** Sorry about the absence. I was renovating, got injured and couldn't take the time to rest and recover. Writing was difficult.
Everything should be back on schedule now.

“I look like an idiot,” I said to my reflection and the empty room.

Sometimes, losing isn’t as important as how you lose.

The Norse and Zebrins have been confronted by a local force with an officer who wants to shoot first and not bother asking questions. Eriana and Ursula do their best to pacify him but then another vessel arrives... and another, and another! The first of these newcomers is an unexpected surprise but the occupants are able to answer many questions.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

82 - Gathering at Hamalbek

Chapter 30

The blonde was Sharron and the dark one was Carol. The baby was Tabitha. Once they had stood and gathered their bags of baby necessities, I led them into the clinic where we left the baby with the vet’s wife to look after while I took them though to Jordan’s office.

Does it get easier? Not enough to notice...

By the time I got through changing clothes six or seven times, I was thoroughly sick of the whole thing. Everyone tried to be supportive and encouraging, and Linda was positively enthusiastic, but I ended the “fashum” show by coming out of my room wearing a pair of my old jeans and one of Dad’s polo shirts that had ended up in my laundry somehow.

Donna scowled at me. “Your little alligator is lying on his side. You’re cute even when you’re not trying to be,” she accused.

Linda laughed. “Hey! Cute is what I do!” Which made everyone laugh, even me.

I looked down at two unfamiliar shoes running on a green surface that resembled a carpet made from artificial grass. My hands were gripping an L-shaped piece of sports equipment, and looking to my right, I could see a white ball making its way to my exact position. I crossed over a curved white line on the ground while stopping the plastic ball in its tracks using my stick. A high-pitched voice yelled out behind me, but due to my concentration on the physical activity, I was unable to make out the words.

I entered the pilot quarters, the first door on the left after leaving the bridge. The room was cozy, with dimmed lighting and a comfortable-looking bed. As I stepped inside, the door slid closed behind me, sealing me off from the rest of the ship.

Alternate endings to the Scheherazade/Arabian Nights story. All vignettes, 3-20 lines.

Claire-de-Lune

[the following day after their dinner date]

“Thank you for a lovely evening,” said Claire

The pair had taken a Uber back to her home after a delightful Italian meal where they’d spent a couple of hours talking about classical music and venues and piano skills. For both of them, it had been a nice change from normal life.

“Will you be back tomorrow?”

Curled Up
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

When I retired, I decided that I was going to live a life of leisure. I had made plenty of money and I no longer had any dependents. I just wanted to curl up on the couch and relax.

It was just that my whole life I was driven, and I felt that so long as the driving force was still in me, I could never truly let go and lighten up.

The problem was that I was a man. The problem was between my legs. That simply had to go.

The Ambassador's Wife - update.
By
Angharad.

How I spent my Summer Vacation: I became a Girl!
By
Rebecca Coleman

note to readers: The “How I spent my Summer Vacation: I became a girl!” is an ongoing in-universe serial that appears each Saturday Evening in the “Benton Evening Post” the story focuses on the ongoing struggle of Emil “Emily” Anderson as she strides to adopted to her new life in a small southern town that straddles the hill and the delta. The story chronicles her life as she tries to figure out what direction she wants to take her life.

Beachfront
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Won’t they all see what I see, when I look in the mirror?

Lisa's debut as an aunt goes south at her parent's house, though her siblings cheer her up. Blake and Lisa's coming out party is a big success and motivates Lisa to make a major life decision.

A racist, sexist politician learns how the other half lives after he swaps bodies with a young woman as punishment for a lifetime of wrongdoing.

It is a warm morning as I run through the desert. The sky is orange as the sun starts to rise over the horizon. The terrain was rough, scattered red step like escarpments disrupting the plains. Cacti and rocks scattered across the plains.

I was running out to my favorite rock tower, which is not popular among the tourist sites. I can visit without worrying about seeing another human. I do not know why this rock structure has such interest to me. It is not particularly special, but I feel drawn to this location.