"Washed Between a Rock and a Hard Place"
by Jennie Hayes

"Oh, come on...we can swim!  The water's not that cold!"  Jennie
experimentally dashed out a few yards and turned back to look at her
friends.  "It's Lake Michigan, not the bloody ocean!  The water's just
fine!  See?"  She dunked her head completely under and swam a few more
yards out to prove her point, but at that moment a rather strong wave
seemed to pass over her head and she felt distinctly dizzy.  She
immediately surfaced and turned to face towards land...and found herself
looking at open water.  Dark, open water.  The waves, although still
fairly docile, seemed a bit rougher than she'd thought they were going in
and the water had suddenly gotten much colder.  She struggled around to
face the way she'd originally been oriented and realized the waves were
pushing her at an alarming rate into a pile of rocks.  "Didn't think I was
*that* close to the pier!" she thought, grabbing wildly at the nearest
rock to anchor herself before she could be knocked out or pulled under by
the waves.  She stared hard at the white pillars that she had just noticed
on her right.  She whistled.  "Toto, I don't think we're in Milwaukee
anymore..." 

The dock that the pillars supported was definitely not anything along the
Milwaukee lakefront; she'd recognize it if that were the case.  She fought
her way up onto the pile of rocks...breakwater, she realized, and stared
at the dock as she absently rubbed a couple of the bruises she'd just
acquired with that move.  It seemed familiar somehow...but she was
shivering in the breeze and it was a short, easy swim to land and possible
help.  She clambered down into the water (which seemed awfully warm after
having been in the wind) and found her feet touched sand on this side. 
Wading up the beach, she stopped and stared about her.  Although she'd
only been here at full daylight and with a lot more people around, she
knew this place. 

Toronto.  She was in Toronto.  On the islands.

With nothing but a swimsuit and a pair of goggles in her possession.  This
was not good.  This was *waaay* not good.  She wondered if she should just
take cover. 

************

The ladies' room was deserted and the lights were off...but it still
showed evidence of recent use; a pile of clothes on the bench indicated
someone's intent to return...before she could think about it, Jennie
swiped a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that looked big enough to fit her. A
pair of sandals that were not *too* small completed the ensemble (her
heels hung over the backs of them by less than an inch).  She hauled them
on and slipped back out, headed automatically for the main ferry dock, but
then stopped.  She couldn't remember if she needed fare or a ticket to
ride the ferry to the mainland, and besides, it was dark and she wasn't
sure if the ferry would be running at whatever hour it was anyhow.  She
headed instead towards the boat rentals.  Again, there didn't appear to be
anyone around, so she grabbed the first boat she came across; a canoe. She
paddled off as quietly as she could, trying to avoid the lighted areas as
much as possible.  As she passed too close to one bright light, she caught
flashes of color from the purloined clothes...orange.  She winced, then
noticed the canoe was apparently purple. "I'll be lucky if I make it out
of here without getting *shot*," she sighed to herself, paddling out of
the light for all she was worth... 

*************

The ferry dock seemed awfully tall from a canoe.  Jennie was never really
good at climbing, either.  Fortunately, there was a ladder off to her
right...she maneuvered the canoe closer to the ladder, tied it to the
lowest rung (hopefully someone would return it to it's proper place) and
began to climb.  She was completely drenched again, thanks to the
choppiness of the lake crossing from the islands, but at least this time
she could call Natalie and hopefully get into someplace warm...and soon. 
She headed off to search for a payphone. 

***

"Meetings and Salutations"
by Jennie Hayes and Dania Dewese

(following shortly after 'Washed Between a Rock and a Hard Place')


Robin's voice followed Dania out the door.  "So you sure you will be
alright?" 

Dania called back, "Yeah I will be fine. I should be back before dawn, I
hope." 

"OK...be careful and see you in the morning," Robin called back as she
closed the door after her friend. 

As Dania walked out the door she thought to herself, "Why did *he* have to
call tonight?  Of all the nights, why tonight?"  She wanted this vacation
to be so perfect. No interuptions, no work, no nothing.  Oh, well, maybe
she could start anew in the morning. Dania just wished she felt better.
Well maybe this walk would help. It was so clear out, she could see a
million stars or more up there. "*Why* did he have to leave me now?" This
was just so hard on her. We had all we could want and now he left. 

"Huh? What was that?"  Dania thought she heard a familiar name waft
towards her on the night air from the direction of a nearby payphone.  She
listened more carefully to the speaker, a 30-ish woman in a bright orange
t-shirt and sweatpants.  The woman appeared quite agitated, and was
dripping wet. 

"Lambert.  L-A-M-B-E-R-T.  Yes, Natalie!  Please get her for me right
away.  It's important.  Tell her it's Jennie." 

Dania walked somewhat hesitantly up to the woman at the phone and tapped
her carefully on the shoulder.  The woman's head whipped around towards
Dania, wet hair spraying water everywhere. 

"Umm. Excuse me," Dania began, trying to duck as much of the spray as
possible, "but are you Jennie Hayes? I wouldn't expect you in *orange*
much less here in Toronto.  Why are you wet?" 

Jennie looked at Dania rather suspiciously.  "It's got to do with all the
water in my clothes and hair.  Do I know you?" 

"It's me -- Dania" she said.

"Oh, hi," Jennie grimaced.  "Nice to meet you.  I'd hug you, but one of us
wet is bad enough..." 

"I was hoping that was you and not some person I didn't need to meet at
this time of night. What are you doing looking for Nat? You in some kind
of trouble?" 

Dania was thinking, "Why is Jennie here in the middle of the night wet and
strangely dressed?  Maybe this is her evil twin. Who knows?" 

"Depends on your definition of 'trouble'," came the short answer.

"So what are you doing here? I am up here visting friends and all of a
sudden I get a mystery call telling me that something strange is happening
here. Do you know anything about this?" 

"So it's going to be a Natpack convergence, then?  Great."  Jennie's
attention switched off Dania then, and she listened intently to the phone.
"You're sure?  Oh, well.  I'll survive, I can try back later.  Thanks
anyhow!"  She hung up disgustedly.  "Nat wouldn't come to the phone.  They
said she was very busy.  We're gonna have to just make our way to her
apartment.  Have you got any cash?"  She began to dial a long series of
numbers on the phone as she talked. 

"Umm...yeah, a little..." Dania replied.

"Good...we'll take a taxi...it'll only be a few bucks from here..." 
Jennie answered.  She turned away to speak into the phone again.  "Hi,
Amy?  It's Jennie.  Just don't ask, OK?  I'm in Toronto.  I need you to do
a few things for me...yeah, Toronto.  I *told* you not to ask.  Something
*way* weird happened.  Although it could really revolutionize the travel
industry...well, actually, I need you to call *any* of the numbers in my
address book in Milwaukee and find someone to go down to the Lakefront and
tell my friends there they don't have to drag the lake for my body...no,
just don't ask...just tell them I'm fine...and then, could you *please*
get hold of my purse and bring it up here?  I need my ID, at
least...yeah...Well, pack me.  Please.  You know what I need for a stay up
here.  I assume I'm going to be here for awhile...I at least want to know
what the heck is happening before I head home...and if this is likely to
happen again...No, don't ask...I'm not ready to talk about it
yet...yeah...I'll be at Nat's...I still know where the key is...yeah...OK,
get going, you really need to call Milwaukee soon...Bye!" 

"What did she say?" Dania asked.

"She'll call us at Nat's if she needs to...she's gonna come up, and the
rest of the 'Pack is probably on their way as well.  They've had some odd
phone calls and a lot of other stuff has been weird.  They figure they may
as well just head up here.  Now, let's go find us a cab!"  she stepped up
to the curb and waved one bright orange arm...well, at least the color
could be useful...but she was gonna have to find some other clothes, and
*soon*..."I've been oranged...at least nothing worse could happen to me
for the entire War!"