"Pssst! You, over here, inside the mail box." You move over to the mail box, sure enough, you see a pair of sinister eyes peering back at your from the darkness. He scans left, and then right, not trusting a single shadow. Finally, he looks back at you. "The man who eats bamboo.", he says cryptically. You ask him to repeat the question. "Your response is close enough. I am Code Name D. My mission in life, is to bring you the best fan fic's that can be smuggled onto the net. Here is my latest work." He hands you a manila envelope titled, "Tarry 1/2 : Here's Tarry." "Shhh. Don't read it out loud. "Who is Tarry 1/2? Well, you see, when two people are born at the same time at opposite ends of the planet, they share the same fate. Thus as Ranma was destined to be cursed to become a girl at the springs of Josinkyou, in China. Tarry Clearwater was also equally destined to be cursed to become a boy in a haunted bog in Argentina. And who is equally miffed at her mother for dragging here there in the first place. "So you see, there not really my characters. They belong to the Goddess of the Ranma 1/2 universe, Rumiko Takahashi. She owns Ranma and all his, or her friends. It's copyrighted you know. Of course, she didn't make any of the characters in this story, but they were inspired by her characters, and using their situations, too. So they are hers. Alright. So quit splitting hairs. If you don't, you'll make her mad. And she will find out." Code Name D's eye's shift again as he searches for prying eyes. He then raises a hand to his face to confine his next words. "She has spies everywhere." "Moshi moshi." You look to your left, to see a friendly looking Japanese Copyright agent standing next to you with a wide smile on his face. With an unoiled clank, Code Name D closed the mail slot to return to his hiding place. "Enjoy", he says from inside the mail box. Tarry 1/2 #1: Here's Tarry. -------------------------- Written by Douglas E. Kulp Inspired by the characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi. Transportation by Code Name D. < + + + + + + > The rain was over with, and one by one, the towns folk began to emerge from their homes to examine the new day, bright and clean. Many resumed their chores that were interrupted as they fled into the shops and stores along main street, and were just starting to step out onto the side walk. Then, in the distance, along the road leading to town, came an and old beat up jeep. No one took notice of it until it reached the outskirts of town, where it suddenly became of grave concern. It looked to be a land rover, with no top on it, so the occupants were probably soaking wet from the rainfall. That might explain why the vehicle swerved so chaotically and fratically all over the road. When it finally rocketed onto main street, the fleeing pedestrians saw a truly bizarre sight: A boy fighting for control of the wheel with a large, white bear. The land rover suddenly veered to the right, hitting the street curb that knocked it back onto the road. The land rover then did several 360's before coming to rest at the base of the ten foot tall statue of the town's founder. The Boy then did a remarkable thing, and kicked the bear out of the jeep. "You can just forget about this scam of yours. I am having no part in it!" he shouted at the bear. He then stepped out of the land rover, and started walking back the way he came from. "You can take this twisted money making scheme of yours, and sit on it for all I care, you old bat. I am going back to Argentina! So you can just go to hell for all I care." With that, the boy turned his back on the bear. The bear then slowly rose to its feet. It then pulled a no-parking sign from out of the pavement, and whacked the boy over the top of the head with it. It returned to the rover, and pushed the unconscious boy into the passenger seat, then climbed in behind the steering wheel. "What in tarnation?" some one said, "That ain't no polar bear. That sucker is an albino grisly." "What's a grisly doing in Dirt Hill?" someone said. This comment prompted a lot of chatter among the towns folk, even as the white grisly tried to restart the rover. This of course drew more chatter and gasps from the crowd. "Did it escape from the circus?" "Shouldn't some one call 911?" "Maybe the boy is the bears trainer?" The land rover refused to start, with the engine probably having been flooded. The bear was then forced to tolerate the mummers and gasps of the closing crowd for a few more minutes, until it's patients wore thin. It then gave out a quick and loud growl to ether side. Every one suddenly decided that their chores were more important. The bear tried the ignition again, started the land rover, and quickly drove out of town, like a blind bat out of a burning hell. < + + + > It finally came. At long last, it finally came. Cindy Darenger felt that she was grinning so hard as she looked at the post card, that her face might split in half. She turned it over, and inspected the brief note on the other side. Then turned it over again to look at the Spanish donkey that adorned the other side of the card. As Cindy read, her wide smile of glee, slowly, and ever so lightly, began to show a hint of malevolence. She stood up from the dining room table, and began to look for her boys. The first should be outside. She crossed through the living room, outside to the large front porch that bordered half the main house. The rain had stopped moments before, but it was still cool and misty. She looked over the large stretch of Darenger Ranch that she inherited from her father. On the other side of the back access road, she saw the machine shed, the wood shed, two large carports that were stuffed with bailed hay and barley, and a big red barn that had become the center of the ranch in the past few days. Defieing the weather, Cindy could see her eldest son, standing atop a long ladder and making some repairs to the barn roof. Cindy reached over, took the chimer for the dinner bell in hand, and gave it a loud ring. "Hey Dusty! Come into the house! I need to talk with you!" In the distance, Dusty put down his hammer, and the latest bundle of shingles. He then obediently nodded to his mother. "I'll be there in a moment mom!", he shouted back. Beaming with pride for her eldest son, Cindy went back inside. She then went upstairs to the study, where she could hear sounds of a CD player, blaring out the latest Country and Western tunes. "Hey Cash, are you in there?", Cindy said, gently rapping on the study door. A moment later, and the door opened and she discovered a smartly dressed Cash Darenger, dancing by himself as if there was a girl waltzing in his arms. "What do you want Mother?" he said. "I need to show you something in the dinning room," Cindy said. "Sure. I'll be down as soon as this song is done," Cash said. It won't take but a moment." Cindy then went across the hallway to her youngest sun's door to his room. It was adorned only with a flat wood crane with her son's name written in Japanese, a joke some one had played on him a few years back. "Redd? Are you in here?", she said as she opened the door. But all she saw was the typical boys room. She frowned slightly, and continued her search. Her next stop was the kitchen. "Redd? Redd Anthony Darenger!" she said as she called out for him, "Where is that boy?" < + + + > At that moment, a young man warring a green colored apron leaned over a long row of expertly cultivated crysanthemums. It was peacefully quiet in the green house at the moment. The perfect place to sit and think to one self. "Hmmm.", he said with a frown as he looked over one plant in particular. "Not to worry, this won't hurt a bit.", he said with a warm smile. He then reached foreword and plucked a sick looking sprout from the main plant with a pair of clippers. "There, all better." It was at that moment that the outside door was opened. "So this is where you are Redd.", Cash said as he stepped inside and out of the rain, closing the door behind him. "You know, this is exactly the sort of reason why all the girls at your school think that you're so weird." "Ha.", Redd snapped as he folded his arms, "It just so happens, for your information, that not every one thinks that the whole world revolves around.... girls.", Redd said, looking genuinely cross. "Oh no? Then perhaps this wouldn't interest you then, would it?" Cash said, "Come on, mother wants to tell us something. She says that it has something to do with the Gym." < + + + > The large doors that lead outside from the dining room were thrown open, letting a much needed breeze come in. The storm gutters where still slowly trickling water into the old horse trough that was just outside. Cash and Redd shed their outdoor garments on the back porch, then entered through the kitchen as they usually did. They then pushed over the double old west style door that lead into the dinning room where they saw Dusty and there mother already seated and waiting for them. Mother, as usual, was staring sternly at Redd, half from disappointment, and half from anger. "Don't tell me that you were in the green house again. In the rain?!", she said, "Redd Anthony Darenger, we are going to have a long talk, you and I." "Gee mom.", Dusty said, "I don't see what your problem is. I kind of like his flower garden." "And the vegetables that he raises fetch a nice price at the market," Cash said as he took his seat at the table. "Lissen you two, I don't need you encouraging him. He's black sheep enough as it is.", Cindy said, "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about. Boy's, I think our problems are over," she said, "I just got a letter from an old friend. We go way back. Her name is Kelley Clearwater. Any way, she had a daughter, and there both coming here to live with us for a while to help us out with the new Gym." "Exactly how are they going to help, Mother?", Redd asked. "They agreed to be instructors for the new Gym. Female instructors no less," Cindy said. He then looked at the letter again before continuing. "They have both been on a long training journey. Traveling all of the Americas, as far south as the Cape of Good Hope, and I under stand that they are very skilled martial artists, studying all the fighting skills that they could find in this hemisphere. And Kelley tells me that Tarry is rather attractive as well, so they'll have this thing packed in no time. So I want you boys to be extra nice to Tarry. Really make her feel at home," Cindy said with a wide smile. But when she opened her eye's, and saw that all three of her sons were looking back at her, rather expectantly. Cash then folded his arms in his usual sarcastic manner while Dusty sighed. "What?", Cindy said, still smiling. "What are you up too this time, mother.", Redd said. "Me? Have a hidden agenda? Boys, I am hurt that you think so little of me", Cindy said, "I'm your mother after all." "Yeah, right.", Cash said, "We all know about your compulsive need to play Cupid, mother. You're probably just wanting to marry one of us off to this Tarry person." "Okay! I get the picture.", Cindy snapped, "I don't need a barn to drop on my head. It just brakes my heart to see that all of my boys are still undiscovered by the opposite sex. That's all. Motherly concern, nothing more. Especially you Redd. Your father would roll in his grave if he ever heard your attitude about girls. "But what about Dr. Tenner?" Dusty said. "Or the fact that half the girls at school want to date me," Cash said. Then, every one looked at Redd, who can only look back. "What?" Redd said. Cash sighed, as mother looked on. "You've been marked by fate brother," Cash said to Redd. Suddenly, there was the sound of a car horn from outside, promoting Cindy to stand up. "That must be them," she said excitedly. Every one quickly moved to the front porch. There, coming up the driveway, was an old, beat up, gray land rover. It looked like it was taken directly from the planes of Africa, in that it was dented, and had its spare tire placed on its all too flat looking hood. It had no top on it, or even a windshield. Written in crudely painted letters on the front fender were the words "The Anti Christ". It's motor continued to idle sickly as it finally came to a stop, and its occupants got out. It was then that Cindy's eye's grew so wide, that they would have fallen from their sockets if she leaned too far forward. Each of the three Darenger brothers was equally stunned with the sight that they saw. At the wheel of the jeep, was... a bear. A large bear that was actually driving. At first glance, it looked like a polar bear, but it's features made it look like a grisly bear. An albino grisly bear, driving a jeep. Suddenly, a young man leaped out from the back seat. He was wearing a gray pull over T-shirt and a pair of light blue sweat pants that came up too high on his shins. No more than his sandals touch the ground, when he started to hop. His hands were tied behind his back and his legs were bound together. "I still say the whole thing sucks, so you can count me out of this! I wont no part of this scheme of yours, you old battle ax!" The bear then instantly jumped out of the drivers seat and tackled to defenseless boy. "Put me down! Put me down right now you ugly wench! Do you here me!", he continued to rant. It turned out that the bear wasn't attacking him, but throwing him over its shoulder. With its captive secure, it walked over in its hind legs up to the porch. Without a single growl, it stepped onto the porch, and placed the boy in front of every one. He couldn't have been older than seventeen, the same age as Redd. His hair was done up in a short pony tail that just came over his left shoulder, giving him something of a rugged rebel image. Suddenly, Cindy shook herself out of her state of shock. "Just who the heck are you, and what you doing on my property!", Cindy blared. The young man only lowed his head, almost as if he was ashamed for some reason. "I'm Tarry Clearwater.", he said, "Sorry about this." "T-T-Tarry?", Cindy said, "Tarry is a.. a.. boy?" She then began to sway dangerously, and then fainted completely. It never accrued to her sons that she needed to caught, and fell all the way to the porch. The three Darenger Brothers continued to stair at the bizarre pair. "Well,", Redd suddenly said, "Let's not just sit here like bumps on a log, let's show him in, All right." Cash hefted mother back up to her feet, while Dusty went out to the jeep and collected two soggy bedrolls and back packs to bring them out of the cold rain. Meanwhile Redd showed Tarry inside. Then the darnedest thing happened. The bear came in as well. "Don't worry about her.", Tarry said, "She's well trained." Tarry then angrily glared at the bear for some strange reason. And for some reason, Redd could have sworn that the bear understood the insult, and glared back. Even so, it was remarkable well behaved. Regardless, Redd was not about the argue with a 800 pound grisly bear, albino or not. Every one went into the living room, where mother was propped up in a rocking chair to recover, mumbling slightly. When she finally came too, she began too look around. Dusty and Cash were standing by her side while Redd and Tarry sat on the couch, looking on. The albino bear only stood quietly in the corner of the room. Immediately, Cindy's eye's fell on Tarry, she grew long faced. "A... boy."., Cindy said meekly, "I'm so disappointed." "What did I tell you.", Cash said, "She really was expecting to set one of us with this Tarry so she could marry us off." Dusty sighed as Cash held out his hand, expecting it to be filled. "You lose again.", Cash said, "Fork it over, older brother. 25¢." With a sigh, Dusty dug into his pockets and produced a quarter. While there mother growled at the though to being the butt of someone's bet. "I was not planning on marrying you off. It's just I assumed that Kelley's daughter would be a girl," Cindy said. "Well I only have one question.", Cash said, then turning towards Tarry, "Are you supposed to be out new gym instructor?" Tarry only sighed. "I suppose so," he said sadly. "Why not.", Cash said, "Besides, I would think a boy would better appeal to clientele for martial art's any way." "Hey!" Tarry said as there was a suddenly looked cross, "What is that supposed to mean?" That's when the bear did something else strange. It slapped its face with its paw. Tarry saw the bears strange gesture, and only hurumped. "Never mind her. The old battle ax must be a mentally retarded bear or something." The bear, again as if understanding what was said, moved forward to confront Tarry, who rose from the couch to confront it, growling at each other. "So, driving in the rain like that, you must be soaked.", Redd said, "I imagine you want a hot shower." Redd's suggestion broke up the fight between boy and bear, and Tarry looked back at Redd with a strange look. A little unsure of himself for some reason. "Yeah, I would like one very much. Thank you." "Redd," Cash said, "Are you sure that's a good idea?" "Nonsense, who ever heard of a Darenger that wasn't hospitable to strangers," Redd said. He then turned to Tarry, and offered him a firm handshake. "The name is Redd Darenger. Glad to have you onboard. Now I will show you to the shower." Redd then lead Tarry upstairs. Leaving his two brothers, and his still stunned mother down stairs in the living room. Even as Cash whistled that first few bars to the X-Files. "So, you've been as far as the Straits of Magellan?", Redd said, making small talk. "Yeah, I guess so.", Tarry said. The way he said it made it like it was no big deal. "It must be exciting, going to all those far away places.", Redd said, leading him to the bathroom. "Believe me, Exciting is not the word I would use.", Tarry said, with a somewhat weary tone in his voice. "Anyway, you can sleep in the study. I will just have to fold out the bed for you. But before then, I will make you something to eat. Some home made soup, or maybe even some chili," Redd said. Tarry looked at him strangely. "Excuse me?", he said. "Well, I'm sort of the self proclaimed cook.", Redd said, "I'm rather good. Won a few awards at the county fair. I was just thinking that maybe a good home cooked meal might smooth things over a bit." Tarry then offered him a weak smile, the first one he seen on him yet. "Thanks. That's very sweet.", he said. Then his smile changed oddly. Becoming warmer, "I would like that." Redd's eyes flew open at Tarry's less than formal expression. "Sure, ah. On the way to the bath room, Redd passed by the linen pantry. "Oops. There aren't any clean towels. I'll have to fetch them from the laundry room. Why don't you go ahead and get your shower started. I'll be in later to drop off the towels, and collect your wet things. Tarry nodded. "Thanks," he said. He then closed to door to the bathroom. < + + + > Tarry struggled to shed her tight clothing, and stood in the mirror in her full naked glory. She could barley tolerate to look at herself in this state. It didn't mater that it was a curse, that it wasn't her choice, or that there was no way to permanently reverse the effect. She still felt like a traitor to her kind. A traitor to her self. She couldn't help but stare in contempt at the handsom stranger that was looking back at her. All her life, she was taught, and then fought, to forge herself as an equal among women. And to forge herself as superior to men as was her right. To never have to rely on a man for any thing, save maybe affection. She closed her eye's, and calmed herself. No use crying about it now. One has to be strong. Now that she was naked, she stepped into the shower stall, and pulled the door closed. The water at first, ran cold. But as it warmed up, she could feel the change as it ran through her body. The transformation was instant. With some satisfaction, she saw the shower head jump up by about a half a foot or so, and she began to enjoy the hot shower in earnest, in her true form. But what next? She couldn't go out like this. But they would find out sooner or later. And her mother wasn't about to keep quiet about this. < + + + > Redd had completed the bed, and had laid out some of Dusty's clothes for Tarry. He then returned to the bathroom. Inside, he could still here the shower going. So without any further thought, he opened the door, and stepped inside. He saw Tarry's clothing shed on the floor, and began to gather them. < + + + > Oh well. I might as well as face the music sooner, rather than later. Tarry then closed the faucets, pulled the curtain open, and stepped out. < + + + > Redd had just spied a rather usual looking piece of underwear. It didn't look like a boy's garment for some reason. It was then he saw the shower certain being pulled open. There, stepping out of the shower, in all her glory, was a very well toned and shapely blond haired girl. Like a deer caught in the headlights, Redd froze in her presence, staring at her naked form. Then the girl's eye's met his, and all hell broke loose. < + + + > Cash had gone down stairs, and headed towards the kitchen to use the phone. He would have to pass through the dinning room to get there, and on the way, he saw his mom, talking with another woman who was wearing a denim shirt that was heavily decorated with cheap rhinestones, and alligator skinned boots. The two stared at each other in a strange manner, as if they had learned that a relative had died. "So that's it," he heard his mother say said, "The life of an explorer is a dangerous one indeed." Cash shrugged, and moved back into the living room where Dusty had just retrieved the last of there guests belongings from the land rover, and out of the weather. "Hey Dusty. Who as that strange woman in the dining room?" Cash said. "There's a strange woman in the dining room?" Dusty responded with something of a dumfounded look on his face. The two of them looked back into the living room. "P E R V E R T ! ! ! ! Y O U'R E A D E A D P E R S O N ! ! ! !" The high pitched scream cut the silence like a sonic boom. Then all manner of racket and commotion erupted from upstairs. The clamour seemed to tumble downstairs, and then made its way through the living room. "What in tarnation?" the strange woman said standing up from the dinning room table. Even as Dusty and Cash looked to the source of the disturbance. Both Dusty and Cash blinked in unison as Redd came sprinting through the dinning room, as if the fires of hell were on his heels.. He skidded to a halt next to the double half doors, then sprinted into the kitchen. "COME BACK HERE! ! ! ! ! SO THAT I CAN KILL YOU! ! ! ! !" Dusty and Cash turned back towards the living room, just in time to see a young blond haired girl sprint around the corner. She was sopping wet, clothed only in a bath towel, and had a seething growl upon her face. She skidded to a halt on the hardwood floor, then sprinted into the kitchen after Redd. There was then the sound of feed skidding on the kitchen linoleum floor, and then a dreadful crash. Dusty and Cash exchanged glances, and then charged into the kitchen, following their mother, and the yet unknown woman inside. There, all four were met with an odd sight. Redd was standing on the kitchen table, as if he had seen a mouse. His fingers were crossed together, in a make shift cross, as if he was trying to ward away a vampire. The girl lay in a heap upon the floor, with a pile of pots and pans on top her as she collided with the cooking utensil rack. The only thing that had not been destroyed was a book shelf with numerous, and heavy recipe books neatly placed there. But slowly, yet surely, gravity began to work the book shelf loose, causing numerous, heavy books to rain down on the mysterious girl. The woman sitting across from mother drew in a long breath, and sighed. "Every one, I want you to meet my daughter.", the woman said in a bold and commanding voice. "Get up and say hallo, you shmuck." The girl pushed herself to her feet, shrugged off the debris that had fallen on her, and stood up, still wearing nothing but her towel, that, and a frown. She briefly looked up at every one, and then looked back to the floor. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself now?" the woman said. "I'm Tarry Clearwater.", the young girl said in a week voice, "Sorry about this." Redd, still standing on the table, frozen in fear, only seemed to relax slightly. Then, the flimsy table that he was standing on, collapsed under his weight. < + + + > It was getting late. Outside, every one could see through the dinning room window that the rain had stopped, leaving behind a gray and dank sort of day in the setting Texas sun. Inside, the mood was damp as well. Nearly every one had taken up a seat at the dinning room table. Cindy sat at her usual head of the table. Dusty, Cash, and Redd also sat in there usual places, but were all staring at the two odd women who were now sitting at the other end of the table. Dusty looked on quietly, patiently waiting for the matter to make itself clear. Cash was leaning onto the table, his chin resting in one hand, while Redd was bluntly tapping a slow and deliberate rhythm. The as yet unintroduced older woman sat at the other end of the table. Her expression was a strong yet silent one. Revealing nothing. At her side, sat the self proclaimed female Tarry, who was now dressed in her usual clothing, consisting of loose fitting sweat pants, and a gray pull over T-shirt. Tarry starred blankly at the table, looking rather ashen and ashamed of herself for a yet unknown reason. "Boys, I want you to meet my friend, Kelly Clearwater, and her daughter, Tarry," Cindy said, finally breaking the silence. "Would some one like to explain to me, just what is going on here!", Redd demanded. "Are you really him? The boy we saw early?" Dusty asked quite calmly. Tarry only let out a long sigh. "Yep," she simply said. "This. . . is just too weird," Cash said, "How is this possible?" "Well, its something of a long story," Kelly said. She then stood up from her chair. "And the best way to tell a long story, is to start at the beginning, don't you think Tarry?" she said as she reached over, and picked up Tarry by the front of her shirt. "So why don't we start the show with a little demonstration!" With that, Kelly neatly shoulder tossed Tarry into the water filled horse trough just outside the front porch. Where Tarry promptly landed with a loud splash. Tarry suddenly stammered to the edge of the horse trough, then stood up. Clearly fuming mad. She was also now clearly a "he" as well. "What did you do that for?!" male Tarry hissed. All three Darenger brothers blinked on in confusion. "Tarry. . . is now a boy." Dusty needlessly stated. Kelly stepped out onto the front porch, beaming. "Yes sir. Tarry is now a boy. I always wanted a son," Kelly said, "And I didn't have to go through four hours of labor this time neither." "You're going to be seeing stars along with that son of yours in a minute you old battle axe!" male Tarry snapped as he grabbed a water filled bucket, and doused her mother with it. Suddenly, standing in Kelly's place, with her ten gallon hat askew, stood a towering, and some what stunned, albino grisly bear. "You're a fine one to talk you circus throw rug," male Tarry quipped, "My old lady is a bleached grisly." "Grrrrrr" Kelly grizzly said as she hunkered down with mean look in her eye. The two began to bat at each other. Once again, all three brothers looked on in total befuddlement. "S. . . s. . . she. . . . just turned into a grizzly," Dusty stammered. "They haven't always been like this you know," Cindy said, "Something happened to them when they were in Argentina. We'll give them a bit to calm down, then try to make some sense is this. And perhaps some coffee." A few moments passed and every one was finally back in their chair, and back in their true form. Kelly still wore a strong, yet silent expression. Tarry on the other hand, glowered angrily at her mother. With a look that could kill. "Yep, it's truly a fascinating story," Kelly said, "A tale of daring do, great danger, lighting reflexes, where quick and cool wits mean the difference between life and death. Where..." Tarry then looked to other way then folded her arms in an unimpressed manner. "Where a stupid foreigner who doesn't speak Spanish, and is as gullible as two year old, is taken for a bath." "Hey! Just who is telling this story any way, you or me?" Kelly snapped, "Any way, It all happened three months ago. Tarry and I were in the mountainous ranges of Argentina, looking for the Legendary Lost Cities of Gold. We, and a guide that we had hired had been traveling for many days, when... < + + + > The Anti Christ recklessly swerved it way along a bumpy and barely visible path that was nestled into the thick groves of the jungle.. It's gears grinding away as it crawled it's way up where not every four wheeled machine would have the power to push it's way through. Franticly working the steering wheel, was Kelley Clearwater, turning wildly this way and that, plotting a zigzag course to stay on the trail. Tarry held on for dear life in the back cargo area. In the passenger seat of the rover, was a dark olive skinned man who served as their guide. "Over there, Yankee. Over there.", he said with broken English. "Here we go!", Kelly shouted as she spun the steering wheel about, directly in the way of a rather large tree. CRASH!! All at once, the jungle was silent. With the exception of the hissing sound of the steam escaping from the Anti Christ's broken radiator,which was currently wrapped around a tree. All three passengers were now upside down in the land rover, their feet waving weakly in the air. "Great job mom. Steering right into a tree," Tarry said, "What quick reflexes you have." "Hey," Kelly snapped, "He said left, I turned left," Kelly said as she righted herself in her seat. Tarry suddenly jumped up, and shouted into her mothers ear. "Your other left!" "Oh yeah, sure, now you tell me," Kelly said. "Is no difference gringos, see?," There guide said, "Were here." "You mean, we're at the Legendary Cites of Gold?" Kelly said as she jumped out of the Anti Christ. "All right," Tarry said, "But this sure does look like the rest of the jungle." "No no no. Not here, over hill," the guide said. He then pointed just up the trail, "There." "You hear that Tarry? It's just over the hill," Kelly said as she ran up the path. "I hear you. What are we waiting for?" Tarry said, chasing after her mother. The two of them charged up the hill, unable to contain their excitement. Then once they reached over the crest, the two of them were spell bound at the sight before them. The two of them hugged each other over the shoulder in joy. Unfortunately, both of them were spell bound for different reasons. "Tarry, daughter of mine, isn't that the most wonderful sight you have ever seen?" Kelly said. Tarry folded her arms and hrumped in doubt. "I don't know mom, have I even seen three rocks and an over turned cardboard box painted yellow before?" she said. Indeed, they were looking at three rocks and a cardboard box, all covered with faded yellow paint. But there was a wide valley that separated them from there "goal" with only a narrow rope bridge present to allow them to cross without having to forge the thick mud that filled the valley bellow. "Since when did you become so cynical?" Kelly said. "Mom, it's a hoax. Did it ever occur to you that our guide might not be entirely honest?" Tarry said. With that, both of them looked over there shoulder, and at there guide. He was dressed with muddy rags, a knife strapped to his hip, with shifty eyes that tracked flies that buzzed around him until he swatted one next to a tree. Kelly then folded her arms in an disapproving manner, "Now, don't you feel ashamed of yourself. Thinking so lowly of a man that brought us this far. He is the definition of honesty if you ask me. You're not a very good Texan if you have that opinion about people," Kelly said. "I know mother. I'm sorry. But where is the rest of it then?" Tarry said. "You do have a point. Hey amigo, where is the rest of the darn city?" Kelly said. At that point, he came running up next to them with a wide yet phony grin on his face. "The rest of it? Why, um, it's there. Yes. This only the suburb. That it. Now hurry up. Running low on day light. Long way to go, ci?" he said. "Well, all right then," Tarry said. The two of them started to make there way across the rope bridge. "You know mom, any other guide might be tempted to cut the rope bridge, leave us here to die, while taking our supplies and our land rover," Tarry said as she carefully made her way hand over hand. "Yes sir, one thing your ma is good at Tarry, is that she is a good judge of character," Kelly said as she looked ever her shoulder, "What the?" At that moment, their guide was franticly working on untying the various knots that held the rope bridge together. "Why you low down, dirty rotten, sun of a snake in the grass," Kelly hissed, "What in tarnation is the big idea?" "Gringo take your supplies and land rover, ci. Brought you to haunted place, no ordinary bog. When you fall into the mud, you will change to little forest critters. Adios gringos. Tee-he," With that, their guides pulled loose the final knot, and the rope bridge collapsed. Both Tarry and Kelly Clearwater fell into the bog below with a sickening spludge. It took Tarry a few moments to drag herself to shore, covered in head to toe in a thick gooey mud. Finally, she stood up, and began to wipe the mud away from her eyes and mouth with her fingers. "Oh that guide is such a dead man..... what the? What happened to my voice?" Tarry said with a voice deeper than normal. She began to feel her arms and hips, then worked her way to her chest. Only to find something missing. She gulped nervously, then peeked into her trousers. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The scene gradually changes back to the Tarry Clearwater now sitting at the Darenger's dinning room table. Only this time she is wringing an imaginary neck in front of her and mumbling under her voice. "What's that Tarry, did you say something?" Kelly said next to her. Tarry only continued to mumble quietly, prompting Kelly to lean over to hear better. Suddenly Tarry jumped up, and screamed into her mothers ear at full volume, "I SAID WHAT WAS THE BIG IDEA OF BRINING ME TO A PLACE LIKE THAT ! ! ! !" Kelly was suddenly bowled over by Tarry's voice, and collapsed to the floor. Kelly quickly recovered to stand over her progeny. "And what the heck is your problem? Did you think being an explorer was easy? You should stare down gunmen with a smile, charge into adversity with confidence," Kelly said. She then grabbed her daughter buy her shirt, and shoulder tossed her into the water trough. "Take pain with a smile, laugh at danger," Kelly continued. "Laugh at this you sorry excuse for a throw rug," boy Tarry said as he sprang from the trough with a bucket of water, then splashed his mother with it, "Sacrificing my femininity was not a part of the deal!" One again, Kelly rose to her full height as an albino grisly, her cowboy hat askew on her head, and she growled her displeasure. "Sell it to some one who cares," boy Tarry said standing up to her. All the while, the Darenger brothers looked on in disbelief. Suddenly, their argument was broken up by Cindy Darenger giggling. "Hey, I don't happen to think this is funny," boy Tarry said as he folded his arms and looked the other way. "Sure it is Tarry, its not all that bad after all," Cindy said as she rose from the table. The then picked up a pot of coffee. "Cold water turns Kelley into a grisly, and hot water turns you back again," she said as she proceeded to poor the coffee over the grisly, who began to struggle from the contact of the hot water. As predicted, Kelly was returned to her original form. "Dag'nabit. I turn into a grisly, not a lobster," Kelly barked. "And Tarry, cold water turns you into a boy, and hot water returns you to yourself," Cindy said as she tried to poor the coffee over boy Tarry, but he swiftly evaded the hot substance. "Hay, do I look like a McDonnell's drive through customer to you?" Tarry said. Cindy than reached around and gave him a hug. "See, it's not so bad. Just... complicated. But I can sure use your help any way," Cindy said, "Ranching doesn't pay the bills like it used to, so me and my boys are trying to build a local gym. You and your mother would be the perfect instructors. What do you say Tarry?" Suddenly, Kelly stood up, "We'll do it, won't we Tarry!" "Actually, this might work out for the better. My research shows that male instructors bring in more clients than female instructors." "WHAT!!" boy Tarry snapped. "Opps, you said the M-A-L-E word," Kelly said. "And just what do you mean by that?" boy Tarry hissed. "Isn't it obvious?" Redd said, "People just think men are better fighters, and thus trainers, then women are." "It will be a cold day in hell before Tarry Clearwater concedes that men make better fighters than women do!" "What are you complaining about," Redd said, "You are a boy." "Oh, and I am suppose to take those words from a guy who cooks, cleans, and does the laundry? Hah!" boy Tarry said, "I am out of here." "Hold up there, just where do you thing you're heading off to?" Kelly said. "Back to Argentina," boy Tarry said, "There is no way that I can just let this curse be. I'll find a cure if it's the last thing I do." "But what about the gym?" Redd said. "Sell it to some one who cares, sissy. I have more important things to do," boy Tarry said. "Sissy?" Redd repeated. Then he started to grind his teeth in range, even as boy Tarry laughed on. Suddenly, Redd picked up a chair, and held it over head. Kelly's eyes dilated when she realized she was in the way, and quickly side stepped. Tarry wasn't so observant, and was quickly crushed under the chair. "That was the one thing Tarry never quite learned," Kelly said, "Shooting off your mouth usually gets ya' shot back at." "She is a little high strung, isn't she," Cindy said. "You should see her when she drinks or coffee instead of wearing it," Kelly offered. < + + + > Night time had fallen over the Darenger Ranch, and all the lights had been turned out in the main house as every one retired for the evening. Every one except Tarry Clearwater, who was currently sneaking her way down the stairs, with a full back pack slung over her shoulder. Looking back only once, she slipped outside through the dinning room door, taking care not to slip and fall into the water trough. Once outside, she was free to march toward the main road at a full pace without alerting her mother or the others. "Just where do you think your going?" Tarry cringed at the sound of her own mother, who apparently had been lying in wait behind a tree. But she then firmed up her resolve. "You already know where I'm going. Back to Argentina," Tarry said. "More like you're running away with your tail tucked between your legs," Kelly said, "Wasn't it you who wanted to pick a spot to settle down? Well here is your chance. I can't believe that your turning your back on it so soon." "What about my curse?" Tarry said. "What about your curse? You know very well that there is no cure. Do you think I would have left Argentina with out exhausting all possibilities?" Kelly said. "Come on mother! You of all people?" Tarry said, "You were the one who told me to be proud to be a woman. How can I live this way?" "I taught you to be proud of who you are, Tarry," her mother said, "You just so happened to be 100% girl at the time. Now that's changed, but life is about change. Right here at this very ranch, a good and dear friend of mind is offering you an opportunity for even more change. And you're running away. Or are you really letting that male ego of your get the better of you?" Tarry soaked up her mothers words, then sighed. "I just have a bad feeling about all this," she said. "Of course you have a bad feeling, settling down can spook a person. But just know that I am here for you. I will always be here for you Tarry. Less of course they throw me in jail. Then at least you know where I am at in any given hour." Tarry slowly let go with a reserved laugh at her mothers comment. Finally, Kelly hugged her daughter. "That's my girl. Let's go inside and grab some shut eye," Kelly said. "Let's," Tarry said.