Christmas at Home

In the morning we went down to the dining room and were having breakfast when one of the staff came over and told us that there were a lot of ‘young people’ outside the hotel and wondered if they should call the police.

Lillyn is refocusing her research on the automata of Maynard Mansion.
But, of course, nothing is ever easy for her.
Maybe one or two of her friends can cheer her up.

A Way

Kim finally left the hotel in what was for her, a rather odd mood. She wasn't sure what to do next. For someone who was generally so sure of herself this mood/feeling was becoming far too common to be good for her.

The weather wasn’t playing ball either. A brisk north easterly wind was bringing rain in off the North Sea. It was decidedly chilly and a far cry from the lovely sun of the previous day.

She was glad to get in her car and start the engine to warm up the interior. After a few minutes, she switched it off. Once again, she had no idea what to do next or where to go.

Creatures
Part 2 -- The Conclusion
by Anon Allsop

Chapter 21

It was dark by the time they had loaded both of the corpses into the Suburban, Chet and the dogs left a little while after they had found Stew. Each corpse couldn't have weighed more than thirty pounds. The skin on each was stretched tight like blackened paper, and only their clothes told the men who they once had been.

Quietly, almost reverentially, they drove back to town where the doctor was already waiting for them at his office. Holding the door, he watched as both Stew and Eve were carried in and placed upon separate gurneys.

Hospital about a day or so ago. The girl had developed a nasty case of pneumonia that had gone under the guise of a really nasty common cold for several days, slowly withering away her heat till at last her mother had enough. The woman taking the bull by the horns, barged into Jane's room, and quickly bundled her up in a cocoon of colorful, woolen blankets. She then tossed her into the back of one of the many SUV's that belonged to the house. Once Jane was safely locked away, she then climbed into the drivers side of the SUV and made a light night, bat straight out of hell and ran to St.

Restless Heart

The U.S.S. ACCELERATOR has been accelerating at one gee for 45 days 7 hours, and 13 minutes -- 3.914 * 10⁶ seconds -- since its departure from the Inner Solar System.

CAPTAIN: Lefty! Do we have the latest measurements? How close are we now to the speed of light?

 

Doctor's Orders

"So what's the verdict, Doc?" I asked.

"Well, I don't want to get to technical here, Tom, but you're getting old."

“Rory kidnaps pretty girls and brings them to see the sunset.” He gestured, and I gasped as I got another glimpse of technicolor glory.

A New Direction?

On the Sunday we had a big spread in the papers, photos of both bands and a good review of the show with a special mention of the last four numbers and how different they sounded.

Carla & Julian - Chapter 7

By Julie D Cole

I couldn’t speak I just focused on her eyes hoping for some sort of recognition since I didn’t feel different. She didn’t get angry nor did she burst out laughing. Instead she let go of her suitcase and Rosa stepped forward to stop it toppling over.

Sunny: The Hippie Chick

By Dawn Natelle

Reviewed and Edited by Eric

Chapter 14 – I look at the world, and I notice it's turning While my guitar gently weeps

Sorry for the long delay on this. I’ve had a bad back. It’s better now, and hopefully the next chapter should be within a week: Dawn.

Rudy strolls through life looking for the right opportunities to express herself.

Delicate pattern laid out soft and lovely
Feels so enticing on the fingertips
To feel the garment on the loin would be heaven
But Gehenna bars Entreduex from the skin

Heaven or hell
Tracks cover with snow
Silk or cotton exclusive yet elusive
For these are not for the likes of I

Gehenna Entredeux on wedding lingerie
Entredeux in Dress with crinoline flair
Flowing skirt hugging bodice
Empire waist puffed sleeves
Sweet heart neckline
Tears

Carla & Julian - Chapter 6

By Julie D Cole

Mum arrived just as I finished my chat with Carla. She looked amazing, at least 10 years younger and smiling from ear to ear. She appreciated the complements from both Rosa and I and in Rosas mind she had no doubt that our Asian skin and soft features were a big advantage. She was very envious.

What gives people a sense of pride grows as a person matures and goes from being self-centered to considerate of others.The more considerate a person becomes, the bigger the circle of people becomes who increases that person's pride. How much you like them as a person is not as big of a factor if you take pride for being associated with them. Having pride in those who are close to you comes from people finding out the truth that one does not need to like a person to love them. Lori was about to take pride in her brother for the first time in her life.

She sat alone at a small table in the back of an urban coffeehouse. Jammed up in a corner in front of the bay window sat a pimply youth clutching a mandolin, looking like he would bolt out the door if a mouse squeaked. The place was almost deserted. The three people near the sad excuse for a stage were obviously friends, the one girl probably the girlfriend of the performer.

“He was obviously checking me out. I didn’t smile because if I had, I was sure to start giggling.”

Creatures
by Anon Allsop

Another world, long ago

The macabre creature looked upward into the strange sky, one of its twin suns grew dim causing odd light to be cast upon the land. Tilting its strange triangle-shaped head slightly, it turned then raced back toward its nest to protect a small clutch of sleek and nearly impervious silver mirror-like eggs.

The eggs were nestled within the earthen bowl, each reflecting the face of the alien beast as Christmas ornaments would reflect back a child's face - distorted and bent across its surface. She hovered over them, instinctively using her body as the last bit of protection from what was racing down from above. Slowly she raised her head, just as the meteorite entered the thin atmosphere burning and tumbling toward the ground.

Chapter 3

I had to sit down and catch my breath. I said “That can’t be right; I don’t look girly, do I?” He said that it was not that I looked girly now, it was the fact that some small adjustments to my facial bones, that any competent cosmetic surgeon could do, would give me the look he had drawn.