A little something to hold people while I complete the next Masks story. This is set in the same world as "The Master of Cuts" and "In the Hollow of the Devil's Hand."

Dog and Butterfly

by

Rodford Edmiston

She was dealing with another of the old man's challenges. She was to go covert, on her own, in strange territory, staying hidden for a full twenty-four hours. That meant avoiding all contact, leaving no trace. Which meant not feeding.

He'd left Calli on the outskirts of a New Orleans subdivision, less than two hours before dawn.

Olmund woke up clawing at his throat and for that brief moment after he felt the knife sticking out of his neck, his eyes widened in fear.

Elara remained kneeling over him as she watched the blood drip down his neck staining the expensive fur beneath. There was a hint of disbelief in his eyes as though he couldn't understand why she'd done it.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Author's Note: Real life has again raised its head, so I will only be posting one chapter a week, unless Real Life goes back to sleep.

Jamie

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Wulfric emptied his mind focusing only on the horse's trotting and the sound its hooves made when they hit the dirt. The rhythmic sounds provided much-needed solace and distraction from thoughts about the sour end to his time with Thurstan.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

"So you quit the internship," said Reginald.

"Yes, I did," said Genesis. She was sitting at the dinner table with her dad Reginald, stepmom Paulette, and stepsister Ramona, having just told them about what had happened with Lucas at Pride Laboratories.

"You know, most people don't quit jobs or internships without putting in a 2-week notice," said Reginald. "That would be the professional thing to do."

"I know," said Genesis. "But now that Lucas Jacobson has shown his true colors..."

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

New York Airport, Private Hangar:
Jacques had been contacted by Jack and raced down to the airport to prep the plane for takeoff. As he is preparing the plane for takeoff, an old-fashioned light tan Ford Bronco pulls into the hangar. A woman with blonde hair exits from the Bronco.

A smile appears on Jacques’s face as he recognizes the woman as being Jester. After the last few months of training. Jacques knew she was going to hate how they were going to approach where they were going. He waves to Jester as he continues preparing for takeoff.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

Charles is now at Jane's Winsome Girls' School for Wayward Boys. He has volunteered to become one of Jane's girls to help Jane not only clear his name but to help Francis. He has a lot to learn about being a girl in a short amount of time, as Toby Camber is arriving at the school in a weeks time. Something else occurs that Charles wasn't expecting, he learns something else about himself while being Charlotte.

How did I get here? I was lying in an alleyway, weak, cold, taking my final labored breaths with my killer standing over me. He was watching me with that blank stare, his mouth stained red with my blood.

Even as I lay there unable to move, I remember feeling angry, so very angry. It's funny what stays with you in those last moments. For most it's fear, for a lucky few it's acceptance and serenity. For me, it was rage.

I replayed the events in my head thinking if there was anything I could have done differently to avoid the sad, pathetic state I was currently in.