Chapter 5: “The Network's Reach”

Defiance in Silence

Indira’s engines hummed, a steady, almost living presence beneath me in the silence of my quarters. My hands, still trembling from the intensity of the data analysis, rested on the cold metal of my toolbox. Its accustomed weight grounded me—an anchor in the rising current of unease that surged through my chest. The low drone of the cooling fan in the corner felt suddenly too loud, beating like a second, more frantic heart against the silence, a frantic drumbeat of impending decision.

Life Passed

A Transgender Paranormal Fantasy

From the Paranormal Visitor Universe

Chapter Two: The Power of Authentic Love

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

How will Marcus' confession be received that she has a female soul?

Copyright 2008, 2025 by Sasha Zarya Nexus.
All Rights Reserved.

The Recoverer (5).
by
Angharad.

I had been asked to do a talk to a woman's club about my job. I hadn't agreed because I wasn't sure that I had enough anecdotes to keep them entertained. When I'd asked the organiser why she wanted me, she said," Well, we like to see women running their own businesses successfully and I'm told you are successful."

"I'm doing okay, I suppose, but much of my work is boring research or long hours of watching people we suspect. It's like watching paint dry."

Changes in Attitudes – Part 3
By Kathi Jo Daniels

Thursday, December 2, 2004

I slipped out of bed, letting Megan sleep. I showered, shaved, and dressed as John. Megan came out after 9 AM.

After breakfast, while we were working on the crossword and Sudoku puzzles, I asked Megan, “Are you happy we’re living together now?”

Demands My Soul

A Transgender Heroine's Journey & Romance Novel

From THE ONE Universe

Chapter 1: The Collapse

By Ariel Montine Strickland

Can Delores' moment of greatest despair demand her soul, her life, her all?

Copyright 2025 by Ariel Montine Strickland.
All Rights Reserved.

Melissa, Zane and Brittany seemed to all be standing like lemons waiting for their baggage to arrive on the carousel. It seemed likely as they were an early check-in, their bags would be last off the aircraft.

Going Respectable
A Short Western Story
By Maryanne Peters

My story could have been one of tragedy, but I will never allow it to be told that way. The fact is that I was able to turn all my disadvantages into advantages, and to now be spoiled for choice. How many people can say that? Moreover, how many can say it nowadays, with a new century looming and the country set to move with great strides?

Honeymoon Reveal
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

We had only been married for three years at the time and we had never enjoyed a proper honeymoon. The fact was that after we had met on a dating site and almost immediately, she had thrown herself in to caring for my young sons … and me. My sons and I had all been devastated by the loss of my first wife Marion, their mother, only a year before I met Cherise, but she helped to pull us all out of our dark mood. She said that it was all she wanted - to bury herself in a loving family.

Chapter 3: “Whispers of Conspiracy”

A Minor Job, a Major Gut Feeling

Chapter 1: “Dockside Ghosts”

Arrival at the Dock

The shuttle's recycled air tasted of protein slurry and something metallic—burnt capacitors, perhaps. A soft, low hum from the engines shook the shuttle. With every breath, Lena’s perfume—a bittersweet lavender ghost—clung to the air, triggering a phantom ache in my chest. I reached beneath my shirt, fingers brushing the outline of the Star of David pendant. My mother’s gift. A small, silent comfort in the rising tide of unease.

The End of the Cold
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

She knew what it was. The drug had that effect. One minute you are walking down the street and the next minute a sharp pain in the neck, you feel woozy, and then blackness. And then the recovery is like this was – just fuzzy images and slight dizziness and then you can focus.

It was the living room of the apartment she had rented right in the middle of the small French town. But she had been brought here – up from the street perhaps.

The Recoverer (3).
by
Angharad.

Back At The Vineyard:
“How are our finances looking, Henry?” Elizabeth looks across Henry’s desk as he taps away on his computer.

“The vineyard itself is doing fine. However, the trauma center is incurring a significant amount of expenses. You’ll need to make some changes to bring down the cost.” Henry looks towards Elizabeth, who is the trauma center director.

“What type of cost are you talking about, Henry?” Elizabeth needs to know exactly where they need to cut costs.

Olivia Jean-Pierre's apartment felt like a carefully curated museum exhibit - "Modern College Student, Circa 2025." The small studio held all the expected trappings: a desk with a high-end laptop, a small kitchen area, tasteful decor that spoke of someone who'd read too many minimalist lifestyle blogs. Everything perfectly normal, perfectly planned.

The dinner was far better than Melissa had envisaged. It was made even better by Jack’s Father, Henry, who proved to be quite a raconteur.

CHANGES IN ATTITUDES

By Kathi Jo Daniels

Chapter One: The Surprise

Thursday, November 4, 2004

My girlfriend, Megan, was in her mid-forties, with shoulder-length brown hair, and very beautiful even on a bad day. We had worked at the same data center for about four years before I changed jobs and got a divorce. Megan and I have been together for about 2 years. She was well known for her tendency to display generous amounts of cleavage.