CHAPTER 22
I was staring at a water jug. The bastard was empty, and someone had superglued my lips together with rancid cheese.

1982
Northern California

Troy Patterson stood in the kitchen and watched as his mother's car pull out of the driveway that early August morning. His father was already gone off on a week long fishing trip with his friends. His older brother, and constant tormentor, Vance, was with his mother to go to hang out with friends for the weekend. In the background he could hear the beginnings of another cartoon. Yet, unlike most eleven year old, he wasn't paying attention to the TV anymore. He had been waiting patiently for the house to empty....well maybe not too patiently.

Chapter 3

Fractal lay on the ground watching the sky. It was very blue with large, fluffy white clouds. While it was hot, there was a light breeze keeping it from becoming too hot. In other words, it was a perfect late summer day. In fact, it was the last day before she was to travel to Whateley Academy. Which was why she was here.

Synopsis: After spending a week in the hospital, Dr. Masters gave me a clean bill of health and sent me home. To say that I was happy to finally be going home was an understatement! After mom picked me up, the two of us headed to the salon. Where I had my hair cut, colored and styled. This had been something that I’ve wanted to have done for the longest time.

I, Messalina by Janet Baker

This short story is a vile little postscript to the life of Messalina, Empress of Rome. The story ventures into bestiality and thus the reader is forewarned.

According to Wikkipedia;

Roman sources claim that Messalina used sex to enforce her power and control [over] politicians, that she had a brothel under an assumed name and organised orgies for upper class women, and that she sold her influence to Roman nobles or foreign notables.
Juvenal is also highly critical of her in his Satire VI translation by Peter Green.

CHAPTER 21
It was hot. That sounds really trite, and utterly obvious, but it was almost beyond belief. Almost as soon as we left the air-conditioning, it was as if someone had sprayed me with water in the most embarrassing places possible.

As they left Spaulding said, “You’re going to need more clothes than just what you’re wearing and us shopping for teen girl clothes together would be funny but not particularly effective. Fortunately we have people who do this sort of thing.”

“The government employs personal shoppers?” she asked surprised.