A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 67 All Changes but Stays the Same

“Pease, Sir Mister, have you any food you would spare? We haven’t had anything to eat for eight days and are hungry. We should be grateful and remember you in our thoughts tonight before we fell asleep if you would help us.” Arathane truly believed he had seen the worst that outsiders were prepared to subject their children to, yet as he turned to face the voice the sight of the three barefoot little girls dressed in little more than rags took him aback to a place he hadn’t ever in his darkest moments believed could exist. None of the emaciated girls, barely more than toddlers, looked older than three.

Chapter 15, September 30th, 2025

Whit unloaded the last of the dishes from the dishwasher while Lucy sat at the kitchen table with a calculator working on the budget. He glanced at his watch, it was 8:13. He slipped into the computer room and shut the door behind him. This room was meant to be a nursery, then a child’s bedroom, but plans changed, now it was his room. Whit opened up his closet and looked at the far end where he’d hung his small collection of feminine clothing. He took a deep breath and took off his clothes.

The late afternoon sun hung low, casting long shadows across the cracked pavement as Eric Whitmore walked home from school. His slight frame and delicate features—long lashes framing gray eyes—drew stares, as they always did. At thirteen, he was used to the whispers, the assumptions, but they still stung like salt in an open wound.

Chapter 4

Sophie Brooks pushed her cart up to the line and checked her watch. She was in her shapeless kitchen uniform and still had her ID lanyard around her neck. There were a couple people in line in front of her. The red head in the punk jacket directly in front of her turned, made eye contact and smiled.

Oh God, I know her. Sophie smiled, nodded and quickly looked down.

Oh my God, that’s Rose.

White Knight
The Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Jerry and I had known one another since childhood. We went through high school together and worked together after I finished college. I went into finance, but Jerry felt that he was ready to set up his own business. You have to admire him for that.

Coming Out Posthumously: a grave admission

A foreboding premonition caused now deceased cross-dresser Joel to schedule and pre-pay for his 'Makeover of a Lifetime' many months prior to his demise.

His ‘Makeover’ included being laid to rest perfectly made-up, with nice hair, wearing his prettiest earrings, his nicest high heeled pumps, manicured and painted nails and dressed in his feminine finery with the delightfully feminine “Miss Dior by Maison Février Essence de Parfum” wafting from his satin lined casket.

So we were supposed to restore sanity to government here after Trump, his successors and all their lackeys imploded.

Then the aliens invaded. Creatures from our myths and old scriptures forced their way in, and their races of Good Guys are saving us from the more obviously evil ones. The aliens in ultimate charge resemble the old pantheons of gods and goddesses here on Earth. But the real threat is that their emissaries -- elves, fae, human-animal hybrids, pixies, whatever -- have replaced or converted a lot of our own family members into their new races, and they seem primed to take over, unless what remains of humanity can stop them.

Author's Note: I turn my attention from the happy neon world of Derby City, back to the cold barren fields of Mud Creek. People are a sum of their experiences. Lucy has had some bad ones. I didn't make this up, this really happened.

Chapter 13 December 25th 1994

Lucy was awake in her bed staring at the ceiling. Her radio alarm clock, a Christmas present from last year, glowed on her nightstand. It was 4:30 AM.

Chapter 2

“Wow, this place could use some work,” Tracey said as she walked up to Neal and Rose who were standing near the front door. A faded sign painted in 80s neon declared this to be, “Swankies Fun Center.”

There were 7 cars in the parking lot including the three that Rose, Neal and Tracey arrived in. Rose smiled and pointed towards the door, “Don’t worry guys, this is perfect, it’s the exact vibe we need, and it’s going to be cheap.”

The Four Just Men

I was quietly working in my office, as branch manager in the bank, when my mobile phone vibrated.

“Good morning, Charles Brown at your service.”

“Charlie, can you talk?”

“Yes, Bernie, what’s up.”

“I’ve just opened up my post and there’s a summons for Jury Duty.”

“So, why did you ring me?”

“I’ve been reading the papers and there’s an interesting case coming up, where a bunch of women beat up a trannie for using the female toilet in the library.”