Preteen or Intermediate

A True Christmas Miracle

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December 2021 Christmas Holidays Story Contest Entry


A True Christmas Miracle

by Jennifer Sue

The backstory is the author’s autobiography. Most names and places have been changed.

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During the years after WWII the Raven family, while in many ways typical for the era, was anything but normal. The backstory began in the early spring of 1944. Then 20 year old Chuck Raven’s unit had just completed paratrooper training, allowing him to come home on leave before shipping out to Britain. Lorraine Rees, a stubborn and feisty 17 year old high school junior, had been forbidden to go out with a grown man. After arguing and sent to her bedroom, she locked her door and climbed from her bedroom window to the front porch roof, then eased over the edge to shimmy down a porch column to go out with him. Lorraine dropped out of school at the start of her senior year, giving birth to a son, Leroy, in January 1945. Since Chuck had been sent to Europe, a shotgun wedding had been impossible. Chuck’s parents lived on a farm a mile outside the town of Grantsport, 8 2/3 miles north of Reading, where Lorraine lived. When the weather turned warmer in the spring, she’d bundle her baby and walk the mile long dirt road out to the farm so the infant could meet his grandparents, 2 uncles, and a great grandmother.

SG: Ch 3 Aunt Jessica

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The Secret Gift
By Teek
© 2021

Chapter 3
Aunt Jessica

Summary: Suzy and Jilly go to spend the night at Aunt Jessica's house. As Suzy adjusts to more people knowing about her, Cousin Mary must get used to the new reality. A side trip back to Grandma's to visit with Mom, reveals Mom's view on the transition.

SG: Ch 1 The Gift

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The Secret Gift
By Teek
© 2021

Chapter 01
The Gift

Summary: Lewis gets a great collection of gifts for Christmas that any 12-year old boy would love, but until he gets his secret gift, true happiness is unknown.

The Camel.

This story is a parallel theme to the my previous Christmas story that missed the deadline for an earlier Christmas holiday competition. It is something of a partner story to 'The Lamb' and follows the good fortune of a young effeminate cameleer living in Arabia. It is worth reading 'The Lamb' before reading this offering but even so, 'The Camel is a 'stand-alone' story in it's own right.
The theme may not please some fundamentalist bible punchers, but do I care? Not a jot!

Happy reading,

Beverly xx

Scald-Crow 2: Chapter 7 - Sweat It Out

Last Concert

Please note that this story is not tagged “Advanced Bru readers”.

I knew it was a big mistake to go on stage again after I had stopped touring when Covid-19 struck. The last two years had been the best of my life and I had absolutely no wish to resume my stage career as Daisy Sweetheart, the soppy singer/songwriter. Especially since it was obvious that this concert would be a disaster. I hesitated before going onstage but my manager gave me a shove and I walked out there. If only I hadn’t swiped that book from my sister five years earlier.

The beautiful maid of Juandale Manor.

Warning:Most of this story takes place in Louisiana during 1963 . there is some language so be warned.
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It's dark outside the old Antebellum home situated on a hill overlooking the Lousiana Coast line.

Debriefings 25

Debriefings 25

Debriefings
by
Anam Chara

Along life’s journey we each encounter those events where all that we know, all that we do, and all that we are may change. But even as we approach such events, we don’t always notice their markers until we look behind us and see them for what they were.

One boy is about to learn that he has already passed such an event, and nothing will ever be quite the same…

Meeting Mamma

“Hi mamma, daddy and I were finally able to come and see you again. Daddy went to talk with some of his old buddies and felt I needed to be alone to talk to you. Oh...we brought you some fresh flowers, the ones we left the first time have died and wilted. There, mamma, that looks better with those fresh flowers.

Chapter 15 - Goodbye

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

CAUTION - cousin incest (non-sexual)
CAUTION - severe emotional pain/open emotional wounds

--

Christmas came with all the happiness, love, and family it's supposed to have. Faith had called off the move, but that was to be short lived. As the long winter wore on, Heather decided that, for Erica's own good, she needed to move into the guest room and make it her own. She offered to let the girl chose her own decor, but Erica sadly accepted the room as it was.

Tiffany Starts her modeling career

Steve Hardman was a billionaire at just age 35. He made his fortune in the cryptocurrency craze of the early 21st century. He's also 6 foot 3 inches of lean muscle, always keeping himself in great shape. He generally splits his time between NYC where his 60th floor penthouse has a commanding view of Central Park, and the rest of the year is spent at his mansion in Marin County, California. He's a lifelong bachelor and has had no long term girlfriend. And to be honest, he prefers it that way. He prefers the playboy lifestyle and he can easily afford it.

Chapter 14 - Lost Faith

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

CAUTION - emotional pain/open emotional wounds

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Sitting in the library, Erica stared out the window as the snow fell all around the house. She knew she needed to get back to her studies, but her mind just wouldn't settle. Her thoughts drifted as freely as the snowflakes that fell past the large window, taking her from one memory of the last few months to the next. Finally shaking her head to make herself focus, she re-read her essay on early New Hampshire history. Reviewing her notes, she finished the closing and set the papers aside, glad that her work was done before Christmas break.

The Girls' Changing Room - Chapter 18 - Epilogue

Chapter 18 – Epilogue
by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2021
Hogwarts thumbnail.png And here’s the last chapter. Whether or not I write another with Lori, I haven’t decided. As I may already have mentioned, I’ve found it really hard writing in someone else’s world. Besides, I want to get some of my own stuff out there. I have a few of my old stories up on Amazon:
Lifeswap
Tales of All Hallows Eve
With one other, “Flip”, due to go up later this week. Once I’ve worked my way through the intricacies, I’ll make them available as print copies too.
I also have an all-new story with the working title of “Glitch” or maybe “Fzzzt” which will be going up on Amazon sometime hopefully before Christmas.
In the meantime, thanks to those of you who’ve stayed with me to this point. I hope you’ve enjoyed the story, and please remember to tip your writer (by which I mean comments or private messages. This is a derivative work and is posted free for your pleasure.)

The Girls' Changing Room - Chapter 17 - Redefining Normal

Chapter 17 – Redefining normal
by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2021
Hogwarts thumbnail.png I planned to post this earlier, but I came down with some sort of food poisoning or irritable bowel thing and my body insisted I sleep most of the day. Feeling better now, but the last posting – the epilogue – needs a bit of work. I hope to get it done today, but it’ll be late

Chapter 13 - Friends and Enemies

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

CAUTION - emotional pain/open emotional wounds

--

Lost in the sorrow of her memories, Erica didn't even notice the boy who stood in front of her.

The Girls' Changing Room - Chapter 16 - The New Normal

Chapter 16 – The new normal
by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2021
Hogwarts thumbnail.png Apologies for the delay, but I ended up rewriting a lot of this. It’s about 5000 words longer than the original, but I think it works better.

Chapter 12 - Halloween

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

CAUTION - emotional pain/open emotional wounds

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Sitting at the vanity in her room, Erica watched the mirror while her aunt finished braiding her hair into two pigtails that came down the side of her head. The costume had been dropped off the day before and fit perfectly. With the shoes, dress, red braided pigtails, and a picnic basket with a small stuffed Cairn Terrier sticking up out of one side, she was the perfect image of Dorothy Gale. Watching her aunt tying off the blue ribbons at the end of her pigtails, she smiled at the reflection, still happy to see her young mother reflected back at her, even through her costume.

Zizzie’s Zex Spectrum Shift.

Zizzie had been born in a body that indicated being a himm. Her medical advisors were of the opinion that as she went through fecundity, a second stage puberty that all the Kemainne folk experienced at about sixteen years of age, her body and face would become those of a femm. Zizzie was of the opinion they were just telling her what they thought she wished to hear and they didn’t really know what would happen.

Chapter 11 - Out and Around

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

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Enjoying the ride in her aunt Heather's limousine, Erica was finally much more comfortable in her fantasy. Now fully immersed in being Erica Hargrave, she relished the view out the window, watching the countryside blanketed in snow glide by them. After a while she realized they'd been driving for far longer than the trip back to her aunt's home.

The Girls' Changing Room - Chapter 15 - And Into the Flames

Chapter 15 – And into the flames
by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2021
Hogwarts thumbnail.png There was quite a lot that didn’t read quite right in this chapter. I’ve fixed most of it, but may want to come back to it at some time. Please let me know if anything feels ‘off’ – even a little.

Educating Special Boys in the Feminist Republic: Chapter 10 - Scout Camp

Kaylie's computer hack is discovered and we learn the consequences. After the science intensive Kaylie is ready to join Hillary at Girl Scout camp.

<--BREAK-->

Pamela, Patricia, and Kaylie stood nervously as their automatic fire-control software continued to aim and hit the elusive digital target. Finally the computer security cadre told them they could shut down their program.

Chapter 10 - Transformation

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

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Sitting in the back of her aunt's limousine, Heather across from her and Faith next to her, Erica's nerves were on edge knowing she was going to meet someone who knew her father... and her from her old life before she was reborn in the body of her son. The butterflies were gone, replaced with raging wildcats clamoring around inside her stomach.

Janegirl Camp Map

Janegirl Camp Map
Copyright 2021 by Heather Rose Brown

This is a map I created for my story, Janegirl Camp. It shows most of the major structures there. I may add more to this map later, as the story progresses, but I think this map, for the most part, is complete. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to add a comment to this post, or send me a private message.

Chapter 9 - Winter Wonderland

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

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Erica stepped out onto the front porch again, this time fully decked out in dress, tights, bloomers, coat, scarf, hat, mittens, boots, and a burning desire to run out into the front yard, plow through the knee-deep snow, and bury herself in it. Carefully making her way down the front steps, Faith by her side, she still couldn't help but giggle at the sense of wonder she felt experiencing her first snowfall.

The Girls' Changing Room - Chapter 14 - Out Of the Frying Pan

Chapter 14 – Out of the frying pan
by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2021
Hogwarts thumbnail.png I rewrote the end of the conversation between Lori and Neville in chapter 12. I’d already rewritten the encounter with McGonagall where she mentioned evidence of a house elf from outside Hogwarts being involved, but I didn’t do the same for the Longbottom conversation and it didn’t fit quite right.

Diane's ballet costume - part 2

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When Danny’s mom give him the green velvet and blue bottom ballerina costume, he wanted to jump through the ceiling. After trying it on, he was in heaven. It was soft, pretty and hid his boy parts. All he could think of was dancing like the other girls and being with them on the dance floor.

Diane's first ballet costume

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Danny always remembered when his sisters went to ballet class. They were so excited, they said, getting to dance all the steps and being able to wear such pretty costumes. But it was also hard work, and they practiced every day, hoping to star in the recitals. And Danny loved to watch them, fascinated by the moves and also loving the ballet costumes, which were so pretty. Plus, the tights were gorgeous.

Chapter 8 - Painful Memories

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

CAUTION - emotional pain/open emotional wounds

Clarification: The entire first part of this chapter is a traumatic flashback.

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Erica bounded into the living room, gay as a lark. It was just before six o'clock and she knew April would be home from school by now. "Aunt Heather? It's almost six. I know it will be time for dinner soon, but before dinner, can I call my friend April and let her know I'm OK?"

Daniel Becomes Dana - Part 3

Dana's life changed from that wonderful last moment, in ways he/she never realized. On his 13th birthday, with Mom and Dad away, Dora took control, requiring Daniel to take double doses of her birth control pills, the ones she had been stockpiling rather than using. But to Daniel, these were just vitamins, he never saw the package.

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Chapter 7 - A New Morning

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

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Erica awoke slowly, stretching her body and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Next to her, Faith lay sleeping. The room had an odd quality to it as she unwrapped herself from Faith's warm clinginess. Sitting up, she dropped her feet into the slippers that Faith had given her the night before. Crossing the floor toward the window in her borrowed nightgown, she'd finally noticed that the howling wind had subsided leaving an eerie silence to sit over the house. She'd become so accustomed to the howl of the storm, its absence left a void in the perceptions of her surroundings. Peaking out the window, Erica saw something she'd never seen before. Awestruck, she stood in wonderment at the beauty of the sight before her.

Chapter 6 - Whodunit?

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

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Stepping through the door to the right of the old grandfather clock in the living room, Erica walked into the library. Its dark interior illuminated only by the little light that managed to seep its way past the heavy curtains that covered the room's single massive window, she followed her aunt to the right; rows of bookshelves jutting out from the wall opposite the door.

Chapter 5 - Visions of Erica Hargrave

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

CAUTION - emotional pain/open emotional wounds

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Rinsing off the body wash as he remembered the happy exchange that now nearly brought him to tears, Eric's heart ached to see his best friend even though he knew he likely never would again. Draining the tub, he pulled in one of Faith's towels and dried. Stepping out, he pulled the towel around him tightly to ward off the bitter cold seeping in from the outside.

Chapter 4 - Cut Off

Link: Lost Faith Title Page and Description

CAUTION - emotional pain/open emotional wounds

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Awaking slowly in a dark room, his mind was groggy and dull. The satin pillow and distinctive sweet smell that screamed 'girl' told him he wasn't in his room at the Stone's house. That room still stank of teenage boy from its occupant before he'd taken it. Unable to remember where he was, he had a vague notion of going to sleep in someone else's bed and there being a storm. He reasoned that he must have sneaked into April's bedroom last night like he'd done a few times after his mother's hospitalization when he'd been especially scared. April would soothe away his fears and he would sleep on her floor, returning to his own room in the early morning. That's when he remembered he was in a bed and noticed he wasn't sleeping alone.

The Girls' Changing Room - Chapter 11 - Randolph's Tale

Girls’ Changing Room – Chapter 11 – Randolph's tale
by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2021
Hogwarts thumbnail.png This bit would either be two shortish chapters or one long one. Since it’s the weekend, I thought I might as well keep it as one long one.
Anyway, introducing Randolph the Rash.

The Girls' Changing Room - Chapter 10 - Into the Forest

Girls’ Changing Room – Chapter 10 – Into the forest
by Maeryn Lamonte – Copyright © 2021
Hogwarts thumbnail.png I’m aiming to post twice this weekend, so keep an eye out for another chapter on Sunday

In the Darkness is the Light: Chapter 8

Of Gods and Monsters

“This time I saw another Adaption. It was a grown man, he was kinda handsome if a bit short, but he turned out really cute. Though he freaked out so much that I felt bad he had been transformed, he wasn’t at all like the younger girl. I am starting to think not everyone who was chosen to be an Umbra Girl, wanted to be one.”

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