We, Rei and I, decided that the best way to explore the seaside town fully was to split up and meet back at the hotel around noon for lunch. Departing from the restaurant, I glanced at Rei, toward, "See you later," and choosing a direction, I headed toward what I was sure the edge of town, keeping an eye out as I went for any sign of life.
When I reached the edge of the town, having climbed a minour incline, I turned about in place and glanced back at the seaside resort, thinking that it almost looked like the place where my family had gone camping off the coast of North Carolina, reminding myself as I took in the view that that had been an island and this was clearly something landlocked. Seeing a couple house nearby, and thinking that one of them look familiar but unsure exactly which one and why, I figured that was as good a place to start my search.
Approaching the row of house, I pondered over how I was exactly supposed to search for any occupants and whether they would see me as a girl, like Rei saw me, or would they see me as a boy wearing girl's clothing. Suddenly conscious of my appearance, I paused and glancing about, seeing and hearing nobody, I adjusted my pants and underwear so that my penis and testicles were tucked between my legs.
Satisfied that at least down there it at least looked flat enough to pass for a girl, I continued and approaching, I had once again that sense that there was something familiar about these house and that one in particular I should know.
Mounting the three steps up to the first of the houses, I reached forward and knocking on the door, I called out, "Anybody home," feeling foolish as I did so.
Away from the door, I peered through the large bay window and took in the plastic covered furniture, knowing that if there was anybody here, they either had just recently moved in or where doing some type of cleaning that required plastic sheets. Stepping away from the window, I glanced up and down the porch for a moment, took the three steps down in one leap and headed around back.
When I was satisfied that I was correct that nobody was home, I headed for the next house and instead of knocking, I peered through the windows in front, noted that a lot of the furniture was covered in dust and heading for the front door, I tried the handle, which I found would not turn as the front entrance was locked. Turning away from the house, I peered out at the street and the row of houses across the way and thought, "This is waste of time. There's nobody here but Rei and I," and heading toward the next house, I figured I would try three or four more house and if nothing turned up, I would either head for the next block or just go and find Rei.
Approaching the next house, I stopped and stared at it, taking in the fading tan coloured paint and the peeling white trim, suddenly realising that this was the house that we had stayed in when we had gone on holiday. Unsure how this was possible, I headed around the side of the house to confirm my suspicions and the moment I saw the rusting DeLorean that somebody had crashed into the tree between the two houses and had not bothered to move, the lean-to tipping precariously because one of the two posts holding it up had also been busted.
Shocked and wondering what was going on here, I head around back and took in the enclosed backyard, noting the familiar looking shed that I had played in and pretended that it had been my fort, knowing that if I were to look inside, I would see the same broken gardening tools and smell the same scent of summer's past.
Turning away, I headed back the way I came, wanting only to get away, unsure why this house was bothering me in such a way, confused as to why it would be here, I stopped and instead took a deep breathes and leaned against the auto, staring up at the rotting boards that made up the lean-to's roof. Straightening up, I made a quick decision to peek inside and then leave and figuring this was the best course of action, I stated for the front door, stopped, did an about-face and headed for the back door.
As I approached the back door, I asked myself, "What do you hope to discover," but unable to come up with an answer, I instead squatted down and took the hidden key out from underneath the potted plant and putting it in the lock, I turned it and the then knob.
Pushing open the back door, I peered into the kitchen, taking in the open space of wall that used to have a pair of shutters covering the section, but had been ripped out at some point during our summer stay, knew that on the other side was the combination dining room and living room, and shutting the door behind me, I instead headed toward my left, where there was a short hallway and four rooms; three bedrooms and a bathroom.
Stopping at the first open door, I peered in, taking in what was clearly my parent’s bedroom, complete with a couple suitcases sitting inside the open closet. Stepping, I glanced about, taking in the all that was familiar to me when I had been twelve years old, realising that at this point in my life, my mother was still alive and that this would probably be the last time I really spent any time with her as a couple tears slid down my cheeks and I moved a couple more steps forward, stopping just a bit from the side of the bed my mother slept on.
As I reach out to touch the area before I decide, and after a moment, unsure why I even thought to do such a thing, I lay down, the tears that I crying coming more and more as I breath in the scents that remind me of my mother, wishing suddenly she was there and had not died a year later. Shifting a bit, I bring the sheet up over me and hugging the pillow, I lay there for a moment, not really wanting to go anywhere, wondering why I was being shown this particular spot and how I had been drawn into the world of Choose Your Own Change.
After a moment, I pushed away the sheet and sitting up, I brushed angrily at the tears, wishing that my mother was still with me, but understanding that she wasn't and shant be with me for some time, perhaps never. Taking a deep breath, feeling myself calming, I stand and take one final look around my parents room, wondering if I should take something to help me remember my mother, deciding in the end that it would be better if I left everything as it was as I walked across the room, stopped, kicked off the ankle socks and low-top shoes I was wearing, picked them up and then exited the room, enjoying the feeling of the carpet on the soles of my feet.
Down the hallway I moved, knowing that the next room I would come to was my room and that inside I would find stuff that I had brought with me when we first came here and passing the room, I paused long enough to think about putting back on my shoes, figured I didn't need to and approaching the bathroom, I dropped the shoes next to the door, stuffed the socks inside and continued on, knowing who the final room belonged to even before I reached the doorway.
Peering in, I took in my fourteen year old sister's room, noting that it was the same way Erin had it set up when we visited that island off the coast of North Carolina. Feeling drawn for some reason into the bedroom, I took another look down the hallway and then entered my sister's room, something I know for sure I never would have done when I was twelve.
As I stood there, breathing in the scents of the perfume she wore at the time, the smell of baby-powder and a couple unfamiliar odours, I glanced about, noting that one of her skirts was laid out on the seat of a chair and a shirt that matched it was laid out over the back of the chair. Approaching the garment, I picked up the skirt and the shirt and breathed in the scent of Erin, wishing that she was here as well, knowing that if she was, I would tell her how much I like her clothes and wished that I too could wear them.
Turning away from the chair, still holding the skirt and shirt, I headed for her closet and opening it, I found the mirror that somebody had hung there and peering at my reflection, thinking that my face really did not look that feminine for some reason, I reached up and took off the bucket cap and dropped it to the floor.
Still holding my sister's clothes in one hand, I reached back with my free hand and gently pulled on the hair piece, freeing my hair and running a hand through my hair, I undid the braid as well. Glancing at the skirt and shirt, I suddenly found myself wanting to wear them and hanging them on the hook next to the mirror, I slowly begin to remove the clothes that I am currently wearing, standing naked before the mirror after a couple seconds, my penis and testicles still tucked between my legs.
Curious, and rather confused as to why I suddenly wanted to wear clothes that looked like they belonged to Erin when she was fourteen, I turn away from the mirror and walk away, deciding that maybe I should just clear my head. Approaching the dresser instead, I open the top drawer and take out one of Erin's bras, note that it had a piece between the cups to fasten it closed instead of in back, and not giving it a second thought, I slipped the bra on and fastened the pieces together, pausing long enough to find the inserts Erin had worn between the age of twelve and fifteen.
Heading back to the mirror, my privates still tucked between my legs, I shifted my posture, thought how much like a girl I looked, suddenly realised what I was doing and how much I did not want to be doing what it was I was doing and instead reached for the skirt and slipped it on, the waistline I noticed having some elastic band to keep it up, while the skirt itself did not fall past my knees, but stopped about three quarters down my upper legs.
As I ran a hand over the soft, cotton fabric, liking the crinkle-like appearance and the medium to light colour, I reached for the shirt and slipping it on, I adjusted it so that what was supposed to be seen was seen and what was not supposed to be seen was unseen.
Afterward, I turned my attention back to the mirror, shifted the sleeves about, attempted to decide if I really liked the off-the-shoulder look the shirt gave and wondered if it was okay that the bra straps could be seen. Looking away from the mirror, I squatted down and picked up the clothes I had been wearing before and after a moment I tossed them into the pile of dirty clothes, figuring that I liked the outfit I was wearing better.
As I turned back to look in the mirror, there was suddenly a bright blue flash behind me and as I spun around, I heard somebody exclaim, "Oh, my, god! Erin you've got to see this," as there was another bright blue flash, I suddenly realised that, somehow, Erin's best friend Beatrice had just walked in with a camera, much like the one she had carried with her when my family had go on holiday.