The closer I got to the cave, the shorter my strides got. I tried and failed to reassure myself. I thought for a second that maybe it'd have been better if I was here alone but I quickly pushed that thought away. I wouldn't make it a day here without them. I thought I should be more grateful to them and that they were the experts and if they said this is what I have to do, it probably was. I also thought that I didn't even really look like a girl and that I wasn't even really wearing women's clothes. It was jeans and a tank but only in different cuts.

It was a short walk to the caves but a painful one nontheless. I understood why I had to wear the clothes. I understood that if there were more clothes recovered, they wouldn't have me do this. Maybe if some more clothes wash up, I could go back to wearing mens' clothes but that did nothing to assuage my fears. I just didn't want to feel any less like a man than I already did.

Anger kills pain, pain kills kindness, kindness kills strength and strength kills anger.

Dreaming builds ambition, ambition builds power, power builds pride and pride builds death.

Ancient sayings.

My face burned. Either from heat or pain or something. It was an odd feeling to go with the chest pain and slight shiver in my legs.
It wasn't at all like waking up from sleep. More like waking up from death. Although I wasn't sure how that last one would feel, it seemed more appropriate.
I woke up all at once coughing and for the first few seconds, I was coughing out water. I kept at it even after that threatening to cough out my organs. When I finally calmed down, I looked around. I was on land but I realise I was sitting in water so that explained my slight shiver.

[Authors Note]
There may be some historical bits in this section that some readers may take issue with. No insults were or are intended. I was only trying to illustrate that some people have very long memories and do not forgive the actions of others easily much like the feud between the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s.

This is the day Arnold finally asks his secret crush out!
Or not as he suddenly finds himself chased by strange and crazy men through the city.
Now two questions are burning on his mind: "Why me and what the hell is a Whissie?"

The Girl Most Likely To ... - Part 60
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Chapter 1 - Naomi and Jim patrol separately.

Ruth Watkins was already making breakfast when Naomi came down in her uniform.

"I have french toast and sausage links, Naomi."

"I will have two slices of french toast and two sausage links.”

“Coming right up,” Ruth said, with a smile.

When Naomi was through with her breakfast, she went out to her suv. She picked up her microphone.

"County 300 checking in. I am on my way to pick up my squad."

“10-4 county 300.”

Chapter 3

It was raining. The rain was pouring down on the woods on both sides of the road. It was also pouring down on the road she was following, alongside with the wind, giving her a hard time to make her way up. She could only hope that this was nothing more than the occasional German summer storm that would not last for much longer than one or two hours. Although she assumed it was early afternoon, it seemed like dusk, and the rain being blown into her face made it even more difficult to spot any beings that might be closing in to her.

“The Many Faces of Adira Potter: Chapter 38”
By = Fayanora

Chapter Thirty-eight: I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good

Note 1: Text in 'Italics and British quotes' is Parseltongue.

Note 2: Once more, I apologize for the bits and pieces of canon dialogue/narration here and there. But some canon scenes are just too good to change much.

A Blank Page
Chapter 11
By Flummox

There is no love more powerful then the one of a parent for its children. and there is no greater pain in this world then for a parent to see its children suffering (Legend Of Actit).

Mankind can live without scientists, without priests, without emperors, without philosophers, without warriors and without merchants, but it will never be able to live without mothers (An Ancient Prophet).

When a parent is crying for its children, the whole sky is crying. And when a child forgets its parents, the hell opens its mouth (Legend Of Imhal).

When the Ottoman Empire attacked Constantinople, it was not the fierce cannons made huge holes in the walls, nor the horde of battleships passing through the Golden Horn that spread terror among the last Byzantines, that conquered the city. It was something small, that brought the Turks in: The Byzantines forgot a small door open. The Turks could not believe this... and after a few days of street fights, they conquered the most powerful city in Middle East.

History Of The Turks

Foot of the Long Road

The assassin had finally reached the beginning of the treacherous roadway to the Queen's castle. Weaving though the scattered camps of minions seemed like the hours in an eternity. And then he heard it...the gong! The gates were being closed early! Apparently Her Highness did not care that nearly forty thousand of her troops were going to be trapped outside the walls; and he was to be trapped inside them.