As we ventured through the bustling streets of New York City, the towering Empire State Building and the iconic Chrysler Building rose above us like giants of glass and steel, their mirrored surfaces reflecting the city's chaotic energy below. The air was filled with a symphony of honking horns, bustling crowds, and distant sirens, bouncing off the towering buildings and creating a cacophony of sounds.

I didn’t see or hear of Johanna once the trial was over, but I never forgot her and how she changed the course of my life.

CHAPTER 27
Work was a bit of a cold shower after the weekend, but Betty had enough pictures on her digital camera to keep our colleagues happy at our first post-work visit to the regular place for drinkies and pisstaking. There were the usual dreadful-but-traditional joking comments about rain and sheep, plus far more serious ones about the shots of the Hiatt’s bunkhouse.

Alya, Ada, Jasmine, Becky, and Clair step out of the house as the dust settles from the reinforcements arriving. She watches as they gather up everyone. Jasmine was using Ada for support as they stood on the damaged porch.

“I can’t believe this porch is still intact.” Becky was standing near Alya.

“It’s made of titanium/steel alloy. The whole frame of the house has been reinforced with it.” Clair remembered when Jack and Nick had the
house reinforced after moving it to this spot.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 52 Political Analysis

Continued on from GOM 51 on a Saturday evening in the Green Dragon Inn taproom

“Christ, Lads, Dave missed his calling as a green grocer he should have been a diplomat. He’d have all the middle east conflicts sorted in minutes. Admittedly, he’d turn the entire spot into one big, f*** off, glassed down, radioactive plain, but the situation would be sorted permanently which would definitely be a result. We need more of that kind of thinking.”

“I recently heard, Alice, that Hell is staffed by vegetarians and the security guards are all vegans, so I’m going to heaven where slaughtermen and butchers like me are well thought of because the angels who run the spot are known to enjoy a deliciously bloody, blue steak, and there are no security guards because none of the residents wish to leave.”

How about another chapter? Please enjoy.

Colonel Decker's response to our report arrived swiftly, outlining the next steps we were to take in light of the situation we had encountered. With his guidance, we formulated a plan to ensure the safety and well-being of the survivors under our care.

"We're to take those in cryo-sleep to the nearest base for further medical treatment and debriefing," I relayed to Mir'tan as we reviewed the Colonel's instructions.

Acidalia XVI
By Amanda D

Quantico Marine base Thursday Sept 7th 8:30 am:

Nathan was never the best with introductions. Starting conversations, getting people’s attention, keeping their interest, it was all very hard. Sometimes he’d just freeze up, not knowing what to say. So when two of his family members were staring him down, right across the doorway, he stood there, silent.

Then he tilted his head, and his father laughed.

“Been a long time since I’ve seen that.” He said. “Love to see you back, son.”

After the encounter at the mall, Genesis, Jesse, and Ramona were extremely paranoid. As they drove, they kept an eye out for any cars or vans that might be following them. They didn't see any, but they were still on edge. If Lucas knew they were heading for Atlanta, then he was probably heading there, too.

It took another two days to reach Atlanta. In the late afternoon of February 1, 2024, Ramona got off the highway and entered Atlanta. "Here we are," she said. "Atlanta."

"Rachel Miller lives in an orphanage, right?" Genesis asked.

Did anybody still remember I used to be a boy?

Meagan's Tail

A new Universe, a New story!

Intermission of our story

Pixie time!

Will our new Pixie now waits for what the Drows will do with her...life or death?

Los Angeles

The Day After

In the hushed embrace of the night, Alex and Princess Helena shared moments of intimacy that transcended the boundaries of their newfound union. With each touch and caress, they explored the depths of passion and desire, surrendering to the ecstasy of their connection. As Princess Helena revealed pleasures known only to a woman, Alex eagerly reciprocated, their bodies intertwining in a dance of love and longing.

Author's note: I got really into this story last week and knocked out three chapters. It was very productive, and I am glad that I was able to really get into the story.

Rule 4: A smile can be the sharpest knife

Rule 5: Silence is louder than any words

This cryptic maxim echoed in Alex's mind as she pondered its meaning. In a world where appearances were everything, and deception lurked behind every smile, she understood the significance of this rule all too well.

Casey wakes up with a killer headache and a sharp pain in the lower part of his back. He felt something sticky on his lips and his face. His eyelids didn’t want to open all the way. He slowly sits up in bed and his head starts spinning.

“Oh, my aching head.” He feels something heavy on his chest and looks down. He had two huge mounds of flesh that were the size of cantaloupes attached to his chest.

“I can’t help thinking, somehow, that everything you just said is horse manure. Why might that be?”

The Ranch:
Alya helps Ada back to the house. She took a bullet to her leg from one of the attackers. Clair was covering them with one of Jack’s custom tri-barrel shotguns. Her shoulder and arm were hurting her every time she fired it.

Becky had picked up one of the guns from the attackers and was rushing towards the house. She still had her sawed-off shotgun, but was out of ammo for it. Her lip was bloody from being suckered punch by one of the attackers. Her jaw was hurting as well.