“Sorry to disturb your routine but I have been thinking about you all. I need you all to think how you wish to die.”

“Pardon Alexis!”

“You will not die of course, but we need to get you all out of the limelight.”

It was only a few days ago Gaby as queen of Northumbria had decided to re-open the Teeside shipyards and start an underwater archaeological unit. Dr Wendy McCain of this unit stood before Queen with a proposal.

“Yes your majesty it is my dream to raise the Resurgam which went down in Barmouth Bay. Unfortunately I could never get the funding & it is protected now by Welsh heritage.”

“I…” he trails off into silence.

“Ok, I will but I am going to have to meet you kids there and fly back separately as well.”

I can tell he is beginning to retreat inside himself a little so I gently give him a verbal nudge.

“Why?”

Theo answers for him.

“Watch lists. There’s no way he makes it through security in the US. From Canada, no big deal and he can make it there easier than Mexico these days. His only real issue doing it that way is the Canadian border and I know a few places…”

The guards wouldn’t let the Knowing One in to the women’s quarters, though, until he transformed himself into a woman, or maybe put on an illusion of being a woman; I had a suspicion it was the latter, given how fast the change was effected and the way “she” walked.

Jenny turned up,

“I need to ask you some questions Jenny. Do you or did you know two males called John & James Green?”

Two days before New Years Eve, all over the earth, every commercial broadcast was suddenly and simultaneously interrupted. The avenging angel Petra appeared on every TV screen and radio speaking in the language of that station.

“I am Petra, the avenging angel,” Petra declared as she stared at those watching her after five seconds.

“I have been sent by God to put the fear of the Lord into evil doers. This message will repeat every four hours through 8pm Greenwich mean time New Years Eve. No power on earth can prevent my interruption of these broadcasts. I invite you to try to find how I’m simultaneously doing this on every commercial broadcast channel in the language normally used on that broadcast. You will fail.”

After another five second dramatic pause she continued. “I started my mission by confronting pedophiles. So far fifteen have been sent to Hell. When those abusers of childhood innocence attempt to act on their perversion, I will strike them down. The only way they can avoid going to hell is to confess their evilness and accept their earthly punishment. They must then confess their sin before God and beg HER forgiveness. Their eternal fate will depend upon God’s judgement of the sincerity of their repentance. Dealing with pedophiles was simply a warm up for my main task which is to eliminate terrorism.”

“God is furious that HER message of love and peace has been perverted into condoning and supporting hatred and terrorism,” Petra sneered after a ten second pause. “Those who practice or support terrorism will pay for their evil actions. Even worse is the fact there are pastors, imams, mullahs, ayatollahs and others in leadership within their individual faith intentionally misinterpreting the Bible or Koran, perverting the message of God’s love and peace. There will be no forgiveness from God for their betrayal. Because they have led innocent believers astray, they will suffer unspeakable horrors while in eternal damnation in Hell!”

 
 
*Chapter 28*

Spot On

In Dekarran, Garia struggles with her feelings concerning her forthcoming journey. Despite this, she still finds time to discuss the castle's drains, attend Merizel's wedding, visit the King's Tower again and find Eriana a new job. The deliberations of the rulers reaches a successful conclusion and finally, Garia has an entirely unexpected encounter.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

137 - The Empty Road

[2001] Aged 10

Our new Neighbours moved in two days before Christmas. Mother, Father and a 10 year old girl named Jocasta. I thought that was a cool name because she is a superhero from ‘The Avengers’.

Her family were invited round to our place on Christmas Day because the Gas people hadn’t connected up their oven in time. Our families became firm friends from that day onward.

Jenken immediately sent a tendril into the evildoer’s mind and froze the perp’s ability to control his limbs, locking them in place. Then she jumped into the victim, Hannah, to soothe her fears. The innocent child knew the man was about to hurt her and had been praying that God send an angel to rescue her. Thus inspired, Jenken wished she could appear as an angel. It was then she discovered that thanks to being linked to JK2 her telekinetic abilities were much greater than she’d supposed. Without conscious thought she tapped into the power vortex in Moselem Cave. Utilizing the earth’s innate positive power she tapped the myriad mass of individual mind emanations and the earth’s innate quantum power, actually converting the sub-atomic wave particles into real mass. Picturing herself as a powerful female avenging angel she materialized as such in the room Hannah was being held. She was quite muscular but not obscenely so, a very impressive statuesque amazon; wearing a green leather armor tunic over a short sleeved green chain mail dickie and green metal greaves carrying a scroll of justice in one hand with a sword in a scabbard mounted on her back. The joy in the eyes of the child and the abject terror in the eyes of the perp proved she had created the desired image.

This is a story for the new year.
[The first time]

The first time I saw Naomi was a couple of weeks before Christmas. It was late afternoon and I was standing in for our receptionist Mary Blanchard who was having a wisdom tooth removed.

The whole place was a hive of activity getting orders shipped before the posting deadline.

She walked into reception wearing a grey and black herringbone three quarter length coat, black leggings and a pair of black L.K. Bennett ankle boots. Her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders. Her makeup was flawless. Her eyes glistened in the chrismas tree lights.

================================================================================

Mathew’s Secret Desire
Chapter Six

Exactly two days later, Brenda phoned to say she had rescheduled her appointments to make room for her, to have time to see Mathew, at home rather than at the hospital.

Sara asked the obvious question of how much this was going to cost. Brenda surprised her, by saying nothing.

Chapter 8

Callum was playing on his computer when she entered their apartment. He turned nervously as he heard the door knob turn.

“Where they shouting Mummy?”

Ellie nodded.

“Yes darling.”

“What about?

“I learned something shocking tonight darling.”

“Is it bad mummy?”

“Well it doesn’t affect you or me but it’s surprised me. Your granddad had a brother, I had an uncle, and you had a great uncle. He was also a brother to Aunties Rosie and Sandie.”

“You mean Nana Charlotte had another son?”

A Love So Bold
by Anon Allsop

-Sixty Four-

Gideon pulled his wagon to the side of the street, and Charles and Forrest pulled in behind. He set the break and wound the reins around the handle. Turning toward Hannah, he gently reached out and patted her leg. "I know the anticipation is probably killing you." He stood and began to climb out of the seat, "Keep the young-uns here in the wagon; I shouldn't be but a bit."

By the time he had reached the street, he was joined by both Charles and Forrest. Together they walked to the Land Office's doorway where they took their place in line with other new arrivals.

Hannah and the children sat and watched the bustle of the small town as people walked and rode past on horses or in wagons. There was an earthy smell from the street, it had not snowed here but it was still chilly. A few passersby tipped their hats toward Hannah, which made her smile and think, ‘If they only knew’.

 
 
*Part 2*

 
 
“Herr Sebenschuh?”
“Ja, call me Helmut please, Nena yes?”
“Yes, you really are a lifesaver, Helmut, thank you so much for this.”
“Pleased to help, let’s get the food inside.”
Nena followed out to the van where a trio of teenage girls were unstacking boxes in the back of the elderly minibus.
“Girls, this is Nena the Reisemeisterin.”

 
 
*Chapter 27*

Sleepless in Dernau