Andy gets a surprising and challenging proposal that challenges who he is and the purpose of his life.

And now for something completely different. Actually, it was my latest story, Death in Venice Beach, that was something completely different. This is more the normal me; short, cute and twisted (I’m only 1.64 m tall).

Chapter 4

As we moved into the summer season, the main sales at the Village were swimwear and we weren’t needed so much. We spent that time with the drama group. The first show we did was a stage version, greatly edited, of ‘Some Like it Hot’ as a farce. It went down well, and then we worked on another show where we played a married couple. That was the one where we were seen by an agent from London.

I thought the prior Monday had been unusual. The atmosphere at school was unreal. Everyone already knew that Jenny had dumped Tommy. Neither of them would tell anyone why and the number of often conflicting rumors were unreal.

Chapter 2

A couple of weeks after my birthday party, I was sent a letter telling me that the College was moving to contract cleaners in the next term and gave me a contact number if I wanted to apply to work for them. I had enough experience now to know that they worked you all hours, paid a pittance and were very picky about your work.

The Girl in the Mirror

By Julie D Cole

Become Joey learning to dance on his toes…
The boy’s prize of a pink tutu…
Josey has become an accomplished ballerina…
The Mother/Daughter Night Out…

What am I doing?
By Daring Diane

“Billy, I let you move in, because I needed someone to cover half the rent and utilities. It’s been months and I’m running out of savings.”

“I spent everything completing my degree.”

“Great. You have a college degree. It’s time to get a job.”

“I apply every day. No one is hiring.”

“You need a job. Work at Starbucks or some restaurant.”

Chapter 6

The fact that we considered the story future fact set him back.

“You’re telling me that there are islands out there which will disappear in our lifetime?”

“We are. There are research papers that lay it out, clear as day, should you bother to read them. It’s just that we have been in a place where reading them was our job. It will continue to be our job for a while longer, so the next story will have similar reality. We have a play, opening in Amsterdam, in a few weeks, that covers a typical problem of the rise in water levels.”

In the end it had been quick.

Any Carmichael grew up in a not particularly pleasant part of town, a run down estate on the outskirts of Nottingham where crime, or at least the presence of the perpetrators of crime, was part of everyday life. It was the sort of place where the police rarely visited, and when they did it was always in large groups to cope with the torrent of abuse that they would encounter. For those that lived there, crime was not a problem, it was a case of ‘don’t mess on your own doorstep’. However events led to the need ro give it all up and completely change his life,

Mantra tries to juggle two problems at the same time. What she finds out is gut-wrenching, but she has an important job to do and can't afford to get emotionally involved with the local problems of an alternate world. Unfortunately, things have a way of going wrong for Mantra.

To repeat myself, this is a completely true story. I left out details that could be used to hurt me or others in this account.

I had a long life and was thankfully disowned by my greedy unforgiving children. My mate of 38 years was now my X, and died also. My other relatives had all passed.

It was peaceful alone in a one-bedroom apartment on the 4th floor. Not having drank or smoked, I lived a modest life.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 59 Chineseium

“Well, Son, doubtless if you looked the words up in a fancy English ordbok it would tell you that they are the same, but there’s a difference in the way Bearthwaite folk use the words these days. Yance ower they were the same here too, but now a visitor is someone we welcome, even if they’ve never been here before, decent folk are visitors. Tourists are folk we don’t really like, folk we don’t approve of, but as long as they don’t get too far out of line we’ll happily tek their money off ’em. Okay, Son?”

“Yeah. I get that. Visitors good, tourists bad. Simple enough, Granddad. I’ll explain to my brothers. Thanks.”

As Ethan left Alan couldn’t help but smile at the Orwellian simplicity of life as seen by a child. Visitors good, tourists bad. ‘What,’ he wondered, ‘would I give to be eight again?’

Chapter 3

When we left the Chancellor’s office, we could hardly stop giggling. There we were, two students who were about to start a year with the University, and all we were asked for was our signatures on her collection of books!

We utilised the campus map we had been given and went around to look at the various buildings where we would have been studying, then found the canteen for a drink and talk.

“It looks as if the President has spoken to the Chancellor and sealed our fate.”