Printer-friendly version

The rain was beginning to pelt down harder. The person was still there. What was Ryan to do? She was frightened and alone and full of uncertainty. The woman, that was who the major thought of the person as, continued speaking calmly in Japanese.

Then unexpectedly the woman extended her hand to Ryan. Take it? Don't take it and run away? The man turned girl was so confused. Could her assailant be far away?

'The hand. Do you trust this person? What to do? Do I take her hand? Do I run? If I run, where do I run to?' These thoughts kept playing over and over in Ryan's head. She was hungry, cold, frightened, dirty, and someone was offering help. 'Do you trust this person?'

Synopsis- Air Force Major Ryan Tabor is flying into Kadena Air Base when the Great Shift takes place. Afterwards she has to find another way home.

This story is dedicated to my mother-in-law, Nanay. I'd also like to thank Steve Zink for his proofreading and formatting skills in preparing this story for publication.

*****

Ryan Tabor took a long, deep yawn. It was almost 1 a.m. and the C-5B Galaxy transport plane he was flying had been in the air almost twelve hours.

"Ryan, how are you doing?" asked the plane's copilot, Air Force Captain Linda Hunt.

"Okay," Ryan said, shaking his head slightly in an effort to clear it. "I'll sure be glad when we get to Kadena."

Kadena Air Base is located on the island Okinawa in Japan. The busiest of the USA's Air Bases in the Far East, it is located in the center of the largest island of Japan's southernmost prefecture.

"Not much longer. ETA is about forty minutes," Captain Hunt said, checking the Global Positioning System display on the panel. "We should be seeing Okinawa pretty soon."

Long flights over the ocean are exercises in monotony and fighting to stay awake. It was always like this for Major Tabor. Tonight's flight had started at Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. To fight the fatigue, the pilots drank copious amounts of coffee and played music with a small CD player.

Tonight the music being played was almost entirely Broadway show tunes. Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera. Captain Hunt was normally Ryan Tabor's copilot and the two of them alternated what music would be played in-flight. The Major was a fan of country and western, and while Broadway wasn't Garth Brooks, at least it wasn't Classical. Bach or Mozart were good music to fall asleep to.

Ryan was very happy to be getting back to Okinawa. His wife Betty was due in a bit less than a month's time with their third child. The couple had been married ten years and had three children, Denise, Caroline, and Ryan, Jr. Denise was Betty's daughter from her first marriage.

As predicted, the lights of Okinawa soon came into sight. With the plane still on autopilot, Captain Hunt took out the pre-landing checklist.

Ryan and Linda were only ten minutes from Kadena and in the middle of the checklist, when Major Tabor began to feel very weird. Almost like he was being pulled apart from the inside.

******

The sound of distant explosions slowly began to wake Ryan Tabor. The Air Force Major slowly began to open his eyes and was immediately disoriented by his surroundings.

Trying to focus his eyes, Ryan tried to find out where he was. It was obvious by now he had fallen asleep. The question was, why?

Somehow Ryan was laying on his right side. However, he wasn't in the aircraft anymore. This was certain. He could see a wall, apparently part of a house. And Major Tabor was lying on the floor of this house.

Using his hands, Ryan pushed his body up to a sitting position while pulling his legs up and into his body. The room was almost pitch dark and it was taking time for his eyes to adjust. Again the sound of a distant explosion could be heard.

"Where am I?" Ryan said, and immediately knew something else was wrong. It wasn't his voice at all. The major was quickly discovering nothing was right at that moment.

Slowly Ryan's eyes adjusted to the dimly lit surroundings. Light was coming from what looked like the next-door room. Gingerly the Air Force Major got to his feet and began carefully walking in the direction of the light source.

The next room was no more familiar to Ryan Tabor than the first. However, he was beginning to notice a few things. The home appeared to be one of those old-style Japanese homes, the type one saw in the movies. In reality, Japan was modernized and these were usually relics only seen in very remote places or museums. But Ryan was in one now. The house apparently had no electricity; the only light was coming from a kerosene lamp. If the major was also right, the house may not have indoor plumbing.

But this wasn't foremost on Ryan's mind. He needed to know how and why he had gotten here. Where would help also, though Ryan guessed he was somewhere on Okinawa. 'Could I be up in Hedo? Or Around Hedo Point?' he asked himself. Hedo Point was the northernmost point on the island and the plane he had been piloting was just about to pass over it when whatever happened to him happened.

Ryan also discovered he didn't feel right. For one thing, he wasn't wearing his Air Force flight suit but a Japanese kimono. Also, he was totally barefoot and without a watch to even tell the time.

He hadn't taken two steps when Ryan almost stumbled over something. Catching himself, he discovered there was someone else in the room.

The woman, because Ryan could tell the voice was female, started speaking in Japanese to him. The major didn't understand more than a few words of the language. "I don't speak Japanese, where am I?"

Whoever the woman was, she continued to speak Japanese to Ryan. In the meantime, the woman was getting up while the Major, still disoriented from whatever happened, tried to ascertain what was going on.

Ryan felt his arm being held very tightly. "Let go of me. Can you tell me where I am?" Again an unfamiliar voice, even a female sounding one, emanated from the Major's mouth. The strange woman however continued to speak only Japanese, so Ryan pulled himself free and made his way to what looked like another doorway.

It was only two downward steps before Ryan had his feet on the ground. That's when he realized there was nothing on his feet. A solution was just nearby. A shelf with assorted footwear. It took less than a minute for Ryan to find a pair of sandals that fit.

By now Ryan knew he had been changed in some way. His feet weren't right, they were tiny, and the same went for his hands. Not to mention his voice. How and why the Air Force Major had changed was a mystery. But he knew he didn't belong where he was. He had to find out what had happened or, more importantly, find his way to Kadena.

The still unknown Japanese woman still called for Ryan as he walked in the direction of the explosions. Not knowing what else to do, he decided he had to investigate. Was it his plane and had it crashed? Using the light provided by a full moon and the sounds of the distant explosions, Ryan trudged off in search of the unknown.

Ryan knew things were definitely wrong, but he had to discover it for himself. While the moon provided light, he was hardly familiar with his surroundings and this made his reconnoitering both ponderous and even possibly dangerous.

But Ryan wanted to get to the site of the explosions. The further he walked, the more heavily the air was full of smoke. In addition, the Major was beginning to recognize the smell. It was that of burning aviation fuel. A plane had definitely crashed.

After an uncertain amount of time, and still within sight of the home he had awakened in, Ryan's journey almost ended with disaster. One false step caused him to lose his footing and send him tumbling to the ground. Ryan may have tumbled further down the hill except for his grabbing onto a bush or some undergrowth that stopped his slide.

Now bruised in addition to being lost and bewildered, Ryan was becoming frightened. What had happened to him? How did he get in that house and why? Gathering himself, he climbed back to his feet as he brushed off his clothing. Seeing a nearby tree log, Ryan sat himself down and decided to think.

"What the fuck has happened?" Ryan asked the empty hillside. Again he heard that unfamiliar voice. The Air Force Major already knew something was drastically wrong. Not just the fact that he had woken up in a strange house, but that the body he had was not his own. In addition to having smaller feet and hands, Ryan couldn't help but notice the lack of body hair on his arms and legs.

Ryan just sat on the tree log calculating his next move. First, where was he? The Major guessed Okinawa, and perhaps the Hedo Point area of the island, but this was pure guesswork at the moment. Only when the sun rose would he know for sure.

However, the circumstantial evidence that Ryan was at Hedo Point seemed pretty strong. That was about where the Galaxy was at the last time the Major remembered being onboard the big plane. Also, from his current vantage point, Ryan could make out not just the home he woke in but also a small village further down the hill and there was the sound of the ocean in the background.

Hedo Point was a haven for hikers and nature lovers. Ryan had even taken his family there on four occasions in the time they had been living at Kadena Air Force Base. Where he was now looked very familiar.

'What do I do now?' Ryan asked himself. Wandering around the hillside in the dark was dangerous. But on the other hand, he didn't know where he was. Go back to the house he woke in and stay there till dawn? Or just stay on the hillside? How about the woman in the house? In addition, the moon was starting to get blocked by the clouds. Light and the weather may be an issue, too.

Besides, if Ryan were to discover what had happened to him, the best place was to start from the beginning. So with some trepidation, the Air Force Major made his way back to the house.

While there was a lamp still burning, the woman Ryan had met earlier was no longer around. Deciding it was safest, Ryan headed to the back room where he had awakened earlier. But before that there was some other urgent business to tend to. The major's bladder was almost at overflow stage.

The bathroom was absolutely tiny and like the size of a walk-in closet. It consisted of a sink, toilet and shower. This only made the claustrophobic nature of the room stronger. With nowhere to put it, Ryan placed the lamp against the room's door, using it like a doorstop.

Sitting down on the toilet to take a piss was just the first step, since he knew the body he'd found himself in couldn't stand to do so. Next, after wiping himself, Ryan went to the mirror just above the small sink in the room.

So much for still thinking of himself in male terms and pronouns. The reflection she saw was of a prepubescent Japanese girl. Maybe eleven or twelve years old in age.

*****

The sun was just beginning to rise when Ryan Tabor left the still unidentified house the next morning. She decided she wanted to get an early start for what could prove an arduous trip to Kadena.

Ryan's discoveries the night before hadn't rattled her as much as they would have the average adult male. That is, one that now found herself a pre-teenage girl.

Maybe it was because Ryan had already suspected it. She had seen the warning signs before her bathroom visit. The lack of body hair, change in feet, hands and height. Also, when her bladder began to fill. The sharp contrast in feeling from what a man would experience. Also, the different voice she now had. It was clearly that of a girl, but probably one not from these islands. Perhaps from the United States.

A cursory check in the bathroom showed Ryan that she now possessed a prepubescent female body with straight black hair that fell most of the way down her back, nearly to her waist. Other than a tiny bit of pubic hair, not the full female bush an adult would have, the hair on her head was all she possessed. Besides his male equipment that was missing, Ryan had two tiny breast buds. That made the Major guess she was approaching puberty.

This wasn't Ryan's biggest concern at the moment. Being changed into a female was definitely an issue, but the more important one was for her to find out where she was and then find her way back to Kadena Air Force Base. The major's wife and family were there.

This caused Ryan not to give much thought to why she had been changed. She had fallen asleep that night, but it was a restless sleep. Ryan was worried about her family. If the plane were reported as missing, his wife and children would be worried that she had died. That was not the case; she was just slightly 'modified.'

Seeing that sleep wouldn't come easy, Ryan finally gave up trying. She guessed that she might have fallen asleep for two hours. Returning to the same cramped bathroom, Ryan took a shower in preparation for what could be a long and trying day. There was still no sign of the adult woman from the night before.

After finishing in the shower and drying herself off, Ryan was faced with her next quandary. The clothing she had worn the night before had been ruined by the stumble on the hillside. Ryan couldn't wear it anymore, in any case it wasn't meant for daytime use. That meant she would have to use clothing not really belonging to her.

But Ryan gave in to expedience. She needed to get to Kadena and the Major couldn't travel there naked of course. So going to a small wardrobe cabinet in the room, Ryan picked out clothing for the day.

It took only a minute for Ryan to accomplish this. She settled on a set of blue jeans, a San Francisco Giants T-shirt and a girl's undergarment or panty. A bra was definitely not needed at this time.

While in the wardrobe Ryan made a few other calculations. How long would it take her to get to Kadena? If she was right, and she was at Hedo Point, the trip would definitely take a day, possibly part of two. That's because it would have to be done by foot, she had no transportation and as of yet no way of reaching family or friends at Kadena.

Okinawa Island is larger than most non-Japanese suspect. The island is rarely more than fifteen miles wide at any point, but from north to south it's about 150 miles. Ryan Tabor was at the island's northernmost point, or so she guessed. Kadena AB was at least seventy-five to ninety miles away.

A phone call home or to Kadena would get Ryan transportation. Except there were no phones in the house. Till she could get to a phone, Ryan would have to rely entirely on foot power.

So she needed more clothes, preferably two changes of clothing. The wardrobe presented plenty of choices, but she preferred to avoid feminine clothing. Ryan quickly picked out three more sets of clothing and undergarments.

At the bottom of the wardrobe laid a gym bag. Ryan began to put the clothes in this till she picked up the bag and noticed what was underneath it. A backpack. This would be an even better idea.

As Ryan was carefully packing the backpack, she noticed something else in the gym bag. It was a United States Passport. Taking it out, she carefully examined it.

Name: Hailey Toyoda
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
DOB: September 8, 1988
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California
Passport Expiration: April 3, 2003

'So I was right,' Ryan thought, flipping through the passport. The only entries were passport stamps for trips in 1998 and 2000. The most recent was dated July 9, 2000. The picture in the passport also confirmed that this was who Ryan Tabor now was, and she was eleven years old or twelve in a little over a month. One mystery was now solved, but why Major Tabor was now one Hailey Toyoda was still to be determined.

She packed the passport into the backpack. It may come in handy later. She was about to seal the backpack and put it on when Ryan reckoned she might need a few more items.

A trip to the bathroom garnered a comb and roll of tissue paper. Ryan would certainly need the latter. A quick scouting of the room turned up no money, but she did find a girl's watch. The current time was 0613. Putting the watch and backpack on, Ryan surveyed the room again, thinking if there was anything else she could use.

Five minutes later Ryan was out of the house. She decided after all to take the gym bag also. Inside the bag were two small bottles of water and a bag of Oreo cookies. This would have to suffice for food and water for the time being. Like the night before, she found assorted footwear on a shelf outside the home. Today Ryan picked out a pair of girl's sneakers. She would definitely be needing them.

Ryan knew taking these belongings was risky. The real owner may show up. It was a risk the Major had to take if she wanted to get back to Kadena, and she deemed it an acceptable one.

If not for the smell, one would have thought Hedo Point was covered by fog. Instead, it was smoke from the crashed airplane and it filled the air. By now the explosions had died down.

The smoke didn't keep Ryan from getting a better view of where she was. The house was on a hillside with two trails leading downhill away from it. One went to where a village seemed to be located. The other went in the direction opposite to the sun. Wanting to avoid the village, she set off on the second trail.

It wasn't five minutes before Ryan reached a dirt road at the bottom of the trail. She immediately recognized it from previous visits as the road to Hedo. Turning to the left, Ryan set off down the road.

'That's a relief. At least I know where I am and where I'm going. Now I've just got to get my butt back to Kadena,' Ryan thought to herself. Her single-minded determination was driving the Major to get back to her family but at the same time seemingly forgetting her changed state. Maybe Ryan was just in denial.

She couldn't deny that the plane Ryan had been flying had crashed the previous night. The Major hadn't gone a half-mile when she heard again another explosion. Stopping by the side of the road, she thought for about a minute.

'I have to go investigate. It was my plane.' So Ryan began walking up one of the many trails that crisscrossed Hedo Point. A sense of responsibility was driving the Major to the crash site of the plane.

The upward climb for Ryan wasn't the difficult part. It was the smoke filled air, as she got closer to the crash site. It caused the Major turned pre-teenage girl to start coughing and have difficulty breathing.

But Ryan kept going and she soon ran into another problem. Bits of the plane were scattered all over the hillside. She had to be very careful on her climb upward. The one bit of good news was, Ryan remembered these trails from a visit she made with her family.

If Ryan remembered correctly there was a small valley the other side of Hedo Point. That was where she was calculating the explosions and fire was coming from. There was one problem that was slowly dawning on the Major. Why weren't there any rescue or Air Force personnel at the crash site? Apparently there wasn't because Ryan had yet to see any kind of vehicle.

Ryan didn't get to the crash site. Getting to the crest of a hill, she stood on a large rock as she peered down into the valley. What she saw was the complete destruction of the C-5 Galaxy transport plane. Fires were still burning, and wreckage was strewn everywhere. By Ryan's calculations, the plane probably hit the nearby mountain peak before falling into the valley. It was highly improbable that anyone survived the impact.

Ryan sat herself down on the rock. It was too dangerous for her to go any further. The girl just stared down at the carnage as tears began to form in her eyes. At least ten men and women had died at this site and Ryan felt responsible. Why was she alive?

Making a sign of the cross, Ryan decided to say a few prayers. It was the very least she could do.

*****

An hour later, Ryan Tabor reemerged from the hillside and started back down the dirt trail. The now tiny and female Major was more determined than ever to reach Kadena.

The time was a little past 8 a.m., and now the sun was well up in the sky. Okinawa is the only part of Japan that sees anything close to tropical conditions. The temperature on an August day on Okinawa can be expected to reach the low nineties. This and the weight of the backpack and gym bag may have discouraged some people from setting out on such a journey. Not Ryan Tabor. Her military training was kicking in; even in her now much smaller and weaker form, she would get back to Kadena.

The dirt trail soon ended at a junction with a two-lane highway. Ryan knew this was Route 58, the main road that ran almost the entire length of Okinawa. It also passed within two miles of the Major's air base. Turning left, Ryan headed in a southerly direction while staying to the side of the road. There were no sidewalks in this part of Okinawa and the girl calculated it would be safer walking in the direction of the oncoming traffic.

"Where is the traffic? Where is the Air Force, also? They should be out looking for my plane," Ryan asked herself. One habit the Major had was that of talking to himself. This sometimes drove his wife Betty to distraction. She would jokingly ask her husband if he had money in the bank. Ryan was naturally worried about Betty and the children. The girl prayed she would see her wife and family again.

Since setting off on foot, Ryan had seen only one vehicle. It had passed him going northbound. This was highly unusual; Hedo Point was a common tourist destination even on weekdays. There should be people up and about.

Also bothering the Major was the fire and crash and the so far total lack of rescue vehicles, either Japanese or US military, coming to the crash site. Why was this? Kadena tower would have been following the plane inbound. Not long after a plane dropped off the radar screens search planes or helicopters would have been put in the air. But Ryan had yet to see one.

Of course, Ryan's present condition was beginning to dawn on her. How and for what reason had she become this eleven-year-old girl? It had to be something supernatural, nothing else made sense. Was this temporary or permanent? Was she the only one? What caused it? There were just so manyquestions to speculate about and over. Two things were certain.

One, Ryan Tabor didn't have the answers.

Second, Ryan had to either get back to Kadena or wave down some help as she made the long journey home.

*****

Nightfall was beginning to descend on Okinawa, but Ryan Tabor was doggedly marching on. By her calculations she had traversed some thirty miles.

So far Ryan had no luck in regard to finding help. Northern Okinawa is much more sparsely populated than southern Okinawa. Still, the place was eerily quiet and tranquil for much of the girl's journey. It was almost like a ghost town, there had been so few sightings of people or traffic.

Ryan had tried to wave down some seven vehicles. Each privately owned, not police or military. None of the girl's efforts had been successful.

The few sightings of people had been just as useless. They either wandered like they were lost, or just ignored Ryan. This surprised her; she would have thought a child walking by the road by herself would have concerned people. The Japanese, like people all over the world, were protective when it came to children's safety.

Nor were there any signs of Air Force or rescue vehicles heading to the crash site. This really puzzled Ryan Tabor. What was going on in the world right now?

If Ryan wasn't in a bit of denial, she may have dwelt more on her own present situation or body. A full-grown adult man just doesn't get turned into a prepubescent girl for no reason. The Major had thought this over while on her journey southward but seemed to think if she didn't have the answers, someone else would.

So the trip was uneventful. By her calculations, Ryan was doing a pace of three miles per hour but she couldn't be certain. The further south she got on Okinawa, the more developed the island was, but there had been few signs of life.

Other than walking, she made three rest stops. Okinawa had a bus service and there were benches by the road about every mile. Like everything else about this unusual day, Ryan noticed there were no buses running. She used these benches to make a few stops to get a drink of water, eat an Oreo cookie or two or just catch her breath. The journey was definitely tiring her out.

Three times during the day Ryan stopped and walked off into some nearby forest or growth to relieve herself. With no toilet facilities available, the girl had to do it squatting down. One thing was sure, Ryan was glad she packed that roll of toilet paper.

Just before dusk, Ryan passed a roadside snack area. There was a small shed like building with a sign in Japanese. The girl couldn't make this out, but she didn't need to. There was also a Coca-Cola logo on the sign. That told her all she needed to know.

Ryan tried knocking on the window of the boarded up snack bar. She hoped maybe someone would be there, preferably with a phone that she could use. Without any money, Ryan had no way of paying for anything.

After waiting around for two minutes, Ryan shrugged her shoulders and kept on walking. She would have liked to try calling Kadena if a phone was available and that was the main purpose of stopping. She didn't have any money available to buy food.

So Ryan was thinking of when and where she would stop for the night. Stopping was a certainty; it was just a matter of when. Route 58 would take her through more and more heavily populated areas of Okinawa. Eventually almost up to Kadena AB itself. But the girl wasn't quite at that point yet.

Suddenly a distant sound caught Ryan's attention. Stopping for a moment, she quickly figured out what the sound was. It was that of a low-flying helicopter and it was approaching from the south very rapidly.

The sight of the helicopter immediately perked up Ryan. It didn't matter if it was Japanese or American, it being too dark to tell. No matter which, help was on the way. Jumping up and down, she began yelling and waving. "I'm here, I'm here, I'm here."

If Ryan had been thinking more clearly, she would have known her waving and yelling was just a waste of energy. The girl would be barely visible from the air at this time of night, and in addition, the helicopter was probably searching for a downed aircraft, not an eleven-year-old girl.

Ryan continued jumping up and down as the helicopter flew overhead and past her. "Come back! Come Back! Come back, you dumb fucks, I'm here!"

Just at that precise moment Ryan was grabbed from behind and a hand went firmly over her mouth.

Some unidentified man, and Ryan was only guessing a man based on the appearance of the person's arm, was dragging the girl from the road back into a nearby forest. Every step of the way Ryan struggled with her assailant and attempted to scream. With her mouth covered, the screams came to naught.

Ryan was on the edge of panic. Her present situation was finally dawning on her. She was, for better or worse, a child at this moment. Unhappily, there were people who preyed on children and one had found her.

The Air Force Major turned eleven-year-old girl was under no illusion as to the fate she faced if she didn't fight back. Ryan would not let it happen to her, no matter what. She would fight back.

But could she? Ryan was now a little girl and her attacker was probably an adult male. An apparent mismatch, except for one thing. Her attacker probably didn't know the girl he was holding was a trained member of the United States Military. Even if she had such tiny and untrained muscles, she still had all the knowledge gained by Ryan over the years.

Ryan's attacker continued to carry the girl into the nearby forest. While she was still wearing her backpack, the Major had long since dropped the gym bag. If she was right, the man was looking for a secluded spot to sexually assault her, even possibly kill her also. To prevent this, she would have to think and act fast and look for an opportunity to escape.

It didn't take long at all for the opportunity to present itself. By now Ryan had gotten a glimpse of her attacker; he was a Japanese male in either his late twenties or early thirties. The man was in bad need of a shave and bath. He had the worst stench Ryan had ever had the privilege to smell. This said, the man was not apparently knowledgeable about where he was or where he was going. Ryan decided she would take advantage of this.

The forest was darker than the roadside, and this and his unfamiliarity with the area caused the man to stumble. This weakened his grip on Ryan but didn't free the girl. But it did give her an opportunity. With one swift movement of her left foot, the tiny female Air Force Major kicked her assailant in the shin as hard as she could.

This had the desired effect of weakening Ryan's assailant, as the man reacted to the pain inflicted and cursed at the child. But she still wasn't free. It was now time for step two.

Already reeling from his near stumble and kick in the shins, the assailant suddenly felt the weight of Ryan on her. Like she had given up. Except it was a ploy. Again moving quickly, Ryan pulled her arm forward and then thrust her elbow back as fast and as hard as possible.

Ryan's aim couldn't have been better. Her swinging elbow had caught the man right in his privates. Falling to the ground, Ryan's assailant totally let go of the girl.

Not wasting a moment of time, Ryan ran as fast as her feet would take her. Once out of the woods, the Air Force Major turned girl turned right, or back in the direction she had come. Ryan wanted to put as much distance between herself and the attacker as possible, and it didn't matter what direction she went.

A huffing and puffing Ryan traversed the half-mile back to the small snack bar the girl had stopped at earlier. Throughout her run, she had kept looking over her shoulder to see if her attacker was following. Apparently he wasn't, and a now out of breath Ryan stopped by the small shack to catch her breath.

Ryan huddled around the corner and peered backwards in the direction she had come. There was no sign of her assailant. Only now did the man turned young girl realize she had been crying throughout her escape. With good reason, Ryan Tabor was frightened worse than at any time in her adult life.

"What do I do?" Ryan asked herself. She felt absolutely vulnerable at the moment. Reality had finally set into the girl's mind. She may be a man in mind, but she was a child to the rest of the world. She was feeling foolish for not considering this earlier. Only by unfathomable luck had she escaped a terrible fate.

So what would she do now? Journeying by herself was definitely a risky proposition for Ryan. Also, she began to wonder if she should have just stayed at Hedo or the crash site. Help would eventually arrive.

Now Ryan was finally thinking about what happened to her. Namely, being this young girl now. What caused it was still a mystery to her, but the full impact of her status was just sinking into the girl. If Ryan was this girl, where was the real him? In the crashed plane? If so, Ryan was to spend the rest of her life as a female. What about her family? The Air Force? The Future?

By now Ryan was crying her eyes out. At almost the same moment the skies opened up and it began to rain. Continuing to huddle by the side of the building, she stayed motionless, frozen by fear and uncertainty.

She was so engrossed in crying that she missed the sound of a creaking or squeaky door being opened. As she huddled against the building, Ryan was startled by the touch of another person.

The Air Force Major's first reaction was shock and to get away. So Ryan retreated from the unknown person's touch. Whoever he or she was, they were bundled up in a raincoat that had a hood that obscured their face.

Not fazed by Ryan's reaction, the person started speaking Japanese. The voice sounded female but the Major wasn't certain. She didn't understand more than a couple of words of Japanese.

The rain was beginning to pelt down harder. The person was still there. What was Ryan to do? She was frightened and alone and full of uncertainty. The woman, that was who the major thought of the person as, continued speaking calmly in Japanese.

Then unexpectedly the woman extended her hand to Ryan. Take it? Don't take it and run away? The man turned girl was so confused. Could her assailant be far away?

'The hand. Do you trust this person? What to do? Do I take her hand? Do I run? If I run, where do I run to?' These thoughts kept playing over and over in Ryan's head. She was hungry, cold, frightened, dirty, and someone was offering help. 'Do you trust this person?'

Ryan just huddled on the ground, but the woman wasn't leaving. Her hand was still extended. Slowly the Major lifted up her right hand. It seemed like minutes, the motion of moving her hand forward, uncertain, inch by inch, but finally she grasped the still unknown person's hand.

The stranger helped Ryan to her feet. Then slowly the two of them started off away from the snack stand. Looking backwards every few steps, the Major wondered if what she was doing was safe.

A trail led away from the small shack, and after thirty to forty yards a small farmhouse like building appeared on the right. The woman kept leading Ryan by the hand till both of them were at the door.

After opening the front door the woman began to step into the house, but Ryan didn't follow. Instead she stood underneath the house's front awning, with the rain still pelting down. Again the woman squeezed Ryan's hand and spoke Japanese to her. Motioning with her other hand, the woman was inviting the frightened girl into the house. Finally, Ryan did just that.

The house was both warm and quite cozy looking in comparison to its Spartan appearance on the outside. On one end of the home was a small kitchen consisting of a stove and small refrigerator with a sink and a pair of nearby cabinets. On the other end was a door. In the middle of the house was a dining area and small living room. The other end of the house was a brick unlit fireplace flanked by two doors.

Also inside the house were four people, all Japanese. A male around forty years old and three children. A boy of fifteen or sixteen, a girl of Ryan's new age or thereabouts, and a girl of two or three years of age. All were staring straight at their new house guest.

The woman by now had taken off her raincoat. She appeared to be in her mid to late thirties, attractive and was definitely Japanese. She started speaking rapidly to the family in the room.

The adult male and oldest girl both got out of their seats and went to opposite ends of the house. While this was going on, the family's mother helped Ryan remove her backpack before placing it against a wall. A minute later the girl of a similar age to Ryan appeared with a towel. The man then emerged from the other room saying something in Japanese.

Again Ryan's hand was taken by the nameless stranger and led to a back bedroom. Inside were three beds, a pair of bunk beds and one single bed. There was a dresser and wardrobe also in the room. Both appeared to be made of oak.

The woman then showed Ryan some clothing while speaking Japanese. Ryan guessed she was asking or telling her to change clothing.

"I don't understand Japanese," Ryan said apologetically. This family was being very kind to her.

The woman then walked to the dresser where the clothes were. Then pointing, the woman said, "Put these on. Please." After that the mother left the room.

Ryan just stared at the clothing. It was a girl's set of pajamas and underwear. Her own clothes being soaking wet, the Major decided she had no choice. First stripping off her clothing, she then dried herself off thoroughly with the towel given her.

No matter how much Ryan tried, her unruly hair proved next to impossible to dry. It was so tangled and disorganized from a day's exposure to sun and rain. Finally saying to hell with it, Ryan put on the pajamas and underwear given her and went out to the main living room.

Ryan felt incredibly uneasy as she entered the room. This family had welcomed her into their home, even maybe saved her life. Still they were total strangers to her and after that evening's attack, she found it hard to trust people. Nice as they seemed, the members of this family were nevertheless absolute strangers to the girl. Past Air Force life and training or no, she was scared stiff.

And Ryan was still felt frightened and vulnerable. The day had been so traumatic, the worst maybe being the attack, but the sudden and still unexplained sex change being a contributing factor. If a doctor were to examine Ryan now, they would probably diagnose the girl to be in shock or suffering some form of posttraumatic stress disorder.

The still unnamed family was scattered around the main living quarters. The mother was setting the dining table for one, while the father was stirring something on the gas stove. The three children were either listening to a radio or just doing nothing. All began to stare at Ryan as soon as she came in the room.

Again the mother motioned for Ryan while speaking Japanese. "Come."

Ryan slowly made her way to the dinner table. The chair was pulled out for the girl, and she took the seat. A minute later a bowl of steaming soup was put on the table for Ryan. Next to it were some bread and crackers.

"Eat," the woman said, after first speaking Japanese. The father then brought a glass of milk for Ryan. The girl stared at the soup; it consisted of rice and fish heads. Probably some Japanese recipe. But she was too hungry to be choosy. She was quickly spooning the soup into her mouth. Surprisingly, Ryan found it to be quite good tasting, in addition to helping her warm up.

While Ryan ate, the mother took the chair across the table from the girl. Like she was watching the Major. Considering recent events, Ryan felt a little at ease in this family's home. Their hospitality made her begin to trust the family and feel safe.

When dinner was over, the father came and picked up the empty soup bowl and plate. Ryan was full, the food had revitalized her weary body. Not knowing what else to do, the girl just sat at the table while the mother continued to watch her.

"Your name?" the woman asked, after first speaking Japanese. Ryan was wondering if the woman first spoke in Japanese what she also said in English. "Hailey?"

Ryan had already seen that the backpack had been unpacked. The passport must have been removed and read by the mother. The girl also calculated that no one would probably believe her story of being a man, so she decided to go along. "Hai, Hailey."

The answer in Japanese brought a smile to the woman's face. "I'm Mrs. Kyoko Honda," the woman said in the customary dual language approach. Pointing around the house, the mother introduced everyone. "That is Mr. Hideki Honda, and they are Akina, Goro and Miyoko."

Ryan politely nodded at everyone. Only the parents and oldest girl acknowledged her greeting. "Food was good, dommo arigato."

Mrs. Honda came around the table to where Ryan was seated. She put her hand through the girl's still damp hair. "Hair not good. You catch pneumonia." Then after rattling off some quick Japanese, Mr. Honda scurried to one of the rooms. A moment later he returned with a towel and hairbrush.

Ryan dried her hair further till both she and Mrs. Honda were satisfied. Then after being told to turn sideways in the wooden chair, the pilot turned pre teenage girl quietly sat as Mrs. Honda brushed out her long, unruly hair. Just like a mother would do for a young daughter. This was all done in silence; the shock Ryan had suffered was still quite strong.

Once completed, Ryan spent the rest of a quiet evening with the Honda family. A radio played music that was occasionally interrupted by Japanese news reports. The language was totally incomprehensible to the Major, and therefore she couldn't tell if they talked about her plane or not. Other than that the family either played cards, Chinese checkers or read. A table in the middle of the living room had a collection of Japanese publications on it. The one exception was a year old version of the Kadena Shogun, the base newspaper for Kadena. Ryan read that for part of the evening.

It was past 2200 when the Hondas insisted that all the children, actual or not, had to go to bed. Going back to the room she had been in earlier, Mrs. Honda showed Ryan her bed. It was the bottom bunk bed. Climbing into the bed, the girl made herself comfortable as she checked on the other two girls in the room.

"Good night. Arigato," Ryan said as Mrs. Honda did one last check of her.

The mother smiled and replied, "Oyasuminasai," then gave Ryan a kiss on the forehead before turning off the room's light and closing the door.

Still in shock but exhausted to her very core, Ryan soon fell fast asleep.

Little changed in regard to the Honda's attitude or hospitality toward Ryan. They tried hard to make the girl feel comfortable and welcome.

Ryan was very thankful for this. She was still badly shaken from the traumas of the day before. Mrs. Honda may well have saved the girl's life. For this, Ryan would be eternally grateful.

However, things were far from well for Ryan. She felt frightened, vulnerable and terribly alone. The adult man turned pre-teenage girl had taken her change of status too much for granted, not realizing the dangers and hazards of the changes in her much revised status. The attack on Ryan had demonstrated just how dangerous life now was. And in doing so made the Air Force Major pull herself into a defensive shell. She now feared the outside and unknown and only felt safe around the Hondas. This was all probably due to the undiagnosed and untreated PTSD from which Ryan was suffering.

Ryan did very little the first few days around the Honda house. Mostly she sat and listened to the radio or occasionally interacted with the other Honda children, particularly the youngest, Akina and Miyoko. In spite of the age similarity, Akina acted like a girl of a much younger age, preferring to play with her dolls. On the other hand, Miyoko seemed even more withdrawn than Ryan. Only in retrospect did the man turn girl learn to understand why these children acted like this.

Of course, the Honda's hospitality hadn't changed. They made Ryan or Hailey as they called her feel at home. At the same time the Major welcomed this family's generosity and love. She grew to feel safe.

On the evening of Ryan's second full day with the Hondas, a typhoon came through Okinawa. Typhoons were a regular occurrence on the near tropical island; three to eight would either strike or brush the island yearly.

Typhoon Maddie wasn't a particularly strong storm, but the storm did leave damage in its wake. The Hondas plus Ryan rode out the storm in the comfort of the farmhouse, only venturing out around midmorning on Thursday to ascertain the damage that had been done.

After a Japanese lunch, food Ryan was mentally growing accustomed to without realizing her body was eminently familiar with it, the family prepared to go outside to see to any damage the storm had wreaked. All but the two youngest children would help in this task.

It was then that Ryan realized she would be going outside to help, too. Dressed in clothing and boots probably belonging to Akina, the girl was frightened still at the unknowns of the world outside the Honda home. So when Mrs. Honda tried to take the girl outside, Ryan froze and wouldn't move.

"Keiko," Mrs. Honda said, extending her hand to Ryan. The woman still used dual language when speaking to the girl, though just through interacting with the family, Ryan was picking up bits and pieces of Japanese. "I mean, Hailey, please come outside and help your Okasan Honda."

If Ryan wasn't reeling from her other traumas, she would have paid more attention to how Mrs. Honda was addressing her. Keiko? Okasan Honda? The woman was starting to treat Ryan as if she were a member of the Honda family. However, all the girl said to her faux mother was, "I'm scared."

Kyoko Honda, like any good mother, could sense when a child was truly afraid. She knew the girl was just that. So closing the home's front door, Mrs. Honda left Ryan standing at the door while going to retrieve a few things.

A minute later Mrs. Honda was back with a broom and dustpan. She handed them to Ryan. "Clean house, Dozo?"

Ryan stared for a half minute at the cleaning utensils she was being asked to use. Then, taking them from Mrs. Honda, she said, "I will."

As soon as Mrs. Honda left the house, Ryan went about the task assigned to her. Taking pride in doing a job well, the man turned pre-teenage girl went about cleaning the house with feverish abandon. Every inch of the home's wooden floors would be swept and thoroughly as long as no furniture stood on that spot. Even if it did, Ryan used what girlish strength she had and her ingenuity to either move it or clean around it.

While Ryan was doing this, Akina and Miyoko went about their day paying little attention to the girl, both seemingly as at ease with this stranger as Ryan was with them. Also, Mrs. Honda came into the house briefly and smiled with approval at the job Ryan was doing.

When her task was finished, Ryan looked around for something else to do. However, she was still unfamiliar with her surroundings and didn't know where to start, and still afraid to venture outside. So Ryan just took a seat at the dining table and waited for Mrs. Honda's return.

It was only a matter of minutes when Miyoko Honda began to cry. Attempts by Ryan to either communicate or placate the girl were unsuccessful. Needing help, the Major cautiously went to the front door and opened it. "Mrs. Honda," she called out the open door meekly. She got no reply. Raising her girlish voice she called again. "Mrs. Honda, Mrs. Honda."

The calling worked. In about a minute Mrs. Honda came around the side of the farmhouse. "Hailey, what's wrong?"

"Miyoko is crying. I don't know what is wrong."

Mrs. Honda came up to where Ryan was standing. "Let's go see what is wrong."

It took only seconds for Mrs. Honda to find out what was bothering Miyoko. The not quite three-year-old girl wasn't totally potty trained yet and had wetted herself. For the next few minutes Ryan watched as the mother changed her youngest's diaper, all while doing so also demonstrating to her visitor how it was to be done. Almost as if Mrs. Honda hoped Ryan would help out with this in the future.

When it was done, Miyoko decided to go outside to play or whatever. Mrs. Honda walked around the house then, inspecting Ryan's cleaning. "Are you done?" she asked, and the girl nodded in the affirmative. From the mother's facial expression, Ryan thought Mrs. Honda was pleased with her work.

Mrs. Honda didn't speak up again till she was done with the inspection. "You did very well."

"Thank you," Ryan replied.

Then Mrs. Honda came over and gave Ryan a kiss on the forehead and hug. To the girl it felt so reassuring and safe to be with this woman in her family. It was making her begin to forget the traumas of three days earlier.

"If you want, you can go outside and play with Miyoko," Mrs. Honda said.

Ryan shook her head. "I'm still scared."

Mrs. Honda looked at Ryan like she understood and cared. "You can stay inside, then. Later you can help with dinner."

Ryan nodded back to the mother in approval, and then watched as Mrs. Honda left the house. Not knowing what else to do, the girl went and took a magazine from the living room table and sat down to read while listening to the radio.

*****

For almost the next three weeks Ryan Tabor never wandered far from the Honda farm. The furthest she ever went was the family's snack stand out by Route 58.

Why was this? Psychologists and medical professionals would probably have blamed it on the PTSD suffered by Ryan after her attack. That combined with the trauma of being an adult male turned prepubescent girl had left the Air Force Major feeling very vulnerable.

The one place she didn't feel vulnerable was around the Hondas and their home. Whoever these simple farmers were, they welcomed Ryan into their home despite her being a total stranger, for all intents and purposes adopting her as one of their family. They clothed the girl, fed her, and gave her a place to sleep. All they asked was for Ryan's help with household chores. All the Honda children but Miyoko did work either around the farm, house or the snack stand.

Most importantly, Mrs. Honda made Ryan feel safe and even loved. What the woman's motives were was unknown to the girl. It could have been just plain simple generosity and love. That was what Ryan thought more and more as time passed. She was certain the mother had no clue as to the girl's true identity. Nor was Ryan telling anyone. She was afraid the family would call her crazy and maybe kick her out.

The more time passed, the more comfortable Ryan became. With her surroundings, with the Hondas, could she even be growing comfortable being this girl? It was probably more complicated than that. Ryan's experience with her unknown attacker had left deeper scars than she would probably even admit. That and her new lot in life left her feeling frightened by the unknown. Anyone but the Hondas and their farm and life was an unknown. The girl wasn't an adult anymore in an adult world, but a child in an adult world.

With the dangers that came with it.

That and the generosity and love shown by how the Hondas treated Ryan or Hailey or Keiko or whatever name the family used to call the girl. They honestly showed warmth and love to the child. Making her feel like a part of their family. They treated Ryan like an eleven-year-old girl and this may have contributed to matters. If an adult turned child gets treated like a child enough, she may even begin thinking and reacting like one.

On the fifth day after Ryan's arrival, Mrs. Honda invited the girl to come outside and help in the garden. At first Ryan wavered, still afraid of the outside world. But when the mother took her hand, the girl felt safe and even loved. She began to slowly take part in the world outside the Honda home.

However, this world only extended as far as the family snack stand. The girl did chores, both inside and outside the family home. Sometimes she joined the Honda children in playing outside the house. Ryan even began to help at the snack stand in her third week there at the home, her confidence building with each day.

But the snack stand was Ryan's invisible boundary or comfort zone. She wouldn't go beyond it, remembering all too well her attack that first night. Mrs. Honda, who made a weekly trip every Sunday into town, tried to persuade Ryan to join her but the girl refused. She just felt too vulnerable.

At the Honda house Ryan didn't feel vulnerable. Rather, she felt like a part of the family. The Hondas also treated her as such; Mr. Honda and the three children talked and interacted with Ryan more freely with each passing day. They made the girl feel comfortable.

And Mrs. Honda made Ryan feel loved. Ever since that rainy night and her touch, and later the food and bed she was given, Ryan felt a love she hadn't remembered since the passing of her own mother fourteen years earlier.

Mrs. Honda had taken this strange girl into her home and cared for Ryan. Whether it was physical, emotional or dietary needs, the mother saw to the girl's care. Like making sure Ryan was well fed, or patching an injured knee after the girl fell one day. Or even helping the adult male turned female child deal with her unruly hair, something Ryan had no prior training in doing, having always had short hair.

Taking rubber bands, Mrs. Honda tied up Ryan's hair in twin ponytails sticking out in opposite directions. Looking at herself in the mirror afterwards, the girl saw how absolutely cute this made her look. Even making Ryan look younger than eleven. She may have revolted at looking like this except for the warm smile Mrs. Honda gave Ryan. Instead the girl nodded in approval at her new hairstyle.

There were other things. At first the family called the girl Hailey, based on the passport in Ryan's borrowed backpack. But as time passed, the family more and more called the girl Keiko instead. No explanation was given; Ryan just guessed the family preferred to give her a Japanese name.

Plus, Ryan began learning Japanese through the dual language approach used by Mrs. Honda. By interacting with the family and just listening, the girl found herself learning more and more of the language with each day. By three weeks time Ryan was conversing in a mixture of English and Japanese that became less of the former and more of the latter with each passing day.

Not long after arriving, Ryan had surmised that the Hondas were poor farmers living off their small farm and snack stand. The Honda home had few of what most would call necessities. No phone, no computer, electricity, yes, but the family seemed to prefer to use it for only the most essential items like the freezer/refrigerator. Otherwise they used gas or kerosene. Also the family had no car, just two rusty old bicycles.

Ryan learned other things, such as the family's habits, like their rising at 0530 every morning, and how the farm was run. They grew an assortment of crops in addition to having many chickens and some pigs. No need for an alarm clock, a rooster started crowing every morning even before sunrise.

Mrs. Honda was also apparently Catholic. She attended Sunday Mass, that and needing to do some grocery shopping accounted for her Sunday bus trips into town. At home the mother said a rosary and some prayers or novenas every night before going to bed. Also, the children either weren't in school or the school term hadn't started. Ryan wasn't sure; she did think the school year had started. If she had really cared, the former man may have found this odd.

Also, sometimes other family members of the Hondas visited. Sisters of one of the parents, sometimes cousins of the children. Ryan found this particularly trying, her trust levels still being rather low. After a few visits this began to improve. On a few instances Ryan helped at the snack stand. Again this proved to be a trying experience; the girl found it difficult to interact with outsiders, particularly non-Japanese.

As simply as the Hondas lived, the family was happy and well adjusted. If not for the PTSD, Ryan may have sharply contrasted his past life with that of her and her family. Later on the girl would think of the Hondas and compare them to Betty. There was no way Mrs. Tabor would have been happy in such a life.

Psychologists would have had a field day explaining Ryan's behavior the three weeks after Mrs. Honda found her on that rainy night. One thing was certain; the adult turned girl acted more like a child while at the same time forgetting her adult life as each day passed. Would Ryan Tabor ever make her way back to Kadena AB and her wife and family?

*****

It was a brutally hot early Sunday afternoon and Ryan was running the Honda's snack stand out by Route 58. It had so far been a fairly active day.

Mrs. Honda had left the girl in charge shortly after 9 a.m., but not before asking Ryan if she wanted to join her. Still frightened by the outside world and feeling vulnerable, she had said no.

Instead Ryan had been asked to watch the snack stand because it was Sunday, a usually busy day. Since it was Sunday, the girl was wearing a dress. A pink one, probably belonging to Akina. Combine that with her ponytails, and more than one customer had said how cute Ryan looked.

The girl either smiled or said nothing hearing this. Ryan was really getting too comfortable with this life.

However, that was about to change. A silver colored Nissan pulled up outside the snack stand and two women disembarked from the car, one American looking, the other Japanese. The two women held hands as they approached the stand.

Ryan watched this with curiosity. Two women 'out' like this wasn't seen very often. Even more so in Japan. Still, it wasn't for her to judge, these women were just potential customers.

"Do you have any bottled water? Evian?" the blonde haired woman asked.

Not speaking but putting a finger up such as to say one minute, Ryan turned around and opened one of two nearby ice chests. The snack stand sold a variety of food and personal items, from food, sometimes prepared by Mrs. Honda herself, to water and soft drinks to personal care items like aspirin, Tylenol and feminine products to car care supplies such as oil, tire gauges and windshield wiper fluid.

Selling products such as these gave the family some outside income other than the farm. Most business was done on weekends; on weekdays the stand was only occasionally manned or watched.

Taking out two bottles of Evian water, Ryan put them on the counter for the customer. For the next five minutes the two female customers asked about food and debated with each other what they wanted to buy. When it was all over the 'couple' bought two bottles of water, some nutrition bars and a pack of gum.

After counting out their change and returning it to them, Ryan watched as the two women left to go back to their car. Before climbing in the car, the American female waved to Ryan. The girl waved back and gave a big smile.

"Isn't she so cute and adorable?" the American woman said to the driver.

"Yes, she is," the driver replied, beginning to back out the car before thinking of something. "Why don't you throw the trash and newspaper in the can over there."

Ryan was counting the money in the cash box while seated on a stool inside the stand when the Nissan pulled up right outside the stand. The American woman got out of her car, placed some things in an overflowing trash can in front of the Honda's stand, and then drove off.

At the same time, Ryan saw a bus go by. Looking at her watch the girl calculated that Okasan Honda would probably be back in ten minutes or so.

The stand was slow now. Ryan was thinking of what she would do later that day. Maybe play with the Honda children. As if the Hondas were her real family, not Betty and the children. Ryan wasn't thinking at all about getting back to Kadena AB.

Sitting there, Ryan thought if there was anything she should do before Mrs. Honda got back. The answer came right in front of her eyes. Just outside the shop was the mostly customer used garbage can the American woman had used. At the moment the can was overflowing and objects were falling out of it.

Seeing this, Ryan grabbed a garbage bag out of a box and then left the shack. The garbage can was quite big, and when totally full was beyond the girl's strength to empty it. It was a task usually done by Mr. or Mrs. Honda. With neither available, Ryan decided to do the next best thing. Pick up any loose litter and put it in a new bag.

Ryan was doing exactly this when she found the newspaper thrown out by the couple just minutes before. It was an issue of the Kadena Shogun dated five days earlier. The girl was just about to throw it out without a glance when she saw a headline on the front page. Ryan began to read the accompanying article.

The girl became so engrossed in the two articles that she read, she never saw Mrs. Honda approaching. The mother was pushing a small cart full of supplies and groceries she had bought.

"Keiko," Mrs. Honda said as she sat, patting the girl on the head. Ryan was a little startled by this and turned around. "I'm home. Is everything all right?"

Ryan froze in a state of speechlessness, and just stared at Mrs. Honda till she began to gently nod her head.

"Many customers?" Mrs. Honda asked. She noticed the newspaper the girl was reading, but thought nothing of it. The mother assumed Keiko had gotten it from a customer.

"A few."

"Good." Mrs. Honda gave the girl a hug and a kiss but didn't notice Ryan's more subdued reaction. "I'll bring these items home and come back here shortly."

She watched as Mrs. Honda walked down the trail back to the farmhouse. Taking the newspaper she found, Ryan let herself back in the shack and began reading the two stories for a second time.

*****

Mrs. Honda had just completed making a sign of the cross and was about to go into the bedroom for the evening, when Ryan came out of the bedroom. The girl had been put to bed just a half hour earlier.

"Keiko, is anything wrong?" Mrs. Honda asked in Japanese.

Ryan Tabor took a seat on the living room couch near the rocking chair Mrs. Honda was seated in. "My name isn't Keiko. It isn't Hailey, either. My name is Ryan Tabor, and I'm a Major in the United States Air Force."

The accidental discovery of an issue of the Kadena Shogun had shaken Ryan Tabor back to reality. She didn't belong here at the Honda home. She wasn't Hailey or Keiko or some Japanese girl. Instead, she was Ryan Tabor, a member of the United States military.

Two articles in the Shogun were the main catalysts for Ryan's reawakening. The first helped to explain why the Major was now an eleven-year-old girl. Something that was being called The Great Shift had happened three weeks earlier.

It wasn't a local event, but a worldwide one that had changed 90% of the planet. People were shifted randomly from one body to another. It was totally random, and no reason or cause had been found for this event. Nor was any cure expected. A cure wouldn't have helped Ryan Tabor. The Major knew her real body had burned in the wreckage of the plane he'd been flying at the moment of the shift. It was almost a one hundred percent certainty that Ryan would have to live out the rest of her life in this body.

Through this freak act, man-made or supernatural, Ryan had been transplanted into the body of Hailey Toyoda. A radical change for the major, including age, sex and race. But not an unheard of one according to the Shogun.

Through the first article, Ryan had discovered what had happened to her. It was the second article that brought her back to full reality.

A memorial service had been held at Kadena AFB eleven days earlier. It had been for the crew and passengers on the C-5B that had crashed. A picture in the Shogun showed Ryan's wife Betty and the children. Mrs. Tabor appeared to be crying.

It had been a rude wake up call for Ryan. Here she was living like someone's child while her family thought she was dead. What was wrong with her? Had she gone crazy? Ryan was more than a bit angry with herself.

This also applied to Mrs. Honda. Ryan felt resentment, even anger at this woman for letting her live like this. Why did the mother let her live like this? Who was this Keiko, and why was she being called by that name?

Earlier that day Ryan had thought of just climbing on a bus and setting off for Kadena immediately. All doing so without explaining to the Hondas. She didn't do it for a myriad of reasons. First, she had no money of her own, she would have had to borrow or steal from the Hondas for bus fare. The girl didn't feel that was right, no matter how she was treated.

Also, Ryan was still a child in an adult world, the memory of her near sexual assault still prominent in her memory. She wanted to be prepared before setting off for Kadena. Maybe even get a ride from someone trusted. That would be safer in the Major's opinion.

Another reason was Ryan wanted some answers from Mrs. Kyoko Honda. About why she had been allowed to live like this without being told the truth. Ryan planned on getting these answers tonight.

Mrs. Honda didn't show any reaction to Ryan's sudden revelation. At least not outwardly. She just looked at the girl for thirty seconds before replying. "Okay, Ryan."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ryan answered, barely concealing her annoyance.

Mrs. Honda didn't reply immediately, but frowned at the girl. "We didn't know, I didn't know."

"But you should have!"

"How?" Mrs. Honda asked, seeing the anger in Ryan's eyes. She was keeping her own emotions to herself. "I found you that night in the rain. You were scared and looked lost. I brought you home to protect you."

"Protect me?" Ryan asked. If the girl hadn't been so angry she might have seen the logic in what Mrs. Honda was saying. The mother had protected her from the unknown attacker. Also, the Hondas had no way of knowing her true identity.

"Yes, you were frightened and shaking. A girl doesn't belong out in the rain and alone."

"I'm not a girl. I'm a US Air Force Major."

"I didn't know that. There was no way of knowing, but I apologize," Mrs. Honda replied, lowering her head.

Ryan wasn't in the mood for an apology, however. "I want to get back to
Kadena Air Force Base. Can you help me?"

Mrs. Honda hesitated before answering. If Ryan had been more observant she may have noted the sadness on the Mother's face. "Of course we will. When do wish to leave?"

"Tomorrow. As soon as possible."

"The first bus stops around 7 a.m. I can walk you there in the morning."

"Thank you, but would it be possible for me to get a ride to Kadena?" Ryan asked, knowing the Hondas didn't own a car personally but had family that did. "I'd really like to get there quickly and safely."

Mrs. Honda frowned in a rare display of emotion. "My brother-in-law Tonichi has a truck. He goes down near Kadena on most weekdays, but he leave early in the morning. I may not be able to get him tomorrow in time."

"But you'll try?"

"Yes, I will," Mrs. Honda replied. The mother and girl just sat there in silence for two minutes.

"Can I ask you a few things?" Ryan asked.

"Yes, you may."

"Why didn't you tell me about the shift?"

"You didn't ask, we knew nothing about you, and my own family was affected. I'm the only one not shifted," Mrs. Honda said.

The mother went on to explain further. Mr. Honda had been shifted into the body of his almost three-year-old daughter Miyoko. This probably accounted for the girl's withdrawn or subdued personality. The former man was probably in shock. Miyoko wound up in her brother Goro's body. That also explained why the boy acted like a girl and a child much younger than she was.

As to Goro and Akina, they had probably adjusted best of the whole Honda family. If anyone ever does get used to the changes. Goro ended up in Akina's body and Akina in the body of her father Hideki Honda. These two had acted so 'normal' that Ryan hadn't noticed the changes. Or maybe she was just not that observant.

If Ryan had been just a little less self-centered or selfish she would have felt for the Honda family's plight. The girl was just too obsessed with getting back to her own life to care at this moment.

"We had our own problems, you were lost and I thought you were a victim of the shift. Eventually I thought you'd leave. I'm sorry if I didn't tell you. I apologize."

Again Ryan wasn't in the mood for an apology. After a minute she spoke up again. "But why did you start calling me Keiko?"

A dark cloud came over Mrs. Honda's face. "Keiko was my daughter, Akina's twin but not identical. A year ago last February she die in an auto accident out by the stand. She hit by car."

Now it was time for Ryan to hang her head. The girl knew that she had struck a nerve and for just a moment felt she had been too harsh to Mrs. Honda. "I'm sorry."

"That's all right," Mrs. Honda said, patting Ryan's knee as she rose from the rocking chair. "Unless you have something else to ask, I suggest we go to bed. I will have to rise extra early to get Tonichi before he leaves in the morning."

"Good night," Ryan said in English. She refused to talk Japanese anymore. A minute later both Ryan and Mrs. Honda were in their bedrooms.

*****

As promised, Mrs. Honda did go out early to catch her brother-in-law. It was a futile effort; Tonichi had left fifteen minutes before his sister's arrival. Once home the mother informed Ryan, but promised the girl would get a ride the next day.

Ryan was annoyed but kept it to herself. Mrs. Honda again offered to pay for her bus fare, but the girl declined. She would just wait it out a day.

However, Ryan refused to do any more work around the house. She wasn't a slave to this family. She did appreciate their hospitality, but the girl still felt slightly wronged.

It was 4 a.m. when Mrs. Honda woke up Ryan in her bed. Tonichi would be arriving in an hour to pick up the girl, and Ryan had a lot to do before that.

While Mrs. Honda prepared a breakfast for the girl, Ryan went and used the bathroom. Including taking a shower. She didn't know when the next chance to do this would be.

While in the bathroom, Ryan stared at her reflection in the mirror. The face of Hailey Toyoda stared back, and the Air Force Major didn't know if she would ever get used to it. A guy doesn't just become a female and say, "Big deal, I'm happy like this!" No, that wasn't the way she felt at all. She would just have to live with it.

But would Betty and children live with their husband and father like this? How were Ryan's wife and family? If the Shogun was right, the family was probably as scrambled as the rest of the world. It was even possible they may not even be at Kadena anymore.

"Damn, I'm so cute. I wonder what Betty will say," Ryan said, looking at her face. There was no denying, Hailey Toyoda was adorable. More so with the hair tied up in twin ponytails. "If I'm like this now, I could grow up to be an absolute babe."

Ryan's thoughts went back to her hair. It was too cute, but should she do anything with it? After considerable thought, she decided to leave it be for the time being. She still had a long trip to make and the girl didn't want to have to pay attention to its care any more than needed. As soon as Ryan got to Kadena she planned on having it trimmed.

Once done with this, plus brushing her teeth and taking a shower, Ryan emerged from the bathroom and went straight to the bedroom. There she got dressed in the exact same clothing she'd worn the day she first met Mrs. Honda.

Ryan came out of the bedroom to see Mrs. Honda putting breakfast on the table for her. "Come, I cook American food for you."

Mrs. Honda had done just that. As Ryan sat down in the chair and after being pushed up to the table by the mother, the girl saw two fried eggs cooked over easy. Also on the plate were two pieces of toast and two strips of bacon.

"This wasn't necessary, but thank you," Ryan said as she dug into the food. This was the first non-Japanese food she had eaten since coming to the Honda home.

"It was, and you are welcome," Mrs. Honda replied, going around to the other end of the table and taking a seat right across from Ryan. "I owed you."

"No," Ryan said curtly. She was finally admitting to herself that she had been too hard on the Hondas, and particularly the mother. If not for them, the girl may not be alive now. "You gave me food, safety and a home to stay in. I owe you, and won't ever forget it."

Mrs. Honda smiled hearing this. "How is breakfast?"

"Good," Ryan answered, and she was being truthful. Mrs. Honda was a good cook. As good as it was, however, Ryan did notice that her new body couldn't appreciate American food as much as her mind did. She'd have to work some kind of balance out between what her body was used to and what her mind craved. "I am sorry about Keiko. You must really miss her."

"Yes, I do," Mrs. Honda said, choking back tears. "I saw you that night. You reminded me of Keiko very much. It was unfair I think you can be my daughter."

Ryan saw the woman's pain. "It's past. I don't blame you."

Mrs. Honda changed subjects. "Tonichi will be here at 5 a.m. He can take you either to his work and to Kadena later in the day or drop you about fifteen miles away from base. You decide which you want."

"I'll think about it," Ryan replied, considering. She may have a way of getting to Kadena from where Mrs. Honda was telling her.

"I pack your backpack for you. All your clothes are in there. Passport, too."

"Thank you. It's not really mine, but the girl I am now," Ryan admitted. Mrs. Honda looked like she understood. "I took what I needed before going. I don't know what happened to the real Hailey."

Mrs. Honda sat quietly for a minute while the little girl finished eating breakfast. "Ryan, I wish you well in finding your family and loved ones. I hope you are successful and happily reunited."

"Thank you," Ryan said, taking a sip of the tea cup she was holding. "I appreciate it."

"If you should find you can't find your family or Air Force not take you back, not believe you, you have home here. We be happy for you to join us," Mrs. Honda said sincerely.

"Thank you," Ryan said, finishing her meal. She had every intention of finding her family, they had to be somewhere near in the Major's opinion. Then there was her career with the Air Force. Starting life again on Okinawa as a Japanese schoolgirl was definitely not in Ryan's cards. She did feel an obligation to the Hondas. One day she would repay it. "Thank you for everything. I will repay you one day. I really owe you."

"It not necessary," Mrs. Honda replied.

With breakfast over, Ryan went and checked her backpack. Everything was in there from the first night. Including the US passport of Hailey Toyoda. It may just come in handy, the Major concluded.

Mrs. Honda also provided Ryan with two tuna sandwiches for the day. The girl thanked the mother for this. Ryan didn't know when she would get food again.

She also gave Ryan ten US dollars in case the girl needed it. Ryan tried to refuse the money. The girl was certain it was money the mother was saving for the sewing machine she dreamed of. "No, I can't. I won't take it."

"You must, you need it. I insist." Mrs. Honda couldn't be said no to. She made Ryan take the money.

Now Ryan felt like crying, but didn't. "I will repay you one day. I promise. I won't ever forget anything you did for me."

Within minutes Tonichi Honda had arrived at the house. He was driving a pickup truck and his sister-in-law gave the construction worker some last minute instructions.

Ryan was about to climb in the truck, but instead allowed Mrs. Honda one last hug and kiss. It was good for both of them. Ryan could feel the genuine warmth and love the woman had for her.

Once done, Ryan climbed in the truck's passenger seat. Looking at Mrs. Honda, who was standing just outside the truck window, the girl could see how sad the woman looked. It was almost like the Mother was losing a daughter for the second time.

Mrs. Honda asked Ryan if she was all set. The girl nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Bye."

Ryan then gave the mother one last kiss. "Aishiteimasu Okasan Honda." Then the girl waved to Mrs. Honda as the truck began to drive off.

*****

Good as Mrs. Honda's words, Tonichi took Ryan Tabor to about fifteen miles short of Kadena Air Base or the town of Ishikawa. This was where the construction worker was employed.

Ryan had the option of sticking around Tonichi's workplace or being dropped off on the main road. The girl had another idea, and Tonichi Honda obliged.

Just before reaching Ishikawa, the truck turned off the main road. After another mile's drive, the truck turned off onto a dirt road that led into a residential area. The home Ryan was looking for was another quarter of a mile and on the right side of the road.

The two-story home was a sturdily built home, probably built in the last thirty years. In front of it and attached to the home was a small general store. The sign above it was in both English and Japanese. Both said Sarge's Groc.

Ryan got out of the truck, but not before asking Tonichi to stay first. It was still early in the morning. As the girl suspected, the general store wasn't open yet. However, there was an old-fashioned bell next to the window. Ryan rang the bell twice.

In less than two minutes the store's wooden window was open. A Japanese woman in her early twenties spoke. "Hai?"

"Is the Sarge up yet?" Ryan asked. "I'm a friend of his."

The woman replied, "One moment," and retreated back into the house. In the meantime Ryan thanked Tonichi for his generosity in driving the girl to this house.

"Who the fuck is asking for me at this time of the morning?" said a high-pitched and screeching girlish voice. A moment later a Japanese girl not more than five or six years old walked into the store. "Okay, who the fuck are you?"

"Hi, Sarge," Ryan said, only now seeing how truly the world was reshuffled by the shift. "It's Ryan Tabor. It's good to see you, it's been a long time. Can I come inside?"

*****

A minute later, and after dismissing Tonichi, Ryan Tabor was entering the home of Maurice "Moe" Clemmons. The five-year-old girl had been a Marine Drill Sergeant and E9 before retiring to Okinawa three years before. There were very few service people, Navy, Air Force or Marines, on Okinawa who hadn't met him or knew of Moe.

Upon retirement from the Marines, Moe settled down on Okinawa with his latest or fourth wife, a nineteen-year-old Okinawan native name Miho. Using his connections and money he had earned over the years, the sergeant had opened three clubs on the island, all close to a US military base.

The businesses were legit, but some questioned where Moe got the money to run them. The retired Sergeant had quite a reputation as a conniver while in the Marines. There were suspicions or rumors that Moe ran a prostitution business on the side, but it had never been proved.

After a few pleasantries, the two military men turned young girls took wicker chairs directly across from one another with a small table between them. A woman in her twenties that Ryan had never seen before entered the room. She was bringing a tray with two small glasses on it.

"Miho, this is my friend, Air Force Major Tabor," Moe said. The woman barely paid attention, just giving Ryan a brief smile. She then put down two glasses apparently full of orange juice on the table and then left.

"Fucking woman," Moe said in the spicy language she was known for. "Ever since this shift she has treated me like shit. Fucking whore, I should kick her ass out on the street. Who the fuck does she think she is?"

"Sorry to hear about your troubles, Sarge," Ryan said, not knowing what else to say.

"The fucker cut off my beer, my cigars," Moe said, then picked up the glass she had been given. "She expects me to drink this crap instead. Fucking whore."

"The Shift changed us," Ryan said weakly. "I don't think we can expect to be treated the same."

"Shit, she's my wife, for Christ's sake," Moe replied, waving her small, girlish arms. "The lucky shit, she swapped with her sister. I traded with her five-year-old niece, Reiko."

As severe as Ryan's shift had been, she guessed it had to be tougher for the retired E9. Going from a sixtyish white male to Japanese girl age five couldn't be easy. Maybe there was a silver lining to it, but Ryan wasn't seeing it at the moment. "Sorry, Moe. Don't know what to say."

"Ah, it's not your fault. I just wish the woman treated me like her husband. Now I can't even sleep in my own bed." Moe took a drink of the orange juice. "So, what brings you here? I swore I heard you were dead."

"Yes, but it's a long story. I need two possible favors, one will be small. The second, I don't know if I need it yet."

Moe grunted, hearing what Ryan was saying. The retired E9 had a big heart toward his fellow serviceman. At least depending on what type of favor was needed. Sometimes Moe expected his beak wetted in return. "So what do you need?"

"A phone, I need to place a few phone calls."

"Shit, that's all?" Moe said sarcastically. "You could have told the wife that and she would have given you the phone."

"I may need a ride to Kadena, also," Ryan said hesitating, knowing the Sergeant wouldn't be doing the driving. "That's only if someone can't come and fetch me."

"No problem, but our car is in the shop. Won't be back for two more days," Moe explained. "But I know people, one of them can get you there. No problem at all."

"I'm only making local calls," Ryan explained.

"Understood," Moe said, and then after a sip of orange juice screamed in a shrill girlish voice, "Miho!!!!!! Get me the fucking phone!"

*****

As soon as Miho brought Ryan the phone, the girl went about the process of trying to contact her family. Without any identification, Ryan was unsure if the base would even let her on the property.

Except the Tabors weren't home. This was unusual, it was barely 0700 and the family should be home. Unless they had gone back stateside, that is.

Hearing this, Moe Clemmons went and got a cell phone. She figured her friend would be in need of a ride after all. The ex-Sergeant started making some phone calls of her own.

Thinking of friends or people who may know where Betty and the children may be, Ryan started dialing friend's phone numbers from memory. One phone was disconnected; two times she got an answering machine. Only on the fourth try did Ryan hit pay dirt. The friend she was calling was Captain John Mills and his family.

Just after the second ring the phone was picked up. A female voice said, "Hello."

"Hi, Joan, can I speak to John please?" Ryan asked, recognizing the voice of her friend's wife.

"This is John. Who am I speaking to?"

'Were all the men in the world now women? Or just my friends?' Ryan asked herself. It didn't matter at this moment. "John, it's me, Ryan Tabor. I need-"

Ryan got cut off in mid-sentence. "No way! Ryan is dead, and this isn't funny," Captain Mills said.

"John, listen to me. Believe me," Ryan replied, afraid her friend would hang up. "I'm really Ryan. Do you remember when the guys at Tinker got you drunk and-"

"Holy Shit, Ryan, and Praise be to God you're alive," John said excitedly. "Where have you been? Where are you?"

Ryan didn't want to spend a lot of time explaining. "John, it's a long story. Right now I'm up at Moe's house."

"Haven't seen Moe since the shift. How is he?"

"She's all right," Ryan replied. She wanted to get back to the purpose of the phone call. "John, do you know where Betty and the kids are?"

"Ryan and Caroline are home with us. They swapped with each other," John explained. "You can talk to them if you want. Denise and Betty also swapped. They're both down at Lester Naval right now."

"You mean..." Ryan asked, kicking herself. The only reason for them to be at Lester was Betty was about to have their baby. "Betty is in labor?"

"No, bud, Denise is. They swapped. Denise's water broke around 0400 this morning, and they left Caroline and little Ryan with us," John explained.

Ryan knew where her place was now. She should be at Lester for the birth of her son. The Air Force Major still remembered or felt guilty for not being at Caroline's birth. Ryan was on 120 day remote in Saudi Arabia at the time. "John, can you or Joan pick me up here and take me down to Lester?"

"Sorry, I've got to leave in thirty minutes for work. Joan doesn't like driving off base since the shift happened. Things can be scary sometimes."

'Yes they can,' Ryan thought, recalling what had almost happened to her.

"Can't Moe give you a ride?" John asked.

Moe had just walked back into the room. She had placed a few cell phone calls from another room. Putting her hand over the mouthpiece, Ryan asked Moe, "Did you find me a ride?"

"Yes, Larry will be coming to pick you up," Moe replied. Ryan knew who Larry was. Another retired ex-Marine living on the island and a sometime business partner of Moe. She wondered what Larry would look like now.

"No problem, John, I'm getting a ride. Sure will. Yes, we have to. Thanks for everything, and we will talk again soon. Bye." Ryan then hung up the phone and turned to Moe. "When will Larry be here? Denise is in labor."

"Not till around 1000. Sorry, he was the only person I could get," Moe replied. Actually, she had asked Larry not to come till then. The former sergeant had been under 'house arrest' by her wife since the shift. She really wanted someone to talk to, and Ryan fit the build.
Military, a friend and good guy, and maybe most of all, shifted and in a similar situation to Moe's. "Don't worry, babies take time. You'll get to Lester with plenty of time."

Ryan just stood there thinking. 'Try to get a bus? A taxi? Or just wait? Do I have time?' The girl still felt vulnerable, it was probably wisest to wait for Larry. The guy might be helpful.

"Why don't you take that backpack off?" Moe asked. The ex-marine needed someone to talk to or vent to. Unknowingly, that was how Major Tabor would return Moe's favors. "Miho is preparing breakfast. You're welcome to join."

"I ate already."

"Then talk with me while I eat," Moe replied. At that moment Miho came in to say breakfast was ready. The two former men went to the dinner table and started to talk.

It was Moe who did most of the talking. Going into a long monologue, the former sergeant touched on almost every subject that had been bugging her since the shift.

Like her wife Miho, and how the woman was treating her husband. Or not treating Moe. The woman had the audacity to take away the Sergeant's beer and cigars. Even worse, the woman was treating the girl like a child. The Sergeant went into a long diatribe on Miho's own habits, her cooking, cleaning, even her hygiene and alleged or suspected bisexuality.

Ryan just listened, mostly without comment, as Moe vented in her usual salty language. 'I wonder how these two ever stayed married before the shift, if half of this is true.'

The next part of Moe's monologue focused on the shift and life afterwards. The sergeant had shifted into the body of his wife's five-year-old niece. A neighbor got Moe's body. Miho had swapped with her sister.

And while the Sergeant was really sixty-one, she was now a five-year-old. Miho started treating Moe accordingly, taking strict control of the girl's life in order to protect her.

"Protect me, shit!" Moe exclaimed. "The fucking bitch is planning to send me to kindergarten. I'll chop the shithead's legs off if she even tries."

The subject turned to Moe's businesses; all were running into the ground, the Sergeant expected, since she wasn't there to run them. Then came a long speech on the humiliation of being a female child. By the end of this, Moe was actually saying she preferred to stay five years old for life rather than face puberty, periods, men and eventually menopause.

"By the way, who the fuck did your cutesy wutsey hair?" Moe asked, dripping in sarcasm. "You can't tell me you like being a fucking girl!"

Actually, Ryan didn't like being a girl, but just remained silent and prayed that Larry would get there fast so her 'torture' would finally end.

It was 0953 by Ryan's watch when Larry showed up. Just, Larry wasn't the former Marine E6 that the girl had known. The ex-Marine was Japanese and female also, like Moe and Ryan, except Larry was in her mid-thirties. Moe was starting to wonder how many more of her male friends had been given a free sex change by the shift.

Larry's arrival signaled the end of Ryan's 'purgatory' time. After saying good-bye to Moe and saying she'd be in touch, Ryan climbed into Larry's car. It was 1005 as they drove off south to Lester Naval Hospital.

*****

"Thanks, Larry. You're a friend," Ryan said as she got out of the car. It had taken a little over an hour to get there from Moe Clemmons' home.

Wearing her backpack again, Ryan walked right into the Hospital's main entrance. The girl had been to the hospital before. As recently as two months earlier, she and Betty had taken a tour of the Labor and Delivery Unit.

Ryan knew the way to L&D and planned to go straight there. Except a Navy MP at the reception desk stopped her.

"Young lady, how may I help you?" asked a male MP in his mid twenties. His ID badge said Jean Taggert.

Ryan stopped right in her tracks as the MP waved to the girl to come over. "I'm here to see Betty and Denise Tabor."

"They are patients here?"

"Yes," Ryan replied, and stopped to think. She remembered what John Mills had told her. "Denise is in labor. Going to have a baby."

Jean Taggert consulted a nearby computer terminal. "Yes, I show a Denise Tabor is a patient here. She's in room 217. What is your relationship to her?"

Again, Ryan thought before answering. She wondered if the MP would really believe she was Denise's father. Instead, Ryan took the path of least resistance. "I'm her sister. Can I go see her now?"

"Not yet," Jean answered, waving for the girl to come back. He then picked up the phone and made a short, muffled phone call. After hanging up, the MP spoke again. "Sweetie, they say your sister is in labor and will have the baby any time. Your mother is in the room, too. Maybe you should go back home till Mom calls and says you can visit."

'Shit. What do I do now?' Ryan asked herself. 'I can't even be present for the birth of my son.'

"Want me to call home? Maybe your father can pick you up?" the MP asked, looking at Ryan. "I can call a taxi if you have money?"

Ryan's adult mind couldn't understand why she wasn't just allowed in. Didn't this man believe in modern childbirth where the whole family took part? Then Ryan was struck with some childlike inspiration.

Ryan began to pout. Turning on the water faucets, the girl let go the tears and began openly stomping her feet. "I was lost by that shift. My Daddy died, and Mom became my sister and my sister Mom. I'm like this. All I want is to be is with them. I'm so scared."

Jean Taggert didn't really have time for the girl. There were more visitors waiting to check-in. However, the MP felt for the girl. As the child continued to cry, Jean picked up the phone again and placed a phone call.

As the MP was doing this, Ryan continued with her mock crying act. "I want to be with my Mommy. My Mommy." The Air Force Major's act was gaining not just the sympathy of the MP but some of the other hospital visitors.

One mother came over and gave the girl some Kleenex in an effort to console the girl. The unnamed Samaritan turned to the MP and said, "Can't you do something for this girl?"

Jean then hung up the phone and picked up a walkie-talkie. "Can I have an MP to the main visitors entrance?" Then Jean walked around the desk and came straight over to Ryan.

"I want to see my Mommy," the girl said, continuing to cry. "I miss her, I'm scared."

"Sweetie, what's your name?" the MP asked.

"Hailey."

"Hailey," Jean began to say, holding the girl's hands, "I will bring you upstairs and you will be able to see your sister and mother. First you have to make a promise."

"I will," Ryan replied, still doing the mock tears.

"You must stop crying and I will bring you upstairs. If you're a good girl, a nice nurse will let you see your family. Will you do that?"

If Academy Awards were given out at Lester Naval Hospital, Ryan Tabor would have been the hands down winner. The girl slowly began to stop crying. "I will be good. I promise."

Five minutes later, Petty Officer Taggert escorted Ryan up to the second floor and the labor and delivery unit. But they didn't go to room 217. Instead, the MP took the girl to the family visiting room.

"Hailey," Jean said, "you must wait here till the nurse comes for you. Only then can you see your mother and sister. Do you understand?"

This wasn't what Ryan had planned, but she had to act otherwise. She flashed the MP a big smile and nodded her head.

"Good, the nurse will be in for you shortly. Stay here till then," the MP said, giving Ryan a pat on the head before leaving.

The family waiting room had only two other occupants, a teenage girl and a young boy of five or six years of age. They didn't talk to Ryan and she didn't talk to them.

Ryan walked around the room. There was a TV and VCR in the room and collections of videotapes and some pamphlets in the room, with titles like 'Where do babies come from?' and 'You are a big brother/sister now.'

'Shit, I can't wait around here till the baby is born,' Ryan thought to herself. Bravely going to the door in direct contradiction of the orders given to her, Ryan peeked out into the hallway.

There was no one out there. So Ryan left the room and turned right. Signs in the hallway stated that rooms 201-220 were in this direction. Going to the end of the hallway the girl turned left to find a nursery on her right side and the L&D area a bit further down beyond it.

Ryan hesitated in the hall. Time to sneak in, trying not to be seen? Or just walk naturally, hoping no one will pay attention. That the girl just belonged there. Ryan decided on the latter strategy.

It worked. There were three nurses at the main desk, but none of them spoke up as Ryan turned right and went to the third room down on the right. The girl opened the door and quietly walked inside.

"Three...Four...Five...Six...Seven...Eight...Nine...Push," said a voice of a female doctor or nurse in the room. Closing the door behind her, Ryan noticed a drape in the room was pulled. This gave an expectant mother more privacy. However, it also blocked Ryan's view.

The girl could hear a doctor talking. She was telling Denise the baby was almost there. The girl was so happy to be here. Present to see her son born. Ryan had finally gotten back to her family.

Ryan decided it wasn't time to tell Denise or Betty who she was. Till now neither woman knew the father was in the room. Only peeking around the curtain gave Ryan any view of the birth.

"One more push will do it," the doctor said to Denise. Betty Tabor was seated next to her daughter, acting as the coach. "One...Two...Three..."

Ryan decided she had to see the baby born. After all, she was the father. Walking around the corner of the curtain, the girl went to a chair next to a table in the room. It gave Ryan a perfect view of the birth. She was actually going to see the baby emerge out of the mother's body.

No one but a nurse noted Ryan coming in the room. All were too engrossed in the birth and their jobs to comment.

The doctor was up to seven when Ryan saw her son's head begin to emerge. "Stop, Denise. He's out."

The mother began to cry. The birth was over. A moment later, and after a spank on the butt, Ramsey Scott Tabor began to cry, too. The boy was born weighing seven pounds and four ounces.

The birthing process wasn't over yet. After cutting the umbilical cord and the baby was cleaned up, it was time for the mother to push out the placenta. This took another five to ten minutes. By now everyone in the room but Denise had seen the mystery girl in the room.

The doctors and nurses were just leaving the room to give the mother and child some private time, when Ryan finally stepped forward.

"Hello, who are you?" Betty Tabor asked. Denise Tabor felt like asking the same question as she held the newborn boy.

Ryan took a deep breath. The news would be shocking but good to her family. It was time to tell them. "It's me, Ryan. Denise, I'm your father. I am alive."

*****

Ryan Tabor was sitting up in her own bed as Betty Tabor just finished using the bathroom in preparation for bed. Seeing her wife come out, Ryan put her book down; it was time for the women to talk.

It was a day and a half after Ryan's reunion with her family, and the father was already seeing the havoc the Shift had played with the Air Force, life in general, and her family. All of the Tabors were struggling to cope with their new lives.

"I'm glad to be home," Ryan said.

"I'm glad you're back, too," Betty said, climbing into the bed. "What do you plan for tomorrow?"

"Report in," Ryan replied. The family had a home on Boing Drive in the Stearly Heights section of Kadena AB. Kadena was normally the busiest USAF base in the Far East. In the short time since she got back, Ryan noted the lack of activity at the base. "Tell them the full story."

"Do you think..." Betty began to ask.

"Court-martial me? I don't know. I didn't abandon my plane. But who knows now."

"True." Ryan bent over to kiss her wife, but Betty pulled away instead. The question on Ryan's mind was if her family and marriage would survive the shift.

Though no one was physically hurt by the shift, most Tabor family members weren't happy at the moment. Ryan, Jr. and Caroline were fighting constantly. The boy turned girl hated having to wear her sister's clothes or be treated like a girl in any way. Caroline had
similar feelings about being a boy.

Denise, who swapped with her mother, had motherhood thrust upon her combined with a loss of almost twenty-five years of her life. She was very depressed at the moment and was taking antidepressants.

As to Betty and Ryan's marriage, the Major was already wondering if it could go on. Betty felt very uneasy around her husband now. Holding hands, kissing, or any sign of affection was out. Actually, the girl was surprised she was still sleeping in her own bed.

"I'll just have to tell the Air Force the whole story," Ryan said, picking up her book again. "I tried getting back here as soon as I could, except I got hurt."

"I suppose so." Betty had already heard the story of the Hondas and their caring for the girl. However, Ryan had left out some details, to both protect the family and to cover-up her own embarrassment. The Air Force Officer couldn't believe she had regressed into childhood like she did. "I'm tired, night, sweetheart."

"Good night, Betty," Ryan said, looking at her book. She was tired, too. Two minutes later the light was off in the Tabor master bedroom, and both parents had fallen fast asleep.

*****

Fifteen months later

Thirteen-year-old Hailey Tabor stared out the bus window at the passing countryside on a mild December day. She was thinking about her life and where it had gone and was going since the Great Shift.

As had billions of others, Hailey had tried to pick up the pieces of her life post-shift. The Air Force Major, soon to be Lt. Colonel, just wished the results would have been happier.

Despite trying to continue their marriage, the changes to Betty, Ryan and their children just put too much stress on the relationship. Both parents and all three children were in some kind of therapy as they coped with their post-shift lives. But the changes were just too severe for the couple to carry on. The couple was officially separated and the divorce would be finalized sometime next year.

In addition to this, the parent's attorneys were haggling over the divorce terms. Betty would get custody of the children; it was now deemed too stressful for the children to live the nomadic life of a military member's dependent. Hailey already was learning she would have
to pay alimony and child support, and the sum would be enormous.

Her non-family life wasn't much better. Hailey opted to stay in the Air Force, taking the name of the girl she had been shifted into. However, while she was an adult in mind, much of society treated Hailey Tabor as the now teenage girl she was.

That meant some loss of independence. Some adult activities were now  off-limits, like drinking. Also, the teenager wasn't allowed to drive in many places, like where she was now. Hailey at minimum resented her loss of independence, and at worst hated it. She felt she deserved better treatment.

The Air Force wasn't all that much better. Because of her change in size, piloting was out. None of the transport planes were designed to be flown by someone standing 4'7. Hailey was still young and would grow taller, but it wouldn't be known for some time if she could ever return to flying.

So the Air Force made her an instructor on flight simulators at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. This kept the girl in the Air Force, but there were few people unhappier than pilots that had their wings clipped. Hailey Tabor was no different. Hailey's new duties included
both working with pilot trainees on the simulators and teaching them in the classroom.

Even with her rank of Major, and she was about to get promoted to Lt. Colonel, Hailey found she got little respect from either her coworkers or the students she taught. Still grappling with guilt over the plane crash, Hailey couldn't understand how some colleagues treated
her with barely concealed ridicule. She had gone through a terrible trauma in more ways than most, and there were many others like herself. Why didn't people understand?

Then there was the sniggering from the students. Some students could barely control laughing on seeing their instructor. Hailey was having a very difficult time gaining people's respect. A therapist had told the officer that respect was also a two-way street. With all the turmoil in her life and its effect on her work, was Hailey someone owed respect?

Finally, four weeks earlier, the pressure proved to be too much. While teaching in the classroom one day, Hailey heard some snickering from the students. Asking what was funny, the Major was told there were spots of blood on the light blue slacks she wore. Hailey was experiencing her very first period.

Hailey had known this day was coming. Reorientation classes had taught the teenager that a girl on average had her first menstrual cycle by 12.8 years of age. At the time Hailey was 13.2 years old. So it didn't come as any surprise.

It was just the timing and where it happened. In some societies, a girl's first period was a time for celebration. The tale of the Red Tent. Before the Shift a schoolgirl having her first period was something to brag about to friends who still hadn't. Of course, the
novelty wore off with time, usually when the schoolgirl had her second. Hailey had read and heard all of this and she knew what was coming. Having a bloody discharge from between her thighs was just another reminder of her changed life, she was no longer a girl but a woman now.  A woman who was once a man. The arrival of Hailey's period and the place made her feel embarrassed. Why now?

That embarrassment quickly turned to anger when one trainee didn't stop his snickering or laughing. Hailey asked what the trainee found funny, but the male didn't stop laughing. Losing control of herself, Hailey grabbed the man, pulling him out of his chair, and pushed him hard against the wall. The other students broke it up immediately. There was no scuffle, no blows given or taken. Still, the damage was done.

Hailey was immediately given a desk job, but not before getting ripped by the school's superintendent for her un-officer like conduct. A disciplinary hearing would eventually be held, and while Hailey cooled her jets behind a desk she was ordered into counseling.

Like the therapy she had undergone, counseling proved of little use. The problems Hailey was suffering from were still there; talking did little to help with them. At her most recent session the Counselor stated maybe it was time for Hailey to take some leave and reevaluate her life and what she wanted to do with it. The Major took this as a not too subtle hint that the Air Force may prefer if she retired from the service or resign her commission.

After consulting with the superintendent and getting her counselor's recommendation, Hailey filed for all her unused leave time. Nine weeks in all, and it was granted. With two months to herself, Hailey decided to get as far away from Nellis and her family as possible. She needed time to think without the reminders.

One reminder Hailey hadn't avoided was the return of her period; it had begun the day before four weeks to the day of the classroom incident. She already calculated she was on a twenty-eight day cycle and for the first day had suffered hellish cramps. The novelty had already worn off for her.

Which was why Hailey was on the bus today. She watched as her intended destination was passed. The closest bus stop was a further quarter mile up the road, and that was where Hailey would get off.

Three minutes later, Hailey got off the bus. Carrying a small suitcase and having a backpack on, the Air Force major was wearing a t-shirt, blue jeans and a pair of sneakers. Nightfall was approaching soon and still remembering her attack from two years ago, Hailey wanted to get to her destination as quickly as possible.

Her destination? Hailey was back on Okinawa, and she was walking down Route 58 right to the Honda's Snack Stand. The reason for the return was simple. The three weeks Hailey had spent there the year before had been her only truly happy time since the shift. Could she go home
again?

Hailey was thinking of starting her life over. The Shift had given her that opportunity. That, and she remembered Mrs. Honda's last comments. If Hailey needed a home, she would be welcomed back.

Still, Hailey had more than a few doubts. While restarting life there may have some positives, it certainly wasn't a life of luxury. Of course Hailey would be doing life again as a teenager and all the baggage this brought.

There were also the Hondas. They now knew who she was or been. Did they still want her? She hadn't told the family of her coming, Hailey didn't know a way of contacting the Hondas, anyway. Still, she was filled with uncertainty about this night. Did Hailey really want the Hondas?

At least Hailey's visit would allow her to pay the debt she owed the Honda family. Mrs. Honda may have saved the girl's life. To repay the family, Hailey had a large bankroll in her back pocket, the result of her having cashed in a savings account.

The sun was beginning to set and Hailey hoped the snack stand hadn't closed yet. When the bus Hailey rode on passed it, Honda's was still open. The Major still recalled the path back to the farm, but felt uneasy doing it in near darkness. It had been fifteen months since her last visit.

Hailey was only ten yards from the shack when Mrs. Honda came out the stand's side door. Locking the door behind her, the mother immediately turned around and saw Hailey walking straight toward her.

Mrs. Honda was speechless as the girl approached her. Then Hailey bowed and said, "Konichiwa Mrs. Honda."

Mrs. Honda immediately hugged and kissed the girl. "Hello, Ryan, I am happy you came back."

Hailey had immediately sensed that. She felt it the moment Mrs. Honda hugged her. The woman hadn't changed in the last fifteen months. Speaking in halting and rusty Japanese and with her head bowed, the teenager said, "Can I come home with you? My name is Hailey now, but you may call me Keiko."

Mrs. Honda's smile and hug only grew bigger and deeper. After the hug was over, the Mother took Hailey's hand and said, "Yes, Keiko, you are always welcome in my home." Then the mother started to walk off to the farmhouse with the teenage girl.

Except Hailey let go of Mrs. Honda's hand. She was hesitating, still uncertain if this was the life for her. Did she really want to start over? Here on Okinawa? As someone's daughter? The strongest positive in favor of living with the Hondas was the love and family the girl would get. If Ryan could just make the first step.

Almost like she could read Hailey's mind, Mrs. Honda extended her hand again to the teenage girl. Just like she did to a similarly confused and frightened girl a little over a year ago. "Come."

Hailey stared at the outstretched hand. Memories of the year before flooded back into the girl's mind. Particularly those of the generosity the Hondas had shown to her. They had so little, but the family had shared it with the strange frightened girl they never knew before. The Hondas didn't ask for anything in return, and Hailey could never forget that.

Fifteen months hadn't changed anything, either. Mrs. Honda wasn't asking for the money the girl brought. All she wanted was Hailey's hand, the teenager's love, and perhaps a daughter to love in place of but not replacing the original Keiko the mother had so tragically lost. Was that what Hailey wanted to do?

Hailey then took Mrs. Honda's hand. At once the girl felt the love and warmth the Mother had for her. There was no mistaking it, Mrs. Honda loved Hailey, and Hailey was just beginning to admit she loved Mrs. Honda also. It was time for a fresh start for Hailey, and there was no better place than here.

Hailey had eight weeks to decide if this was the life for her. If she did, Major Tabor had already taken steps to burn her bridges behind her. A letter left addressed to Betty Tabor and the Air Force at her Nellis Apartment told that Hailey had decided to begin life again fresh. Also, so no one could trace her, Hailey had used the passport of Hailey Toyoda to travel, something neither the Air Force nor Betty knew she possessed.

When the eight weeks were up, Hailey could either return to the Air Force or restart life as Japanese schoolgirl Keiko Honda. When she made the choice, Hailey would make it a clean break, leaving the other life behind without regret. Either way, the teenager planned to do the best she could with the life she decided upon.

'My life, my future is here,' Hailey thought. It was now time to start it. "Hai, Okasan Honda. Aishiteru wa," the girl said, grasping her new mother's hand again, and Mrs. Honda and Keiko then slowly and carefully walked their way back home.

The End