The holidays are stressful for any family, but it’s more so when family has become strangers. An emergency takes the Roberts clan home for the holidays, where long held secrets will change their relationship forever.

GOOSEBERRY
“What are you up to on Sunday, Beth?”

I pondered that one for all of two seconds, staring at my phone. She had no need for the details of why I had such an aversion to New Year’s Eve.

“Getting outside some Pinot Grigio, and probably most of a box of Quality Street, but you already know that, Taylor”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, and watching Jools Holland on the Beeb. Not fancy some excitement?”

I drew in a slow breath, wondering if cracking her egg had ever been a sensible course of action. Adult head on, woman.

Sometimes change is found in the most unexpected ways...

Happy New Year to this incredible community :)

Clarence sat on a wobbly barstool, trying to ignore the static on the television above the bar and endure the smell of fresh vomit wafting from a drunk man three stools away. He just wanted to sip his watered-down daiquiri in peace, with no sissy drink jokes, and no insults about his slender physique or hated first name.

“Hi Nathan. I don't know whether you’re a different person or just another side of me, it's really hard to comprehend. I know you’re feeling the same way about this.

The first thing I should say is that I don't think I can say enough times that I'm sorry about the sticky note. That was a really shitty thing to do, and I just… I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry.

OUT WITH THE OLD
“What’s her indoors packed for you, Tom?”

I showed her the plastic box of sandwiches.

“Stock cube family, Jen”

“Ah. Turkeyish, then?”

“Kelly?” Rylee said softly from the back seat of Elaine’s minivan. Both Kelly and Elaine nearly started; Rylee had barely spoken in the past on these routine trips to school, though they’d been doing it for weeks now. Maybe months. Rylee couldn’t keep track.

“What’s up, Rylee?” Kelly’s voice was slightly guarded; she did a half-turn, peering from the front passenger seat back toward Rylee who fidgeted in one of the back pilot seats. Rylee was well aware of Elaine, Kelly’s mother, watching her in the rear view mirror.

CHAPTER 73
Maugham didn’t actually slam the door, but there was a clear hesitation movement as he obviously considered doing so. Once it was shut, Ross turned to Ricky first.

“Not quite my choice of words, lad, but point made and taken. Clipped to a gear loop?”

What do you do when you look 7 years old, but you're actually a college student in your late teens? For Kathleen's entire life, she had fought against people treating her much younger than her actual age. Feeling obligated to grow up fast to show people she wasn't the age of her size, Kathleen never let her inner child out. Tired of fighting against the world, she explores the adult submissive world. What she finds, however, is an enjoyment of regression. Had she made a mistake? Would life be better if she just let people treat her how she looks, 7 years old?

Now that dealing with her on her own turf in the manner that he had originally planned was out of the question, Sergei turned his attention to trying to work out how to get her to come to him, and then how to deal with her when she was there. The last thing he wanted to do was underestimate her. Even the slightest error on his part from now on, could lead to his demise.

Securing the top button on her shirt, Natalie examined herself in the mirror, managing a smile at the sight of her face.

She was right, Nathan could look good, provided he looked after his appearance. With his hair brushed like this and his facial hair more neatly managed, he was quite handsome. He didn’t even look chubby with this shirt on.

Natalie’s smile soon dropped as her hands fell to her sides.

Man of the House
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

My parents were very keen to meet Manuel, my sister’s new boyfriend, and it seemed like she was toying with them … my father in particular.

“Are you worried that I might embarrass you? Or that we will clash, Chrissy?” Dad asked her.

CHAPTER 24
Her place was a little overgrown, but I’d brought a few tools down with me just in case. As I removed a few weeds, preparing to plant a couple of bulbs, I found a plastic-wrapped card fastened to one of the flower pots.

‘If you read this Mike, a couple of us from the (climbing and folk) clubs stop by every couple of weeks to clean up. Not forgotten’

After going through my work here, I decided that I was not setting u the story the way I wanted two, so I am working on changing the story as I wrote it before.

In the wake of a devastating war that had left the United States in ruins, a new world emerged, fragmented into six city-states, each controlled by kings and queens who served under the overarching authority of a distant emperor. The emperor's rule extended like a shadow over the decimated land, dictating the lives of those who struggled to rebuild in the aftermath of conflict.

I'm Better Now.

I remember in 2005-6 I was put in the Psych. Ward and strapped down to a concrete block in a room where the walls, floor and ceiling were all rubber so I couldn't hurt myself. All this was because I was grieving so hard at the rejection by my family. I'd worked so hard to be the man they said I was, raising the children and sticking by a crazy and abusive alcoholic woman for 38 years until I finally broke down and couldn't make sense of anything any more. The psychologists said that I was a woman inside.

What do you do when you look 7 years old, but you're actually a college student in your late teens? For Kathleen's entire life, she had fought against people treating her much younger than her actual age. Feeling obligated to grow up fast to show people she wasn't the age of her size, Kathleen never let her inner child out. Tired of fighting against the world, she explores the adult submissive world. What she finds, however, is an enjoyment of regression. Had she made a mistake? Would life be better if she just let people treat her how she looks, 7 years old?