Starting Over

Caption and story provided by Captions by Alexis

Erik Muller was still in shock from everything that had
upset his normal routine life.  Changes had not been
very common in his life.  He liked his little rut and he
would have preferred to have just stayed there.  His
life was a challenge, but at least he knew what to
expect from day to day.  There a sense of peace
when you live in the confines of your own little world. 

But then Erik's world was suddenly changed the day
he went shopping with his friend, Denny.  The two
of them had gone to the mall that morning for coffee
and doughnuts.  They liked to sit in the food court
and just watch people.  People are really fun to watch.
If you haven't tried it, do it some day.

When the two of them had swallowed enough coffee, and
solved the problems of the world in the meantime, Denny
said he had to make a stop at TG World and pick something
up.  Instead of waiting in the food court, Erik had tagged
along, his legs in pain from his old war wounds.  By the
time the two reached TG World, Erik was ready to sit down
and rest.  Looking around, he saw no chairs, but there was
this little booth where a seat was clearly visible. Erik made
his way to the booth and took a seat.

Suddenly the door to the booth swung shut.  The panel lit up
like a Christmas tree and a whirling sound could be heard.
Denny and the store clerk stood there in silence, unsure how
the machine had activated itself.

When all was said and done, Erik had become a girl.  And as
he no longer appeared to be Erik Muller, the VA disability
checks stopped, so Erik had to go back to work.  Determined
to retire again as soon as he could, he took the name Erika
and became a stripper for the money, although there was a
sinister pleasure in watching all those guys in the audience 
as she slowly stripped.  She knew what they wanted.  But
unless they paid her well, they were only going to look.