Author's Note: I haven't posted one of these in a while. This one has actually been sitting around on my harddrive for more than a year and I thought it was time to share it for you. I hope you enjoy this story about young Sam.


Samantha Carter stared straight ahead, clutching the object in her hand and trying hard not to cry.

Behind her, she heard the whispers of the other girls but didn't care. She'd been though this type of thing before and she would again. In his last letter her father mentioned he'd been transferred again, which meant that come September there would be a new school, new people, and a new house.

"Oh, Samantha." The voice drew out her name. "What are you going to do? I can't believe someone would do that! I mean covering all you things in saving cream. Even you're clothes."

Closing her eyes, she counted to ten to stop herself from slapping the phony expression of grief from the girl's face. Her left hand squeezed harder, trying to control the red hot rage that threatened to consume her. "I don't know, Staci, you'd better go. I'll see you at lunch."

There were more whispers and giggles. Sam ignored them and finally they were gone.

As the cabin door slammed, the rage trickled away and leaving her feeling hollow and alone. Opening her eyes, she looked over at the picture resting on her nightstand. Her mother's face smiled back at her. A tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm sorry, mom. I can't be Samantha anymore, it hurts too much. I need to be Sam."

Decision made, Sam pulled her hair into a ponytail and reached for a pair of scissors. The long blond strands landed on the shaving cream covered sleeping bag. When she was done, Sam shook out her much shorter hair feeling as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

Her mother had attended this camp years before and Sam had come here with the hope of 'finding' her mother. But she'd failed. There was no evidence that Janice Mae Carter had ever been here. She was one of thousands of girls who'd passed through the gates and been promptly forgotten when she left.

Her mother was gone and there nothing would bring her back. Sam stood and began to clean up the mess made by her cabin-mates. This was the last time she'd go through something like this, next year she'd be true to herself, she was going to space camp.


If you want to take a look at my website you'll find all my stories archived there. I can't put in the address this website just takes it out. All you need to do is Google my penname or head over to my profile.