Masks Chapter 15

*Before…

Mom gives me another hug. I like hugs, and Stephanie is getting more of them than Steven does. I sigh into it…hugs are important. Hugs keep you from flying apart sometimes.

Sometimes I feel like I’m flying apart all the time.

She lets me go and gives me this smile that’s sad, sweet…just kind of different. “I’ll see You after school Steph.”

Yes she stressed You…like me…not Steven.

Yay?

I’m not sure just what to think about that?

I clean my face and brush my teeth and slip into bed. Ohhh…softer sheets, nice thread count and the smell. They just smell nice, like baby powder and dryer sheets. I leave my light on…I want to be able to see all of this whenever I open my eyes tonight…it means that much.

*And Now…

I didn’t know it could be like this.
Chapter 15.

By Symphony Simms

I smiled to myself and rang the doorbell.

Miranda came to open the door with April in her arms.

Carlie has sissy predispositions, but overcomes difficulties with love, courage and increasing self-awareness. This chapter outlines his early life.

"What you send forth comes back to thee, so ever mind the law of three. A lesson to be learned, once learned you will be free. Another point of view is what you must see."

These words will change Marks life forever, for better or for worse is yet to be seen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Faithful, North African and Middle Eastern Islamic nations, are plotting to seize the oil resources of the Middle East. By controlling the earth's oil and its major trade routes, they plan to bring the world to its knees. Then, when the entire world is kneeling, the Faithful of Allah will read to them from the Koran, preaching the message of Islam, the True Faith. The Faithful will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. But how far will they go? And how many lives will it cost?

The caravan enters the castle... and suspicious are aroused. But Trosanar's information is wrong, so the confrontation which results has an unexpected end. Later, Garia finds a way to educate the count, and discovers an unexpected ally.

Masks Chapter 10

*Before…

I’ll confess that I want to be that girl that these guys are singing about. I don’t say it out loud but I would love to be the girl getting sung to and just like holding myself in a happy hug while someone is playing something sweet to me.

I hold back on going full on girl with them and yet…yet I’m actually being included now thanks to M.J. and partway through the bus ride we end up lacing our fingers together and squeeze each others hand once in awhile.

It’s the best morning I’ve had in a long time going to school…maybe ever.

She looks at me and smiles and adjusts her hand and we hook pinkies together all the way until we get to the bus stop at school.

I can’t stop smiling.

*And Now…

Masks Chapter 9

*Before…

Brave…?

No Mum If I was really brave I could tell you all who I really am.

And it feels like Stephanie’s little candle was guttering in the dark right now.

I get dressed without looking at myself and slip into bed and pull one of my pillows down from my head like a reflex.

I hug it tight because It hurts.

I just can’t bring myself to turn off the light at my bedside.

Just can’t.

*And Now…

The Faithful, North African and Middle Eastern Islamic nations, are plotting to seize the oil resources of the Middle East. By controlling the earth's oil and its major trade routes, they plan to bring the world to its knees. Then, when the entire world is kneeling, the Faithful of Allah will read to them from the Koran, preaching the message of Islam, the True Faith. The Faithful will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. But how far will they go? And how many lives will it cost?

Masks Chapter 8

*Before…

“You’re welcome honey…You’re my niece I love you.”

I squeeze her really hard and she does back. One of those hugs that gets right there inside of you right where you usually don’t get hugged but need it the most in.

I head home and it does really suck going back to being Steven but this time…this time it’s different.

The real me that girl sealed away in that drum curled up in the dark.

She got hugged, told she was loved.

And inside my dark place that’s like me suddenly having someone give me this emergency candle and I have a little bit of light there in this dark place.

Candles can be amazing right?

*And Now…

Masks Chapter 6

*Before…

I’m partly excited and I’m partly bracing myself to be jealous and I go with her upstairs.

I feel better than I did…opening up and helping each other even if it’s not all the way it’s helped, the clothes are helping heck being in an exclusively female home helps.

I’m not into the spiritual stuff that much because I can’t it’s guyboden but there is a female energy to the house.

I…okay M.J. bedroom door has these little tole-painted flowers around the old moulding for the door and she has a dream catcher hanging there in the middle of the door. It’s cool already.

*And Now…

Halloween at the Second Story Store

Author's note: The Second Story Store is an open universe, so if you like the idea; contribute!

Masks Chapter 5

*Before…

“I…” Part of me is wildly looking for an excuse and the other part is waking up like the real me curled up crying inside just say someone open up the drapes inside the dark room I’ve been trapped in and I…I can maybe…maybe just take a chance…look outside…be me…?

“Okay…okay…”

I can do this right?

“Good the bathroom is upstairs and on the left.”

I head up and I’m shaking…I look at myself in the mirror and I take the wig out of my jacket pocket and shake it loose and try to get it to look okay and I get undressed and stare at myself…not at this stranger that only sort of looks like me in the mirror and then mask falls off and I grab a towel and I start crying into it to muffle the way that everything feels right now.

That’s not me looking back at me.

*And Now…

Masks Chapter 4

Chapter 4

*Before………..

I try a brave girl smile at her…yes girls can smile differently, they have this whole range of stuff that’s guyboden for me to do.

I’m scared actually but I say it anyway. “Girlfriends.”

Mary Jane shakes pinkies with me again. “Girlfriends.”

I really wish I could happy cry right now. It almost fees like my heart’s beating for the first time all over again.

*Now…………

Masks Chapter 3

Chapter 3

We went home and I actually spent a lot of the time that week helping out with things around the house.

Getting pumpkins and hay bales and all those electric lights for things and Dad does go all out for things like this and stuff.

And getting the boat garage cleaned up for my friends to come over and the kids that’ll be there because they’re friends of my folks or Aunt Els. They’ll want to have their adult fun and stuff and we get to have our stuff.

I’ll admit that I’m kind of a full on geek with some stuff too.

Lead Shoes-18

Chapter 18

It’s good that he’s in a better mood after all of that as we head to the Bowl ‘N Wash and I go around the back way. There’s lots of room and stuff and while like I said it’s not a bad area out front there’s usually a bunch of kids out there to smoke and smoke up or drink.

It’s the “rebel” teenager stuff kind of place but I park the van out back and we head to out front from there.

I slow down well I can’t really go fast in my crutches anyways but I wait and see if I can see her out front and she’s there.

Masks Chapter 2

Chapter 2

*Before…

He actually passes me a shopping basket. “Go and fill your boots we’ll make this a cool Halloween and a homecoming for them okay.”

“Anything?”

“Anything Bud.” ….Bud…there’s another one that just is…ick but I let it go. I start getting stuff there’s this little spark of an idea that’s forming in the back of my head about me actually being me this year.

Well not really me but not Steven.

I just need to convince my parents to let me go out by myself this year.

*Now…

Vanilla Sky…Part 8.

Before…

And he’s…I have no idea what his family background is but he has this very light skinned black person thing going on and straight black hair and these ice blue eyes that just sort of pop in.

Okay he might just be sexy.

Now…

I’m blushing and Shane’s smiling at me but it’s this…

Oh dammit…Oh chocolate…

The Faithful, North African and Middle Eastern Islamic nations, are plotting to seize the oil resources of the Middle East. By controlling the earth's oil and its major trade routes, they plan to bring the world to its knees. Then, when the entire world is kneeling, the Faithful of Allah will read to them from the Koran, preaching the message of Islam, the True Faith. The Faithful will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. But how far will they go? And how many lives will it cost?