Emmanuel is watching his mother from a corner. He is holding the extra wash soap she had asked for. She is dancing. She is so beautiful. The water is dancing along with her, mimicking her movements. Left, right, it's dancing in circles around her.
She sees him standing there and the water returns to the bucket.
She is smiling.
"Oh my beautiful boy" she says as she walks towards him.
He is smiling as she gets closer and closer. He wants to close the gap but he can't move.
Just as she's about to touch him, she bursts into flames.

Previously

“This place is a paedophile hotel. I'm getting to look a bit old. If no one is interested in you any more, I think they kill you and chuck you in the incinerator. They tell you that you are going to be rewarded, but I followed one girl who was unconscious being carried downstairs like a piece of meat.”
“Seriously?”
She did a deep sigh. “Sorry, I didn't want to start with the heavy stuff.”
“Let's start again. Hi I'm Sophie.” I held my hand out to shake hers.
“I know. I'm Abby. Abby Faulkner.” She shook my hand.

Chapter 26

Shauntelle Brannon lay on her shabby bed in the small, dingy room she shared with another girl, Valerie Evans.

Valerie was out working the street at the moment, not that any of them had much choice about it, as each of the seven that lived in this old three bedroom house on the edge of town had all been hooked on a variety of legal and illegal drugs over the last two years or so.

It's been a few hours since he left the city. He'd never been to the town his mum grew up in. He doesn't know what to expect. He suspects that it's one of those town that are wary of outsides. The kind where everybody knows everybody.
Susie had offered to come with him this morning but he declined. He wants to do this on his own.
'Welcome to Erie. Enjoy your stay' he reads as he speeds past the old sign.
Not too long later, he drives through a very old gate with some of the most beautiful and intricate patterns.

Masks XVIII

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part Six

"Oh, now that's good work," said the lead Detective, as he hurried over. "We had just gotten word he was no longer at home and were about to notify you, when your call came in."

"Girls, this is Detective Sandersen," said Blue Impact, very deliberately not mentioning that they had found the stakeout and followed the guy here from his home.

"Have you searched him?" said the Detective.

A Second Chance -- Chapter 6

By Dawn Natelle

This is the last of the daily episodes. I managed to write it as the first five were running, but it may be up to a week before I get the next installment to our little story. Sorry for those of you who have been reading it daily, but I'm no Angarad, able to post a story a day: Dawn.

SATURDAY, April 30, 2016

Chapter 24

Alan Archer, a veteran CIA agent, contracts a disease and the only hope is an experimental procedure. He wakes up from the procedure to find he is no longer the man he used to be. Can he now find justice as a young woman where everyone around her is lying to her?

A Second Chance -- Chapter 5

By Dawn Natelle

FRIDAY, April 29, 2016

English was the first class today, and Rachael went to the staff room and waited outside before the first class. Mrs. Cathcart came out of the room, and Rachael walked beside her to the class.

“I’m sorry if I upset you yesterday, Mrs. Cathcart,” she said. “That wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to write a good paper.”

Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade

Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and without.

The ‘Tape’ is a device that acts as a gateway to an alternate universe where your birth gender was different. A man can lay down the tape, walk over it and become a woman – and learn everything that his alter-ego has experienced during her life.

A person with trans leanings would jump at the chance... right?

Well, perhaps he shouldn’t.

“Uffl! Wurghh! Kiwi fruit” Belinda thrashed in panic, not knowing where she was for a moment as she awoke.

“Morning sleeping beauty”

"AHH”

Masks XVIII

by

Rodford Edmiston

Part Five

Another night, another stakeout.

"You sure that will work?" said Energia, as Gadgetive hunched over the display built into the dash of the flyer. "We're running out of time, you know."

"Yeah," said the gadgeteer, absently. "That sensor pod I hung on the front hardpoint will detect etheric disturbances. I've already mapped the background and masked it out."

"What if he comes up through the ground, like he has a few times before?" said Blue Impact.

Chapter 23