“This is going to be Sashtun’s first-ever movie, kids. It needs to be something special. Not whatever new movie you’re burning to see. Everyone, what’s the best movie you’ve ever seen?”

“Muuuuuuum, do I really need to wear this?”

“Come on sweetheart, it’s only every once in a while.”

“It’s at least four times a year!”

“There’s worse than that. Now hold still so I can…”

“Ouch!”

“I told you to hold still…”

“We can sell it as a retirement package,” Carson said. “An eighty-year-old man might think it’s worth the... inconvenience of becoming a woman if he can be forty again.”

An Altered Fates Story
A second look at the 1967 film, The Graduate
and (even moreso) the 1963 novella of the same name by Charles Webb.
By Iolanthe Portmanteaux
 

“The back door was open,” Ben stammered, gesturing in that direction. “That’s not safe, you know.
I could have been anybody, coming through that door!”

“You could have been anybody?” she repeated. “Then I’m going to have to give some thought
to who I want you to be, next time you come over.”

Severus Snape let out a sigh as he thought of what to do. Getting a report of students dueling isn't unexpected, but for it to be this soon and amongst first years no less. Even more confusing is how a girl raised by muggles could take out a trio of wizards by herself.

This is a true story. It doesn't matter if you believe me.

When I was small I met an angel.

I was standing in a field with tall grass, sunflowers and dandelions. I don’t know how I got there, and didn’t care. The sun warmed my chubby arms, and a gentle breeze blew the grass so that it tickled under my dress.

There’s another thing that was strange but wasn’t; I was wearing a dress - canary yellow, with thin straps over the shoulder. Not the kind of thing I could wear at home; not the kind of thing I was allowed.

“And even if his story is untrue, it’s not necessarily a sign of mental illness in children his age to make up strange stories. So I’ll refer you to a child psychiatrist, but I suggest you keep an open mind and check that mural in Davey’s bedroom from time to time to see if it exhibits any... strange behavior.”

Family Jewels
By Ellie Dauber (c) 2007

Here's a gargoyle inspired by the recent release of files from the Central Intelligence Agency. I hope you enjoy it.

* * * * *

I'm walking along a trail through the woods. There are two people behind me, walking together holding hands. I know it's a man and woman, but I can't see their faces, but the woman has the most beautiful violet eyes I have ever seen. I'm anxious to get to where we are going so I run ahead. I hear a woman's voice call out to me but I can't make out what she said. I'm not paying attention to where I'm going and I trip over something on the trail. Now I'm falling. All the light has gone. I hear a woman screaming for me. I try to call out but I can't speak.

She jumped out of the bath, hastily threw on a robe, and rushed to the room where the portal-cabinet was stored, carrying a towel. She was overjoyed to see the portal still open as she entered the room.

Devi woke to find Tashni shaking him gently. “I’ve got your breakfast ready, miss,” she said. She couldn’t seem to understand that Devi was a boy... and today, anyway, Devi needed to be a girl for Zindla’s ceremony.

The question Tegan now ponders is 'Can there be a love triangle when one of the two people thinks there are three people involved?' Further, just how more can her life get complicated since drinking at the wrong pub, the peddler, Marie-Anne and unfortunately her/himself have caused her to be too far gone from his previous days as Thomas.

“The winner of the auction must promise to allow Devi to go home through the portal as soon as they figure out how the cabinet works.”

This is my first story. It is a fem!Harry/dark!Harry, with a twist. Holly Potter was raised in the muggle world. How will she adapt to becoming a witch, and how will lives be changed along the way?

When Andy finds a genuine Genie bottle he mistakes it as junk.
Giving it to his best friend, Kyle. A mistake of epic proportions, as Kyle knows exactly how to exploit a genie. Or does he?
This story won't end with just one instance of being screwed over.

Insurance Ad
By Ellie Dauber © 2020

Here’s a VERY short piece, a script based on an ad that keeps turning up on my TV. I mean no offense to the insurance company. This is just something that the wording of the ad suggested to me.

* * * * *

The scene is a modern kitchen. A young woman in a house dress is sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. There are a few papers with some sort of writing on them near where she is sitting. The camera moves in to a medium shot as she speaks.

A Fragment of Something
By Ellie Dauber © 2020

I had this idea of a scene. This was a definite gargoyle, something that had to be written.

Only I don’t know what came before or after. As an experiment, I’m posting it that way. You tell me what happened. I may even write out the best notion.

And list the person(s) whose idea(s) I use as co-author(s).

A Fragment of Something
By Ellie Dauber © 2020

* * * * *

Sarinina finds Helena and they return to Troy with a few surprises.

“Odd, though. You don’t look like you have a transformation spell on you. Or any kind of spell, really. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a transformation, but I think I’d recognize it. Must be some kind I’m not familiar with.”