Hope's Light

Chapter 12

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Twelve - Ideals

Sucking air into lungs finding themselves able to expand fully, Nick again pushed a hand against the rack of green produce to stay upright.

“Gimme…gimme a minute.”

“Sure.”

Emotions, fresh and bleeding, spilled one after another across the lines of his face. Not just the tautness of anger and pain - but also the deepest troughs of despair, haunted by what he’d just touched.

A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale 61 The Green Dragon in the Green Dragon

The BEE’s, Bearthwaite Educational Establishment, approach to discipline was an even deeper mystery to outsiders, for poor behaviour was virtually unheard of in a BEE class. The ‘We just leave discipline to pissed off mums, other than that we just make it up as we go, because the kids know very well how they are supposed to behave,’ approach didn’t really seem to be a viable discipline model to outsiders, but it was all that there seemed to be. As far as any could tell there wasn’t even a set of acceptable behaviour protocols or guidelines or an effective chain of command either.

Chapter 8

When I did arrive back at the school, my room was spic and span, and everyone was happy to see me. Of course, I was way behind with the gossip and the activities. While I had been away there had been a complete intake of first year students, and the older ones had left. There were a lot of cards on my bed, all from girls who had visited the sites, with many of them expressing their gratitude with my involvement with them.

Sometimes, you're in the right and you have to say so.

Sometimes – you have to argue! Because they are in the wrong.

Hope's Light

Chapter 11

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Eleven - Stand

I spent a few more minutes, there in the now-empty hall. Tsáyidiel remained quiet, allowing me space to think. While the idea of returning to give Krux the grief he so greatly deserved appealed, the entire quest to find the Apostle no longer felt as urgent.

Oh, I still wanted to know if this demon had information that could lead to my other friends, and also wanted to find out just exactly who he was to be saying things in my name. But from what Cassius had just told me, other priorities had become much more important.

And thus decision became action.

The Alter Ego
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

If I was to tell you my name then you might have heard of me, so I will just tell you that my first name is John, or at least it was. It is a common name and will give nothing away – not that you could ever consider me and him to be the same person. Not anymore.

Rose wakes up the next morning feeling tired. Last night she had gathered some evidence that she needs to show Sasha and hopefully, she’ll be able to read the faded writing on the pieces of wood she bagged and brought back with her. However, right now she needs to open her garage and take care of business.

Synopsis
With Rick (now almost fully Yvette) tucked away nicely, our spotlight shifts to the star of the night: our dear Doctor Valentine.

No More Worlds to Conquer
A Short Story being an Alternative Retelling of History
By Maryanne Peters

It had been an ordinary day up to this point. I was on my lunch break eating a sandwich at a park picnic table. I wouldn’t call the area I was in secluded. You could faintly hear the busy street less than a hundred yards away. To see the street, you would have to crane your neck and look through a bunch of bushes and trees to see it. I usually chose this bench because it was furthest away from the row of restaurants not far from the park entrance. Most people who ate lunch in the park would find somewhere closer to the middle of the park to eat.

Mantra has met indecisively with the rebellion leaders, but Gabriel has some important news for her. He has located the hiding place of the all-powerful Time Gem, one of the Infinity Stones. Mantra goes to capture it, but unfortunately, she is not the only one who wants to get her hands on that source of ultimate power!

“Is that the time?” Elisa started, hearing the chimes of the antique on her mantle. “We're going to be late!” she told Juan as she got up from the couch and turned off the screen with a gesture.

“Wait, wait!” Juan protested with a smile. “You can't just leave me hanging like that, Chica!”

Prologue

Relationships are complicated at the best of times. And in my experience they have been made all the more difficult because of my irresolute compulsion to crossdress. No matter how hard I tried (and, believe me, I TRIED), I could never bury my desires deep enough for them never to resurface. In the end I stopped trying to deny who I was. That was probably the best thing I could do for ME, but it certainly did not help my love life.

Hope's Light

Chapter 7

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Seven - Coffee

The ride through the paved cavern tunnels was short but bumpy as the transport’s suspension had clearly died a squealing death at least ten to twenty firestorms ago. I’d been locked into position in the middle of a squad again, though this time opposite me wasn’t a cranky diminutive devil blowing smoke but rather a sullen swamp-green demon similarly shackled into place whose inner rage boiled and simmered.

As evident by the constant glares of resentment and brewing rebellion he kept shooting across the aisle whenever he thought I wasn’t paying attention. My sympathy meter didn’t move much in response, I was too busy being happy that they’d given me a bright orange prison jumpsuit.

Hey, it would never have won any fashion shows but it certainly beat being naked.

 
This was an idea suggested by Erin -- Ed
 

Chapter 9

The next few months went by in a rush of business, hospital visits, the odd Weed Run, and life in general. Al and I were regulars on the Weed Runs, with Cate coming along occasionally, with Angelique looking after Jenny.

Pablo and Antonio were good contacts, telling us a lot about life on the island. It was their sales of weed that allowed them to live above subsistence. We discovered that the cigars came from the Party Headquarters, with some going missing before the final delivery.

All Hello’s Night

Harold Benjimin Harrigan was a loner. He had been a loner all his life. At school, he had merged into the background but did well enough to apply for a few good jobs. He wasn’t a handyman but had one redeeming skill that set him apart. It was the inability to become bored with repetition.

He landed a job with the London City Council. It was probably because nobody else was interested in being in charge of the public toilet maintenance, mainly making sure that they were cleaned regularly and ordering the tons of toilet paper.

Rear Window is considered to be one of Hitchcock’s best and one of the greatest films of all time. This story borrows heavily from that screenplay but curves off into a new TRANSlation.

Chapter 8

It was dark again when I woke up. Cate had stripped me while I was out to the world and covered me up. I was having dreams about shooting people, only to wake to realise that my dreams were only a reenactment of real life. When I put a gown on and went to the toilet, Cate was there to help me stagger into the kitchen, where she plied me with a fry up.

Making her mission succeed requires Mantra to establish a truce between two warring factions. To do so, she has to negotiate with a woman who was one of the most admired heroines on her Earth. But what can she expect from the vengeful version of that person living in a world as mad as this one?

Chapter 7

Cate was brought home an hour later, after I had put Jenny to bed. I had changed out of my dress and into a nightie and gown. When she walked in, I made sure to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She went off to change and we sat with our wine, talking about anything but what had happened that evening.

Chapter One – The Transvestite, The Burglar and The Policeman

Lilly's house is burgled and incriminating items are taken. Being a closet crossdresser she is concerned that she might be outed. When the burglar confronts her in her own home Lilly is at first shocked but when she realises that the burglar's questionable intentions may be the key to her happiness she surrenders.