A night at the opera for Grace and Helen and Francesca. And, as is appropriate, and traditional, and altogether in keeping with the reverence for the eternal verities that has so marked the telling of this tale, the end is signalled when the fat lady sings..

Not that anyone would ever call that epitome of svelte elegance, Grace de Messembry, fat! Even if she were surely no-one would dare? No I speak metaphorically only of course..

So no more secrets as we, you and I dear reader, eavesdrop from our privileged position in the back of the Royal Box at Covent Garden on the three guiding lights of the Venumar Foundation. The plain unvarnished, well relatively so, truth that no-one except you and I ........... .

But hush .... Listen .... Look .... The auditorium is stilled in expectancy. The baton raised, twice tapped, raised again. Poised .... Ssshhhhh ....

Tyra talks to Ketrick and discovers that he has plans for her. A unfortunate meeting brings the urges. How not to sell slaves. Tyra fights back. A encounter in the Institute brings her hope. A close call in the western market. Rani's inspiration provides a needed clue. The final test at the slave club brings out her deepest needs -- will it be salvation or disaster?

Tyra meets her former love-slave and makes a decision. Frightened at her changes, and appalled at her sister's plans for her, Tyra forms a daring strategy to stay free at the cost of part of herself. Tyra's changes become complete, and she discovers what a being a sister means. Still, can a woman with the slave gene ever truly adjust to the world around her?

Zhor is a planet where the mysterious Overlords rule, where men and women live for centuries and are permitted to be themselves. There, a young warrior's love and dreams are shattered when he wakes up one morning as a serum girl, a beautiful woman with the DNA of one of Zhor's finest slaves. Her old life destroyed, she must not only fight to hold onto her identity as she is forced to make a new life as a woman, but also to keep her freedom, not easy when her body insists that she would be happiest branded and collared.

The family attends cousin Melissa's wedding. Joan receives an exciting new job offer. The whole family somehow becomes involved in the decision making process.

It was a simple plan, one that would get Princess Kerialla out of something she really didn't want to do, and give her handmaiden a chance to experience what it was like to be Princess. What could possibly go wrong?

        Chris now realized that it was going to take more than just a casual effort to resurrect Christina Chase. It had been foolish to think he could just throw on some old clothes and hop on a bus. It was going to take planned and determined effort. He was going to work on being Christina every day until the end result was flawless. He decided on a few steps early on. First, he was going on a diet. Chris had always been tall and thin, but he wasn't going to take any chances. From now on, it was salad for lunch. Secondly, he was going to change his workouts. He hadn't spent much time exercising, but after his experience in Oak Grove, he'd tried some weight lifting. That was over. He was switching to aerobics or Yoga.

Jacob’s Heart

A story by Allie Elle

It’s about time I got to the heart of the matter to explain about Jacob and his father and some of the reasons why the man is such a pain in the backside. For this I am going to use an old technique and a bit of a mouldy one (giggles)

Part 3

When Jacob woke the following morning he looked around the strange bedroom and remembered the day before. He was still suffering from the blow to his head and he groaned as he also remembered what he had said to the adults.

At Least It Could Have Been Worse

by shalimar

When this started, it was late August 2005 and I was Barry Nardella, a stockbroker living alone on Long Island, NY in my co-op bachelor pad. I was making tons of money, but not satisfied with my life.

Acidalia VIII
By Amanda D

Thursday June 29 8:18pm Reynolds Quarantine Medical Center:

“What’s his condition doctor?” Colonel Jordon asked as he looked at the unconscious form of Major Brady through the four inch thick glass of the quarantine cell.

“I suppose, Colonel that would depend on your point of view.” Dr Stanly answered with what sounded like a small amount of amusement in her voice.

“Madam, I have neither the time for games, nor for a glib attitude.”

        Chris' transition back to his old life hadn't been easy. After only a week in Oak Grove, he'd become accustomed to a slower, more relaxed way of life. Though he didn't know many people in the small town, it hadn't taken him long to recognize the familiar cast of characters on Main Street. His days had been filled with the company of his family or the friendly human interaction of working in the grocery store.

Joan has a run in with an old "friend." Just for a moment, she begins to wonder whether or not the twins are hers.

Deep Cover

Prologue

Harkness Holdings had just posted another astounding quarterly earnings statement that left Wall Street analysts breathless with excitement. The chattering financial commentators were agog. Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal were all touting the quarter-by-quarter meteoric rise of Beauregard “Beau” Chadsworth, Harkness’ CEO, and his team who’d taken the moribund company and pushed it to the heights of Wall Street stardom. Harkness’ share prices reflected the unbounded confidence of investors big and small. From the get-rich-quick types to the most cautious investors, Harness was what they all wanted.

Beau Chadsworth was the darling of the talk show hosts who outdid one another in their fawning praise. In the post-Enron scandal era, Harkness was basking in its squeaky clean image. And Chadsworth, for his part was all becoming modesty. He was quick to point to the success and support of his team, Jack Levin the COO and Bridget O’Leary the CFO and their subordinates. Then there was the Chadsworth Foundation, already being talked about in the same breath as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, so recently bolstered by the largess of Warren Buffett.

All was golden in the second and third quarters of 2006. Or so it seemed.

Does everybody make the same one?

Happy Birthday, Jocelyn

 © Nick B May 2007

Alex's rejection of Sharon, her friends and her controlling ways, led him to meet Jocelyn, a girl from his school, who invites his alter ego to a birthday party, but Alex has no idea how he can get to go...

Thanks Kris, you came through yet again.

Disclaimer:
Any similarity to persons living or dead would shock the hell out of me. I think parents can sometimes surprise you. Mine? Well that's another story altogether...

Synopsis: a young Marilyn Monroe impersonator auditions for the role of Sugar Cane in a remake of Some Like It Hot. "If I'm a star, then the people made me a star."

Like a Candle in the Wind
by Laurie S. aka l.satori

Part 3

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Before a performance on the Civic Holiday weekend, the first Monday in August, Heather handed me a tabloid newspaper. On the front cover was a picture of Marilyn Monroe.

"You've made the big time," Heather said with a smile. "You're on the front page of the Star Enquirer."

A health crisis sends Sam to the hospital. A frantic Joan attempts to make sense of it all.

        Christina lay in bed on her side with her arm around a pillow. She hadn't checked what time it was, but judging by the sunlight, she expected it was past noon. Her mind was so seized with despair and worry that she'd slept only a few fitful hours since Andrei and left her at her bedroom door last night. Her hand was numb from clutching her gear necklace. She'd been holding it so tightly and for so long that the teeth had cut grooves into her palm.

Chapters 6 through 8.

Now that Miriam knows the truth, can he better cope with what's happening? Or is a breakdown unavoidable?
Some questions are answered, while some new ones are asked... oh, yeah, and barbecue!