After the divorce, Mark felt like his life had crumbled. Losing his wife, home, and half of his savings in the settlement left him bitter and broken. So when a glossy, golden envelope arrived in the mail, offering a free month-long cruise aboard the USS New Beginnings, he hesitated. It seemed almost too good to be true. But with nothing to lose, Mark accepted.

CHAPTER 39
The rest of the week was less scenic than my first visit, as I followed Kul around a number of businesses that included more than a few of that old favourite from Sheffield, the waste cooking oil account. Kul was quite bullish about them, which surprised me, for he had never pushed himself so far forward back in Yorkshire. I slowly came to understand how deeply he felt that the Australian venture was his own particular baby, and it would grow his way.

Mistress Athena swooped in and put a stop to my misery at work, sparing me from the constant harassment and bullying that had become all too familiar. She forbade me from going back to that toxic environment, and I couldn't be more grateful. Her online business was thriving, and she deemed it sufficient to support us both for the time being. She also had a plan to put me through a rigorous training program at home, designed to help me overcome the trauma I'd endured.

Two teens on failing to find the start of a meme, decide to test it

Part two for you - for future readers its best if you read this work in order...

As we drove along, mom explained a few things about the last few days. The hospital admitted to everything being their fault in what had happened, especially when dad had our family attorney speak with theirs. It was simple case of mistaken identity. Seems a 26 year old woman named Jamie Stone was in for the procedures I got, and scheduled for the 11am slot. Then I, Jamie Stone the boy was scheduled for my procedure at 4pm.

A few minutes later Aunt Lauretta was sitting with me and Carlo around the table in my room.

“Thank you, Aunt Lauretta. Without you, this guy could create a lot of inconvenience to us,” I said.

“Oh, that is nothing. You know, a little bird told me that you two paid a lot of money to buy me a birthday present. I am glad that I could repay a little of this debt.” She looked at us with a faint smile.

Chaos At Jack’s Ranch:
“Don’t kill them all. We need to find out who sent them and where they took Dad.” Julia fires her rifle at one intruder and aims at another person going towards her cousin Tizzy.

“Don’t worry, Julia. I think there is enough of them for us to not kill all of them.” Dave was surprised when Samson leaped from his arm and went towards the strange circle of light along with Chaos, and a large Liger that had arrived with a woman that claimed to be Julia’s and Gina’s cousin.

The next morning, I arrived at the Royal Oak just before 09:00. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Casey was waiting for me. She looked much better than she had when I dropped her off, the previous lunchtime.

“Good morning, Casey.”

Fairy Tale
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

We both got jobs at “Storyland” the big amusement park themed around classic fairy tales, but I always ended up in some of those bulky hot outfits that were like hell, especially in the summer months.

It was her idea that I try out for Snow White. They needed a larger girl because the dwarves needed to look smaller. She said that with a bit of work I could pass for a girl.

“Did something happened to Vinnie?” Grace asked on entering the room. “She has always been here before me.”

“Indeed!” Mommy almost jumped. “She is always among the first here… Anyone to know something?…” She opened the door of the room. “Fabricia, do you know if Vinnie has called sick?”

“She hasn’t… Wait, the elevator!”

Unblocked
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Vincent Page wrote “High Flies the Hawk”. You may have heard of it. It sold well, in fact it sold well enough to earn a retainer for his second book. There is always the assumption that every writer has a second book in them if their first is any good at all. But where does that assumption come from?

Chapter 3

During that week, we tidied up the aftermath of the track day. We banked the money and filled in the ledger of accounts. Lena did newsletters and receipts for the new members, and then started thinking about the next social, which we thought may be one that was only by invitation, with the meal at Saxmundham and a visit to the place where the cars had been created. When Lena rang Grayson with the idea, he was enthusiastic. Two dozen would be a nice number.

The destroyer Kraben assumed a synchronous orbit over Russia, a silent but powerful reminder of the consequences of their earlier actions. These actions, a series of aggressive moves in space, had provoked the interstellar power and led to the current tense situation. The tension that rippled through Earth's governments was palpable, especially in Russia, where the leadership now found itself in a precarious position. They had acted hastily, and now they were dealing with the fallout—literally and figuratively—of provoking an interstellar power.

Rose’s Place:
Rose woke up early the next morning. She still had a few hours before she had to get ready for work. She does her morning business heads into her kitchen and brews some coffee. While she is waiting for the coffee to brew, she turns the television set on and listens to the local broadcast.

While Rose is waiting for the coffee and listening to the news in the background. She grabs her tablet and brings up the map she made of the appearances of the women. She didn’t know much about magic or why someone would do things like this.

This is a short story written for the Halloween competition for the Big Closet web site. There is nothing funny or entertaining about the dead rising from their tombs, even for one night. This is my first attempt at writing a transgender horror story. It is deliberately short and much of the content is left to the imagination of the reader. It could have been much longer.This is offered as a warning to those who might be sensitive to such things. It is submitted early as I have no wish to enter the competition formally. I hope my idea will be a stimulus for others.

The girls just wanted to see their treasured friend again – and help her take a baby step. That’s all it was supposed to be!

This was an alternate opening to the story that I submitted for the New Year’s Resolution contest. My muse has finally revealed that this was to be a story all its own.

Disclaimers
* No characters were harmed in the making of this story.
* This story is not related to that of Lilli from my earlier story, Budding Lilli.

"Hey, look—" he glanced at his watch. "The timeline! We're still on the timeline, if we want to be!
Right about now, on the night Ross disappeared, he and Mayda left this restaurant and drove out to the desert.
What do you say — we drive out there now and check out the scene? What do you say?"

CHAPTER 36
The double act had dropped me off at the North Terminal, ready for the Emirates flight. I had dumped my hold bag the previous evening, so it was just a matter of working my way step by step through security, and then switching my brain off while waiting for the call to a gate, then repeating the process at said gate, lined up in banks of chairs with backs that sloped too much for comfort.

“What?! How is that possible?… He has a bodysuit too?”

“Maybe he has, but it likely is not that. You see… I have seen Puglisi many times. There are at least three different ones. Not counting the one we met. All are razor sharp but have different appearances, different mannerisms, speak differently, think differently…”

“Huh?!… Do you mean that several people share his identity? All claim to be him? And in this way can do several things at once, be present at different places at the same time, show up in front of someone who knows one of them and pretend to be someone else…?”

“Are you regretting changing schools and majors?” she asked.

“No. I still think this is the right thing to do. I’ve been volunteering at the hospital when I have time to spare from studying, and the more I do that, the more sure I am that I want to be a nurse.”