At long last she said, "I hope you can enjoy this time you have: to sit, to think, to watch."

"I am," I replied. "I do. A little. Some. When I'm not afraid."

Torrid Transformation Part 3

Authors Note:

“Well?” said Sally when I arrived home from a meeting with my lawyer and the board of directors of my former company.
“How did it go?”

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 53 Deep Secrets

Continued on from GOM 52 on a Saturday evening in the Green Dragon Inn taproom

“Hang on a moment before you do, Pete. Jeremy, whilst we’re on about food, or at any rate stuff that sometimes passes for food, answer a question for me if you would. Why the hell would anybody want to eat pizza instead of food? I know millions of poor brainwashed bastards all over the planet do, and some of them go out to eat the stuff calling it a meal, dinner even, but to me it seems a not unnatural question because I’ll lay odds there’s not a Bearthwaite man who’s ever been offered it by his missus as food here is there? I’d far rather have a sandwich made with decent bread as is baked down at the mill, and our kids wouldn’t thank you for the stuff, for they’d all rather have a bag of chips [US fries] from Ellerys’ chippy.A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 53 Deep Secrets

Genesis Evolution

Six weeks melted into a crucible of grueling training. The sterile white
halls of Genesis echoed with the thud of kicks and the hiss of tasers.
Gone were the days of seduction and manipulation. This time, Sasha and
Stacy were warriors in their own right.

Genesis Transformed

Shamefacedly, Shane shuffled into Merle Norman, the cheery chiming of
the doorbell announcing his arrival. He wasn't exactly dressed for the
occasion - his usual ratty t-shirt and ripped jeans felt woefully out of
place amongst the plush waiting area and pastel color scheme. A sheepish
grin tugged at his lips as his gaze landed on Stacy, his best friend,
behind the counter.

"Hitchhiking? No. Me, hitchhiking? Where? Like, out here, in the desert?"

"Yeah, maybe a dozen miles west of here."

I tried to put it together, but the pieces didn't fit. "Hitchhiking... dressed like this?
Barefoot? With an umbrella? What-- did I drop out of the sky?
Like Mary Poppins, with the umbrella?"

I was making a fresh start. My marriage had ended the year before and I felt uncomfortable in the old family home where we had raised our daughter and I had noticed how old friends were less inclined to call now I was on my own. I was becoming isolated. When my employers had offered me early retirement I almost shouted yes before they had finished the sentence.

John, now full-time as Jayne was kept busy organising the design and supervision of the works at Amanda’s, and spending most of what little spare time she had with the Morrisettes, she never really had much chance to consider how she was now living and just got on with things.

This is part 6 of my first work, a fan continuation of the unfinished Kemeia Ascending. It is entirely inspired by Armond's magical world of Argentia and its Goddess Selene.

Link to the book here Kemeia Ascends - A Fan Continuity

You can read the prior parts by Armond from the links below

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 52 Political Analysis

Continued on from GOM 51 on a Saturday evening in the Green Dragon Inn taproom

“Christ, Lads, Dave missed his calling as a green grocer he should have been a diplomat. He’d have all the middle east conflicts sorted in minutes. Admittedly, he’d turn the entire spot into one big, f*** off, glassed down, radioactive plain, but the situation would be sorted permanently which would definitely be a result. We need more of that kind of thinking.”

“I recently heard, Alice, that Hell is staffed by vegetarians and the security guards are all vegans, so I’m going to heaven where slaughtermen and butchers like me are well thought of because the angels who run the spot are known to enjoy a deliciously bloody, blue steak, and there are no security guards because none of the residents wish to leave.”

There really isn’t anything more soporific than a thirteen-pound burrito . . . .

Eden Blake is a hard one to convince, but the mysterious stranger Gabriel can be very persuasive. He can and will show her things that will boggle her mind.

Following his discussion with a potential client, Amanda, realising what he had done and the problem he now had with her believing that he was a woman, Jayne, John’s mind was in turmoil the rest of the day and he could hardly wait for his wife, Kathy, to get back home to tell her what had happened.

“I can’t help thinking, somehow, that everything you just said is horse manure. Why might that be?”

The Ranch:
Alya helps Ada back to the house. She took a bullet to her leg from one of the attackers. Clair was covering them with one of Jack’s custom tri-barrel shotguns. Her shoulder and arm were hurting her every time she fired it.

Becky had picked up one of the guns from the attackers and was rushing towards the house. She still had her sawed-off shotgun, but was out of ammo for it. Her lip was bloody from being suckered punch by one of the attackers. Her jaw was hurting as well.

Authors note - This story is in the format expected for the new 25th anniversary contest. I enjoy writing these stories, but I am not too fussed about entering or winning contests. I hope this may act as a stimulus for other authors to enter when entries are allowed on 1st May.

Nu-U-Inc

by Columbine