As Chris rolled over and opened his eyes he could tell by the light on the ceiling that it was morning, but something was different. He felt as though he was floating on a cloud. This wasn't his bed. His bed was only marginally better than sleeping on the floor, and that was only because he rarely swept. Even the soft feather pillows molded perfectly to the curvature of his head. He couldn't remember feeling so relaxed in his life. Most mornings, his first action was to untwist his underwear, but today, his pajamas flowed marvelously from his body. He sighed, reveling in the sensation of being absolutely pampered.

        As he drifted out of his ecstasy, he became apprehensive. Though this room was perhaps the most cozy place that had ever existed, it was definitely not his room. He sat up in bed and looked around, scanning the room from left to right.

        On the left side of the room was a portrait in an old gilt metal frame sitting on a marvelously carved chest of drawers below on which also sat an extravagant lamp. On the other side of the room was a closet door with a full length mirror set in an ornate wooden frame. To his immediate left was a nightstand with a glass of water. Someone must have been here while he was asleep. Next to the glass of water was his cell phone and two white pills which he guessed were aspirin. That was when Chris remembered- the car accident. He touched his forehead and winced. This was his cousins' home.

        Chris took the aspirin and gulped down the cool water. As he stepped out of bed, his bare feet touching the cold, hardwood floor, he had a vague memory of Misha putting him to bed in this room. Sighing, he walked over to the window. He half expected the world to be dark and drenched, just as it had been the night before. However, the sight that greeted him was nothing like the gloom he'd traversed yesterday.

        Chris looked out into the clearest blue sky that he'd ever seen. It was a crisp expanse of cobalt that held a few pure white clouds in effortless suspension. He realized that he'd had been living in the city so long that he'd forgotten what the sky looked like when it wasn't choked with smog.

        The house had been built on the side of a mountain; the backyard was an endless sea of pines and aspen that descended into a pristine valley. Directly below his window he saw a beat up, green pick-up parked next to a weathered brown barn. The barn was surrounded by a meadow filled with wild grass and flowers that were just beginning to bud purple and yellow.

        Where Chris lived, nearly every square foot of land was paved or developed. Every tree and shrub had been picked, and planted, and primped to conform to someone else's desires. In contrast, the mountainside was wild, alive, and breathtaking.

        It was difficult for Chris to pull himself away from the window, but he was just as curious about the house as he was the outdoors. Opening the closet door he found a white, cotton robe hanging next to his still drying leather jacket. On the floor, he found a cardboard box filled with unmatched socks and a few knick knacks.

        Then he walked over to the chest of drawers to look at the picture. Picking up the old metal frame, he stared at the lone girl in the picture. As he looked, he realized the girl looked eerily like him. They had the same high cheek bones, the same green-gray eyes, and the same chin. The only real difference between him and the girl was that Chris had inherited his mother's short, rounded nose, and the girl's hair was both much longer than his shoulder length hair, and brown, where his was blond. There was no question that they were related. "Nina?" Chris pondered.

        He traced the girl's soft features with his eyes. She couldn't be Nina. The girl in the picture looked about his own age. The girl he had spoken with on the phone sounded much younger. It was difficult to tell from the photograph, but Chris had the impression that this girl might have been taller than he was. As Chris stared into the girl's eyes, it felt almost as though the picture was watching him back.

        Putting the picture back on the chest, he looked around the room for his clothes. He saw a mud-filled plastic bag in the corner, and it brought back fresh memories from the previous night. He'd run off the road. His car- was it wrecked? Going back to the window, he looked at the driveway, not seeing his car, only the truck.

        That brought back more memories ... He'd hit something, and two men had come to get him. "Andrei," Chris said. He bit his lower lip as he pictured last night. One of them was named Andrei. The other one ... Chris' head shot up as he recalled the scene. The other man had carried him to the truck and held him like a baby. Was that Alek? Had that really happened or did he just imagine it? Whether or not it was real, the image sent a shiver down his spine.

        Chris went back to the nightstand and grabbed his cell phone. He flipped it open and saw that it had no power left. He looked around the room for his suitcase, but he didn't see it anywhere. Then he remembered ... he'd lost the suitcase. Wherever it had gone, it had taken his phone charger with it. Everything he had was in the mud filled bag in the corner.

        Retrieving the bag from the corner, he shuffled though it. His clothes were soiled beyond belief. He felt around in the pockets of his jeans and pulled out his debit card. Where was his wallet? Chris rolled up the sleeve of his yellow, snowflake print pajama top and shoved his arm into the mess. It wasn't there? He dashed to the closet and turned out his jacket's pockets. Nothing. Maybe it was in the car, he thought.

        Chris ran his hands through his grungy hair. It seemed as though nothing ever went right. At least he would be able to meet his cousins.

        He took the fluffy white robe from the closet and tossed it on the bed, then stripped out of his yellow pj's and placed them next to the robe. Taking off his gear necklace, he put it on the nightstand next to his useless cell phone. If he was going to meet these people, he wanted to make a better impression than he had the night before.

        He put on the robe and stepped into the hallway, looking for any signs of life. No one was around. He walked down the hall to the bathroom he remembered from his arrival, and closed the door behind him.

         Slipping out of his robe, he hung it on a peg on the wall. Examining his chin in the mirror, he found barely any stubble. Still, he searched for a razor. He found a pink disposable razor and trimmed the invisible hairs from his face. Next, he stepped into the old fashioned claw-footed porcelain tub and pulled the shower curtain closed around him. He found some soap, shampoo, and conditioner and began to lather up his body and his long hair.

        He was unsure how long he stayed in the shower, enjoying the feeling of hot mist around him as he rinsed the last bits of grime from his body.

        He was vigorously massaging his hair with shampoo when he heard the bathroom door creak open behind him. Someone was walking through the bathroom! He heard them pull up the toilet seat. Chris wiped the soap from his face. What the hell, he thought. Who was in there with him?

        A feeling of dread came over him as he thought it might be the large man from last night. Pulling back the corner of the curtain, he slipped his head cautiously out from behind the veils of plastic and steam. "Hello?" he asked in a meek voice.

        "Hi!" answered the smiling young girl sitting on the toilet with her skirt down around her ankles.

        "Nina?" Chris blurted in a shrill, surprised voice.

        "Hey," the girl giggled. "I'm sorry, but I just couldn't wait. You've been in here forever, and Dad's in the bathroom downstairs."

        "Oh," Chris fumbled, "I'm sorry I just-"

        "It's okay," the girl grinned.

        It's okay, Chris shouted in his mind. How was that okay? He stared at the girl sitting not four feet away from him doing her business. It was nothing he was prepared for. He was even less prepared for what came next, as Nina stood up and casually wiped herself between her legs and then flushed the toilet before bringing up her panties and pulling her skirt back up to her waist.

        Chris' heart pounded and he jumped back into the shower. What the hell was that? What kind of people were they?

        "Hurry up," Nina said on the way out. "We all want to hear what happened last night!" The girl exited as though nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.

        As Chris' shock wore off, he realized that he had just seen his much younger cousin naked from the waist down, in the most bizarre of circumstances. "Okay," he said aloud, "Just get dressed, thank them for the bed, and get out of here."

        But how was he going to get out? His car was wrecked. One problem at a time, he thought. Chris turned off the water and poked his head out of the shower to see whether there might be any other strange naked people. Finding the coast was clear, he stepped out of the tub and immediately put on his robe. He spent very little time fluffing his hair with a towel before walking cautiously back to the most comfortable room he'd ever slept in.

        He went back into the room, where he saw some clothes laid out on the bed, stopping dead in his tracks when he realized what he was looking at- It was a dress! A modest, but attractive house dress! Along with it, was a pair of panties, a bra, dark colored pantyhose, a slip, and some flat-heeled shoes. Chris' heart was racing. He'd been taken in by a family of psychopaths!

        He opened the door and shot a glance down the hallway. Nobody there, he thought. Good. He slammed the door shut and scrambled to the window. It was too high to climb down ... He had to think of something. He sped back to the door and grabbed the doorknob. Maybe he could make a run for it. He went back to the window and looked down again. It was still too high to jump.

        Chris looked back at the dress and noticed a small white note on top of it. With a trembling hand, he picked up the note and read it.

 

        Dear Christina, you can borrow some of my things until we find your lost bags. Come downstairs when you are ready for breakfast. - Misha

 

        Christina? What the hell? Chris' mind raced. Was this some sort of sick joke? He tried to remember what had happened last night. Was it remotely possible they thought he ... was a she? He replayed the phone calls in his mind. Did his gender ever explicitly come up? It didn't matter- clearly they must be deeply confused if they thought he was ... Chris looked up from the note to catch his gaze in the full length mirror. He whispered, " ...a girl?"

        He studied himself in the mirror, and his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. His robe was hanging off his left shoulder, and his delicate face was framed on both sides by his long, wet blonde hair. He did sort of look like a girl. Looking back at the picture on the chest of drawers, he realized he looked like that girl. He looked back at the clothes on the bed, taking a good look at the pajamas- the top was lined with lace, and there was a small bow on its breast.

        There was a knock at the door. "Are you ready yet?" Nina called.

        Chris panicked. He responded in his best girly voice, "Not yet! Gimme a minute!" Chris could hear the sound of blood rushing into his ears. They actually thought he was a girl! It all made sense- The way Alek had treated him ... That was the reason Nina ...

        Chris covered his mouth with his hand. He had seen his cousin naked in the bathroom. It wasn't completely out of place for two girls, but if his cousins found out he was really a ... Chris thought about the two gargantuan men who'd found him the night before. If they figured out he was a boy, and that he saw Nina ...

        Chris took a deep breath and picked up the panties, and for a moment, just stared at them. They were white. His underwear was white. They were cotton, just like his underwear. Come to think of it, the panties weren't that much different from his regular underwear.

        Chris dropped the panties as though they were made of red hot metal and dashed back to the window. It was still too high to jump.

        "Chris?" Nina called.

        Chris' shoulders sank, and he went back to the girls' clothes. "I'll be right out," he called. He quickly pulled the panties up his legs. Just as Amy always said, it always hurt less when you just rip the Band-Aid off.

        Next came the brassiere. He slid his arms through the straps and pulled the cups up against his chest. He reached behind his back with his hands and struggled to fasten it. How the hell did girls do this every morning? He pulled his arms back out of the straps and spun the bra around, fastening it shut across his chest then rotated it back into position. He put his arms back through the straps and looked down at the empty cups. Maybe he could pull off being flat-chested in the dark, but no one was going to buy it in the daylight. Chris looked around the drawers and in the closet for something to fill out his bosom. He opened the box in the closet and pulled out some old socks and stuffed them down the front of his bra. It would just have to do.

        Turning his attention to the pantyhose, he tried standing on one foot while trying to angle the other one in. It was obviously not working. How the hell did Amy do this, he wondered. He then he remembered Amy sitting on the edge of the bed, seductively pulling a pair of nylons up her bare legs. Sitting on the bed, Chris tried to imitate her. He rolled up the hose and placed his toes in the nylon donuts, then carefully slid them up his legs.

        Chris looked at the slip and the dress, and every muscle in his face tightened. "Okay Chris," he whispered to himself, "You just need to be a girl for one day. There must be some train or bus or something out of this town. You can figure it out, so long as you can make it though this day."

        Chris picked up the slip and pulled it over his head. There sure were a lot more steps for girls when getting ready. He picked up the dress and held it at arms' length, realizing he had to go through with it.

        Chris stepped into his dress and zipped up the back, then went to the mirror and took a look at himself. There were two ribbons dangling from either side of the dress. He tied the ribbons into a small bow behind his back. This gave him the illusion of curves on his tall, thin body. The floral dress had short sleeves and a high neckline that concealed his improvised breasts. The skirt dropped to just beneath his knees. He looked at himself, and a plain girl looked back, watching herself slipping her stocking feet into her shoes.

        Chris walked to the other side of the bed and took her necklace off the night stand, clasping it around her slender neck, letting the gear and chain drop beneath the top of her dress.

        Nina knocked again. "Are you ready yeeet?"

        Chris walked slowly to the door, the unfamiliar sound of her new shoes echoing in her ears. She opened the door and met Nina's grinning face. Nina had straight brown hair that came down to her shoulders. She had the same features as the girl in the picture; the same features as Chris.

        "Hi," Chris said, searching the girl's eyes for any hint that her illusion had failed.

        "Your hair is still wet," Nina beamed. She took Chris' hand and led her down the hallway, past the stairs and bathroom, to her room. Nina's room was much like the one Chris was staying in, except with a smaller bed and a large assortment of stuffed animals. She sat Chris down in a chair by her desk.

        Chris was met with her own visage in a large mirror, as Nina reached up and felt her cousin's short blonde hair. "Your hair is so pretty," Nina said. "Nobody on our side of the family has blonde hair." Her voice was a mix of amazement and jealousy. Nina pulled out a series of brushes and a hair dryer and placed them on the desk in front of Chris.

        Chris stared at the implements, realizing that she was expected to know how to used them. She stared at Nina blankly for a moment, then had a brainstorm and asked, "You know what would be a lot of fun?"

        "What?"

        "How would you like to do my hair today?" Chris grinned, hoping that Nina would take the bait.

        "Sure!" The young girl exploded with excitement as she took the large brush and the hair drier, and started on Chris' hair.

        "How old are you?" Nina asked as she coiffed and dried Christina's mane.

        "Nineteen," Chris replied. "Let me guess... you're seventeen now?" Chris asked hopefully.

        "I wish," Nina replied, "I just turned fifteen last month."

        Fifteen! She saw this little girl naked! Alek would murder her for sure, she thought. She dwelled for only a moment on that dismal thought. What seemed more important was that the girl brushing her hair was actually her cousin. Chris looked at Nina in astonishment as she worked.

        "What?" Nina laughed.

        "Hmm?"

        "You're staring at me."

        "Sorry," Chris said. "It's just that ... I've never met anyone who looked like me before."

        "I guess you could say that you look like me," Nina said playfully.

        "Yeah," Chris grinned. Nina wasn't quite as close a match as the girl in the picture, but she looked enough like Chris to be her sister. She had the same cheeks and eyebrows. She even had the same tiny earlobes.

        As Nina parted Chris' hair into bangs, she asked, "Don't you have any brothers or sisters?"

        "No," Chris responded. "Actually, your family may be the only relations I have in the world. Except my mother, that is." That thought rolled around Chris' head. They were her only family, and there was no way she was going to get to know them now.

        "It's so cool isn't it?" Nina said. "We've been cousins all our lives, and we never even knew it. Can you imagine if we had just bumped into each other by accident or something?"

        "Yeah that would be weird. I mean, I guess we're distant cousins," Chris said as she studied Nina's face, "But maybe not that far removed after all."

        "We're distant enough," Nina complained. "I wish I had blond hair too." She pointed at the mirror and asked, "What do you think?"

        "Wow," Christina said, wide eyed. The girl in the mirror was crowned by beautiful blond locks. There was no doubt she would be accepted as a girl, so long as she could play the part.

        "Is your makeup in the bedroom?" Nina asked.

        "Makeup," Christina blurted out as though it was a word she'd never heard before. "Oh right ... I lost my suitcase last night. All my clothes and ..." she shrugged helplessly.

        "Well, I have some, not a lot though. Mom doesn't like me wearing makeup."

        "Oh, me too. I mean, I hardly wear makeup ... Ever," Christina added under her breath. Christina sat for the next ten minutes as Nina applied foundation, blush, eyeliner, and light pink lipstick to her face. "You're pretty good at this for someone who isn't allowed to wear a lot of makeup," Christina grinned.

        "I practice when I'm alone in my room." Nina looked into her cousin's eyes through the mirror and smiled. "It's much more fun to have someone else to practice on."

        Christina smiled back, actually enjoying talking to her cousin, wondering what it would have been like to have her as a sister. Christina was an only child, and decided that being the younger girl's Barbie doll seemed like a fair trade to have a little sister for a while. Christina's gaze left her cousin's eyes to look at her own reflection. She was no longer just feminine, but lustrous and appealing.

        Nina held out her hand and said, "Let's go downstairs. Christina Chase is the only thing Mom's talked about since you called."

        "Well," Christina interjected with a nervous laugh, "That must be me ..."

        As the two girls descended the staircase into the living room, Christina looked around at the hardwood floor, the tall ceiling, and the large windows. An enormous stone fireplace was set into the far wall. Across from the hearth, on the opposite wall, was an antique clock that seemed somehow familiar. The house must have been a hundred years old. It was not richly furnished, but it had a homey glow that Christina's apartment never approached.

        Misha walked in from the kitchen and announced, "Chris! There you are!" Misha, like her daughter, had a tall, thin body, though the years had added some gray hairs, and a few extra pounds rounded out the older woman's face and waist. She smiled kindly and took Christina's other hand.

        Christina tensed slightly as she let go of Nina's hand. She felt safe with Nina. She wasn't sure she was ready to be a girl for anyone else, but It seemed she had no choice, as Misha pulled her into the kitchen and sat her down at the table.

        "How is your head, dear?" Misha asked as she touched Christina delicately on the forehead.

        Christina squinted slightly from the pain and replied, "I think it's much better ... Mrs. Levchenko?"

        "Please dear, call me Aunt Misha- We are family!" Misha grinned as she looked at Nina and Christina side by side. "There is no doubt! The two of you could be sisters." That comment made Nina grin, and Christina blush.

        Nina looked at the bruise on her cousin's forehead and asked, "What happened?"

        "Yes, what happened last night?" repeated a gruff voice from the side door of the house. Alek's wide, sinewy body filled the entire frame of the door. He must have been over six feet tall. Christina had a sense of the large muscles in his arms and chest, even though he was wearing a winter coat. His face showed the fire of a much younger man, as though his body had not deteriorated with age. Maybe his face had grown a bit thicker, the way that an old tree trunk grew more rings. It only became more solid with time.

        Christina's head sank, and she turned dark crimson. This was definitely the man who'd held her last night. Alek hung his heavy coat on the rack by the door and sat down at the table across from Christina, staring deeply into her eyes. Christina tried to look away, but she was locked into his gaze. She searched for any signs that he suspected anything was wrong, but she only found concern.

        Alek turned to Misha and quietly said, "She looks so much like-"

        "I know," interrupted Misha softly.

        Alek reached across the table and squeezed Christina's tiny hand. He said, "Tell us, what happened?"

        Christina relayed the entire story of her trip from the moment she started out on the mountain road. They listened intently as she told them about the storm, the headlights in the darkness, her car spinning, and nearly sliding down the mountain in a mudslide. "That's all I can remember," she said. "That is, until Uncle Alek. ..." She stared at her uncle. As she recalled being cradled in his arms, the chill returned to her spine. "... until Uncle Alek and Andrei rescued me."

        "Alek slammed his hand down on the table angrily and Christina jumped in her chair. "This other car," he growled, "Did the driver stop?"

        "No," Christina said sheepishly, "He just kept going."

        Alek stood up and fumed. "Damn these drunk drivers!" Alek mashed the stubble on his chin with his hand as he added, "And what kind of job sends a girl cross-country, alone?"

        "Uncle Alek," Christina said, "That's just the sort of job I have. I'm old enough to-"

        "No," Alek interrupted, "Nineteen is not old enough to be driving alone! Not at night!"

        Christina winced at the sound of the older man's voice, trying hard not to appear too afraid of her uncle.

        "It turned out alright, Alek," Misha consoled.

        "No! Not alright! She hurt her head! It could have been far worse."

        Misha, the calming force of the two, said, "I called Doctor Stone. He should be here soon. We should not get too worked up over a little bump on the head."

        Alek was visibly annoyed, but his face softened as he turned back to Christina. "Wait here," he said with excitement, "I have something for you."

        Christina straightened up. She couldn't help but feel she'd just been scolded as though she was a little girl who had crossed the street without holding her father's hand. Still, on the scale of responses Christina had been expecting, that rated far better than a severe beating.

        Alek returned with an old, yellowed envelope. He sat at the table with a look of joy as he placed a pair of tiny reading glasses around his thick nose. He pulled the letter from the envelope and read it aloud.

        The letter was from Christina's father. Her face lit up as she listened to her uncle read. This was more than she could have ever hoped for. The letter was a simple introduction. Her father wrote that his wife was pregnant with their first child. He was working on a family tree, and his research had led him to the Levchenkos. Alexander Chase was the last of the Chase line in the United States, and he was eager to get in touch with his relatives who had just immigrated from Russia.

        As Alek finished the letter, he handed it to Christina. "Signed Alexander Chase!" he said with bravado. "And now here sits his daughter!" He smiled broadly at his niece.

        "Yeah ... here she is," Christina said nervously.

        "This was written almost twenty years ago to the day," Alek said. "I wrote him back, but we never got another letter." He stared into Christina's eyes looking for an answer to this puzzle.

        "Well," she started, "I don't remember very much from when I was young, but we moved around a lot. My father worked for the government as a scientist or something." Christina crooked her mouth. "I'm really not sure what he did exactly. We went from one place to another. Sometimes we lived on a military base, but usually we rented an apartment or a house. We probably moved before your letter got to us."

        Alek insisted, "Surely your father would have written us again. Why have we not heard anything until now? Why did you not call sooner?"

        Christina looked back and forth between her cousins. They didn't know. How could they? She just assumed, but they couldn't have known. Christina put the letter down, then felt the outline of her necklace under her dress. "My father didn't tell me about you. He ..." Nina, Misha, and Alek were hanging on every word. "... he died a long time ago ... in a fire."

        Nina gasped and Misha's face melted into a frown.

        "Dead?" Alek repeated, staring at the young girl sitting at his table.

        Christina looked away and frowned. She never talked about her father. It made her feel uncomfortable. The sympathetic looks on other people's faces always made it feel worse. "It happened when I was twelve years old. It's just been ... it was just my mom and me." Nina held her older cousin's hand and Christina squeezed it back, grateful for the support.

        "The house we were renting- it burned down. We lost everything. I don't know what happened. I mean, the fireman explained it, but I ... I don't really remember ..." Christina fought back a tear. "I didn't know about any of you until last Saturday. My mom has all of Dad's old things that they managed to save. I guess the family tree he was working on was in there."

        Everyone in the room was silent. This was exactly why Christina never spoke with anyone about her father. She felt a tear coming and she pretended to scratch her nose to hide it.

        Misha walked next to Christina and put her hand on her shoulder. "You have us now child," Misha twinkled. Christina smiled at the older woman. She forgot for a moment that this situation was only temporary. Misha lifted her niece's face up by the base of her chin and said, "You must be hungry. Let me make you something." She walked off to the stove and took out some pans.

        Alek folded the letter, placed it back in the old envelope, and handed it to his niece. "You should keep this," he said.

        Christina took the envelope and smiled at the man as he stood up. "Thank you, Uncle Alek," she said.

        The man smiled back and walked to the side door. "I'm going to open the store," he announced. "Andrei will have to stop playing with his toys long enough to drop me off."

        "Do you not need him today?" Misha asked.

        "Not right now. Besides, someone should be around to drive Christina back to her car. Maybe they can find her bags."

        Christina felt a knot in her stomach. Yes, maybe they could find her bags- and her male clothes. Then perhaps they could find her a shallow grave on the side of the mountain.

        As Alek left through the side door, Misha turned to the two girls. "I hope you both feel like pancakes," she beamed.

 

        Christina sat through breakfast, carefully studying her aunt and her younger cousin. She scrutinized the way they sat, the ways they handled their knives and forks, and the way they held their glasses when they drank. She self-consciously tried to mimic all of their behaviors.

        "Chris, are you sure you don't want any more?" Misha asked.

        Misha's home-made breakfast was the first meal that she'd had since Amy left that didn't have microwave instructions printed on the box. Christina definitely wanted more. She could have finished three stacks of pancakes by now if she hadn't meticulously reproduced the tiny bites and sips that Nina was taking. Christina took her napkin and gently patted away the syrup from the side of her lips. "No, thank you," she replied sweetly. She'd made it through breakfast, and none of the other females in the house suspected a thing. This might actually work, she thought. She could keep this up so long as there were no more surprises.

        The three of them jumped and turned towards the living room as the sound of a crashing screen door filled the air. Christina's eyes went wide when she saw a four-legged, brown blur rush into the kitchen and slide across the tile as it attempted to slow down. A large German shepherd stopped in the middle of the kitchen and stared at Christina. His ears perked up and his head cocked to the left as though he was trying to figure out exactly what he was looking at.

        "Mom," Andrei called from the living room. "The doctor ...", he said as he poked his head around the corner into the kitchen. He looked at Christina's face and was taken somewhat aback. "... is in," he finished. "I see the mystery girl is awake," he said derisively. "And it looks like I missed breakfast."

        Misha went to her son and touched him on the side of his face. "Perhaps if you did not spend all of your time in that barn of yours, you wouldn't miss the simpler things in life." She kissed him on the cheek and walked into the living room to greet Dr. Stone.

        "Hi," Christina said quietly as she avoided Andrei's eyes. "What's her name?" Christina motioned towards the large dog who was staring straight through her.

        "HIS name is Boris," Andrei snorted as he poured himself a glass of milk and straddled the chair across from his cousin. "He's clearly a man- anyone can tell."

        Christina looked up at her cousin in fear. "I should have known," she said, her voice wavering, "Does he like people?"

        Andrei gulped his milk, looked at the dog, and then back at his cousin with a sideways glance. "Yes, he loves people. All sorts of people ... Except new people. Those he doesn't care for."

        Nina rolled her eyes at her older brother. "Introduce her to Boris already."

        "Perhaps," he continued as he gulped the rest of his milk.

        Boris perked up and walked cautiously over to Christina. Christina could feel perspiration collecting just underneath her hairline as the beast approached. The dog stopped next to Christina, laid his head in her lap, and wagged his tail expectantly.

        Christina exhaled in relief and stroked the fur on the dog's head.

        Andrei straightened up and stared at his dog. "Traitor," he muttered in disbelief, "He never likes strangers."

        Nina got up and punched her brother hard on the shoulder. "Christina is not the stranger in here."

        Andrei, unfazed by his sister's blow, stood up and looked back at Christina. "Dr. Stone is here to see you. You must be dying. I didn't get a house-call when I fell off the roof and broke my arm." He put his glass down on the table and went to the side door. "Boris," he called, "Let's get back to work." The dog hopped back up from Christina's lap, but stopped in the middle of the kitchen.

        Andrei stood with the door open and commanded, "Boris, come," but the dog didn't move. He stood wagging his tail with his ears perked up. He was too excited with two visitors in the house. "Fine," Andrei growled at the dog as he went outside. Christina decided that her older cousin was to be avoided if she were going to make it through the day.

        Misha walked back into the kitchen and said, "Come, Christina, the doctor is ready for you."

        Christina got up slowly and held Nina's hand as she walked into the living room. Her hand was shaking slightly; she was still rattled from the encounter with Andrei. If it weren't for Nina's friendliness, Christina would still have been hiding in her room upstairs.

        Doctor stone was an old fashioned country doctor, whose pants were held up by large black suspenders. With his bushy white beard, he appeared like what Christina imagined Santa Clause would look like during the off season and after a strict diet. He was sitting on the couch fussing with his black leather medical bag on the coffee table. She looked into his warn, leathery face. He flashed a comforting grin, and his eyes peered sharply from under shaggy white eyebrows.

        Christina found herself smiling nervously in response. This was the end of the line, she thought, there was no way she could fool this old man.

        Dr. Stone motioned for Christina to sit next to him on the couch. She did so, doing her best to act as though nothing was out of place. Dr. Stone brushed her hair behind her ear and took a good look at her head. "That there, young lady," he said in a raspy twang, "Is what we in the medical profession, call a Grade-A bump on the noggin."

        Christina nodded nervously. "Yes sir." Christina felt the bristles of Boris' fur as he sat on the floor by her feet.

        "Relax darlin'," grinned the old man. He took his fingers and motioned them back and forth in front of Christina's face. "Just folla' m' fingers with your eyes." Christina complied.

        "Fine, just fine," Dr. Stone said, taking out a small, triangular hammer and asking Christina to fold one leg over the other. When he tapped her knee, her leg jerked. Dr. Stone placed his hands on her knees and put them back to their original position. He then pressed gently on her bruise causing the young girl to wince. "Sorry, pumpkin," he said as he reached into his bag, retrieving a stethoscope. Dr. Stone placed the device against Christina's chest and listened. The old man wrinkled his brow and reached into the top of Christina's dress. She gasped slightly as he pulled out her necklace and let it fall to the side.

        Nina looked at the shiny gear hanging from around her cousin's neck with great curiosity. Dr. Stone slid the cold head of the stethoscope under Christina's dress, pressing it close to her left breast. "Just breathe deeply," he instructed. Christina tried to do as she was told, but it was taking all of her effort to keep from hyperventilating.

        The doctor took the device and placed it back in his bag and slid Christina's necklace back into her dress. The old man looked back at the young girl in his care and stared at her as though he was trying to read something. He then took a pocket watch out from his vest and popped it open. He took Christina's slender wrist in his hand and took her pulse. When he was finished, he placed her hand on her lap and gave her a mild sneer.

        Misha came into the room and handed Dr. Stone a glass of water. The doctor stood up and took a long drink from the glass and looked Christina right in the eyes and asked, "Just what kind of game do you think you're playing?"

        Christina felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room. "I," she stammered, "I never meant to ..." Her mouth went dry. She couldn't find the words to explain, and even if she had, her mouth wasn't cooperating.

        "You have the pulse of an eighty-year old woman," Dr. Stone accused in an annoyed tone. "I'd say you haven't had a lick of sleep in a month."

        Christina hadn't been found out, but every muscle in her body was still clenched. "I ... uh ... not really. Except for last night."

        "Young lady, this is the sort of thing that happens," he said as he touched her bruise causing Christina to wince again, "When you drive all night and day with no sleep." Dr. Stone emphasized the words "night" and "day" with staccato taps to Christina's forehead. "I'd say you got off lucky."

        "Is she going to be alright doctor?" Misha asked in a concerned voice.

        "Well, that depends," he said turning back to Christina. "What's the capital of the United States?"

        "Washington?" Christina said, the strangeness of the question knocking her out of her paranoia.

        "And two plus two is?" Dr. Stone continued.

        "Four."

        "And your favorite color would be?"

        "Purple?"

        "Well, I would have said green myself," Dr. Stone said as he closed his bag, "It would bring out the color in your eyes, I suspect." Christina blushed at another successful volley against her former manhood.

        Dr. Stone picked up his bag and turned to Misha. "She's going to be fine. I don't think it's a concussion. But, you need to make her relax and get to bed on time for the rest of the week. And most of all," he said turning towards Nina, "No more poking her in the head!"

        Nina laughed at that last comment. Christina blurted out, "But I have to be in Ardmore on Wednesday!"

        "You're not going anywhere young lady, and that's all there is to it." Dr. Stone looked at Misha and said, "If she's feeling better on Wednesday, she can go. Not a day sooner."

        "Thank you so much, doctor," Misha said as she walked him to the front door. "How much do we owe you for the visit?"

        Dr. Stone stood on the porch and popped his hat onto his head. "Seeing as I didn't take any blood or stop any bleeding, I think we can call it even."

        Misha smiled at the older gentleman.

        "Just keep an eye on her Misha. If anything seems out of place, call me. And what ever you're feeding Nina, cut it in half. At this rate she'll be taller than me by next week."

        "Hey!" Nina shouted.

        Dr. Stone chuckled to himself as he walked back to his old Cadillac.

        Christina closed her eyes and placed her hand to her forehead. "I can't stay," she whined, "I have to get to Ardmore ... I don't have time to sit around ... I need to get my car fixed and I ... I don't have any clothes ..." Christina was beginning to realize the magnitude of her situation. "People at work are counting on me."

        Misha sat down next to Christina. She asked, "What kind of job do you have, child?"

        Nina sat down on the coffee table and stared at her older cousin. She found everything about Christina Chase fascinating.

        "Well it's hard to explain exactly," Christina said. "The company I work for makes and sells software." Christina looked at her relatives' faces and realized that they had no idea what she was talking about. "Software, you know, it's something businesses run on their computers to help them ... um, run their business."

        Nina asked, "And you make software?"

        "Well yes ... yes and no. Sometimes I guess." Christina struggled to find a simple explanation. "Most of the other guys- I mean, those guys, the men... they write the software. Some of the others sell it."

        Misha squinted at the girl as she tried to wrap her mind around the concepts.

        Christina sat up as it came to her. "When companies have problems with what we sell, they call me and I try to help them or get them in touch with someone else who can help them."

        "Oh," Misha smiled. Now she understood. "You are a receptionist."

        Christina frowned and looked down into her lap. "No, I'm not a ..." Her eyes looked up and to the right as she thought it over. "Actually, I guess I am, kinda." Christina wrinkled her brow as she tried to reason with herself that she was in fact, not a receptionist. "Wait- I also help the men who make the software."

        "How?" Nina said, relishing every piece of information about her cousin.

        "I help them track deadlines, I make copies of charts and specifications ... Sometimes they give me small pieces of work to finish for them." Christina smiled triumphantly.

        "Ah," Misha said nodding, "So you are a secretary too, yes?"

        Christina frowned again. She didn't like having her job history summed up as "receptionist" and "secretary". "I guess you could say I'm sort of a secretary too," she conceded.

        Nina asked, "Why did they send a secretary so far away?" Misha looked at Christina. It was a fair question.

        "The company I'm going to visit needs help setting up one of our products. So, I'm going to help them." Suddenly, Christina found a way to explain exactly why she was no mere receptionist or secretary. "Which," she continued, "Is really important because if they think I did a good job then it will make them happy and they'll probably sign a contract and maybe buy more of our stuff." Christina grinned widely as she regained her enthusiasm for her trip.

        "On top of being a receptionist, and a secretary, you are a salesgirl too," Misha beamed.

        Christina surrendered. "Yes, that about covers it," she said as her ego imploded.

        Nina clapped her hands. "Wow, three jobs!"

        Christina stood up and straightened out her dress. "I'm going to have no jobs if I don't get moving. I need to get my car fixed, and I have to buy some clothes."

        "But sweetheart, you lost your purse, did you not?" Misha asked.

        "Right, my purse," Christina muttered, fighting the urge to be sarcastic. She almost wished they had figured out she was really a boy and beat her to a bloody pulp. Anything seemed better than this emasculating treatment. "But my debit card was in my jeans, so I can buy something to wear."

        "Wonderful," Misha said. "Andrei will drive you to your meeting tomorrow, and he can take you into town today to buy a new dress."

        Christina stopped dead in her tracks. "A new dress?" she repeated.

        "Unless you think that is too formal?" Misha asked.

        "No, a new dress is exactly what I had in mind," Christina said, gritting her teeth.

        Nina hopped up from her seat. "We're going shopping?" The girl was ecstatic.

        How was she supposed to buy clothes with Nina watching her every move? She felt as if she were sinking in quicksand; every time she thought she was climbing out, she just sank deeper in. "I don't want to be any trouble," she said politely. "Can Andrei just drop me off? I'm sure I can find my way around. I've already inconvenienced all of you enough."

        Nina's shoulders sank. She was enjoying her older cousin's company and didn't want to leave her side.

        "I'm sure Andrei wouldn't mind." Misha responded. "Are you sure you want to be in a strange town all alone?"

        "I'll be fine," Christina said confidently. Finally, she had the situation in hand.

        "Certainly dear," Misha said. "Andrei will take you into town. While you're out, I'll clean your clothes and start on dinner. We will have a feast tonight!"

        "Clean my clothes from last night ..." Christina's mind followed that train of thought to a conclusion she did not care for. What would they do to her when they found her male clothes? "Wait, I can't ask you to do that- I can clean my own clothes!" Christina's face turned red as she giggled nervously.

        "Oh it's no problem, dear-"

        "No!" Christina shrieked, causing her Aunt and her cousin to twitch. "You can't wash my clothes ... because ... because ... I need you to come shopping with me! I really shouldn't be in a strange town all alone, after all."

        Misha eyed Christina as though she didn't understand a word the girl was saying.

        "And my bump!" Christina said frantically, pointing at her head, "It still hurts ... and uh ... I'm scared to be alone ..." Christina snatched Nina's hand and said, "And I need you and Nina to pick out clothes with me!"

        "You want me to come shopping?" Nina said.

        "Yes! Of course. Everyone! We're family! We should spend time together." Christina looked back at Misha to see whether she'd bought it.

        The look of confusion changed into one of amusement. "Certainly, we will come with you, though I am not up on the latest styles."

        "You know, you could say the same thing about me," said Christina absentmindedly. "I need to use the little girl's room. I'll be back in a few seconds, and we can all go."

        As Christina scrambled up the stairs, Boris followed close behind her. Walking down the hallway and into the upstairs bathroom, she closed the door and looked at her face in the mirror. It was hard to believe that the pretty girl she saw in the mirror was herself. "Ok," she said to the mirror, "You can do this. No one suspects you. Just be a girl for one day." She gritted her teeth and added, "Maybe two."

        Christina went to the toilet, lifted the skirt of her dress, pulled down her panties, and began to urinate. Before she could finish, she heard the same creak of the bathroom door that ruined her shower this morning. Her heart stopped and her breathing froze as she stood there- one hand holding her dress up, and the other holding her penis. It felt like hours before Boris poked his head in from around the bathroom door and casually walked in. Christina stumbled around the massive dog with her panties still around her ankles as she lunged for the door. She slammed it shut and pressed hard on the lock. "What is it with this bathroom?" she complained.

        She returned to the toilet and sat down to do her business. She closed her eyes and repeated, "Think like a girl, act like a girl. Think like a girl, act like a girl." She opened her eyes to find Boris looking at her quizzically. She pointed her finger at the German shepherd and admonished, "You didn't see that. This never happened, got it?"

        Boris dropped his head between his paws and waited patiently. Christina finished and wiped herself between her legs, trying not to think that she had seen her younger cousin perform the exact same act this morning.

        She stepped over Boris and stood in front of the mirror again. She needed to do a little more work if she was going shopping with the girls. Christina removed her dress, slip, and bra, and stared at her chest in the mirror. She had very fine blond hair on her chest. It was not much, but she didn't want to arouse any suspicion. Raising her arm, she looked at the nest of blonde hair in her armpit. It all had to go. She reached into the drawer under the sink and found the pink razor she'd used earlier. She lathered up her chest and armpits with foam from a pink can of shaving gel and went to work. Soon her upper body was smooth and hairless.

        Christina motioned to pick up her bra but stopped. She pulled down her panties and looked at the wild, yellow bush between her legs. She put the razor to her crotch, her arm shaking nervously. "No," she said, "Way too sharp." She looked around the drawers again, finding a curvy electric razor. Christina plugged it in and took a deep breath as she went in to trim the bushes.

        The dirty work finished, she put her dress back on. Leaving the bathroom, she heard the telephone ringing downstairs.

        "Are you ready to go?" Nina shouted from the first floor.

        "I'll be right down," Christina called, trying her best to sound excited. She dashed into her room and grabbed her leather jacket from the closet. She opened her window and beat the remaining dirt from last night's accident from the jacket. Putting It on, she grabbed her phone and debit card, and headed downstairs.

        Misha greeted Christina at the foot of the stairs and said, "Your uncle called. He needs me at the store, so I won't be able to take you shopping dear."

        "The store?" Christina asked.

        "Yes, we run a grocery in town," Misha explained.

        "Oh, in town ... good, so you're leaving with us still?" Christina asked, hoping Misha would not investigate her male clothes.

        "Yes, we're all going together," Misha said as she squeezed her niece's hand.

        Andrei walked into the house in a foul mood as usual. "What is it that makes women take so long to get ready?" he sneered towards Christina. "Let's go, I have a very busy day."

        "Busy in the barn again?" Nina said, shaking her head side to side in a derogatory fashion.

        "Wouldn't you like to know," Andrei snapped as he gave his little sister a smack on her bottom. "Move it," he commanded. He looked at Christina, "You too, ... princess."

        When he slapped Christina's butt, she hopped towards the door, blushing furiously. How many ways could she be humiliated in one day, she wondered.

        "Be good to your sister and your cousin," Misha admonished.

        "Sorry Mom," Andrei said half-sincerely, "But I have a lot of work to finish."

        Misha and her girls piled into the old green truck. Misha sat in the middle and Christina sat beside her. Much to Christina's surprise, Nina climbed into her lap. Christina tried to act as though this was the most normal thing in the world.

        Andrei got behind the wheel and started the engine. As the car went down the gravel driveway, it dawned on Christina that she was about to go into town dressed as a girl.

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Thanks to Holly H. Hart for editing help with this chapter!