Home safely at last and now a trip to the Butterfly Glade with Penny to meet a special friend...

*Before…

We pass through the gates and they down close...arrows from above rain down only aiding our fighters and us, those they stepped off to save and buy time watch as the four of them cut every last Goblin and Warg sent after us.
Every last one.
I’m crying because… because they did this, because somehow they did it and they won and hurt or not I’m falling to get out of the wagon and running to meet them.
“Hawk! Nicole!”
I jump and land and hit Jessa who hugs and she holds us both up and Nicole.
Nicole has just gotten past the gate and she’s turned her Squire’sknight around and she raises her hand and I hear her yell. “Close the gates, close them all!”
Jessa and I limp to beside her and look at where she’s looking and it’s down the hill at the remains of the town and while we were fighting the Wargs and their Goblin riders the Hobgoblins rode their troops back down to where they had their encampment.
And there’s a line of troops marching with the riders and we can see the heavy shapes of huge forms in the distance.
We just stand there watching them coming in as the Keep’s doors and gate close and come down.
We slowly turn and the place is full, people have evacuated to here as best as they could and all around our ragged band of fighters and rangers are scared people, the old, the frail, the young.
I say it without even thinking about it. “Light and The Gods, We can’t fail here.”

*And Now…

I stir myself awake, and look around for a clock. They pulled the chip with my watch in it, so there are no little numbers on my wrist. I check anyway, like I’ve been doing for months.

There’s one on a table. I’ve been asleep for almost ten hours. Good for you, Eleven. A third of the day, just like they recommend. I sleep too much on the ship.

I lounge in the sheets for awhile. They’re very good quality. I think this is because this bed used to belong downstairs, and who wants to stay in a whorehouse with cheap sheets?

"I'll keelhaul any man who scratches the paint work." Commander Charlotte Broughton, somewhere in the
South Pacific

Having completed her operation in England, Charlotte and Will return to their island in the South Pacific. There is a rush to familiarise themselves with the progress made in their absence, make new friends and renew old acquaintances.
Whilst Charlotte is doing this, she makes her first of a chain of discoveries, a hoard of laundered currency and packages of uncut heroin!
Then a trip to the scientific laboratories on the south side of Charlotte Island leads to the second discovery; over twelve thousand miles away from where they should be, evidence of an early settlement is discovered with Anglo Celtic Iron Age roundhouses, altar stones and jewellery dating back to a time before the first Roman invasion of Britain!
Shortly after this and whilst on her honeymoon with Will, Charlotte finds a letter written by the settlers who built their original house and two or three days later a hidden casket with more connections to the past!
But there are other discoveries to come. Is there a touch of magic involved? Charlotte becomes suspicious that this might be connected to her meeting in Berkshire with Penelopeia, ancient wife of Odysseus, the Greek hero of Troy and are the water sprite Undine and Goddess Artemis figments of her imagination, the early signs of a mental breakdown or visitors from another dimension?
Perhaps it is a reaction to the events of the past eight months, shipwrecked, marooned, her sexuality confused? Then a battle for her life on the high seas and the biggest shock of all; discovering that all her life she had been intersexed, a male and female sharing the same brain and body and all of this followed by the recent string of astonishing discoveries. Is that too much to ask of a person with XXY chromosomes?

After our next exercise class, we were all hanging around at Orange Julius, having our smoothies, and Melissa, one of the girls in the class, said, “I’ve been thinking. We should all do a dress-up lunch. Is everyone free next Monday? We could go to Café Americain, I’ve heard their food is really great.”

Tina said, “I’ve been wanting to try that place too! I’m in.”

Julie said, “Me too! I got this really cute peach dress I’ve been looking for an excuse to wear.”

I stand for a long time in front of Paint. They must do a lot of business, they have a fancy sign that changes color and font. This is what you want. Go in there.

I don’t move.

Go in there, Eleven!

I move. Put my hand on the door handle. Open it. Step inside.

The smell in here is overwhelming. A hundred different kinds of perfume. There are vials on the wall. Lotions, soap, scrubby things, all in pastel.

I have entered the Temple of Woman.

The Lucky Charm

Chapter 12: Natural Selection

Last Time:

Freya said to Darla and mom, "We were talking before the game about the girls' future. We're from Eugene, for the Career
Fair the school held today. It's a pleasure to meet you ladies." First to mom, "Magdelien," Then to Darla, "Darlene, my name
is Freya Lawrence Blake, and this is my family. Well, most of it."

And Now:

“Ruby”

Ambassador of Femininity – Chapter 3

(Sorry for the delay. This one is shorter but next is coming up soon.)

Fifteen years after beginning work for Fashionable, Inc, Michelle has become a successful associate at the company. She just received a promotion, however. She is in love with the power of the cryx. Its song has kept questions that should have come to the surface from being there. What does Fashionable Inc actually sell? What is going on in this sinister company? She will likely learn more in the years to come.

The Lucky Charm

Chapter 10: Let the Games Begin Part 1

Last Time:

I got ready for bed, and then lay down, pulling the sheets up under my chin, wondering if I should call Sammy and talk some
more, but decided that would seem too clingy. So I decided to text her.

Vincent was working late on night, filling paperwork out. His coworker came in his office and sat down. Renee was attractive and flirtatious and she knew she was good looking, which in Vincent's opinion was why she was such trouble. He consciously didn't want to give her too much attention and kept his head down while she was there, trying not to be rude though.

Ambassador of Femininity – Chapter 2