Launuru hated herself for her cowardice as soon as she'd run away, but was too ashamed to go back. It was too late to fix things; she'd gambled her relationship with Verentsu, hoping to turn friendship into love, but now she'd made such a mess that there was probably no way they could go back to being friends.

Elizabeth had almost fallen off her chair with surprise, the first to recover was Brian who looked at James

"OK, explain your logic" said Brian

Fade to Black-3

Chapter 3

The reports take me awhile. It’s why I guess that armies really do run on paper. I didn’t really want to do this stuff but I need to. Mom keeps refilling my coffee and Dad’s still kind of surly; I can really start to see why he hates this, why he never wanted to be part of the life. He actually shot me a sort of sympathetic sort of look and then left after looking at everyone.

Athena/Andrea is sitting with Dorian and are talking is a very foreign language save for the names of people and places that don’t fit the language I mean what ever they’re speaking stuff like “New York” doesn’t seem to translate to. I think he’s getting caught up on current events.

Jem… Chapter 12

Chapter 12

He smiles back at me and says quietly. “You’re here? I know I said we should keep things with us being away from each other but I missed you kiddo.”

“Me too, I was getting worried about you.”

“Angel, I’m a grown man I can take care of myself.”

I look at him smile but raise my eyebrow. He stares then shakes his head. “God you look like your mother when you do that.”

“I do?”

“Yes, you do.”

The idea for this story came from a short, inspirational email that was shared with me a few years ago. I thought the message behind it was quite lovely and wanted to somehow turn it into a story to share with everyone. It took almost two years for a story to develop where I could use it in a way to honor the beauty it was written in. If I knew of the original author, I would like to include them...but as with much that is passed around in cyberspace, they are unknown. All I can do is say, thank you for the inspiration...I only hope my story does justice to your beautiful, and uplifting message.

Another Side of My Life
Chapter 6
by Julie D Cole

I sat on one of the pull down seats and then Laura looked at me and said.
‘Excuse me but are you Jacks girlfriend or are you his boyfriend perhaps?’
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

I was surprised for a moment before replying ‘Sorry, what do you mean?’
Laura looked at me and paused herself.

In another part of the kingdom a woman gets up from a deep sleep. She moves to her writing table, sits down and using the sharp tip of the quill blade pokes her thumb. She then allows 5 drops of her blood to mix with the ink pad which she then grinds for some ink for the quill. Choosing a suitible square cut vellum she draws intricate circles and lines which magically disappear into the vellum. Next she carefully puts runes and letters all over which also disappear into the vellum. Putting aside that vellum she chooses a new vellum and writes a series of letters. When done the extra ink is washed away and the two parchments are rolled one over the other. She then moves to the door and opens it a few inches to hand out the parchment to an asleep page who takes the parchment and moves on his way. Thus done the woman returns to her bed unaware of what just happened.

For all this was done without both the woman, who is actually a priestess, and the page ever opening their eyes once.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Did she hurt you?"

"No," I said out loud. Silently I added, I think I gave as good as I got.

"Good," she said. "I assume you must have read at least a bit of that diary, or else you wouldn't have fought so hard to preserve your classmate's privacy."