Dieithryn Chapter 4

© Maeryn Lamonte 2026

CHAPTER 56
I did get a look at my BGB later, or at least photos of it, courtesy of Dai Gould, and it was a frightening sight. I couldn’t help thinking what would have happened if the burning fuel had landed on my back rather than the bag, and realised how Barry must have burned his hands.

Cursed by a phantom technomage with a forced gender assignment and a dimensional shift that rewrites his history, a trapped boy chooses survival over suicide after discovering the trauma is awakening his dormant ancestral technomagic—a power he must master to shield his soul, and heal without vengeance.

Chapter 1

When the Dolling family welcomed their son into the world, there was great joy as they had been childless. Helmut Dolling, a café owner in Shaldon, was overjoyed and decreed that his son will be named after his grandfather.

That occurrence happened before mobile phones were widely used, so young Stephan enjoyed a normal childhood until he went to High School, at a time when mobile phones started to be seen. At that time, they weren’t small enough for a person to carry them, unless you happened to have a large bag and a strong arm.

CHAPTER 55
Amina simply hugged me tightly, before whispering, “I can smell tour hair, love. Connie picked me up. Time to go home. This… not on your own, aye?”

I squeezed her back, saying nothing, because I now realised how right she was. Eventually, Tom and I were tugged outside to his and Connie’s car, and they ran Amina and me home. Very, very few words; it took me a long while to get to sleep, even after Amina wrapped my dressings in clingfilm and shampooed my hair.

Mark Lansing never wanted to stand out. He was perfectly happy disappearing into a football huddle with the rest of the team until one play made him the talk of the town. Thrust into a spotlight he never wanted, every choice can reshape his future, and every decision could transform him in ways he never believed possible. Mark’s destiny will be determined on the field … assuming he can figure out how to dress the part.

My Secret Life
By
Rebecca Anna Coleman
Sequel To
Magnolia Blooms & Sakura Petals

-5-
A Phone Call From Dad

CHAPTER 54
She was there on my return. Already in bed, which was, well, a little disorienting. Thus far, we had mostly ended up there, when we did, after an evening of, well, increasing intimacy. To find her simply lying there, burbling a little as she slept, set off all sorts of thoughts and feelings. I cleaned up, changed into pyjamas, and tried to slip in without waking her, which didn’t work.

She rolled over, mumbling a little, then cuddled into me.

Things were going well until the evening of Friday, March 1 when I got a call just after work that my father was in the hospital. He had had another heart attack, and the outlook was grim. Of course it wasn’t reasonable for me to show up right away when I was several states away, so I was still at my house when I got the word that he passed away later that evening. Sue actually called. She was still summoned, but she expected that when she was no longer able to stay awake she was going to permanently turn back into the doll.

Allison Kensington is accustomed to getting exactly what she wants, and she's invested considerable time, money, and confidence in a plan that seemed perfectly reasonable when she came up with it. Unfortunately, the software engineer she recruited at a bus stop has turned out to be considerably more entertaining, unpredictable, and difficult to manage than her original calculations allowed.

Tim Johnson, meanwhile, is discovering that having the undivided attention of an extraordinarily beautiful woman can be a great deal of fun, especially when she seems determined to pretend he isn't getting under her skin. He's beginning to suspect that Allison's confidence comes with a few vulnerabilities, and his natural curiosity is making it increasingly difficult to resist exploring them.

What began as an outrageous proposition is becoming an unexpectedly enjoyable contest between two people who are accustomed to being the cleverest person in the room. Allison may have initiated this particular adventure, but Tim is having a wonderful time reminding her that she isn't the only one who gets to make the rules.

Chapter 3: Bringing Daddy Down

Daddy charged at me with his enormous cleaver raised over his head, and the stench of rotting meat intensified with every thundering step he took across the blood-stained kitchen floor.

Dieithryn Chapter 2

© Maeryn Lamonte 2026

LYANNA UNBOUND
by
Jessica D

ISSUE 1
OPEN

“Go fuck yourself, Daryl!”

Leon laid down his cards. A full house. Three queens and two jacks. This ought to wipe that shit-eating grin off his face. Daryl curled back the corners of his cards, making a show of peering beneath them.