'Cause the stars are dull when they're compared to you and I
And if people don't like it, then they can close their eyes
'Cause we're not the same and we don't have to try
'Cause we're brighter than fireflies
We're gonna light the sky

Nights at the Mall
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I was one of those people who believed that I could beat anything if I set my mind to it. I used to tell myself that it was a male thing – women are not like that, which is why I must be a man. But I was wrong in so many ways. Plenty of women are just like that. I was more like them.

CHAPTER 52
That was as far as we took things, each for our own reasons. I knew my own, at least, but could only guess at hers. I dressed in ‘business casual’, as Maz did much the same in clothes produced from her bag, and for too many reasons we faced away from each other as we covered ourselves for the day. I still took her hand as we went into the kitchen for breakfast.

Geeta had done a more than adequate spread, and once it was served, she simply smiled at us while holding her car keys.

Pool Area:
Kassie paces herself as she counts mentally how many strokes it takes her to reach the other end of the pool. When she reaches the other end, she turns around pushes off the wall, and starts swimming towards the other end. She makes sure to take into account how far she glides before counting her strokes again. She knew the wall of the pool was on her right-hand side this time and that the rope that separated her from the other lane in the pool was on her left-hand side.

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.

I had a moderate level brain fart when posting chapter 6 and ended up putting 2 copies of it on both the home page and my stories page. I have the impression it caused a few headaches to sort out, and from the number of hits this week (400 compared to last weeks 800+) I'm wondering if some people may have missed it. If that's the case, here's a direct link to chapter 6.

Akari’s father quickly realized that sending her to Gale Haven Academy wasn’t an option—at least not for a few more years. Students weren’t allowed to enroll until they turned fourteen, and Akari had only just discovered her powers. Until then, she would have to train independently, learning to control the incredible force that had already revealed itself.

Cameron makes it to the Exhibit Housing and the pressures of the expectations may crush him yet...

Wedding in Paradise
by Lindale

Because of a long lost family relationship, Tom is offered the chance of an expenses paid trip to the West Indies, commemorating the role of a man who not only released slaves, but gave them a proper life as well. Except that he also has to commemorate the role of the man’s bride.

Halloween Transformed Completely

John had always enjoyed Halloween, but this year, at fifty, he felt a new urgency. His office costume contest promised a trophy and bragging rights, and he was determined to stand out. After hearing about a quirky costume shop an hour away, he decided to check it out.
The shop, dimly lit and overflowing with costumes, felt like stepping into another world. An older woman behind the counter noticed his hesitance and approached him. “What are you looking to accomplish?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.

After flubbing a powerful incantation, meant to give newly coronated Demon Queens the wisdom of their ancestors, Devilla Satanne awakens to memories of her past life as Jacob Divington, a human from Earth. Having gained a new perspective on life, she quickly comes to a rather horrifying conclusion: she's been a complete and utter brat! No wonder everyone hates her!

And then there's the fact that she's apparently been reincarnated as the villainess of Tower Conquest, a lesbian porn game with a surprisingly intricate plot. One in which the Heroine conquers Dimona Tower, turning Devilla's people against her in the process. In victory, the Heroine brings about a glorious age of peace between demons and humans for the first time in millennia. ...Which actually sounds pretty good for her people, come to think of it. Devilla knows her terrible behavior is beyond forgiveness, but maybe she can still make up for her past mistakes? She just needs to make sure the events of the game unfold correctly. Though there is one little detail she'd like to change - the part where Devilla herself is killed or enslaved!

The series cover was commissioned from https://twitter.com/HaizeUqei