Sarah

The outside world was unknown to her, but she could see a glimpse of it through the window in his room. Pronouns were trickier now; the world was trickier now. Sarah as he was now known had never existed outside of this hospital room or Stephen’s mind. The process was now illegal for a number of reasons. "The Great Sickness" had wiped out all but ten percent of men and all but fifty percent of women. It was referred to as "The Great Sickness" because there were scarcely enough people left in the world to find out its cause. It seemed to attack the Y chromosome. One little shred of DNA had nearly caused the annihilation of the human race. Quarantine, medication, prayers; nothing worked. The young, the old, the sickness did not discriminate saved for the fact that it effected men more than women.

For a time, it went unnoticed old age and death seemed to catch up to men slightly more than women. It was only in 2025 that the dark and terrible truth was beginning to unfold, when old age and death started attacking every newborn male. Mothers and fathers wept as their beautiful seemingly healthy babies began to age and breakdown in their arms. Women gradually began stepping into male roles. In a lot of ways, it was like World War Two, but the women were fighting back death and losing terribly. Then inexplicably it stopped. No young men or newborn males died; they simply were not born. That was much of why Sarah was in the dirty hospital that she was. When in desperation, mankind knew their only hope was looking to the men still alive for the survival of the race. Strange laws when into place. Many of them with scrutiny and outright bigotry towards transitioning women. When men were in such short and desperate supply, a woman assigned male at birth choosing to be a woman was considered criminal. How could it seem like anything else? Choosing to be who you were was of little consequence with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

Stephen looked out the window with fear about the world he was sending his beloved Sarah into. It felt as if she had been imaginary until that point. The same way people hope to great actors or rock stars. Sarah was perfect, beautiful and unreal. He’d pictured her in dreams long blonde hair lovely breasts the envy of everything in creation. Man, woman, cat, dog everything would look in awe at his true self; her true self. The trees outside rustled, anxiously awaiting her entrance to the world. The most beautiful woman in human creation, literally. God started the project Stephen was merely helping to finish the job. Stephen opened the window simultaneously Sarah opened the window and let the wind blowing outside into her new and true lungs. It whirled around her fine features she had been complimented on since she was a child. Her eyelashes too long for such a pretty boy. The wind moved the hospital gown. The soreness reminding her of her ultimate betrayal. Her duty as a man that she could never be asked for again. She was complete. Criminal and traitor, but at long last human and whole. She smiled proud of her crime. She glanced over at the small pink dress she’d bought for her big day. She slowly closed the window and put on her clothes. Her beloved pink dress. Pink the color she was taught to fear throughout her childhood. She sat down on the bed waiting for the criminal who was her doctor. When he arrived he told her that everything would be alright from now on. It was best if she did the remainder of her healing at home. When he left she looked out the window once more and smiled. She then made her way into the terrible world.