The next morning, Genesis woke to the sound of her phone buzzing. She opened her eyes and sat up. After Charlotte and Modesty had left last night, Genesis had simply felt too tired to go back to her bedroom, so she just crashed onto the couch to sleep. But when she opened the notification on her phone, she got a nasty surprise. It was a text message from her father, and it read:

My conference for today was cancelled at the last minute, so Paulette and I are gonna come home. We'll be there in an hour and a half.

1. Departure

Once upon a time, in a small suburban town, there lived a teenage boy named Alex. He was a typical young boy, full of energy and always seeking adventure. One summer, however, his life took an unexpected turn.

The hotel was on a steep hill, which left the basement neither one thing nor the other. Uphill, it was indeed underground, but on the downhill side it had windows open to the sun. The hotel entrance, therefore was sort of ground floor, sort of first floor.

“Hello. Booked in for two nights B and B”

“Name, please?”

“Anderson”

“Mark?”

Author's note: I finally finished up my next chapter of the Demon and I. I now have a better idea of where I am going to take this story.

As I gathered Kaen's hidden cash, the weight of our decision to leave weighed heavily on me. The condo, once a sanctuary, now felt like a trap. Adriana and I were now thrust into the middle of the war between heaven and hell. It was time to escape the grip of this war, where we were not enemies of both sides.

My wife and I have a rather unique relationship. In fact, I met her after she had already died, and she had meet me after I already died. This was not at the same time, and, yes, we are both alive right now. And, no, it isn’t due to magic (which doesn’t exist) nor some kind of advanced scientific breakthrough. To put it simply, my wife is a 4 dimensional being primarily traveling the opposite way through space time.

“I’ll go and talk to this Charles Morris person for you.” Jasmine turns and leave her grandma’s home office.

She goes upstairs to her bedroom and changes out of the clothes she was wearing and put her bulletproof bodysuit on under her clothes. It was going to cause her to feel warmer, but she would rather be safe then sorry. She also puts her motorcycle boots on as well.

Author's note. I have rewritten my previous chapters. This is the second chapter after the prelude, then it moves on to daily routine. hope you enjoy the story.

In the heart of the city-state of Carolina, the selection station loomed as a beacon of both hope and trepidation for those who entered its gates. On a fateful day, Alex, accompanied by his younger sister Lily, embarked on a journey that would alter the course of their lives. The air crackled with uncertainty as they approached the entrance, the color of their jumpsuits determining their societal roles.

Doctor Marla Frances didn’t resist any more. All she could do is get by. Her days were spent at the Hospital working 10-hour days beginning at 7:00 AM, 6 days a week, missing breaks and lunches, caring for people who might thank her by her never seeing her again and hopefully not suing her. At the end of the drudgery, she made the short trip home to a solitary and hopefully quiet dinner before the nightly turmoil began.

Julia's known only to herself, as Steven to the rest of the world. Through circumstances out of her control, she becomes neither. Can she make things right? Can she get back home?

Like It's Your Last
By Marissa Lynn

2023 had not been a year full of highlights for Steven Kelly.

Not when the biggest moment was the breakup of his five-year relationship. They'd been drifting for a while. Ultimately, Kara had reached a point where she couldn't handle his dressing, not the fact that he did it, but the increasing frequency.

I have tried to give the flavor of J'Marra's speech without overdoing the profanity. I just can't picture her in a stressful situation not being course. It's part of her street cred and automatic now. You may recognize her name from one line in The Worst Day. Dorothy's comment made me realize that her story needed to be told.

The next few cheerleading practices went better. Determined not to get in another fight with Ramona, Genesis tried her best to perform the cheer stunts and routines as Mrs. Wilson instructed. By the end of the first week, Genesis had gotten the hang of the basic routines. It helped that the other cheerleaders, especially Charlotte, were very supportive of her. Which made sense, considering that the whole point of cheerleaders was to be supportive.

My guests were murmuring as I got up from my discussion with Braccious. This is what I wanted them to start doing, questioning who I would show favor to. The wealthy always want to find themselves able to make more money and status. I just gave that to one of their rivals, and they were not included in any discussions.

“Good morning. I have an appointment?”

The middle-aged woman behind the counter looked down at an actual paper diary before replying.

“Sam Hardy, by any chance?”

“That’s the one”

“You timed that well. Lou’s just on a coffee run. Want one?”

“Oh… do you do tea?”

“Coffee shop next door, and yes”

“Then just a tea please”

“Done. Louisa!”

“You haven’t told anyone in your family what happened to you?”

This story was inspired by the contest. Since I’m a judge, this story is not qualified to participate.

Toni has been Toni for a little over a week, which seems to be just enough time for her to have slept in a boy’s bed. Yes! With the boy next to her. And they did more than sleep in the afternoon, long before the Sandman visited. But how will she handle discovering men do more than smell good and kiss good?

Will Toni be spending the new day telling all her friends about her discoveries with a smile on her face? Will Steph in Light Avenue have to get used to saying the annoyingly alliterative “Toni and Tim?” Or will Toni be running to Big-G, her one rock, with tears in her eyes when she meets him later in her day? More importantly, does Toni even remember why she’s meeting Big-G, or has her mind been filled with more distracting thoughts?