strong and hard, nothing like the fragile person in the picture. David could not take his eyes from the photo for many minutes. Finally, he laid it aside. and looked into the box. Nothing remained but another photograph torn intc two pieces. He removed the picture and pieced it together.

The picture showed two people together on a bed, their faces showing extreme surprise and shock. One of them was a man who didn't look anything like Pa. With him was the delicate creature from the other picture. This time. however, neither of the people were wearing clothes. Both were completely naked, the exception being the fragile one who wore only thin, filmy socklike things.

Suddenly, David's heart began pounding with hammer force. Wildly, he removed the filmy material from around his neck. He spread it out in front of him, then looked at the photo. They were the same! Now what was it Pa said? They were things used by women. That's the answer. That person ir the picture with Pa, that was a woman!

He continued carefully studying the torn photo. The bodies of the two people. nude they were extremely different. David suddenly realized something startling. The man in the picture, he was the one with the strange body. And with that David realized that Frank had always been seen fully clothed. He had never even removed his shirt in David's presence.

Wildly, David leaped to his feet and ripped off the blue denim shirt. Then he tore the tight elastic band from around his chest, releasing the large twin mounds of flesh which jutted out pointed and erect. David unbottoned the blue-jeans, letting them fall into a heap on the ground. David was naked in Dream-Town.

Then David picked up the photo and studied the woman's body carefully. The body and the picture, they were the same. Gently, David ran fingers over flesh, over the pink tips of well formed breasts, downward to a narrow and tiny waist, then outward over round full hips. With that gesture an identity was discovered.

David did not know the existence of pronouns such as she and he, but it was unimportant for at last she found herself. Nor was her age important; she had just been born.

The smell of Dream-Town was sweet, for there was no longer any world behind, nor any world in front. There was only Dream-Town, now and forever. A night bird began to sing softly, and the frogs raised their voices and answered. The lantern began to flicker as its fuel supply ran low, and the happy shadows danced higher.

She picked up the silk stocking, stood one one foot and placed toes inside. She gently rolled it up a long shapely leg. The stocking felt good and she laughed with delight. Picking up the shirt, trousers and crushing elastic band. she threw them far out into the river.

Another night bird answered the first. A small wind rose slightly and rustled the leaves. In the distance she could hear another sound. She picked up the flickering lantern, and wearing only a single silk stocking and a ribbon around her head, she walked to the watery edge of Dream-Town and waited. Perhaps she even knew the sound's meaning, the approaching noise of squeaking oarlocks and gently splashing water.

Cone

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