Chapter 19: Bath time!

When Candy asked if she needed anything else, she was tempted to say, "Yes, a nice tile walk-in shower with one of those pulsating shower heads," but restrained herself with a more appropriate, "No, I don’t think so, but thank you "

The Hormone Revolution
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

When they were Down, they were Down

After New Year, I was busy with my books and notes, swatting up for the exams. And then it would be new work in a new term. I took the dress and shoes back to Steph and we arranged for me to be available on Saturdays to wear her new designs for the camera.

Chapter 15: The Book

Kate's hands trembled slightly as she picked up the book and slowly read aloud the handwritten title above the first page. "Look ... Out ... Seattle"

Candy’s eyes flashed and she squealed, "Oh my goodness Biddie you’re right! I do remember now. That was one of Maggie's best stories "

[At the home of Mr Fox and his Son early Monday morning]

The SOCO team was assembled for a briefing. More than a few were yawning. It was not yet 06:00.

“I want this place taken apart. Every nook and cranny. Check the walls and under the floors. Who knows… there could even be secret rooms,” said Detective Chief Inspector Clive Pascoe.

Chapter 13: Kate Resurfaces

When the Captain and Jason left, it was Maggie's cue once again to retire to the background. As Kate took prominence, she felt as if all the wind had left her sails. She eased back toward her pillow with a drained expression that did not miss the doctor's eye.

Call of the Canijo
A Short Western Story
By Maryanne Peters

The bullet had entered his chest and pierced his lung. Captain Glenn Kilbourne had been told that he was one of the last Union officers to fall in the Civil War. It was April 1865, and it seemed a cruel thing to be told that his survival would be a miracle, but he fought hard to heal himself. The surgeon was skillful but told him that recovery would take a long time, and a New York damp fall and cold winter were now his enemies.

He had Ten Thousand Men

The Duke may have had that many men, but the pub where I worked, of the same name, would only fit a few dozen of them in the front bar, if they were friendly. There was a lot more room over the three floors and the beer garden. We catered to a very wide range of drinkers, from social groups, office after-hours groups, shoppers from along Oxford Street, and tourists drawn in by its eighteenth-century ambience.

When the government decides to erase Kate Thomas in 24 hours, fate had other ideas.

The three story town house in the outskirts of Birmingham looked occupied. The curtains were up and at the press of a button they closed as the day ended. The house was tidy and a pair of cleaners arrived once a week to keep everyone in order, but Graham was in the house on his own, and apart from a bit of dust there was little for them to do. Maisie and Jane tried to engage Graham in conversation but they often gave up after a series of monosyllabic replies.

Firing Blank

My name is Donald James Blank. I know, it’s a hoot, but a hoot I’ve had to live with all my life. In primary school, the teachers would often say, “Come up and write the answer on the slate, Blank’. I was given the nickname, Slate, which stuck with me through higher education and into my first employment, seeing that two of my fellow recruits to the financial company had been with me through the accountancy degree.

The Right Guy
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

It was not the Rufus was a bad lover, he was just not like me, or the way I was then. Lydia liked being fucked by Rufus, but she liked the way that I made love to her too. Is that wrong? I don’t judge her for being unfaithful.

I always knew that I was number two in her life. A girl needs a man who can provide for her, and Rufus was that. I was definitely not that man. I don’t judge her for that either. She made the right choice. Rufus is the right guy.

Chapter 8

I resisted giving too much away when asked what I’d been up to. I just said that I’d gone with Randall to a job interview. Christine wanted to know if he was leaving the police and I told that he wasn’t, just going to another area, but that we would still be able to be together. I think that she was starting to realise that change was in the air.