Andrea Ribeiro
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Here I am, lighting scented candles in the bathroom while I wait for the tub to fill. Tears streak down my cheeks, very soon it will be all over. No more pain, no more suffering. The tub fills up and I add some of my mother’s jasmine scented salt baths, slowly enter it, soaking my body in its warm water, I reach for my father’s razor, take a deep breath, close my eyes and cut my wrists.
It’s done. Now all I need to do is to wait and the pain will go away. I think to myself.
I try to relax while the blood slowly pour to the tub water, and I start to think about my day and how it led me to this moment.
The day started pretty normal, I woke up, got dressed, had my breakfast and cycled my way to the school. Arriving at the high school things started going sour. You see, I’m a 15 year old high school sophomore, but I look younger and I am one of the shortest boys in my school. Heck, most of the girls are taller than me. I am the favorite target for the school bullies, specially Tom Arnold, the football team captain. He has bullied my daily ever since I started high school, beating me up and stealing my lunch money, and today wasn't different.
As I get closer to my locker I see him waiting for me, I try to turn around and run away, but one of his friends appear from behind and grabs my arm, and pushes me inside the boys bathroom.
“Hey faggot, where is my lunch money?” Tom asks me.
“Your lunch money? It's my money.” I spat back a him, tired of the constant abuse.
“No, you sissy faggot, its my money, so give it to me or I'll beat you up and grab it anyway.”
“I don't have any more money this week you moron, you already stolen everything I had for the week.”
“Don't lie to me freak!!! Give me my money or I'll beat the crap out of you.”
“Go ahead, I don't have it and you always beat me up anyway.” I say holding back the tears and trying not to look scared.
The next thing I know I'm falling down to the floor after he punch me on my stomach, trying to get my breath back. Then he kicks me a few times and then start throwing my things out of my backpack looking for the money I don't have.
“Where is it, Freak? Where is the money?”
“I... I t.told you I don't have any.”
He then kicks me one more time and say “Let's go guys, we don't want to be late for class.”
I stay down a few more minutes crying before I was able to put myself together. I get my things and go to my homeroom class.
As I open the door, Mr. Jameson, my homeroom teacher looks at me and say “Nice for you to finally join us Mr. Heart, do you have any excuse for being late again?”
“No, sir. I’m sorry sir.”
“Sit down Mr. Heart, and I don't want to see you late again.”
“Thank you sir.”
After that the day went on slowly, being tripped on the halls between classes or shoved on the lockers doors by Tom and his cronies. At the end of the school day, things got even worse.
When I go outside to grab my bike to go home, I want to cry again. My bike is destroyed, bent wheels and the frame broken. I want to scream and cry but I hold myself because I see Tom and his friends on the other side of the street pointing at me and laughing their asses off.
I decided to walk home as I don't have money for the bus, luckily its only 2 miles.
While I walked home I kept asking myself why did he hate me so much, what did I do to him, why can't he leave me alone?
Finally, I got home and went to my room. I check the time and see that I have at least one more hour alone before my sister gets home from her practice and my parents from work. I then reach my closet and remove fake bottom where I hide my other clothes. I pick up my blue floral sun dress, a pair of panties and a padded bra. After I get dressed I brush my hair and look at the mirror. Looking back at me is the real me, a pretty girl, with shoulder lenght dark brown hair and blue eyes. She smiles back at me and I feel the stress starting to subside.
I lay down on my bed for a bit thinking about my life and whats soooo good about it. I have an older sister that avoids me like the plague, a distant mother that doesn't know how to deal with me and a father that keeps trying to “man me up” every chance he gets. I start crying and after a while I ended up sleeping of pure emotional exhaustion.
I wake up with my father screaming “WHAT THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING???”
Oh crap...“D...daddy?”
“YOU FREAKING FAGGOT!!!! TAKE OFF THAT FUCKING DRESS RIGHT NOW!!!”
“N...no.”I say without thinking.
“WHAT??”
“I said no daddy, this is who I am. I am a girl.” deciding its time to finally stand up to myself.
“YOU ARE NOT A GIRL YOU DAMN SISSY! NOW TAKE OUT THAT FUCKING DRESS RIGHT NOW!!”
“NO!!”
He then launched at me and rip my dress and bra out, I never saw so much rage in my father’s eyes. I saw them him making a fist and I closed my eyes and started to shake waiting for the punch, but it never came.
I then opened my eyes and saw my father turning around and waking towards the door saying “I can’t even look at you right now. Tomorrow I’ll take you to the barber to get a crew cut and enroll you at the military school. I’ll make you a man even if it’s the last thing I do and if I ever hear about you wearing girl clothes again I’ll beat the crap out of you.”
I then fell down shaking and crying. “My life is finally over, I can’t be a boy, I won’t EVER become a man.” I thought to myself.
A lifetime later, or perhaps just a few minutes, I have no idea, I felt numb and out of desperation I went to my desk and started to write a note.
Dear mom and dad,
I’m sorry I can’t be the son you wanted, but I can’t be a man, I am a girl and always have been, but I know that you’ll never allow me to be myself and I can’t live a lie anymore, I rather die than become a man.
I can’t deal with the pain and loneliness anymore. I hope someday you find in your hearts to forgive me.
Your loving daughter,
Joan.
I’m starting to feel tired now. I hope it won’t take long.
I hear a voice calling me.
“Johnny, are you in there?”
It’s my mom
“Johnny, please answer me.”
I’m so sleepy now....
“John, there is something wrong, Johnny isn’t answering.”
“JOHNNY, OPEN THAT DOOR NOW!!!!”
“Open up sweety, I just want to talk to you, please.”
“Get out of the way,I’m going to open the door, that fucking bastard will learn his lesson”
I then hear loud banging on the door and the door suddenly is forced open.
Through my sleepy eyes I slowly look at the door and see the shocked look at my parents faces.
“JOHNNY!!!” My mother yells and runs to me.
“I’m going to call the emergency, you keep him awake, don’t let him sleep.” my father says.
“Oh, god Johnny, stay with me.”
“Mommy?”
“Mommy is here sweetheart.”
“I’m so sleepy, Mommy....”
“Don’t sleep honey, help is on the way. Please stay with me.”
“I.. I love you Mommy.”
“I love you too sweety, please stay with me.”
“I’m sorry Mommy, I’m so sleepy.....”
“No sweety, don’t sleep, stay with me, please.”
“I.... love... you... Mommy.....” I tell her before the darkness engulfs me and I hear her screaming voice sounding far far away....
“JOHNNY!!!!”
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Synopsis:In this chapter Joan wakes up in a strange place and meets a mysterious woman. |
I slowly open my eyes and look around me, I’m in the middle of a flower field, on a small grassy mound with a big apple tree in the middle, the skies are blue with a few white clouds, the sun gently warms my face and body.
Confused, I get up and the first thing I notice is a strange weight on my chest, looking down I notice that I have breasts and before I explore further I notice that I’m wearing a blue floral sun dress, the same one my father....
OH MY GOD!!!! I’m I dead? Is this heaven? I ask myself as I start to remember what happened and start to cry.
“No dear, you are not dead” a melodious voice startles me, making me jump a bit.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, child.”
I look around and look at her, and what I see is the most beautiful woman I ever met. Her wavy golden colored hair reflects the sun light, giving it a gentle glow, as if the hair itself is made of sun light. Her eyes are as blue as the skies above, her flawless white skin has a gentle touch of a tan. She has a small slightly upturned nose and full lips. She is tall, at least taller than me, I think about 5’9” or 5’10” and she is wearing a gold color sundress that glows the same way as her hair. Her body is perfectly proportioned.
“Wh... who are you?”
“Who am I it’s not important right now Joan. I am here because you needed me.”
“How.. how do you know my name?”
“Does it really matter? Just accept that I know for now, answers will come in time, my child.”
“I guess I don’t really have a choice, do I?”
“We all have a choice, but sometimes is easier to accept things as they are.”
“Why are we here? Is this heaven?”
“No child, this is not heaven, as I said before you are not dead, and we are here because you came here.”
“Why are you here?”
“I'm here because you needed me, and to answer some of your questions.”
“So if this is not heaven and I'm not dead... Is this a dream?”
“In a way you could call it that, but it's not exactly a dream although it is somewhat related to the dreamworld.”
“So what is this place?”
“This is your haven, your refuge, your world. This is your spiritual landscape, you created this place, and quite beautifully I might add.”
“Th..thank you I guess.”
“You are welcome.” she answers with a smile that is capable of melting the coldest of hearts.
“So... if I'm not dead does it means I'll have to leave this place?”
“Yes child, you need to go back. Your family is worried about you, they are suffering.”
“But what if I don't want to go back? What if I want to stay here? All that awaits for me there is pain and I can't deal with it anymore.” I say and start to cry.
She then comes to me and embraces me in a tight hug and says. “You have to go back child. If you stay you will die and this place will die too. I promise you things will get better for you.”
“Y..you promise?” I ask her between sobs.
“Yes my child, I promise.”
“Will I ever see you or this place again?”
“Yes child you will see me again and this place is part of you. In time you’ll be able to come whenever you need.”
“How will I know how to come back?”
“When the time is right you will know how.”
“O..ok. So what do I do to go back?”
“I will send you back as you don’t know how to yet, but first I have a small gift for you that will help you.”
She then gives me another hug and kiss me gently on my forehead, sending a warm tingling all over my body right before the world goes white....
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Synopsis:“B...but daddy yelled at me, grabbed me,ripped my clothes and said that he would make a man out of me even if its the last thing he would do and said that he would send me to a military school. I can’t go to a military school, I will die there.” |
beep... beep... beep... beep...
What’s that noise? I think to myself
I open my eyes and they feel heavy. I find myself on a strange room, its all white and very clean. “I’m I in a hospital?”
I look around. Beside the bed I see my mother sleeping in an uncomfortable position. She looks so tired that I decided to not say anything just yet, I just stay looking at her.
A few minutes later she started to wake up and stretch her arms, then she looks at me and suddenly she is hugging me very tightly, “Oh sweetheart, you are awake. You scared me to death. I thought I was going to lose you,” she tells me crying.
“I’m sooo sorry Mommy.” I tell her crying too.
We stay there for a long time crying and hugging unable to say anything. After a while we were able to compose ourselves back together.
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, Sweetheart, I almost died when I saw you in that bathroom.”
“I... I’m...(sob) s..sorry Mommy.”
"OK."
“How long have I been here?” I ask her
“You been asleep for almost two days. We almost lost you, Honey.”
“W...what do you mean?”
“Soon after the paramedics arrived, you stopped breathing and your heart stopped.” she tells me crying. “T..then they started CPR for several minutes and I was praying to God to not let you die, to take me instead when they got a pulse.”
“I’m sorry, Mommy, I didn’t know what to do. I was desperate and hurting and I wanted it to stop it so much that I couldn’t even think straight anymore.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me how you felt, Honey? I never knew you were suffering so much.”
“B..because D..Daddy was always trying to “man me up” and would never accept me for what I am, and I thought that if I said anything, I would lose both of you,” I tell her with tears rolling down my cheeks.
“Oh, Sweetheart, that’s not true, we Love you very much.”
“B...but Daddy yelled at me, grabbed me,ripped my clothes and said that he would make a man out of me even if its the last thing he would do, and said that he would send me to a military school. I can’t go to a military school, I will die there.”
“Your father is very sorry for what he did, Honey, he thought he was doing what’s best for you.”
“Yeah, right. By bullying me, always forcing me to do guys things even when I didn’t want to, always looking at me with disapproving eyes, like he was disappointed with me.”
“He wasn’t disappointed, he was frustrated, and he did what he was taught to. You know how strict your grandparents were with your father.”
“I know, but that’s no excuse to treat me like he did.”
“No it’s not, but he blames himself and after the paramedics arrived he lost his calm and started crying saying it was all his fault, because of him you tried to kill yourself.”
“Dad was crying? I never saw him cry before.”
“Yes, Sweetheart. He was crying, and when he read your note he cried even harder, and blamed himself even more.”
“Where... where is he?”
“He is just outside, Honey, he is afraid you don’t want to see him. He stayed there all this time, he didn’t even sleep or eat anything in two days worried about you.”
“Can I see him?”
“Are you sure?” she asks me and I nod. “I’ll go get him.”
“OK.”
She left the room and I started to look at the ceiling, trying to figure out what just happened. My father crying? That big man’s man crying? I can’t even picture it. Suddenly I hear a gentle knock on the door that makes me jump a bit.
“S..sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” my father tells me in a very low voice, almost whispering.
I look at him and almost doesn’t recognise him, he looks awful, his clothes are all wrinkled his eyes are baggy, his hair is a mess and it seems he didn’t shave in days, he looks like a street bum.
Is this really Daddy?
He slowly comes to the bed and sit on the chair beside it, he gently grabs my hand look at me with very tired and sad eyes and say “How are you feeling, Pumpkin?”
Pumpkin? Did he just called me pumpkin? He never called me that,before now. What’s going on? Who is this man? He can’t be my father. Did the aliens replaced him with a clone? (I giggle to myself after that last thought.)
“Tired, confused.”
“I’m sorry, Pumpkin, I never knew.” I see tears rolling down his cheeks.
It really IS Daddy.
“Damn air conditioning, it makes my eyes water,” he says while weeping his eyes dry and I giggle at that.
"Hi, Daddy."
“It’s good to see you laugh, I thought I lost you.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy, I really am.”
“No, I’m the one that should be sorry, I was a bigoted jerk and it took me almost seeing you die to open my eyes to what I was doing.”
“Oh Daddy!!” I say hugging him with all my might and cry on his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! It’s all my fault!” he kept saying and crying openly now.
“Stop blaming yourself, Daddy. You didn’t know. No one did.”
“Still... I am your father, I was supposed to love and protect you and not bully you. Can you ever forgive me?”
“Oh, Daddy!!! Of course I forgive you, I love you,” I tell him still crying.
“Can I join that hug?” I hear my mother's voice coming from the door.
“Of course, the more the merrier.” I tell her.
“Thank you, Sweetheart,” she tells me and joins the hug.
A few minutes later, I hear a new voice in the room. “Ah. I see our patient is finally awake.”
I look at the door and see a middle age woman walking our way.
“Hello, Sweetheart, my name is Dr. Margaret Simpson, I worked on you when you arrived here.”
Margaret Simpson? Where did I hear that name before? Then it comes to me. Marge Simpson? It was enough to give me the giggle fits.
“It seems I keep getting that reaction from my patients,” She tell us.
“Sorry Doctor,” I tell her trying to suppress the giggles. “It’s just I got the picture of Marge Simpson in a doctor’s uniform when I heard your name.”
“It’s alright, Dear. It’s good to see you up and in a good mood. You gave us quite a scare.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell her and look down ashamed.
“Don’t worry about it. It’s alright. In a few minutes I’ll ask the hospital psychiatrist to come talk to you, but first there are some things I need to discuss with you and your parents.”
“Oh... Is it bad news? Am I going to die?” I ask her starting to worry.
“No, you are not going to die, Dear,” she tells me.
“Well..., when you first came here we were busy trying to save your life so we didn’t notice it a first, but the next day, after the nurse gave you a sponge bath that she noticed something strange. So we took some blood to run some tests. The results just came back.”
Something strange? Whats she talking about? What’s wrong with me? I start to hyperventilate and pass out.
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:Something strange? Whats she talking about? What’s wrong with me? I start to hyperventilate and pass out. |
“Joan, wake up honey,” I hear a voice say.
I just lay there.
“Joanie, wake up,” There it is again.
I open my eyes and look confusedly at Mom who's holding me very gently.
“W..what happened?”
“You passed out, Sweety.”
“Oh...” I look down and blush.
“Don’t worry, Sweety, you had a very exciting day and you should be resting,” Mother says.
“C..can I have some water? I’m thristy.”
“Sure, Sweety,” says my mom as she gives me a glass of water.
I sip the water and look around. “Where is the doctor?” I ask
“She will be right back, Pumpkin.” My father says.
“I.. I need to use the bathroom.”
“Let me help you up, Sweety.” says my mom, giving me her arm to me.
“Thank you, Mom.”
Mother leads me to the bathroom, stops at the door and says, “If you need any help I’ll be right outside the door, OK?”
“Mother!!! I’m not a baby.” I exclaim. “But thank you for offering.”
I close the bathroom door and walk to the toilet, I sit down and relieve myself like I always did. Peeing standing up always felt wrong. I wipe myself and then I notice something strange.
What is happening? Is it smaller? It looks smaller. How is it possible? Maybe its just my imagination. That’s it. It has to be my imagination.
I then go to the sink and wash up my hands and face. After drying, I look at the mirror and jump a little. Is that me? I look a bit different. Do I? It’s probably my imagination again. It has to be or someone would have said something, right?
I hear a knock on the door, “Sweety, is everything OK in there?” my mother asks.
“Yes, Mom. I was just finishing.”
I go out of the bathroom and lay down, look around I notice something.
“Mom?”
“Yes, Sweety?”
“Where is Jenny?”
“She went home for a bit honey. I ordered her to. She was a mess. When she heard what happened she and her friend Mindy came right away. She stayed by your side for a long time, crying and running her fingers through your hair, just like you liked when you were little.”
“Does she know I’m awake?”
“I called her when you were in the bathroom. She is on her way here.”
“OK.”
“Hello again Joan,” I hear the doctor’s voice say.
“Hi again Doctor.”
“Feeling better now?”
“Much better, thank you.”
“You passed out before I could tell you the test results.”
“Oh... I forgot all about it,” I start to get worried again, specially after going to the bathroom.
“Don’t worry, I suspect you might find what I have to say to be good news, actually.”
“Really?”
“I promise you.”
“OK. I’m ready, Doc.”
“As I was saying before, we noticed something strange yesterday and did a few blood tests and a physical exam. Physically, what we noticed is that at a first glance your testicles haven’t dropped yet, and your penis seems to be very underdeveloped. During the physical exam things looked a bit stranger as we couldn’t find the gonads.”
“Gonads?” I ask her
“I think they are better known as the balls.” she tells me and I blush.
“Also there is the blood work, the hormone levels are not compatible with a 15 years old boy. The testosterone levels are way too low and the estrogen levels a bit high, just like a girl just entering puberty.
“WHAT?” me, my mom and dad ask at the same time.
“It’s pretty rare, but we suspect you might be intersexed to a certain degree. How much is what we plan on answering with the ultrasound we scheduled for this afternoon and the result of the DNA test tomorrow.”
“You mean that I might be really a girl?” I ask her with a big smile on my face
“I wouldn’t say that just yet, but so far the tests seems to indicate that.”
“Mommy... is it real? Tell me this isn’t a dream. Pinch my arm.”
“I don’t think its a dream, Sweety. And no, I won’t do it” she tells me.
“OK, you meanie,” I pout and decide to pinch my arm myself.
“OUCH!! That hurts.” And my parents started to laugh.
“Mommy, Daddy, I think I’ll take a nap now. I’m a little tired. As soon Jenny gets here I want you both to go home and have a looooong bath. You guys are stinking.”
Mom look at me with a goldfish impression and Dad just raise his left arm and snif his armpit. That gives me the giggle fits again.
“OK, you little brat, I can see you point.” my dad says. “But we will be back right after we have a shower and change our clothes.”
“OK. Daddy, Mommy, I love you.”
“We love you too, Pumpkin.” they say at the same time.
After they leave the room I close my eyes and then suddenly I remember the strange dream I had. Was it really a dream? What did she mean about a gift? Who is she?
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:After they leave the room I close my eyes and then suddenly I remember the strange dream I had. Was it really a dream? What did she mean about a gift? Who is she? |
I awaken from my daydream as a nurse come into the room, “Hello dear, how are you feeling?” she asks me
“I’m feeling better, thank you, Miss.”
“Call me Chrissi, Sweety. Are you hungry?”
At that exact moment my tummy decides to rumble loudly and I look at it and blush. The nurse giggles and that starts me off in another giggle fit.
“I guess I just got my answer. I’ll be back in a few minutes with something,” she tells me with a smile.
“Thank you, Chrissi.”
“You’re welcome, Sweety.”
A few minutes later she comes back with my breakfast, it was; a few slices of toast, jam, piece of melon and a glass of orange juice.
“Thank you,” I said and start eating.
It wasn’t very good, but I think its supposed to be that way. They want you out of the hospital as fast as possible and I think they look for the healthiest and worst tasting ingredients to make you want to get better just to run away from it. I ate it all, as I hadn’t eat anything in two days.
After I finished eating, a doctor came in introduced herself, “Hello Joan, my name is Elisa Towers, but you can call me Lisa. I am the hospital psychiatrist.”
“Hello, Doctor Lisa. Are you here to talk to me?”
“Just Lisa, please, and yes, it’s protocol to talk to a psychiatrist in cases like yours.”
“What do you mean?” I ask her in confusion.
“In attempted suicides, we need to make sure that you are not at risk of trying it again. Also in your case there is the gender issue too.”
“Oh...”
“We could start talking about what happened to make you take such drastic measure if you are up to it. I know it can be hard.”
“I... it’s ok. I think I need to talk about it.”
I then told her all about that day, how it started: the bullying, the beating, my bike and finally what happened at home. When I finished I was crying my heart out, and I think I saw some tears in her eyes too.
After that, she started to ask me questions about my life at home. I was uncomfortable at first, but she had a way of making me feel safe tell her things, so I did.
I told her how my father had been pushing me to do ‘manly’ things even though I had no interest in them at all and I would then spend a lot of time in my room reading or on the computer. I also told her how my mother was distant back then and how my sister seemed to avoid me.
At that point, she interrupted me and asked. “Hmm... have you thought that maybe your mother wasn’t as distant as you thought and sister wasn’t the one avoiding you?”
“W..what do you mean?”
“From what you told me, it seems you are the one that was isolating yourself from them, staying in your room avoiding them, isolating yourself from them.”
“I... I... I never though of it that way before.” I look down ashamed. “I... guess you are right. I think I was the one that started to isolate myself from them. I was jealous of my sister’s relationship with them; how my father treated her in such a caring way and the way that she and my mother would do things together all the time.
"I wanted to do those things too, and it hurt me to see them doing those things, leaving me out.
"I wanted to be able to hug my dad like my sister did and for him to look at me with the same way he looked at her, NOT with the look of disappointment I use got from him.”
“Have you ever thought of telling them how you felt?”
“I... couldn’t, my father always seemed to be bigoted against gays and transexuals, every time some news appeared on TV or the paper, he would start calling fucking queer and faggots and how much he hated them.”
“I know what you mean, I talked to your father yesterday for a long time.”
“You did?” I asked her surprised.
“Yes, he was having trouble dealing with what happened to you.”
“What did you two talked about?”
“I can’t tell you that. The same way I can’t tell your parents exactly what we talked about either.”
“You meanie,” I pouted and she laughed.
“I can see you are a feeling a lot better.”
“Yes I am, Lisa.”
“I heard you are taking some more tests later today, so I would like to talk again after you get the results, OK? “
“OK.”
“Good bye, Joan. See you later.”
“Bye bye.”
After she left the room I hear a knock on the door and I sighed. Can’t I have a minute of peace today? I thought and looked at the door. When I saw who was at the door a huge smile appeared on my face. “JENNY!!!!” I screamed.
She ran to the bed and hugged me to death.
“I... can’t.... breath...” I told her.
And then she said giggling, “If you can talk you can breath.” but she eased up the grip a bit.
“How are you feeling?” She asked me.
“It seems that’s the question of the day, everyone asks me that,” I said giggling. “I’m feeling better, Sis.”
“That’s great to hear. You scared us to death. Don’t ever do that again.”
“I’m sorry. I really am.” I started to cry again.
“Shhh.... it’s ok, it’s ok.” She said hugging me. “Are you up to one more visitor? There is someone else that was worried about you that came with me.”
“Who is it?”
At that moment I look at the door and see my sister’s friend Mindy and called her in.
“Hi Mindy.”
“H.. hi Joh... Joanie. It’s nice to see that you are OK,” she says shyly.
“Thank you.”
My sister then stands up and says. “Joanie, we know how awful the hospital food is, so we smuggled a little something for you. Mindy, if you care to do the honors.”
Mindy then opens her backpack and take a paper bag from it and says, “Your sister says that this is one of your favorites.”
She then open the bag and take out a double cheese burger and french fries.
“Oh my gosh!!!! Thank you Mindy.”
“You’re welcome.” she said extending her arm to give me the burger.
I reach my hand to grab it and our hands touch. At that moment I felt a tingling sensation all over my body and my brain turned mushy....
“.... ..... ....”
“Are you both OK?” my sister ask us. “You seem a little flushed.”
“I... I... I’m fine I said.” after my brain finally rebooted.
“I’m fine too, Jenny.” Mindy says
“What happened?” my sister asked.
“BSOD” I told her.
“BSOD?” they ask in unison.
“Yes, Blue Screen Of Death. It seems my brain locked up and needed a reboot.”
They both then started giggling and my sister says. “You are such a geek.”
“Guilty as charged.” I tell her, giggling.
I then started to happily eat that fabulous sandwich. But Jenny and Mindy kept stealing fries. I didn’t mind. I never felt closer to my sister than now.
A few minutes later, my parents arrive and they looked a lot better.
“Oh oh, it seems we are too late.” My father said to my mom.
“Too late?” Me, Mindy and Jenny ask at the same time.
“Yes, too late. We brought you one of your favorite sandwich, but you are already eating one,” He said producing a brown paper bag with another double cheese burger and that set us off another giggle fit.
“I wouldn’t mind eating it. I’m hungry,” said Mindy
“You are always hungry, I have no idea how can you be so skinny eating so much,” my sister says.
“Good genes I guess.” she said and showed her tongue to my sister.
A little while later, just after Jenny and Mindy left, nurse Chrissy came back with a big jar of water and said, “You need to drink all this water in the next hour for your ultrasound. And don’t go to the bathroom.”
I look at the jar in shock and said “I’ll never be able to drink all that in one hour.”
“Just do your best, Sweety, the more you drink the better the images.”
“OK. I’ll do my best,” I told her and drank the first glass.
An hour later, I was still trying to drink the last glass when she returned to wheel me to the exam room. I thanked her for that because if I had to walk I would certainly pee in my hospital gown.
A few minutes later I’m laying down the exam table, the technician said, “This will feel a little cold.” as she spread some ice cold goo all over my belly.
Right after the exam, I went straight to the bathroom and peed for what seemed forever and wondered if there was a world record for time peeing and giggled at the thought.
After that, I wanted to take a shower but wasn’t sure I could do it with the bandages on my wrists, so I decided to wait and ask nurse Chrissi, later.
A few hours later, Dr. Simpson came back to my room.
“Hello Joan, how are you feeling?”
“Bored, I hope I can go home soon.”
“Well, I have the results of the ultrasound here and have some news for you.”
At that I held my parents hands tightly. ( They'd returned after my exam.)
“And...?” I asked her expectantly.
“It seems you have a completely formed set of female reproductive organs. I would recommend surgery as soon as possible as you can start menstruating at any time and right now the blood doesn’t have anywhere to go and that can be very dangerous.”
“Surgery?” My parents asked her.
“Yes, to open the vaginal canal. Also we discovered that your penis is nothing more than some flap skin shaped like a penis and we can reshape it and the scrotal skin to form the labia and clitoris.”
“You mean I really am a girl?” I ask her starting to feel a little dizzy.
“Yes Joan, that’s what I’m saying.”
“Mommy!!! Daddy!!! Did you hear what she said?” I asked them excitedly.
“Yes sweetheart, we heard it.” My mom said with a smile on her face.
My father looked a little shocked but then hugged me and said softly. “I’m sorry,, Pumpkin. I never knew. How could I have been so blind?”
“I don’t blame you, Daddy. I know you thought I was your son and you did what you thought was right.”
“Still I shouldn’t have pushed you so hard. I guess I turned into my father. He was a very strict man, and I promised myself I wouldn’t be like that when I grew up. It seems that along the way his ideas made their way into my thick skull.”
“Don’t worry, Daddy. I’m glad you changed your mind.”
“But I had to almost lose you to see what I was doing and how wrong I was,” he said between tears.
“Don’t cry, Daddy. I promise I’ll never do something like that again,” I told him, crying.
“Who said I’m crying? It’s that damn air conditioning that makes my eyes water,” he said trying to look tough.
“Yeah, right,” Mother says giving my father a stern look before she starts to giggle and that starts me off again and soon we are all laughing at my father antics.
A few minutes later we were able to recompose ourselves and Mother asked the doctor, “When can you do the surgery?”
“We can schedule it for tomorrow morning. I already checked with the surgeon and we have a spot open.”
“You mean that after tomorrow I’ll be a normal girl?”
“You are a normal girl, Sweety, you just have a small birth defect that will be corrected.”
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! I can’t believe it,” I said excitedly.
The doctor then said, “Joan, you better not get too excited or you might faint again.”
But it was too late because as she said that my vision became blurry and right before everything went dark I thought. ‘There I go again.'
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously: But it was too late because as she said that my vision became blurry and right before everything went dark I thought. There I go again. |
I wake up again in the middle of the flower field, under the Apple tree, look around but I see no sign of that lady.
I’m I dreaming again?
I stand up and start to walk around. At some distance I see a lake and decided to take a closer look.
When I get closer to the lake I see someone swimming and wonder if its the lady from the last time, but when I got a better look I noticed it wasn’t her. It was a boy, he saw me and started to wave at me, not knowing what to do I waved back.
Who is he? What is he doing here? I ask myself.
He started to swim in my direction and I felt a bit uneasy, when he got out of the water I had a huge shock. That can’t be. It is impossible. He looks like me.
He walks in my direction with a huge smile on his face and says, “Hi Sis.”
Sis? What’s going on? “W...who are you?” I ask him.
“I am kind of your twin brother.”
“B...but I never had a brother.”
“Well... it is what the lady told me.”
“What do you mean?”
“From what she told me, we were supposed to be twins, a boy and a girl, but something happened and we became one person.”
I felt completely confused, but he continued.
“She said that right after our conception, our embryos merged at the beginning of their development. We had one body and 2 different sets of DNA, making a bit of a mess of things. Some of the internal organs had your DNA, together with most of the brain and some other areas had my DNA, that’s why everyone thought you were a boy.”
“B...but how are you here now?”
“Remember when the lady said she would give you a gift?”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember how you felt?”
“Yes, I felt a warm tingling all over my body, just before everything went white.”
“Nothing else?”
“Now that you mention it, I felt like a huge weight was lifted from me.”
“That was me, Sis. I was trapped inside you all our lives.”
“B... but why was I the one that got sent back and not you?”
“Because you were the one in control.”
“Are you stuck here?”
“For now, ” he said with a mischievous grin.
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see.”
“Where is the lady?”
“I have no idea. We talked a while after you were gone, but she is one frustrating lady. She doesn’t give straight answers.”
“I know what you mean,” I giggle.
“So.. Do I call you Johnny?”
“Nahhh. Johnny was our name, he doesn’t exist anymore. My name is Josh.”
“Nice to meet you Josh.” I said as I gave him a hug.
“It’s nice to finally be able to talk to you, Sis.” He said hugging me back.
“I wish you could live with us in the real world,” I tell him and feel the tears starting to fill my eyes.
“I can’t just yet, Sis. For the same reason you still have to do the operation. She did some minor changes, but couldn’t do more. Not because she lacks the power, but she doesn’t want to attract unwanted attention.”
“Unwanted attention?”
“I don’t know what she meant by that, but she said you would be in danger if ‘the others’ knew what she is doing.”
“The others? Who are the others?”
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know either.”
“You have any idea of who or what is the lady.”
“I have my suspicions. I think she might be a goddess of some kind.”
“A goddess? Are you kidding me?”
“No. She is too powerful and too mysterious. Maybe she doesn’t think we are ready to know the truth.”
“I don’t know. It seems a bit far fetched to me. But I think we will know when the time is right, just like she told me.”
“By the way, how did I get here this time?”
“That I know.” he told me with a grin. “I brought you here.”
“Why?”
“Because I wanted to see you. I was feeling lonely,” he said looking at his feet and blushed.
“Awwww, you big softy,” I said huging him.
“Also I wanted to tell you that I learned a few things about this place.”
“Oh?”
“Remember that she said that this place is related to the dreamworld?”
“Yes, she also said this is my spiritual landscape.”
“Actually it is our spiritual landscape, we were merged for so long that our souls are extremely tuned in, and that’s how I was able to bring you here. The moment you fainted I was able to pull you in.”
“Oh, that is neat.”
“And that’s not all. It seems that this place is connected to the spiritual and the dream worlds, even the lady was surprised by that.”
“And what does it mean?”
“She is not sure. She said she needed to study it for a while, but I suspect that means that from here we might be able to enter either of the worlds and come back.”
“Isn’t it dangerous?” I ask him.
“I don’t know, that’s why I want to know more about this place first. But now we are running out of time, you need to go back. We will see each other soon.”
“Oh, and don’t tell anyone about this place just yet.”
“Why?”
“Just don’t, please. The lady said it could be dangerous if the wrong ears heard about it.”
“OK, I’ll keep my mouth closed for now.”
“See you soon sis.” he said giving me a hug just before everything went white again.
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:“See you soon sis.” he said giving me a hug just before everything went white again. |
I wake up and stretch my arms. What a dream., I think to myself.
I look around and see my mom seated on a chair next to the bed.
“I see you are finally awake.”
I yawn and ask, “How long have I been asleep?”
“A few hours. We decided to let you sleep, you had a very exciting day.”
“Mom...”
“What is it, Sweetheart?”
“I’m not dreaming, am I? I mean what the doctor said about me being really a girl.”
“No, Sweetheart, you are not dreaming. And don’t get to exited either or you’ll faint again,” she tells me trying to suppress a giggle.
“It is becoming a habit of mine, isn’t it?” I say blushing a little.
“It is understandable.”
“OK, I’ll try to not faint again.”
"We'll see, Sweetheart."
“What time is it, Mommy?”
“Just a little after 5:00 PM. Why? Have a big date?”
“No, I’m just anxious. I wish I could have the operation today and be over with. Also I’m a bit hungry and I don't think that I be able to eat later.”
“That’s true, the doctor said you can’t eat after 7pm and no liquids after 10pm. I think they will bring you your dinner soon.”
“Where’s Daddy and Jenny?”
“He went home to sleep a little, and Jenny will be here in a few minutes.”
“Does she know?”
“Yes, I told her.”
“And Mindy?” I ask and blush a little.
“What about Mindy?”
“Nothing, it’s just that she came earlier with Jenny and I was wondering if she knows too.”
“I don’t know, maybe Jenny told her.”
“OK.”
I lay my head back and start looking at the ceiling.
Why did I ask about Mindy? What happened earlier? When our hands touched earlier I couldn’t even think straight. Why I am even thinking about that? What does it mean?
“Sweety? Are you ok?” I hear my mother ask with some consern in her voice.
“Hmmmm...? Oh. Yes mom, I’m fine, I was just thinking.”
“Thinking about?”
“About what will happen after I leave the hospital, school, things like that I lied.”
“After you leave the hospital you will stay at home a couple weeks while you heal, and after that you’ll go back to school.”
“I hope not as a boy, right?” I ask her a little preocupied.
“No sweety, as a girl. The hospital are preparing some of the paperwork necessary to correct your records and to change your name.”
“Change my name?” I ask her a bit confused.
“Yes, sweety, John Heart Junior isn’t a name suited to a girl.”
“So I will be Joan for real?”
“Joan Erica Heart, actually.”
“Erica?”
“It was my grandmothers name, Sweety. I hope you like it.”
“I love it, Mommy.” I tell her as I give her a big hug.
At that moment Jenny arrives, “Aren’t we in a hugging mood today?” with a giggle.
“Mom just told me my new name, Sis.”
“Really? What is is? It is still Joan, right?”
“Yes, sis it is still Joan. Wanna tell her, Mom?”
“Sure, Sweety. Jenny, meet Joan Erica Heart, your sister.”
“Ohhh Sis, what a great name. Where did the Erica came from?”
“It was my grandmother’s name.” Mom tells her.
“It is very beautiful. And congratulations, Sis,” she tells me and give me a big hug.
“Thank you, Sis.”
“You know, I always wanted a little sister. We will have so much fun together. I have so much to teach you,” she tells me with an evil gleam in her eyes.
“Oh oh! Should I be worried, Mom?”
“Not at all,” she tells me with the same gleam in her eyes.
Oh damn, what are they planning? I think to myself, “Why is that I think you two are up to something?”
“Who? Us?” they say in unison and flutter their eyes.
I start laughing, and soon we are all laughing like mad.
A few minutes later, I hear Doctor Lisa knock on the door, “It seems we are in a good mood this afternoon.” .
“Yes, Doctor.”
“What did I tell you earlier young lady?” She tells me with a stern look.
“Hmmm..... drop the Doctor?” I ask her a bit worried.
“Yes, sweety.”
“Ok, I’ll drop the doctor, Lisa.”
That set her off a bit and I hear her trying to suppress a giggle.
“What happened?”
“The way you said it was a little funny.”
I start thinking of what I said and then it hit me and I start giggling which also set Jenny and mom off and soon we are having another laughing fit.
A few minutes, later we were able to stop laughing and Lisa said, “I think Joan and I need a few minutes alone, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all,” Mother said. “Jenny and I will go to the cafeteria for a bit while you two talk. Do you want anything sweety?”
“A tuna sandwich?”
“Sure thing. We will be back soon. By sweety,” she said while giving me a kiss on my forehead.
“See you later, Sis.” My sister said asd gave me a kiss in my forehead, too.
After they left, Lisa sat down, “They seem to love you very much.”
“I love them very muc,h too. Too bad it took me so long to notice it.”
“I know it is a bit of a cliche, but its better later than never.”
“That’s true.”
“I heard the news from your doctor and I want to know how are you feeling about it.”
“Ecstatic, couldn’t be happier. It’s exactly what I wished for my entire life. It’s like a miracle.” I tell her with happy tears.
“And how do you feel your family is coping with it?”
“My mother and my sister are happy for me, I think my dad might be a bit shocked, but dealing with it.”
“Why do you say that?” She asked me with a questioning look.
“I don’t know, it’s I feeling I have. Woman intuition I guess.” I tell her and giggle.
“Hmmmm... can you tell me what I am feeling?”
I look at her for a few minutes and then I said. “You are happy for me, but still a bit preoccupied that I don’t see the implications of what happened. Am I right?”
She then opened her eyes wide and said. “That’s very good, how you did that is beyond me, at least the preoccupied part. Were you always like that?”
“Hmmm... not really. Actually ,I just noticed it.”
What is happening? Could I really feel her emotions? I better not say anything more about it.
“You do understand the implications, right?”
“Of what? What I did or the fact I just discovered I’m a real girl?”
“Both, actually.”
“Well... I know I shouldn’t have done what I did, and I feel bad about it. But at the same time, it was because of what I did is that I discovered that I am really a girl. And about me being a girl, I know that even if I have a full reproductive organ set inside, some people will not accept me, thinking that I am a freak or an abomination or both, but I’m not afraid of them.”
“That’s a good way to think. And you’ll need all the support you can get.”
“I have my family on my side now.” I tell her firmly.
“Yes, and you’ll need their support. I’m glad you are feeling better.”
“Thank you, Lisa.”
“Now I think we should let them back in.”
“Yes, I’m starving.”
“I’ll see you soon, Sweety.” she tells me and leaves the room.
A few seconds later, they come back and Jenny gives me the tuna sandwich and a cup of apple juice.
“Thank you, Sis.”
“You are welcome.”
“How is Mindy? Does she know?”
“She is fine, and I told her. She is happy for you.”
“You think she will come to visit me again?”
“Yes, she said she would come tomorrow after school. Why do you ask?”
“No reason.” I tell her feeling my face on fire.
She then looks at me with a questioning eye and say “Do you have a crush on her?”
“N...no!” I lied.
“I don’t believe you.”
“W...we are both girls.” I tell her
“So?”
“I... I don’t know, sis. Ever since our hands touched I can’t stop thinking about her. I felt all mushy and tingling, I couldn’t even think straight.”
“It seems you do have a crush on her.”
“B...but I hardly know her.”
“These things happen sis. We can’t really control it.”
“Yeah, but its not like anything can happen between us.”
“I wouldn’t be sure of that.” I hear her saying under her breath.
“What did you say?”
“N..nothing.” she said looking at her feet.
“Hmmm... OK.”
“I think I better try to get some sleep, I can’t wait for tomorrow to come.” I tell them excitedly.
“It’s understandable.” Mother says. “Remember, no liquids after 10 and no more food today.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“And don’t ‘yes, mother’ me young lady.” she tells me with a smile
“Yes, Mother.” I tell her and giggle.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, OK?” my sister asks me.
“OK, Ssis. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, Sweety,” Mother hugs me and give me a little kiss on the cheek.
“See you tomorrow, Mom. I love you.”
“I love you too. Sweet dreams.”
After they left I lay down on the bed, close my eyes and think about my day. ‘What a strange day. I still can’t believe that I am a real girl. And do I have a crush on Mindy? I’m so confused right now. And what about my dreams? Are they just dreams? Is Josh real?’
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:After they left I lay down on the bed, close my eyes and think about my day. ‘What a strange day. I still can’t believe that I am a real girl. And do I have a crush on Mindy? I’m so confused right now. And what about my dreams? Are they just dreams? Is Josh real?’ |
I woke up around 7:A.M. the next day. As I stretched and did my business in the bathroom, I thought I should have had trouble sleeping because of the operation that is going to happen this morning. But instead, I slept incredibly well, and had no strange dreams last night.
When I left the bathroom, I see my family arriving, “Mommy!! Daddy!! Jenny!!” I squeal and run to them and drown them in hugs.
“Good morning, Sweety,” Mother says as she kissme me on my forehead.
“Excited?”
“Extremely. I can’t wait for it to be over.”
“Good morning, Sis.” Jenny says, hugging me.
“Good morning. I thought you would be at school, today.”
“Do you think that I'd be able to do anything there knowing that you will be on an operating table?”
“Thank you for being here for me, Ss.” I say, trying to hold back the tears.
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now,” she says, giving me another hug.
I look at Dad, He seems to be sad. I wonder what’s wrong. “Daddy?”
“Yes, Pumpkin?” he says, trying to smile.
“Is there anything wrong?”
“No, Sweety. Nothing is wrong.”
I don’t believe it. “Daddy, something is clearly bothering you, its written all over your face.”
“What is bothering you? You been acting strange since last night.” Mother asks Father. “
Daddy looks at mr, “I’m sorry. It has been a very stressful few days for me. You know I love yo, Pumpkin, but it has been a bit hard for me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that you are fine and happy, but I do feel like I am losing a son. It doesn’t mean I don’t love my new daughter though, just that it might take a little time to adjust, that’s all.”
I hug him very tight, “Oh daddy, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be, Sweety, it’s not your fault.”
“OK, Daddy, I just wish that I could make this easier for you.”
“I know, but that’s something I have to do myself.”
A few minutes later, a doctor comes in and introduce himself, “Hello Joan, I’m Doctor Willian Jenkins, and I’ll be the one operating you today. I heard a lot about you. Nervous about today?”
“A little, more excited than anything actually. It’s like a dream becoming true for me.”
“I’m glad to hear that. In a few minutes a nurse will come and help you with a bath and prep you for surgery. I’ll see you at the operating theatre.”
“OK, Doctor.”
He left, and Nurse Chrissi came in, “Hello Joan, how are you, today?”
“Excited, mostly. And a bit nervous, too.”
“That’s alright. I’m glad that you are feeling well. I’ll help you with your bath because of the bandages on your arms, OK?”
“OK. I really need a bath.”
“You'll be shaved down there for the surgery.”
“Oh...” I said blushing.
“Don’t worry, Sweety. It’s my job,” she tells me with a smile.
“OK.”
After the bath, I think I went into some sort of trance because I only remember pieces of things: like being taken to the operating theatre, a gas mask some hissing and then nothing.
The next thing I remember is waking up in my room and my mother is there sitting by the bed.
“Hello, Sweety, how are you feeling?”
“Thirsty... and a bit woozy.”
“Its probably the painkillers. Here sip a bit of water,” she tells me giving me a glass of water.”
“Thanks, Mommy.”
“You are welcome.”
“Is it done?”
“Yes, Sweety. It’s all done.”
“Thank goodness,” I tell her and fall asleep again.
I wake up a few hours later again in a bit of pain, and this time my sister is there.
“Hi Sis.” I tell her softly
“Hi there, Sis, how are you feeling?”
“In a bit of pain, but nothing I can’t handle, yet.”
“If it gets too uncomfortable, tell me and I’ll call the nurse to see if she can adjust the painkillers.”
“Thank you, Sis.”
“Are you up for a visitor?”
“A visitor? Sure. Who?”
As soon as I ask her I see Mindy at the door and I start blushing, “H..hi Mindy.”
“Hi Joanie. How are you feeling?”
“Just in a bit of pain, a bit groggy, but happy.”
“That’s good to hear.” she says sitting by the bed. “You look good.”
“I must look a mess.” I blush.
“You really do look good. There is something different about you.”
“Different?” I look at her confused.
“Yes, you look more at peace and it shows.”
“I FEEL more at peace.”
“There is also something else, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“It must be the drugs,” I giggle.
“Hmmm.... maybe.” she says, looking deeply into my eyes.
She then takes my hand, my brain goes mushy again, and I melt.
“I’m glad you're OK, Joanie. I wish I could have been here this morning, but my parents forced me to go to school.”
“It...it’s okay Mindy.” Oh my. Why does she have such strong effect on me?
A few minutes later, the nurse comes in, "How are you feeling?"
"Lousy."
She gives me a new dose of painkillers. Didn’t take long and I was floating again. And a few more minutes later I was in the land of Nod again.
I won’t go into details of my recovery in the hospital as I got bored out of my mind. It went with the doctor’s visits to check on the dressings and stitches, talks with doctor Lisa, a lot of TV watching, reading and sleeping. My family was around me most of the time. Of course there was the time I finally saw my new vagina and the time I went to pee the first time after the operation. I cried of happiness both times.
By Saturday the doctor said I was fit to leave the hospital and I would jump up and down if I could. My mother and Jenny came to sign me out and take me home. They brought me a nice pink sundress, a pair of cotton panties and a padded bra. The last few days I noticed some breast development, it’s not quite an "A" cup, but they are breasts nonetheless.
I was wheeled out of the hospital and my mom brought the car close to the entrance. Jenny helped me to get into the car.
“Where’s daddy?”
“He is at home, he is making the final touches to your room, Sweety.” Mother says.
“Oh... really?” I ask her excitedly.
“Yes, really.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
The ride home was uneventful and I dozed off. What it seemed a few seconds later I wake up with my mother telling me we arrived home. Jenny helped me out of the car and Daddy was waiting at the door.
“Hi, Daddy.” I tell him giving him a big hug.
“Hi, Pumpkin, welcome home.” He says, hugging me back.
“It’s nice to be home.”
“I think I’ll go up to my room and lay down, I’m a bit tired.” I tell them and yawn, also wanting to see my new room.
“I’ll help you up the stairs, Sis.” .
When we reached top of the stairs, I open my door and look inside.
‘What’s happening? Didn’t Mom say that Dad was working on my room? Why does it look the same as always?’
I was still confused when Jenny tells me. “This isn’t your room anymore, silly. You are now sharing the room with me. It’s not like you would be comfortable here, anymore.”
What does she mean by that? Why wouldn’t I be comfortable? I think to myself completely lost and confused and follow her to our new room.
I open the door, and look inside and then I saw him and stop dead in my tracks. He looked at me and a big smile appeared on his face. He then got up and opened his arms to me.
“JOSH!!!!!!” I screamed and practically jumped on him hugging him fiercely and start to cry.
“H...how? W...when? A...are you r..really here?.” I say between sobs.
He was then holding me with one arm on my waist and the one hand doing soothing motions on my head and saying “It’s OK, Sis. It’s okay. I’m here. Welcome home.”
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:He was then holding me with one arm on my waist and the one hand doing soothing motions on my head and saying “It’s OK, Sis. It’s okay. I’m here. Welcome home.” |
“Sis, what is wrong?” asks Jenny, worriedly.
“I think she is just happy to see me.” Josh tells her.
“I...I am.” I tell them still crying and holding tightly to Josh.
“How are you feeling?” Josh asks me.
“Happy, confused mostly. How?”
“I’ll tell you more about it later, now I think you need to rest a little,” He said leading me to my new bed.
“OKy Josh, I do feel tired,” I said laying down.
As soon my head hit the pillow I fell asleep.
I wake up at the flower field again, laying down with my head on the lady’s lap while she was gently caressing my hair.
‘That feels nice’ I think to myself.
“Hello my child, how are you feeling?”
“Confused. This really isn’t a dream?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“How can Josh be at my house?”
“I did that,” She tells me. “That is his where he is supposed to be.”
“But why don't the others don’t seem to think there is nothing strange?”
“For them, he has always been there. In a way he has.”
“I... I don’t understand.”
“You, my child, is a very special person, and Josh too.”
“Huh?”
“You were always supposed to have been two people, but something happened during your early development that merged the two embryos. Usually that results with a person with one soul and two different DNA, but in your case you had also two souls, a female and a male soul in one body. I believe the strain and confusion you felt your entire life to be overwhelming. What I did was fix that.”
“B...but how?”
“That was easy, the hard part was to introduce Josh into the reality without attracting unwanted attention.”
“Unwanted attention? What do you mean by that? Josh told that too. Said that’s why I had to go through my operation to fix me.”
“There are other parties that wouldn’t be happy to know what I did to help you and that could be dangerous to you and your brother.”
“Who are they? And who are you? Why do I fell so at easy around you? Josh thinks you are some sort of goddess.”
She then start to laugh and say “Oh my, he really is bright, isn’t he? OK, my child, I’ll tell you, but first I need to bring Josh here too, this concerns you both.”
As soon she said those words Josh appeared next to us looking confused for a few moments.
“Hello again Josh.” The lady tells him.
“Hi. How did I get here? Last thing I remember I was sitting by Joanie’s bed watching her sleep.”
“I brought you here, and Joan too a bit earlier.”
“Why?”
“It is time for you to know more about me. I’m not sure you are ready for it, but you both deserve an explanation.”
I moved closer to where Josh was sitting and placed my hand over his.
“We are ready.” We both said at the same time.
“I’ll answer any question that I can. Why don’t you each ask a question in turns? Joan you first.”
“You just sounded like a school teacher.” I tell her and giggle. At that both of them started to laugh.
“Who are you, exactly?” I asked her.
“What do you know about Greek mythology?” she asks us back?
“You mean like the Greek gods?” Josh asks.
“Yes, my child.”
“A read a lot about them, I always found them fascinating , but what does it have to do with who you are? Are you telling us that you are a Greek Goddess?” I ask her
“Yes and no, I am their mother.”
“Are you Rhea, mother of the gods?” I ask her.
“Yes my child, also goddess of the earth and motherhood.”
“Why did you help us?” (Josh)
“Because I had to, I felt your pain and looked into your heart and what I saw surprised me. I saw not one, but two different people both in great pain, but also with pure hearts untainted by it. I also noticed the internal struggle, and that moved me.”
“Also now I feel great power within you, and I think it is partly my fault.”
“Power?” we both asked together.
“Yes, each of you have a great power within, It seems it was always there, but dormant, probably due to your own dual nature.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“When you both were merged together, it kept those powers dormant. When I separated you both I had to give you a piece of my own essence or you would have died, and that combined with your own suls started to awake your powers.”
“You gave us a piece of your own essence?”
“Yes my child, and that’s why I didn’t want to attract unwanted attention, by giving each of you a piece of my essence you both became my children too.”
“You mean you are like our mother?”
“Yes, at least spiritually, your mortal parents are still your parents too. Some of my children would feel threatened if they find out about you.”
“The Greek gods? Why would they feel threatened by us?”
“Because of what you might become of what you represent. Your powers are just awakening, but over time they will grow stronger.”
“Which powers are you talking about?” (Josh)
“I’m not sure exactly which powers you both might have, but they are tied to your own nature, and they are the strongest when you are both together. Also you might also be able to channel the magical energy around, due to my essence within you.”
“Magic is reawakening on earth, for a long time magic was very weak, almost extinct, actually. The last few years though, the magic energy started to grow and flow stronger. Some people already can do some minor magic. Some parties are fear the changes will cause, others embrace it, and others want to manipulate it to their own purposes.”
“And what does it have to do with us?” (me)
“For now, not much. I want you to live your life, like the children that you are. Just be careful with who you trust, keep your abilities secret from the world, learn more about them. There are some people that will help you. You both have a lot to learn before choosing a side.”
“For now that’s all I can say, it’s time for you to go back, my children.”
“We still have a lot of questions, goddess Rhea,” I ask her.
“Those will have to wait, and you don’t need to call me that.”
“What do you want us to call you?”
“How does your heart wants to call me?” she asks me.
“It wants me to call you mother.”
“Of course it does, you are also my daughter now, and Josh is my son too.”
“OK... mother, I hope to see you soon.”
“Don’t worry, my daughter, you will see me very soon.”
“See you soon.” I tell her and a second later I’m waking up in my room.
I look around and see Josh sleeping on a chair by the bed. “Josh?” I call him.
“Yeah?”
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure, but I do think we were not dreaming.”
“I don’t think we were dreaming either. Not anymore.”
“Right after you left, she told me something just before I came back here.”
“What did she say?”
“Protect her, my child. She is the key.”
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:“Right after you left, she told me something just before I came back here.” “What did she say?” “Protect her, my child. She is the key.” |
“The key?”
“That’s what she said. Don’t ask me what she means by that, I have no idea,” he said, shrugging.
“I wonder what she means by that.”
“I think we will know eventually, when she decides it’s time for us to know.”
“I guess so. And she is probably right, I’m still trying to get my head around what she already told us.”
“Yeah.”
We then hear a knock on the door and see Mom coming into the room.
“Hello Sweety, how are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Mommy. Just woke up a few minutes ago and was talking with Josh.”
“That’s good. Are you hungry? Dinner is almost ready, if you want I can bring something up.”
“I’m starving, but I think I’ll go downstairs.”
“Are you sure about that? You should take it easy for a little while.”
“I am, Mom. I think I can make it to the couch at least. I don’t want to spend all my time in my bedroom, I'd die of boredom if I did.”
“OK, Josh, can you help your sister downstairs?”
“Of course, Mom.”
After Mom left the room, I started to get up and noticed something strange.
“Josh, I just noticed something.”
“What is it, sis? You forgot to take your pain medication?”
“Well... I did forget about it, but it’s not what I noticed.”
“What did you notice then?”
“I’m not feeling any pain.”
“That’s strange. Let me see your arm sis." he says with a thoughtful look in his face
I show him my left arm and he starts to take off the bandage, “What are you doing?”
“Just checking something,” He said while he finished removing the bandage. “Sis, look!!!”
“What? Is there something wrong?” I ask him and look at my arm. “Where did the wound go?”
“It seems your arm is all healed, there isn’t even a hint of a scar.”
“You think the other one is the same?”
“Only one way to find out,” he tells me and grabs my other arm.
After removing the bandage we look at it and it’s like the other one, completely healed.
He then look thoughtful and says. “I wonder if the arms are the only parts that healed.”
I look at him confused for a minute, then blushed. “You pervert. You are not looking at that,” I said slapping him on the arm.
“I didn’t say I wanted to see it, after all you are my sister. I just wondered if it’s healed too.” He told me rubbing his arm. “You do hit like a girl, by the way.”
“I am a girl,” I told him and poked my tongue at him.
“I'd better check, I need, anyway.”
“OK, sis. I’ll be in my room.”
I entered the bathroom and locked the door. I sat down on the toilet and relieved myself. I wiped myself dry and notice the lack of pain. I look down and notic that there was no more redness, no more puffiness. It looked perfect, completely healed.
I got out of the bathroom (after washing my hands of course) and Josh was waiting for me next to his room. I get close to him so we can go downstairs together and told him that it was healed too.
“Cool, maybe you have super healing powers like Wolverine,” he says with a grin.
“I don’t know. If so why it appeared only after I got home?”
“Maybe so the doctors didn’t think there was something strange?”
“Hmmm... maybe. One more question to add to our list.”
“We better go downstairs, I think dinner is ready.”
“What do I do? Do I pretend I’m still in pain or just act like nothing is wrong?”
“I don’t know, Sis, I don’t like the idea of lying to them. Of course we can’t tell them we used to be one person as for them I have always been here, so they would thing we are crazy.”
“I don’t like that idea either. I think I’ll just act normal, whatever that is.” I say and giggle.
“Yeah, things have been a bit strange lately.”
“Just a bit?” I looked at him with a questioning look.
“OK, OK, a lot strange, but I couldn’t be happier.”
“I know what you mean.” I tell him and gave him a hug. “It's still a bit hard to believe we were the same person just a few days ago.”
We walked downstairs, enter the kitchen and Mother says, “I was about to call you, dinner is ready.”
“Thanks, Mom.” we chorused.
“Oh no you two, don’t start that again.”
“Start what?” we chorused again and look at each other.
“That, talking at the same time.” she tells us.
“OK.” we say in unison again. Mom just shakes her head.
“How are you feeling?” Mom asked me.
“I don’t feel anymore pain.” I tell her.
“And your arms?”
“They seem to be healed already.”
“What? Let me look at them.” she said grabbing my arms.
“There isn’t even sign of scars, that’s strange. Maybe I should call Doctor Simpson.”
“I don’t think that is a good idea,” I tell her.
“Why not?”
“And tell her what? That I’m completely healed weeks before I should be and with no sign of scars? What do you think will happen if we tell that? I might become a lab rat with doctors poking and probing me.”
“I think you might be right, but I think it’s strange.”
“I think so too, but what can we do? It’s almost like I was magically healed.”
“Don’t be silly, there is no such thing as magic.” Mother tells us and at that moment Jenny entered the kitchen.
“Magic? What are you talking about?”
“Your sister. She said it’s like she was magically healed.” Mom tels her.
“Really? Let me see,” she says looking at my arms.
“That is soooo cool. I can’t wait to tell Mindy about this,” she says excitedly.
“No!!!” Both Josh and I said at the same time.
“OK, I won’t say anything right now, but I need to talk to you later, Sis.”
We went to the living room where Daddy was watching TV, he looked at us and gave us a smile.
“Hi pumpkin, feeling better?”
“A lot better, thank you, Daddy.”
“That’s good. Do you want to sit on the couch during dinner?”
“No, Daddy. I’ll sit at the table with everyone. I’m feeling a lot better. “
We all sat down and had a pleasant dinner, I can’t remember the last time I had one of those and started to cry softly.
“What happened, sweety? Are you in pain?” My mother asked me.
“N..no (sob) I’m (sob) just happy. (sob)”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Daddy, these are happy tears.”
He just shook his head and said “Women, they cry when they are sad and they cry when they are happy. I’ll never understand them,” and starts to eat again. WE girrls think that's funny and we laugh.
After dinner, I went to the bathroom to take a shower, the shower felt great without having to worry about my wounds anymore. After the shower, I patted myself dry and went to my room, Jenny was there waiting for me.
“Hey Sis, do you need any help drying your hair?”
“Could you?”
“Come, sit here. I’ll get the hairdryer.” She says patting the vanity seat.
She starts to dry my hair and brush my hair. I just love when people brush my hair, it is so relaxing that I almost dozed off.
“Don’t go sleeping on me, Sis.” Jenny says giggling.
“Sorry sis, this is just so relaxing.”
“I know, I love when people brush my hair.”
“If you want I can do that for you.”
“I would love that. I think we can get ready faster if we help each other.”
“I didn’t think about that before, but you are right.”
I started to think of how my relationship with Jenny changed. Before we would hardly talk at all and now she seemed to welcome my change with enthusiasm.
“Jenny?”
“Yes?”
“What changed?” I ask her.
“Huh?”
“Before you were always avoiding me, we would hardly talked at all. I thought you didn’t like me very much.”
“Oh Joanie. It wasn’t like that. It’s not like I avoided you, it was you that avoided everyone. The last few years not even Josh could really reach you. I just thought you needed space, that you would grow out of the emo phase you were into. But I never thought you were hurting so badly. If I had known, I would have helped, you know. I always wanted a sister and to think I had one all along. I’m sorry for not noticing before. I promise that I’ll be there for you from now on.” She says with a hug.
“Thank you.” I say and cry again on her shoulder. She is right I was the one that avoided everyone. I didn’t want them to see my pain, I don’t even want to think about it, so I just distanced myself from everyone, using books, comics and the computer to escape the cruel reality I was living in.
“Sis, do you believe in magic?” Jenny asks me
I looked at her surprised. “Why?”
“I heard Mindy talk about it before, but I never really believed in it. I mean until tonight when I saw your arms healed without even a scar. That’s what I want to tell her about.”
“I don’t know, Sis. Do you think we can trust her to not tell anyone?”
“I’m pretty sure of that.”
“I think if anyone is to tell her, it should be me then. I need to be sure I can trust her before I do.”
“She is coming by tomorrow to visit you, by the way.”
“What? Really?”
“Would I lie to you?”
“I don’t know, would you?”
“No sis, I wouldn’t.”
“What time she will be here?”
“She said around 10, it is Sunday, after all.”
“OMG! What will I do? I don’t have anything to wear.”
“I could loan something, we are almost the same size anyway. And with you being healed already we could go to the mall and do a little shopping with Mindy and Mom to start building up your wardrobe.
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that, yet.”
“Come on, Sis, it will be fun. We could also go to the hair salon to get you pampered a bit. You will love that.”
“OK, but only if Mom agrees.”
“MOOOOM!!!!” she screams
“Ouch, Sis. My ears. Do you want to make me deaf?”
“Sorry about that.” she says not looking sorry at all.
“Yes, Sweety? “ Mom suddenly ask entering the room.
“Mom, could we go shopping tomorrow together with Mindy to start building Joanie’s wardrobe?”
“Just the three of you?” She asked us.
“No, Mom, we thought you would want to go too, and maybe we could go to the hair salon to give Joanie a new haircut and some pampering. It will be a new experience for her, an all girly day,” Jenny says with an evil grin on her face
“That’s a great idea, maybe we should get her ears pierced too,” Mom says with her eyes sparkling with the same grin as Jenny on her face.
Oh my, what did I get myself into?
By Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously: “No, Mom, we thought you would want to go too, and maybe we could go to the hair salon to give Joanie a new haircut and some pampering. It will be a new experience for her, an all girly day,” Jenny says with an evil grin on her face “That’s a great idea, maybe we should get her ears pierced too,” Mom says with her eyes sparkling with the same grin as Jenny on her face. Oh my, what did I get myself into? |
“Joanie, wake up,” My sister says, shaking me.
“What time is it?”
“Eight in the morning, we have a big day ahead of us.”
“It’s Sunday, Sis, it’s too early. We have lots of time,” I say trying to hide my head under the covers.
“We have a lot to do before Mindy gets here, now get up,” she says, taking the covers away.
“Grrr... OK, OKy. I’m up.”
I get up and started walking to the bathroom when Jenny gives me a strange look, “Joanie, I think you had a bit of a growth spurt last night.”
Still half awake I looked at her, “I don’t seem to be any taller, Sis.” trying to compare our heights.
“Not that kind of growth spurt, silly.” she giggles.
“Huh?”
“Look down.”
I did so, but probably by being still half asleep, I didn’t notice anything strange, “I still don’t know what you are talking about.”
That set her off and she started to laugh.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Sorry, Sis, its the face you made, it was priceless.”
“Now tell me what you meant about growth spurt.”
“Look at your breasts.”
I looked at my breasts and they did look bigger, “Oh wow, I have breasts!”
“I think we are almost the same size, now.”
“It seems I won’t need to pad my bra, anymore.”
“Only to make them look bigger,” she giggles.
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“OK,take a shower too and then we will have breakfast.”
“OK.” I reply, dashing to the bathroom.
I get a shower cap as I didn’t want to deal with wet hair. During the shower, I check my new breasts, the last few days my nipples had started to grow a bit and get a bit puffy, but nothing like this. They are not big, but perfectly formed, and the nipples are very sensitive, too. I decided to stop the exploration before I lose control as I was getting pretty heated up already.
After I get out of the shower, I pat myself dry, wrap the towel around myself and go to my bedroom to check myself in the mirror. I like what I see, my body is starting to take the shape of a teenage girl. ‘It is happening pretty quickly though.’
I brush my hair and notice that it really needs a cut and a more feminine style. ‘I wonder how I would look with my hair with the same golden color as Rhea’s’ I ask myself while putting on my panties and try to put on a bra, but it's a bit too tight, so I decide to wear a bath robe for now and ask Jenny to help me, later.
I turn around and I am about to leave the room to go downstairs when I stop dead on my tracks.
“JENNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I yell.
A few moments later she comes running and asks, “What's wrong?” before stopping dead on her tracks too.
“W...what, H...how?” she stutters.
“I have no idea, I wondered how I would look with my hair with a certain golden color and I turn around that's what I saw.”
She still has her mouth wide open in shock, but soon I see her closing it and forming a big smile, “Oh wow, Sis. That color looks amazing. I’m so jealous of you. I wish I could change my hair color like that.”
“Sis, I have no idea how I did it, and frankly, I’m a bit freaked out right now.”
“Sorry sis, I know what you mean. I would be a bit freaked out if it happens to me, too.”
“What will I do? I mean, the others will see me downstairs and see that something is strange.”
“Just act normal, If anyone asks, just tell the truth.”
“OK, but I don't think they will buy the ‘it just happened’ bit.”
“There is no point on worrying about it right now, is it? Unless you can change your hair color back, I mean.”
“I don't know how it happened, so I don’t think I can do it, right now.”
“Then let's go downstairs because breakfast is ready.”
“Jen, can you help me choose something to wear?”
“Of course, right after breakfast. OK?”
“OK.”
We go downstairs, enter the kitchen to help Mom sets the table and she looks at me, “Joanie, the hair color looks great, but you should have waited to do it at the salon.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
“Mom thinks you painted your hair,” my sister whispers to me.
“I noticed, at least I won't have to explain the new color.”
“Stop whispering you two. Jenny, help me with the table and Joan, you go call the boys.”
“Yes, Mother” we both said at the same time and giggle.
I go upstairs and knocked on my parents door, “Come in.” he says.
“Daddy, Mommy asked me to call you for breakfast.”
“OK, Pumpkin, I'll be downstairs in 5 minutes.” He says and starts to get up.
Next, I go to Josh's room and knocked on the door. 'It is still strange to think of it at Josh's room.'
“What?” comes from inside.
“Josh? It's me, Joan. Mom asked me to tell you that breakfast is ready.”
He opens the door, looking half asleep still, “Hi, sis. How are you feeling, today?”
“Apart from some strange happenings, I'm feeling great.”
“Strange happenings?”
“Look at my hair.”
“Oh wow. It looks just like Rhea's.”
“Shhhh. Not so loud, Josh.”
“Sorry. That color looks great on you, though.”
“I know, Mom thinks I painted it.”
“You didn't?”
“No, I was wondering how I'd look with my hair this color, then I noticed it was like this.”
“That's cool.”
“A bit, and a bit freaky too.”
“I think I know what you mean. Now move away from the door or I'll piss in my pants.”
I head downstairs giggling at that.
I sit at the table with Mom and Jenny, a couple minutes later, Dad and Josh join us.
“Good morning, girls” Dad says.
“Good Morning, Daddy.” Jenny and I reply.
“Good morning, honey.” Mom says and gives Dad a light kiss on his lips.
“Morning everyone.” Josh says as he sits.
“Any plans for today?” Dad asks.
“We are going shopping to start up Joanie's wardrobe. Do you guys want to join us? We will probably need you to hold the bags for us,” Mom says.
The color drained from their faces. “W..well, I.. we..we...” Dad starts to say.
“I’m going to the park meet the guys, we need to work on our pitching before our next game,” Josh replies.
“I’m going with you, Josh. I can give you some pointers.”
“That will be great, Dad.”
“OK, you two can go play,” Mom says and we giggle.
“Thanks, Love,” Dad says kissing Mom's cheek.
After breakfast, we head upstairs and Jenny goes through her wardrobe, looking for something for me to wear.
“I think this will be perfect,” she says picking up a denim mini skirt and top. “It will be good for a shopping spree as it will be good to have something easy to put on take off.”
“You think it will look good on me?”
“Sis, you'll look hot, believe me.”
“I think I'll need a bra too, mine are too small.”
“I'll loan one to you sis, but it might be a bit big on you,” she replies and picks a bra from her drawer. “Here try this one.”
I try and it was a bit big on the cups, “Hmmm, l think you just need a little padding to help fill them up,” She observes and places some pads inside the cups.
After I get dressed I look at the mirror and see that I look good, “Sis, isn’t this skirt a bit short?” I ask her trying to lower the hem a little bit more.
“No, it's perfect.”
“Are you sure? I'm not used to showing so much skin. I feel half naked.”
“Come on, you know you look good. You'll get used to it.”
“OK, I trust your judgment, after all you have been a girl longer than me.”
“No, you been one for almost as long, we just didn't know it. I just have more experience.” She admits as she hugs me.
“Want me to brush your hair?”
“Is the Pope Catholic?” I ask her back.
“Come on, sit down.” she giggles.
“You know how much I love it when people brush my hair.”
“I know, and your hair looks so amazing, right now.”
“Thanks, I'm still a bit freaked out about it, thought.”
“I would be too if I were in your place.”
We finish getting ready and go downstairs and sit just as the door bell rings.
“I’ll get it,” Josh says.
He opens the door and it was Mindy. “Hi Mindy, nice to see you again, but I’m in a bit of a hurry, see you soon.” he says as he heads out the door.
“Son, wait up.” Dad yells, dashing after him.
“Come in Mindy, don't mind them. They are just trying to avoid a shopping trip” Jenny giggles. “Mom will be ready soon.”
Mindy enters and has a strange look on her face. “Who was that?”
“Who?” we both ask.
“The boy that just left.”
“That was Josh, silly. You have known him for years,” my sister says.
Mindy has a strange look on her face and I feel a shiver go up my spine. Did she notice something?’
She looks at me and her look does not change, “Hi Joan, do you mind telling me what the heck is going on around here?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask her trying to look confused.
“First, who is Josh?”
“How can't you remember Josh, Mindy? He is Joanie's twin brother,”
“Twin brother? Joan never had a twin brother. And look at her, you can tell she knows something about it.”
Oh crap, how did she know that?
“Joanie?” Jenny looks at me in confusion.
“I think we better go to our room and I'll explain everything.”
We go to our room and closed the door. I sit down and wonder what to say.
“Joanie? Do you know what Mindy is talking about? Is it true?”
“It is true, sorta.” I say thinking boy how to explain it.
“What do you mean?” They both ask.
“He has always been around, but not as Josh.”
“I don't get it, sis. What about you, Mindy?”
“I'm also lost.”
I sigh. “Until a little over a week ago, Josh and I were the same person.”
“WHAT????” They both say.
“This is impossible.” Mindy exclaims.
“But I have known Josh my entire life.” Jenny affirms.
“What I'm saying it's the truth, let me tell you exactly what happened.”
And that's what I do, I tell them everything including about Rhea and the 'Dreams' I had.
“You are telling us that Rhea the Greek goddess of the Earth and Motherhood gave you both a bit of her essence to you and Josh?” Mindy asks.
“Yes, and she said it made us her children too.”
“Maybe that's why you healed so fast and was able to change your hair color like that. And probably the boobs too.” Jenny replies.
“Do you believe me?” I ask them.
“I don't know why, but I do.” Mindy affirms.
“How did you know what was happening, Mindy? Everyone seemed to think Josh has been here all along.”
“That's a good question, but as you trusted me with your secret I think I can tell you mine.”
“Is it about magic?” I ask her.
“Yes, how did you know?” Mindy asks confusedly.
“Jenny wanted to tell you about my healing and said you used to talk to her about magic.”
“Well... that's not all. I'm from a long lineage of witches.”
“That's so cool.” Jenny says excitedly.
“So that's how you knew something was different?”
“Sort of. Saturday morning my mom was helping me with my studies and we were inside a protection circle in case anything went wrong when suddenly it started to glow like it was hit by something. I asked her what happened and she said she never saw anything like that before. After coming here and seeing Josh I think I know what happened."
“I think I know too. I think what hit the protection circle was Rhea's spell changing reality to fit Josh in.”
“That's what I'm thinking. Maybe I should take you and Josh to meet my mother sometime.”
“You think she will believe us?”
“I'm pretty sure she will.”
“Are you both still want to go shopping with me?”
“Of course I do.” Mindy says.
Jenny looked thoughtful for a moment and says. “Of course I do too. This might be a bit freaky but from my point of view I just won a new brother and sister.”
“Exactly which one of you were Johnny?” Mindy asks.
“We both were, but my personality was the one in charge. So basically I was him. I can’t imagine how it must have been for Josh to be trapped inside without being able to do anything for so long.” I say and feel a tear forming.
“Don't cry, Sis. Everything is fine now.” Jenny promises and hugs me tightly.
“Thanks, Sis, thanks Mindy.”
A few seconds later I hear a knock on the door.
“Hey girls, are you ready to go shopping?” Mom asks.
“Yes!” we reply.
“Come on, Joanie. Let's have some fun.” Mindy says, holding my hand.
“O... Okay.” I reply, a bit flushed.
Jenny looked at me and started to giggle attracting our attention.
“What's so funny?” Mindy asks.
“You two, holding hands like that.”
“Well... I...” Mindy tries to say blushing, but not letting go of my hand.
“G...Girls can hold hands, OK?” I ask Jenny.
“Y..Yes, that's OK.” Mindy affirms.
I wonder if Mindy has a crush on me too. I ask myself.
“Okay, lovebirds. Let's go raid the mall.” Jenny says, leaving the room in a run.
“Hey!” We both exclaim and run after her.
To Be Continued...
Author note: I would like to thank Stanman63 again for helping me with this story.
Your comments are appreciated, I love to hear what people think about my story so far.
© 2010 - Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:“Okay, lovebirds. Let's go raid the mall.” Jenny says, leaving the room in a run. “Hey!” We both exclaim and run after her. |
Eventually we reached the mall, and believe it or not took us only 15 minutes to find a parking spot. As we step out of the car I began to become a bit apprehensive as it's my first time out in public as a girl. I stop in my tracks and start to shake.
“What's wrong? Why are you shaking?” Mother asks me.
“I'm afraid. What if people recognize me?”
“What's wrong if someone does? You are a girl, Sis.”
“Still, what if someone thinks that I'm a boy in a dress?”
“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? You are gorgeous,” Mindy tells me.
“OK, I guess I'll have to deal with it sooner or later, right?”
“Don't worry, Joanie. Let's have some fun shopping.” Mindy said
Once inside, I think they made me try on half the clothes in each store we visit. I think they were having fun with a live size Barbie doll to play with.
One of the most embarrassing moments of the morning was the lingerie shop. First, I found out that I'm already almost a B cup, and the choices of garments Jen and Mindy made me try, well, I never felt more embarrassed and more sexy at the same time my life.
Luckily, after that we went to have some lunch as I was starving and tired.
After lunch, we went to the shoes stores. I never knew that girls had such variety of choice. I think they made me try half the store. I don't really liked high heeled shoes, they were uncomfortable and make my calves hurt.
They ended up buying a few pairs of them for me, saying that I'll get used to them as well as some sandals, trainers, and cute pink bunny sleepers. ( I never got the chance to have them when I was little so give me a break, and they ARE very comfortable.)
After what I think it was the 6th trip to the car to put our shopping bags in the trunk It was time for the salon appointment. Mom made the appointment just before we left home for us and Mindy. Arriving at the salon, Mom talked to the receptionist who then directed us to the waiting area saying that we would be called.
A few minutes later, another girl came to us and directs us to the changing rooms to put on a robe. After that she directs me to a chair where a woman waits for me.
“Hello Joan, my name is Amanda, what I can do for you today?”
“I don't know, It is my first time in a saloon.”
Mother whispers something in her ear, “Your mother just told me to give you the works, what do you say if we start by washing your hair and then cutting it into a nice layered style?”
“I guess it's OK.” I'm a bit apprehensive of what the works means.
I never thought someone washing your hair could be so relaxing, I think I even dozed off for a bit.
After the scalp massage (I refuse to say it was only washing as I never felt more relaxed in my life), it was time for the hair cut. Amanda directs me back to the chair and turns me away from the mirror.
“I love your hair color, Joan. Is it natural?”
What to I say? No, it was magically altered this morning? “Yes it is.” I decid to tell her.
“You are so lucky, I never saw a prettier shade of gold than yours. It almost glow under the right light.” She said as she starts to cut my hair.
“Thanks, I guess”
Suddenly, everything stopped moving, a woman appears from nowhere and walks to me with an angry look on her face, “Child, why do I sense my daughter's essence within you and why do you have her hair color?” she said and a shiver ran through my spine.
“Huh?”
“Don't play dumb with me. What did you do to my daughter? Why can't I contact her?” She says, looking angrier.
“I don't know what you are talking about, lady. Who are you and who is your daughter?” I ask her having a bad feeling.
“How can you not know who I am when I can sense my daughter's essence within you?”
“Are you Rhea's mother?” I ask her. If she is who I think she is I'm in deep shit.
“Yes, child I am her mother. What did you do to her?”
“I didn't do anything to her. I owe her my life. She said she gave me and my brother a little of her essence.”
“What? Why would she do that, and I sense more than just a little of her essence within you. Did you force her to do it?”
“How could I do that? I'm just a normal girl.”
She looks thoughtful for a moment, her expression softens, “I'm sorry, child. You are right. No human can make a goddess give a part of her essence. Still, I am worried about her. Every time I try to sense her all I get is you.”
Suddenly, an idea came into my mind, “Miss Gaea, maybe you can talk to her.”
“How?”
“Well... I met her a few times in a place she called my spiritual escape or something like that. She said it was a place I created as a haven of some sort.”
“Can you take me there?”
“I don't know how to get there yet. Rhea said I would eventually learn how to though.”
“Give me your hand child, maybe I can help you with that. But I'll need your permission to go there if that place is what I think it is.”
“Of course you have it. No mother should be forced from their child.”
She takes my hand, closes her eyes for a moment and suddenly we are in my flowery field. I hear a gasp from behind and turn around to see a very surprised Rhea.
“MOTHER!!! What are you doing here?”
“Hello, my daughter. I should ask you the same question.”
“Did you bring her here, Joan?” .
“No, mother. Actually she brought me here.”
“Mother?” I hear Gaea ask.
“Yes, I made Joan my daughter when I gave a part of her my essence.”
“I see. What I want to know is why you gave her so much of your essence.”
“Wait. I want to know what is going on. How much of mother's essence are you talking about?”
“Almost all of it.” Gaea says.
I look at Rhea in surprise and she seems crestfallen, “Is it true?”
“Yes, my child. It is true.”
“But why? You told me you gave me a bit of your essence to help me heal. Why did you lie to me?”
“I'm sorry I lied to you my child. You were not ready to know the truth.”
“What is the truth then? And what does I am the key thing means?”
“WHAT? Is it true? Is this child the key? The one born with two souls?” Gaea asks.
“Yes mother, she is.”
“Do you have any IDEA of the RISK you are taking?”
“Yes mother, I have, and I have faith in her.”
“STOP!!!” I yell, enraged. “What the heck are you talking about.”
“In all my life, I never heard a human talk to us like that.” I hear Gaea say.
“I know, and that's one thing I like about her.”.
“Can you two please tell me what is going on? How did I get involved in goddesses business?” I plead.
“I think you and mother deserve an explanation, Joan.”
"Then explain," demands Gaea.
“When I told Josh you are the key what I meant is that you are the key to either our kind's salvation or our destruction. It will be your choice.”
“I am lost here, what do you mean by salvation or destruction?”
“As I said before, magic is reawakening, and with that a big change is coming. My children for too long have been from time to time fighting among themselves, and with the magic returning they are getting more powerful. In the future, a full scale battle might happen, and if it happens, many of them will die this time. I believe you are the key to saving them from themselves. I can't let my children and grandchildren die.” she says between tears.
“But I have no idea how I am supposed to do that.”
“That's why I am here, Joan. To guide you and teach you.”
“That doesn't explain why you gave her almost all your essence, daughter.”
“Mother, I gave her my essence, because I have chosen her to be my successor. I have been alive for far too long, I am tired.”
“You want to die?” I ask her in shock.
“In a mater of speaking, yes. I lived long enough. Eternal life after a while becomes a curse rather and a gift.” she says between tears.
I get closer to her and give her a very tight hug, “I don't want to see you die. You saved my life and made me your daughter. Is your life so without purpose that you want to die?”
“I have only one purpose now, and that is to teach you for the next few years. After that I will let go and disappear.”
“What if I gave you a new purpose?”
“What kind of new purpose can you give to a goddess that has lived for several millenia?"
“Something you never did before.”
“And what would that be?”
“To live a human life. To raise a family and watch them grow older and have a family of their own, enjoy life knowing that one day it will end.”
“I never thought of that.”
“Of course not. Why would a god or a goddess want to become a human?” Gaea asks.
“Why not? What better way to understand us? And at the end of that life you can choose to simply fade away or reincarnate again, this time fully human with prior knowledge of godhood. I think it is a better alternative to simply fading away.”.
“But how would I do that? I don't have enough essence to do that anymore.” Rhea says crestfallen.
“I think I can help you with that.”
“I can't take my essence back it is yours now.”
“Then I'll give you a piece of my own essence to make you human. That way you can guide me from the mortal world. If you want to do that of course.”
“Let's do it.”
“Don't I have a say in this?” Gaea asks.
“I'm sorry, Mother, but it is my decision to make.”
“I know it is, my child. What I want to tell you is that I'm proud of you, you are going to do something I can't.” Gaea says hugging her daughter.
“I'm sorry, but I have no idea how to do this.”
“Don't worry child, I will help you,. After all, it is my daughter's wish. Both of you hold one of my hands and each other hands forming a circle.”
We do that and soon we are glowing. I sense energy being transferred between the three of us and for a second I think we merg together before everything went white and I'm back at the saloon chair with Amanda awakening me.
“Wake up, sweety. We are done here.”
I open my eyes, What the heck just happened? Was that real or a dream? With my track record I think it might be real.
“What do you think?” .
“Huh?” I look at her, confused.
“Look in the mirror, what do you think of the new look?”
I look in the mirror and my jaw drops, I look gorgeous. The layered style framed my face perfectly. I also notice that I am wearing a pair of studs, and that my ears are freshly pierced.
“I see you noticed the earrings. We decided to pierce them while you were sleeping as your mother asked us.”
“I love the new hair style and the earrings, Amanda. Thank you so much.
“That's not all.” she says, giggling. “Look at your hands and feet.”
I looked at my hands and I saw that my nails now manicured and have a light pink varnish on them, and the same thing on my toes. “I love it.”
“We were going to wax your legs, but you didn't seem to need it. I never saw smoother skin than yours.”
“I got lucky thenm I hear that waxing is painful.”
“The price of beauty, dear.”
“Where is my mother?”
“Your mother, sister and your friend are waiting for you in reception. Let's go reintroduce you?”
“Sure.”
I went to the changing room, change back to my (sister's) clothes, and head back to the reception area. They all look gorgeous with their new hairstyles. I wonder if dad and Josh will notice anything. They look at me and their jaws drop.
“OH MY GOSH!! You look incredible.” I hear Jenny say excitedly.
“Sweety, you look simply gorgeous.” Mom tells me.
“You look really pretty.” Mindy says.
“Thanks guys. You all look amazing too.”
Mother pays the bill, leaving a generous tip. Once outside she says, “Joanie, I think your father will have a heart attack when he sees the next month credit card bill.”
“Oh god, mom. I hope you didn't spent too much.”
“No sweety, I was just joking. And you do need everything we bought today.”
“OK, Mom. Thanks for today. It was tiring, but fun.”
“Next time will be even more fun as we won't be buying so much.” Jenny says.
“I hope so. I think I tried half the mall's clothes today.”
“Ah, come on, that is the fun part.” Mindy says.
“And that's how you develop your own sense of style.” Mom tells me.
We then walked to the car and soon we were our way home.
© 2010 - Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:Mother pays the bill, leaving a generous tip. Once outside she says, “Joanie, I think your father will have a heart attack when he sees the next month credit card bill.” “Oh god, mom. I hope you didn't spent too much.” “No sweety, I was just joking. And you do need everything we bought today.” “Next time will be even more fun as we won't be buying so much.” Jenny says. “I hope so. I think I tried half the mall's clothes today.” “Ah, come on, that is the fun part.” Mindy says. “And that's how you develop your own sense of style.” Mom tells me. |
We arrive at home a little after 6:00 and Jen goes inside to get Josh and Dad to help us unload the car. Once they get outside dad looked in the trunk, “I don't want to look at the credit card bill next month, do I?”
“Don't worry, Honey, we didn't spend THAT much. This time we had to buy a lot more than usual because we had to start to build Joan's wardrobe."
“I just hope I don't get a heart attack when the bill comes.”
“It won't be that bad.” Mum affirms giving him a light peck on his lips.
“OK, lets get all this inside and have some dinner. What do you say we order some pizzas?”
We nod in approval.
“Mindy, will you be joining us for dinner?”
“I should be going home, Mrs. Heart, I don't want to impose.”
“Come on, join us for dinner Mindy. I'll walk you home afterwards.” I plea.
“OK, I'll call mom and tell her I'll be home after dinner.”
Soon we have all the bags in our room (mine and Jen's), sorting and hanging the clothes in our closets.
“I just noticed something,” Mindy says.
“What?” we ask in unison.
“We didn't buy a single bathing suit for Joan.”
“I think now we know what to do next time we go to the mall without the parental unit.” Jen says.
“Huh?” I was a bit confused.
“If we go buy swimsuits with mom or dad around, you'll end up looking like a nun.”
A few minutes later, we hear a knock on the door.
“Come in.” we chorus.
Josh comes in, “Did you girls have fun today?”
“We did.” I tell him.
“Why are you girls looking at me like that?”
“Josh, they know.”
“Know what?”
“I told them everything. Mindy noticed something was strange the second she saw you this morning.”
“Oh.”
“Don't worry Josh, we won't say anything.” Mindy says.
“And what do you think about it, Jen?” He asks.
“I think it's pretty strange as I have memories of us growing up together, but the way I see it is that I traded one unhappy brother for a happy brother and a happy sister. So it is a win-win for me. Not that I didn't like Johnny, but he was always so unhappy and never smiled. No wonder, Joan was trapped in there. When she tried to kill herself I thought I lost her and what scared me is that I hardly knew her for the last few years.” She says, sobbing.
“It's all right, sis. I'm OK now.” I tell her.
“It was pure luck you are sis, you could have died, many people do die like that.”
“I know, but I will never try something like that again, I couldn't stand to put you guys through such pain again.”
“So Josh, did you notice anything strange happening around you?” Mindy asks changing the subject to something lighter.
“Like what?”
“Like Joan was able to heal herself pretty quickly and change her hair color, so I thought maybe you could be able to do something too.”
“Oh, that. Yeah I noticed something today while I was playing baseball. I did something, luckily no one noticed.”
“What did you do?” I ask him.
“I think its easier to show you.” he smirks.
He looks around the room and sets his eyes on the vanity, suddenly a hair brush flew to his hand.
“Cool, huh?” he says.
“How did you do it?” I ask him.
“I just imagined it coming to my hand and it did, it was pretty easy.”
“That is so cool.” Jen says.
“PIZZA IS HERE!!!” we hear dad yell from downstairs.
“I think we better go, we can explore this further another time.” Mindy says.
After we eat, I walk Mindy home, she lives a few houses over. We walk all the way to her house in an awkward silence as I have no idea what to say and was incredibly nervous.
When we arrive at her house, she goes to a bench at her porch and sits down, “Want to sit down with me for a few minutes?” .
“S...sure” I stutter.
I sat down next to her, she grabs my hand, I feel electricity run through our bodies and I melt.
“W...what is going on?” I ask her.
“What do you mean?”
“Ever since we touched hands in the hospital I can't stop thinking about you.”
“You too?” .
“Huh?”
“The same thing happened to me too. I can't stop thinking about you either. I always thought you were kinda cute, but in the hospital even before we touched I thought you were gorgeous.”
“Really?”
“Really. I was always attracted to girls so I was confused about what to think about my feelings for you before, but when I found out you are really a girl, well....” she blushes a very deep shade of red.
“You know, I think I also have a big crush for you too, but I didn't know how to act about it. ”
A big smile appears on her face at that moment, “I think I have an idea how.”
The next thing I know we kiss. We kissed for a long time, I feel the world dissolving around us, a warm glow raised from deep within me and engulfs us, I feel like we were merging together, It was pure bliss, not a sexual feeling but something much deeper than that.
When the kiss ends I am still feeling that glow emanating from inside. I feel like I'm on cloud nine.
“Hmm, Joanie?”
“Yeah?” I ask her, dreamily.
“I think you are glowing.”
At that moment we hear the front door open and Mindy's Mom say. “Hey sweety, I thought that was..... OH MY GODDESS!!!”
© 2010 - Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:When the kiss ends I am still feeling that glow emanating from inside. I feel like I'm on cloud nine. “Hmm, Joanie?” “Yeah?” I ask her, dreamily. “I think you are glowing.” At that moment we hear the front door open and Mindy's Mom say. “Hey sweety, I thought that was..... OH MY GODDESS!!!” |
We both look around just in time to see Mindy's mom falling down on the floor, unconscious.
“What happened?” I ask
“I think she fainted.”
“I hope she is not hurt.” I say worriedly.
“I think she will be fine, help me bring her inside.”
Together we carried Mindy's mom inside and placed her on the sofa.
“I think I should go home, Mindy”
“My mom will probably want to talk to you, maybe you should stick around for a bit.” She says sitting down on the couch and patting the space next to her.
“OK.” I reply, blushing.
“At least the glow is gone now."
“I have no idea how that happened. What is happening to me?” I ask, burying my face on her shoulder.
“I don't know, but Mom might be able to help you.”
“You think so?”
“I sure hope so, or things might start to get a bit difficult for us.”
“Huh?”
“Kiss? Glowing?”
“Oh” I blush again. “Does it mean there'll be other kisses?”
“What do you think?” She says with a mischievous grin.
“I would really like to.” I shyly reply.
A few minutes later, Mindy's mom started to wake up, “What happened?”
“You fainted, Mom.”
She looks at us and her jaw drops.
“Mom, I want you to meet Joan.”
“H.. hi, Mrs. Wright.”
She keeps looking at me with a strange look on her face, suddenly, she says, “Oh my goddess, It wasn't a dream.”
“Huh?”
“You were the one that was glowing outside.”
“I... I guess.” I reply.
“I sense great power within you and your aura is like nothing I ever seen, it’s almost like looking at a goddess.”
“What? I'm just a teenage girl. I can't be a goddess, can I?”
“No, you are not a goddess...., yet.” A new voice come from behind us.
We looked around to see a tall, slim woman, with long blond hair standing there.”
“Hello, child. It's nice to finally meet you.”
“Who are you? How did you get in here?” Mindy's mom spats.
“You should really use your other senses more, Megan,” she rebukes.
Mindy's mom looks at the woman again for a few moments and suddenly sits down with a shocked expression on her face. The woman turns to me, “I came to talk to you, Joan.”
“Me? Why? Who are you?”
“You can call me Diana, It's a nicer name to use around here, but you might know me as Artemis.”
Another Goddess? What the heck is going on?’ I think, holding Mindy's hand tightly. “Why me? What did I do? Why are gods popping up in my life now?”
“What do you want with her? Can't you see she is scared?” Mindy said.
“Oh, I'm sorry child, Gaea asked me to keep an eye on you while Rhea settles down in her new life.”
“New life?” I ask.
“Don't you remember what you did for her?” Diana asks.
“Wasn't it a dream?”
“No child, it wasn't. I appreciate what you did, actually.”
“What did Joan do?” both Mindy and her mom ask.
“She gave Rhea's life a new purpose, to live life as a human.”
“You changed a goddess into a human?” Mrs Wright asks me.
“Not exactly, Gaea helped, Joan just provided her with the necessary essence for it to happen. It was Rhea's choice to become human.”
“But why does Joan's aura look so much like yours?” Mrs Wright aska Diana.
“Rhea had given Joan most of her essence, only allowing her to live inside Joan’s spiritual home. She planned to guide and teach Joan and then part with the rest of her essence and die.”
“What did you mean with that I'm not a goddess yet? I never asked for this. And why did I suddenly change hair color and start glowing when Mindy kissed me?”
“What?” Mrs Wright asks in shock.
“About that. Mom, I'm in love with Joanie.” She says and looks at me. I grip her hand and smile back feeling the glow inside me come back.
“Joanie? You are glowing again.” Mindy tells me.
“Damn it! What is happening to me?”
“Your abilities are waking up, you are finally integrating the essence Rhea gave you into your own.”
“But why am I glowing?”
“Because you wanted to let Mindy see what you feel for her. The aura glow you are emanating is filled with love and happiness.”
“I guess so, but how do I stop it?”
“Just concentrate on keeping it inside you and Imagine the glow around you going away.”
I did so and slowly the glow faded away, “This is much better.”
“I wouldn't mind seeing it when we are alone, it makes me feel very good,” Mindy admits.
“That's because it's filled with Joan's emotions and together with Joan's empathic abilities that are also waking, I think it can become quite pleasant,” Diana observes.
“And how did I change my hair color?”
“You probably wanted to. If you try to imagine it with another color it will probably change again.”
“Why don't you try it, Joanie?” Mindy asks me.
“I guess I could try, which color though?”
“Let's try something a little unusual, what do you think of pink?”
“Pink? Why pink?”
“Because I think you would look cute with pink hair.”
I sigh, “OK just because you ask me.”
I close my eyes and try to imagine my hair becoming pink, “Yes!!! It worked Joanie. You look so cute like that.” Mindy exclaims. Mrs Write giggles while Diana looks slightly amused.
“Come with me Joanie, you need to take a look at yourself.” She says, guiding me to the mirror in the hallway.
I look at myself, hate to admit it, but I do look cute. I really like the golden color I had on earlier, so I concentrate and it changes color again. We go back to the living room, sit on the couch.
“I see you managed to change the hair color back again. That is a lovely hair color. I could never quite get it right though. What do you say we try something new?” Diana asks.
“Like what?”
“Change my hair color to the same color as yours.”
“You think I can do it?”
“I think you might be able too with my help. We gods can't change another gods appearance without their consent.”
“But don't you need to have a big trust on the other person to do something like that?”
“Yes, but after what you did to my grandmother I think I can trust you this much. And its not that I wouldn't be able to change it again.”
“Okay. So what do I do?”
“Hold my hands and do what you did to change your hair, but think about doing it to mine.”
I grab her hands, close my eyes, trying to picture it with the same color as mine. When I open my eyes again her hair had changed to the exact same color as mine.
“That is so cool” Mindy says.
“Scary is more like it. I don't know if I like to have such power.” I affirm.
“Don't worry about it, child. I'm here to help you come to terms with what is happening to you. I think Megan can help you too with your magical education.” She says, looking at Mrs Write.
“I would be honored to help Joan out.” She says.
“And you Mindy, you need to take good care of her. She is a very special girl and I don't want to see her heart broken.”
“Of course I'll take good care of her,” Mindy vows with a kiss. "I won't ever break her heart. I promise.”
“You know that promises to gods and goddesses are binding, don't you?” Diana says, sternly.
“Yes I know, My mom told me to be careful doing any promises. I really mean it.”
“What do you think about it, Joan?” Diana asks me.
“What will happen to her if she breaks her promise?” I ask.
“It will depend on you, her promise is to not break your hear, and if she does, her punishment is up to you.”
“Then I accept her promise. I feel that she really intends to keep it. And if it happen in the future, first I'll have to find out exactly why the promise was broken before deciding anything. Sometimes things beyond our control can affect our ability to keep a promise.”
“That was a very wise answer, child. You might end up becoming a great goddess one day.” Diana tells me.
“I'm still uncomfortable with all this goddess business, though.”
“We are all here to help you, Joan, and soon Rhea will help you out too, as soon she gets settled in her new life.”
“Is she OK?” I ask.
“She is very happy and excited right now. I haven't seen her like this for thousands of years.”
“I'm happy for her. I haven't met her for long but I feel a strong connection between us, and I owe her my life, too.”
“She told me that too. She thinks of you as a daughter, did you know that?”
“Yes, she told me that, and I do see her as a mother.”
“Before I go, I have a present for you and your brother,” she says, extending her hand and 2 balls of metal appeared on her hand, a gold and a silver ball.
“What is that?” I ask her.
“Just something that will help you both to control your abilities a little better during these initial days. Just take the gold ball in your hand.”
I did as she asked me and as soon the ball touched the palm of my hand it started to glow and twitch, moving along my hand and going in direction of my wrist, once there it stretches and circles my wrist taking the shape of a gold bracelet.
“Wow, that's a pretty bracelet.”
“It will help you keep control of your abilities so things like the accidental glow or hair color change doesn't happen again. Also it can become invisible if you wish it to. Take the silver ball and give it to Josh, it will also become a piece of jewelry for him, a fitting one to a guy, too.”
She looks at Mindy and at her mom and produces 2 necklaces with a golden teardrop, “This will help you with your magic training Mindy and will also help to protect the both of you against magical attacks.” She says, giving them one necklace each.
“Huh, Diana?” I call to her.
“Yes, child?”
“You think Jen could get one of those necklaces? She seemed so excited of all that is happening and I think she would like to help too.” I shyly admit.
“Here, child. Give this to her,” she says, producing a small gold ring. “It will help her develop any latent magical ability she might have and protect her too, like Mindy's necklace will do for her.”
“Thank you Diana,” I say, giving her a hug and a kiss on her cheek, she blushed. "I never though I would see a goddess blush".
“You are welcome, Joan. Now I have to go and help gram a little,” she says, winking at us and vanishes.
I look at Mindy and her mom, “Does anyone have an idea of what exactly happened here tonight?”
Mindy's mom came closer to us, “I think things are going to get interesting from now on.”
©2010 - Andrea Ribeiro Many thanks to Stanman63 for editing.! Previously:I look at Mindy and her mom, “Does anyone have an idea of what exactly happened here tonight?” |
“Interesting? It’s more like a nightmare, I never asked for this, I only wanted to be a normal girl.” I start to sob.
“Don’t be like that, Joanie.” Mindy pleads while holding me tightly. “I think you were given a great gift, and being normal is overrated, anyway.”
“You.. (sob) think so?”
“Look at me and my mom, we are both witches, hardly normal, isn’t it?”
“Yes.... but why do I feel like I’m way out of my depth here?”
“Maybe because you haven’t come to term about what happened, yet.” Mrs Wright says.
“How can I? A little over a week ago I was a regular person and now I find
out I’m becoming a goddess. I’m getting afraid of myself.”
“Why?” Mindy asks me.
“I’m afraid of what I might become. I never asked for power nor wanted it, and I’m afraid of what it might do to me.”
“Are you afraid of getting corrupted by it?” Mrs Wright aska me.
“Yes.” I say as look down.
“It’s good that you are afraid of that, Joan. It will help to keep your head on straight, power can be very addictive, that’s why it corrupts so many people,” she says .
“But how do I avoid that?”
“I think your goddesses friends will help you with that, and I don’t think
Rhea would have given you almost all her essence if she didn’t think you were unable to deal with the consequences.”
“You need to be more confident about yourself, Joanie.” Mindy says.
“I guess I don’t really have a choice but to deal with it, huh??” I ask.
“We all have a choice, Joan. So do you,” Mrs. Wright affirms.
“Still... I feel so lost right now.”
“Don’t worry, Joanie. We are here for you.” Mindy vows, giving me a peck on my lips.
“Thank you, Mindy, Mrs Wright.”
“Call me Megan, and no Mrs please, I’m not married.”
“Oh... OK... M..Megan.” I say shyly.
“Or you can call her aunt Meg.” Mindy says with a giggle.
“Aunt Meg?”
“I kinda like the sound of it. You can call me Aunt Meg or Aunt Megan if you want, Joan.”
“I think I should go back home, it’s getting late and I was supposed only to walk you home.” I tell Mindy.
“I’ll walk you out the door,” she responds.
“Bye, Aunt Meg, I hope to see you soon.”
“You will, I’ll help you with your magical education, remember?”
“I was forgetting about that.” I blush.
“I’ll talk to my daughter later to arrange it, OK?”
“OK.”
“Bye bye, Joan.” She says with a hug.
Mindy accompanies me outside and closes the front door, gives me a long
lingering kiss, I again melt in her arms. After our lips part, she looks at me, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sweety.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Are you going to school tomorrow?”
“I don’t know. I am supposed to be home recuperating from the surgery, remember?”
“I think you could go to school, just say you just can’t strain yourself physically.”
“I guess. I’ll talk to Mom when I get back home.”
“That’s my girl, now come here,” she says, embracing me, giving me another kiss.
“If you keep doing that I’ll never be able to leave.”
“Who says that I want you to leave?”
“I have too. My parents will get worried.”
“OK.” she pouts.
“You look so cute pouting.”
“You better go before I jump on you and kiss you again.”
“Hmmmm... tempting.”
“Don’t tease me, you meanie.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Sweety.” I tell her, giving gave her one last peck on her lips.
“See you tomorrow, Sweety.”
I walk back home still thinking about what happened tonight. It was all a bit mind blowing, but I also found out that Mindy has feelings for
me, her kisses.... oh my... I simply melt every time she kisses me.
When I get home, Mom and Dad ar in the living room waiting for me.
“Hi Mom, Dad. I’m home.”
“We were getting worried, Sweety.” Mother responds
“Sorry, Mom. When we got to Mindy’s house, her mom invited me in and we talked for a bit.”
“Next time, try to call us to say that you are going to be a while, OK?” Dad responds.
“OK, Daddy.”
“Do you think I should go to school tomorrow?” I ask them.
“I don’t see why not,” Mom says.
“I am supposed to be home healing from my surgery, remember?”
“Yes, but you are healed enough now, aren’t you?” asks Dad.
“Yes I am. Did you contact the school to let them know about me?”
“Yes, I took all your documentation about your change of status on Friday,” admits Mom.
“OK. I’m going to school tomorrow. I’ll take a shower and go to bed.”
“Good night,” Mom says, giving me a kiss on the cheek
“Good night, Pumpkin.” Dad says, giving me a hug and kiss on the forehead.
“Good night Mommy, Daddy.”
I go upstairs, knock on Josh’s door.
“Come in Joan.”
I open the door, “How did you know it was me?”
“I just did., and Jen already said goodnight to me.”
“I have something for you.” I say, showing him the silver piece of metal.
“What is it?”
“It is something the goddess Diana said to give to you. She gave me one and
it became this bracelet.” I say showing him my bracelet.
He reaches for it, when he touches the silver, it starts to twist, climbing his hand and settling on his wrist like mine did me, turning into a thicker band of silver, becoming a very nice bracelet that looks good
on him.
“She said you can make it invisible if you want. It will help you control your new abilities.”
“You mean my powers?”
“Abilities, when you say Powers it sounds like something out of a superhero comic book.”
“It is an appealing thought.”
“What?”
“Being a super hero, helping those in need.”
“I don’t think either of us is ready for any of that.” I telld him a bit worriedly.
“Don’t worry about it, I don’t think it would work out in the real world.”
“OK. we better go to bed, we have to wake up early tomorrow.”
“Are you going to school tomorrow?”
“Yes, and I’m a little worried of how people will react.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be there to protect you.”
“Thanks, Josh. I’ll see you tomorrow. Good night.” I say giving him a hug and a peck on his cheek.
“Good night, Joan.”
I go to my bedroom, Jen is on her bed reading a book.
“Hi sis.” .
“Hi, how did things go with Mindy?”
I look at my feet, start to blush. “O..okay, I guess.”
“Ohhh you are blushing. Something happened, didn’t it? Tell me all about it.” She asks excitedly.
“There is no way I can go to bed without telling, is there?”
“None whatsoever, now spill.”
“We... well... we... kissed.” I tell her turning a very bright shade of red.
“And.....”
“And I started to glow.”
“Glow?”
“Yes, glow.”
“How?”
“I don’t know. It just happened when she kisses me, I feel this glow
growing from inside me, a blissful feeling, when I noticed, Mindy told me that I was glowing.”
“Oh my... I wish I had seen that.”
“After that her mom went outside, looks at me and faints.”
“It seems you had a very busy night, sis.”
“That was just the beginning, sis.”
“What else happened?”
I tell her all that happened tonight and about Diana’s appearance.
“A goddess? My sister a goddess? That’s so cool.”
“Diana also gave me this.” I say showing her the ring on my hand.
“That’s a very pretty ring, sis.”
“It’s for you.”
“For me?”
“Yes, It will help you to develop any latent magical ability you might have and protect you from some magical attacks, and you’ll study magic with me, Josh and Mindy.”
“What? You mean I’ll be able to use magic too?”
“Probably. Here, take the ring and put it on. I have the feeling it will fit perfectly.”
She reaches for the ring, puts it on, it starts to glow for a few seconds before returning to normal.
“I think it is working.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Jen says over and over with her eyes filled with tears.
“What for?”
“For this.” she says, holding up her hand showing the ring. “I was feeling
left out with you guys being able to do magic and stuff.”
“That’s why I asked Diana for the ring, sis. I didn’t want to make you feel that you are being left out. Even though all this magic business still scare the heck out of me.”
“Thank you sis.” she says, giving me a VERY big hug.
“Sis... I... can’t... breath...” I joke.
“Oh you...” She say, slapping me on my arm.
“I need to go take a shower now. Need to wake up early tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to school tomorrow.”
“Can I help you with your hair and makeup tomorrow?” she asks me with a very big smile on her face.
“You really are enjoying your new life size barbie doll, aren't you?”
“Heck yes.”
“OK, Sis, you can help me tomorrow morning. I would have asked you anyway.”
After the shower I go back to my room and Jen is waiting to help me dry my hair, “You know, Sis, I always wanted a sister to do things like this with.”
“And I always wanted you to do things like this to me.”
“It seems that in the end we both got our wishes.”
“I think so,” relaxing under her ministrations.
After she finishes with my hair, I change into a pink nightgown and go to bed.
“Good night sis.” I tell her.
“Good night, Sis. Sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams.”
I just hope everything goes well tomorrow. How will people react to the new me? Will they accept me?
Previously:
I just hope everything goes well tomorrow. How will people react to the new me? Will they accept me?
Chapter 16
“Joanie, Wake up.” I heard someone talking to me.
“Joanie.” It was Jen.
“Five more minutes.” I groaned.
“Okay, you asked for it.” She said.
“EEEEK!!” I yelled and jumped out of bed when something really cold touched my back.
“What the heck was that?” I asked her.
“My hands, I used put them under cold water when I couldn’t wake you up.” She said laughing.
“You.... you....” I said running after her trying to get her and she ran away laughing.
“Where did you get that idea from?” I asked her after we got tired of the cat and mouse play.
“I read it in a story a found. I laughed so hard that I had to try it once.”*
“Where did you find it?”
“A TG story site.”
“Since when you read TG stories?”
“Ever since you were in the hospital, I tried to understand what you were going through so I researched the web and found some TG fiction websites. I started to read some of the stories and got hooked.”
“You have to show it to me sometime. And don’t try the cold hand trick again. You scared the heck out of me.”
“If you had woken up when I called you, I wouldn’t have done it.”
“Then I need to be more careful in the future.”
“Now go have a shower and get ready, we have school today.”
“Oh shit! I was forgetting about it.” I said and run to the bathroom.
After I got dressed, I went downstairs to have breakfast and everyone was seated at the table already. “Good morning everyone.” I said
“Good morning, sweety.” My mom said and kissed me on the cheek.
“Hey, sis.” Josh said.
“Hi pumpkin.” Dad said and gave me a kiss on my forehead.
“What do you want for breakfast sis?” Jen asked me.
“Just some cereal and a glass of orange juice, please.”
“So are you ready to go to school today?” Mom asked me.
“I am a bit nervous. I wonder how the other kids will react.” I admitted.
“Don’t worry, sis. You have me, Jen and Mindy supporting you, and I can protect you from any of the bullies.” Josh said.
“Thank you Josh. You are a hero.” I said and kissed him on the cheek.
After breakfast we got our backpacks and got outside. Mindy was there already waiting for us.
“Hi, beautiful.” She said and gave me a light kiss on the lips.
“Get a room you two.” Josh and Jen said in unison and we both blushed.
“Now that everyone is here, lets go.” Jen said unlocking the car doors.
Of course Mindy and I went on the back seat together.
We arrived at school a bit earlier this morning because I wanted to go to the principal office before the class started. Arriving there, his secretary, Miss Jenkins asked me. “What can I do for you, miss?”
“I’d like to talk to Mr Addams, ma’am.”
“And you are?”
“I’m Joan Heart, ma’am.”
She typed on her computer and said. “I don’t have a Joan Heart here. Are you sure you are a student here?”
“What?”
“I said there is no Joan Heart in the system, miss.” she said sounding annoyed.
“It should have. My mother came by Friday to deliver the documentation to change my name and status.” I said.
“And change your name from what?”
“John Heart”
“What? Are you saying you are a boy?” she said angrily.
“No ma’am, I’m saying that I am a girl, that’s why the name and status change.”
“Are you telling me you are one of those transsexual freaks?”
“What? No, I am a girl and transsexuals aren’t freaks.” I said angrily
“They are freaks, just like you, a perverted boy that thinks he is a girl.”
“I AM NOT A FREAK!” I yelled
“Why the commotion out here?” I hear Mr. Addams ask from his office door.
“Nothing sir. I was just taking care of MISTER Heart here.”
“Who? Where is he?” He asked.
“Can’t you see IT? HE is right in front of you. The boy with fake boobs and in a dress.” She said with venon in her voice.
“My breasts are 100% natural and I’m not a boy in a dress.” I said angrily.
“And who are you, miss?” he asked me.
“Joan Heart, sir.”
“Oh yes, your mother talked to me Friday.” he said and turned to Miss Jenkins. “I thought I told you to change her name and status last Friday, Miss Jenkins.”
“Of that transsexual freak?” She said.
“First of all, she is not a freak nor a transsexual, she is 100% female that had a birth defect that caused her to be misidentified at birth, and you would have known that if you had read the documents I gave you. And for calling transsexuals freaks, you are being way out of line as they are people like everyone else and there are laws protecting them from people like you.” He said angrily and she went white.
“Clean up your desk and I want you out of the school premises in 10 minutes, that kind of behaviour is not tolerated.” He said.
“WHAT? ARE YOU FIRING ME BECAUSE OF THAT FREAK?” She yelled.
“That’s it, I’m calling security.” he said.
“YOU FILTHY BITCH!” she yelled and lunged at me.
I closed my eyes waiting for her to beat but nothing happened. I opened my eyes and Josh was there holding her down.
“Are you okay sis?” He asked me.
“I’m fine. Just a little shaken up.” I said.
A couple minutes later, security came and took Miss Jenkins away. Mr. Addams came to me and said “I’m sorry about her behaviour, Joan. What she did and tried to do was unforgivable.”
“No one got hurt, sir. That’s what matters.” I said.
“Changing subjects, what were the reason for your visit this morning? I wasn’t expecting you until next week at least.” he said.
“Well, I am healing pretty fast from my surgery and I was feeling well enough to come to school, I just can’t overexert myself physically.” I said.
“So you decided to come to school instead of staying home? That’s commendable.” He said.
“But I don’t know if I should go to class today anymore. The system still shows me as John instead of Joan.
He looked at his watch and said. “There is no time to fix the files before classes today, but here is what I’ll do. Take this note and show them to your teachers today.” He said and wrote a note for the teachers. “And I’m going right now to the teachers lounge and tell them to call you by Joan until the system is fixed, Is that okay with you?”
“Oh yes, Mr. Addams, Thank you very much.” I said and gave him a peck on his cheek.
“Thank you, Joan.”
“For what?”
“For being so understanding. Many would have made a huge deal out of what Miss Jenkins did.”
“I just don’t see how it would do anyone any good to do that.” I said.
“That’s my sister, always thinking about others.” Josh said jokingly.
“Now both of you go to your classes, the bell will ring any second now. And no running in the hallways.”
“Goodbye, Mr. Addams” I said
“Goodbye, sir.” Josh said and we went our way to our homeroom class.
As we walked together to our homeroom, I looked at Josh and asked him. “Josh, how did you get to me just before Miss Jenkins tried to attack me? I thought you were going to the classroom.”
“I’m not sure, I was walking to the classroom and I felt something was wrong and before I noticed I was running towards the Principal's office.”
“Was it like a hunch or something else?”
“I’m not sure, I felt like you were in danger and I reacted.”
“Maybe we should look into that later.” I told him.
“Yeah, probably.”
As we walked I noticed several boys looking at me, heard some whistles and some catcalls. ‘Didn't they recognize me?’ I thought to myself feeling a little uncomfortable.
“Josh, I need to stop by my locker for a minute to get my books, I'll meet you later, okay?”
“Are you sure you don't want me to stick around?”
“I'm sure, I don't think anything will happen with all these people around.”
“Okay, I'll see you in a couple minutes.” He said and went ahead.
I went to my locker and picked my books, I was walking towards my homeroom when I heard a voice that made me shiver.
“Hey, babe. Are you new here?”
“What do you want, Tom?” I spat at him.
“Calm down babe, I was just introducing myself, but I think my reputation precedes me.” He said with a grin.
“I'm getting late for class, and I don't want anything to do with you.” I said turning around and walking away.
“Come on babe, I'm just trying to ask you out for a drink and get to know each other better.” He said and grabbed my arm. His touch made me shiver, not in fear, but because something was wrong, very wrong. His touch felt cold, evil and filled with lust.
“Let me go!” I said.
“Come on babe, I know you want to go out with me, how else would you already know my name? Don't play hard to get.”
I turned around and slapped him on the face.
“You little bitch.” he said angrily.
At that moment Josh came back and said. “What is going on here?”
“Stay out of it, Heart. This is between me and the bitch here.”
“What did you say?” Josh asked angrily.
“I said stay out of the way, this is between me and the bitch. Now go away or you'll regret it.”
“No one talks to my sister like that you prick.” Josh said and punched Tom right on the face and Tom fell down on the floor looking shocked.
“Let's get out of here Sis” Josh said holding my hand.
“Thanks Josh.”
"Another feeling?" I asked.
“Yeah. What was that about?” Josh asked me as we were closing up to our classroom.
“I think Tom was hitting on me, I don't think he recognize me.”
“We need to keep an eye out for him, I think there will be trouble when he finds out who he was hitting on.”
“Something is very wrong with him, Josh.”
“Like I can't see that. Everyone knows something is wrong with him.”
“It's not like that, Josh. I can't really explain it, but when he grabbed my arm, his touch felt wrong, very wrong.”
“Great, one more thing to worry about.” Josh said shaking his head.
Amazingly enough we arrived just as the bell rang, we entered our homeroom and sat on our seats. I felt like every set of eyes in the classroom were looking at me.
“Hi, my name is Kelly, are you new here?” Kelly, a bubbly red haired girl that sit in front of me asked.
“Hi, I'm Joan and no I'm not exactly new.”
“How so? You must be new, I never saw you around before.” She told me looking confused.
As I was about to say something, our principal came into our room and said. “Good morning everyone. I have an announcement to make, as some of you know, Mr. Jameson got transferred to another school and I would like to introduce to you, your new teacher, Miss Rhea Hunter.”
I looked at the door and my mouth dropped, entering the classroom was Rhea, she looked a bit younger, like 24 or 25 years old, but it was her. I looked at Josh and he had the same look on his face. ‘What's she doing here?’ I thought to myself.
The morning passed slowly, I couldn't concentrate very well, I kept wondering what Rhea was doing at my school. I also heard a lot of talking in the classrooms and the hallways, people were trying to figure out who I was and why the teachers didn't say anything about my presence as I was clearly new at the school. That was from the girls, the boys seemed more interested in looking at me with hungry eyes that made me feel like a piece of meat.
At lunch time I sat down at an empty table at cafeteria to eat and I saw Kelly coming my way.
"Hi, do you mind if I sit with you?" She asked me.
"Sure."
"I'm still trying to figure you out, girl. You said you are not new, but no one seems to know you."
"You don't really recognize me? Did I change that much in just a week?" I asked her.
"Huh?" She looked confused.
"Come on, I sat behind you at homeroom the entire year and you still don't know who I am?"
"What? The one that sat behind me was...." She then raised her hands to her mouth. "Johnny?"
"Not anymore, I am Joan now. It's better if people heard from me than to have rumors floating around."
"B..but how? Are you a boy? I heard you tried to kill yourself last week."
"No, I'm not a boy, and I did spend the whole week at the hospital. They found out I was really a girl and had to operate me."
"Operate you?"
"Yes, the doctors think my first period might start at any moment and they had to remove a birth defect. I was misidentified as a boy at birth because of a bunch of skin that resembled a penis. You can freak out now." I told her.
"Freak out? Why?"
"Because I know people think I am a freak, they always did."
"I never thought you were a freak, a bit girly yes, but not a freak. Did you know you were a girl?"
"I always felt I was a girl." I admitted. "When the doctors said I was 100% female, with all the girl parts it was the happiest day of my life."
"Life must have been hell for you. Did you really try to kill yourself?"
I looked down ashamed and said. "Yes it is, that's why I ended up at the hospital in the first place." I said feeling the tears building up.
"Oh god!" She said and hugged me. "Things were really tough for you weren't they?"
"Yes they were, and Tom beating me up on daily basis didn't help either."
"Are you talking about that jerk Tom Arnold?"
"Yes, I can't understand why he does those things. Why is he so mean?"
"I don't know." Kelly said. "But my sister said he wasn't always like that."
"What?" I looked at her confused.
"She went to junior high with him. She said he used to be a very nice boy, an all around good guy."
"Are we talking about the same Tom Arnold?" I asked her.
"Yes, my sister said he used to get along with everyone, protecting the smaller boys from the bullies and befriending them, but one day he seemed to become distant, avoid talking to people and sit alone in a corner. A few weeks later he changed and became angry and violent, picking up on the smaller boys and bullying them, apparently he became what he hated the most and no one knows what happened."
"That's very strange." I told her. "If your sister is right is like he became a completely different person almost overnight. I wonder what made him change so much."
###
While we were talking, Mindy and Jen came and sat with us.
"Hi Joanie." Mindy said with a smile and sat beside me.
"Hi sis." Jen said. "Who is your friend?"
"Oh, Kelly, meet my sister Jen and our friend Mindy."
"Nice to meet you." Kelly said.
"Kelly sits in front of me at my homeroom."
"You two seemed to be having a very interesting conversation." Mindy said.
"Yes, we were talking about Tom Arnold." I told them.
"That Jerk?" Both said at the same time.
"Yes, the one and only." Kelly said.
"What about him?" Jen asked me.
"I'll tell you later sis." I told her looking around and seeing Tom looking at us with a strange look. I think Mindy saw that too because she agreed with me.
"Okay, but I'll want to know everything later." Jen told me.
"Of course."
###
"So, Kelly. What do you think of my sister."
"Jen." I said with an angry look at her.
"I liked her. I never knew her before when she was Johnny, but I do like Joan."
"Thank you." I told Kelly.
"You are welcome, Joan. I hope we can be friends."
"I'd like that very much. I never had any friends before." I said and hugged her.
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful, some girls came and talk to me and most had a hard time believing I ever was Johnny. I had a few people looking at me strangely, specially the boys. Between classes I saw Tom looking at me at a distance sometimes but he kept his distance, something I was grateful for. Something is really off about him, every time he is around I feel shivers run through my spine and I want to know why.
After the final bell, Josh and I were leaving the classroom when suddenly someone bumped into him. The poor girl ended up with her bottom on the floor.
Opps. Sorry about that.” Josh said and extended his hand to help her up.
She took his hand, he lifted her up easily and she said. “No, I am the one that needs to apologize. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“Don’t worry about that. I’m glad you don’t seem hurt. My name is Josh by the way, and the quiet one next to me is my twin sister Joan.”
“I’m Sam, it’s nice to meet you both, but I’m in a bit of a hurry. I need to get to the entrance before my friends leave. They don’t know I’m here today.”
“It’s nice to meet you too, Sam.” I told her.
“Definitely” Josh said with a grin.
“Have you tried to call one of them?” I asked her.
“I wanted to surprise them, but I guess I better do it now or I’ll have to walk home alone.”
She picked up her cell phone and called one of her friends. After she ended the call she turned to us and said. “Thanks for helping me up Josh, and thanks to reminding me of calling my friend, Joan. I was in a bit of a hurry and wasn’t thinking straight.”
“It’s not a problem. If you want we can accompany you to your friends.” I told her
“Hmmm…. I think I’ll accept.” She told us and we started to walk together and talk.
“Are you new here? I don’t remember seeing you around before.” She asked me.
“Not really, I just changed a little recently. This is my first day since Monday last week.”
“I have been away from school since Monday too. I was in the hospital for some of the time and I was released Friday.” She said.
“Oh that is so weird.” I said. “I was in the hospital since Monday night and was released Saturday.”
“Why were you at the hospital for?” Josh asked her.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough so I better tell you both already. I don’t know why but I feel like I can trust you. Tuesday night I had a severe allergic reaction and almost died. The next day I had to make a small operation because a part of my body could kill me because of my allergy.”
“What kind of allergic reaction?” I asked her.
“Testosterone.”
“Testosterone?” We both asked at the same time.
“Yes, testosterone. They had to remove my gonads because they could kill me apparently.”
“Does it mean you are a boy?” Josh asked.
“Josh!!!” I admonished him and punched him on his arm.
“Sorry, I didn’t expect that, you look so pretty that I would never imagine.” He said rubbing his arm. “Damn Joannie. That hurts.”
“You deserved it.”
“He didn’t, he was just surprised I think.” She said.
“So are you a girl now?” I asked her.
“I kind of have too. My body can’t handle testosterone and taking female hormones is the only way for me to have a healthy normal life. I also think I always have been a girl, but I was in denial for the last few years. In a twisted sort of way almost dying might have saved my life as I was really depressed and almost over the edge.”
“You mean you thought about killing yourself?” Josh asked.
“Just about every single day for the last year or so.”
“I know how you feel.” Joan told me. “More than you imagine.”
“How so?”
“Remember that I said I was also in the hospital last week?”
“Yes, why were you at the hospital?”
“I tried to kill myself.”
“What? Why?” She said looking shocked.
“Because I couldn’t live a lie anymore. You see, I was raised as a boy because I had a birth defect and I always felt in my heart that I was a girl. Fortunately in the hospital they did find out I was really a girl and I have a small corrective surgery. Now I am a normal girl, but I still remember how I felt all those years.”
“No way! Wait a second. You said Josh is your twin brother?” She said with a spark of recognition in her eyes.
“Yes, he is. I think that now you remember me.”
“I think so. Were you the person that used to sit at the other end of the table in the back cafeteria?”
“The other end? Don’t you tell me you used to sit at that table too. If I recall the boy that used to sit there was…. Sam?” I asked her.
“Yes, but now its short for Samantha.”
“Hey, I think I heard about it today.” Josh said.
“What did you hear?” Sam asked.
“That apparently Sam has been a girl all along. I also heard the same about Joan though. I guess people are confused right now.” He said and chuckled.
“No wonder, with two boys suddenly turning into girls at the same time, who can blame them?” I said and shrugged.
“And what are the odds of something like that happening at the same time in the same school?” She added.
“I can’t even imagine, but I think it would be easier to win the lottery than something like that happen again.” He said.
When we arrived at the front of the school, Mindy and Jen were talking animatedly with a few other girls. They looked at us and one of the girls suddenly screamed almost making us deaf.
“SAM!!!” She yelled and gave Sam a hell of a big hug “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to surprise you.” Sam said.
“Hi everyone.” Sam said.
“Hey Sam, I want you to meet Jenny and Mindy.” The girl said.
“Nice to meet you.” She said.
“I see you met my brother and sister.” Jenny said.
“Actually I bumped into Josh earlier and he helped me up.”
“That story sounds awfully familiar. I hope it doesn’t end the same way as the other one.” The girl said looking slightly jealous.
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Sam said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Joan, Josh, I want you to meet Jess, Steph, Karen, Mandy and Liz.” Sam said pointing at each one.
“Nice to meet you guys.” We said.
Jenny just shook her head and giggled. “They do that all the time, you’ll get used to that.” She said.
“We also found out that Sam and I have a lot in common.” I told them and they looked a bit confused.
“Yes we do, we both were at the hospital last week and had different birth defects that in the end had similar results.” She said and I could practically see the cogs moving inside their heads.
Jess was the first one to say anything. “So did Joan have a slumber party already?”
“No she didn’t. Did Sam?” Jenny asked.
“Yes she did, but was just me, Sam, Steph and Liz.” Jess said.
“We need to have another one soon.” Liz added a little too excitedly.
“And with nine girls it will be a lot more fun than just four.” Mandy added.
“Hey, Don’t I count?” Josh asked.
“Well, only if you decide to dress up like a girl.” Steph teased him.
“No thanks. I think I would be bored to death anyway.”
“Ohhhh and we can discuss Halloween costumes. There are just a couple weeks until then.” Karen said.
“We could have it at my house. We have space there.” Mandy said.
“Space? Your house is frigging huge.” Karen said.
“I just need to talk to mom to make sure we can do it there. What do you girls think of Saturday?” Mandy asked us and we all agreed it would be a good day.
“We could go hang out earlier at the mall, too,” Mindy said.
“That’s a great idea. Were Sam and Joan introduced to girl shopping? Going with your mom doesn’t count.” Karen asked.
“If going with my mom doesn’t count then the answer is no.” I said. “Also I don’t have much money to buy new stuff.”
“Me neither. I just went shopping with mom, Jess, Steph and Liz.” Sam told us.
Jess just shook her head and said. “Girls, we need to do something. These two have no idea what girl shopping means.”
We then decided to plan things for the weekend during the next few days, exchanged a lot of phone numbers and parted our ways.
Mindy, Jen, Josh and I walked towards the parking lot.
“Sam seems to be a nice girl.” I said
“She looked pretty hot. Nice bum.” Josh said.
“Josh!!!” I admonished him again.
“What? She does. There is no way someone like her could be anything other than a girl.”
“Why do you say that?” Mindy asked.
“Because I’m not attracted to guys and I was attracted to her. A lot.”
“Then it’s too bad that she is dating Jess.” Jen said.
“What? Damn.” Josh said.
“One of the girls seemed to like you though.” I told him.
“Who?” He asked.
“Come on, don’t tell me you didn’t see how Steph was looking at you.” Mindy said.
“What? Are you serious?” He asked.
“It seemed that way.” I told him.
Jen just shook her head and simply said. “Guys.”
We all started to giggle at that and Josh simply looked confused and that just made us giggle even more.
We arrived at Jen’s car and Rhea was there waiting for us.
“Hi girls, Hi Josh.” She told us.
“Cousin Rhea! What are you doing here?” Jen asked.
“Cousin Rhea?” Josh and I asked confused.
“Don’t you guys remember her? She is mom’s older brother daughter.”
“This is getting weirder and weirder.” I said.
“What?” Mindy asked.
“She is THE Rhea.” I told her.
“You mean the goddess?” Jen asked.
“Yes, Jenny. I am or more precisely I was the Goddess Rhea.”
“But I remember you.” She said confused.
“When Joan helped me to become human, my mother created a new identity for me, an identity that would allow me to spend some time with Joan and Josh to help them develop their abilities. So she made me part of the family.”
“I wish you guys would stop messing with my head.” Jenny said angrily.
“You don’t have to worry about it anymore. The ring you are wearing protects your memories from being affected by reality shifts.” Rhea told her.
“Good. Then I’m never going to take it off.” She said.
“You don’t need to. You can just make it invisible when you don’t want it to be apparent. Also when invisible it will feel like you are not wearing it at all.”
“That’s so cool.” Jenny said and made her ring invisible, then visible and then invisible again for a few times.
“Stop playing with is Jen.” I told her. “You’ll end up breaking it.”
“Sorry.” She said.
“Don’t worry about it breaking, Joan. It won’t break just by doing that. It would need a very powerful magic to destroy that ring.” Rhea told me.
“Why are you working at the school?” I asked.
“For two reasons. First, I am human now and I need a job, and second that with this Job I can keep an eye on you girls, and you too Josh. Something strange has been happening around here.”
“Other than two boys suddenly appearing as girls and a new boy appearing from nowhere?” I asked.
“Yes, other than that. Something evil is lurking around here. I can sense it. I might be human but I still have some magic, but now its human magic. You could say I am a witch now.”
“I wonder if that has anything to do with Tom. I have been getting strange vibes from him all day. Every time he was around I would feel a shiver run through my spine.” I told her.
“Tom?” She asked me.
“Yes, Tom Arnold. He is a senior and the biggest school bully.” I said.
“And not to mention a first class jerk.” Josh added.
“But it seems he wasn’t this way a few years ago. Something happened to him and he changed completely, like becoming that what he hated the most.” I said.
“Please, tell me more.” Rhea said with a very interested tone.
I told her what me and Kelly talked during lunch and how much he changed since junior high.
“I agree with you, something probably happened to him and we need to find out what.” She said.
We took Mindy home first and soon after we arrived at Rhea’s home. As soon we entered the house we were greeted by a familiar looking bubbling teenager. “Hi sis, how did your first day at work go? Oh, hi guys.”
“Hi Diana, it went very well, I’m Joan’s new homeroom teacher.”
“Hi Di.” Jen said.
“Diana? What are you doing here?” I asked her. Josh just stood there with his mouth open.
“I live here now.”
“And why the teenage look?” I asked confused.
“Do you like it? I thought it would be fun to be a teenager for a while, also it will be easier to be around you like this.”
“Sis, what is going on?” Jen asked me.
“Jen meet Diana, also known as Artemis.”
“As in the Greek goddess?”
“The one and the same.” Diana said and gave us a little curtsey.
“Dammit. Now I’m sure I’ll never take the ring off.” Jen said.
“Diana is the one that gave you the ring, sis. Well, she gave it to me to give it to you anyway.”
“Oh, really? Thank you, Diana.”
“You can call me Di. I like it.” She said. “Josh, are you going to say anything or will stand there with your goldfish impression?”
“Sorry, I didn’t know what to think when I saw you. I saw this gorgeous girl acting like she knew us and I had no idea who you were.”
“Josh you were practically drooling.” Jen said.
“Can you blame me?”
“So you like my appearance?” Diana asked him.
“Of course I do. It will be hard to keep the boys at bay with you girls hanging out together.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Josh.” Diana said and gave him a peck on his cheek and Josh went REALLY red.
“Okay everyone, now that you got to know each other a little we have some work to do. I just talked to your mother and she will call you when dinner is ready. Actually we were invited too, Diana.”
“Cool.” Diana said.
“When did you talk to my mom? We didn’t see you use the phone.” Josh asked.
“Oh, didn’t you notice?”
“Noticed what?”
“Your home is right over the backyard fence. Our house is right behind yours. Your mom was surprised when we moved in. Of course she remembers us being her nieces.”
“If you had told us, I would have driven home and came here through the backyard.” Jen said.
“And spoil the surprise?” Rhea asked and giggled a little.
“I’ll be right back. I’ll just drive home and will be back in a few minutes.” Jen said and left.
“Diana, Joan, Josh, we have work to do.” Rhea said in a very serious tone.
“Something happened? It’s not every day I see you this serious.” Diana said.
“Yes, Diana, something did happen. When I got to school today I felt something evil there. Joan thinks it might have something to do with this boy called Tom Arnold.”
“Why do you think that, Joan?” Diana asked.
I told them all that I know about Tom, from the bullying to what Kelly told me about his past and the feelings I had every time he was around today.
“You might have something there, Joan. From what you told us, it seems his change was pretty fast and he is getting worse.” Rhea said.
“So how do we find out what happened?” I asked them.
“Not we, you.” Rhea told me.
“Me? How?”
“You can do it, Joan. Diana could do it, but it will be a good training for you. She will help linking us so we can all see what you see. We will guide you through it.”
“So when do we start?” Josh asked.
“We could start now or wait for Jenny to come back. If we don’t wait I think she will be mad at us though.” I told him.
“She won’t be long now, she is in your house backyard coming this way now.” Diana said.
“How do you know that?” Josh asked her.
“Duh! I can sense her with my magic, silly.” She said and giggled.
“You are getting into this teenage girl thing, aren’t you?” I asked her.
“A little, I didn’t have the chance to be one before, I think it will be fun. But I think I’ll get bored soon, though.”
“How soon?” I asked her.
“A hundred years or so.” She said and giggled again.
“That long?” Josh asked.
“When you are a few thousand years old, one hundred years is nothing. Don’t worry I won’t stay a teenager for that long. I’ll appear to grow older with you guys. We are family now.”
“I’m back.” Jenny said less than a minute later.
“Good. We can start then.” Rhea said.
“Start what?” She asked confused.
“To find out what happened to Tom.” I told her.
“And how we will do that?”
“Joan will, and Diana will link us so we can all see.” Josh said.
“Cool! Can Joan do that?”
“She can. It will be a good training for her to get in touch with her abilities.” Rhea said.
“What do we have to do?” Jen asked.
“You and Diana will sit on the couches. Joan, Josh and I will sit on the sofa. As we three share some of the same essence I think that physical contact by holding hands might help her.”
“Let’s do it.” I said.
We all sat down and I grabbed Rhea’s left hand and Josh grabbed the right one.
“Close your eyes Joan. Take deep breaths and think about Tom, try to feel his presence and when you do, try to look into his past to the moment that his changes started. Your own heart will guide you to the right moment.” Rhea told me.
I closed my eyes and did what Rhea told me. At first nothing happened and I felt frustrated but soon I started to feel something, I could feel Tom and I felt something evil inside him. I tried to look into the past to the defining moment that put his changes into motion, slowly an image started to appear.
(Tom) 5 years ago.
“Thanks mom.” I told her as she gave me the ice cream cone.
“You are welcome, Tommy. I thought you would like that after all the exercise you had today.” She told me smiling.
“Yeah, I had fun playing baseball today. Did you see my homerun mom?” I asked her excitedly.
“Yes, Tommy. I saw it. You were great there.”
“Thanks mom. I’m glad you came to watch me play today. Too bad dad didn’t come.” I said a bit sadly.
“He had to work today. But he promised he will go to your next game.”
“He always say that but never goes to my games.”
“He feels bad about it, sweetie. What do we say we order some pizzas for dinner tonight?” Mom said trying to cheer me up. Of course it worked. I love pizza and mom always gets them to cheer me up.
At this point we were leaving the park and crossing the street to get to mom’s car when I hear the sound of tires skidding. “TOMMY!” I hear my mom yell and I felt mom push me from behind and a loud thud. I was on the sidewalk confused to what happened. I looked in the direction of the road looking for mom and I found her on the road floor and she is bleeding.
“MOM!” I yelled and ran to her.
She was lying there on the road floor still awake. She looked at me “I’m glad you are safe, Tommy.” She said weekly.
“I’m fine mom. You’ll be fine too.” I told her in tears.
“No Tommy I won’t, I can feel it.”
“Don’t talk like that mom, you’ll be fine, you can’t leave me. I need you.”
“I’m sorry sweetie, I wish… I… could.” She sounded even weaker now.
“Please mom, don’t leave me.”
She weekly raised her hand and touched my face and said. “I’m… sorry… I… love… you.” And her hand dropped to the road floor.
“MOM! Don’t leave me, stay with me, please.” I kept saying over and over but she didn’t move.
What happened next is kind of a blur. I kept calling her over and over until the ambulance showed up and took me away from her.
The next feel days flew by and a lot of people showed at the funeral. I haven’t said a word since mom died and dad seemed even more distant than before. A few days after the funeral I went back to school but kept to myself. I didn’t want to talk to anyone.
A few days passed and dad put all moms’ things in the guest room, he even took down all her pictures from around the house. He still didn’t talk to me. I feel so alone and I miss mom so much. Why did she have to die? Why couldn’t have been me instead?
About a week later I decided to go to the guest room and look at moms’ things. Looking around I found a teddy bear that she once told me she had ever since she was a little girl and she called it Miss Bear. Not an original name but she liked it. I grabbed it and hugged it tightly thinking about her. I also found a bottle of her favorite perfume and put a few drops of it on Miss Bear and she smelled just like mom. That night I took Miss Bear with me to my bedroom and slept hugging it all night long. It was the first time since mom died that I was able to sleep well.
A couple days later, my dad went to wake me up to go to school and saw me sleeping with Miss Bear on my arms.
“What the hell you think you are doing?” He yelled at me and took Miss Bear from me.
“What is this? Have you no shame? Sleeping with a girl’s toy?” He yelled at me.
“But.. but..” I stuttered.
“Don’t say anything you sissy.” He said and started to rip Miss Bear apart.
“DAD, NO!!! THAT WAS MOM’S!!!” I yelled.
“WHAT? You little shit. You had no right to get it. Look what you made me do.” He yelled and hit me. HE HIT ME.
“I’m sorry dad.” I said in tears, tears of fear.
“Don’t you ever enter that room again.” He told me angrily and I said I wouldn’t.
Another week passed and I decided to go into the guest room again. Dad had put everything from mom inside that room and I had nothing from her. He even took all the gifts she had given me there. Inside I went through the boxes again and I found the dress she used at my last birthday party. I hugged it and I could almost smell her. I stood there crying and hugging that dress for a long time and suddenly I get jerked off from the room.
“I told you to never go back there.” He yelled at me. I could smell the alcohol in his breath and he was drunk again. He started to drink a lot since mom died and drunk more and more every day.
“I’m sorry dad. I really am.” I said afraid of him, thinking he was going to hit me again.
“What is this?” He asked and took the dress from my hands.
“A dress? What are you a sissy?” He asked me.
“No. I was just…” and he hit me.
“Don’t lie to me you little sissy. First you start sleeping with teddy bears and now you are wearing your mother’s clothes?”
“I didn’t wear anything.” I cried.
“I told you to not lie to me.” He yelled again and kicked me.
“I’m not lying.” I yelled.
“You little shit. It is your fault your mother died. You should have been the one that died that day.” He said kicking me again.
“It was not my fault.” I yelled and he hit me again.
“Quiet you little shit. I’m tired of your lies.” He yelled me hitting me over and over.
‘Oh god, he is going to kill me!’ I thought to myself.
After he stopped kicking and hitting me he looked at the dress on the floor and said. “So you want to be a girl? I’ll show you how to be a girl then.”
He then grabbed me by my arm and dragged me to my room and he raped me, the bastard raped me. What did I do to deserve this?
I stayed in the bed crying after the bastard left, when I hear a voice talk to me.
“Poor child, such pain and suffering. You don’t deserve that.” I hear it say.
“Who… who is there?” I asked?
“A friend. I can take your pain away if you let me.” It told me.
“Who are you?” I said looking around.
“I told you, I am a friend.”
“What do you want?”
“I want to help you. I can take the pain away and can make you stronger so you can stand up to that bastard.” It told me.
“And what do I have to pay?”
“Nothing, I’m doing this because you need me. Just take my hand and your pain will go away.” It said and I saw a shadowy figure appear in the room.
‘This has to be a dream.’ I thought to myself.
“Is that it? I just take your hand and the pain goes away?”
“Yes child. that is all you have to do.”
“Okay. What do I have to lose? I can’t stand this anymore.” I said and took its hand.
The shadowy figure started to craw over me, fills me up and the pain started to fade away. I started to feel stronger and rage filled my being.
“It is done.” I heard the voice say and I fell asleep.
I woke up the next morning feeling a lot better than before. I felt strong. I went downstairs and dad was there passed out on the sofa. I felt rage fill my being again and I wanted to kill him. I moved closer to him and suddenly I felt fear, and my strength seemed to fade. I could also hear a faint laughter inside my head.
The days passed and rage filled me all the time while I was outside, it made me do terrible things. I started to pick on and hit my friends. I didn’t seem to have any control to what was happening. I screamed inside my head but I couldn’t do anything to stop what I was doing, and every time I went home, all the rage would go away and I cried myself to sleep every night. I wanted to kill myself but something always stopped me from doing it.
The worst thing was when the bastard was drunk and caught me crying. Every time he found me crying he would rape me again. What did I do to deserve such suffering?
Joan
“That’s enough.” I hear Rhea’s voice say and we get out of our trance.
“Oh my god, what was that?” Josh asked.
“I think that is a low level demon, a sort of psychic vampire. It feeds of pain and suffering.” Rhea told us.
I still couldn’t say a word. I was in tears because of what Tom went through. No one deserves to be treated that way, not even your worst enemy.
“Joan? Are you okay?”
“No I’m not okay.” I yelled. “I can’t believe what that bastard did.” I said feeling a rage I never thought I had in me.
“Joan, calm down.” Josh said and hugged me tightly. “It’s okay, it’s okay.” He kept saying and making soothing motions.
A few minutes later I was still crying but the rage within me subsided. “Thank you, Josh.” I told him still holding him. “I wish I could do something to help him. I wish it with all my heart.” I said.
“I know, sis. I know. I wish I could do something too.” He said and hugged me tighter.
“Huh, sis?”
“What?”
“Something is happening.” Josh told me.
“Huh?”
I looked around still holding him and saw everyone looking at us. A glow surrounded Josh and I and it started to get brighter and brighter until everything went white.
“Joan? Is that you? Where is Josh?” Jennifer asked me.
“Hello Jennifer. No I’m not Joan, nor Josh. I am both and yet I am neither.”
“Who are you?” Rhea asked.
“I am the one that they once were and the one they shall be again. I shouldn’t have awakened this soon.”
“What do you mean by that?” Jennifer asked.
“Now it’s not time for questions, my time here is short and I have a work to do. If I have time afterwards I will answer as many questions as I can.”
“What is your name?” Diana asked me.
“I have no name as I was never named.” I said and turned to Rhea. “Mother Rhea, I would be honored if you named me.”
“Me? Let me think for a moment.” She said.
“Just don’t take long. I have a job to do and not much time to do it.”
“I have an idea. Would you mind if I named you Cybele? It was how the Phrygian used to call me.”
“Cybele is a pretty name and was considered a powerful goddess. Are you sure you want me to use it?”
“Yes, you are my successor, so I think it is fitting you use one of my names.”
“So I shall use it proudly, even if it is for a little time yet. Now I have a job to do.” I said and went my way.
(Jennifer)
After she said that she simply disappeared. “What just happened here?” I asked Rhea and Diana.
“I don’t know, Jennifer.” Rhea said. “Do you have any idea Diana?”
“I don’t know what happened but I think we just messed with something big here.”
“How big?” I asked her.
“She is powerful, too powerful. I never felt such raw power before. We are probably dealing with something new here.”
“Diana, can you keep an eye on her?” Rhea asked.
“I’m on my way.” She said and disappeared too.
(Cybele)
I arrived inside the house living room. Richard Arnold is on the sofa, watching TV and drinking bear. The whole room reeks of alcohol.
“Richard Arnold.” I called his name firmly.
“WHAT THE FUCK?” He yells and drops his beer. “Who are you? How did you get in here?”
“Who I am and how I got here is not important. What is important is what you did to your son.” I said angrily.
“What kind of lies the little shit was telling now?”
“He never said a word I saw it all. You did terrible things to a child you should love and protect and I am here to pass judgment.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are bitch?”
“Quiet.” I said, waved my hand and he got quiet. “Sit and listen.” With another wave of my hand he did so.
“You have no idea the damage you did, do you?” I asked and he kept quiet. “I will allow you to talk, but keep in mind that if you don’t ask my questions accordingly I WILL stop you from talking again. Do you understand?”
He nodded his head and I could feel the fear in him.
“Good. You can talk now.”
“What do you want from me?”
“First I want you to see what you have done and then pass judgment.”
“Judgment? What did I do?”
“Don’t you know what you did? I’ll show you exactly what you did.” I then showed him everything he did to Tom through Tom’s eyes several times over.
After I finished showing him his crimes I asked him. “What do you have to say for yourself?”
“I thought the little shit asked for it. It was his fault my wife was killed.”
“YOU STILL DON’T GET IT?” I yelled angrily. “He was not at fault for her death. If it wasn’t for her, both would have died that day. You disgraced her memory and her love. She gave her life to save Tom’s and you blamed him for it, hated him, beat him and even RAPED him you bastard.”
“What are you going to do? Tell the police? You don’t have any evidence and the little shit is a trouble maker.”
“No, I won’t go to the police. I seriously thought of killing you, but that is not my way. I’ll give you a chance at redemption instead. I’ll give you a chance to honor your wife’s dying wish.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
“What am I going to do with you? You will see in a moment.” I said and his body started to change at my will. A few seconds later he become a 40 year old woman that looked a lot like Tom’s mother.
Richard looked at himself and screamed. “What did you do to me?”
“I just did the first part of your judgment. Now you are your wife’s older sister. I’m going to place several compulsions that will force you to act like the person you are supposed to be. I am also giving you all the memories she should have. If you redeem yourself and accept your fate you might find some happiness otherwise this will be living hell for you. The choice is yours Melisa. Richard Arnold no longer exists.” I said and made her sleep.
I went upstairs and into Tom’s room. He was there looking miserable and he looked at me.
“Who are you?” He asked me.
“I am someone that will help you, Tommy.”
“How do you know my name?”
“I know everything about you. I know what you father did and I know about the demon inside you.”
“YOU CAN’T HELP HIM. HE IS MINE.” Tom’s voice changed as the demon took over.
“Quiet. You are wrong, he is not yours and never will be.”
“You can’t do anything. You are too late.” It said and laughed.
“You are wrong about that.” I said, reached for him and my hand entered Tom’s body. I grabbed the demon and pulled it away from him and Tom collapsed on his bed.
“I told you. You are too late. The boy won’t live long without me.” It said.
“You are wrong about that demon. Now go back to whichever plane you came from and never come back or I will destroy you.” I said and banished him.
I moved next to Tom and kneeled beside his bed. “Tommy, can you hear me?” I said gently.
“Is it gone?” He asked me.
“Yes, Tommy. It is gone.”
“Good. Am I dying? I feel so week.”
“Unfortunately yes, but I can help you.”
“But there is a price, isn’t there?”
“I won’t lie to you, yes there is. When dealing with gods or demons there is always a price to pay.”
“Then I’m happy to die finally being myself.” He said sadly.
“The price for my help in healing you and easing your pain is one I’m sure you will be willing to pay happily.” I told him.
“What is your price?”
“You will be bound to help and protect Joan and her friends. She needs all the help and support she can gather.”
“Why her? I was terrible to her for years.”
“In time you will learn why, but you will need to win her trust and friendship. What I really want you to do is for you to become the person you used to be before.”
“Is that it?”
“Yes, that’s it. I will give you a gift to help protecting Joan and her friends. This gift will heal you and ease your pain. Also it will give you a few other things that you will find out at the right time.”
“Okay, as long I am in complete control of myself and not be forced to do thinks like the stuff that thing made me do.”
“You will be in complete control, but will be unable to hurt Joan and her friends, that’s the only restriction.”
“What about my father?”
“He no longer exists.”
“Did you kill him?”
“No, I didn’t kill him. I just changed him into your mother’s older sister. She will care for you in a way that your mother would like you to be cared for. I gave your father, now your aunt a chance of redemption. Don’t hold what your father did to you against her.”
“I’m glad. I won’t hold what he did to me against her.”
“Good boy.” I said and gave him a little kiss on his forehead and he promptly fell asleep.
“Sleep wee, Tommy. You will feel a lot better when you wake up.” I said softly and left.
I went back to Rhea’s house where they were already waiting for me.
“Hello girls. I hope you enjoyed the show. After all Diana was there watching over me and showing you all that happened.”
“You knew about that?” Diana asked me.
“Yes, Diana. I could sense you there watching over me.”
“And you are not mad we spied on you?” Jennifer asked.
“No Jennifer, I’m not mad. I understand your concern.”
“You did well there, Cybele.” Rhea told me.
“Even by changing Tom’s father gender?”
“Even then, many gods would have killed him for what he did, or change him into an animal or a plant. You gave him a chance at redemption though.”
“I think it is Joan’s heart influence. There is much of her in me.”
“Will I ever see her again? And what about Josh?” Jennifer asked me.
“Yes Jennifer, you will see them both in a few minutes, my time here is running out. I was awakened too soon and they are not ready to be me yet.”
“What exactly are you?” Diana asked me.
“I don’t know.” I answered truthfully.
“What do you know?” Rhea asked me.
“A long time ago I was complete, then something or someone split my spirit in two, cursed to never be complete again.”
“And that is Joan and Josh?” Jennifer asked me.
“Yes, they are my latest reincarnation. For eons I was cursed to never be whole again and by some twist of fate both parts of my spirit were infused inside two embryos inside the same womb. Each half recognized the other and tried to merge again, causing a physical merge but the curse prevented the spirits to merge together. The internal turmoil caused Johnny to try to kill himself. That was when you came into the picture Rhea. You saved my, our lives and gave us your essence allowing us to break the curse and finally become whole again. I’ll wait eagerly for the day I shall be whole once more, but for now it is time for Joan and Josh to return.”
“When will they become you definitely?” Jennifer asked me.
“At the end of one of their lives. When that happens I will become whole again. Until then they share a special link that will allow them to life full lives and they might become as powerful as gods themselves because of Rhea’s essence.”
“But I didn’t give Josh much of my essence.” Rhea said.
“No, but they share it through their link.”
“Will they remember what happened?” Diana asked.
“Yes, but will feel like a dream to them, but now it’s time for me to go. Goodbye everyone and Rhea, I will always treasure the name you gave me.” I said let myself go and a white blinding light filled the room.
“Hi?” Was all that I said.
“JOANNIE!!!” Jen yells, runs at me and give me an eye popping hug. “I was so worried.”
“What the heck just happened?” Josh asks.
“You don’t remember?” Rhea asked him
“Kind of, but it’s like a dream or something.” He says and I nod.
“How are you feeling now?” Diana asks us.
“Not much different than before.” I tell her.
“I feel the same way as Joan.” Josh says.
“But there is a difference?” Rhea asks.
“A little, I feel like the bond I have with Josh is stronger now, also I think Cybele left us a little something.”
“What is that?” Jen asks me.
“I feel like I’m more in control of my abilities, like I know how to use them better.” I said, and made a small ball of light appear right above my hand’s palm. “I also seem to be able to see auras and magical energy.”
“Wow, that is cool.” Jen said.
“What about you, Josh?” Diana asked.
“Pretty much the same as Joan, I think. I feel I can control my powers better and about the visual stuff not so much. I think our powers are slightly different in nature.” He said.
“It doesn’t mean I can’t do what Josh can and vice versa. It just takes more work.” I said.
“Is there anything you can tell us about Cybele?” Rhea asked us.
“Not much.” I said. “All I know is that she is old, very old. Also she was never named because when she was complete she never had a physical body, or was completely aware of her own existence. Her first vivid memory is the pain of being split apart. That single memory is very vivid in my mind and I think in Josh’s too.”
“It is.” Josh said. “I also think she had no gender.”
“But why she appeared as a female then?” Rhea asked.
“I think it’s because of the essence you gave us, filled with the essence of the goddess of earth and motherhood.” I said.
“That makes sense.” She said.
“Josh, how do you feel about this?” Jen asked.
“I think I should be freaking out or something knowing what will happen to me at the end of my life, but I’m not. I am a guy and I don’t want to be a girl, but when Joan and I were Cybele I felt complete and at peace, so I think it is something to look for.”
“And how are you feeling now?” Diana asked.
“I still feel complete. I think it’s because of the link Joan and I share.”
We talked for a little longer until mom called us for dinner.
The dinner was very nice and everyone talked about a myriad of subjects. Mom seemed to be very happy to find out that her 'cousins' were living right behind us and she talked to them for a long time.
After dinner I had a long relaxing bath. ‘What a crazy day. I hope tomorrow things stay normal.’ I thought to myself and sighed.
After the bath I decided to attack my homework and go to bed early. While I was working on my homework I had a silly thought and started laughing.
“Why are you laughing?” Jen asked me.
“Oh, I just noticed how absurd my current situation seems.”
“How so?”
“Let’s see, today I went to school and this afternoon I merged with my brother to become a bad ass goddess, then I changed a person’s gender and banished a demon, got unmerged and now I’m here working on my homework like nothing happened. Doesn’t it sound completely insane?”
“Yeah, no one would ever believe a story like that. It’s too crazy.” She said and started to giggle.
“I wish I could be a normal girl though.” I sighed.
“You are a normal girl, Joanie, but you are also special and today showed how much. It also explained why you and Josh were born as Johnny. Now you are the person you should always have been.” She told me.
“Am I? I think that maybe the person I should have been is Cybele.”
“No, that is the person one day you shall be, and hopefully that will be very far in the future.”
“I know. The day either mine or Josh’s life ends.”
“Sis, can’t you see how lucky you are?”
“What do you mean?”
“People keep wondering what will await them after their deaths, if there is life after death and all, what will happen to them. You know what will happen to you and it is something amazing.”
“Still I won’t be myself anymore, nor will Josh be himself.”
“Is that such a bad thing? Did you feel much different from your normal self while you were Cybele?”
“I guess not, and no I didn’t feel much difference.”
“I know you might find this a bit strange, but what do you know about yin yang?” Jen asked me.
“A little, why?”
“The way I see it, you and Josh are the embodiment of that.”
“Oh, I can see that. You think so?”
“Definitely.”
“We better get back to our homework or we will be in trouble tomorrow.” I said.
After we finished our homework we went through our nightly routine and got ready to bed. As I lay down on my bed I started to think about everything that happened today and thought a bit about Tom and what will happen tomorrow. I hope I did the right thing about him. I mean I hope Cybele did the right thing. Arrrgh this is so confusing. I guess Jen is right, I didn’t feel much difference when I was her, in a way she was still me.
I woke up early the next morning and after the morning routine I went downstairs and started to make breakfast for everyone. Jen was the first one to come downstairs.
“Sis, the breakfast smells great.” She told me.
“Thanks, sis.”
Mom arrived not long after Jen and said. “Good morning girls. Who made breakfast today?”
“I did, mom.” I told her.
“If it tastes as good as it smells I’m going to be very happy.” She said. “Maybe even make it your job from now on.”
“Mom!!”
“Just kidding, Joan. Not that I would mind you making breakfast once in a while though.”
“Of course I will make it sometimes, I do enjoy cooking.” I told her.
“Where did you learn how to cook?” Jen asked me.
“I always wanted to cook so I always watched you and mom. I guess I learned that way.”
Soon everyone was downstairs and enjoying my breakfast. Dad was really impressed with my pancakes.
“Princess, this is the best pancake I ever had, after your moms of course.”
“Thanks daddy.” I said and gave him a peck on his cheek.
“I agree with dad, sis. They are wonderful.” Josh said.
After breakfast we got ready to school and soon we were picking up Mindy.
“Hi Mindy.” We all said.
“Hi everyone. How did yesterday go at Rhea’s?” She said while entering the car.
“A lot happened yesterday.” I said.
“Good things or bad things?” She asked.
“I’m not really sure yet.” I told her truthfully. I then told her everything that happened the day before.
“Wow! That is wild.” She said. “How did she look?”
“I don’t know, I… she never looked in the mirror.” I said.
“Don’t ask me either.” Josh said. “But I think Jen can tell you.”
“She looked a lot like Joan, but she was older, I think around twenty five or so. She was so pretty that is scary.”
“How pretty?” Mindy asked.
“Goddess pretty, literally, and I think Joan won’t look much different when she reaches that age. ”
“Ohhhh. Lucky me then.” Mindy said and giggled.
“You naughty girl.” I said and gave her a light kiss.
It didn’t take long for us to reach the school and we noticed some kind of ruckus happening at the main entrance.
“What is going on?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe something happened?” Jen asked.
We parked the car and walked towards the front of the school. A lot of reporters were around, they soon saw us and before we noticed they were all around us.
“What is going on?” I asked.
“We are looking for a boy named Joan Heart, do you know him?” A reporter asked.
“What?” I asked shocked.
“Is it true that he came back yesterday wearing a skirt and saying he is a girl and got the principal’s secretary fired?” Another one asked.
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked again feeling enraged.
“Calm down sis.” Josh whispered at me. “They are not worth it.”
“There must be a mistake there.” I told them.
“A mistake? What kind of mistake?” A reporter asked me.
“First of all, it seems that none of you made your homework. You just took the word of someone and smelled a story where there isn’t one.” I said calmly.
“How can you say that it isn’t a story when a perverted boy thinking he is a girl comes to school wearing skirts and gets someone fired not a story?”
“Perverted? Perverted? Are you guys out of your mind?” I asked them.
“Why are you protecting that freak?” Someone yelled from the back.
“Freak? I AM NOT A FREAK!” I yelled.
The ruckus around me got even worse then. Everyone started to answer questions or insult me at the same time.
“QUIET!!!” I hear Josh yells. “You are scaring her. You guys are a bunch of vultures, she was in the hospital last week where they found out she IS genetically 100% female, and had just a bunch of skin that resembled a penis that made the doctors misidentify her as a boy at birth.” He said firmly. “What happened yesterday is that Joan went to the principal’s office to make sure her paperwork showed her true gender. Arriving there she was mistreated and insulted by Miss Jenkins the same way some of you are doing right now and Miss Jenkins also tried to attack my sister in front of the principal and only failed because I stopped her. That is why she got fired, for attacking a student. Joan is one of the best people I know and she suffered a lot. She is a normal teenage girl like any other. Now excuse us because we need to go to class.”
The reporters kept trying to ask more questions but we refused to answer them. Once inside the school building we could finally relax a little.
“I’m going to the principal’s office.”
“We are going with you.” Mindy said.
Arriving at the principal’s office I see a new face at the secretary desk.
“Hello, what can I do for you today?” She asked us.
“Hi, I’m Joan Heart. I’d like to speak with Principal Addams please.”
“He is unavailable right now, miss heart. He just went outside to deal with some reporters.” She told us.
“Oh, that is exactly what I wanted to talk to him about.” I said.
“Yes, it seems the previous secretary is spreading some lies about a student here and why she got fired.” She said.
“I know. I am the student she tried to attack.” I told her.
“Oh my. Yes you are, now I remember your name. I’m Megan Wells, it’s nice to meet you Joan.”
“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too. You seem to be a lot nicer than Miss Jenkins.”
“Thanks Joan. If you have any trouble, you can always come to me, okay?”
“Thanks, Miss Wells, I will. I better go to class now or I’ll be late.”
“See you soon, Joan.”
“Bye.” I said and left the room.
“She seems very nice.” Mindy said.
“I agree.” Jen said and Josh nodded.
“Let’s go to our classes, we don’t want to be late.” I said and we went our way.
Josh and I were going to our homeroom class when we saw Tom with his back leaned against the wall close to our classroom looking very nervous. He saw us and then he walked toward us.
“H..hi.” he said.
‘Oh, shit! What does he want? Do I act like I don’t know what happened to him last night? I think it’s better to do it.’
“What do you want Tom?” I asked sounding angry.
“C…can I talk to you for a minute? Please?”
“Sure. I’m listening.”
“Can we do it in private?” He asked.
“Do you think I’m going to let you alone with my sister?” Josh said.
“I…I won’t do anything to hurt her, Josh. Please.” He said pleadingly.
I looked a Josh and gave him a look that said it would be okay and he nodded.
“Okay, Tom. What do you say we do it like this? I’ll let you talk in private but I’ll keep an eye on both. I’ll be out of earshot but I want to be able to see you.”
“That’s okay. I promise I won’t hurt her.” Tom said.
“If you do, you’ll regret being born.” Josh warned him.
‘*Damn you is good at that*’ I though at Josh.
‘*Joan?* ‘ I heard Josh’s voice inside my head.
‘*Josh?* ‘
‘*Oh wow. I think we can hear each other’s thoughts.* ‘
‘*Let’s worry about that later. I need to talk to Tom, remember?* ‘
‘*Roger.* ‘
Tom and I walked a bit further down the hall until we found a quiet spot. I looked around and saw that as promised Josh was just out of hearing range.
“Okay Tom. I’m here. What do you want to talk about?”
He looked at his shoes for a moment, took a deep breath and said. “I wanted to apologize for being a jerk to you for all this time.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry, Joan. I wasn’t being myself. Something that I can’t explain happened to me and I saw how bad I was being. Please forgive me.”
“You used me as your personal punch bag for over a year, stole my lunch money several times and want me to just forgive you?”
“I know I shouldn’t be asking you this, but I am really ashamed about what I did to you and others. I also want to pay your lunch money back. This is all I have now. I know it’s not much but please accept it.” He said and gave me a hundred dollars in twenty dollars bills.
“Tom, I don’t need your money. I can’t accept it. You can’t buy my forgiveness.” I said giving him the money back.
“I know. I just wanted to show you I really am sorry.” He said and I saw a small tear running down his cheek.
“Tom, you don’t need to pay me for me to forgive you. Actions speak louder. The tear you just shed showed me you are being sincere. I think I can forgive you, but I’ll keep my eye on you.”
“Thanks you. Thank you. Thank you.” He said and gave me a big hug. This time his touch felt different it was warm and loving.
“You are welcome, Tom. Now we better go to our classes before we get late.”
“Okay.” He said and stopped hugging me.
We started to walk away from each other and I don’t know why I said my next few words. “Tom, don’t hold against your new aunt the terrible things your father did to you, okay? She is not him anymore.” After that I just walked away leaving Tom with a very confused expression on his face.
I got into the classroom just before the bell rang. Inside everyone was talking about all the press outside the building.
“Hi Joan.” Kelly said to me.
“Hi Kelly. How are you today?”
“I’m fine. Did you see the commotion outside?”
“Did I? They were looking for me.” I told her.
“For you? Why?”
“I think Miss Jenkins called them saying I was a boy in a dress. I never felt more humiliated in my life.”
“But you are not, right? I mean a boy in a dress.”
“Of course not, but I don’t think that matters for them.”
“I agree with you. Since when the truth matters for some tabloid reporters?” I heard Josh say.
“It matters to me. It’s my life they are trying to mess with. Also I worry about Sam.” I told them.
“Sam? Why?” Kelly asked me.
“Unlike me, she isn’t genetically a girl, but she is a girl nonetheless. The press could mess her life up pretty badly.” I said.
“Oh, I didn’t know that. I thought she was just a tomboy. You mean she is a transsexual?”
“In a matter of speaking I think you could say that. But I think that maybe her problem can be categorized more in the intersex category.”
“What do you mean?”
“She has a medical issue that prevents her to develop as a guy. She is allergic to testosterone. The only way she can have a normal life is to develop as a girl.”
“Oh my! That must be tough on her.” Kelly said.
“Actually I think she is relieved by it. She always felt she is a girl. Maybe it’s because of her allergy or maybe it’s something else. Please don’t treat her any differently than you do the other girls. She needs all the support she can get.”
“Don’t worry about it. I won’t, and I won’t tell anyone what you told me either.”
“Thank you. I knew I could trust you.” I told her.
“How did you know that?” She asked me.
“I just felt it. I’m a good judge of character. You are a very nice person, Kel.” I told her.
The rest of the morning was pretty much the same. people talked about the reporters and said how angry they were at them. About lunch time things got a lot more normal. Well, at least I think they were getting normal. After all it’s just my second day as a girl at school.
As Josh and I were going to the cafeteria, we met with Mindy and Sam’s sister Jenny. “Hi guys.” I greeted them.
“Hi Joan.” Jenny said.
“Hi gorgeous.” Mindy said and gave me a BIIIIG hug.
“Hi sweetie.” I said to her.
“You two look so cute. Just like Sam and Jess.” Jenny said.
The two of us blushed when Jenny said that, but I knew she was being sincere when she said we looked cute together. It’s good to know she doesn’t judge our relationship.
We went to the cafeteria and grabbed our lunches before joining the others to lunch. Of course Josh only went as far as escorting us to the table where Sam, Jess and their friends were sitting. I think he would feel a bit uncomfortable with all that estrogen and girl talk around him. He can be such a guy’s guy sometimes. I thought and giggled to myself.
Before Josh left I noticed him and Steph exchange some looks at each other and I thought it looked very cute. Maybe there is something there between them. If there is I’m happy for him.
“Hi guys.” Jenny said.
They all greeted us and it didn’t take long before we were all chatting away.
How is your first day going, Sam?” I asked her.
“Pretty good so far, but I sure could use a little less attention though.”
“I know what you are talking about. Yesterday everyone was curious about me. Fortunately today things seemed to die down a little bit.” I told her.
“Just a little?”
“Yes, the press outside didn’t help.”
“What did they want?” Karen asked.
“I think Miss Jenkins told them that I am a boy in a dress. She doesn’t seem to be able to get that I am genetically a girl.”
“She is such a bigot. I’m glad she got fired. Maybe now the bullies will have a harder time. I heard she used to cover for them.” Liz said.
“I can’t understand how someone like her could ever get a job in a school with her attitude.” Mandy said.
“I don’t know, maybe she wasn’t like that when she started. I don’t like to judge people. Bigotry usually doesn’t come naturally, it is taught.” I added.
“That’s true.” Jess agreed.
“Hey, there is still a free spot for one more?” I heard Kelly talk to us.
“Hi Kelly, have a seat.”
“Thanks.” She said.
“I want you to meet Sam, Mandy, Karen, Liz, Jess and Steph. I think you already know Mindy and my sister Jenny.”
“Nice to meet you guys.”
They all greeted her very warmly.
“Oh Mandy, is there space for one more Saturday? Two more actually.” I asked her.
“Of course.” She said. “Who do you want to invite?”
“Kelly and my cousin Diana, she just moved into town and will start school tomorrow.”
“Invite me for what?” Kelly asked.
“For a Slumber party Saturday night, and an afternoon hanging out in the mall and introduce girl shopping to Joan and Sam.” Jess said.
“Oohhh that sounds like fun. I’ll have to ask my mom but I think there will be no problem. How many people are going?” She asked.
“Let me see.” Mandy said. “Me, Karen, Liz, Sam, Steph, Jess, Joan, Mindy, Jenny, You and Joan’s cousin Diana. Eleven people.”
“Wow, that is a big party. It is going to be so fun.” Kelly said. “I never went to a slumber party that big before.”
“I think none of us did.” Mindy said and giggled.
“And I can’t wait to see people’s reaction at the mall when 11 teenage girls start to raid the stores.” Jess said.
“That is something to see.” Karen said.
We all chatted a bit longer before it was time for us to go to our next classes. I still need to talk to Josh about what happened earlier today. Maybe that new ability can be useful and I wondered if I could talk to Mindy the same way or it just happened because of my link with Josh.