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From: "Impala" <impala@erols.com>
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Subject: REPOST A STORY
Date: 5 Apr 1997 16:13:18 GMT
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1=BE=00=00=00=AB=00=00=00=00=00=00=00=00Vx=00=00=F2=00=FC=00=FC=00=FC=00=FC=
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The Return Home

by=20

Yin Yang


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	David frowned as he listened to the voices in the living room; the =
corners of his mouth turned downward with the sound of each laugh, with =
each giggle, and the pain of frustration forced his lips to tremble and =
his eyes to water.  He tried to ignore his feelings as he prepared the =
tea tray, but his efforts did little good.  Laura was in the living room =
with his stepmother, and he didn't like the way things were going. =20

	It had been nearly two years since he had left home, and of all the =
places in the world he could have been, he couldn't figure out why he =
was back.  He'd wanted to leave this place behind forever -- along with =
its memories, both good and bad -- but Laura had insisted they visit, if =
only this once.  She said it would do them both good; she didn't want to =
pry into his life, but she wanted to know more about him and, in order =
to do this, she needed to meet his stepmother. =20

	Why couldn't the past stay in the past?  he thought.  I'm nineteen =
years old, I've got a part-time job, I'm living on my own ... and I'm =
even going to college.  Isn't that enough? =20

	Even though he was pouting as he arranged the cups and saucers on the =
tray, for an instant he felt a faint wave of pleasure -- as subtle as a =
summer breeze -- as the china rang together in a musical clatter.  The =
additional chiming of the silver spoons reinforced the unwanted smile, =
and he suddenly remembered how that sound affected him when he was a =
little boy; it always meant something special was going to happen ... =
something that he had little if any control over.  Now that he was so =
much older, it brought back a flood of forgotten memories.  His face =
flushed as he thought of the number of times he had done exactly what he =
was doing at that very moment and how, as much as he now hated to admit =
it, he had so enjoyed himself.

	His smile faded slightly as he turned toward the kitchen door.  The =
women's voices were quiet now; maybe things weren't as bad as he =
suspected.  He thought for a moment.  Could he really trust Margery not =
to say anything that might embarrass him?  She'd made a promise, but =
somehow her promises never seemed to work out the way he wanted.

	Nervous and frustrated, the youth tried to force another smile as he =
picked up the tray and began walking toward the door.  He swallowed long =
and hard before proceeding into the dining room.  Beyond there, his =
stepmother and his ladyfriend would be sitting together in the living =
room, talking and waiting for him to bring the tea.  He trembled =
slightly and wished for this day to be over. =20

	As he entered the living room, David saw the two women sitting together =
on the sofa, side by side, as though they were old friends.  They were =
both smiling at him in a way that he found frightening.  His stepmother =
looked the same as always; dressed up in an expensive yet conservative =
dark suit, her hair done up in an elegant sweep and with just a hint of =
jewelry, she remained just as intimidating as he  remembered.  Laura, he =
noticed for the first time, was similarly attired.  In fact, he realized =
just then how much the two looked alike.  It was mostly in their smiles, =
he thought; mischief and trouble seemed to flow from their lips and =
eyes. =20

	Laura was more than eight years older than David, closer in years to =
his stepmother than to him.  He had met her in psychology class at =
college and they immediately became close friends.  Recently divorced, =
she had returned to school to finish the degree she had started before =
marrying.  He found her very easy to talk with, mostly because she =
didn't intimidate him like girls his own age.  More importantly, she =
told him that he was a fascinating person; she was very sincere about =
this, and he was touched by her gentle interest and compassion. =20

	Because of the trust that grew between them, it wasn't long before he =
confided part of his terrible secret with his new friend.  What he told =
her wasn't completely the truth, but it was the only version of the =
truth that he thought she would accept.  Her reaction, surprisingly =
enough, was one of complete understanding; in fact, he hadn't noticed it =
at first, but it was the same kind of acceptance he had gotten from his =
stepmother once upon a time.

	Approaching the two women, the teenager tried to ignore his fears and =
he smiled with what little confidence he had remaining.  That is, he =
smiled until he saw a huge album laying face down on the coffee table, =
as if someone had only just finished looking through it.  Of course, =
David recognized the book immediately because it was his own, a record =
of his past, the story of his childhood; the mere sight of it was enough =
to cause him to upset the tea tray.

	"David, darling, please do be careful."  Margery smiled sweetly as she =
took the tray from her stepson and set it on the coffee table.  "Surely =
you haven't become more clumsy since you've gone off to college?" =20

	She whispered to Laura and they both giggled good-naturedly.  David =
stood silently staring  at the satin-covered book that lay on the table, =
his mouth dry, his eyes wide with fear.  His stepmother frowned with =
concern and she took his hand and pulled him closer to the sofa. =20

  	"Come here, dearest, and sit down between us girls."  Margery began =
pouring tea before he settled down on the sofa.  "I've just had the =
nicest talk with your ladyfriend, and I think you are a very lucky boy." =
 She smiled her knowing smile and turned to his friend.  "Sugar, Laura?"

	The younger woman nodded as she took the cup.  Laura then patted the =
quiet youth on the knee and her eyes studied him with a most disturbing =
intensity.  David refused to return his friend's look, and instead, he =
continued staring at the book. =20

	"David, what's the matter, darling?  Is something wrong?"  Laura =
started to put down her cup, but the older woman gestured for her to =
drink her tea.

	"Laura, dear, you'll just have to ignore his behavior," Margery said =
with a smile.  "It seems that he's forgotten so much since he left home. =
 I think his manners were the first thing to go when he abandoned me."

	The teenager wanted to say something so badly; he wanted to shout, to =
get up from the couch, grab Laura, and run away forever.  Most of all he =
wanted to know what his book was doing out for just anyone to see, but =
he was afraid to ask.  Maybe if he kept quiet no one would say anything. =
 Then he would be safe.

	Margery continued.  "You see, darling, he used to be such a joy to have =
around.  Taking care of him was like caring for a little doll."  She =
smiled at her stepson's horrified expression.  "Oh, calm yourself, =
Daphne ... I don't know what you're so worried about." =20

	David's heart stopped for a moment; he hadn't heard that name for =
almost two years, and now ... the sound of it sent a chill through his =
body.  His stepmother, of course, continued without missing a beat. =20

	"Your Laura understands you better than you think.  Isn't that right, =
dear?"  The younger woman smiled and placed her hand on his, holding it =
tightly as his stepmother continued.  "I was worried about David when he =
left me.  Of course, there wasn't anything I could do, but I was so =
afraid that he would meet up with the wrong people."  Margery smiled.  =
"He always needed someone to care for him, you know.  Even in high =
school he had trouble taking up for himself."

	Laura set her cup down and she moved closer to David, picking up the =
old album and turning it over so that she could see the pink satin =
cover.  She began to open it, but seeing that he was upset by her =
movements, she closed the cover and placed the book in his lap.

	"Honey, why don't you go through the album with me and tell me all =
about it?  Your stepmother let me take a quick peek, but she said that =
you might prefer that we all look at it together."  Reluctantly, David =
looked toward Laura and her expression surprised him; she was smiling in =
a way that told him that he had little choice in the matter. =20

	She knows, he thought, she knows everything. =20

	He swallowed with difficulty as his friend gestured toward the book, =
and he felt an odd warmth spread through his body as he made his =
decision.=20

	He looked at the pink satin cover, shivering as he saw the all too =
familiar "Daphne" embroidered in the fabric, decorated with tiny ribbons =
and white velvet roses.  Just looking at the delicate name before him =
sent his mind reeling, and he struggled to compose himself as the two =
women moved in closer, surrounding him, forcing him to continue.  He =
opened the album, turning to the opening page.=20

  	The first photograph caused him to smile involuntarily.  It was a =
simple snapshot of a very young child.  Holding a paper bag with "trick =
or treat" written on the front, the youngster wore an old-fashioned =
dress, the skirt of which was so long that it gathered on the floor in a =
pile.  The cherubic face was painted with makeup, enhancing the child's =
features for the camera; lipstick and rouge made the mouth and cheeks =
look plump, and dark mascara magnified the shining blue eyes.  A huge =
feathered hat and costume jewelry completed the elaborate costume.  =
David felt himself fall backward twelve years as he studied the small =
photograph.  He wanted to say something to the child wearing the dress, =
but Laura interrupted his thoughts.

	"Who's that?  She looks adorable."  Laura looked at David, waiting for =
his response; the youth squirmed with discomfort.  Laura then looked =
over to his stepmother.  "Margery?"

	"Oh, that's our little Davy, all right."  The older woman smiled a warm =
smile.  "Didn't I tell you he was a doll?"

	"That's Davy?"  Laura looked at her young friend and giggled.  "Why, =
he's absolutely adorable!"  She turned back toward Margery.  "How old =
was he when this was taken?"

	Margery seemed pleased with Laura's reaction.  "Oh, this was when he =
was still in the second grade, so he was only seven years old."

	Laura looked at David with an amused expression.  "Go ahead, dearest.  =
Go on to the next picture."

	David shivered as he turned to the next photograph.  It was quite =
large, taking up the whole page.  He remembered this one all too well as =
images of a past long-forgotten filled his thoughts.

	The child before him was laughing and smiling, posing in a short red =
and white dress that was decorated with numerous tiny snowflakes sewn =
into the skirt.  The short blond hair was set off with a huge red velvet =
bow atop the child's head, and shiny black patent leather shoes =
contrasted nicely with lace-trimmed anklets.  The photograph was very =
clear, very colorful, and very professional-looking.

	"I was nine years old when this was taken."  David cleared his throat =
as he spoke; his mouth was painfully dry.  "This was the dress Margery =
and my music teacher made me wear in the school Christmas play."  He =
swallowed, his throat tightening.  "I had to sing in the girls' chorus, =
so they made me dress up."  He looked to his stepmother for =
confirmation, but she only smiled and shook her head.=20

	"David!"  The woman turned to Laura and sighed.  "Honestly, Laura, I =
really don't know why he says those things."  Margery picked up the =
album and touched the photograph, tracing the image of the youngster in =
the frilly costume with an elegantly manicured forefinger.  "He had such =
a beautiful voice when he was little, and he loved to sing anything and =
everything.  Mrs. Gilbert, his teacher, couldn't keep him quiet in music =
class, so she kept him busy with special projects."  Margery giggled as =
she touched the throat of the laughing child in the picture.  "When she =
asked him if he would sing in the girls' chorus in the Christmas play, =
he told me all about how he was going to have to dress up and be a girl. =
 Of course, I gave no thought to it, assuming that this was his =
teacher's idea, but I should have known better.  Later I discovered that =
David had told Mrs. Gilbert that it was my idea to make him wear a =
dress!"  She sighed.  "I never understood why he went through such a =
charade, especially after seeing the little tantrum he threw to trick me =
into having his picture taken!" =20

	"Imagine that," smirked Laura.=20

	"Of course, this picture is special for one other reason," said =
Margery.  "We sent a copy of it overseas to his father that year, just =
before they told us he had been killed."

	There was a long silence, and then Margery cleared her throat and =
pointed to the next page, which contained a series of snapshots. =20

	"This is Davy and his pretty little girlfriends on stage.  And here =
they are after the play."  In each picture the child was smiling and =
laughing, moving with a swirl of  skirts and ribbons in every pose.  =
Margery smiled at her stepson.  "You sure didn't want to take off that =
dress, remember?"  Turning to Laura, she shook her head and giggled.  "I =
had to let him wear it every day for a month."

  	"This doesn't make any sense at all."  Laura looked at David for a =
long, quiet moment, studying his blue eyes with doubt.  "Margery, I was =
told that David hated dressing up as a girl, and that you used to punish =
him by making him wear skirts and dresses."

	The older woman sighed pleasantly, shaking her head from side to side.  =
She turned the page to another series of photographs. =20

	"Well, I can't say that I ever actually punished Davy by making him put =
on his pretties," the older woman smiled coyly.  "I was never able to =
have children, you see, but I loved Davy as my very own and I tried my =
best to treat him as such."  She sighed affectionately.  "We often =
played 'pretend' together, digging into an old trunk of clothing for =
costumes.  Sometimes we dressed up as mother and daughter, just for fun, =
mind you, and Davy would call me 'Mommy' and I would call him 'Daphne' =
and we would hold our little tea parties as if that was the most natural =
thing in the world for us to be doing."  The older woman sniffed, her =
eyes shining with nostalgia.  "I suppose, if anything, I may have =
encouraged him to dress up more often than he probably wanted at first, =
but he accepted it all in good grace, don't you know.  Of course, once =
he began to appreciate his pretty things I often had to threaten to =
throw them away if he didn't behave properly." =20

	"What about all those costume parties," blurted David, red-faced and =
tearful.  "You always made me dress up so you could show me off to your =
friends," he said in a strangled voice.

	"Well, that may be true," Margery smiled coyly.  "On the other hand, =
darling, you must admit that you never did protest very much.  Here, =
Laura, look at this and tell me if it looks a little boy who's being =
punished." =20

	She touched a snapshot showing the same youngster blowing out candles =
on a birthday cake.  Surrounded by several smiling children, all dressed =
in gaily colored outfits, the child was attired in a bright blue party =
dress that consisted completely of ruffles and lace.  A bright ribbon =
pulled the curly blond locks up in a feminine sweep, leaving tiny =
ringlet curls to frame the smiling face.  There were ten candles on the =
cake. =20

	Laura shook her head.  "It doesn't look like a little boy at all to =
me."

	"Well, it most certainly is," Margery giggled as her stepson trembled =
with embarrassment.  "We had such a wonderful time at that party....  =
And look here, Davy had just turned twelve when this was taken.  Isn't =
he just precious?" =20

	She pointed to a snapshot of the same child, now slightly older, =
reclining in a bathtub filled with soap suds past chin level; the blond =
hair was up in curlers, and the young face was smiling with delight. =20

  	"Poor thing," sighed Margery.  "He tried his best to be like other =
boys, but he couldn't help it.  He hated playing 'war' and baseball and =
such rough games... instead, he spent most of his time helping me around =
the house."  Turning to Laura, she smiled.  "You should know that Davy =
is a wonderful cook and he was a born seamstress." =20

	She turned to a photograph of  a very pretty teenager standing in a =
flower garden; the child wore a simple sundress, and the flaxen hair was =
braided and the feet were bare.  As in the other pictures, there was =
that smile of childish delight. =20

	"We made that dress together," the older women noted.  "Daphne... I =
mean, Davy, did most of the work."

	Margery slowly turned the pages of the album, passing by dozens of =
pictures of the pretty teenager and his happy smiles.  The clothing he =
wore was as varied as the scenes themselves; there was one photograph of =
him standing in front of a church in a fancy Easter outfit, another =
showed him working in the flower garden dressed in a dainty sunsuit, and =
still another  had him helping in the kitchen with a ruffled pinafore =
over a frilly dress.  There was even one picture of the youngster posing =
prettily on a beach towel in a girlish bathing suit; Margery lingered by =
this one for a moment, shook her head fondly and sighed before =
continuing.

	The final photograph in the book was a studio portrait of the youth =
posing with an older woman, the two subjects sitting close together and =
holding hands.  The woman was expensively dressed in a plain black suit, =
with only a hint of jewelry showing; her makeup was impeccable and her =
hair was up in an elegant sweep.  The teenager wore a delicate-looking =
skirt and sweater ensemble; the skirt was of a bright tartan plaid and =
the sweater of soft cashmere.  A frilly blouse peeking from beneath the =
sweater provided a touch of lace at the throat and wrists, and knee =
stockings and saddle shoes completed the outfit.  The short blond hair =
was brushed out in a boyish style and the lipstick and makeup were =
hardly noticeable. =20

	"Daphne was barely fifteen when we had this made."  Margery looked at =
David with a sympathetic smile.  "High school was particularly hard on =
my little darling.  Like I said before, he wanted so much to be like =
other boys, and every now and then he would tell me that he had grown =
out of his dresses and skirts, and I would put them away where he =
couldn't find them.  But no matter how hard he tried not to, he always =
came back to me and begged for his pretties to be returned."  The older =
woman looked sad.  "No matter how badly things went at school, he always =
knew he could come home and play 'dress up'." =20

	David's body burned with shame and he felt a strange dizziness sweep =
over him.  There was nothing he could say to deny his stepmother's =
words.  Everything she said was true, and he thought briefly about how =
much more there was to be told ...

	... he remembered the Saturday mornings when he would dress up in his =
pretty clothes and play with his dolls; the nights when he would steal =
into his stepmother's bedroom and borrow her gowns and panties to sleep =
in; the afternoons alone when he tried on her lingerie ... the longline =
girdles, the brassieres and slips ... standing in before the dressing =
mirror for hours on end, admiring the seductive reflection before him. =20

	... most of all, he remembered the powerful excitement of dressing up; =
the joy of getting a new dress and putting it on and showing it off to =
his stepmother; how, in the guise of a girl, he would accompany his =
guardian on shopping trips for clothes and dolls and visits to the ice =
cream parlor ... and how no one would suspect that, beneath all the =
ribbons and lace, he was a boy; how wonderful he felt when everyone =
treated him as if he were actually a girl; and how, at night in the =
privacy of his bedroom, he would become so aroused that he would =
masturbate until it hurt. =20

	The mortified youth looked at Laura, hoping that what he was about to =
say would make things better.  Judging from the expression on her face, =
nothing could make things worse.

	"Laura, I'm sorry I lied to you."  David could feel sweat running down =
his back.  Laura remained silent, waiting for him to continue.  He =
turned to face his stepmother, giant tears burning his eyes. =20

	"Margery, I'm so sorry.  I told Laura that you punished me when I was =
little by making me dress up.  I even told her that you made fun of me =
and that you beat me.  I'm sorry."  He thought he was about to lose =
control of himself.  "But I was afraid if I told her the truth, she'd =
misunderstand."  He tried to laugh as he turned to face Laura.  "I mean, =
none of my friends ever understood me, so why should you bother to try?  =
Who wants to be around somebody like me?"

	Hearing the tremor of truth in his voice, Laura allowed her emotions to =
thaw, to turn warm and sympathetic; she wanted to believe him, but how =
far should he go. =20

	"David, why did you tell me anything at all?" she asked. "You could =
have kept quiet, and then you wouldn't have had to lie to me."

	He shrugged.  "I had to tell you something.  I don't know why, but I =
did.  Especially after I got to know you.  I wanted to share something =
with you that was special to me, and dressing up and pretending to be a =
girl was the most important thing that ever happened to me.  But, =
because of the way everybody else treated me, I didn't want you to think =
it was my fault, so I made up that story about Margery being mean to =
me."  He felt so ashamed. He placed his hands over his face and he began =
to sob.  "I'm really sorry.  I promise I am.  I've tried to change.  I =
thought I would be able to leave everything behind me.  I really thought =
I could."

	After listening to all this, Margery finally interrupted.  "Davy, =
darling, listen to me.  You've never done anything to be ashamed of and =
I really don't think you have anything to worry about.  As a matter of =
fact, you may be a lot luckier than you suspect.  Why don't you give =
your friend here a chance?"  The older woman set her tea down on the =
tray, stood up, and brushed the wrinkles from her expensive dress.  =
"Come along and see whether I'm right."

	The nervous teen followed Laura and his stepmother through the old =
house, and he felt weak as familiar images appeared in his thoughts, =
sparked by the sight of various objects as he made his way .... =20

	... there was the old stairway where he used to play with his dolls; at =
the top of the stairs was the window seat where he used to sit around in =
his pretties and read fairytales and daydream; beyond that was the giant =
hall mirror in front of which he used to stand and pose, giggling in his =
girlish costumes for hours at a time; over there was the doorway to his =
parents' bedroom behind which he learned so much about dressing up by =
simply watching his stepmother; and finally, there was the door to what =
had been his old room, closed, mysterious, inviting. =20

	He felt challenged.  Margery stopped at that doorway, turned to face =
David, and then she quietly opened it, allowing both her stepson and his =
ladyfriend to enter the sweet, musty smelling darkness. =20

	He blinked for a moment as he turned on the light, and then he looked =
around his old bedroom and he marveled at what he saw.  It was hard to =
believe.  Everything was the same.  Nothing had been moved or touched.  =
Everything was in its proper place.  It was amazing; his stepmother had =
kept all of his old things, everything, just as he left them over two =
years ago.  The frilly old canopy bed, the vanity, his dolls and his =
stuffed animals, all exactly as  he remembered them.  He started toward =
the wardrobe, but Margery stopped him by touching him on the shoulder, =
turning him to face a large framed portrait hanging over the =
old-fashioned four-poster bed.  He looked up and gasped. =20

	"Do you remember this?" his stepmother asked.  Entranced by an =
onslaught of forgotten memories, he nodded and wept.

 	He was seventeen when his stepmother took him for this final portrait. =
 Freshly graduated from high school and bound for college, he had =
promised himself that this was to be the last of his pretty pictures ... =
=20

	...as always, Margery wanted everything to be perfect; David even let =
her talk him into letting her give him a permanent, but he secretly =
promised himself that he would cut all his curls before leaving home.  =
The dress was bought from the boutique where he shopped as a young boy =
for pretty things to wear; the manager had always been sympathetic when =
it came to outfitting the youngster in girlish things, and she became =
even more understanding now that he was nearly eighteen years of age.  =
The dress she found for his final portrait was quite simple in its =
elegance; it was a creation of white organdy and crinoline, with a =
ruffled collar, long puffed sleeves, and a modest hemline.  Both =
stepmother and son were very pleased.

	... the day of the photography sitting was filled only with excitement =
and happiness.  He got up extra early that morning, impatient because =
his hair had been set the night before and he was dying to see himself =
with his new curls.  Following a quick breakfast, he took a long, =
luxurious bubble bath, after which he covered himself with talcum powder =
and sprayed himself thoroughly with perfume.  Then the teenaged boy put =
on a complete set of frilly feminine underthings, including a pair of =
skimpy lace panties and a matching training brassiere, a girdle, a slip, =
and a pair of sheer silken stockings; he took his time as he fastened =
the stockings to the garters, one by one.  After that, David slid his =
stockinged feet into an expensive pair of white high-heeled pumps which =
set off his shapely legs very nicely, and he stood before the dressing =
mirror for a while, savoring what he saw.=20

	... finally, Margery joined him, and the tiny hair curlers were =
carefully removed and the blond locks were brushed, styled, and sprayed =
into place.  His face was lightly painted with rouge, eye makeup, and =
lipstick, and his nails were polished a bright pink.  The boy then =
stepped into his frilly new dress, trembling with impatience as his =
stepmother adjusted the fit and closed the fastenings.  A delicate gold =
chain was draped around his ruffled throat, suspending a heart-shaped =
locket, and a tiny gold ring with a similar heart was placed on his =
finger.  With makeup, manicure, and jewelry, his appearance set the =
illusion of an attractive young debutante awaiting her escort.  In his =
special costume, seventeen year old David felt more alive and more happy =
than ever before....

	Laura was stunned.  She stood there and studied the portrait for a long =
time. =20

	"This is beautiful!  Is this why your hair was so short when I first =
met you?"  David nodded sheepishly.  "Well, to be quite honest, I think =
I prefer you this way.  Perhaps if you dressed this way all the time, =
you wouldn't have reason to lie me." =20

	Laura then turned to David's stepmother.  "The first time I noticed =
your son, he was wearing an old leather jacket and boots.  He didn't =
seem as tough as he looked when I talked with him, and I suspected he =
was trying to be something he really wasn't... but I would never have =
guessed...."  She looked at her young friend and she smiled as he bit =
his lip.  "You never should have been allowed to wear trousers.  What a =
waste.  What a pitiful waste."

	Margery smiled.  "It doesn't have to be, my darlings."  She giggled.  =
"It doesn't have to be ... never, ever again ...."


*                   *                    *


	David smiled as he listened to the voices in the living room; the =
corners of his mouth turned upward with the sound of each laugh, the =
pain of concentration forcing his lips to tremble and his eyes to =
squint.  He drew the lipstick across his mouth with great care, working =
hard not to ruin his hard work with a momentary slip of the hand.  He =
smiled, puckered, and he smiled again.

	He felt content; he had finally gotten the chance to look in his old =
wardrobe, and for some reason he wasn't at all surprised to see that it =
was still filled with all kinds of pretty clothes, from the tiny dresses =
and costumes that he loved to wear when he was little, to the last few =
feminine outfits he wore as a teenager.  Even the dresser drawers still =
contained old nightgowns and underthings.  The only things absent were =
his boyish school clothes; his stepmother had thrown all those things =
out after he left home, but for some reason he didn't seem to mind. =20

	What truly amazed David was that many of his pretty clothes still fit =
him; even after nearly two years he hadn't changed as much as he =
thought, and there was plenty for him to wear.  The youth smiled =
dreamily as he thought about how nice it felt to be shed of his rough =
denims and boots, and he wondered why he had ever wanted them so badly.  =


	Carefully, gingerly, he stood up, trying his best not to fall down in =
the high-heeled pumps, and he walked over to the huge dressing mirror =
that dominated one corner of the bedroom.  The rustling of the dress and =
the tickling of lace against his legs excited him.  His pulse quickened =
as he approached the looking glass. =20

	The young girl in the mirror opposite him smiled, welcoming him home.  =
Nearly twenty years of age, she was clad in a simple, yet elegant frock =
of organdy and crinoline, the hemline reaching just below her stockinged =
knees.  David was fascinated with how familiar she looked; her face was =
soft and pink, her huge blue eyes accented by shades of mascara and eye =
shadow, her mouth made larger by the bright-colored lipstick coating her =
lips; her hair had been curled and teased and lacquered into place; her =
fingernails were coated with pink lacquer.  As he breathed in the =
fragrance of her perfume, he felt himself becoming aroused ... =
physically, emotionally ... spiritually ....

	Beyond the mirrored image of the young girl stood two women, both =
smiling with pride at the feminine creature before them.  The oldest of =
the two approached the girl from behind; in her hands was a thin gold =
chain suspending a locket in the shape of a heart.  David watched as the =
chain was draped over the girlish head and the locket fell into place =
below the frilly collar; the boy shivered with excitement as something =
tickled his own neck.  The younger of the women took the girl by the =
hand, and a delicate ring was slipped over a pink painted nail, sliding =
up to fit the feminine finger perfectly.  With tears of release, David =
looked down at the girl's fragile hands and he saw that they were his =
own; he had finally returned home, and he knew that he would never leave =
again ....



end




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^=
^^^^^^^^^^^^



then turned to David's stepmother.  "The =
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=00=FF=FF=02<=01=14=DEp=00=00#r=00=00=FF=FF%r=00=00=FF=FF=CEt=00=00=FF=FF=
=D0t=00=00=FF=FF=E6w=00=00=FF=FF=E8w=00=00=FF=FF=EAw=00=00=FF=FF=ECw=00=00=
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=00Px=00=00x=00Rx=00=00x=00Tx=00=00x=00Vx=00=00x=00Xx=00=00x=00=DCp=00=00=
=FF=FF=DEp=00=00=FF=FF=02<=01=12=01=00=07=00 Arial=00=00=00 his =
stepmother had thrown all those things out after he left home, but for =
some reason he didn't seem to mind. =20

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