“I like being a nagini well enough, just on the physical level, but — well, I don’t know how other people in my country will react.... Even if people are getting used to seeing magical stuff happen, they might stare at me a lot.”

Novel 1 Chapter 12

On the Tuesday Afternoon, as agreed, Ellie left work early to collect her dad and child preparatory to visiting the Speedwell that was docked and currently discharging at the container berth further down the quay from Beverly’s office. Beverly had also left to collect her brood from school and they briefly confirmed the arrangements for meeting back at the ship that evening. Ellie picked Callum up from school as pre-arranged and then collected her dad from their cottage. While Callum was changing out of school uniform Ellie briefed her dad.

“Paddy where is Inga when I need to get dressed?”

In a hospital room, interested parties gather to observe the impending death of a patient. However, events do not proceed as anticipated and further events cause many questions to be asked. Unfortunately, most will never be answered.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

138 - Hiatus

Name Game

They found themselves at the open air Parliament of Tynwald. Alexis was seated upon her throne. “Greetings strangers.”

“Can you tell me how they look?”

“I missed the first bit but there are long pulses and short pulses.”

“Please know that only the worst offenders were reaped,” Petra informed the audience. “Many who supported the blasphemers are still alive. God feels they were tricked, misled and coerced into following those who were reaped. It is God’s sincere hope they repent. If they do not, all peoples should ostracize them and report them to the governments. EVERY government must be prepared to utterly destroy anyone who resorts to terrorism.”

“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.