“I’m not prepared to wait weeks, but I’ll come to your house and cook dinner for six if you like?”

“You look awesome!” the sisters chorused at each other after their initial heartfelt hug.

“Seriously, you do! I see all that stomping through the ‘glades is doing you well huh?” Catherine examined her sister critically, noting the medium tan and the sun bleached hair and most striking, the loss of 30 pounds.

“I wish… I have to do the gym thing mostly. I’m either stuck in a classroom or a meeting or something other than getting to do field work. Price of getting to do the research or so it seems.” Lori grumbled.

Teaching Kelly to ride a horse was not proving easy. Sure, she could sit on the horse but controlling it was another problem entirely. She lacked whatever it was that allowed people to ride horses as we have done for millennia. Still, she tried her best and was able to laugh at her feeble attempts at riding.

Ginger, the gelding that I’d bought her for her birthday sensed this and took off wherever he thought fit as soon as he knew it was her on his back. To give her credit, she did try to control the beast but she could never get the hang of it even if she was on my horse Jake, who was very docile indeed.

 
Chapter 14 - The Secret Spreads

By the time Polly and Sheila reached Rosemary's door, Polly was getting nervous. Very nervous. The day had gone surprisingly well. As one more anonymous girl wandering the aisles of the thrift shops, Polly was taken for just what she wanted to be: a teenage girl. Sheila's comment about people seeing what they wanted to see was very true. But now she was going to meet someone who knew Sheila well, and actually talk to her. If things went as planned she was going to change back to being Pete in this girl's house, there would be no secrets between them.

“You never know where life is going to take you.” my mother always used to say, and she could not have been more correct. My life has turned upside down

By Jasmine Monica

chapter one of three

This is a prequel to the Prophet and replaces the first chapter. I am not sure what to do with it

Not What We Expected by Tiffany B. Quinn Every once in a while whatever little bit of male that was left in me yelled STOP! I had to take time out for my old favorite past times. I did a little wood working in the garage, skied or hiked some of my favorite trails, read a few action novels, and even played my favorite violent video games. I would have liked to go sailing, but winter in Wisconsin is neither the time or place for that activity. One day, while skiing on the local cross country ski trails by myself, an older guy tried getting a bit too friendly. It felt wrong and creepy. I quickly excused myself and got out of there. Tom and Sandra chided me for being out alone like that when I told them about my experience. I quit hiking and skiing without a companion. Since everyone was either working or in school that meant that I only got to go out on weekends if I could talk someone into coming along. It's just not safe for a young girl to be out on her own in today's world. It came home to me that life as a young girl had its serious limitations, whether or not I liked it.

Chapter 10

Initially my own clothes fitted, but that didn’t last as I lost height, narrowed at the waist and acquired enlarged hips and a bosom. Shoes were a problem as my feet seemed to have dropped from a men’s size eight to a ladies’ size four overnight.

 
Chapter 11 - The Summer Job

Since Sheila's family attended the Baptist church near Pete's house, Sunday afternoons at Pete's place soon became a regular practice. Thankfully, both sets of parents enjoyed each other's company and Pete's little sister was becoming interested in boys around the age of Sheila's younger brother.

Chapter 31

Leaving Auntie Heather in the kitchen, I followed mum to her bedroom where she started going through her large wardrobe

"I know they are in here somewhere," she mumbled to herself.

After about 3 minutes of searching as I looked on bored, mum excitedly proclaimed, "Here they are. These will look great on you babe" as she held up a pair of black boots

The boots mum proudly held in the air were what I now know to be ankle boots. They were black leather with a heel that looked about 3 inches high

Catherine came slowly to awareness, so unlike her usual instant wakefulness. It took a moment for her to regain her bearings as she looked around at morning sunlight slanting through slats into a large and well-appointed although decidedly masculine bedroom. The sheets beside her were still warm and she drew in the scent of the man she assumed was responsible for the other delicious smells teasing her nose.

Monday morning, feeling very smart and professional but very nervous, wearing my new skirt, jacket and heels, and with a light daytime makeup I reported for work.

A smile creased her face as she pressed her foot down, feeling the vehicle respond to her request with a restrained eagerness. A quick lane swap and she pulled around a pair of SUVs who seemed to be doing their best to become a rolling 70 mph roadblock, a mere obstacle to be avoided as she squirted past, smoothly accelerating to 90 mph with a blue BMW right on her heels. She pulled aside to let the speedster behind her pass, maintaining her pace until he was almost 1/3 mile in front of her.

How do you explain a day to remember to someone who was taught to forget the fallen? This is the problem that faces Terresa Cole y Nakatoma.

If it had been know, the first sign of doom was the change in the weather that had started in the first half of November. Temperatures had started a rapid and steady downward trend all across the northern hemisphere, no matter how the weather service protested about Global Warming. 

Chapter 7 - The Shopping Test

Cannon Beach is an unabashed tourist town. The City Parents - no sexism here with City Fathers, please - wisely kept the beach open to everyone, building the requisite yuppie condos far back from the shore. Come sunset you can see couples strolling hand in hand or dogs joyfully running flat out, all outlined against the sea and the setting sun. There's usually someone starting a fire from the driftwood with the family clustered close for the warmth.

Since we have many new readers I decided to re-post this story today on Remembrance Sunday that was lost in my story list. It is posted as a tribute to those who served and those who were lost.
My own father went all through North Africa and Italy and survived to come home but a lot of his colleagues were killed. He took his bad memories to his grave.
Jules

‘Lest we Forget’

By JulieDCole