Decision Time

Sunday morning. I suppose some folks would be getting dressed for church, but that's not what happened in our house. Mom hasn't got much use for religion. When I noticed that people like my buddy Jasper went to church on Sunday and we didn't I asked Mom why. I was pretty young then, so she just said something like she didn't believe in god.

Orphan Petal

September 2023 - Part 1

Shirley gets some help or maybe its not the help he needs

Confusion

Caitlyn and her Mom went home, Caitlyn grinning from ear-to-ear because she left her bra and panties in my room and knew that I couldn't tell anybody about it. I have to admit I was thoroughly distracted as we watched the rest of the movie.

"You seem restless," Mom observed when the credits started to roll.

"Yeah. Caitlyn and I were talking and I'm confused."

I left quietly and made my way through the garden and back to the side door. I contemplated whether I should confront him or not.

Should I have gone back in and pretended not to have seen anything? How could we proceed with the plan if he was seeing Charles behind my back?

Indecision

Have you ever wanted to do something but hesitated because you didn't want to disappoint someone or maybe get in trouble? That was me for the next few days. I still wanted to get a closer look at the oval in Mom's bra, but wasn't sure I should. I certainly knew that a boy shouldn't be handling a bra - unless he was helping his mother with the wash - although how I knew that I couldn't tell you. It's one of those things that you soak in through your pores as you grow up.

Start at the beginning

I want to explain why I'm running for the state legislature, but that's the end of the story. How I got there isn't a straight shot, in fact it is quite an elliptical path.

The crowds parted as Nick and I made our way through. The guests - who all belonged to Lenoria's highest echelon - bowed their heads in respect and admiration.

I knew that symbol of respect was probably aimed at Nick and not me but that did little to dampen the impact of the moment.

I was so nervous I ended up clinging tighter to his arm. I dared not look up at him because I feared that would only amplify all I was feeling.

Prince Taylor's family comes to visit the institute. Will they like it?

Silver Bell Wish 5
by Peregrine

Copyright © 2023 Peregrine
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Prince Taylor goes back to the Victorian Virtue Institute. He was given a choice and he said he wanted to go back. At times, he regrets this but also meets a new friend

Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for Isidora's Hunger Games Capitol-looking outfit. Her designer either really loved frills or really didn't like her.

There was also so much pink it was almost blinding and for some reason known only to her, she'd decided to pair it all with some shade of blue lipstick. She looked more like an art project than a person.

And this person was supposedly the stylist?

"Who the hell is Prince Nicholas?" I screamed frantically at my friend to gain his attention.

I knew better than to disturb him while he played his video games but this was an emergency.

When his face turned white as a sheet of paper, I knew that name meant something to him. He paused his game and turned to me in horror.

"Where'd you hear that?" he asked in a panic.

Orphan Petal

August 2023 - Part 2

Shirley must decide if he is brave enough to be like the girl in his dreams

Silver Bell Wish 2
by Peregrine

Copyright © 2023 Peregrine
All rights reserved.
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

[This is a slow burn story. The transformation doesn’t happen till a little over halfway through the text of part one, but I really wanted to give the reader a chance to get to know the characters, and their motivations. Enjoy.]

Honey, I’m Home Part 1
By Lauren Bliss

The Social Security Act of 1935 established the first Aid to Dependent Children program. Eddie Martin would tell you that like many first iterations, it didn’t function as advertised. Man-in-the-house policies kept his young unwed mother from receiving any assistance.

Chapter 4

Saturday morning, Henny was beside herself with excitement. I had to get her to slow down, or else she wouldn’t last the morning, let alone the day. We had breakfast in our nighties and gowns and then worked on showers and dressing. I was ready by the time the doorbell went, to find Maria and Penny on the step. From my own experience, I knew Penny couldn’t resist a shopping day.

Chapter 3

Going back into the house, I helped with the dinner, and we sat to enjoy the meal. Mum had found a bottle of white wine which had been in the fridge, and we had a glass, each. It wasn’t bad. I had baked a cake, during the week, so we each had a slice, covered in custard out of a carton.

Chapter 1

I’ve heard it said that Bob Dylan intended his ‘The Times, They Are A’ Changing’ to be a protest song. The first version I remember hearing was sung by Simon and Garfunkel, and it sounded more like a ‘progress’ song, when sung without the nasal whine. The first verse that relates to the water rising until you have to swim to survive must be a metaphor for the reality of growing up and making your own way in life.

Prince Taylor has started at the Victorian Virtue Institute.
This school specializes in an old method of raising boys called petticoat discipline. They help improve a boy's behaviour by expressing their feminine side. In other words, they treat boys like sissies.
How will Prince Taylor deal with this, and since as a royal member he is in the public eye, how will the public react?

Anderson is temporarily filling in as a beauty product influencer... but can he pull off such a feminine side hustle? And what if he ends up thriving?

Anderson’s Aunt Trinity is an up-and-coming beauty influencer — testing out makeup, hair products, and clothing. That is, until an injury takes her out for the entire summer, rendering her unable to pose or post. Fortunately for her, Anderson is fresh out of nursing school and fully equipped to be her caretaker. But as for her blossoming beauty business? She still needs someone to carry on the work. Maybe Anderson can lend her a hand — as long as he’s okay with just a few feminine changes…

This is Chapter 2 of the 249-page, ~62,000-word novel is available for its entirety for Kindle. The first three will be shared here as samples! :)

-Jennifer

  Larry has a secret. He’s been keeping a secret since he was 9. He’s been very successful at keeping it. In all those years not one person has ever been aware of this one thing about him that no one can ever know. Not his parents, not his friends growing up, not his fellow students when he was in college, not his buddies when he was in the Navy, not his coworkers at his job and especially not his wife.

  He particularly careful to keep his wife from knowing. No doubt she’s kick his rear to the curb, if she found out. Oh he’d read all the horror stories of wives who’d found out this kind of thing about their husbands. It never ended well. What’s more as often as not once the wives found out and made a stink, the poor saps employer would find out and they would lose their job as well. No, not pretty at all.

  He must keep his wife in the dark at all costs. He always puts back in the precise spot anything of hers he borrows. She’ll never, can never know.

I woke up to the sound of mum calling ‘come on, it’s time to go!’

It took me a minute…but I sat up in a start. Mum called out again.

In a moment it all came back, the events of the night before, and how I’d been so tired and defeated going to bed I didn’t stop to change, I just laid down and slept. I was still wearing the black satin maids dress, stockings and heels. I could sense the powders and creams on my face and my nails were still perfectly manicured with a generous spread of red gloss polish on each.

Phillip opened the door and immediately was thrusted with a tiny pair of what looked like red bikini bottoms. The rooms furniture had been moved around a small spray tan had been erected in the middle. Alisha stood next to the tent and appeared to be getting the spray tan ready, she smiled and waved him over.

“I am not wearing these” Phillip exclaimed. “These are women’s underwear”