Chapter 7

We had just walked in, and I was admiring the wonderful stained-glass windows. Randall was looking around.

“I used to come here with my parents as a youngster, before we moved to Bury. It hasn’t changed a bit.”

We jumped when there was a voice behind us.

“It hasn’t changed much since the thirteenth century, young Randall Chivers. Long time since you’ve been in here.”

Randall turned and shook the mans’ hand.

Chapter Four – The Other Vessels

The night following Aphrosia’s revelation was not a night at all. Yet as midnight approached, a sense of unreality settled over the world—an uncanny pause before something immense. People stepped outside, drawn by a pressure in the air, a hush that made even city traffic seem to hold its breath. It was as if the earth itself knew change had arrived.

Chapter 5

When we went off for lunch, we both needed to buy a frame, Chris having seen a picture of herself at the desk when I was away. We had lunch at the café and then into The Rusty Trunk antique store, where Chris went to some boxes at the back. We each found a nice frame that didn’t cost a lot.

Chapter 4

When I made it down to breakfast, the mood was positive. I had passed the first hurdle or six and was still on track. When I arrived at the station, I organised my afternoon and evening shows, with two piles of notes. I had another meeting with the boss, a short one, and had a chat with Anita, who had come in to sort out her afternoon spot.

The Green-Eyed Maid Inn

“Nonsense,” Karen spoke up as she approached us now, having photographed me at least half a dozen times from different angles beforehand. “Anyone can be trained how to stand, walk, smile, pout, but a natural team player is worth double her weight in gold.”

Chapter 3

When we arrived at the main gate, I had to show my station lanyard with my picture on. I was signed in and given another lanyard with ‘visitor’ on it in big red letters. From there, we did the tour. The first stop, after passing a big hotel, was the Exchange.

Chapter Three – The Shock of Divinity

Across the world, screens flickered with the image of a woman standing among sun-bleached ruins while rose-colored light poured from her hands. Viewers froze, breathless, as awe and terror rippled through living rooms and public squares alike. The feed had begun as a tourist’s shaky livestream from Greece; within minutes, it was mirrored on every major network, rebroadcast by anchors who could barely keep their voices steady, some whispering as if afraid to disturb the sacred.

The Package
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

The problem was that my whole family knew Bobby really well, which made it hard to introduce Bobbi to them. They all knew that Bobby was a joker and the life and soul of every party, and true to form, that is where the idea came from. All I had to do was to play along and take the photos.

Anything Goes

‘In Olden days a glimpse of stocking,
Was looked on as something shocking,
Now heaven knows,
Anything goes.’

I faded out the song and introduced the show.

“Good evening, good people. This is Karol Nowak with the hour of show power. Lay back in those comfy hospital beds and sing along, but not too loudly, you may upset the nurses.”

Looking at the oldest Ordnance Survey maps, initially it’s Gleann an Loch Dubh, The Valley of the Black Lake. It is reasonable to assume that the lake was named for its’ colour, being fed by numerous streams emanating from the surrounding peatland. In the next series of maps, it has been shortened to Gleann Dubh, thus the Valley of the Black Lake had become, simply, the Black Valley. This was subsequently anglicised to Glandoo. The locals knew it either as the Black Valley or Glandoo.

Matty Caff Comics are created by me. Each comic is a stand alone mini story. I only use AI to create the image I imagine first. 95% of making the comic is manual. The comics range from complete fantasy to absolutely true stories from my past.

Comment if you like them, would like me to create your ideas, or even constructive criticism. But I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of comments after over 490 posted comics.

Ethan Martin and his mother live a simple life in a small Southern town... with a twist: She makes dresses to pay the bills and he helps out as best he can.
 

Matty Caff Comics are created by me. Each comic is a stand alone mini story. I only use AI to create the image I imagine first. 95% of making the comic is manual. The comics range from complete fantasy to absolutely true stories from my past.

Comment if you like them, would like me to create your ideas, or even constructive criticism. But I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of comments after over 470 posted comics.

Chapter 10

When we arrived home, I let the dogs in and then got Margaret out of the car and into the house. She was aware enough to get herself undressed, ready for bed, and cleansed. I pulled her bedclothes back so that she could get in. There was snoring before I put the light out. It could have been Boobs, though.

Cover art by Erin Halfelven
©2026 SammyC

Chapter 9

The band got towards the end of a song, and I stood, taking a sip of my wine. Dad looked at me with question in his eyes, which was answered when the tune finished, and Tiger went to the microphone.

Matty Caff Comics are created by me. Each comic is a stand alone mini story. I only use AI to create the image I imagine first. 95% of making the comic is manual. The comics range from complete fantasy to absolutely true stories from my past.

Comment if you like them, would like me to create your ideas, or even constructive criticism. But I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of comments after over 470 posted comics.

Chapter 8

On Tuesday morning, we weren’t going out anywhere, so we stayed in our gowns and made sure the house was clean before showering and dressing. I moved the Defender, turning it around, now easy with no chicken coop, and then backed it up to make space for visitors.

Cover art by Erin Halfelven
©2026 SammyC

Chapter 6

I must have been exhausted from the day, as I slept well until I woke needing a pee. It took me a while to get out of bed, as the nightie had become twisted around my legs, but I managed to get into the bathroom without exploding. I sat on the seat in an automatic movement, even though I wasn’t wearing the special pants. Margaret came in from the other door as I was finishing.