A Tense Departure: Raj’s First Day

Raj couldn’t stop fidgeting with the collar of his crisp new uniform as he stepped onto the aircraft. It was his first day as a flight attendant—a day he’d dreamed about since childhood—and yet a knot of tension coiled tightly in his stomach. The weight of the cabin crew badge on his lapel felt heavier than he’d imagined, and he sensed the other flight attendants watching him the moment he boarded.

Arjun had always been proud of his hair. It was thick, dark, and fell in smooth waves well below his back—far longer than most other boys in college. He often left it open, allowing it to flow behind him when he walked. Whenever anyone commented, he would dismiss them with a smirk and continue on his way. He believed that nobody should dictate how he looked.

The first three knew better than to play for money when Zora had a cue stick in her hand, and they’d been kind enough to warn Biggo off before he learned the hard way. Which is to say, the expensive way.

Double
A Short Story (or a Pocket Novel for holiday reading?)
By Maryanne Peters

Chapter 1

“I understand that you may have known Ivan Sergeivich Molonovsky,” said the man they simply knew as Grozny – the man in charge of deployments.

“We were not close, but I remember him,” said Kiril. It was a lie. He had known Ivan well. They trained together because the two of them were the smallest in the whole intake. But the rumor was that Ivan had betrayed the Soviet Union, and it was best to deny any association.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

The group follows the map searching for answers and things only get worse…

This is the last full chapter I had written before I started posting this, so future chapters will likely take a bit longer. However not too long as I have everything lined out already just not the in between moments.

Chapter 12

“Tammy, I love what that magical wreath did to me.” Sara loved her new elven body as she looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror.

“I’m glad you like your new body because I hate what it did to me.” Tammy walks up and stands next to Sara.

The magic from the ancient Christmas wreath they found had changed both. Where Sara was turned into a five-foot-six-inch busty, curvy female elf, she was turned into a female elf who resembled Judy from the Tim Allen Santa Claus movies.

This story has no sex in it.

A group of people wake up in a video game world and are forced to work together to survive and find out how to escape.

The group struggles with what to do next, getting only more questions with each answer.

Chapter 11

“Lyra is gone. I don’t know where she went or… or how to get her back.” I say my voice trembling.