CHAPTER 30
Tony was in at eleven, and we were still swapping stories about gathering clothing, near misses, school days and all the other items and incidents that scarred us or brought a smile.

CHAPTER 17
All too soon we were back in the UK, and once again I had no problems with entry. My passport went under a little scanner, I was asked to pull my hair back a bit, and that was it. Once my details were sorted, those little dangly details, I would still get a new passport as soon as possible. Mum and Dad collected us at the airport.

CHAPTER 26
I went down the High Street an hour later and called in at Borders, who happened to have a copy of “Conundrum” on their shelves. I had a stroke of luck, too, as they actually had one of Caroline Cossey’s autobiographies in stock, the second one, ”My Story”

CHAPTER 25
Alice wanted to go charging into work, fully frocked, fired with the determination to finally do something with her real life. I told her not to be so daft.

CHAPTER 24
Enid was down late that evening, and to no great surprise from anyone settled herself into the attic. I had to blink at that one. I had been quite a fan of H.P. Lovecraft as a child, and attic rooms normally involved semi-batrachian half-breeds, or amorphous creatures of darkness from beyond….well, mothers-in-law.

CHAPTER 14
It got easier. No surprises there, but the day was getting closer when I would be able to walk properly with Pete. Do you know, I had no idea how tall he really was?

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This is a compilation of a chapter story that I submitted last year. I would like to thank Angela Rasch for her help in editing. She was remarkable and I never would have finished it without her help.

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Halloween - Chapter 1
October 31, 1970

“So what are you boys going to be for Halloween this year?” Mother asked looking directly at me while I was eating breakfast with my brothers.

“Are you asking Steven and Billy or are you asking me, Mom?” I replied.

The first thing Ryan became aware of was that he was aware. It seemed as if he had regained a train of thought and that his brain started working after a long rest. Everything was jumbled though as he tried to piece together what was going on. Something weighed heavy on him, but he couldn't nail it down. In an effort to clarify his thoughts, he tried to structure what had transpired that would give him that stressed feeling. He thought back about school, his girlfriend...his condition!

CHAPTER 7
As soon as the indecent requests and instructions from upstairs had died down, I busied myself noisily in the kitchen, calling loudly out to Pete to ask if he wanted a cup of tea.

CHAPTER 6
Howard looked around the three of us as Abigail sat tight-lipped and furious.

CHAPTER 5
The next morning was remarkably normal, Mother up early to bring us a cup of tea in bed, clearly checking my whereabouts. Pete had slept straight through, without nightmares, and I woke as before with an arm across me and dribble down the back of my neck.

CHAPTER 3
Now, there was a bridge to cross. It would be a necessary one, of course, but it was still daunting. So far, apart from the shock tactics on Sharon and Dave, I hadn’t been out anywhere that might hold people who knew me.