Taking a deep breath, Alice began to tell her story and the events from her childhood.
"I remembered something Friday. It concerned my father and my family. When I was about six, I walked in on my father. He was stark naked and muttering about how his life had been a complete waste. Holding out what I now know to be the Amulet of Zulo, he touched it to a pair of underwear meant for a little boy. Before my very eyes, he shrank down and regressed to that of a seven year male. This sort of thing caused all sorts of problems for my mother and after awhile, the boy that had been my father was taken away. Mama said he was put in an orphanage, but I have no idea if that's true.
"My life continued onward as if nothing had ever happened and I soon forgot about what had ever occurred. But I must stop in my narrative and explain something.
"My name is not Alice Punnit, it's actually Bobby McQuery. You see, when I witnessed my fathers transformation, I was also male. I remember now, though somethings tells that something or someone wanted those memories blocked out. My own transformation happened when I was about twelve and at summer camp.
"A friend of mine, one Winston Goldstein, once showed me a medallion, telling me these strange stories of how it could transform you into anyone else.
"At first I was sceptic and not willing to believe. Telling me to bring my girlfriend, he said he would meet me in cabin five in one hour and prove it. My girlfriend's name was Dana Serwinski and at first I had some difficulty in convincing her to come up to the cabin with me. She kept thinking that I wanted to do something with her that wasn't up to the rules and regulations of the camp.
"Finally I managed to convince to come with me and we met Winston and his girlfriend, an Alice Punnit up at cabin five. Leading us in, he showed us the amulet and explained what it could do. We all at first didn't believe and so Winston made a bet. Taking out some dice he'd carved, a couple of 1D4's, he said we would all row until we each got a separate number. Then who ever rolled a one would be paired with two and three with four. We would each turn into one another until about a week from the end of summer camp.
"Conversing amongst ourselves, we finally agreed and each took a dice. Shaking it, fearing that a counselor would walk in on us, we dropped the dice. And kept doing this until we had all rolled separate numbers.
"As you might have figured out, I got paired with Alice and Winston got paired with Dana. Wondering how to do this, Alice finally came up with an idea and led me to the showers attached to the cabin.
"Inside she told me to pick a shower stall and strip. Picking one, I undressed and standing naked in the shower, I handed my clothes to Alice who handed her clothes to me. Next taking the Amulet of Zulo that Winston had handed me, I touched it to Alice's clothes. A blue spark leapt from the clothes and into me. What followed next was strange for me as I watched my prepubescent penis and testicles shrink and then fold up into my body. As the area between my legs split apart and my privates began to grow in a new location, I watched as my chest slowly moved outward into that of an A cup.
"Shrinking down about three inches I than felt my hair lengthen and I when I saw it I watched at it turned the same shade of colour that Alice had. With in minutes, the transformation was complete and I handed the medallion to the real Alice and then started to put on her, now my, clothes. The only thing I had problems with at first was the bra, but in the end I managed.
"Feeling slightly ridiculous because I was wearing clothes meant for a girl I stepped out and came face to face with my former self. Giggling, we both walked shyly back into the main room and I watched Bobby give the amulet to Dana and Winston. Disappearing into the showers, the two were back after about ten minutes and Winston, who was now Dana, was complaining about Dana wearing a bathing suit under her shorts and shirt.
"We were just about to start talking amongst when the cabin door opened and Counselor Jordan entered and started bawling us out for being in a cabin unsupervised.
"Hurrying us out, Dana I went to swim practice. I had to stop and get my bathing suit, and I watched as Winston and Bobby were given over to another counselor. After that we barely saw each other for the rest of summer and when I saw Bobby again, it was usually in a large group.
"Then it happened. You know camps and how there are sometimes accidents. Well Bobby and Winston had really adjusted to their new lives. One day, they and about four other boys found a bee's nest and had started pestering it. When the bee's swarmed, Bobby figured it would be good idea to hide in the lake. Not paying attention to what was going on, he ran for his life as the bee's stung him. If he'd paid attention, Winston and another boy might still be alive. But he failed to notice anything and jumping in the lake on the wrong side and wound up getting tangled in the weeds the counselors warned us about.
"Three boys, Bobby, Winston and another that I can't remember the name off, died that day and the rest wound up being rushed to the hospital too be treated for bee stings.
"Scared, I only had Dana who knew the predicament we were in. We couldn't change back because of the bodies recovered. We couldn't tell anyone, because they would think we were making up stories. Finally, we settled on one thing; reclaiming the Amulet of Zulo.
"Having recovered the amulet from Winston's stuff, we were now somewhat prepared to face out new lives, just without Alice and Dana's memories. About a week before we left camp, reality reminded me of how difficult it is to be a girl as I got my first period. And then after camp, something really weird started to happen.
"It was about two months later and I had started Junior High. Dana and I still talked to each, but it was about then that we slowly began to drift away. The only real thing that kept us together was a shared transformation and the stranger.
"I saw him one day walking home from school. Something in me screamed about the fact that I was a female and this guy wanted to kidnap me. Eventually I brought Dana in on this. One day we came up with a plan and cornering the man and demanded to know who he was and what he wanted with me.
"The man, who we saw as an elderly gentleman, refused to give us his name, but said that he wanted to help us adjust.
"Thinking he was some type of pervert, we refused and the stalking continued until once again we cornered him and threatened him with the police. Getting a hurt look on his face, he reiterated that he only wanted to help. Sick and tired of being chased, Dana demanded to know what he wanted.
"Looking at both of us, he asked to see the Amulet of Zulo. Suspicious, I took it out and handed it to him.
"I don't know really what happened next, but what I do remember is the man pulling a wand out and running it over the medallion and then us, pronouncing us to be healthy. Afterward, he pulled out a device and pointing at us, the world grew fuzzy.
"When everything cleared, the man was gone, I had Alice's memories and Dana and I were walking home talking about a cute guy we saw at school.
"I eventually forgot about all this and grew up. Dana and I drifted apart and haven't spoke to each other in years. Eventually I got married and had Denise, Declan, Karen and Katie. And now as I tell this story, I know what happened to Micheal Anderson, my husband.
"He came home, showing me an artifact he had found in a pawn shop. Had I remembered, I would have recognized it as the Amulet of Zulo. Days later, Mike disappeared and I simply got a letter in the mail, saying he'd run off with a cocktail waitress and would send me checks to help support the children. At the time, I figured this was the truth of the matter, seeing how unhappy he was.
"And then the amulet made it's way back into our life again when Declan became daisy and so on and so forth."
Folding her hands in her lap, she looked like she was on the verge of tears. Looking at the doctor Alice asked, "My husband didn't run off with no cocktail waitress, did he? And the man that confronted us and took the amulet from me was a member of Zulo, correct?"
Doctor Mezzner leaned back in her chair and looked thoughtful for a minute and then said, "The man that confronted you and Dana was my predecessor, Frank. Sometimes called the Gentleman, but nobody can explain why." With this said, she stood and walked to a filing cabinet and pulled a file from inside.
Sitting back down, she opened the file and said, "What I'm about to reveal is labeled as confidential. It concerns you and your family. It also concerns the offer I'm about to give you."
Taking a deep breath, Doctor Mezzner continued. "Your father used the amulet to transform himself into a younger version of himself and was indeed put up for adoption. Your husband, Mike didn't run off with a cocktail waitress, but used the amulet in a way we never thought possible. He used it on a Halloween costume and transformed himself into a fairy. Though it was accidental, Mike has adjusted, renamed herself Michelle and now lives in an alternate dimension."
"You can do that?" Alice asked.
Nodding the doctor said, "The amount of devices we have here can do so many different things. In theory, we could create ourselves a whole new universe. But we won't because it is not the will of Zulo. Now, you have more connections with the medallion the what you say and realize."
"Such as?" Miss. Punnit asked.
Sighing, Doctor Mezzner continued. "Both you and Bobby ran into the Amulet of Zulo. Alice's grandfather on her father's side used the medallion to alter himself. The same thing happened to one of your cousin and one of Bobby's aunts. I also point out that some off your neighbors also have come into contact with the Amulet of Zulo. Leslie Zimmermann, Rachael McTaber and Donald Pfaster just to name a few."
Alice sat in silence, taking in all this information, wondering what to do. Looking at the doctor, she said, "What's the offer."
Doctor Mezzner grinned and said, "Sometimes, like Keith here, we run into people that we don't have a home to place them in. They usually wait here in the building until they can be placed. About half of these people are children. Now, we're not saying you should take all of them, but what we propose is that you become a member and help us. Help us in the capacity that you would be one of the first foster parents we set up to assist us."
Alice was stunned. This was the last thing she expected, her becoming a member and being a foster parent until they Order of Zulo could place the ones that had no home right away, like Keith.
Before she could finish this train of thought, Doctor Mezzner interrupted her thoughts and said, "But first we must deal with Keith."
Looking at the little girl, she asked, "Do you still want to be a boy or are you happy being a girl named Kathy?"
Kathy looked thoughtful and when some pieces of her old life drifted back in, she finally asked, "Will I grow up to be like the other girls I saw at high school? Because if I stay a girl, I don't want to grow up like that."
The doctor smiled and said, "No. Chances are very, very good that you'll still grow up to be very, very intelligent. This intelligence, something you'll hold onto all your life, will allow you to escape the lifestyle a lot of those young woman choose to follow. I guarantee that you will be happy. But I don't want to seem like I'm pushing you, so I can offer that you'll also be very happy if you grew up as a boy, this time with no abusive parents."
Kathy sat in silence and pieces of her old life drifted back to her, although they were hard to hold onto. She knew that originally she didn't want to be a girl, but biology and a weekend as a girl, playing with four other girls in activities normal for a female child had altered that idea. Looking at the doctor, she unconsciously played with the edge of her dress and nodding said, "I'll remain as Kathy."
The doctor nodded and removed from two of the desk drawers a stack of papers and the metal wand. Looking at Miss. Punnit, Dr. Mezzner asked, "I don't suppose you have the amulet?"
Alice shook her head, which was greeted by a hurmphing noise from the doctor, who stood and escorted Kathy over to the exam table. After pronouncing her to be healthy, Dr. Mezzner took a seat behind the desk and began to fill out the forms. After filing all the documents, Dr. Mezzner handed an envelope to Miss. Punnit, who would be Kathy's temporary guardian until a parent or parents could be found.
Next, Kathy was given a treat, another pink bracelet, for being such a good girl. Than the doctor looked at Alice and asked, "Have you decided or do you require more time?"
Alice opened her mouth and said to Dr. Mezzner, "I decide to......