Indian Red
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

“So, there is family history?” he said. He was playing with my pubic hair.

“Pay attention,” I scolded him. “I will read you some of the early passages from the journal.” I had the copy with me, beside the bed. The original had become too fragile with age. “Now, remember, this was the Battle of Adobe Walls in November 1864, when my grandmother was only 18, and serving in the New Mexico Volunteer Cavalry, which was really just cowboys and gunslingers under army command.”

Virtuality
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

“I call her Pandora,” said Felix. “Get used to her. This is why I need you. This kind of interaction has to be a two-person thing.”

Jake was used to virtual reality. It was his thing after all. But here he was in their apartment. The only thing different was that he was in another body. When he held his hand up he could see that it was not his hand at all, it was a slender feminine hand, with manicured nails.

CHAPTER 42
Another morning, and another monster hangover. I spent a long while drinking tea and eating simple buttered toast to tray and settle my stomach, and then, after a long round of hugs that seemed to include the entire club, I was off down to the station on the pillion of one of the prospects, who had served his club the hard way the night before by staying sober. I tried to wind him up about that, perhaps seeking to lift my miserable mood by lowering someone else’s, but he just grinned.

“Given what I stand to gain as a full patch, I can bear a few sacrifices. Always another night, isn’t it? Always a party to come”

“This is going to be Sashtun’s first-ever movie, kids. It needs to be something special. Not whatever new movie you’re burning to see. Everyone, what’s the best movie you’ve ever seen?”

Mermaid
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

They had almost reached the radio buoy when Nate called out that there was something in the water, off the starboard bow, maybe 200 metres distant. Skipper Greg Hanson was behind his own exacting schedule and was disinclined to investigate, until Nate called out: “I think it’s a body.”

Hunter’s Supply Warehouse:
Carla had managed to locate another Hunter supply depot. She goes about gathering items to resupply her depot. While she is gathering her supplies and placing special design explosives to destroy everything. She hears a familiar voice coming from the darkness.

“Hello, Carla. It’s good to see you again.” Robert Caron steps out of the shadows towards Carla.

Carla turns around when she hears Robert’s voice. A smile appears on her face behind her helmet.

Lucky girl
There's more than one way to be lucky. Maybe, there's more than one way to be a girl?

The Caution is for a slightly oblique reference to self harm. For American readers a Stanley knife is what you might call a 'box cutter'.

Sayen wakes up the next morning before her alarm clock goes off, which for her is a miracle in itself. She gets out of bed and begins to get dress. Sayen hears her mother getting up and moving around in her bedroom. She looks over toward her big sister’s bed and notice that she didn’t come home last night. Sayen quickly gets dress and heads into the kitchen to make morning breakfast for everyone.

The Surgeon
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I know that I have an affliction. I am, after all, a man of science. A physician. A surgeon, and a good one. I know that my urges are abnormal, even aberrant. But urges, by their very nature, do not allow for control by logic.

My time with Mistress Zara – chapter one.
My first time

“We can sell it as a retirement package,” Carson said. “An eighty-year-old man might think it’s worth the... inconvenience of becoming a woman if he can be forty again.”

Raven was escorted out to the courtroom by the deputy sheriff. She glances over towards Dr. Heath. Memories of what he did to her came back as if it was yesterday. She notices that there were several guards there from the prison and the warden himself.

She places her hand on the bible and raises her hand "I swear by Almighty God that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

“Please sit down, Mrs. Mondragon.” The Judge looks at Raven.

“Yes, ma’am.” Raven sits down in the witness chair.

 

Chapter 38 - Love the Second Time Around

We had hardly had time to do more than exchange a chorus of 'what are you doing here' before a small whirlwind came clomping over with her braids a-flying. She enveloped her father in a enthusiastic hug, and to my surprise I found myself in her embrace a moment later.

"Daddy! I jumped and didn't fall down!"

The Statue
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

The development team had thought they were getting nowhere with Terry Adler. He had signed the non-circumvention agreement like all potential angel investors, and he had received the initial Information Memorandum, but he appeared disinterested at first. He still seemed like the best fit – savvy in software of this type, his own team of developers, past history of punting on good ideas and more money than anybody could dream of.

Antonette's Story A novel by Bronwen Welsh Copyright 2020

Chapter 4   I join two schools

 

Chapter 37 - Trouble in Paradise

Things were a bit lean as we worked to revive and expand the company we now all had an interest in. Julie and I chose to take much of our compensation in stock and other deferred payments, as we were happily living with Sandra and Doug. We all put in long hours and it paid off, two years in the company was profitable, so Julie and I decided to go house hunting.

Neuter
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Part 1

They were well in the air before he noticed the person sitting next to him. The stewardess was responding to a call and the person turned, and he recognized the face immediately. Still he waited for a moment before speaking.

“Excuse me,” you may think that this is rude and way to forward of me, but I think that recognize you. You are Jay Thornley, the neutered guy, sorry, person, aren’t.

“I am them,” they said, without looking up.

“Them?”

 

Chapter 36 - We've Got To Talk

There's not really much to say about our time in grad school except it was all-consuming. What did touch far more on our lives was Sandra's increasing frustration with the male-oriented bullshit of the company she worked for. From her point-of-view, as well as our growing understanding of the business world, the company was missing obvious opportunities and playing turtle while technology and marketing opportunities passed them by. This culminated around our spring break in 1973, when Sandra and Doug uttered that immortal line: "We've got to talk."