Authors Note: I did not realize I had not published this chapter before publishing chapter 5. I am sorry for any confusion and hope that you will enjoy this chapter.

Slave to Beauty
A vignette from some images found
By Maryanne Peters

I was brought up in a beautiful home. My mother called herself “A Slave to Beauty” as if that could explain everything that she did to me – or perhaps excuse it. It was like saying that she had no choice, but surely that was mine.

The Show Place Arena, Prince George's County, Maryland:
“This song is for all you cowgirls out there.” Angela gives Cassady a head nod.

Her daddy gave her first pony
Then told her to ride
She climbed high in that saddle
Feel I don't know how many times
He taught her a lesson that she learned
Maybe a little too well
Cowgirls don't cry

Motherhood
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

How can I begin to describe the shock of being told by the woman that you love that she is not a woman at all, or at least was not born a woman? To be honest, it is not so hard for me now because I have buried it, but I remember that at the time it hit me hard.

Cassady comes walking back into the hotel room the next morning. She had the heels she wore last night on her date in her hands. She moves quietly around the room she was sharing with her cousin.

She had so much fun last night with the guy she met down at the pool yesterday. She had gone out to eat and dance afterward. Later, they went back to his place, where she rode him all night long. She was a little sore between her legs and could feel some of his cum leaking out of her artificial vagina.

“Did you have fun last night, cousin?” Jessie looks over toward her cousin.

"Trust what your body tells you. Is it centered?”

“You’re heavy. Did it make your bones out of osmium or something?”

FRANKIE

I clicked the top back onto the lipstick and replaced it carefully in the dressing table drawer along with the other make up I’d used. Studying myself in the mirror, I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I felt relaxed - for the first time in a long while. Perhaps for the first time since my sister, two years older than me, had left home to go to college in the US ten weeks ago. I missed her enormously. We were close - much closer than most siblings, but we had our parents to thank for that.

CHAPTER 59
Alys was waiting for us at the Uni, along with both of our mothers, which was a surprise. Mam, my Mam, of course, was straight to the point, as well as to a hands-on inspection of my nose, after a chuckled comment to Alys.

“Put Enfys down, love!”

Outed
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Ned’s big mouth is sometimes useful, and sometimes cringeworthy.

For instance, it was he who was able to talk the conductor into shifting us up the train to one of those special cabins when the soccer team in our carriage started to get rowdy. We had chosen the train over a flight because it was city center to city center and we needed cellphone coverage throughout, but it would get us there late, so the contract signing would need to be short.

What does yourself look like today?

On Furry Friday, I had Jill venn me into a two-headed creature with a sheep-like head and a wolf-like head. After some practice, I tried talking with my usual voice with the sheep head and with a fake Scottish accent with the wolf head; I would recommend the meat dishes with the wolf head and the vegetable dishes and salads with the sheep head.

A group of friends streams their gaming on Wednesday nights. But not all the action is on the dining room table.

Rocky Horror Night
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

It is just the thing everybody does. If you are going to the stage show if it is on, or even a special viewing of the movie, guys go in drag. It was just that in my case I couldn’t pull it off. It didn’t look like drag on me. It just made me look like a girl.

Desdemonia and the rest of the council filed into their respective places around the dais where I sat, holding my tentacular head.

“Seth!” April yelled up at me in Desdemonia’s voice. “I’m so sorry! I had no idea!”

“We need to reverse this!” I said, and everyone held their ears. My voice was rather high-pitched and strident.

“Even if we could, it would just find another way into this reality!” Desdemonia said in April’s voice. “This way, we can at least terminate it upon entry into this realm.”

“And now,” April flourished Desdemonia’s hands, “Comes the moment we’ve all been waiting for.” She beckoned to me.

I took a deep breath. This was it.

If I took that step forward, I could be leaving humanity behind forever, doomed to an eternity, or perhaps, many eternities as another being entirely. Something so completely alien, even aliens from another galaxy would be more familiar. In exchange for what?

I saw the scowling faces of my parents. I was happy they were there. Hopefully, they would make sure there was no funny business.

“God, what day is it?” Cassady sits up rubbing her eyes trying to wake up.

“I think it's Friday.” Jessie turns around to face her cousin.

They had gotten in late from the rodeo they had played at. Instead of staying on their tour bus, Cynthia sprung for a nice hotel room for the group. They were worn out from playing two gigs back-to-back and doing a rodeo several days later.