Part Fourteen

The trio tried to dogpile her. At the moment, Vic assumed they weren't using firearms because they didn't want to alert the cops down the block. Or maybe saw the armor and knew bullets weren't likely to work. In the light of subsequent events, she later decided they just weren't thinking too well right then.

Part Twelve

"Local police are saying that the word on the street is that whoever financed the theft of the swords is having a meltdown, because they didn't get them."

"Are you telling me," said Vic, slowly, after her boss delivered this bit of news at the next Monday morning briefing, "that the people who stole the swords are keeping them instead of turning them over to their client? If so, are they trying to get more money? Maybe from the original client or someone else?"

Part Ten

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Vic, as she, Murphy, Muravachick and Medura left the briefing.

"You're not the only one," said Murphy, in an irritated mutter.

"Well, why don't we all wait by Vic's car, and if things do go south try to... do something constructive?" said Medura, with an uncertain movement of her hands.

"Sounds like a plan," said Muravachick, tiredly. "It's vague, but open-ended and flexible."

Part Seven

Part Six

"Has he started puberty early, or something?" said Randy (Template) Devon, pacing irritably around the kitchen.

"He's ten years old," said Karen (Colossa) Devon, patiently, as she stood by the central table, hoping her husband would be reasonable about this bit of childhood mischief. "You have to expect some rebellious periods. As well as needing time to learn which pranks are going too far."

"Sarah is five, and a lot better behaved!"

"Well, since she got over the Terrible Twos," said Karen, trying to use humor to bring her husband's mood down.

Part Four

"This time it was a sound attack of some sort," said the Detective, as Vic came hurrying onto the crime scene of yet another "super drive-by."

Unlike the previous two attacks, this one had been during business hours. Additionally, the target was not a crowd, but a downtown real-estate company. This turned out to be one of the business working to refurbish and resell abandoned houses in the Detroit area.

Part Three

Vic - in her old armor, the helmet in her left hand - got out of her Corolla wagon at the scene of another "super drive-by" attack. This time, what was apparently the same black SUV from which the energy blast had been directed at the theater crowd days earlier, had made a different type of attack. Vic found it odd that even though there had been several more-traditional drive-by shootings lately in Detroit during that same period, the energy blast attack - and now this one - were "the" drive-bys on the minds of most police and civilians alike.

Masks 24: Part Two

"What is with this city, anyway?" said Michelle, as, together, she and Vic moved into their den and the couch in front of the TV.

"Part of it is that it's a crossroads," said Vic, shrugging as they sat and unconsciously snuggled closer. "Part of it is that all the empty - in many cases abandoned - properties and even entire neighborhoods here make hiding illegal activities relatively easy.

Matching Maids
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

She went way too far, and I let her. The fact is that I wanted to be her boyfriend so much, I would have (as the man said) caught a grenade for her.

When she insisted on the all body waxing, I should have refused. It was just that the chance to lay beside her and go through the same pain, seemed like something special to share.

Enchantment Park
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Have you heard of it? Enchantment Park. A place where children can be in their favorite fairy-tales.

I suppose it is more of a girl thing than a boy thing. The big attraction is the princesses. They are always described as being “serenely beautiful” and “larger than life”. What little girl would not like to be alongside them?

Chapter Three -- Truth and Consequences

The final chapter. Adele's trial comes to a shocking conclusion and her daughter's kidnappers make their demands known. Cassie is hot on the trail of the kidnappers but will she be too late, or will Adele pay the ransom and hope the girls are released unharmed.

Chapter Two - The Trial

Even though her daughter has been kidnapped, hotshot lawyer Adele Edwards must try her case as it is somehow intrinsically linked to the abduction.

Keeping control.

 

Tales of Upper Fanir


by Julia Phillips


3 of 3 – The Days After

Alex stared at the mirror, trying to size up his potential cosplay.

I think having my hair like this should work. And I think that plucking my eyebrows helped. I should probably watch some makeup tutorials though.