“John ... are you alright?” a female voice asked, penetrating his subconscious like a jackhammer.He groaned at the stabbing pain in his eyes and f...mbled for the duvet, pulling it over his aching head. “Too bright ... too loud!”A hand tentatively stroked his shoulder. “There ... is that better?” the girl murmured.John tentatively peeled back the covers, blinking slowly in the gloom. He could see a figure staring at him with concern, her jagged features slowly softening into Alyssa’s beautiful. Ithought he could go have a look and see what is going on?" Of course Mistress, just one moment," says the nurse, who picks up aphone and starts to dial.Mistress Divine turns to me. "Now Princess, here we are, in the centre ofour transformation clinic. I know you've been here before in... differentcircumstances." She gives a little chuckle, and points to the threecorridors heading off from the nurses station. "You will have gone to thatone.. that's where our paying clients go to, and we're. I held her that entire first night, stroking her wig, until she had cried herself dry and fell asleep in my arms. My cats surrounded us and Teacup stood vigil over the scene from the nightstand; Those bright yellow eyes like a lighthouse in the darkest night over the ocean of our sorrows. My first true friend slept soundly through the rest of the night and most of the following day, which was gloomy and rainy as per usual where we lived. By the time I had awoken, it was well past 5 o' clock in. ‘Thirties,’ I said. She looked at me ‘Late thirties’ I added honestly, sombrely. ‘I’m forty-three,' she said solemnly. Now my heart started beating with an odd rhythm. Perhaps we were only now realising that we were both out of our depth. ‘Jesus,’ she ran her fingers up through her hair. ‘Oh my God,’ she added almost under her breath. I looked up at her; then something struck me. A question that I felt needed to be answered. ‘How old did you think I was?' I asked. ‘When we came up here,' I.