “on paper”.

As time wore on the less I was able delude myself into believing this was all a dream…a terrible nightmare from which I’d awake. It’s not enough to avoid looking into a mirror and seeing how feminine I’ve become. Each moment in this new body brings with it an alien sensation whether it be laying still or moving I’m constantly reminded of my changed form. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch feeling that something is missing or knowing that something exists where it shouldn’t.

As I breathe I feel the weight upon my chest. As I walk I feel the sway of my hips and the emptiness between my legs. Even standing still makes me realize how much smaller I am by how much larger the furniture in the room seems to be. The slightest turn of my head brushes hair along my shoulders and back; the touch of which tickles my skin. It’s so annoying; my skin is much softer and sensitive. I feel I must be ill to have such heightened senses. I feel trapped; there must be some way out of here?

Thinking back there wasn’t anything strange about that night except for the heat. It was a perfect night, in the seventies, but I felt warm all over. That night I just slept in my boxers. I didn’t even cover myself with the bed sheet.

I don’t know how I didn’t scream that morning. Instead I was more awe struck. I shivered as the air was fresh. As I sat up to pull the blanket over me I felt “them” shift. When I looked down my eyes widened. There were breasts on my bare chest. I had tits! My nipples were erect stiffened by the cool morning air. Reflexively my hands rose up underneath almost cupping “them”. A wondrous fear gripped me. I didn’t know how big they were only that they felt big. It didn’t register to me if they were large or if it was because my hands had become just that much smaller.

My jaw dropped as my eyes followed the curves of my feminine physique along my arms, down my torso, towards long slender legs. “What the Hell?” I breathed with astonishment. Faintly I heard the words, but was more perplexed by the sound of the female voice that carried them. Getting out of bed I tried to walk, but found myself stumbling to the bathroom mirror. I felt dizzy my balance was shaky.

Whatever disorientation I felt disappeared when I reached the mirror and saw my reflection. I was stunned… I still am. Amidst all the other changes the first thing I noticed about “my” face was the eyes. They were both a bluish green. They complimented the blonde locks that fell over my shoulders to the small of my back. I’m still hesitant to go into any further detail as I don’t yet know how to feel about any of this; especially how I look. It’s a terrifyingly twisted fact that this body is so undeniably girlish and gorgeous. If only I were still a man.

I was jolted from my state of fear and wonder by screaming. Instinctively I felt I had to act… to help. Only I was far from being in a position to assist; I was the one in need of help. And, I was still aimlessly walking about in my boxers. Boxers that now stretched uncomfortably over wider hips. I found the pair of shorts and t-shirt that I had been wearing the day earlier flung over a chair. Though they fit me poorly, these clothes would have to do for now. In some places they were a little tight and in others very loose. At least I was no longer running around in my underwear. Barefoot I left my room and headed in the direction of the yelling.

It turns out there were more puzzled and scared guests at the inn. I was not the only one; several others had been transformed. A tall girl and a dark haired man seemed to be the ones “in charge”. They didn’t seem unsettled or emotional. I approached them and spoke my name. Before I could say more the tall girl said,

“My name is Art and this is Drew,” gesturing to the man beside her. She still saw that I looked confused. “Maybe you remember us better as Liz and Daphne?” Then she made a sympathetic face, “I guess you believe us now, don’t you?”

“It’s all true! The blog… the curse… all of this is really happening?” I exclaimed. The two nodded affirmatively as I slumped against the wall.

“Are you okay,” asked Drew. I nodded “yes” but I don’t think I looked too convincing. “I know what I’m going to say won’t sound like much comfort now, but you’ll adjust; it just takes time… you’ll feel better,” continued Drew. I know both of them were just trying to console me, but for the moment I wasn’t my positive self.

In the back of mind, I was on the verge of freaking out knowing that Drew was the very girl I had been hitting on all last week. We’d gone out for drinks, played volleyball together, and if this change hadn’t happened I would have asked her to dinner that night. Now it’s all upside down. Now I’m a girl and Daphne… Drew is a guy. Even as we talked I was acutely aware of the fact that all three of us were sneaking peeks at each other’s new bodies. I suppose checking each other out was only natural; especially given how attractive we’d all become. However, that realization did not make me feel better.

Art and Drew started to give me a refresher about the curse and the inn. Our talk had a calming effect because at least someone knew what was happening; that eased my nerves. They were giving me direction, which helped me to focus. They asked if I had read my letter; if I knew “who” I was. What an odd question that seemed to be when they asked it. I had not found the letter. It was then that I remembered the luggage in the closet. I noticed it when I had first checked in; but I had largely ignored the bags as they didn’t belong to me. I guess they do now?

Drew’s attention went elsewhere and proceeded to walk in the direction of another man. He seemed to recognize the person. But, before he left he said that if I wanted to talk that we could hang out later. I thought the gesture was nice. He made me feel better. By then another anxious guest began to question Art. Composed, for now, I left them and returned to my room to search for the letter in the belongings of the person that used to inhabit this body. There were two bags. Inside the larger one I found clothes, shoes, and other feminine things I presume a girl wants when traveling. There was also make up and some jewelry too. In the smaller bag there was a purse and a lap top. Inside the purse I found a hand written note. The writing looked like a man’s. There was no cash but there was a debit card and some credit cards. The name on the cards matched that of the driver’s license. At last I had a name to go with the face, “Jaime Jay Connor” of New York, NY. Then I read the note, which simply read:

To the NEW ME,

Take good care of my body. For the time being you are Jaime Connor and you are living my life. I’m going to want it back! There must be a way to switch back! Until then, everything you need to know about me is in the laptop. My password and log-in are written on the back of this note. All the files are in the folder called “Jaime”. I’ve written down everything I can think of that will be important for you to pretend to be me. I’m just following the instructions in the letter I got from the guy I became. You should do the same for the person who will become you.

Whoever you are I’m just as scared as you are. I want this to end as soon as possible. This is a nightmare! Hopefully we will meet soon and together find a solution. Until then, I’m counting on you!

Jaime

Just like Art and Drew had said the note revealed my new identity and reiterated what I must do. I opened up my own laptop and set about writing down everything I could think of that was important for the person who would assume my life and become me. It is said that in the moment before one dies your life flashes before your eyes. If that is the case then I was dying; my life flashing in my mind with a flood of thoughts and memories that made me feel even more disembodied.

When I had finished my mini bio, to the “NEW ME”, I began to feel heartache welling up from within. Putting my life in terms so that another person could understand who I am and how to be me was perhaps the last torture left for this place to have wrought. Not only was I leaving my life behind I was preparing it for another to take over. I saw how good my life was and how much more promise and potential I had yet to live in it. I could feel myself turning from tears to anger, for having my dreams stolen from me. I want my life back!

I spent the remainder of that day alone in my room sulking except when I ventured out to the lobby to pay for a pizza I had ordered on my cell. I did not relish the idea of leaving the inn and being out in public. This feeling of seclusion was further intensified by the gawking teenage kid who delivered the pie; he too checked me out much to my chagrin.

As I was walking back to my room I turned a corner bumping into a girl. She apologized as did I then she spoke again, “Darren, is that you? It’s me Trip,” smiled the girl pleased to see me.

“You know who I am?” I replied somewhat surprised.

“Well, I met Art and Drew earlier. Drew said you’d also been transformed into a girl… a cute blonde,” explained Trip. The “Cute Blonde”, so that’s how people were describing and recognizing me? I sighed. I sighed again when I caught myself checking out Trip, who was now also quite attractive. Trip didn’t seem all that surprised and just smiled.

To break the awkward moment, I offered to share the pizza. I was hungry, but not hungry enough to eat a whole pizza. Trip seemed just as happy as I was not to have to leave the inn for food. We went back to Trip’s room where I was introduced to Jaydn. She too was pretty. Even though Jadyn had changed it was fortunate that she was still the same sex. I think I’d be coping with this situation much better if I’d still remained a guy. We started commiserating over our transformations.

As the evening wound down Trip and Jadyn asked if they could show their appreciation to which I replied, “I don’t know how?” Trip then nudged Jadyn who then offered to do something about my clothes. I was still wearing my male clothes, which had become bothersome and increasingly uncomfortable. Not knowing anything about female clothes I gave Jadyn and Trip a half hearted nod of approval. Since all of us were supposed to be checking out the next day, Jadyn selected something comfortable for me to wear; a pair of jeans, a white top, and open toed sandals from Jaime’s bags.

The following morning everyone at the inn was anxious and apprehensive getting ready to leave. I had spent the morning folding all of my things, Darren’s things. Somehow it felt like I was saying “goodbye” when I tucked my bags neatly into the closet tidily setting aside my life. And there I was wearing Jaime’s panties and bra, walking in her shoes, and lugging with some effort her bags to her rental car; getting ready to “live” her life. It was hard to stay positive with the feeling that I had already surrendered.

Before driving away I made sure to see Liz, Daphne, Trip, and Jadyn one last time. I told them that I’d stay in touch through the blog. I don’t know if they realized this, but as I see it I’m on my own. Liz and Daphne know each other as do Trip and Jadyn. I have no such friends to lean on as I cope. I’m all alone on this one.

I decided to drive up to Portland and booked a room at the hotel I had planned to stay at when I was still a guy. I’m not ready to drive down to NYC and to Jaime’s life. So for the long Memorial Day weekend I’ve just been keeping to myself and studying what Jaime wrote in her laptop. I’m still afraid, but not like that first day.

Maybe that’s progress?

posted @ 2:16 AM 2 comments

Arthur/Penelope: No time to get used to it.

People were looking for answers all day yesterday. I wish I'd had more to give them, but I wanted certain ones myself. It looks like I won't get those until I actually track Jeremy down and choke them out of him.

The last thirty-six hours or so were just crazy, though. I didn't sleep at all Wednesday night, waiting to see who I'd become and then reacting to it, and then it seemed as though everyone needed their hand held at some point during the day, and I was elected. I've been writing little bits of this for the past two days and haven't had a chance to post it until finding some Wi-Fi at the SF airport while waiting for a cab to take me "home".

I guess it was sort of logical that people would look to me; there were four of us who had been through this process before, and one slipped out early in the morning, probably returning to his life without much fanfare. That left Jeff, who despite having actually managed to get what he wanted out of the Inn this time, is a 19-year-old kid, and Drew was giving the new person who looked like him (henceforth "new-Drew") a lot of one-on-one time. That left me as the sole person available who wasn't panicking and looked like she might be somehow authoritative. It's weird; I don't look that much older than I did as Liz, but the extra bulk and height seem to make up for it and then some. I haven't had time to measure myself yet, but I've got to be pretty close to six feet tall. I suspect most people were operating on the instinct that the tall woman who stays calm is mommy, and mommy knows everything.

I don't know everything, obviously, but I was able to at least impart what we had discovered: That the changes that the Inn had made to us could be reversed by its own mechanism, but you had to be careful - it seems to work by proximity to where the last person was, not assigned room, and you would have to co-ordinate with the person who would become you sometime in the next week - and as you can see, that's not always reliable.

I must have said that two dozen times yesterday, which is remarkable since there were only thirteen people changed. I won't get into details on everyone, just that it looks like this Paul Miller guy apparently wasn't full of shit like we initially expected; there are folks running around with IDs that say Paul Miller and Ivumi Saito. Also? Dealing with the airlines is a pain in the neck. Drew/R.J. and I got pretty darn hosed buying tickets to get out to SF; we paid through the nose and got charged for the tickets they hadn't used two weeks ago besides. At least we didn't have to deal with a rental car - R.J. had dropped that off at the Portland Jetport; some people here are dealing with two weeks of rental fees for a car that had just been sitting in the parking lot.

With yesterday mostly devoted to other people, that made today the first day of the rest of my life, I guess. It was a beautiful day, at least - the sun was shining when I woke up at ten o'clock and the weather report was saying it might hit ninety degrees, so I put a bikini on under my t-shirt and shorts just in case I wanted to do some beach stuff before leaving Old Orchard Beach. I spent the next hour writing a letter to Liz - fortunately, there's not much to tell in this situation; she knows everyone she's going to meet back in Boston. I also sent a couple text messages while I still had Liz's phone. Then Jeff, Drew, new-Drew and I went to the Oceanside Lodge to sign out.

I should have mentioned this last year, but either the people there know something but keep it under their hats or the thing which keeps people from believing us covers them, too. I suppose I could get away with signing "Elizabeth Lee", but Drew as he is now signing something "Daphne" is a stretch. But they look at it and react normally, and they acted just like everybody else when new-Drew tried to say who he really was: "Yeah, right" followed by them acting like he hadn't just said something strange.

Just as we were walking away from the counter, a stylish young woman entered and asked if she could pick up her keys for the Trading Post. The man at the counter said that check-in time was three o'clock; the woman said she'd wait and took a seat in the lobby. I looked at her over my shoulder, and after we were a few steps away I said that might be Liz.

None of them believed it, and I said they were probably right. She looked kind of like how Lyn described Liz/Marie, but what were the odds? Jeff said I might want to go in and talk to her, just in case.

"Are you kidding? What would seeing me like this do other than make her feel guilty. Might as well let her just get back to her life."

Jeff and new-Drew parted ways from us then; they wanted to get on the 1:05 train to Boston because they'd managed to find a 4:30 flight to Detroit. That left us with a couple hours to kill, so we went back to the beach.

By a stroke of luck, we found the same two guys we'd seen two days ago. They didn't recognize us, of course, but were still looking for a game. Their eyes widened when I doffed my clothes and they saw the AVP logo on my suit, joking that they were glad they hadn't decided to put money on the game.

Not that they would have done badly. I may have inherited Penelope Lincoln's physique, but not any sort of talent as a volleyball player. Barring Wednesday, I hadn't played in a while, and my reactions were all off from the new body anyway. I backed into Drew several times because I expected my strides to be a foot shorter and didn't know my own strength while serving.

Being able to jump up and spike the ball hard into the ground is awesome, though. Even if I missed half the time, I never got tired of it.

Eventually, Drew said we were going to cut the train close and we shook the hands of our new friends and congratulated them on a good game before getting on the train and heading back to Boston.

We got into Boston right on time at 5:30, thinking it might be tight making our flight. Still, I spent a couple minutes looking around the station before I saw who I was looking for. "Lyn! Over here!"

I guess she's not used to responding to that nickname, especially from a strange voice; she didn't look my way at all. I let my long legs carry me across the crowded area and tapped her on the shoulder. That made her look at me. "Do I know you?"

I was expecting that. "Yeah, you do. It's me. Arthur."

She had the look for a second - the look that says this is impossible - but she fought it off and gave me a hug. "I'm sorry," she said, "I've been reading the blog and should have recognized you. And I'm sorry that you're not yourself again, or at least R.J."

"Hey," I said, "don't worry about it. I'll live."

"Good. My god, you're so tall. I think you might be taller than my boyfriend."

"And would you believe she's got heels in her suitcase??"

Lyn laughed at that before asking if she could treat us to dinner. I told her I didn't have time, that our flight left at 6:40, but I just wanted her to know what I looked like now, and make sure she believed me. She thanked me for that and said she wouldn't keep me. I leaned over to give her another hug.

I hope I didn't make her cry again - saying goodbye twice is kind of mean, but it's important that she believe in me. You can't take anything for granted in our lives.

-Art

Labels: Arthur, Ashlyn, Boston, Drew, Inn, Jeff, letter, Liz, New-Drew, San Francisco, Train, volleyball

posted @ 2:06 AM 2 comments

Trip - Oh dear God, they weren't joking!

I'm not sure how to begin this post... it's just too... unreal.

I still feel sick in the stomach, things like this just don't happen. Or, well... I just don't know anymore.

Last night my friend, Jadyn, and I, fell asleep after a couple hard days of packing things into truck and trailer. We were hoping that the weather would be nice today so we could enjoy some of the local sights before my cousin Kat, and Jadyn's younger sister Jaci returned.

I was awakened this morning by an hysterical Jaci. The fact that Jaci was strangely hysterical (being hysterical is completely not a normal behavior for Jaci), wasn't as surprising as the fact that she was in the room - that would mean that Kat & Jaci returned from their little excursion sometime after I fell asleep. It was when I heard Jaci screaming for Kat to get up while I was being shaken awake, that I sprung into action - I thought that something must be wrong with Kat. As I bolted upright in bed, I realized something was wrong... VERY wrong! I was just starting to ask what happened to Kat when I noticed there was something wrong with my voice... and there was hair falling in my eyes... my hair! I don't have long hair, or at least, I shouldn't.

This couldn't be... My thoughts turned to this inn's curse that I was warned about. I slipped out of bed and headed straight for the mirror on the dresser in the room. I needed to confirm my suspicions. Even though I was pretty certain what I would see in the mirror, I was still woefully unprepared for the reflection staring back at me. I started to feel light-headed, and before I could brace myself, I fainted.

I've never fainted in my life before this. But then, I'm no longer my normal self.

When I came-to a few minutes later, Jaci was asking if I was okay. I wasn't sure how to answer. She kept me from getting back up right away, probably a smart thing. As I put things together in my mind and realized that what had happened was real, I responded with one simple question to the girl who looked like Jaci... "Jadyn?" A look of relief momentarily washed across Jaci... Jadyn's face and she nodded. I tried to explain the note that I found when I arrived, and what I remembered from this blog about the inn supposedly having a curse. She kept on screaming at me, calling me Kat, and demanding that I tell her what really happened, and for me to give her her body back. I kept trying to tell her that I really was telling the truth, as far as I knew it. I think she finally started to believe me, and calmed down.

I let Jadyn know that I would be okay and again stood to take a look at myself again. My reflection looked a bit different from I remember to be Kat's appearance - probably because I'm not used to seeing it in a mirror - but it was definitely Kat's reflection. The long chestnut hair with very loose curls, the deep green eyes, the olive - almost bronze colored skin. Even fresh out of bed, she still looked beautiful. It was amazing to watch Kat's reflection move as if it was my own. I flipped my head a bit to deal with some stray hair in my face and the action resembled so much, Kat's mannerisms that a smile appeared in my new reflection - the same smile that I loved to see her wear.

The smile disappeared, as the warm happiness that I was feeling just seconds ago was replaced by a cold shiver that went through me. I was angry and disgusted with myself that I had just moments ago felt pleased... almost joyous at seeing my own cousin's reflection in the mirror. I should explain - It's not that I saw Kat the way a man does when he desires a woman - I mean, she's fairly attractive and all - but she's my cousin. It's that I've always had this weight on my soul - I can't say that it was a desire or a need... maybe more of a curiosity... I've always wondered what it would be like to be a girl. And now... well... I'm torn. It's like a dream come true. But I have so many questions. And what about Kat - it isn't right for me to steal her life... or even to be so intimately close with her body - I mean, she's my cousin!

The guilt and conflict in me seemed to trigger a response that I wasn't prepared for. I cried.

It took a hug from and sharing some tears with Jadyn to settle both of us to a more productive state. The whole event was so overwhelming that I couldn't even begin to formulate questions at first, I don't think Jadyn could either. So we just looked at each other for a while.

My mind started to drift a bit and tried to think of Jadyn in a sexual manner - I needed to know just how changed I was. Jaci is or was... I guess it's Jadyn now who is a pretty girl, with fair skin, grey eyes, carmel-colored highlights in her dark-brown hair, her hair looks a bit more curled than... my own head of hair, and it's shorter too - ending just at the top of her shoulders. Jadyn's new body is quite curvy compared to my own new form. I look at her, but I'm not feeling any sexual attraction... at least not any more than I'd felt for Jaci when I was in my own skin. Jadyn must have sensed what I was thinking as a quizzical, yet playful, smirk painted her face. I giggled a little and I know I had to be blushing, Jadyn started to laugh too, but then recovered and asked, "So?" I told her what I'd been thinking, and the fact that I'm not sure what to make of things. She told me that she thought that I was indeed a girl now - as I was comparing my appearance to another woman. I'm not sure if she was joking or not, but I'm in no hurry to find out either.

We decided that we should probably try to learn more about this curse that has changed us. I brought up the blog and we read the entries together at first, and then Jadyn left me to finish while she went to freshen-up... something I was both dreading and looking forward to. I'll have to remember about the curse preventing others from believing that we are anyone other than whom we appear to be, something that I saw in Jadyn when I first tried to explain what happened. I wondered why I had very little question that Jadyn was now Jaci... or that I was now my own cousin. I'll have to see if anyone has an idea about that. I then became concerned nobody would believe me when I told them who I really was, and that they wouldn't trust me enough to help me... and if everyone here changed... how was I supposed to know who any of them were now? Would I even believe them if they told me? How can I trust that anyone is who they say they are? I guess I'll just have to have some faith that they'll believe me since they went through the cursed change too.

After some initial apprehension, Jadyn and I pulled out the girls' luggage to look for a note from them, anything to reveal just how much they knew about this place, and what has happened to us.

There were two letters from Kat... one was addressed specifically to me.

"Trip, I hope that you are the one to find these two letters. If not, you will never believe what I am about to write, so I'll keep it short..."

Kat went on to describe her confusion, the letter she found, and who she & Jaci were now... and that the other letter she left would have any additional information that I would need in order to be her.

My heart stopped when I read the next part. It seems that Kat choose me to be the new her (a very risky decision from what I see from Arthur's post). I won't go into detail, suffice to say that she seems to know me much better than I'd ever have given her credit for, and that the hurt I felt initially upon reading of her decision was replaced with a feeling of being truly loved and cared-for. This crying thing is going to get old fast, I hope it doesn't take too long to get some control over my emotions.

Kat also gave me her... his new number and that the being out of contact was merely a story to hide the unbelievable truth without raising undue worry. So I called Kat, who is now some guy named Pete, and we talked for a short while.

I'd have never in my life thought that Kat would trust anyone, much less me, to be in a position to be so intimately close to her body, and yet I'm the only one she felt safe entrusting it to. To be given such trust, and on such an intimate level, will be a very difficult challenge to live up to.

After Jadyn got off the phone with her sister we discussed our plan of attack. There really wasn't much we could do... the soonest that 'Trip' could return to this inn would be this fall, and neither Jadyn or I were in a financial position - even in our new identities - to book a return stay right now. So we're pretty-much stuck as the new Kat & Jaci for the time being.

I guess I'll take a cue from the others and make sure that the new Trip knows how to contact me - and then work out a plan later, after I have enough money to book a room here again.

Right now, Jadyn... I guess I should call her Jaci now, and I need to figure out how we are going to get back to Iowa, and what to do with two cars and a truck & trailer full of Jadyn's possessions.

Labels: change, Jaci, Jadyn, Kat, Pete

posted @ 9:29 PM 0 comments

Arthur: The New New Me

We didn't see anybody check in yesterday, but the veterans all gave each other a knowing look last night, when Trip's friend went into his room and didn't come out when he did. There were a couple other guests with us at the back entrance at the time, and they probably just thought it was a "good job Trip" thing - Jadyn is kind of cute, after all, now that I've had a chance to see the girl he talked about in his entries, if only in passing. I'd make a play for her, given a chance.

Which I won't have.

Jeff, Drew and I had a good last day as Brianna, Daphne, and Liz. It was a fairly sunny day, so we hit the beach. It wasn't quite nice enough to just wear the bikinis, but that seemed more a matter of etiquette than anything - the gauzy matching skirts we were wearing with our blue (me), green (Drew), and red (Jeff) swimwear didn't do a whole lot more than keep the breeze off our butts, but that's something. Drew's also covered Daphne's scar.

Jeff wasn't too sure of it at first; he came out of the Inn wearing a t-shirt. Drew wasn't having much of that - if we were letting it hang out, so was Jeff. He reluctantly removed it and tucked it underneath the strap of his bikini bottom. "I feel so exposed."

Drew smirked. "I bet you've been to the beach without a top before. Trust me on this - ever square inch that swimsuit doesn't cover sends a stronger message that you're not afraid and have nothing to worry about. Guys will want you, but they don't want to blow their chances by ticking you off."

"And where'd you gain that wisdom?" I was a bit skeptical, myself.

"St. Croix."

"On an office assistant's salary?"

"Hey, Daphne had some vacation time I couldn't roll over - we're going to talk about that policy when I'm myself again - and I wasn't anxious to spend the holidays with her family. Fortunately, the 'new Drew' felt the same way, so we booked a vacation at a big, non-cursed resort."

"Good deal."

"I enjoyed it. Now, let's see what's going on."

The answer: Not a whole lot. It was Wednesday, after all, before Memorial Day, but we did find a couple college guys setting up a volleyball net. They waved, Drew waved back, and we started talking. They were both juniors at the University of Maine, up in Orono (which I gather is somewhere near Bangor). They asked if we wanted to play, and we were up for it.

Sure, we said, but the teams were uneven. Drew said to just hold on a second, and started jogging back to the Inn. I could practically hear the guys thinking that they hate it when girls leave but enjoying the view as they walk away. I asked if they were thinking that, and one of them confessed. "Why, are you guys...?"

"Nah," Jeff said, "we just know how guys think."

In a few minutes, Drew came back with Darren. They'd gotten along pretty well the other night, and he seemed happy to let Drew lead him by the hand. Then we just had to choose up sides; it was clear Darren wanted to be with "Daphne", so I played with the guys; Jeff didn't look like he'd be comfortable. And, hey, if I were them, that's the way I'd want it; Drew and Jeff have more to jiggle than I do.

We weren't keeping score, but I think my team probably won most of the time.

We went back to the pier and got some ice cream after that, then spent the rest of the afternoon doing our individual things before meeting up for dinner: I was reading, finishing up a book I didn't figure to take back to California with me. Then, as I said, we saw Jadyn and Trip drive back in with a full truck and retire to his room.

I decided to stay up this time, in part just to gather information, and in part because I was worried about clothes digging into me as I was sleeping. Like Jeff said last year, we did start to feel a little something at around ten o'clock, not really like an itch or a rash, more like electricity in the air. Jeremy (or whoever was calling on his behalf) had been telling the truth about one thing; it was just a bit short of half past two when things really started to happen.

One of the things I'd always wondered about with this place is how it seems to disobey the laws of thermodynamics: After all, matter can neither be created nor destroyed. This place flouts that law, and it's the strangest thing I've ever felt. When you eat, you feel the new weight collecting in your stomach, but this was like a thousand tiny IVs were attached to my body, some penetrating deep, pumping more material into my body that was instantly assimilated, like it was naturally part of me.

You can imagine how excited I was - I was getting bigger! I felt my panties getting tighter, so I quickly threw off my nightshirt and pulled down my underwear. That was a little dizzying, as it was like the floor was pulling away. I could see the muscles in my legs expanding, along with those in my abdomen, and what part of my arms I could see.

And along with my breasts.

At first I thought I was just getting well-defined pecs, or at least hoping as much, but I wasn't feeling anything much happening between my legs. Besides, my nipples were getting even perkier, almost pointing upward. I could feel more weight on my head, too - apparently my hair had grown. I also noted that my skin had gotten a little darker.

Sighing, I opened the door to the bathroom so I could take a look in the mirror. What I saw was nice - this girl was tall and healthy-looking, with a perfect tan, light brown hair, wide brown eyes and perfect teeth. She looked like she spent a lot of time in the gym, but it didn't leave her looking mannish, just strong. She could kick those guys' asses at volleyball, and look good doing it.

Some pounding at my bedroom door interrupted my reverie. I ran back into the bedroom and picked the nightshirt off the floor. Where before it was like a tent that went down past my knees, I felt it clinging to my body and barely hugging my bottom. I grabbed the front and opened the door, quickly transferring that hand to my shirt to make sure that both front and back were covered.

I only had to look up at the man standing there because grabbing the shirt had me hunched forward a little, which was very nice. He was a good-looking guy, aside from the panic in his blue eyes - jet-black hair, a broad hairless chest, a firm jaw, nice lips. He had a nice voice, too, as he said my name like it was a question.

"Yes..." It's tough to tell what your own voice sounds like, but this one didn't sound bad. "Who are you?"

"Drew! I didn't change back, even though it's all my stuff in the room! What the hell's going on?"

"I don't know! Look, just turn around so I can put something on and we'll go see what's up with Jeff."

He complied, and I grabbed the bag marked "Nell Lincoln" and put it on the bed. As expected, it was full of women's clothing that would fit this tall frame. I quickly found a sports bra and matching panties, a t-shirt, and a pair of jean shorts and got into them. I found an envelope with a letter and a wallet, too; I put the letter aside but quickly opened the wallet for a glimpse of the driver's license. That was my new face, all right. I quickly noted that Nell was short for "Penelope" before slipping it in my pocket. "All right," I said, grabbing my key, "let's go."

I tried not to look at the bulge Drew's new equipment was making in Daphne's pajama bottoms as we walked down the hallway to Jeff's room. We seemed to be the only ones still awake, judging from the lack of shocked noises coming from the other rooms. I knocked on Jeff's door and was pleased to see a nineteen-year-old boy open it. His eyes darted between us. "Art?"

I gave a quick wave. "Could be worse," I said.

"Yeah, you could be me. Hi, I'm Drew."

Jeff's eyes bugged. "How...?"

"I don't know! I talked to the guy who was me, and he said everything went well. He even sent video! It was this place's lobby!"

Jeff is a smart kid and made the leap quicker than I did. "He wasn't in the room. You're room's close to the lobby, but what if it's closer to--"

"--mine." Drew looked away from Jeff to me, and then the three of us broke for my room. We dumped the other bag out over my bed. Drew snatched at the wallet that fell out and opened it.

"That's me," he said, "Richard John Hobart of San Francisco, California."

I gave him a pat on the back. "I'm so sorry. But look, that means someone else in this building has turned into you. We just have to talk to him, get things in place."

Drew took a deep breath and let it out. "Right. But in the meantime..." He reached for the letter that had fallen out of the bag. I reached for mine.

To the new Nell:

Arthur says that the MPs will be here soon, so I'll have to write this quickly. If I'd known what he was capable of, I would have just slept with the bastard.

Your new name is Penelope Lincoln, but everyone calls you Nell or Nelly. I played volleyball and lacrosse in college and volleyball as a pro for a little while, at least until I messed up my ankle. You can find all that on the internet. I'm working as an on-air personality for CalSports right now, doing play-by-play and postgame interviews during San Francisco Dragons lacrosse games. If I understand correctly, you should get this before the opener on June 2nd; I don't know how long George (that's my boss, George Wilder) will believe I'm too sick to travel otherwise, especially without some sort of insurance claim filed. I also do some speaking engagements.

Anyway, I was at this place because I didn't sleep with a drunk member of the Raiders public relations department a few months ago. He apologized by giving this reservation he wouldn't be able to use to my agent R.J. (as you might guess from the bags being in the same room, he was more than that). It was at a good time, between the NLL and MLL seasons, so we took it. From what I got out of him on the phone, Arthur thought you might be more agreeable.

I probably shouldn't refer to him as Arthur; he says he was originally this Jeremy Boyd person I've become, until someone reminded him that he'd be considered AWOL for six months as soon as Jeremy reappeared. Hopefully I'll be able to work something out that doesn't involve ten months in the stockade. That doesn't look too likely, though.

Enjoy my life. I think it's a pretty good one, and I hope you and the new R.J. make as good a team as we did. Maybe when I get out of the stockade, we can compare notes.

- The Old Nell

Drew said his letter told a similar story - R.J. has actually become Stephen, the guy who wound up with Jake/Ashlyn's life, after being pulled in by "Arthur Milligan". I must say that it's just fantastic to see what that bastard is doing with my good name.

We've spent that last four hours doing internet research on our new lives. I don't think we know nearly enough to drop into Nell and R.J.'s lives seamlessly, but it'll do.

Now someone's screaming. Time to go act like we know what's going on.

-Art

Labels: Arthur, beach, change, Darren, Drew, flirting, Inn, Jeff, letter, luggage, Penelope, R.J., volleyball

posted @ 6:32 AM 6 comments

Trip - Helpless, but trying.

Finally, all packed and ready to head home.

Jadyn and I spent most of the weekend driving around trying to do some sight-seeing. I don't know if it was the most brilliant of ideas with the price of gas these days, but it sure was relaxing - Kept my mind off of the parts delays and whatnot. I just wish that the weather had been a bit more cooperative - overcast and/or raining doesn't exactly make for compelling views.

I could see even with the fun we were trying to have this weekend, the sadness and pain reflecting in her face. I wish I understood what she was going through right now... it's been so long since I've dated, much less had my heart broken (okay ripped-out and trampled upon, in her case). I feel for the girl, I really do - even if I don't completely understand what she's going through. I feel a bit helpless - I usually have some sage piece of wisdom to assist my friends out any quagmire they stumble (or jump head-first) into... but with Jadyn, right now, I just don't know what to say... how to help - I'm at a loss... and that pains me.

When I got back to the inn late Sunday night, the thought hit me that I just spent all weekend... in a car... with Jadyn, something that I'll be doing again in a few days. Hopefully neither of us will hate each other when we get back to Iowa - after having spent so much time together in such a small space. I mean, it's not like we don't get along - just, well... since she's nearly ten years younger than I, and since I am clueless to understand her suffering right now... we're just not on the same page in every aspect of life - but we're still neighbors... and friends.

Anyhow, while we were busy packing yesterday, I mentioned to Jadyn that since Kat & Jaci should be back in a few days that perhaps we should stay and wait for the girls to return - that way if either one or both of them were unsuccessful in finding a job, we could travel back together. I'm not sure she liked that idea at first - almost as if she wanted to just get away from anything to do with her ex-boyfriend, including memories, as fast as possible. In all honesty, I think I was hoping that we'd get some company (and that I'd get off the hook of trying to help cheer Jadyn up) for the trip back to Iowa.

Today, Jadyn seemed in better spirits. She told me that she thought that it would probably be smart to stay and make sure that the girls returned, were okay, and had a plan, before we left... The way the conversation went after that, I got the distinct impression that she was considering leaving some of her furniture and other things with Jaci - which would be perfectly fine with me (less weight to haul, equals less fuel needed to get home).

Tonight, I started to second-guess our decision to stay and wait for the girls. I saw Liz when I stepped out to grab a drink from the pop machine... and I got this eerie feeling that she and all her friends were up to something, with the smiles that they all had on their faces. Maybe it's just me being paranoid, which has been known to happen... or maybe it's just because I'm exhausted after the last couple days of packing.

Not much to do right now since Jadyn passed-out in the other bed, and I'm really too beat to be social right now. I guess I'll just log-off and relax for a while before I hit the sack. Good night.

Labels: Jadyn, packing

posted @ 7:48 PM 0 comments

Darren: Almost Ready to Leave

I’ve been at the inn for a few days now and so far this blog is the closest thing I’ve found to a community journal. I guess this will have to do.

Saturday I jogged along the North shore of the beach for a couple miles and then back again. The following day I did the same except I ran down the South end. Both beaches are beautiful. I’m a bit surprised to find sandy white beaches this far North. I thought most beaches up this way were full of pebbles and sharp rocks or had dark gritty sand. It is funny how Old Orchard Beach kind of reminds me of parts of the Jersey Shore.

When I got back to my room I found a message on my cell phone from Eric telling me to give him a call. We talked for about a half hour. I got the sense that he and his family were really coming together. But, when I asked whether I was welcome at their home Eric said it might cause problems. Things were going well and he didn’t know how my being there would help or hurt the situation. He said he was going to spend the rest of his leave with them and meet up with me on base when we report for SERE training.

He apologized for having me wait around these past few days and that he felt like he was ditching me. That was how I was feeling too, but I didn’t let on. I was happy for Eric, but on the flip side I thought to myself, “What am I going to do now?” I simply told him to think nothing of it; what are friends for? He thanked me again for being so understanding and I told him I’d seem him in a few weeks. When I hung up I sighed. I did feel ditched. But, I do understand Eric’s reasons for staying at his parents for the rest of his leave. Reconciling with his parents is a good thing. I was hoping to have some fun in Portland, but not by myself. I guess I might as well go back home and spend some more time with my family too. Since Eric doesn’t seem to need me anymore, I’ll hangout here another day or two before heading back.

A few days ago I was anxious to leave, but now I’m in less of a hurry. This place is relaxing and it has been nice to just have some time to myself. I’ve also met a couple of cool people during my stay.

Yesterday, I met Trip. I’d seen him a couple times before working on his truck, but we never actually spoke to each other until now. I was passing by on my way to a bar, which I had found earlier that weekend, when I heard him curse under his breath. Soon after he realized I had heard him and he apologized. “Sorry, I don’t normally swear like that.” I said it wasn’t a problem and asked if he needed a hand. Today was not the first time I had seen him looking at his truck with disappointment. He thanked me but said it wasn't necessary, he was almost finished. It turns out he hadn't been having trouble fixing his truck, as much as he kept getting sent the wrong parts until today.

I felt sorry for him; I’d be upset too. He seemed to need a distraction and in all honesty I don’t like drinking alone. I asked if he wanted to join me for a beer. He agreed but said he needed to finish up and then clean up. A few minutes later we were on our way.

When we got to the bar I asked for a couple of beers, but Trip interrupted ordering a mixed drink instead, a Captain Morgan & Coke. The more we talked the more we found in common with each other. We both liked to go off roading and we both knew a lot about computers. When he learned that I was in the navy the conversation took on a more political tone. Fortunately we both had similar views and it was nice to meet someone who didn’t have a knee jerk reaction about current events. Trip definitely seems like a good guy.

While we chatted I noticed these two girls walk in and sit at the opposite end of the bar. Both were pretty, but only one of them was my type. I’ve never really been attracted to Asian chicks, but the other one; well now she is a beauty. She had brown hair and a slender figure. I quietly got the attention of the bartender and said I was buying their drinks. When he gave them their drinks he told them who was paying. The Asian chick looked kind of embarrassed, but the one I was digging smiled back. She asked how I was and that broke the ice. The four of us were soon sharing a table.

Her name was Daphne and her Asian friend was Liz. We all seemed to be hitting it off. I was flirting with her and she flirted back. I must have bought at least another round of drinks for Daphne and Liz. Trip and Liz were also talking to each other, but their conversation looked more cordial. I could be wrong, but they didn’t seem to be interested in each other. After the second round, we soon realized that we were all guests at the Trading Post Inn, but what was weird was when we realized that all of us were posting on this very same blog.

At that point the conversation took a weird turn when it dawned on Trip that the Liz on the blog was the Liz who was sitting in front of us. Trip and I both began to chuckle, which made the girls uneasy. That’s when Liz and Daphne began talking about those warning flyers and how every word on the blog was true. They even tried to convince Trip and I that there is a real curse and that they used to be guys. We both gave them puzzled looks. Up until now the conversation had been good, but Trip and I really looked at each other with the same thought on our minds. “What are these two crazy chicks on?” The more we dismissed their “arguments” the more passionate Liz and Daphne became and the less I wanted to listen. In the end they didn’t seem too surprised that we didn’t believe them. I think they were just trying to joke around and weren’t really serious.

I was about to start ribbing the girls when Trip changed the subject on me. I shot him an evil glare for a moment, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. I forgot about the whole crazy cursed inn thing as the conversation turned to more interesting subjects, and we were able to enjoy the rest of the night.

After the third round we decided to call it quits for the night. We walked back to the inn together. I was buzzed enough to have forgotten the bizarre part of the evening. I walked Daphne back to her room and asked if she’d like to hangout sometime during the week. Instead of answering she smiled coyly and thanked me for the drinks before ducking into her room.

I had to give it a try. I wasn’t disappointed because she didn’t say “no”. Maybe she’s just playing hard to get? I think I’ll stick around to see if she is. But not too long; I plan to be out of here before the end of the week. I’ll look for an Avis and rent a car to drive back to Jersey. I might as well spend my last three weeks of leave at home. My time here was nice, but I’m ready to go home.

Labels: curse, Daphne, ditched, Eric, flirting, hard to get, Liz, Trip

posted @ 11:15 PM 4 comments

Arthur: Girls' Day Out

I know we're not at the Trading Post on vacation, per se, but we're still at an Inn on the beach with nothing productive to do. In some ways, it's maddening for the four of us who know what's coming; we just want to go home, and it keeps us from appreciating the fact that, again, we're in a nice spot on the beach with no demands on our time.

Of course, this would be a little easier to appreciate if the sun would come out. Both times we've been up here, it's been overcast even when it isn't actually raining. Since we're just missing the official kick-off to the tourist season - we'll be out of here just before Memorial Day weekend - there's a lot of sitting around and feeling sorry for ourselves going on.

And that's not good. Drew, Jeff and I were sitting in Drew's room, watching the morning edition of SportsCenter, when I decided enough was enoug. "Come on," I said, "let's catch the train up to Portland and do something. Do some shopping, see a movie, look around a little. I hear it's a cool little city."

"I'd like to," Drew said, "but I've got a date. Or, rather, 'Daphne' does." I must have been giving him the same look that Jeff was, because he got a little defensive. "Hey, it's not like that. I was at the Beerfest yesterday, while you two were calling... Uh, anyway, I was over on the pier when this good-looking guy about Daphne's age called out her name. I didn't recognize him, but apparently they met and hit it off last summer, only to have her disappear when... You know. So I vamped my way through the afternoon, called Daph in Vermont, got treated to the strange sound of a James Earl Jones-sounding guy doing the 'like, oh my god, he remembered me? He's so cute!' thing... So I'm setting things up for her."

I was impressed. "That's nice of you."

"Well, I don't know if it'll go anywhere, but she deserves it, right? I know first-hand that her time to meet people was limited, all the hours we had her working. But you guys have a good time."

Jeff had nothing else to do, so at quarter to twelve we got on the train for the fifteen minute ride up to Portland, then take the city bus downtown. It stops right outside a public market, a few steps away from a pretty cool downtown village.

"Village" to me, "big city" to Jeff. Not that it looked like New York or Tokyo to him, but his life has been in a small town and his time as Brianna was spent in the suburbs. I wonder what his reaction would have been had he landed in Boston or someplace bigger. He realized he was gaping, though, and closed his mouth. "So, what are we going to do first?"

"Some shopping, I think. It's going to get nicer this week, and we're going to want some swimsuits when it does."

"What? Are you kidding me? After everything I told you..."

"Yeah. Here's the thing." I found a bench and sat him down. "We've kind of got to find some way to get some good memories out of this."

"Why? We're better off just putting it behind us."

"Well, I don't have that option."

Jeff blushed. "I'm sorry; I know that. But why shouldn't I?"

"Do you think you'll really be able to? I mean, is this the kind of thing you forget?

"See, here's the thing, Jeff. I don't want to think, every time I look at a pretty girl, that underneath it her life actually sucks. That she's stuck in some situation she can't get out of, or that when she has sex it's just a matter of obligation. Do you want to look at every girl you meet and imagine their lives being just like Brianna's?"

"Hell, no."

"Exactly. So let's try to have fun until we change. Now, let's see what's in this "Old Port" the tourist guides are talking about..."

We poked around a little, checking out some little shops. The teenager working in the kite store was kind of into "Brianna", and Jeff awkwardly flirted with him for a few minutes. I don't know how much it helped, but he said it did feel kind of good, just in terms of being a reminder that sometimes guys just like talking to pretty girls without wanting something from them. We did buy swimsuits, too, although by then it was raining pretty good.

We finished our afternoon out with seafood that had probably just been hauled out of the ocean that day. Jeff actually giggled as he watched me eat mine. "I'll bet Ray would be jealous if he saw how muh you were enjoying that."

"Heh. I'm just thinking... We don't get a lot of swordfish out on the west coast, or it's really expensive. I'll miss that, at least."

"So you are going to change? I know you mentioned maybe sitting it out if it looked like there would be 14 people in the Inn one night."

"Yeah... I mean, as shitty a thing as this is for Jeremy to do to me - and he's almost certainly involved somehow; it's just too much of coincidence that both those bags have San Francisco addresses - that doesn't give me the right to act shitty toward Liz. She wants and deserves her family and life back, and I've got a pretty weak claim on it."

"Well, at least you'll be going home. Should make it easier to hunt him down and get some sort of answer."

"Yeah. There is that. Not to mention following the A's is a pain in the ass when their games don't start until 10 o'clock at night."

"Glad to see you've got things in perspective. So... have you read your letter yet?"

"No... I mean, there's two names, and the stuff in those letters is pretty personal. I wouldn't want to read one not intended for me."

"I guess." He looked at the clock. "Almost six o'clock. We should probably be getting back to the station; it would suck to miss the last train and be stuck here overnight if this is the night..."

So we did, and caught back up with Drew. He filled us in on his afternoon, saying it was a real bummer for him.... He's sure that the office is going to lose Daphne for sure; this guy adores her and seems like a good guy. Then he demanded we show him the swimwear. Only, we insisted, if he did the same. He agreed so fast that we probably should have asked for more.

I've got to say... We all look pretty good. I don't know if it'll be quite nice enough to spend today laying on the beach, but tomorrow looks like it could be... If we're still girls, that is.

-Art

Labels: Arthur, Drew, flirting, Inn, Jeff, Jeremy, letter, Portland, swimsuit

posted @ 11:07 AM 1 comments

Trip - I was right... bad luck

Sometimes, I just can't win.

Looks like I'm going to be stuck here bored out of my mind all weekend.

Got my delivery this afternoon. Turns out I got someone else's order, not the parts I needed. Of course, I had to have Jadyn run me out to the office at Oceanside Lodge to pick it up, so I didn't know that until after the store was closed. I'll have to talk to them first-thing tomorrow about it. I shot 'em an email, but still...

Jadyn and I decided to just box what we could today to save some time. I tell you, this girl is a pack-rat... probably worse than me. I'm beginning to question whether my trailer is big enough to haul all her belongings.

I can't blame her for wanting to be a bit vindictive with her ex-b/f though. Apparently he not only cheated on her, but he lied about it too... even after she showed him the video she took of him making out with the blond.

I don't think we were all that productive today - I had to keep her moving to keep her mind off of him. It was painful watching her go from somewhat happy to the verge of tears and then to spiteful rage and back again.

Then... After my little parts fiasco, I decided that we needed to take a real break and put our troubles aside for a little while. I begged and prodded her to go see a movie with me... I really didn't care what we watched, as long as it was a comedy. The last thing she needed was more drama, or some romantic chick-flick... and she's not really into any Anime or Sci-Fi or Martial-Arts stuff like I am. We settled on Wild Hogs, which seemed to do the trick.

I think tomorrow, I'm going to see if I can't get Jadyn away from home for the day... go see some landmarks or something. I think that it would be a good idea for her to take some time away from home and clear her head. Besides, it's not like we can't take an extra day or two now, even if we had the choice. I don't have to be back for a couple of weeks, and as far as I know, she's really got nothing planned for when she gets back to Iowa.

I've noted a few places of interest to try and check out tomorrow... but if anyone out there has any ideas on places to go or things to see around here, let me know.

Labels: Jadyn, Jadyn's ex-b/f, movies

posted @ 11:29 PM 4 comments

Darren: A Restless First Night

It’s late and I’m having trouble sleeping. I’m restless; been restless ever since I got here. After lying awake in bed for half an hour I thought I’d open up my laptop and start surfing the web; doing that helps me fall asleep sometimes. As I rubbed my eyes I remember that piece of paper I threw in the trash can earlier today when I had first checked in.

At first I thought it was some sort of promo; turns out it’s just some sort of crazy warning. It said I should leave immediately or else I’d find myself transformed into another person or some other nonsense? It further read that if I didn’t believe the warning, which I don’t, that I should check out this blog using the passwords and IDs on the flier. That’s when I crumpled up the paper and shot a three pointer.

But now I’m awake with time on my hands. I opened up the flier and logged on. I’ve been reading the stories here. A couple of the stories are a little entertaining but the whole thing is fantasy based, which is not my genre. I’m more of a Tom Clancy sort of guy when it comes to fiction. Body swapping? I prefer something a little more real.

Still, while I’m here I think I’ll leave an entry. Whenever I travel I like to leave something behind. Last summer my friend Eric and I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail together. If there was a community journal at the camp site we’d each write in it.

So my name is Darren Bridger. I’m an ensign serving in the United States Navy and proud of it! I can’t wait for SERE training in a couple weeks. For those of you non-military types that’s “Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape” training. It’s going to be a challenge but I’m really looking forward to it. I should be okay; I’ve got a nice build, and I’m in pretty good shape. That was one good thing about basic training. Although I’m not happy to have had to completely shave my head. When my family saw my bald shaven head they couldn’t believe it. Before that I had a crew cut, which allowed me to keep some of my jet black hair. Dark hair and blue eyes were what the girls noticed about me. Those two features served me well when I was in uniform too. But, it looks like I won’t be looking quite as attractive for the next few months. Besides I doubt there’s much of that kind of action this time of year way out here in rural Maine?

Why am I here? Because a friend in need is a friend indeed! Eric has been a friend of mine since our first year at the academy. His parents don’t live far from here… Buxton I think it is? Well his parents weren’t too keen on him joining up. From what I know this is the first visit in over a year that Eric’s paid his family. He told me there is a lot of tension; so much so that his parents probably won’t approve of another naval officer staying under their roof. Eric’s parents are pacifists. He and I both know that after SERE training were definitely going to be deployed somewhere dangerous. I guess despite all that’s happened between Eric and his parents he still wants to try and put things right even though they are disappointed in the path he has chosen.

So far the plan is for him to go up for a few days and try to make an attempt at some kind of reconciliation. If all goes well then he’ll ask if I’m welcome. But he’s doubtful and if all doesn’t go well then at least I’ll be around to keep an eye on him. So in the meantime I’m just hanging out at the Trading Post Inn. I booked a room here because the online agency said it was close to the beaches and has an amazing view of the sea, which it does! I love the ocean! I can’t wait to do a little exploring in the morning if I ever get some sleep tonight? I guess that’s why I’m still awake. I’m just a little concerned about my friend.

Well, even though I’ve go this place for the next couple weeks I hope my stay isn’t long. Either Eric and his parents find a way to make up and I’ll be staying at his folk’s place or there is no headway, in which case Eric will probably not be staying at his parents. He knows to find me here. Maybe we could spend a day or so here before moving up onto Portland; and before we report for duty in Brunswick? I hear Portland’s got something of a night life. It would be a good way to distract Eric if we managed to hook up with a couple of girls while we're there too. He’d probably be feeling kind of down. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Well it is late and I’m finally feeling sleepy. I think if I wake up early enough I’ll go for a run down the beach.

Labels: Darren, duty, Eric, Navy

posted @ 10:05 PM 0 comments

Trip - Maybe this place is cursed

Just great. I think that I can finally get Jadyn packing stuff up again, and my truck up and quits on me.

I thought maybe I'd get off lucky, and it's just the lift-pump. I wasted the entire morning trying to find a pump, and my lunch-hour replacing it... turns out I wasn't as lucky as I'd hoped. I've got to replace the injector pump. I'm not too happy about it either, that sucker is going to run me over $400... plus a $300 core-fee... and I've got to have it shipped in. Nobody in town, or nearby has one in-stock - and they want nearly $600, plus core. I went online and ordered the dang thing - man. As much as I hate dial-up, it sure beats paying a few hundred extra bucks.

I sure hope it's not going to rain tomorrow - changing the injector pump in the rain is NOT something that I look forward to.

I guess it could be worse though... I could have one of those newer diesels with all that electronic crap. Sure they're quiet, have more power, and don't smoke as much... but they're also a heck of a lot more expensive to fix than this old beast. Besides, she's got enough power for me, gets decent fuel-mileage, is cheap & easy to fix and maintain... and most of the time, is rock-solid reliable.

So, for now Jadyn's move is on-hold... my actual vacation-time gets shorter, and I'm stuck... in Maine... with cold, rainy weather, and a broken truck.

I wish I could get ahold of Kat, I see that her car is out in the parking lot... I sure would love to be able to borrow it until that pump gets in. Then I could go sight-seeing or something.

Maybe after Jadyn takes care of her errands, I can talk her into a going for a drive through the country... get her mind off the ex-boyfriend.

I've been to the Pacific Ocean a few times... but this is my first time on the East Coast. It'd probably be better if I wasn't out here during the rainy season or whatever... and if I wasn't here on a mission. Maybe this break-down is just what I needed - a forced break in my activities so I can relax and enjoy... or try to enjoy some of my vacation.

Oh well... I guess I'm going to log-off of this thing... maybe see if I can find another guest here and try to be sociable or something.

Oh... and another thing... four nights... I've slept here for FOUR NIGHTS, and woke up every morning after, unchanged... well, other than a bit less tired than the night before. If this place is "cursed", it's with bad luck, not some sci-fi soul-swapping rubbish.

Labels: broken truck, Inn, Jadyn, Kat, Trip

posted @ 2:23 PM 0 comments

Arthur: Well, I guess we learned something today.

The day started amusingly enough, with Drew trying to talk Jeff into wearing a bikini.

"Are you kidding me?" The three of us were at a local spot, happily doing the "calories be damned" thing, and Jeff almost ruined it by nearly spitting his grapefruit juice all over my omelet.

"No. Why? Those baggy clothes don't do that great a job of hiding what a great bod you inherited from Brianna. You should get some use out of it. Let some guy come up and treat you to something. Observe how tongue-tied they get around you, see what feels good. Know what the girl is thinking when you're back looking at them from the outside."

"That's sick."

"What's so sick about it? It's still your body, just rearranged, right? You were the one who was awake when we changed last year and told us it wasn't like your soul was pulled out and deposited somewhere else. You're a woman for the time being--"

"I'm a girl. Not a woman, a girl. Brianna just had her sixteenth birthday last June. She's younger than my sister. Are you certain you want to keep going on about how hot a high-school sophomore looks?"

Drew paused, and extended it by taking a sip of his coffee. "Maybe I shouldn't. But you're only, what, two or three years older than her? If you saw her lying on the beach in a bikini, would you think it was sick?"

"If I knew what I know, yeah."

"What's that?"

"That these tits you think are so awesome? They're fake. They were a birthday present from Brianna's parents." I stopped eating, but Jeff kept going. "That's why Brianna was spending the summer away from home - so that her friends wouldn't realize this wasn't anything but a growth spurt."

The table got very quiet. It took a while before I decided to break the silence. "That," I said, "is fucked up." Drew agreed. "I thought having to work for a complete simpleton who everyone thought was me was bad, but, that..."

"Yeah, it sucked. I mean, I put up more of a fight than Brianna did - there's a guy paying for a bunch of expensive dental work who can attest to that - but... Well, remember how I said I'm not letting anyone go back there? That's why."

"Damn." Drew used his fork to push some scrambled eggs around his plate, but didn't pick any of it up. "Look, Jeff - you live in Michigan, right? And so does Brianna?"

"Uh-huh."

Drew put his purse on the table and started rooting through it. "Here's my card. After we're all changed back, I want you to to make sure whoever winds up as Brianna gets it. I don't practice family law, but I have an old law-school buddy who does. If the new Brianna was an adult before the change, we'll make sure she's legally emancipated. If not, we'll find a way to have your father appointed her legal guardian."

Jeff took the card "Thanks. I... I don't know what to say."

"Don't worry about it. It's a fair price for a little perspective."

It got quiet again, so I decided to lighten the mood a little. "So, you kept your old business cards?"

"Ha! No, not quite... I was working as my own assistant, and when 'Mr. Dawson' wanted more, I tacked an extra box onto the order. It's amazing how much security you can get out of a simple piece of paper with your real name on it."

"I wish I'd had some of those. When even my own sister was calling me Bree... Well, you know I freaked out. When I finally shook it off, I was just going to book a room here and hope for the best."

"Ah, I didn't have that problem. Me and 'Mr. Dawson' were able to come to an arrangement pretty quick." He put down some money to cover the bill and stood. "And with that, I am out of here. I am going to enjoy the beach even if you two aren't."

Jeff and I ate for a bit longer, but soon started heading back to the Inn. I was still a little surprised by some of what Jeff had said.

"You really would have just thrown the dice?"

"Yeah. It was pretty bad. Although there are some things that might be worse."

"I can't imagine."

"Well..." He looked around, making sure we could talk uninterrupted. "The person who became me? She was a seventy-year old grandmother. You'd think turning young would be great, even if you changed sex, right? But her mind was starting to go, and even if her brain turned younger just like the rest of her, I guess once the decay starts..."

"My god." The idea of living another fifty years like that, and subjecting Jeff's family to it...

"Yeah. At first, she was okay, but it got worse. It wasn't until almost the last minute that she decided that was no way to live, and that forcing her life onto someone potentially much younger than herself was even worse."

"How'd you find out all this?"

"It was in the letter."

"You've read your letter?"

We were just outside the Inn at this point. He stopped to get his key. "You haven't? Why not?"

"I don't know. I just haven't. It's... you know, it's not what we do."

"Well, why wouldn't you?"

I had no good answer for that, so we went to my room and opened the closet. I looked at the suitcases and got a sinking feeling in my gut. I hadn't thought they looked familiar, but I hadn't given it much thought. But as I knelt down to look at them, I got a sinking feeling, which threatened to become nausea as I looked at the tag on the first one. "R.J. Hobart"

Jeff scootched down next to me. "Who the hell is R.J. Hobart?"

"I don't know... But I'm going to find out!"

I pulled out my cell phone out of my purse and dialed Jeremy. It was only about seven or eight in California, so it went to voice mail, so he got a bunch of screaming voice mail about wanting to know who the fuck R.J. Hobart was and what the fuck he was doing in our fucking room. I was just hanging up when Jeff told me to ask about Nell Lincoln.

Jeremy got more profanity.

I hung up, and dropped to the bed. Jeff sat next to me and gave me a pat on the back. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know." I took a deep breath and tried to think logically. "Maybe he stayed in a different room. He said room 9 specifically..."

We knocked on doors. We only covered ten rooms, but none of them had "Arthur Milligan's" luggage. A couple people aren't here yet, and one guy just told us to buzz off.

Jeremy has yet to call back, despite repeated calls. There's only ten people in the hotel tonight, so it doesn't look like I'm going to change tonight. Which is good.

I'm not sure if I can handle another new life.

-Arthur

Labels: Arthur, beach, Drew, Inn, Jeff, Jeremy, Nell, R.J.

posted @ 11:38 PM 2 comments

Trip - Bored enough to play along

I hope I can figure this thing out... This blogging thing is a bit new to me - Which is pretty sad for a guy who makes his living working with computers all day. Guess I just really never had the need for a blog.

Anyhow.

I found a note, which appears to have been slid under the door, pointing me to this blog. The thing is huge! I hope they don't expect me to read the whole thing - I may be bored right now, but I'm not that bored!

I don't think I've ever seen anyone pour so much time and effort into something like this for some crazy social-experiment or game or joke or whatever it is. I keep waiting for someone to tell me I'm on Candid Camera or something. I can't wait until I see my cousin again, I'm gonna have to kill her for getting me involved in some game-show or something - she knows how much I hate being in the spotlight.

I will give her credit though. Saying that she's going to be out to sea and unreachable for a few weeks - that's a nice touch. I tried calling her, and sure enough, it goes right to voice-mail. Seems that her friend may be in on the gag too as Jadyn tells me she got a similar message from her little sister.

Still, I can't believe Jaci would do that to her sister at a time like this. Wait... I don't want to get to personal - I have no idea who out there is reading this, or what they intend to do with the information. I don't want to drag other people's personal lives into this crazy thing.

Hmmm... I guess what I've got should be okay - it's not like anyone will be able to figure out who I'm talking about with just that much... and I'm too lazy to go back and start again.

So... what can I tell you without getting too personal?

Okay... My name is... well, everyone calls me "Trip", so I guess you can too... I'm on vacation for the next couple weeks... I work in IT (that's "computer stuff" for the non-geeks)... I'm in my 30's... I'm fairly paranoid (like you couldn't tell, could ya')... I was born and raised, and still live somewhere in the Midwest... of the USA (I guess this thing could be global, huh)... I'm out here to help a neighbor and friend of my cousin's.

Damn, I can't think of anything else to tell you... and I'm still bored... and awake. I've got to get some sleep, Jadyn has a ton of sh... stuff that has to be packed. I thought I was a pack-rat. Sheesh!

Let's see... well, okay...

I'm going to apply some logic to this crazy game.

Okay... so if all this changing-into-someone-else stuff is true then all I have to do is look for a letter in Kat's stuff... well... okay, that could be faked... besides, she's my cousin - I'm not going to go looking through her personal things, I have too much respect for her.

Speaking of respect, Kat has too much respect for her body than to let anyone else toy with it, especially a guy - there's no way she would want anyone else to have her body.

If this place can transform people into the last person who stayed there - then you should be able to transform back... I see that they've already figured this out. So then there's no worry, I'd just re-rent the room and change back. I wonder why it wouldn't just do that on the next night.

Now for the most important aspect... why is this place such a secret if it has such great magical / mystical power?

I mean, can you imagine the money the owners of this place could make... The ability to more-or-less become someone else. Governments would kill for such power. Think of the espionage industry you could create with such a thing.

Okay... well now that I've proven... to myself, anyhow - that this place holds no magical power and that this whole blog is just a prank - I think I'll try to get some sleep.

Too bad though... it would have been interesting to have gotten a chance to be a girl for day or two. Though becoming Kat would be really, really weird. Maybe I'll sleep in the other bed tonight, just-in-case.

Labels: First Post, Inn, Jaci, Jadyn, Kat, Trip

posted @ 10:53 PM 0 comments

Ashlyn--Art for Art's sake

I stole that line from a clever commenter. ;)

Labels: Art, drawing, photoshop

posted @ 7:38 PM 2 comments

Arthur: Welcome (back) to Maine

I kept from crying until I got on the train. I'm going to miss Lyn a lot, of course, and going back to interacting with her online is going to be strange after having her as friend, neighbor, and confidant these past few months. It's also impossible to miss how much this is getting to her, too - she didn't even ask about how and when Ray managed to finally bring me to orgasm Wednesday night. Under normal circumstances, she would be all over me for that kind of girl talk.

But, now that I'm safely putting it behind me, I can admit that I'm going to miss Elizabeth's friends and family, too. I know where some people's minds are going, putting that right after mentioning Ray did coax an 'O' out of me, but it's not that. Those folks are, by and large, genuinely nice people, and they love Liz. As uncomfortable and misdirected as it felt at the time, in memory it feels nice to be loved. That's where nostalgia comes from, of course, remembering things but not necessarily remembering their context.

It had been a beautiful week in Boston, but the sky was getting dark as Lyn and I took the taxi to North Station - I think that between the two of us, the T would have been okay, since I packed fairly light, but I've learned by now not to overestimate what I can carry. For a few days more, at least, I'm small. Anyway, the rain caught up with me while I was on the train north, and it was raining when I got off the train. I was able to handle my luggage fine, but there was a blonde girl on the other side of the platform who was having trouble wrangling what must have been half-again her own weight in backpack, gym bag, and suitcases. I was about to leave her, since I was just about at capacity myself, but then someone pushed past her, knocking the suitcase she'd set on a bench over so it fell on her foot. She turned around to yell at him as he walked away: "Hey! Asshole! Watch where the fuck you're going!"

A good look at her face and the sound of her voice got my attention. "Jeff? Jeff Miller, is that you?"

"She" looked up, shocked, and as soon as he saw me dropped everything and ran over to wrap his arms around me. "Art! My god, it's so good to see you! Were we on the same train?"

"Looks like." I gave the Red Wings cap he was wearing a poke so that I could see into his eyes - "Brianna" is quite petite. He smiled and then squeezed me again before letting go, a little embarrassed by the show of emotion. "Need a little help?"

"Oh, god, yes."

We walked back over to her stuff, and I slung the gym bag over my shoulder. Oof. "What's in here?"

"Brianna's shoes." I looked at him a bit askance. "No, I haven't become a complete girly-girl who packs everything for a week at the beach and has to have the right shoes for each outfit, but the next Bree might be."

"Couldn't that stuff just be waiting for her at home?"

"Uh-uh." He shook his head and set his jaw, not really looking at me before continuing. "I don't know who the next Bree is going to be, but she's not going back there. I've talked to my sister, and she and my pop have already said that if I - Bree - needs a safe place, there's one at our house." He hefted his bag and started walking. I didn't press the subject.

We walked to the Oceanside Lodge to pick up our keys - last August, this had seemed a strange arrangement, but now we could see the benefit of not having the staff on site. The woman at the desk (probably the same one who took my reservation in January) gave Jeff a long, disapproving look, but handed him a key anyway, once she produced ID saying that he was Brianna Adams.

The Trading Post is only a few doors down from the Lodge, with a restaurant in between, so we just dealt with the sprinkles as we walked. I opened the door for him, and he didn't complain. We both knew the way to our rooms, so I told him I'd bring him his shoes after I dropped my stuff off.

I dropped Jeff's bag on the bed and then opened the closet to stow my stuff to see it was already full. I chuckled at that; Jeremy seemed to have brought twice as much luggage as I did. I shrugged, put what I'd brought in a corner, and then delivered Jeff's.

He was laid out on the bed, looking like he was ready for a nap. "Thanks, man. Traveling takes a lot out of a 95-pound underage girl."

I flopped down next to him. "Tell me about it. And I didn't even have to do anything but take the train." I turned my head to see that he had drifted off already. I lifted his legs onto the bed and let him be.

Back in my room, I opened one of my bags and pulled out a folder. Inside were a few sheets of paper I'd printed out that morning, outlining what I knew about the Inn, pointing people to this blog, and supplying usernames and passwords in case anyone wanted to join in. I taped one up in the common area and made a circuit of the rest of the building, slipping one under each room's door.

I slipped the last one under the door of room #8, right next to mine, and was about to head back to my room when the door opened. "Hey! Are you trying to screw things up for us? Because you know that it won't work... nobody's going to believe it."

I smiled at the joking tone and turned around to face my accuser. "Hey, what if there's one or two people too many people here, Drew? Then you're going to want some of them scared away."

"True enough." Drew gave me a hug and kissed my cheek. "You're looking good."

"So are you." And I meant it. Drew Dawson didn't contribute to the blog beyond one post, but he made an impression on me. He's an affable guy, a partner in a small law firm before we all changed who bought more than one round of drinks for the group. Of all of us guys who got turned into girls, he may (may, Lyn, may!) have wound up the best-looking - Daphne was a couple inches taller than me, with light brown hair, a cute little nose, dimples, and a slender figure that was marred only by a surgical scar on her knee (and that wound up adding an element of cute tomboyishness to her). Drew had recognized her immediately - she actually had worked in his own office. At least, he said, he'd be able to go back to a somewhat familiar environment.

He'd opted for something rather more feminine than the t-shirts and jeans that both Jeff and I had opted for: One of those v-neck tops where one side overlaps the other, showing some nice cleavage and leaving his midriff bare, a pair of shorts that hugged his bottom, and wedge sandals. He also had a wrap around his waist that draped asymmetrically to cover the scar on his knee, earrings, and cosmetics, and his longer hair had seen some time with a curler.

After a few seconds we realized that we were checking each other out and laughed. "I guess we're still guys underneath after all this time."

I agreed. "So what's with the clothes?"

He shrugged delightfully. "Packed for the beach. Might as well get some guys to buy us drinks on our last days as girls."

I laughed. "You sound like Lyn-- uh, Jake."

"Ha! I'll bet folks buy Red a lot of drinks... with purpose." He got serious for a moment. "How is she--he--she?" I nodded. "I read about the guy wanting to keep his life. Very uncool."

"She's hit a rough patch lately, but she's surviving. Determined to make things work, and kind of enjoying the whole center of attention thing."

"I imagine. So she's not coming... Have you heard from anybody else?"

"No-one. I met Jeff at the train station, though. He's ready to change back."

"I don't doubt it - being younger is cool, being a kid is something else." His phone rang and I let him answer it. After a couple words he covered it and held up a finger to get me to pause. "Tell Jeff and anyone else you see that I'm buying dinner tonight - a little reunion thing."

"Will do."

I slipped a note under Jeff's door and then went back outside, where the sun was shining again. New England weather is, I think, stranger than San Francisco's. I knocked off a few chapters of a Stephen Coonts remainder before meeting Jeff and Drew for dinner.

Dinner was fun, although we were all kind of surprised by the turnout - just the three of us and one other (he never joined in on the blog the first time, so I'll leave him his privacy now). Four out of thirteen, and we're pretty sure it will just be two out of thirteen in the next group (Liz and Daphne). We talked about what we'd learned about the Inn, but it wasn't much. We shared our stories, or as much as we were willing to tell. Then, after Drew paid, Jeff retired back to the Inn, grumbling about looking to young for even a believable fake ID even with "these ridiculous things" on his chest.

After that, yeah, the rest of us drank a bit. And a bit more. I swear, knowing we're almost at the end changes everything - at Drew's suggestion, we were trying to top each other in extracting drinks from guys - giving each other points for telling outrageous stories (the truth, of course, being verboten), getting them to buy for the whole group, etc.

I'm kind of glad the change didn't happen last night - I crashed as soon as I got into the hotel, and I think the clothes I had on might have cut off some circulation had it happened while I was asleep.

-Art

posted @ 10:19 AM 1 comments