The next morning seemed like normal. The sun rose on time, the birds were singing -- everything were great -- that is, except in Lizzie Jane's mind. She keep rolling over in her mind about Charlene. Was she going to die? What about her soul salvation? Was she ready to meet God?

"My mother died a few years ago.” Charlene stared straight ahead as if in deep thought. “She loved me… she understood…I would tell her I wanted to be her little girl…and she always told me, ‘You ARE my little girl’. I would crawl up in her lap and she would hug me and love me…”

Charlene never realized how much there was to being a woman of the hills. “Anytime you want to back out and be something besides a woman, you can,” was the words of Lizzie Jane. No way was Charlene going to go back to her old life. If the things she was being taught were what rural women needed to know, she was all for it.

Looking toward Charlene, the judge asked, “You look like a girl to me, but you have a boy’s name. Do you wish to explain?”

“If you felt like a monkey, would that make you swing through the trees like a monkey? I am sorry, but that reasoning is not sufficient.”

Charles – or rather, Charlene -- felt like crawling through a keyhole when Jake drove up to the church. Why did she ever agree to attend church? She knew that she would be ‘read’ and told not to come back.

Lizzie Jane has returned to BC as promised. It is here because it is a transsexual story that I felt must be told. There is a dark side of transitioning which I hope to show, but there is also a bright side when God is in the transition.

Tears began to fill Charles’ eyes as he spoke. “My dad is a deacon and he kicked me out of the house and told me not to come back until I changed. I can’t change. I have tried and tried. I thought he loved me. I was raised in church and that has been important in my life. Why does God want me to be miserable – putting me in the wrong body and saying that it is wrong and requiring me to live a life that I cannot?”

Lizzie Jane noticed that Charles had used some of her mascara – very lightly, but having seen Charles before, it was obvious. Charles realized that she knew what he had done, so he replied, “Sorry – I will go back in and wash it out.”

“Let's just say that I know.”

Soon it would all be over. People had told him God does not make mistakes. If God did not make mistakes, what was he? Perhaps after he dove into the deep abyss of the black waters, he would soon face other creatures of doom, even coming face to face with Satan himself.

If you haven't already done so, to get the full story leading up to this chapter, please click on the following and follow the chapters as will be shown at the close of each installment:

http://fictioneer.org/content/return-gorilla-island-chapter-1

This is a short chapter, but if you want to see a longer version, go to "Escape from Gorilla Island, Chapter 2" at Fictioneer.org. This is where two stories eventually collide with each other.)

For the full story, read "Return to Gorilla Island" and "Escape from Gorilla Island" on www.fictioneer.org

This particular chapter is explained more fully in

http://www.fictioneer.org/content/escape-gorilla-island-chap...

Although I am writing a western story over on Fictioneer, I am back to this group to ask a question because it has more authors.

When you write a story, do you know about what will happen when you begin it? Like I have said, my stories seem to write themselves. I have started in a direction with my story, "Prairie's Children" that I never dreamed about when I wrote the first chapter.

"Yes, Heaven -- that beautiful place I went to. There was a wall with all kind of precious jewels and something that looked like a pearl was a gate. Buildings inside the wall were sparkling and shining and looked like gold. The street looked like it was gold, too, and shined so much that it seemed as if you could see through it."

"Jake, get Jed's truck and run and get Doc Brown. Maybe he has enough training to talk some sense in that girl. She is threatening to kill herself and I don't think she is kidding. She has never talked that way before."...

...Aunt Maudie could hear Lizzie Jane tearing some cloth. What was she doing? Aunt Maudie tried to knock the door in, but was not strong enough......

"And you look good for your age," said Robert as he turned toward Lizzie Jane, leaned forward, and kissed her on the lips.

"Well, no," replied Lizzie Jane with a smile. "But I liked it.".

Lizzie Jane was a little scared, not knowing what to expect -- meeting people that knew her, but she was sure that she would not recognize them. Also, her old boy friend, Jake, would probably be there, too. She prayed that he would be off fishing or something.

This chapter is very descriptive of farm life in the 1950's in Alabama for many farmers. To begin getting her memory back, Lizzie Jane must begin re-living these moments in her mind.

Lizzie Jane slowly walked to toward the house. Aunt Maudie was standing on the porch with loving tears in her eyes. "Lizzie Jane, don't you know me? I am your Aunt Maudie."

Patiently, Doc Brown waited. It was a long minute. Finally, he saw a young lady come from the kitchen toward his table. He looked at her closely. Could it be...? It was! He did not know whether to shout or dance. What could he say?

The chef was Lizzie Jane!

"How about it, Bright Eyes -- you ready to marry me?" asked Philip.

"No," answered Lizzie Jane. "That is why I wanted to talk with you. I don't think neither of us are ready for marriage. You will go off to some college, find some lady friend that you will fall in love with and the next thing you know, she will hook you."

The last part of this chapter is very religious, but I felt that it was necessary for the continuation of the story. Reference is made to a previous 'stand alone' story, but used only for explanation purposes. I do not intend for my stories to teach any certain kind of religious doctrine, although this chapter may seem to do that. The purpose is to supply hints about Lizzie Jane's future and what kind of husband she can expect, whoever he may be.

Philip placed a couple of fingers to her lips and whispered, "Shh." Putting one bent finger under her chin, he raised her head and looked at her straight in the eyes. Their lips moved toward each other and, as they touched, Lizzie Jane became limp as the sweetness of the kiss canceled out everything around them and, once again, she was flooded with warmness and complete surrender. At that moment, she would have given into anything Philip wanted.

"Hon, the fact that you are so anxious may indicate that have never been on a real date. You may have been out with friends and may have received a kiss from a boy that you cared for very much, but dating a strange man that you don't know is a new and exciting experience. You have got to date and play the field if you ever expect to get married and have a happy home life."

"Well, this is what I call home," stated Carol ... Lizzie Jane fell in love with it right away. "It is your home, too -- for you and Philip." teased Carol.
"Don't even mention that rich, stuck-up brat," Lizzie Jane answered sharply.
"Oh, now -- a brat is a naughty little boy," smiled Carol.
"That is exactly what he is!"

She wasn't sure what she should do until she heard his remark, "Good night, sister. We don't leave witnesses." Immediately Lizzie Jane knew that the gunman intended to kill the waitress.
 

Lizzie Jane has lost her memory, but little things keep coming back -- but how much? How fast? Why did she pick Lizzie Jane as a new name, not realizing that was her old name? Will she find a new love? There are many questions yet to be answered. Maybe we can find out these and other things together.
 

"My name is --- ah, my name is ---," Lizzie Jane stopped for a moment, seemed to go into deep thought and then exclaimed, "I don't know! I don't know who I am!"

"I don't know that, either," said Lizzie Jane. "I know it has not been recently.".
 

Lizzie Jane and Jake sat holding hands watching the old clock on the mantel over the fireplace tick toward midnight and the new year -- 1955. Their clock may be off a few minutes, but to them it would be official and they would meet the new year together.

Lizzie Jane and Jake sat holding hands watching the old clock on the mantel over the fireplace tick toward midnight and the new year -- 1955. Their clock may be off a few minutes, but to them it would be official and they would meet the new year together.