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The cab headed deeper into the wrong end of the city. Steven was quiet; Joe knew he was scared. Anybody would be scared. The cab pulled over; they were in front of a run down bungalow. It looked like it should have been torn down years ago.
"Here's the place. You want me to go first and check it out?" Joe asked. Steven nodded as an answer. "Yeah, I figured I would." Joe said.
Steven paid, but the cabbie's rough hand held onto his. He looked at him, and almost asked what the problem was; then the cabbie gave him a wink. "Like your shirt, and what's in it." Steven's eyes widened, as the cabbie continued. "I wish I could stick around, baby, but this isn't the safest place in the world. Maybe you and me could get together later on tonight? Say about ten thirty?"
Steven was shocked and pulled his hand away. Joe put his arm around Steven, "You gotta go through me first!" He sneered. Joe turned with Steven still under his arm. They walked to the front door; Joe rang the doorbell.
"Thanks, Joe."
"No problem, Steven." Joe rang the doorbell again.
"My voice is higher, isn't it?" Steven said.
"I don't think so." Joe couldn't tell him the truth. Steven's voice was at least an octave higher. Steven was naturally fine featured, but he noticed that his facial features were softer, too. It didn't look like Steven had shaved a day in his life. It was very easy to mistake Steven for a woman.
A man came to the door, he opened it just a crack. "Yes? What do you want?"
"Are you Alex? Doc sent us here," Joe said, then added "He said hello."
"Doc?" He opened the door. He was old, dressed in a conservative blue suit and gray tie. He motioned for them to enter. It was warm house; it looked a lot better on the inside than the outside. He looked at Steven, "You've changed, right?"
"Huh? How did you know?" Steven said.
"You've got that bewildered, desperate look. I've seen it before. I am indeed Alex. Come inside and sit down. Your name?" His short finger pointed to Steven.
"Steven Tyler."
Alex seemed a bit shocked. "I mean your birth name?"
"Stephen." He nodded.
"How long have you been changing?"
"I woke up this way! I went to bed a man and woke up a woman."
Alex turned on a floor lamp, and began to look at Steven. He never touched him, just looked him over. He stepped closer and freed the necklace from the coat, "Oh, I understand now!" The stone was now an emerald green.
"You do!" Steven exclaimed. It was the first ray of hope he'd had all day.
"Where'd you this necklace?"
"God, I hate that thing." Joe moaned.
"I got it yesterday; at a store called Footsteps on the Sands of Time."
"From a beautiful blond girl?"
Steven nodded.
Alex slowly nodded. "Kali. You have been cast under her spell. Tell me, was the stone lighter in color when you first saw it?"
"Yeah, it was a real pale green."
"When the stone turns black, then you can't turn back."
Steven shuddered, "How long will that take?"
Alex sighed. "Judging by the stone, you don't have more than five hours until it's complete and irreversible."
"Five fucking hours!" Steven might look like the girl next door, but he still swore like a sailor. "That's all?"
"You are rapidly changing. You must be somewhat naturally feminine."
"Yeah, I've been told that." Steven sank back in his chair. "This Kali, I never met her! Why is she doing this to me?"
"She must have her reasons."
"I didn't do anything to her. I never met her before!"
Alex remained quiet. Joe didn't like it. "Are you keeping something from us?" Joe asked.
"No," He answered simply.
"So are you gonna help us?" Joe asked.
"I will have to find Kali. She is responsible; only she can break the spell."
"How can a necklace change me?"
"Yeah, why can't he just take it off?" Joe asked.
"Oh, don't remove it! It's the only thing showing us how long we have! The stone has no true force on this whatsoever! The spell is the real culprit. I will bring Kali here. She's around here somewhere."
"But the sign said 'Closed for Vacation'-"Steven began.
"Oh, she's here. I know Kali; she's very methodical."
"Look, Alex," Steven said softly, "What if you can't find Kali?"
"I will." He said confidently.
"Yeah, but let's just say you can't, or she won't come, or the spell isn't broken, or time runs out. What will happen to me?"
Alex was silent; he put his fingertips together and looked at him. "I shouldn't tell you, but you have a right to know. You will become a woman. The outer transformation has started; it will continue until you are a fully functioning woman. Your prostate gland will be replaced with a uterus. You will menstruate-" "Well, yes, women do."
Steven looked at the back of his hands, silently hoping that somebody would wake him up. No such luck. He thought about Teresa what would she think about all of this? What about the band? Sure he could probably still sing, but a lot of the songs are meant for a man to sing. What about the fans? He really couldn't make anyone believe that he had just simply turned into a woman.
"Stephen!" Alex shouted at him.
"Huh?" Steven was snapped back to reality. "Sorry, nobody calls me 'Stephen', it's always 'Steven'."
"Well, you're going to have to tap into your true self. Your going to have to find the true person you are. I think that you are going to need time to fathom what is happening to you. You cannot give up hope: If you do, then your body will change even faster! Relax, stay positive, and the transformation will slow down." He tilted his head at him. "Now, can I ask you something?"
Steven nodded.
"Before this happened, you were a heterosexual?"
"Yes."
"How do you feel about women now?" Alex went through a book as he spoke.
Steven frowned, "What?"
"Do you find her attractive?" Alex held up the book. There was a color photo; a blond with huge breasts, legs spread, showing off everything she had. Joe felt hot just looking at the photo.
Steven looked at it blankly. "She's pretty."
"But are you aroused by her? Would you want to make love to her?"
"No," Steven said flatly. "I have no urge to do so." Alex gave a slow nod.
"That's not good, is it?"
"Well, no." Alex sighed. "Stephen, just try to stay calm. I've never failed yet. Make yourself comfortable." He pulled Joe into the next room. "He'll be back soon."
Steven looked over his shoulder, watching them leave.
"What do they call you, son?"
"Joe."
"You must be a true friend, Stephen trusts you."
"We've been together for a long time."
"Joe, you can't let Stephen know this." Alex looked over to make sure that Steven was still sitting at the table, out of earshot. Joe didn't like that. He knew that this wasn't going to go smoothly. "I know Kali; she's had it out for Stephen for a long, long time."
"Why?"
"She blames Stephen for her sister, Elisabeth's death. Stephen and Elisabeth had a short fling and Kali claims that Stephen got her hooked onto heroine. She's been gone for three years now."
"Elisabeth?" Joe echoed, "I don't remember an Elisabeth. When was this?"
"Oh, about 1982."
"Oh, well, I wasn't really around him then."
"I see. Well, anyway, Stephen looks like the type that would take this news to heart."
"Yeah, it would bother him." Steven had been clean for quiet a few years; something like this could send him over the edge again. Guilt can do a lot to a person.
"You have to keep it from him. I'll try my damnedest to get Kali here, but I can't promise you anything. He trusts you; if you have any love of him, you must keep him in good spirits. I need all the time I can get. And don't tell him the truth of Kali's rage.
"And I must warn you, that he may do or say things he normally wouldn't. His hormones are going wild. Ever been married, Joe?"
"Yeah, I am now."
"Then you know all about PMS. That's what Stephen will be going through. I'll be back as soon as possible."