Synopsis:

Scott was on his way west to meet up with his friends to start a new life in L A. What he came across in the desert after his car broke down would change him forever. He wondered if his friends would recognise him once they finally met again. He didn’t think this was what his friend’s intended when they said, "start a new life."

Chapter Forty-Four

"Shall I pick up your towel, or do you want to do it?" Bob asked hesitantly, pretty sure that she'd done it deliberately.

"You can, if you like," offered Cindy with a wink, stepping back and allowing him room to bend over.

Taking her answer as permission to gaze upon her body, Bob kept his head level with eyes looking straight ahead as he bent his knees in order to reach the towel. He licked his lips, seeing the gorgeous orbs pass upwards as his head lowered to about her navel. A quick glance down to look for the towel, gave him a fleeting glance at her neatly trimmed crotch, giving a shrouded view of her sex. Bob rose quickly to his feet feeling aroused and sad that once the towel was restored, that magnificent body would be hidden.

To his delight, Cindy slung the offered towel over her shoulder, and then walked to his bed and sat down.

"Bob, I take it that you like this body?" Cindy asked, beckoning him over.

"It's perfect," offered Bob, starting to walk to her.

"What if I said, you could have this body," there Cindy paused, letting Bob come to the obvious conclusion, before adding, "I mean really have this body, as in being me."

Bob paused, wondering whether Cindy was being serious, or on drugs. This was no bodysuit she was wearing; nothing artificial could replicate the beauty of this woman. For a second, Bob felt like he was in one of those stories he'd read on Fictionmania, or Storysite. He thought about his answer, as he sat down beside her.

"Theoretically speaking, it would be nice to experience having a body like yours for a while. What man hasn't, even for a fleeting moment, thought what it would like, to be female, having breasts and a vagina and experience what a woman feels during sex."

"I can make it happen if you like... for a short time, that is," added Cindy, knowing she preferred her men to be a man.

Bob sat deep in thought. He wrote TG fiction and had hosted numerous sites for the transgendered, not because he wanted to be female, but because he genuinely wanted to help. He had found that these people, despite their own problems, coming to terms with who they were or wanted to be, they still reached out, offering help and advice to the less fortunate. He had made many friends among those that frequented the chat rooms and was respected in return. What Cindy seemed to be offering would help him understand the female mindset help make his stories better, but a voice of warning clamoured in the back of his mind.

"Bob, before you say anything," Cindy reached out and took his hand. "I need to tell you about the Shelke. Hang on to your sanity, as this one story will strain your touch on reality."

Bob sat there, on the bed, while Cindy related all she knew about the Shelke and the Krin and what lay ahead for mankind.

Tyrone and Cathy had parted ways. Cathy, impatient to get going didn’t want to wait to get her own Shelke equipped vehicle, instead, she had used money that Tyrone supplied her, to buy a 4x4. She had decided to go south and meet up with Kim and piper, who were old friends of hers. She placed her pet cat, ‘Roadblock’ in the cab, making sure she didn't hog the driver's seat then she thanked Tyrone effusively, before tooling off in her sturdy 4x4. Oddly, she had decided to go for something most men would have chosen, but had laughed off Tyrone's suggestion that it must be the lingering testosterone in her brain that had chosen for her.

"Nah, I just want something rugged and reliable, a go anywhere vehicle. I don't want to be looked at like some helpless female in her dinky little car. Maybe I want to put some of those rednecks noses out of joint when I pull up at a truck stop," laughed Cathy, in high spirits.

Tyrone had posted in various message boards, his current location, for those game enough to take the plunge into femininity. He had wanted to head to Canada to see Ricky, another person, who needed help urgently, but decided to stay a bit longer, just in case. Just as Tyrone and Carolyn were about to head north, a timid knock on the RV door was heard. Tyrone switched quickly to Tyrissa, knowing her female presence was less intimidating to potential customers.

"Hello, are you the ones. I've read about on the net?" whispered a quiet voice, from their visitor.

Tyrissa looked at the guy, seeing an overweight male of about 47 years old. His vague question showing that he didn't want to give too much away, in case what he'd read on the boards was just a load of male bovine excrement.

"I'm sure we are," Tyrissa replied, keeping a neutral expression on her face, as she tormented her visitor briefly with her noncommittal answer. Seeing the guy squirm and fidget, as he tried to come up with a question that wouldn't have Tyrissa laugh in his face, Tyrissa relented, and gave him a big smile.

"Do you just want a full makeover, or do you want the special?" Offered Tyrissa, putting her arm around the guys shoulder before leading the way to the rear of the RV. Tyrissa could feel the guy's nervousness as he walked beside her. Carolyn opened the salons doors from the inside, in time to see the man's eyes widen at the interior. Tyrissa propelled the man inside, before her changed his mind. She closed the doors behind her, as she stepped up inside, behind the man.

"What's the special?" mumbled the man, as he looked at the two women warily.

"Full womanhood, with one extra form as an extra." Demonstrated Tyrissa, changing back to Tyrone. The man's legs buckled, and he half fell into one of the chairs, as he saw the miracle occur in front of him.

"So, so, it is t, true," he stammered, pinching himself.

Tyrone knew from Carolyn's small nod prior to the demonstration, that the man was the genuine article. Somehow Carolyn had developed the ability to weed the wheat from the chaff. There had been one incident where it had come in handy. A man, clearly a crossdresser, had accosted them while they were at a stoplight in the city. He'd asked for a makeover, then and there, even though it was late evening. Tyrone had been willing to do it, and had pulled over along the street. The man had entered the RV and Tyrissa had just started his spiel. Carolyn had put the apron on the man to protect his clothes, when she had shivered. She had then indicated that Tyrone speak with her in private.

"He's an undercover cop; I felt it when I touched him. Give him his makeover, but don't mention anything else." Carolyn had told him.

Since then, her gift had grown stronger. She didn't need to touch anyone anymore.

Tyrone had also gained a gift, mostly when he was Tyrissa; at least it manifested itself strongest while in female form. Carolyn could read the surface thoughts of people around her, but Tyrissa could sense future events when dealing with individual people. She'd seen the man as a female, living happily with another female, the moment she had touched him. This made the choice of whether to reveal the Krin's powers much easier.

The moment Carolyn had realised she was picking up the thoughts from people around her, she asked Tyrone to ring Kim about it, thinking if it was a side effect of the Krin, then she should know about it. Tyrone, after hearing that the others had also manifested paranormal abilities, soon realised that her own small flashes of insight, must be of a similar paranormal origin.

Finding out that they may end up with two abilities was a shock, but proved to be true, as they accidentally discovered them, not long after.

Carolyn could read minds and in a restaurant they were in, a waiter was constantly checking out her boobs. She could 'hear' him thinking how he'd like to play with them, if he had a chance. In disgust, she thought back at him, that he should get his own boobs to play with, not realising that her thoughts hit the guy like a bomb. Feeling the waiter's thoughts suddenly echo her thoughts, about acquiring his own, shocked her, and before she realised that she'd somehow influenced his mind, the waiter had run out of the restaurant in the search for his goal.

Tyrone remembered splitting himself laughing, as she told him what had happened.

His mirthful, "couldn't happen to a nicer guy," helped her get over feeling guilty.

Carolyn thought this was just part of her first ability, but Tyrone thought it more likely to be a separate, but related one.

Tyrone's second ability showed up when he was running his finger down the list of people they wanted to visit. When he stopped on Ricky's name, as being the most needy at the moment, he felt he could see where Ricky was. Apparently anyone's written name he touched and specifically thought about, allowed him to pinpoint them better than a GPS. Better still, they didn't need to be wearing a Krin

Pulling his thoughts back to the present, Tyrone saw that Carolyn was asking him what his name was.

"Jerry Mason," he replied reluctantly.

"Don't worry Jerry, we don't go in for blackmail," Carolyn reassured him, sensing his thoughts. "You want the special, I see," Carolyn added, delving into Jerry thoughts.

"Are you mind readers as well?" asked a nervous Jerry.

"As a matter of fact..." here, Carolyn gave Jerry a big smile, before asking him to picture his ideal female form.

Using the laptop, Carolyn coaxed the image she had seen in Jerry's mind, onto the screen. Jerry added helpful comments, as the picture grew in definition. Once satisfied, Carolyn pressed send.

Tyrone asked Jerry a few questions, while they waited for the newly programmed Krin to arrive.

"You're married, I take it?" he asked, getting a nod in response. "Does your wife have long blonde hair with a reddish tint to it?" Again a nod. "Okay, does she have a mole on her wrist about this big?" Tyrone persisted, demonstrating with a pencil and paper.

"Yes, but how do you know this?" Jerry quaked in near panic.

"She doesn't know about your female side, does she?"

"Noooo..." wailed Jerry, holding his head in his hands.

Tyrone touched him gently, getting more impressions of Jerry's future.

"It's okay, trust me, once you get home, tell her, then demonstrate by using the bracelet to transform into your female form." Insisted Tyrone, nodding to Carolyn.

Carolyn gave him the Krin, which had popped into the special drawer, via the Shelke wormhole thing. She instructed him on how it worked, and repeated Tyrone's instructions to tell his wife with that extra power of hers.

"I take it, that his wife will accept his feminine self?" Carolyn asked, after Jerry had left.

"Yes, I saw them making love, in a classic 69. I think they will be very happy together, in either of Jerry's forms," replied Tyrone, kissing his wife ardently.

"Let's get on the road. I feel we need to get going," Carolyn insisted, reluctantly breaking the kiss.

Maggie's welcome, when Sara, Kevin and Leanne returned to the safety of the condo, looked more like the move of a pint sized gymnast, as she leaped into the nearest convenient set of arms. Kevin managed to catch the flying toddler, swinging her around, before giving Maggie to Sara, who had followed him in.

"Mommy, you's gots pretty purple colours in aura now," giggled Maggie as Sara hugged her tight.

"I guess if we needed a fancy Xmas tree decoration, you could hang me in the tree," grinned Sara, thankful to be home safe with Kevin and Maggie.

When Leanne entered, she was introduced to Maggie, before Sara handed her the wriggling child. Sara felt wiped out from the aftermath of her escape. She went and sat on the couch, while Kevin rewarded Maggie with another chocolate fish treat.

"Here, this is for showing me where mommy was, and giving me the chance to help her escape." He said, giving her a kiss in the process.

Leanne let Maggie down, allowing her to run over to Sara and offer her a part of her treat.

"Thanks honey, I love you," Sara said after giving her a kiss as well. The bite of the marshmallow, with its sweet taste, seemed to go straight to her head, making her feel much better. Sara felt her energy levels increase and realised that her powers come at a cost.

Whatever she did to stop those bullets, obviously took energy, energy that needed to be replaced as soon as possible. Kevin asked if there was anything wrong, seeing that Sara seemed to be without her usual 'zing.'

"Do you want a drink?" he asked, moving to the mini bar.

"Food please, I need to build up energy with something substantial," she answered, waving off his offer of Vodka.

Kevin got Maggie to give him a hand in the kitchen, leaving Sara in peace, in the lounge. Sara decided to ring Kim for some answers.

Leanne had unpacked the meagre belongings in the bedroom Kevin had assigned to her. She'd managed to grab a few clothes, which she'd thrown in a duffle bag, before her flight from the mob. She took out the CDrom that was the cause of her problems. She took it downstairs, to where Sara was on the phone in the lounge. She sat and waited, till Sara, asked if that was the disc with the information on it. Getting Leanne's nod, she imparted this to the person on the other end of the line. After a few minutes, Sara hung up,

"Well that was interesting," she said, as Kevin brought in some sandwiches for everyone.

"What was?" asked Kevin, helping himself to a huge doorstop of a sandwich, that he'd obvious marked as his own.

Kim says that I used a special kind of TK field that works to convert the air to form an impassable barrier. She couldn't be specific, not having observed it herself, but said it would stop anything that was of a lower mass than myself, anything higher would probably cause me to move backward, until I hit something of equal or higher mass."

"Then what?" asked Kevin, seeing an image of Sara being crushed in the advent of having a car hit her and being pressed back against a wall, squashing her.

If I was moved backwards against a tree for instance, it would become part of my mass and the field would use it as an anchor and protect me against whatever was thrown at me," answered Sara.

"So you'd become like the immovable object, then?" Queried Leanne in wonder.

"Yes."

"Okay, when can I get one of these Wonder Woman bracelets," Leanne laughed jokingly.

"How about right now," Sara replied, smiling as she saw the expression on Leanne's face.

"You really mean it?" asked Leanne, seeing Kevin nod. "Awesome," she gushed.

To be continued.

*********************************************
 © 2005 by Prudence Walker. All Rights Reserved. These documents (including, without limitation, all articles, text, images, logos, and compilation design) may be printed for personal use only. No portion of these documents may be stored electronically, distributed electronically, or otherwise made available without the express written consent of the copyright holder.