The gravel crunched softly beneath their feet, a sound both familiar and strange to Hazel. She'd heard countless stories about this place from the group during their time away, but this was her first time seeing it in person. Alex moved with practiced caution, his gait carefully modulated to appear normal despite the enhanced musculature beneath his clothing.

Part 2
I gave him enough time to get back down the path to the public car park, then gathered my two for their ride home. Ryan was wanting a chase again, so he stayed on the lead while Tara did her own in and out of the trees roaming, which I had worked out meant she typically walked and ran about a dozen times the distance I did. It was heading towards school run time, so I stopped by the little tea place, where they had a warm pasty and, to my delight, a piece of lemon drizzle cake.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.
-

Chapter 31 recap

“The nightmare…” I mutter under my breath, glancing at the others as we walk. “I need to tell them.”

“No,” Shade says firmly, his voice cutting through my thoughts like a blade.

Dawn Visits Kansas – Part 1

By Kathi Jo Daniels

Prologue:
This is the continuation of the saga: Dan Becomes Dawn.

Chapter One: Preparation
Monday, September 20, 2004

Chapter 3

Willow was concentrating on the music. She was listening to the others as she played. The songs were a mixture of the album tracks, but with more of the live album content as they moved from ‘Child in Time’ to ‘Woman from Tokyo’. She glanced across to the others, to see Geoff with his eyes shut and mouth open. Gerry had a big grin on his face.

PART ONE
I always avoided the first part of the hill when the weather was likely to produce mud, which meant the whole of January and most of February in practice. It wasn’t the mud on the path itself, for that was why wellies existed, but the immense quantity my dogs would collect. They’re not exactly my dogs, of course, so mud meant cleaning them off before returning them to their ‘real’ owners, and I rather liked having some ‘me time’ each day and enough hot water for a bath for myself rather than two or three mud-magnet hounds.

Precious Time - Part 3

Precious Time - Part 2

On the next day the first of my modelling sessions was to take place. After a shower, I addressed the most pressing question facing a girl in my situation, deciding what to wear. After trying a few different styles I chose a pleat skirt in an ecru shade and a tight top which went well with it. Pleased with the how the result discreetly showed off my curviness, I headed down to the restaurant for breakfast. The Plaza provided a tempting choice to suit all tastes but I resisted and helped myself to coffee and a bowl of fruit and yoghurt.

CHAPTER 71
I nodded, with a meaningful glance toward the other passengers.

“Chat later, love. Messy stuff”

“Late, then. One question now, though: is he all right?”

“I think so, especially with Alys to look after. Later, though, be best”

A Step Too Far?

by Suzie Dalkin

This was written without any idea where it was going. As a result, readers may find it funny or offensive – or neither – or both.

Edward Arley was a very organised young man. His parents were staid pillars of the community who for many years had run a successful estate agency business in Sutton Deering, an old market town about 50 miles north of London.

"Come on, come back," Remi whispered, pacing the clearing as Brother watched with evident concern. Her bare feet had long since toughened against the rough stone, but she kept moving more from nervous energy than any real purpose. "Just bring him back safe. Please." Speaking aloud helped maintain some connection to her humanity, even if the words were meant for no one but herself.

David sprinted toward the crosswalk, glancing at his watch with growing panic. He was cutting it close—ten minutes until his shift started at Morgan's Grocery. Mr. Morgan wasn't exactly known for his flexibility when it came to tardiness.

CHAPTER 70
Murdo had been incredibly generous, but he remained a very sharp businessman, and springing for accommodation as well as the venue would have cost rather a lot, so we were booked on a late afternoon boat back. Rod had arranged a small coach, and Phil a few taxis for those we couldn’t fit in. Tradition had to be observed, and so we bounced back over the water before trundling up to King’s Park, where Kul did his video thing and Neil the snaps.