Date: Sun, 20 Oct 2002 17:11:54 -0700 (PDT) From: Terry Volkirch Subject: Mystical Retribution This story is copyright 2002 to me, Terry Volkirch. Permission is granted to copy and post this story as long as it isn't altered in any way and as long as this disclaimer is included. This story is adult fiction. The main two characters, Terry and Rhona, represent myself and my friend Rhona. Any resemblance of any other characters to a real person is coincidental. Please send any feedback to terrynaut@yahoo.com. Thx. ***************************************************** Mystical Retribution Terry was very excited. He was going to visit his good friend, Rhona, over in England. He had met her through an on-line computer group a little over a year ago and they hit it off immediately. She had visited him in the States last Summer and now it was his turn to visit her. The airport shuttle picked him up and he was on his way. During the drive, he watched the trees and cars pass by and his mind wandered. It had been nearly two years since the twin towers in New York had been destroyed by terrorists. Airport security had been beefed up considerably since then and Terry was a little apprehensive about flying. The shuttle arrived at Sea-Tac airport and the waiting began. The new security procedures normally would've annoyed the tall, slender 30ish-looking man. But thinking of Rhona's smiling face made him forget all about the rest of the world, even when he was singled out for extra searching. He was sure it was his bright orange tee shirt, blue jeans and long brown hair - tied back into a pony tail - that earned him the special treatment. He just kept smiling. A large sweaty woman with a dour face couldn't stand it. She asked him if he was on drugs. Terry laughed at her and told her there was nothing she could do to him that would stop him from smiling because he was going to visit his best friend in the universe. Then he added, "but you're welcome to try," and waggled his eyebrows. The woman changed her expression. She got a sad, hungry look for a brief moment and then scowled. Security people are famous for being humorless and she was no exception. Terry felt sorry for her. ***** Flying excited Terry. He still got a window seat so he could take in all the views. He hadn't flown very many times. Everyone said that he'd eventually start getting an aisle seat for easy access to the restroom but it hadn't happened so far. He was also excited about a couple special outfits he was bringing along - excited and a little nervous. You see, Terry is transgendered. He longed to be a woman but the closest he would come was dressing up as one. He was pleased because Rhona was so accepting. She wanted to see him crossdressed. He was nervous because he wasn't sure how she'd take it when she finally saw him in women's clothing. He didn't dress up when she had visited him. Just meeting her for the first time made him nervous enough. One of the two outfits wasn't a problem. It was just a loose fitting top and jeans. It was the second outfit that caused him to be nervous. He had more conservative dresses and skirts but he couldn't resist the short black skirt and black tights to show off his long, lean legs. And the tight blue top would emphasize the silicone breast inserts. The falsies were very realistic. He loved the way they felt when he went down stairs. They bounced delightfully. No one sat next to him on the plane. He stretched out his legs diagonally in front of the seat next to him and tried to sleep. It was no use. He was too excited about the trip. He just kept fantasizing about being a woman - his favorite pastime. ***** Terry caught his connecting flight in Denmark and made it to Manchester, England, where Rhona was waiting. She still looked exactly the same with her cheery face and short dark hair. It was nice to hug her once again. Typing hug in e-mail messages just wasn't the same. He didn't have to check any baggage - he liked to travel light - so they climbed into Rhona's little red car and they were off. He didn't get any sleep on either flight so he was ready for a nap. He was still excited but it was a long drive back to Rhona's house. She pointed out landmarks until she heard light snoring about 30 minutes from home. She pulled into her driveway and somehow managed to roust Terry and get him inside. He dragged his bag into the house, mumbling the whole way. Rhona showed him to his room and he fell over on the bed and was fast asleep. She threw a blanket over him and then did some reading while she waited for him to adjust to the new time zone. ***** Two hours later, Rhona's guest woke himself up and shuffled out of his room. He wandered the house until he found the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face and then looked for his friend. He found her downstairs on the sofa, typing away on her laptop. After a quick greeting and a long hug, she gave him a tour of the house. It was a nice, large house for two people - Rhona and her teenage daughter, Jenny. But there were also a lot of pets to help fill it up. Along the way, Rhona introduced him to her many pets. She had five cats, a border collie named Bess and two budgies. Terry loved them all. He loved most animals. Bess needed to go out so the two friends took her for a walk along a wooded path. The countryside was beautiful - so peaceful and green - and the walk helped wake Terry up. After a nice, leisurely walk, they returned home. Then they went out for dinner at a local pub to discuss travel plans. "How does this sound?" Rhona said between mouthfuls of Yorkshire pudding. "Tomorrow we head up to Whitby and stay at a lovely little hotel. I've made reservations for two nights. We'll do some fossil hunting and see a small stone circle. There's also the Dracula museum to see and the Whitby Abbey ruin." "That sounds great!" Terry said. "It all sounds wonderful. I can't wait." The two left the pub and returned home. After a scone and some television viewing, it was time for bed. Rhona's very tired guest slept for 12 hours. ***** Terry drifted out to find Rhona waiting for him. After the morning hug, she showed him around the kitchen and he got a bowl of frosted wheat cereal and a toasted English muffin for breakfast. Rhona had a few more morning chores to do so Terry sat on the sofa and busied himself with the newspaper while he ate. He didn't like newspapers but once in awhile he read the headlines to keep up on current events. There wasn't much going on except for a problem with a serial rapist. The latest victim was raped and killed almost a month ago. This was serious business. Sometimes - not very often but sometimes - Terry was glad he wasn't a woman. He shuddered at the thought of being raped. He read a little of the article and found out that the seriously twisted man raped his victims and then stabbed them. There had been a new victim about once a month for the past six months. Now anger burned in the back of his mind. Male hormones took control and he vowed that if he ever caught a rapist in the act, he would kill him. Rhona finished everything and came back to get Terry. He shook off the effects of the article and smiled up at her. Then he got up to rinse his dishes and the two of them packed up the car and headed off to the little coastal town of Whitby. It was a beautiful warm sunny day - perfect for a road trip. Rhona played tour guide once again as she drove. She didn't think Terry would ever sleep again. He was so full of energy, laughing and pointing at everything. At one point, he rolled the window down and yelled, "Moo!" at a cow. He never failed to make Rhona laugh. ***** They arrived at the hotel, checked in and dropped off their bags in the room. They were both anxious to start seeing the sights. It had been awhile since Rhona had been up to Whitby. Just before they left the hotel, a man yelled out. "Eck! Flippin' computers!" "What's his problem?" Terry said. "I don't know really," replied Rhona. They walked over to get a closer look. It was the owner of the hotel. He was having trouble with his computer. The two travelers couldn't help smiling. They had both had more than their share of problems with computers at work. Terry had an impulse. He was a very impulsive person. "Hey Rhona. Let's see if we can help him." "Are you sure?" "Yeah. It's probably something simple. I helped a bed and breakfast owner with his computer before. His keyboard wouldn't work so I had a look at it. It turned out that he had it plugged into his printer port instead of the USB port. It's nice to help people. C'mon." So they went over to help. The owner was very grateful. After 5 or 10 minutes, it looked like a hardware problem. Terry wasn't very good with hardware. He was a software Engineer. Rhona was the hardware specialist. She was a computer technician. "I know what's wrong," Rhona said. "It's easy to fix but it will take a good half hour or more. Do you have a screwdriver handy?" The owner fell over backwards to get Rhona all the tools she needed. He ran to a closet and returned with a toolbox. Rhona couldn't help notice Terry looking uncomfortable. He wanted to help too but there was nothing he could do. She had an idea. "Hey Terry, why don't you scout around outside while I fix this. It shouldn't take too long." Terry mouthed the word, sorry, and then thanked her out loud and went outside. He looked around the front but there was nothing but a parking lot and hills covered with heather. He went around back and found a path to follow. After a good half mile, the path led to a large standing stone. Very often a standing stone marked an interesting site like a tomb or stone circle. He looked around but found nothing. On the back of the stone there were some interesting runes and artwork. That was better than nothing so he brushed off a bit of moss to have a better look. As he scanned the stone, he felt his eyelids growing heavy. He was getting very sleepy all of a sudden. He slowly slumped to the ground and fell into a deep sleep. Meanwhile, Rhona had finished fixing the owner's computer. He thanked her profusely but she just wanted to leave and find Terry. She went out the front - nothing. She found the path around the back and saw a fresh footprint in the dirt. After following the path, she came upon the standing stone but she still didn't see Terry. She circled around the stone and saw a young blond woman sleeping on the ground. How strange, she thought. That woman's clothes look familiar. Hang on a minute. That green and gray striped shirt is exactly what Terry was wearing, and that's his travel wallet she's got. The woman did in fact have a large black leather travel wallet slung by a strap over her shoulder - exactly like Terry's. It looked more like a purse but Terry was too nervous to call it a purse in public. Rhona now wondered if she was dealing with a thief and she went over to wake the young woman. It took a couple of rough nudges but the blond finally opened her eyes, sat up and stretched. The sleepy woman had all of the same mannerisms and made the same type of noises as Terry when he first woke up. Rhona's face went pale. She had to try very hard to force herself to speak. She could only manage one word and it came out as a squeak. "Terry?" "Are you Okay, Rhona?" the young woman asked with a perfect Yorkshire accent. Then she got a funny look on her face. "What's wrong with my voice? I sound like a woman... a British woman." The blond suddenly jumped up and let out a series of short piercing screams, startling Rhona. They started out sounding fearful and eventually changed to happiness. Then the young woman broke down and cried. She just stood and cried. Rhona was perplexed. She still wasn't convinced it was Terry. People don't change sex in an hour. It just can't happen. Finally Rhona spoke again. "What's wrong?" "I'm so happy!" The blond cried. Rhona gave her a wary look. "It's me, Rhona! Terry! It really is me! Come on, give me a hug." Rhona's mouth fell open as the reality sunk in. She just stood there and the blond woman went over to her and gave her a big hug. Then they both had a good cry. After much hugging and crying, the two separated and Rhona had a good look at her friend. Terry had shrunk a few inches and now had deep green eyes and full, wavy blond hair that reached well below her shoulders. "Oh my goodness, you're beautiful! And you look so young. I don't believe it. What happened?" Terry related what she had done. She didn't know how it happened, just that it had something to do with the symbols on the standing stone. Rhona looked up at the stone and crinkled up her nose. "I don't see anything. Where did you say they were?" "What?" Terry yelped. Sure enough, the runes and artwork were gone. The stone was smooth except for a little bit of moss. Terry quickly pulled a pen and some paper out of her travel wallet. She meant to copy down as much as she could remember for later research but her mind went blank. "I can't remember any of it! They must have somehow erased themselves from my memory." She gave up and stuffed the pen and paper back. That's when her emotional state swung back to her initial fear. She happened to see her passport in the wallet. "Oh no!" "What's wrong now?" Rhona asked. "How will I get home? No one will believe who I am!" Terry started crying again. She was emotional when she was a man. Now she was even more emotional. Rhona hugged her friend to help her get through it. The hugging was just what was needed. Now it was time for yet another emotion. Terry got ahold of herself and anger surfaced. "It's all that stupid stone's doing! It's cursed or something. I ought to give it a kick." She launched herself at the standing stone and stepped right out of her shoes. She stumbled a little on the cuffs of her now too long pants and stopped. Her feet were a lot smaller now. In fact, she noticed that none of her clothes fit except for her panties. She always wore panties as a man and they fit her even better now. The waist on her jeans was far too large and they kept slipping low on her hips. She yanked them up sharply with a hiss. She was so angry now she could barely speak. Only one word managed to escape her lips. "Eck!" Rhona calmed her friend down as best she could. Terry was reminded that she had brought all of her clothes with her, including the two women's outfits. That diffused the situation. Rhona left her shoeless friend glaring at the mystical standing stone while she hurried back to their hotel room to get the clothes. Rhona found a pair of sandy-colored women's jeans, a feminine polo top and a leisure bra. She didn't know what to do about shoes though. She ended up bringing a pair of her own sandals. They should adjust enough and fit better than anything else. It would do until they could go shopping. Ugh, she thought. Clothes shopping wasn't one of Rhona's favorite things but she knew Terry loved to shop. That should put the feisty blond in a better mood. She got back to the stone to find Terry still glaring at it. She smiled but made sure she wasn't seen doing so. Her blond friend took the clothes and quickly started changing, while Rhona watched. Terry felt the dark-haired woman's eyes on her and stopped. "Well? Do you mind?" "I'm quite curious actually," replied Rhona. "Hmph! Fine then. You're heterosexual. I guess it's Okay." Terry slipped out of her men's jeans and slowly reached for the waistband of her panties with a trembling hand. Even though there was no bulge between her legs, she had to know if her transformation was complete. She pulled on the waistband and her mouth fell open as she gave a peek. She let the waistband snap back and nearly fainted. Her reaction answered Rhona's first question. The transformation was complete. The young blond was a still a little unsteady on her feet but she managed to pull on her women's jeans. They fit fairly well. They were a little large in the hips for her taste but with her black leather belt, at least they wouldn't fall down. Next she took off her black socks and tried on the sandals. They didn't fit quite right but they were better than her huge black walking shoes. She paced back and forth a couple times to try them out. They'd do until she could go shopping and get some better fitting shoes. Then her eyes went wide as she realized what she had just thought. She had said the magic word in her mind and now she felt compelled to shout it. It was the perfect word to cheer her up. "Shopping!" Her face lit up with a broad grin. Then she had to laugh at Rhona's exaggerated expression of dread. Terry was soon to be unleashed for a shopping frenzy. But first there were a couple more articles of clothing to put on. Terry saved the best for last. She carefully pulled her baggy striped Henley over her head to reveal full, round C cup breasts. That answered Rhona's second question. Terry couldn't help herself. She started crying with joy. The stretchy cream-colored leisure bra was put on with reverence. It didn't give much support but it filled out nicely and fit well. She gave her boobs one more fond look and a farewell message. "See you later girls," Terry whispered. She reluctantly put on the periwinkle colored polo shirt and tucked it in to her jeans. She was dying to see herself in a full-length mirror. "How do I look?" Said a very excited young woman. "Quite nice I think," replied Rhona. "But I suppose you still want to go shopping..." Terry smiled and nodded vigorously. The two of them hiked back up to the hotel but Terry insisted on finding a mirror at the last minute. She ran to their room and straight to the nearest mirror. Rhona was lagging behind a bit. She was in the hallway and heard a loud gasp. When she got to the bathroom, she found her blond friend with eyes and mouth wide open. "I'm beautiful," Terry murmured. After ten minutes of admiring herself, Rhona had enough. "C'mon then. You want to go shopping, don't you?" Trying to decide between her reflection and shopping was too much. Rhona grabbed Terry's hand and pulled her out of the room and through the hotel lobby. As they were leaving, they ran into the hotel owner again. He immediately started thanking Rhona but stopped short when he noticed her blond companion. The young woman had a big smile and far away look on her face. The owner was a tall middle-aged man with a full-blown mid-life crisis, and this woman was right out of his wildist fantasies. He was totally captivated and totally speechless. Terry said hello to him and his heart melted. Rhona took advantage of the silence and dragged the lovely blond out into the parking lot, leaving the man tripping over his tongue. They climbed into the car and headed for the nearest shops in Whitby. Terry passed the time by checking out her hands and arms. Her fingers were so slender and delicate. The peach fuzz on her forearms fascinated her and she loved how soft her skin felt. She was in heaven. ***** Rhona pulled into the parking lot of a small clothing shop and announced their arrival. Terry had moved on from her arms and was inspecting her feet. She was too busy to notice where they were. After the announcement, the blond looked up and bounced out of the car and into the shop before Rhona opened her car door. Rhona just shook her head and smiled. The native Brit followed her friend inside. There was Terry near the front, with two pairs of slacks slung over one arm. "Two already?" Rhona asked. "Same style, different sizes and colors. I don't know my size yet. I'm wearing size 8 jeans right now and they are definitely too large." Rhona smiled indulgently and Terry got back to work. The blond shopper picked out a pair of blue jeans and then proceeded over to the tops. She had to have a low-cut knit top and vertical ribbed sweater. After scoring direct hits she carried her five prizes to the fitting room. The size 4 slacks fit rather tightly. They showed off her beautiful round derriere but she wouldn't be able to sit comfortably in them. The size 6 slacks weren't nearly as flattering but they were definitely more comfortable. The pair of jeans were also a size 6 but they were a bit smaller than the slacks. They flattered well yet were still comfortable. Terry had to suppress a squeal of delight. Next it was time to try on the tops. The low-cut top fit well but it was hard to tell how well it would show off her cleavage. The leisure bra didn't have enough support to create any cleavage. The sweater was perfect. Vertical ribbing was so flattering for the bustline. Whitby was too small a town to have any large department stores. After seeing all that the current shop had to offer, Terry bought everything she had tried on. Then she was off to hunt for a shoe store with Rhona in tow. It was such a beautiful day, they decided to walk. There were several shops scattered along the street and the young blond visited them all. She wasn't as strong as she was as a man but she was still in great condition. She was running Rhona ragged. Rhona never said a word about it. She rarely complained. Terry noticed her friend's fatigue after the third shop and chastised herself. She walked back and stayed with her the rest of the time. They found a shoe store and picked up two pairs of walking shoes, one white and one black. Then the alert blond saw a cute pair of black, lace-up booties and fell in love. She got the booties too. Rhona enjoyed watching her friend shop at first. But now she was bleary-eyed and hungry. She begged her energetic friend for a rest. Terry realized she was getting hungry too and agreed that the dresses and makeup could wait for another day. There was only one thing left to get - a good bra - and that could wait until after lunch. Rhona wanted to sit down and rest before finding a place to eat. They found a bench, sat down and enjoyed the sea breeze blowing on their faces. After the hours of shopping and walking, it wasn't long before the hunger pangs hit hard. They hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and it was mid afternoon. They scanned the street for restaurants and found a small diner. They had scones, soup and salad for lunch. Even with all of her exercise, Terry couldn't eat very much. That surprised her for as hungry as she felt. The lunch made for a nice rest. Rhona got her second wind and the shopping resumed. They were lucky and found a lingerie shop almost right away. Of course Terry ended up with more than one bra. First she found a royal blue jog bra. With all of her running around, she needed more support. She also got a light blue seamless underwire to create some cleavage for her low-cut top. Luckily for Rhona, the shopping-crazed blond had brought plenty of panties with her on the trip. The shopping was over - for now. They drove back to the hotel and snuck past the lovesick owner. Rhona took a nap while Terry had her own little fashion show. After the nap, the two of them walked down to the standing stone. It still had no runes on it. Terry sighed. "It's Okay, Rhona. I'm not ready to change back now anyway." "Right then. How about we go see the Whitby Abbey ruin?" Terry perked up and smiled. "That sounds great!" ***** The Whitby Abbey was magnificent, even as a ruin. The tall walls echoed with history. The location was great too. It stood atop cliffs overlooking the sea and Whitby Harbor. The view was striking. An interesting jumble of buildings with orange-tiled roofs lined the small harbor. After much walking, the two friends found themselves back down in Whitby, looking for a place to eat dinner. A quaint little Italian restaurant caught their eye and they ducked inside. It didn't take Terry long to steer the conversation back to her favorite indoor sport. "Can I shop again tomorrow? Just for a bit?" "I thought you got quite enough really," Rhona said. "I just want to get a nice dress. Please. Oh, and I absolutely must get my hair styled and have a makeover. I have always dreamed of having a makeover in a large department store." Rhona looked around to make sure no one would hear. "Okay. But we don't know how long you'll stay a woman. I think you should take it easy on the spending." "Oh poo," Terry frowned. "You spoilsport... but you're right of course. I'll be good." "Right. Well, we'll have to drive over to Middlesbrough for all that. It's a bit out of our way. Are you sure?" "Yes! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" The blond jumped up out of her chair and went over to hug her tolerant friend. ***** The two women had a nice, long leisurely dinner. Terry drank quite a lot of water and soon had her first trip to the ladies room. It seemed odd to her that she hadn't had to pee until now. She had been a woman for several hours. It must have something to do with the transformation, she thought. She was nervous at first but thankfully there was no one inside. She went into the stall, pulled out a toilet seat cover and went to business. Her hands trembled as she pulled down her pants. This is ridiculous, she thought. I'm only peeing. The nervous blond distracted herself with images of hairstyles. It allowed her to relax enough to finish. After a very quick wipe. She pulled up her pants, washed and rushed back to the dinner table in record time. After telling Rhona about her experience and giving her a good laugh, the two of them went back to the hotel for bed. ***** Terry wanted nothing more than to shower and go to bed but the idea of taking a shower was extremely erotic to her. She was still attracted to women and she found herself incredibly attractive. The cute blond stepped slowly into the bathroom and stripped down while facing away from the mirror. Once again she tried busying her mind with hairstyles and this time she also added makeup. It didn't matter. Her hands slowly rubbed soap everywhere on her body. She couldn't help getting aroused. Her slippery skin, rubbing hands and the hot heavy spray of the shower were too much. Soft moans escaped her lips and she was soon lost in ecstasy. Several orgasms later, she rinsed and then dried herself. She threw on a clean pair of panties and a large tee shirt from her men's collection. After fussing about not having any feminine sleep wear, the lights were turned out and she was left alone with herself in her bed. Before her hands could roam again, the long day caught up with her and she quickly fell asleep. ***** The good weather held but there weren't too many interesting sights along the way to Middlesbrough. Terry decided to try singing. During Rhona's visit to the States, the two of them had traded songs on the way back from a visit to Mt. Rainier. It made for some very fond memories. The blond had a lovely soprano singing voice. She loved listening to herself. After several folk songs, commercial jingles, and sitcom theme songs, they arrived in the city. Terry's first stop was a hair salon. She dreamed last night of having her hair done up in a bun with a single, long wispy curl hanging down just in front of each ear. With yet another dream come true, it was time for the finishing touches. Rhona spied a large department store called Debenhams. It was wonderful. There were rows and rows of women's clothes, makeup, jewelry and perfume. The dark-haired woman saw an impulsive look in her blond friend's eye and reminded her of the spending limit. Then it was time to complete the outfit. Several hours and a lot of money later, Terry had her outfit. Luckily for her, it was so warm outside. She selected a white sleeveless v-neck dress that hung down to mid thigh, a white seamless underwire demi-bra to show off cleavage, and plain black boots with a wide 2 inch heel that reached just below the knee. She felt so very feminine. Last but not least was the mandatory makeover. She had dreamed of this since she was a teenage boy. So many dreams coming true in two days was almost too much. If she wasn't so concerned about her mascara running, she would've cried. After a good look in the mirror, she bought all of the makeup that was applied. She was absolutely stunning. Men were staring at her with obvious intent. It didn't matter that she preferred women. She found the stares flattering. It just made her feel more and more beautiful. "Now you've done it," said Rhona. "Done what?" "You're going to have young men after you," the Brit replied. Terry stuck out her tongue at her friend and they both had a good laugh, at least until the first tall, good-looking young man approached her. He was about 3 inches taller than the blond - even with her boot heels - with dark hair and bright blue eyes. He wore a tight-fitting light blue tee shirt that flattered his muscular chest. Terry found herself strangely attracted to him. She stared, unknowingly encouraging him. "Hi, my name's Mark. You look a little lost. Would you like a tour of the store?" Rhona rolled her eyes and Terry suppressed a giggle. Then the cute blond broke the news to him. "I'm sorry. You seem very nice but you should know that I prefer women." Mark's jaw dropped and then closed again. He recovered quickly and was starting to smirk but Terry made a preemptive strike. "And no, you can't watch. Why don't you run along now." With that, she took her friend's arm in hers and walked off with a gentle sway in her hips. ***** Michael was a lonely, troubled young man. He was well over six feet tall and somewhat overweight, and was one of those people who seemed to be invisible. No one ever noticed him, that is, until six months ago, when he saw the movie that changed his life. He couldn't remember the name of the movie. It was some strange word that he didn't know. But names didn't matter. All that mattered was that it was absolutely brilliant. It showed him that nothing is more important than true love. It also helped that he identified with the ogre. He sort of looked like the ogre, he thought. Except he had long straight black hair and his skin wasn't green. Now he patterned his life after the movie. It was all so easy. All he had to do was roam the land and watch for his true love. He might not know her at first. But he would be bold and fearless, just like the ogre. Eventually he would find her. Michael sat on a bench in Debenhams and closely watched women as they passed by. The store was a perfect place to look for women, he thought. There were so many here. He continued to watch and they continued to ignore him. He just couldn't seem to find the right one. He had several relationships since seeing the movie but they all ended badly. His girlfriends seemed so wonderful at first. They would have great sex and then cuddle and have wonderful pillow talk. He fancied himself a romantic. He would share his hopes and dreams and pour his heart out. That's when things would always start to turn ugly. He always ended up leaving the city to get away from them. He had been moving often in the past several months. He was beginning to lose hope of ever finding the perfect woman. Then he saw the most beautiful sight and he was instantly in love. A tall young blond in a white dress was walking towards him. She was laughing and talking as much with her hands as with her mouth. Michael always found that to be very annoying. But he would fix it. Love conquered all. He stood up and waited for his true love. As she got to within a few steps, he moved in front of her. She stopped without bumping into him like he wanted but she was still within easy reach. He grabbed her wrist and introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Michael." "Ow! You're hurting me," Terry protested. Luckily, Terry had spent several years learning karate. Her training automatically kicked in. She jerked her arm towards his palm and then quickly reversed direction and twisted in the direction of his thumb. She easily broke his grip and then pushed the surprised man backwards several steps. "Back off, jerk!" Terry yelled. The big man looked around and saw people looking at him now. He didn't like their expressions. He felt himself blush and he quickly turned and fled back to his old, beatup van. There's too many, he thought. I can't defeat them all. But I'll be back. Terry rubbed her wrist and glared at the departing would-be Romeo. "I hope he didn't bruise me. What an ape," the blond complained. Rhona gently took her friend's arm to have a look and ended up having to steady the young woman. Terry started feeling dizzy. Everything was spinning slowly so she shut her eyes. That's when the vision began. ***** Michael looks angry. He's holding a knife and shouting. Now he's crying. He lunges at me and... ***** The vision ended, leaving Terry very upset. "Rhona, you won't believe what just happened." "What, you mean besides getting grabbed?" "I just had a vision!" The trembling blond related the newspaper headline from yesterday. She was sure that Michael was the rapist. She explained everything to her friend and then they were both trembling. "I think it was vision of the future," Terry continued. "I'm sure he'll be stalking me. It all makes sense now. The transformation, the vision... meeting him." "What do you mean?" Rhona asked. "I think I'm supposed to be bait to catch the rapist. I know it sounds daft but why else would it happen?" The cute young woman was correct. But knowing why she turned into a woman didn't help her handle the situation. She was very scared. Rhona was the missing piece of the puzzle. She was the necessary calming influence to help Terry through it all. After she pointed out how easily Michael was fended off in the store, Terry did calm down. "Right," Terry said. "I'm a black belt. I can defend myself, even against knives. I'm still scared - who wouldn't be - but I know I can do this. I know it!" Karate was the key to catching Michael but there was one problem. The blond needed practice in her new body. She still wasn't used to it. But practice would come later. For now, there was still a lot of the city to see. As the two women left the store, a old peddler dressed in rags called out. He referred to the blond by name, surprising her. She went over to see what he wanted and Rhona waited from a distance. The peddler handed her a delicate silver chain with a beautiful green stone. "It's fer luck, missy," He said. Terry was in awe. She forgot all about the fact that this strange man knew her name. The stone looked like an emerald. She collected gem stones so she could tell the difference. It was way too expensive for a peddler to give away. "Oh my. Please let me give you some money for it. It's beautiful!" The old peddler scowled. "Feh! I have no need fer money. Go on now. Just take it. Yer thanks be good enough fer me." Terry turned back to Rhona and bounced over to show her the pendant. The dark-haired woman agreed it was beautiful and looked very expensive. That made the blond start to feel guilty. "I have to give him something for this. If he won't take money then maybe I could at least buy him something to eat... or drink." She turned around but the man was gone. There was no way he could've ran off without her seeing him but he was nowhere in sight. The perplexed blond walked over to where he was standing. There was no trace of him. All that was left was the strong smell of clover. ***** Terry and Rhona agreed to ignore any car that followed them. This problem had to be resolved. They had lunch and then drove back to Whitby for their last night in the hotel. The afternoon was spent practicing karate. It didn't take long for the blond to get used to the moves. She warmed up and performed a dozen or so katas. Then she was was ready for self-defense. Rhona used a butter knife and tried attacking her friend in all different ways. She started slowly and gradually sped up her attacks. Terry easily blocked, parried and disarmed her friend. Sparring with Rhona wouldn't be exactly the same as defending against a taller, much stronger man but it didn't matter. Karate used the motion, size and strength of the attacker against him. It really is true that the bigger they are, the harder they fall. After a good three hour workout, Terry felt invigorated. She drank almost a quart of water and had a quick snack. It was time for the showdown. The two women couldn't help notice the big dark blue van following them back to the hotel. They were sure it was the rapist. The plan was to have Terry go down to the standing stone by herself to lure the rapist. Rhona would stay in the hotel and watch the encounter through her binoculars. If anything bad happened, she would phone the police. If everything went according to plan, they would tie up the unconscious rapist with a note. Then they would leave an anonymous note with the hotel owner. They would wait for the police to arrive and then slip quietly away to resume their vacation. Terry wore her blue jog bra under a black tee shirt. She tucked the shirt into her well-fitting blue jeans and slipped on her new black walking shoes. She took a few deep breaths and started down the path to the mystical standing stone. ***** Michael sat in some heather on the side of the hotel. From here, he could see the front and rear of the hotel. His true love wouldn't escape him this time. After a couple hours, his determination paid off. He saw the beautiful blond leave the back of the hotel and head off by herself down a path. He got up to follow. ***** Terry made it to the standing stone. She figured that as long as she was down here, she may as well check for runes. The stone was still bare. No sooner had she checked then she noticed Michael approaching. She did some deep breathing exercises to stay relaxed and waited. The large man stopped about 10 feet away, huffing and puffing. Terry figured she could easily outrun him if she had to. She was in much better shape. "Ah, you waited for me," breathed Michael. "In a way that's true," growled Terry. "But I'm not going to be your next victim." Michael sighed. He could see where this was headed. It was developing into another bad relationship. Such a shame, he thought. It was going so well. But his mood soon changed. The green stone in Terry's pendant started glowing, giving her skin a green tint. It reminded the large man of his favorite movie. In it, the ogre's true love had green skin. He took it to be an omen. Now Michael was really confused and upset. He pulled out a butcher knife and started screaming. He wasn't making much sense. There was something said about ogres and dragons and true love. Terry wasn't listening too well. She also didn't notice that her pendant was glowing. Instead, she just focused on every move he made. She was trying to enter into a state of mind where all of an attacker's movement seemed like it was in slow motion. It was like being in a car accident when the motion of the car seemed to be in slow motion. Michael could see he wasn't getting through to her. She had to be the one - had to be his true love. But she wasn't responding. She just stood there. It was all to much for the big tortured man. He started crying. It was all wrong. Everything was falling apart. He found his true love but she didn't love him. Maybe he just didn't try hard enough. If only he tried harder, she would love him. He would show her. He would make her love him. He had to be bold. He gathered his courage and lunged forward, ready to take what was clearly his. Terry stood in the shadow of the standing stone and prepared herself. The knife was held in his right hand at about waist level, with the palm facing up. She could easily avoid it. She had focused well and he seemed to move very slowly. Everything moved slowly. Suddenly, mystical forces took hold of the ground in front of Michael's feet. A large root reached up and wrapped around the man's right ankle. His face twisted in angry surprise as he went down hard on the knife. More roots grabbed his hand and held it and the knife in place. A smooth line was carved from his chest to his groin as his momentum slid him forward over the blade. Terry gasped as she watched his heart pump blood out into a clump of pale purple heather, which then absorbed it almost immediately. After about a minute, the man's heart stopped. His pale flesh stood out in stark contrast to the now vibrant, deep purple heather. The pendant stopped glowing and everything was still except for the heather around the dead body. The heather seemed to be feeding. The body was pulled slowly down into it. Rhona arrived just before all traces of the body disappeared. They wouldn't have to worry about the police now. Terry ran to her friend with open arms. They both hugged and cried for several minutes. The worst of it was over. Rhona eventually broke off the hug. She was facing the large standing stone and looked up at it now. The runes were back. "Terry, have a look at the stone." "What?" The blond looked up with dread. She knew what it meant but she still wasn't ready to change back. It didn't matter. As soon as her eyes locked on the symbols, she fell asleep. Rhona caught Terry and eased her to the ground. She watched the blond's hair darken and her body grow larger. She quickly removed her friend's black walking shoes and unbuttoned her blue jeans before they got too tight. ***** An hour later, Terry awoke to see a sad smile on Rhona's face. He was a man again. After he realized that fact, he cried at his loss. He was a woman for only a little over a day. It wasn't long enough. Once again, Rhona played a crucial role. She helped him get through this latest tragedy with plenty of hugs and soothing words. Then she left him alone with the standing stone while she went up to get some better fitting clothes for him. Terry looked up and saw that the stone was smooth once again. The runes were gone. He got up, kissed the stone and whispered a heartfelt thank you to it. Being a woman for a day was better than nothing. ***** Over the next several days, the two friends went back to sightseeing. Rhona showed Terry some wonderful caves, ruins, castles, parks, countryside, and his favorite thing in the UK - stone circles. Soon he was back to his usual happy self. Time passed too quickly. The two of them had a great time and now Terry had to go home. He gave his good friend a last, fierce hug and turned to board the jet. On the flight home, his mind returned to his memories of womanhood. He would cherish those memories forever, even if he did get a little teary eyed when he thought about them. The emerald pendant was a nice keepsake and he could find solace in helping rid the world of a murdering rapist. They helped ease the emotional pain - a little.