Scarlett was shooting pool down at Big T’s pool hall. She has been coming to Big T’s since she was capable of walking. Her father uses to hustle people for money, while she watched. When the former owner of Big T’s decided to retire, she bought the place.

She used the money she saved up from hustling people like her father. Everyone that came into the pool hall always underestimated her. There were only a few times that she lost, but she won more than she lost.

Love and Decision
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

She lay beside him. It was a Sunday afternoon. He had called her over. He had just enjoyed a lunch with one of his sons and his son’s pregnant wife but seeing them together had reminded him that he needed intimacy. He called and she had agreed to come round to his house.

Shame
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

“Don’t take a photo of me in my underwear!” Michelle glanced over at Paul while she played with her long red hair and suddenly realized what he was doing.

“I could not resist,” he said. “It is the same pose as this photo”. He held it up.

“Give me that!” she snapped. He held it away from her reach. “You really are such a brute. You know how ashamed of that photo I am.” But she was smiling, just a little

“Well that was the idea, wasn’t it? You were supposed to be ashamed.” He put his arms around her.

All Brides Are Virgins, Aren't They?

Arising on a fine Saturday morning to find my love had already claimed the bathroom, I contemplated the day ahead. Vonda had warned me to dress comfortably in something simple and to wear comfortable shoes. She had been shopping with her mother before and knew how to prepare.

Karma
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

People like me get used to casual racism. We learn to just nod and get on with it. Asian people are never threatening, or that seems to be what European people think. Many are small like me with poorly developed muscles and have little facial hair. Sometimes it seems as if Europeans think of us as childlike because of it. Certainly, nobody expects us to react with anger.

“Auntie Stephie!” The tiny voice calls as I enter the dance studio, immediately bringing a smile to my face as she toddles over to me in her pink leotard and dance skirt.

This took two months for me to finish. Imagine being me constantly saying she’s worried about copyright and then going out and doing this. If anyone objects to me posting this please say so in the reviews. Either way, this is my fanfiction Epilogue for “Suhara of Curses”. I hope you will find my interpretation of the ending to this story entertaining but it’s fine if you don’t. I have no idea what Ruexin’s original intentions would be.

UPDATE AUGUST 2024: I split the epilogue into 5 chapters, added 2 new scenes, and switched the placement of two scenes. I also want to mention that most of this epilogue was written when I was a new and inexperienced writer, and that I acknowledge it has a lot of problems, mainly relating to tone. It's too bright and happy compared to the dark ending of the story. But, as of now, with these two new scenes I am satisfied with how the story turned out. And no, nothing from the original version has been cut.

“I’m a T-girl on the prowl”

I was shocked, absolutely shocked to hear that from the absolutely fabulous girl that just had appeared as out of thin air beside me when I was about to sit down at my table in a very classy and expensive restaurant. However, I was even more curious, so I invited her to join me for dinner. She was not only incredibly beautiful and sexy but also one of the funniest and smartest girls I ever had had the pleasure of having dinner with, and believe me I have met many, many beautiful girls.

Spin the record darling
Inside of my mind
And let's just go-go-go
And lose track of time
Here we go, on this crazy ride
Here we go, in this crazy life
And oh-oh
'Cause, cause don't you know?
We're all a little insane sometimes

A Sense Of Relief

"So now we know…" breathed Vonda as she ceased her reading.

"Know what?" asked our unknown observer.

"Just what the Curse was that became known as The Curse of the Feminine Mystique."

"I thought that was a book"

"So it was. Doesn't mean someone couldn't steal the phrase, though."

"I guess…"

CHAPTER 34
It was the first time I had ever flown, and all too obviously the first time I had experienced the other joys of an airport, especially the other passengers. I know that my home is in a prime tourist area, but this was something completely different. Our flight left mid morning, so Mrs Edwards drove us across country well before dawn, leaving us with a hug after ensuring we were properly checked-in and queuing for the security controls, and also leaving us with a collection of people who seemed to have abandoned all taste, if they had ever owned any in the first place.

“Were you glued into this?” I heard Mr. Delgado murmur to me.

Is There A Doctor In The House?

As much as I wanted to watch the roofing crew at work, I was getting concerned about the swelling and itching in my chest. Allergy? Some weird virus? Cancer? It's easy to psych yourself out over something like that, especially when all this other shit was happening.

The Questions

I stood naked beside the bed, still holding my wet towel. What the hell was going on around here?
 

I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a skeptic, but haunted houses were things you found in movies, not in real life. Point one: I was the only one in the place. Counterpoint one: I had left the door open, not to mention the windows.

The Backstory

I'm going to start with a confession: I'm a nutcase.

Don't believe me? Just ask any of my friends and they'll be happy to go into excruciating detail.