Mantra (Malibu Comics) has many trials to face on what is a night of crisis. She has to call up some of her ultra friends before she can confidently take on her own son Gus. And not only her daughter Evie, but also the members of her local fan club are in dire danger, all at the same time.

The Angel of Earth

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part Six

Election Night marked the end of an era for me. Once I’d formally handed over my Sheriff's Badge to Sue-Ellen in front of the whole team that afternoon and had bought everyone a drink, I completed my time as Sheriff of Custer County.

Charlie and his Aussie companions set their trap for the UQ, Feminista brigade.

The Angel of Earth

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part Five

Suzi and Michelle had immediately started looking a dresses. After an hour of searching they narrowed it down to a choice of three styles. Michelle trusted Suzi's sense of fashion. The whole thing to her was a dream come true. She was going to have her day as a bride. She wanted everything to be perfect.

Suzi had screamed when Michelle asked her to be her bridesmaid. She was a professional woman, but a woman above all. Most women loved weddings. They discussed Sam at length while they were planning what they would want for the wedding.

This is Part 2 of a story about a bright boy living in Berverly Taff's United Queendom. Recent events have caused unrest. Peter and his mother are affected. As before I will edit or delete the story if Beverly doesn't approve.

Old acquaintances get renewed.

In my eyes the town looked as miserable as it had done 25 years before when I left it. I suppose it was OK if you had a thing for Midwest small towns. A long way from any sizeable city it was the commercial center for a wide swathe of the countryside. Not that the aforementioned countryside was particularly densely populated. I passed a small mall when entering the town. That was new. However, the main reason for the existence of the town was The Mill. Most of the working population worked for the mill directly or indirectly. The fact that I arrived on a cold and windy December day didn’t matter. I couldn’t have hated South Odom any more anyway.

Damsel in This Dress
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I was one of those people who believed that I could handle everything, until one day I discovered that I could not handle anything at all.

It started with headaches. Initially they were the kind that you could pop a pill to put them aside, but then I got those head-splitting things that they call migraine attacks that force you to sit in a still, darkened room, to get any peace. It seemed as if it could not get worse, but it did.

Light And Shadow (Part 8 of 8)

by Erisian

Chapter 37 - Citadel

Krux led me through hospital corridors full of a mix of demons, devils, and souls - some were patients, some staff, and all very organized. Other than the eclectic collection of body-types, skin tones, and random number of limbs, the place had that same frenetic-yet-focused feel of most busy hospitals I’d been in. Bureaucracy blended with function all mixed together as white lab coats, suits and ties, and professional skirts.

I stood out like a sore thumb or an outcast from one of those medieval historical re-enactment groups as I pushed past them all. The armored breastplate and feathered kilt felt all the more primitive as compared to the security stationed at the glass doors which exited to a landing platform. They stood there complete with modern body armor and elegant-yet-nasty rifle-sized blasters packing a punch orders of magnitude higher than the agent’s pistol. While the demons among them only had five to six souls suffering at their cores, their equipment likely made up for the lack of raw potential and then some.

Michelle spent most of the week online, looking at things she would need for her wedding. She hadn't even set a date yet. She had called Suzi, and told her the news. Sam could hear Suzi screaming over the phone. Typical women he thought, he smiled at the idea that Michelle was just a "typical women". She really was getting there now.

When the rapid chat and laughs had ended, Michelle put her phone down and helped Sam put on his coat. She kissed him before he left for work, and stared lovingly into his eyes.

"I love you Sam, I'm going to be the best wife ever!"

[Hayley and Maxine had been talking about who would take over from Maxine should she get run over by the proverbial bus]

"Yes, I am serious. You asked me what would happen if I was run over by a bus… Well with some training, the answer could be you."

“You make it sound like an old advert for the National Lottery?”

I had been putting off trimming the hedge out the front for weeks, I thought I may have gotten away with another week when I saw the slightly overcast sky out of the bedroom window. Sadly Lisa, my wife, had already beaten me outside to get the news paper, and informed me it would be “a perfect day to get that bloody hedge done” It’s not that hedge trimming is hard work, but I really enjoyed having a lie-in on Sunday mornings and now that I worked Saturday’s it was the only chance I got.

Melody Davis had grown up like all other girls in the Queendom. She was a little disappointed when they were separated from the boys
in her early teens. She understood that her teachers told her boys brains could not handle much more than an elementary level of education.

Two months later Michelle had started her hormone treatment. She was acting like a giddy school girl. She was so happy things were finally happening. Sam would tease her as she checked her breasts each morning.

"They won't grow if you keep checking them you know." Sam said.

"I know it's too early, I just felt my nipples were more sensitive than before, that's all."

Michelle was beaming when Sam arrived home.

"Good news love?"

"Yes, the clinic have approved me to start hormones. They emailed me the letter today."

"I told you it would be ok Michelle. Are you going to see your G.P. about getting a prescription?"

"Yes my appointment is Thursday. I still feel bad about jumping the queue like that Sam. I know you pulled a few strings, still it's not fair."

Chapter 9

Monday, May 10^th, 2023

5:30AM

Marcia quietly opened the door to Allie’s room and checked in on her niece. It had become a routine that she went through every morning. She would check on Allie, then Sammy, and then go out and help Bruce with the animals.

Allie was in deep sleep, so Marcia reversed course and quietly closed the door. She moved to her nephew’s room and quietly opened the other door. Inside, Sammy was sleeping soundly as well. On his wall was a fresh drawing. Curious, Marcia tiptoed over to look at the picture of the riverbank. The moose with her calf and the diving eagle were both spectacular to see in their own ways.

(This story is a follow up of last year’s Halloween story "The Doll Maker" Reading that first is advised.)

Chapter 3