“Morning!” beamed my Mum, as we saw each other on the landing, both making our ways towards the top of the stairs. She was far too cheery for this time of the morning, if you were to ask me.

“Mornin’,” I mumbled back, as I started to head down the stairs, my Mum a few paces behind.

“This is very early for you,” commented my Mum, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine, thanks,” I continued to mumble, as my Mum followed me into the kitchen.

I rubbed my hands together and opened the book to the 101st page, the exact middle. I was shivering with anticipation. 'This is it,' I thought. 'Today's the day I join the coven'.

“Well, that was easier than I’d expected,” said my Mum, as she put her phone back down on the desk in her study.

“Oh, how privileged I must be! Princess Sam finally deemed me worthy of having my phone calls returned. I am so honoured!” my Sister teased, as I called her back.

“I’m sure you’ve been sat, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for me?” I replied.

“Well, after a couple of hours of that, my thumbs got tired! So, I decided to head home from Manchester. I’ve taken the scenic route, over the Snake Pass. It was fun.”

“Oh, that’s funny. We were out for a drive in the countryside today, too. How long have you been back? I asked

“Mmm. That feels good.”

We continued for at least another hour, just like we had been before we went to sleep last night. Kissing, cuddling, holding and continuing to explore each other’s bodies.

Photo from neonbrand.
 

Spring Break

I suppose it's rather trite to say your first time with a woman can set the pattern for your whole life. I know it was true for me, but my pattern bears more resemblance to a crazy quilt than some nice, ordinary bedspread.

I suppose the allusion to bedding is apt, as my pattern certainly included sex, but in many unforeseen ways it changed my whole attitude toward women and life.

I made zero progress in putting any of my new clothes away. I had just chilled out, curled up in the single corner of my king size bed that had been kept clear of clothes. For what was probably an hour, I played on my phone. I don’t use social media, but I do watch YouTube. Lots lately. The last hour had been makeup tutorials and clothing haul reviews. I couldn’t get enough of it.

I went downstairs to get a drink, and found my Mum and Sister both in the kitchen.

It Takes All Sorts

Part One

She was unlike any girl Kyle had ever seen. She was tall, taller than him, anyway, and wore a black leather biker jacket, Doc Martens boots, slicked-down hair and an attitude. Kyle kept sneaking glances at her as the day went on, and wanted to speak to her, but he couldn’t pluck up the courage. As he packed his bag at the end of class, she turned to him.

“What’s your problem?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been staring at me all day.”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Oh, so is that another robe I’ve lost? Have you still got the black pyjamas, too?” asked my sister, across the breakfast bar in the kitchen. “I assumed you’d slept in the pink ones from last night.”

“Good morning!” I said, much more brightly than I felt. “I got into bed with them on last night, and they were far too warm. And yeah, I slept in the black set, I’ve got them on underneath now.” I loosened the robe slightly, to display the strap of the black silk pyjamas underneath. I’d not returned them after trying them on last night. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Excuse me. Sarah. Have you seen that key you gave me earlier?” I asked

Sarah looked confused, “Not since I gave it to you earlier. Why? Have you lost it?”

“I don’t think so. I left it in the keyhole, after locking it from the inside, to stop, erm…” I paused.

“Yes, to stop anyone else bursting in. Sorry again about that,” said Sarah, picking up my pause.

“Well, the room is now locked. With my other costumes in there,” I went on.

“Oh,” said Sarah, “just your costumes? Your change of clothes is still in the gymnasium?”

“Yes, Sarah.”

The sound made by my high-heeled sandals clicking along the wooden flooring was almost hypnotic. Despite this being the furthest I’d ever walked in heels, and also the first time wearing some outside my own house, I was ‘in the zone’. What had once taken serious concentration to avoid breaking my ankle was now coming almost naturally.

If the bell hadn’t rung, I likely could have stared at the textbook for hours, and would still be none the wiser.
“Is it me? Did I miss something when this was being explained?” I asked, to myself more than to anyone else.

“Well, if it’s you, it’s me too!” answered my classmate John, as he put his books away in his bag. “I think I made a big mistake choosing Maths; I stopped understanding what we’re doing weeks ago.”

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

--

Before the end of the month, Grace had her driver's license and the two spent their first evening out alone without Judy. It was a simple dinner at a fast food place and then a movie, but she and Josh enjoyed it just the same.

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

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Trapped in a one-car garage filling with smoke, Josh found it strange that he could breath just fine. It was then that he saw both Jennifer and Grace were there and choking on the deadly fumes as he watched helplessly. Suddenly, he noticed he had a respirator in his hand and looked at the two girls in turn. He knew that he could only save one of them at this point, as they were both so close to death that by the time he'd saved one, the other would be gone. Frozen in indecision, he stood there and watched as both succumbed to the smoke and fell lifeless to the floor as he screamed.

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

--

Turning in place and looking at himself in his closet mirror, Josh sighed at the utter futility of looking anything like a boy. He'd bought some boy's clothes in a department store; a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap. Even with his hair tucked up in the cap and his still-growing breasts strapped down with an ace bandage, the image he saw reflected in his mirror looked like a pre-teen girl wearing boy's clothes. Once he took off the cap and his hair spilled out, the vision was complete and he would even be hard-pressed to say they were boy clothes. On him, he felt they still looked girly.

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

--

Looking himself over one last time, he nodded with resigned satisfaction. The blue satin dress looked good on him, flattering his natural curves and making him appear to be every bit the pre-teen girl he was made to become. His visits with Jennifer and the Healy family and to their church over the past two weeks had been blissful reprieves from his home life. While his parents were happy to have him come and go as he pleased, when he was home he'd had to endure a new round of pushing from his parents.

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

--

Sitting in Jennifer's bedroom, the door open, and with a promise from her parents not to 'wander by' to check up on them for at least half an hour, the two sat on her bed next to one another. Before the three had returned to the Healy's home, Josh had decided that it was now or never, so he'd asked her parents for a moment of semi-privacy to talk with Jennifer alone first.

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

--

Josh awoke at six as usual. He almost didn't need the alarm he'd set the night before, having gotten used to rising at that time anyway, but he was taking no chances. Jumping out of bed quickly, he got dressed. Putting on fresh white undies and white tights easily now that he'd had practice at it, he put on a pretty bra and then got into the skirt and blouse.

I hadn’t been home for a very long time. Actually, I hadn’t been home since I went away to college more than ten years ago. My parents and siblings preferred to come to the big city, New York, instead to see me. Much more exciting than our little town. The town could have been the model for a Hallmark movie. Everyone knows everybody and all that. The church socials, the Christmas market. Well, you get the picture(s).

Since I was going to move to Paris (France, not Texas) I finally decided to go back once before I moved. Of course, my family would love to visit Paris with the excuse of visiting me, so we’d still see each other but it was Christmas and all that… Also, I have to admit that part of the reason I went back was so that I could brag about my new position as the manager of our Paris office. Quite a career move for a young woman, especially one born as a boy.

Chapter 3.12

Wednesday, May 12^th, 2023

7PM

It had been a long day for Marcia. She was briefing Darryl, Mage, and Chet on what she’d found out from the two men. When she told them that Kirk was Wanda Gregory’s nephew, and Stephen’s cousin, Darryl just shook his head.

In contrast, Mage exclaimed, “I can’t believe how many people are related to each other in this case!”

I thought long and hard as to whether to go to the funeral before deciding that paying my respects to one of my oldest friends was more important than my pride and possible hurt feelings. If there were any nasty repercussions then it would be something that I would just have to deal with as it happened.