I was making a fresh start. My marriage had ended the year before and I felt uncomfortable in the old family home where we had raised our daughter and I had noticed how old friends were less inclined to call now I was on my own. I was becoming isolated. When my employers had offered me early retirement I almost shouted yes before they had finished the sentence.

Genetic Gender Experiment

The humid air clung to Elias like a second shirt as he pushed through
the tangled undergrowth. Shanda, his girlfriend, was just ahead, her
laughter a melody in the symphony of cicadas. They were on a secluded
resort vacation, and a poorly marked trail had beckoned them deeper into
the jungle than they'd intended.

Chapter 12

David and C.J. left, leaving the six of us. I asked Cecil if he could give it a simple edit and gave him my email address, then got Jeff and Eric to give him their email addresses. I asked the sound man to keep quiet about what he had just seen.

“Don’t you worry, Julia. I could stand in the street and shout that their favourite country copper is really an actor who could rival Olivier, and nobody would believe me.”

They packed up the gear, leaving the four of us. I looked at Jim, who was smiling broadly.

“What’s so funny, Jim?”