Luke walked into the office, and immediately the receptionist, Mrs. Darcy, looked at her. “Oh, Cindy, are you ok?”
Luke did a double take. 'Cindy? Blah, is that my name now? So much for me getting to pick a name.'
“I'm not feeling well, to be honest.”
“Oh you poor thing. I'm supposed to call for a nurse, but...” The older woman smiled and wrote something on a piece of paper. “Here, take this if anyone asks and go home, I'll let your teachers know.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Darcy.” Cindy managed a weak smile.
As she headed towards her locker, she heard a cry of pain. Investigating, she found a couple bullies in an unused classroom with Devon, a skinny, nerdy kid, who was one of their usual targets. He was crying, and his glasses were broken. Cindy felt very angry, but wasn't sure what to do. She was a tiny girl now, could she actually help the boy? She gritted her teeth. She had to try.
“Hey! What are you two doing to Devon!” She entered the room and yelled.
One of the bullies, Roy, looked at her. “Well holy shit, if it isn't Little Miss Perfect! What are you going to do, go cry to a teacher?”
His friend, Kev, laughed. “You better run away and pretend you didn't see anything.”
Great. They weren't afraid of her anymore. And for good reason, if she could fit in Heather's clothes, she was a couple inches shy of 5' tall. The bullies now towered over her. But there was a voice in the back of her head saying 'you can do this'.
She dashed forward. Even though her gender had changed, her body responded in much the same way. Months of wind sprints and speed drills had made her fast on the basketball court, and given her great stamina. While the boys stared at her, slack-jawed, she slammed a fist into Roy's groin. Her tiny hand probably didn't do much damage on it's own, but she had her keys in her hand, sticking between her fingers like claws.
As Roy groaned in pain, she turned to face Kev, who looked angry. She whipped her keys at him, hitting him in the eye, causing him to scream. From there, she kicked him in the groin for good measure, then turned back to Roy, who tried to grab her.
She fell into a crouch, ducking under his arms, and then sprang up, delivering an uppercut to the boy's groin which caused him to double over. She then boxed his ears and finished him off with an elbow to the side of his head.
Pain shot through her arm, but she didn't pay it any mind.
Devon had gotten up, and was punching Kev wildly. She picked up her keys.
“Hey...hey Dev. Come on, we should go.”
“I want to kill him! They'll just come after me again if I don't!”
“Devon...no.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.
He threw another half-hearted punch, then started weeping. She helped him to the office, where Mrs. Darcy gasped in surprise.
“Devon! What happened?”
“Roy and Kev were bullying him in one of the unused classrooms.” Cindy explained.
“Oh no! Is this true, Devon? I better call the nurse. Here, help him sit down, there's some ice in the fridge in the teacher's lounge!”
Nodding, Cindy ran to get the ice. She also saw a first aid kit in the lounge, and she brought it back as well. She was tending to his wounds when the Principal, Mr. Douglass, came into the office.
She told the story (leaving the part about her beating up the bullies out) saying she'd surprised them, and after Devon fought back, Roy and Kev had run off. Devon looked surprised, but agreed to her version of events.
Mr. Douglass frowned, reminding Devon about the school's policy on violence. Cindy had recalled having detention more than once for striking bullies in the past, but her Dad had always praised her for standing up for others. She rather doubted that was the case now that she was a girl, however, so she decided to minimize her role in this.
After the nurse examined Devon, she said he should go home, and Cindy volunteered to drive him. Since she still had her car keys, she knew she still drove in this...reality? She wasn't sure what to call it.
On their way out to the car, Devon thanked her. “You were amazing, Cindy! I haven't see you fight like that since grade school!”
“It's been awhile, hasn't it?”
“Yeah, you used to be a real tomboy. Not uh...pretty like you are now. I mean, you were pretty then too, but...” the boy stammered.
She smiled at him. “Thanks, and no, I get it.” She didn't really, especially since she was dressed like a boy, but apparently that's not how everyone else saw her.
Devon stammered about how she used to play basketball, and was really good, but then everyone else got so much taller than she was.
'Figures, I doubt anyone would pick me for even the girl's team now. That sucks a little bit.' She decided that being a girl was way better than sports, even if she'd miss it.
Her car had changed. Where before it had been an old '86 Mustang SVO, now she had a 2000 Geo Metro. It was the same color, and parked in the same spot, so she knew it was hers. The little hatchback was probably a better fit for her new height, but she'd miss the Mustang, which she'd fixed up with her Dad.
'Oh man, I bet he'd never work on cars with a girl!', Cindy thought. Another part of her old life gone. Though she still remembered how to work on engines, so it wasn't like the knowledge was gone.
Devon was quiet as she drove him home, and he thanked her again. She smiled and waved. Devon was a good kid, and really smart. She was worried though, he'd been very upset when he'd said he wanted to kill Kev. She'd have to keep an eye on him.
Looking at the time, she frowned. She couldn't go home without Alison, and she had time to kill. She decided to hit the library and find out what a 'Dantalyon' was.
Her town's library was fairly large, an old mansion that had been donated to the township decades before. She felt like a little kid climbing the stone steps and, walking into the building, she felt completely at home. She and Alison spent a lot of time here, after all. She waved to the librarian, Mrs. Stevens, and found an open computer. She wasn't sure how to spell the name, but she guessed and soon was looking at a web page about something called the 'Ars Goetia', apparently a list of devils.
Dantalion (spelled with an 'I') was a Duke of Hell, the 71st Spirit of Solomon. He was a great teacher, and knew the thoughts of all people and can change them at his will. He is depicted as a man with many appearances, which means the faces of all men and women.
She lay back in her chair. So she'd sold her soul to a devil. She didn't feel bad about it, just a little stunned. Her family wasn't super religious- they believed in God, and prayed before dinner, but it wasn't like they went to Church more than once a month. And yet, she was pretty sure if her folks knew about this, they'd burn her at the stake or something.
She wondered if Lee was really a devil, or this Dantalyon had just used her form to entice her. She'd find out when she ran into the girl next, Cindy supposed. She had a thought and googled herself.
Her actual name was Lucinda- no wonder she went by Cindy! She would have hated being a Lucy. She was still on the honor roll, active in the community, and was a Girl Scout instead of a Boy Scout (though she'd quit Scouting in the wake of various scandals). Most of her achievements were the same, but no sports, sadly. She'd have to do something to fill that void.
A picture of her at Girl Scout camp showed her practicing archery- she'd been pretty good at that, she'd remembered. She had really good hand-eye coordination, and had been known for accurate shooting on the basketball court. Kev's eye could attest to that. She'd tried shooting as well, and had gone hunting with her Dad and Grandpa Joe...well, Luke had.
She had a sneaking suspicion her father hadn't been too thrilled with having a tomboy daughter. Had he given her a speech about her needing to be a 'real girl'? She frowned.
Maybe after school, she'd visit Aunt Sarah. It all depended on how Alison reacted to her new body.
Speaking of which, it was near time to pick up her sister, so she closed the web browser and headed to her car.
She pulled up out front of the school, right behind a classic car. It was black with chrome bits and whitewall tires. And to her surprise, Lee got out and walked up to her.
Cindy rolled down her window.
Lee smiled. “So, enjoying the new body?”
“Are you really a demon, Lee?” Cindy decided to put her cards on the table.
“My, you put that together fast. It's true, I am.” Lee reached into the car and ran her fingers through Cindy's hair.
Fuck, that really did feel good!
Another car door opened, and Cole got out. Cindy knew Cole pretty well, she was a smart girl, and basically did her own thing. She walked up, and then gasped when she saw Cindy.
“...no way...Luke?!”
Cindy looked to Lee. “How does she know who I am?”
Lee just grinned. “She was Luke, yes.”
Cole walked up to Cindy's window. “Oh my G...uh...you look really pretty.”
Cindy smiled. “Thanks. It must be weird, huh? Me as a girl?”
“No. Not at all.” Cole smiled back, and Cindy felt like her heart was beating faster.
“Ah, and here are the kids now.” Lee gestured.
Cindy looked, and saw Alison walking slowly with a girl who could be Lee's younger clone. The girl had an odd way of walking, and it took Cindy a moment to realize she had a prosthetic leg.
“Oh, look Tara, it's Lee and...Cole? I didn't know you knew Lee!”
Cole smiled. “Yeah, Lee and Tara are good friends. Did you have a good day at school, Tara?”
Tara seemed to be a quiet girl, but she smiled and nodded. “Alison helped me out a lot. She's very nice.” Tara had a soft voice, and her demeanor was very different than her sister.
Alison turned to look at Cindy. She got a strange look on her face. “Cindy? I...I didn't recognize your car...”
Cindy got out of the car and walked up to her sister. Alison was only a few inches shorter than she was now, and she'd probably tower over Cindy in a few years!
“Hey Ali, are you ok?”
“I...I'm not sure. Something strange is going on.” Alison admitted.
“Why don't we all go to my house? It seems some explanations are in order.” Lee smiled.
In the car, Alison kept staring at her sister. Even though the Geo was a compact car, Cindy had her seat all the way forward, and was sitting on a cushion to help her see over the dash more easily. She was wearing...well it was hard to make it out. Her mind kept wanting to say 'dress', but it was obvious the girl was actually wearing a boy's shirt and slacks.
Cindy was making sure to keep behind Lee's car, her eyes on the road. “I'm not an alien, Sis.”
“I...I know. But still...something is different.” Alison frowned.
“Yeah, I'm a girl.”
“Well of course you're a girl, silly, I...” Alison trailed off. “Wait. I had a brother.”
“Yes, that's right.”
“You were my brother...your name was...Lu...Lu...”
“Luke.”
“Oh my God! Luke! You're a girl!?” Alison shrieked, and Cindy winced.
“I am.”
“But how?!”
“Well, you see, it turns out Lee is a demon and I sold her my soul.” Cindy shrugged.
“Uh. What? No way!”
“It's true.” Cindy explained what happened.
“Oh wow, bro...I mean, sis...I had no idea you wanted to be a girl. But if Lee is a demon, then is Tara...?” Alison frowned.
“I have no idea, but I guess we'll find out. So this doesn't bother you?”
“No, not really. You're still the same person, right? And you're happier this way?” Alison smiled.
“I think so. I feel happier. But there's probably going to be some trouble ahead.”
“Hey, I'm just happy I'm going to be taller than you.” Ali giggled.
“Yeah, I know, I think I'm a little shorter than Aunt Sarah.”
“You're really cute though.”
“About as cute as you are, Sis.”
“Well, let's not get carried away, Cindy.” They both laughed.
Lee's house was a large, split-level home with an attached garage and three stories. Lee parked on the drive way, and both her, Cole, and Tara got out.
Cindy and Alison joined them, and Cindy had to admit, it was a really nice place. “Wow, I guess it pays to be a devil.”
Lee laughed. “Indeed it does. So you explained things to Alison?”
Alison nodded. “But I have questions about you and Tara. And Cole, are you a demon?”
“Technically no. I guess you could say I'm a demon in training.”
“Come on, we'll explain inside.” Lee led them into the house.
The home was well-furnished, and it seemed Lee had spared no expense. “No servants yet, I'm afraid, but I'll cook us something to eat.”
“You'll cook?” Cindy blinked.
“She loves to cook.” Cole explained.
They all gathered in the kitchen to watch Lee gather her ingredients and prepare food at lightning speed, using her powers to make ingredients float in the air and the food to practically cook itself. Cindy had to admit it was pretty impressive.
“Wow!” Alison said. “Who needs servants?”
“Well you know, a pretty maid or two might be nice.” Lee turned to face her guests, confident that her meal would get along on it's own for a bit. “So, my real name is Dantalyon, though on Earth, I'm using the name Lee Dante. I'm a devil, and Cole there summoned me to become her teacher. She wanted to learn magic and other things from me.”
“So you sold her your soul for that?” Cindy asked.
“I did. All my life, I felt powerless. I wanted to be able to make my dreams come true, and Lee has been teaching me a lot.” Cole explained.
“Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like I'm judging. I'm glad that's working out for you.”
“No, it's ok, I know it's a lot to take in.”
Tara had remained quiet. “I'm a demon as well.”
Alison turned to look at her. “Oh. So you really don't need my help, do you?”
Tara looked uncomfortable. “I'm sorry for deceiving you.”
Alison looked upset for a moment, then shrugged. “Oh well, we can still be friends, right?”
Tara smiled. “I'd like that.”
“So what do you really look like?”
Tara looked to Lee, who nodded. Tara seemed to grow, her body maturing and her hair turning orange (though she kept the length). Her dress seemed to shift with her, and her prosthetic leg hit the floor.
Alison saw the girl's wings, tail, and horns, and her jaw about hit the floor. “Oh my...you're gorgeous!”
'Tara' smiled bashfully. “My name is Winrya. I'm a Succubus. I used to be a human, but Lee turned me into a demon.”
“So why are you going to school, then, if you're really grown up?” Alison asked.
“To keep an eye on you, dear.” Lee said. “You're a very special young lady, and having taken an interest in you, I set Winrya to watch over you.”
This wasn't completely true, of course, but no one corrected the demoness.
“Me? Special?” Alison looked confused. “I don't understand.”
“Don't tell me you want Alison's soul too!” Cindy exclaimed.
“And why not? I think she'd be happy as a demon.” Lee smiled. “Hell isn't really a bad place, if you have the favor of a Duke of Hell. Winrya can tell you, she's quite happy.”
Winrya nodded. “It's true. I was miserable on Earth. When Lee took me in, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Hm. So if that's true, why do people want to go to Heaven so badly?” Cindy asked.
“Oh, don't get me wrong, Heaven is lovely. A bit boring and perfect, but lovely. But it's not for everyone. It's true, bad people go to Hell, but there's a difference between being bad, and really bad. The really bad ones get punished forever.
Slightly bad people like Winrya, however, can have very good lives.”
“Why did you go to Hell, Winrya? Did you sell your soul?” Alison asked.
“It's...not a happy story, Alison. Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“Yes, please.”
After Winrya finished, Alison was crying, and she ran to the demon girl and hugged her. Cindy was stunned, and finally found her voice. “That could have been me.”
“I don't think so, Cindy, dear.” Lee said. “While it's true you were unhappy as a boy, you care for your sister too much to want to take your own life. Even as a demon, that love will maintain a spark of goodness within you. Not enough to please Heaven, but it will set you apart from others of your kind- just as Winrya here is too pure for most demon's tastes.”
Cole reached out and took Cindy's hand, giving it a squeeze. She was fascinated by how small Cindy's hands were.
Cindy turned and smiled at Cole softly. “Thank you, Cole.”
“Hey no problem, what are friends for?”
Cindy nodded.
“And with that, get ready to eat, kids. Dinner is served!” Lee presented her meal.
“I can't eat another bite! Thank you for dinner, Lee.” Cindy patted her belly. “I wish I could eat more but, I guess, smaller body means smaller stomach.”
“Speak for yourself, Sis.” Alison took another plate with a grin.
“Where do you find room for all that food?” Cindy was astonished.
“Ah, youth. Alison is still growing, so she benefits from a high metabolism.” Lee chuckled.
Cindy then looked at her phone. “Mom is wondering where we are. I guess we should go home.”
Alison pouted. “Aw. I want to hang out more.”
“We'd get in trouble if we did.” Cindy shrugged. “Come on, princess.”
“Hey, you can't call me that! You're a princess too!” Ali protested.
“Not dressed like that she's not.” Lee pointed out.
“I don't have any girl clothes and I wouldn't know how to start buying them.” Cindy admitted.
“Perhaps Cole could help? It may not look it, but I'm sure she has good fashion sense. Somewhere.” Lee teased.
Cole got a deer in headlights look. “Oh, um, if you wanted my help?”
Cindy smiled. “Please. Maybe we could go shopping tomorrow?”
Alison looked between her sister and Cole, and you could almost see her brain going 'aha!'. She then looked to Lee and Winrya. “Hey can I text you guys later?”
“Please do!” Winrya said, and Lee nodded her assent.
“Drive safe, you two.”
On the ride home, Alison looked towards her sister. “Cindy, are you good friends with Cole?”
“I mean, she's a classmate, we've talked before, but not really. She never tried to hang on me like other girls. Well, I guess that's over now.”
“I wouldn't be so sure. About that. I think Cole really likes you.”
Cindy froze up a bit, and then had to swerve to avoid a cat. The cat was fine, but just glared at the 'big metal dog' in annoyance. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, just the way she keeps staring at you.”
“I thought that was, you know, just shock seeing me this way.” Cindy replied.
“I don't think so. But what do I know, I'm just a little brat.”
Cindy shot her kid sister an annoyed look, and Alison giggled.
“Yeah well, I saw the way you were looking at Winrya. So maybe it's you who has a crush.”
“Oh, wow. I mean, she's really pretty. Either as herself or Tara. And I felt so bad for her story. I think I'd like to get to know her.”
“Forgotten about Lee already?” Cindy teased.
“I mean...she's so old and powerful. And a little scary, now that I know what she is. We're probably all entertainment to her.”
“Could be. But Winrya is a demon too.”
“Yeah. I know. But she's...different.” Alison couldn't put it into words.
“No, you're right. She is. Just be careful, ok Sis? Lee basically admitted to wanting your soul, and she said you were special. I don't want you to get hurt.”
“I won't rush into anything dumb, but it's already too late, Sis. You think I'd want to go to Heaven, knowing you wouldn't be there?” Alison said, sounding very mature for her age.
“I...I'm sorry. I was selfish.”
“That's ok. All my life, I've come first. I see that now. When I came to you about my feelings for Lee, you immediately dropped everything to support me. But you were hurting too, and I never noticed. I think I've been the selfish one. I need to grow up.”
“I love you, Sis. But don't be in too much of a hurry. You're only young once.” Cindy said.
“Winrya can be a kid if she wants. So maybe that's not true?”
Cindy didn't have an answer to that.
When they got home, their mom looked worried, but relieved. “It's not like you two to just not come home without saying anything.”
“I know, Mom, sorry about that, we just lost track of time.” Cindy couldn't get over the fact her mom was taller than she was now- it hadn't been that way for a long time. Marion was a couple inches taller than her sister, but they were obviously cut from the same mold.
“I know honey, you're responsible, and I could have called sooner. But your father...was very angry about it.”
Cindy frowned. “He was? Why?”
“Well you see, your Aunt came by with Andy, and...”
Just then, their father came in. “Oh look who finally decided to remember who their family is? Alison, go to your room, I'll deal with you later.”
“What? Why, we didn't do...”
“I said, GO TO YOUR ROOM!” Trent yelled, and Alison jumped, dashing out of the room.
Cindy felt cold inside, seeing her sister treated that way. Trent was so much taller than she was now- as a boy, she could look him in the eye, but now she had to stare up at him.
It was like being a little kid again. Like that day at the wedding.
“Look at you. I should have had a son, instead I have a daughter who doesn't know how to dress like a girl.”
Great, he could -see- what she was wearing.
He went on. “It's one thing, you hanging out with that lesbian bitch and her bull dyke, but taking Alison with you? We tried to raise you right, and this is what we get. You're a homosexual, aren't you? Probably wish you were boy. Well you're not, and you never will be!
God damned midget like you will never be a man!”
Cindy saw her mother flinch. She didn't know where all this hate was coming from. But she knew it had always been there. Just for so long, it hadn't been directed at her.
“And you're not going to corrupt your sister with that bullshit! Do you hear me? Now take off those clothes and get dressed properly, or you can walk right back out that door and not come back!”
Well. Lee had warned her. People were going to treat her differently.
“Trent, calm down, don't you think...” her mother started talking.
“Be quiet, woman! This is your fault for not cutting that perverted sister of yours out of your life! Your parents disowned her, why didn't you get the hint? She's not even human!”
Marion didn't often stand up to her husband, but if there was one thing that angered her, it was people attacking her family. “You're out of line, Trent! She's my sister, I don't agree with her life, but it's hers to live! I've known her all my life, I'm not going to turn my back on her, or my kids!”
Time slowed down as Trent moved his arm.
Cindy wanted to prevent it, but she was frozen. Trent backhanded his wife, and she fell to the floor.
Time moved again, and Cindy picked up the heavy glass ashtray from the coffee table and threw it at her dad's head. It made a loud thunk, before hitting the floor and breaking.
“You fucking whore! You're no child of mine!” Trent screamed, and blood ran down his forehead. He lunged for Cindy, but she wasn't standing still. She sidestepped him easily.
'Just like on the court. You've got the ball, don't let him take it from you'. That inner voice said.
Cindy bounded onto the coffee table, and with the extra two feet of height, was able to leap off it and deliver a 'superman punch' to her father's head. She'd never tried something like that before, but she'd seen MMA fighters do it.
Her fist connected with a sickening crunch, and Trent went down to one knee. But size does matter, and he grabbed her by the front of her shirt with one giant hand, slamming her to the ground.
“I'm going to kill you, you little whore!” He roared.
She kicked, she bit, she fought with every ounce of her strength, but he was choking the life out of her. Then she hear a loud noise.
Trent let her go, howling in pain. Cindy could see her mother behind her father, holding a baseball bat.
“Don't you dare hurt my child!”
Dimly, she heard Alison screaming, and Trent punched his wife in the jaw.
Cindy struggled to move but couldn't. “Dan...talyon...” she managed to say.
Alison had a knife and she stabbed it at her father, but he grabbed her hand, and squeezed hard enough that bones ground against each other, and her sister screamed. He went to punch her, when a delicate, female hand caught his strike in it's palm.
Lee was there and she looked furious. “Please tell me you weren't about to hit my friend?”
“Who the hell are you?”
Lee smiled, showing her teeth. “Who the Hell, indeed.” She hit Trent with a lazy palm strike in his chest. He flew back to slam into the far wall, slumping to the floor, his breath whooshing out of his lungs.
Lee paused only briefly to touch Cindy gently on her head, before moving forward, like a great cat stalking it's prey.
“Your soul is sick, Trent. It's so filled with hate that you've turned on your own family. Normally, this would be a statistic. Just another incident of violence in the home. Maybe you'd put your wife in the hospital. Or your child. Maybe you would do more than that.
But you made a big mistake, Trent. YOU ATTACKED THAT WHICH IS MINE!” She kicked him in the jaw, and blood and some of his teeth flew out of his mouth.
“And that slight, I will NOT tolerate.”
Cindy managed to get to her feet. Alison was crying, holding their mother. She looked to her mistress.
It was Lee's face, but Dantalyon, Duke of Hell, stared out of it. “Bring them to my home. Winrya will help you. This one is mine.”
Cindy nodded and helped Alison get their mother to the car.
She never saw her father alive again.