Thursday came, and it was doomsday. Danny awoke, dreading what he would have to face after school. He wants to cry, scream, shout, and rage, but he can’t. And if he could, it wouldn’t change anything anyway. He laid in bed, the alarm on his phone going off repeatedly as he kept swiping snooze. Eventually, his mom knocked on his door commanding him to get up. Danny dragged his butt out of bed and hauled it into the bathroom. After using the toilet and brushing his teeth, he headed back to his bedroom to change. However, he was interrupted by a knock at his bedroom door.

Cole was in heaven as soon as we stepped through the doors. The entrance was brightly illuminated to showcase the attendees' costumes as they walked through. I hadn't even had the chance to properly take in the scene when a cameraman took one look and almost immediately accosted us, ushering us to the side where pictures were being taken.
 
"Okay I guess we're going this way now" I muttered to my friend.
 
"Just go with the flow" he replied.
 

Chapter 6

September, 1918

‘Dear Tamsyn,

The outside world is more amazing and more terrifying than I ever knew. Everywhere I look there are reminders of how small and insignificant I am compared to the horror all around me, and yet my love of you drives me forward.

Being Samantha Masters

an homage-prequel to Being Christina Chase

It shouldn’t be a big deal. All Billy's friends have visited the widow's house and each seemed to come away better for the experience. Visiting her has been a rite of passage for boys in town for as long as anyone can remember.

Billy knows he should want this. The whispers about him have been growing and even his friends are starting to ask questions. Tonight is the night if he's going to end the rumors. Should it matter if it’s Halloween and there’s a full moon in the sky?

I am Worried about my Brother

October 2024 All Hallow Eve's Story Contest

Bobby

That Thanksgiving was scary and mortifying. Not to mention the horror it all led to.

“Robert Taylor Smith! Where do you think you are going like that?”

The most scary part really came early, already at Halloween. As every teenager knows, hearing your full name expressed in a severe voice by one of one’s parents is not a good sign. Especially when expressed by a father reading with his back towards you.

Add to that I was trying to sneak out dressed in my sister’s cheerleader uniform …. Yes, I had forgotten about the mirror on the wall. Mirror, mirror on the wall tell me who is the kid most in trouble.

After the initial shock of the changes, I took a moment to thoroughly analyze my body, trying to process everything that had happened. My reflection was almost unrecognizable compared to the person I once was. My hair had grown significantly, flowing down my back in soft waves. Its color had transformed as well, shifting into a beautiful gradient of light blue at the roots that deepened into light purple at the tips. It shimmered slightly in the light, almost as if it had absorbed some of the water's essence.

When Macy and Jack returned with Victoria, Tara was almost certain it was her two daughters who were returning, bags of clothes gripped enthusiastically in exited hands. Jack seemed completely comfortable in his girly disposition despite Victoria's presence and his earlier qualms which had seen him leaving in as emphatically a boy mode as he was capable of. No doubt about it, Jack was returning even more utterly in girl mode than he had left in boy mode. Hands waving in girlish gesticulation voice high in enthusiastic conversation with the other two.

The sound of a car driving away, caused by a smile on Jack's face.
e waited another 10 minutes to be safe. The treasure chest was hidden behind the drawer.
A plaid skirt, a low-cut blouse, tights, panties, a bra and mary-jane shoes.
A beautiful set, created over a year.
It fits Jack perfectly. Everything fits well. He looks like a regular girl.
Excitement when he sneaks out of the house dressed like that. I've never forgotten it.
The thrill of being caught or laughed at.
Now it's all over. He can only change secretly at home.

The rain poured heavily as I walked through the dimly lit streets, my thin jacket doing little to shield me from the downpour. I clutched the grocery bag tighter, feeling the cold water seep through the fabric. My shoes splashed in puddles, each step reminding me of how today had unraveled into a string of bad luck. The weight of it all pressed down on my shoulders like the gray clouds above.

Welcoming Center:
A black, blackout window minibus comes driving up the long driveway leading to the vineyard. It stops in front of adobe style building where several people are outside waiting for it. The black minibus stops in front of the building and the door opens as a Native American woman knocks gently on the doors.

Being Samantha Masters

an homage-prequel to Being Christina Chase

It's the Only Way to Be Sure

“Samantha?” came a soft voice.  “Is that y— oh, honey, what happened?”  Arms encircled his shoulders and he didn’t even know who it was but he didn’t particularly care.  He just clutched back and cried all over her shoulder.

“Medusa?” Jenny said as I stood outside her front door. “Why are you here?”

“Can I come in? I’d like to talk to you,” I said.

“Where are my manners? You can move into my room if you need to. Come in.” She lived in a larger than normal home in the wealthy part of town.

We sat down in a breakfast nook of the kitchen.

“To what do I owe the honor of my savior visiting me.”

Helping Mum wasn’t as dire as it sounded. She took charge, which was only right since she knew a lot more about the running of her kitchen than me, and preparation for lunch took less than half the time it usually did. The happy bonus being that Mum calmed down rather than becoming her usual frazzled self. With twice as many hands available, it was easier to wash up as we went, so there wasn’t much in the way of dirties in the sink by the time we were ready to serve up.