Eric's Note: A large majority of this tale was written by my friend. I changed the ending, polished some and added dialogue.Hell is a City Much Like New York, a Taxi Ride StoryBy Eric and FriendDon Mason looked at the pink slip he just got and for the first time of his life, he felt as a total failure. At the age of 54 and working for the last ten years in mid level management to one of the international life insurance companies, he had thought his job was secure amid the talk of layoff for the last six months among lower level workers. He was very sure of his job security with help of the assurances by the company VP on endless occasions and lunches that he would get a promotion out of the job cut back due to there would be more money to go to managers in the company. He even got his whole family getting ready for the four weeks long vacation to Europe, at least the vacation was supposed to take place by end of the month.Now, with the pink slip and two weeks notice, the vacation was out of question, and he would have to kiss his reservation for the new sliver color BMW Z8 convertible roadster good-bye for now, minus the 10,000 dollars down payment to the BMW car dealership. And he might have to sell his beloved one-year-old sailboat he got for himself after years of dreaming to own one."But Joe, you've got to do something! For god's sake." Don said, pleading for his life.The VP looked embarrassed."OK. I can swing an 'early' retirement package for you, but that's all. It comes with a generous pension payment and a big 24 months early retirement payment/bonus. You will have to sigh a waver that you won't sue the company for age discrimination."Don looked at his friend's face and saw it was final. He nodded glumly."OK and thanks!"But it would still mean he was out of job in two weeks. And at the age of 54, it would be hard for him to look for another job with similar pay scale or come with benefit package as close to what he had beforeAge, that must be the only reason his name was put in the job cutback list. All the other younger managers were still had their jobs, and quite a few even got the promotion with increase in pay and perks. So it all came down to age differences. Don suddenly felt old even though it was only 6pm. Usually he would only called it quits around 8pm, but tonight was special, since his projects and workloads had been taken over by three other managers, whom would assume his duty once he retired. With nothing to do, he gathered his pitiful few items of a personal nature and left the building that he worked for the last 25 years. He felt like he had stepped into hell.Retirement wasn't what he wanted right now. With two lazy sons still in college, busy parting all their time away while blowing $50,000 per year each, he really couldn't afford to take the early retirement. Well I guess it will be junior college for them now. Only the bars would change he thought sourly. What could he do now? No other company would want to hire a 55 years old in mid level management. And any job he could find would be way below his current salary and benefit package, plus the unknown period of time he needed to land the new job.At 6pm, the street was still busy and Don decided against the tube since it would be crowed as hell. So he hailed a cab and was lucky as the second one stopped in front of him. As he got in the black and white sedan, Don noticed the sour smell of sewage or something worse."Hey, buddy don't you ever clean this car?" he asked"Every damn day! I just can't get rid of the smell!" was the surly answer."Take me home" Don said with a shrug of disbelief. 'What am I going to tell my wife,' he thought. 'She been so faithful and loving over these 28 years?'Don laid back on the seat, thinking about his future, what would his wife think of the sudden bad news. His sons would shit bricks. He could just imagine their screaming, no more expensive trips skiing with friends in Colorado!Of course, the cab driver kept talking about something or the other. At least the taxicab's radio wasn't on or the tape deck blaring. The taxi driver said that he was a dancer director in the Radio City Hall or somewhere on the Broadway.'Another nut!' Don thought. About half hour later, the taxicab arrived in front of his house. He sat there in the back seat for a moment longer than necessary, thinking about how his wife would be surprised to see him early from work. He never got home early and as a reward he had been kicked into hell."$17.40, sir!" said the driver smiling a strange smile.Don opened the door and gathered his things from the seat."Have a nice evening, sir!" The taxi driver called out after him as he was stepping out of the taxicab.One moment he felt the hot pavement his right foot had set upon and the first breath of fresh air in 30 minutes. The next moment he was in sitting position and on those wooden beads chaircovers taxi drivers were known to love, the sewage smell of the taxi returned to his nose, and the black steering wheel was in front of him. He was speechless and turned to his right side and saw himself was standing outside of the taxi cab and this Don took a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet, and gave it to him."Keep the change!" The new Don Mason said to the taxi driver, whose face was suddenly drained of blood and now looked pale white on the mid age man's face. The new taxi driver sat in his new taxicab, still unable to believe what had just taken place few moments ago. His eyes were on the hundred-dollar bill, his mind was trying to figure out what was going on, but most of his brain was shouting about the big tip. Before he was able to control his emotion and thoughts, a woman's yelling came out of his house; he corrected himself, his former house. He also heard Don Mason's voice shouting in the middle of the verbal fight in his former house. Then the front door open, and a mostly naked young man was running out of it while his hands were holding on to the rest of his clothing! The young man saw the cab in front of him and he sprinted for it.When the naked guy got in the cab, the taxi driver saw the new Don Mason was also just running out of the front door of his house with his wife not far behind chasing after him wearing only a white bed sheet covering her body."Drive!" the young man in the cab yelled. The new driver thought a little and decided since he was now the cab driver, the customer is always right. So he put the pedal to the metal and sped away. two blocks later, the young man managed to put most of his clothing back on."Thanks buddy, you saved my life. I never thought the old fart knew kick boxing!" He felt his jaw. "Ouch! Stop! That's my car. Driver, you know what hell is? It's having a husband come in on you when you think he is safe at work!"The young man got out of the cab and handed over twenty bucks!"Thanks! You saved my life."The taxi driver saw the young man leave. Suddenly what had happened hit him! He thought he was in hell before, now he really was! Now I'm in this repulsive body and dead end job! In one day, his job was gone, his body was stolen by and he found out his wife of 28 years was having affair! The former Don checked the taxi driver's wallet and found the address that the driver called home. Soon he was in the small apartment, emotionally drained and just sat on the sofa in the small living room in front of the flickering 13 inch black and white TV. He looked around the apartment and drank all the beer in the fridge before staggering to the dirty bed for the night.The next morning the new taxi driver found the journal in the apartment, and found out he could escape this hell. He only had to wait for two weeks for another swap! Thank you, god! He wanted to shout. He might be better off, younger and with a job, a good life. He read most of the massive journal, the rules, others' experiences and their fears, emotions, and frustrations of being in this fat bellied taxi driver inside the evil taxi cab. But at least he had a job for now.Don decided to earn some money that day since sitting around the small apartment wouldn't do him any good. So he went to his parking spot and saw he somehow now had a yellow station wagon as taxicab. He drove the taxi around the city, cruising the more wealthy parts of the city most of the time, trying to see how the taxi might work out, as least for the two-week period. Money wasn't that bad, but wasn't that good either. He had to deal with the hot sun, jaywalkers, other reckless drivers and the endless driving behind city buses and trucks. His old job in the high-rise building with air conditioning and private window in the office was a thousand times better than this. This was like hell.And it reminded him why he was lost that job in his former life. Age. AGE! He wanted to become somebody that would be young, wealthy and good looking. He wasn't sure about weather to be male or female yet, since money in the bank account would be more important than anything else to him. So for the rest of the two weeks, he only cruised around better part of the city, picking up customers that seemed to be rich or wealthy, and circling around Trump Tower endless times.On the day of switch, he woke up early, preparing to work whole day and night so he would be out of this hellish life for good. He hit a gold mine on his first try, picking a little girl and an older man in front of an upscale department store, the old man had his arms full carrying eight boxes and four large bags. From the way the little girl and the old man were dressing, it appeared the little girl was filthy rich and the older man must be her housekeeper or butler. And that assumption was confirmed by the way the little girl was giving orders to the old man.The young girl and old servant were heading across town to the upscale apartment buildings. So the taxi driver counted on his luck holding out and tried to talk to them, but found both of them were pretty much tightlipped and wouldn't even acknowledge the driver existence in front of them.25 minutes and a $14.10 fare later, they arrived in front of the red brick apartment building that spoke of money with every detail of its construction. The doorman of the apartment building rushed out to open the door for the little girl and then went to the back of the taxi to help carrying the boxes and bags. As she was about set foot on the pavement, the taxi driver yelled out after her."Have a nice day, little Miss!"And now Don was Katie Hammond, age five and half. She was wearing the little dress the Queen of England gave her as her fifth birthday present. Her Mommie was filthy rich and powerful in international business, mostly in investment banking and venture capital. Her daddy was dead. She adjusted her dress and told her butler, Mike, to give the taxi driver a hundred-dollar bill as payment for the fare and tip. The butler did as he was told and they went inside to their apartment. Katie looked around she knew she was right to choose this little girl to swap with. Endless paintings were hanging around the apartment and she could tell they were all original old masters! One was a Renoir! Her beautiful young Mommie hugged her."Mommie's precious need a nap!" said the lovely woman with love shinning from her blue eyes.The new Katie went to her new room and her Mommie changed her into pajamas and she went to sleep on her large bed, dreaming about the good life that was to come. A new, long lifetime of privilege and luxury and love.*****The taxi driver was scared. In the former life as Katie Hammond, she never had needed to be scared. But, she just saw her own body skipping away with her butler and Hank the doorman, carrying away her shopping bags and the cute clothes she spent four hours of trying on. Normally, she wouldn't have even given the hundred dollar bill another look, but her new body and mind was so focused on the money in hand and couldn't think about anything else.She looked at herself; she was bigger, heavier, fat with a big belly, smelled and no longer dressed in nice stuff. Instead, her hands felt the unshaven beard starting to build up on the face, smelly shirt and pair of short pants that showed off the taxi driver's ugly hairy legs. Then she reached down between her legs, and finally confirmed that she was a boy... a man... an ugly fat man with no money that had to work for a living.He looked at his former house for the last time and went on, as the taxi driver would do, picking up fares. That night, he went back to his apartment. The new driver was surprised to find himself able to read the journal and the rules. Then he cried himself to sleep. This and every night.Then he got an idea and left a note.For the next two weeks, he made his rounds as taxi driver and cried himself to sleep every night. He missed his Mommie so much! Don had been really mean to steal her from him! In his former life, he always wishing to be like Mom, dressed in those nice evening gowns and going out for a nice party and date almost every night, wearing jewelry that could easily cost a house in better part of New York. And Mom was so beautiful; her smile could melt the strongest man in the room. But he would never grow up to be like his Mommie! Now he was a middle aged taxi driver, making his living day to day, wearing ugly polyester shirts that smelled with not that many to select from, and a beard that even shaving in the morning would grow all the way back by the afternoon.He wanted to become a woman again, with a pair of full breasts like Mom, wearing beautiful gowns like Mom, and spend money like no tomorrow like Mom.After two weeks as the taxi driver, he was starting to get used to the little thing between his legs and that make him wish to become a woman even more! Maybe because that wish, she kept cruising around Katie's house, hoping to return to the former life. If not - well maybe his other idea might work.*****The new Katie Hammond was glad of the wonderful new life. Her new Mommie was great, her new life was great, and being a kid was great! No responsibilities, no worries about losing a job. Her beautiful Mommie had listened to her about no more taxi rides, but she just laughed at her little girl. But her mother indulged her and had the family Limo take and bring her from kindergarten. This was the life!*****When the day of full moon came, the new Taxi Driver was cruising hard up and down of the block. At 10 in the morning, He saw Mother walking out of the apartment building with her security man carrying two suitcases and hailing this cab. He pulled over.Mother talked a lot in the taxicab. The security man said nothing. She was heading to the airport to catch a flight to London for a business meeting. Mother was dressed as she always dressed, elegant but sexy, business suit with short skirt, low cut jacket and blouse that the taxi driver could see her bra's lace work. He missed Mother a lot."It's funny driver, my lovely little girl suddenly is terrified of taxicabs! That's the reason I am taking your cab. I let her use the Limo! The doctor says it's only a phase and she will grow out of it!"The former Katie didn't say much back to Mother, but he was glad she was there."Isn't that Strange? ""Yes, Ma'am." Said her former daughter. Katy felt guilty, stealing his Mother's body. But Mother always DID say she would do ANYTHING for her little girl.30 minutes later at the airport departure terminal with a $22.90 fare, the taxi driver opened the trunk lid and the skycap came over to take out the two suitcases while Mom was reaching for her purse. The security man opened the taxi door."Have a nice day, Mother!"She was her Mother after speaking that sentence, standing next to the taxicab and reaching into her Gucci purse and gave the pale faced taxi driver a hundred-dollar bill to pay for the fare and tip. Then she walked away after the curbside luggage check process, walking easily in her Mommie's high heels. Two hours later, she was on the Concorde flying to London, relaxed, glad to be her mother, Linda Hammond. She checked her new body out in the British Airway's first class waiting room in the airport, plus checking out her pair of new and large breasts in the privacy of the first class restroom.It was nice to be big. And also she was so beautiful. Katie hoped her former Mommie wouldn't be TOO mad at her and would understand after reading the note.She crossed her sexy legs as she looked out of the small window and saw mostly white clouds and some blue sea. She knew she was in perfect position! And that also meant she could deal with that little Katie without anyone questioning her! She smiled to herself. She had all her Mommie's former memories and no one would ever suspect! She was so rich she now could do anything she wanted ANYTHING!*****The new taxi driver was certain it must be a nightmare, since she just saw herself hand her the hundred-dollar bill. That and the way the airport cops were treating her now, she knew it must be a nightmare of some sort. Or was she in hell?"Move out of here, buddy!" one said, "And clean up that taxi! Its stinks like hell!"But a good two hours later, she was still in this hellish nightmare that never seemed to end. She was now the ugly taxi driver, cruising around the city aimlessly. She was a man, a fact confirmed by the simple checking of between the legs, and it was small one too. Could she try to talk to anyone about this? She knew she would be either thrown in jail or a mental hospital! Her former security force would have a field day using the taxi driver as a large and fat target.So the new taxi driver went on as if he had been the cab driver for a long time, kept on going and pick up fares where he could find, and kept on damning the city and citizen as he drove on. When he got to his new home he read the notes and cried. Poor Katy! And poor me! But she would try her damnedest!A week later, the new Linda Hammond returned from her weeklong business trip to London and Bonn. She got home and gave her little Katie a big hug as usual. Linda kept her cool, not trying to reveal her plan for the little 'Katie'."I'd like to be alone with my darling daughter." said the former Katie.Mike the butler always obeyed his employer's order and did what he was told.The new Katie was uneasy, she didn't like her mother's smiles. She liked it even less when she was taken over her mother's knees and spanked.She cried and cried. "Why, Mommie, why?""Because you stole my body! That's why! How does three spankings a day sound to you? Life is so much slower as a child than an adult. Each day will be like a week! And when you are older I am sure we can find something else to past the time."Horrified the new Katie cried some more. She saw the endless days stretching out before her."Hell!" she said."Exactly!" said the new mother.Epilog.Two weeks later the buzzer sounded."A young man to see you ma'am. He said to tell you, The Pokey Little Puppy."Katie grinned. That was the secret password. It had worked! A handsome young man came in."Katie?" he asked."Yes, Mommie - is that you?"The handsome man nodded his head. "I can't believe it! Now you're in my body!""Yes, Mommie, but don't worry - I'll marry you and you can be rich again. We can be happy again being together."Awkwardly they kissed. But they knew the strangeness would soon wear off. Afterwards the apparent mother cried out."Katie! Come here at once!"A brow beaten young girl came into the room, a terrified look on her young face.A stern look came into the strong man's face."So this is the body stealer - the one who stole my Baby's body?""Yes," answered the new Mommie.The new Katie gulped - what was going on?The strong man rolled up his sleeves. "You need to be punished, young lady!"The girl screamed and screamed.Below the Taxi went about its appointed rounds.