Looking Back
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I keep think that John could have had any woman that he wanted, but instead he demanded that I should be that woman.

He was a gay man, and I was too. It was just that it did not matter to me, but it did to him. He was a professional sportsman. He is no longer competing, but he still lives off his past, so for that reason I refer to him only as John, but that is not his name. I bear him no ill will, despite everything. I will keep his secret. For me it never was a secret who I was.

After the phone call with the Council Of Witches, Ramona and Genesis both drove home. As they drove, Ramona couldn't seem to stop thinking about how she'd smoked her first cigarette. "Wow," said Ramona. "I can't believe I actually smoked!"

"Neither can I," said Genesis.

"It felt so good," said Ramona. "Are you sure you didn't like it?"

"Of course I'm sure," said Genesis. "The cigarettes tasted awful, and they made me cough like crazy. Plus, I knew that if my dad found out I was smoking, I'd be grounded for life. So I stopped."

I let out a surprised and mildly annoyed grunt as I’m awakened by the feel of someone crawling over me — though the grunt quickly turns into a low moan of satisfaction as I feel a pair of breasts in a sports bra threaten to smother my face.

“Sorry babe, did I wake you?” Leanne asks, barely suppressing a giggle. “I just need to check my phone, see if I’m needed actually IN the office today.”

“There IS a nightstand on the other side of the bed,” I remind my girlfriend, who responds by just leaning more of her weight on my head — something I, obviously, have no problem with!

Curiosity Caused Changes For The Better

I worried I was on a fool’s errand. The theories of lucid dreaming ran counter to my experience. So did much else of my experience. Conventional science had no explanation for being able to experience other people’s dreams or sensations. Even the occult couldn’t explain it. There was no way around it: This was going to require me to develop original theories, ones which only I could test, unless I found another dreamwalker, and they might be difficult for anyone else to accept.

“Oh, what the hell happened.” Jack slowly wakes up and sits up.

As he starts sitting up, a bunch of long black hair blocks his view. He also notices that there is something weird about his voice. He looks at his hands and arm.

“What the hell?” as he hears a high-pitched female voice.

He looks around and notices two other younger girls lying near him. All of them are dressed in neon-colored full bodysuits. One of the teenage girls looked oriental and the other one had silver hair that covered her back.

Sam has hid from the world for most of his life but a chance encounter has burst everything open. Sam meets Tracy at the park and they begin their training.

"Why did it take several days before anyone even *started* to be concerned about me? What's that about?"

"You really have to ask?"

By the time Genesis finished explaining her dream to Charlotte, her friend's jaw was hanging open.

"You've got to be kidding me," said Charlotte. "Mirna actually decided to make you her successor?"

"She did," said Genesis. She looked down at her hands, wondering what it would be like to conjure light or fire or something from them. She felt no different, which made sense-Mirna had said she'd have to do some kind of Awakening ritual to unlock her powers.

"Why would she do that?" Charlotte asked. "I thought she didn't like you."

Maverick No More Now Broken and Rebuilt

"One, two, three, four, we're the tigers, do the roar!" Genesis cried as she and her fellow cheerleaders shook their pom-poms. In response, all the spectators in the bleachers cheered. The cheerleaders watched as Eastern Plains High's star batter Rupert Lacey hit a home run and ran all three bases before skidding onto home plate. There was another round of cheering as Rupert beamed with pride.

"Yeah, Rupert!" said the cheer captain and Genesis' stepsister Ramona said. "You're the man!"

"And look at that!" Rupert said, looking at the scoreboard. "We won!"

"I'm sorry," I told him, "but I'd prefer to keep this to myself."

"Why?"

"Because you — and the pair of cops who just left — laughed when I told you my name.
None of you call me by my name. Not Perry, not Mason. You keep calling me Deeny. You don't believe me."

edited 6/15/2024 11:15 PM CT
 

“You have five minutes to get ready before I leave, and you’ll be walking to school.”
I rolled my eyes at my mother’s empty threat. There was no way she was going to let me walk ten miles on the first day of school, at least not after all that had happened.

Dear Reader,

Wildcat Summer is available on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/Wildcat-Summer-Leslie-Moore-ebook/dp/...

There are many chapters to read in the sample

Leslie

[Browyn and Bernadetta (Detta) were having a heart to heart about Bronwyn’s brother David]

“I’m still not sure what you mean?” said Detta.

Another thing I liked a lot was her healthy lungs, her ability to breathe so deeply and easily and go for hours without feeling the need for a cigarette.