Diva Dismayed: Chapter 24 – Revelations
The following day I was walking back from college with Alice, and we became entangled in one of those deep conversations that I dreaded. I never knew where they might lead, and I disliked having to lie my way out of making some admission or other.

“Thank goodness, today is my last day” she exclaimed.

I had no idea what she could be talking about. “Last day?”

“Of my period, silly. What did you think I meant?”

Part Three

One of the more interesting - because the responses of those affected were so variable - tasks for members of the Bureau was delivering powers testing results to someone. Policy stated that the results of tests given by Bureau personnel or someone certified by the Bureau, and were not to be sent through the mail if there was a Bureau of Special Resources office within a three hour drive of the person. Further away and the test results would be mailed. They were never given over the phone or by e-mail.

"Who the hell is Prince Nicholas?" I screamed frantically at my friend to gain his attention.

I knew better than to disturb him while he played his video games but this was an emergency.

When his face turned white as a sheet of paper, I knew that name meant something to him. He paused his game and turned to me in horror.

"Where'd you hear that?" he asked in a panic.

Part Two

When Vic arrived in her boss' office a few days later, responding to a summons, she was surprised to find Lady Green already there. Vic had assumed this meeting would be in regard to the recent discovery of the Operators' lair, but that turned out not to be the case.

I felt incredibly self conscious as he held my hand and guided me through the crowd. I didn't need to look back at the group to know that they must have been watching us closely.

I glanced over at all the different faces that now filled the beach. This spot used to be so empty. Now there were so many people having the time of their lives, some were even already passed out.

Orphan Petal

August 2023 - Part 1

Shirley must decide if he is brave enough to be like the girl in his dreams

My head was ringing as overlapping shouts of confusion and disbelief filled the bridge.

I looked at Will for the first time. He was saying something. His mouth was moving. He looked angry... at me. I glanced over to the others, all in various states of disarray.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. I had to get the ringing to stop so I could think.

“Dammit,” I said again to the girl in the mirror.

Things didn't improve between Will and I until 8 months into my pregnancy. Over those months, we sort of just devolved into coworkers again.

He'd still kept me off work duties but suddenly it didn't feel like it was for my protection anymore.

I moaned as he pulled me closer. I still don't know what came over me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as his settled around my waist. I didn't want to stop.

If Robert or any of the others were in the bridge, they would have been getting a steamy show but I didn't care. For those few mind-blowing minutes, it was like something inside me had snapped.

"Wait there's really intelligent life down there" I asked still in shock over what I'd just heard.

"It would seem so" Will affirmed.

"But he hasn't seen any yet? Just their homes?" I followed up.

He nodded.

"Could they be extinct?" I asked.

"Possibly. Or they could have simply migrated somewhere else on the planet. We can't possibly know now?" Will answered.

When a mountain downpour forces Lydia and Thomas Thompson into a cavern's shadowy embrace, Lydia's touch upon ancient runic inscriptions awakens her latent power and identity. As they emerge to find the enigmatic town of Sælicbrook—a nexus of realms and magic—Lydia is transformed into her destiny as its guardian. But as the cosmic entity Nyarlathotep stirs, intent on unraveling the threads of reality, will Lydia's newfound power be enough to stand against an eldritch horror bent on devouring all? The battle for existence looms, and only the guardians of Sælicbrook can safeguard the world from the impending darkness. Will they triumph, or will everything they know be consumed by the infinite appetite of the Crawling Chaos?

The five of us were seated in a lounge area at headquarters. Will who'd ridden there with us at 6am that morning was now nowhere to be found.

We'd left with nothing but our smartphones since they had assured us that everything would be provided.

I stared outside the window at the grounds below. It was still early in the morning but many people were already hard at work.

Practical Joke
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

I had to make up my mind about how to cope when I woke up looking like this. It was supposed to be the ultimate cruel practical joke, and at the time I had to admit a sneaking admiration for just how cruel it was.

Cinderfella

A Christmas Pantomime…..

For the whimsical, for the open minded, for fun and festive times.

Sydney was not a happy boy, He was 17, and alone at home where his Stepmother and Stepsisters had left him to clean up after their whirlwind of preparations for the Princess’s Grande Yule Ball. He of course didn’t get to go, mostly as the world seemed to ignore his existence at his stepmother’s behest.

“Pete, Petey, Pete,” she whispered. “What we have, who we are, what we do in this world...

Joanna started chasing everyone out, telling them, “I want to lock all the doors and bar the windows against Bev coming back with her little friends.” The cops put in an appearance, but Mr. Linklater, being a mover and shaker in the community, they were willing to take Joanna’s recommendation that she come down on Monday and make a statement.

When the cops had gone, everyone else said goodbyes and left, too. The party had ended, and with some surprise, we noticed that it was nearly midnight.

I found a phone and used it to tell my folks that I’d be staying at Chez Linklater, which I had done before. Most recently, on the night this had all started.

“Is Megan with you?” Mom wanted to know.

“Yeah,” I said. “She’s on another phone talking to her mother.”

Mom laughed at that. “Bring her by for breakfast tomorrow, and she can go to church with us?”

“She’s Catholic, Mom,” I protested. “But I’ll suggest it to her.”

“We don’t have to tell anyone,” Mom answered, and I laughed. Friendly is a hotbed of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), but our church was mainline Protestant. The line about not telling anyone was a family joke.

*

Megan and I ended up in one of the bedrooms upstairs.

It was cold, and we were both wearing shortie pajamas loaned to us by Joanna. Mine were gold and green, and Megan’s, powder blue with white trim. After we climbed into bed, we got naked under the covers again, tossing the PJs onto the floor.

“Can we just hold each other?” I asked, crawling across the queen-size bed.

“Sure,” Megan agreed and glommed onto me with arms that were pretty much as strong as my own.

I had to laugh, hugging her back. We kissed and cuddled for several minutes, something like our behavior in bed on previous occasions, but perhaps missing an element. This felt more like affection and less like passion, and somehow that was okay.

“You’re not mad?” I asked while nibbling on an ear lobe.

She giggled against my neck. “About what?”

“Uh?” I tried to articulate, but she had seized my shoulder in her teeth and pretended to gnaw on my clavicle. It felt silly and sweet. “Maybe I forget?” I ventured.

“Forget what?” she murmured. Then pulled back a little to peer at me through her messy curls.

“Exactly,” I said, and we both laughed, face to face, almost eyeball to eyeball, with our chests, and breasts, pressed against each other.

“My-uh-my-uh, date?” I almost gasped as she changed focus, one hand on a nipple and the other burrowing under me, between my thighs.

“With Lee?’ she whispered.

“Um, yeah?” I grunted.

We didn’t say anything for a while, both concentrating on not thinking. Her skin felt slippery as I lowered my mouth to her breast while her fingers found something to play with—down there.

After a bit, we both gasped, almost simultaneously. It felt good, and we lay in each other’s arms together for several minutes.

“Uh,” I said to her.

“Uh?” she replied.

“About..?”

“Oh,” she murmured. “Have fun,” she added with a giggle.

“With Lee?” I had to know if she meant that.

“Pete, Petey, Pete,” she whispered. “What we have, who we are, what we do in this world, was never meant to be forever.”

I sighed. “I will love you always,” I promised.

I felt her nod against my back. “And I will you,” she said softly. “Just probably not like this again.”

I cried while she held me. Then we kissed again and fell asleep, still cuddled together.

I woke up to the sound of mum calling ‘come on, it’s time to go!’

It took me a minute…but I sat up in a start. Mum called out again.

In a moment it all came back, the events of the night before, and how I’d been so tired and defeated going to bed I didn’t stop to change, I just laid down and slept. I was still wearing the black satin maids dress, stockings and heels. I could sense the powders and creams on my face and my nails were still perfectly manicured with a generous spread of red gloss polish on each.

Everyone at the table was talking, while carefully leaving me out of it. I was happy about that and grateful. I'd already embarrassed myself enough by not knowing what to say, saying the wrong thing, having my RTS kick in making me look bustier and curvier, and knowing that the Stirling's knew what had happened earlier in the day. I didn't want to make it worse.

Phillip opened the door and immediately was thrusted with a tiny pair of what looked like red bikini bottoms. The rooms furniture had been moved around a small spray tan had been erected in the middle. Alisha stood next to the tent and appeared to be getting the spray tan ready, she smiled and waved him over.

“I am not wearing these” Phillip exclaimed. “These are women’s underwear”

Parker looks out towards the water from the pier he is standing on, thinking about jumping. He was cradling a heavy stone in his arms and standing close to the edge of the dock. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. He could not believe what had been done to him by people he trusted.

His life was now ruined, all thanks to what they did to him. Not only had they recorded what they did to him, but they had posted the footage on all the social media sites and the college site he attended as well. They sent footage of what happened to him to his parents.

Chapter 3

I forced myself to be aloof, to block out the sight of casual murder, and to make sure it wasn’t going to happen to me. Back in our part of the prison, Dirk gave Cloe a hug and a kiss, and then turned to me, to hold me close and deliver a kiss as gentle, but more urgent, than the one that Spike had given me last night.

Bull, who had stayed in the cells to keep guard of our little section, then spoke.