House of Women
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I was one of three boys growing up on an isolated farm, so my original experience of women was my mother. I knew that she was different because my father always told me so – he told all of us.

“Your mother is a woman, and women are different,” he said. “They need to be looked after by men - like you will grow up to be. They need to be admired and respected. If you are lucky like me, you will end up with a woman who will be the greatest thing you ever possess.”

The end of the Girly Girl Experiment

It's been almost 15 years since I first tried to share my girly side to the world.

And while I can’t say it’s been a total failure, the blunt fact is that it is coming to an end, and overall I accomplished very little that remains.

I tried heels - until my knees said no thank you.

I tried makeup - and only ever looked like a clown - a male clown at that.

Earrings? Couldn’t keep them in my ears, finally the holes closed.

The Owl Estate, Boston, Massachusetts:
Nick looks at the email Nancy sent to him. She informs him about a DOJ agent named Ada Franklin and how she came across an old den map. She had included everything she had gathered about Mrs. Franklin and how recruiting her might be a good idea.

I tried to hold back all of the questions I had for her. The most pressing was why did she stick her neck out for me? She could have lived a life of never having to deal with Megan and her crew but instead she stood up to them. I wished I could have thrown a punch at Shondra

They led me out the suite and through the halls. I couldn't see anything and I couldn't move my hands either. The helplessness finally allowed me to think.

'Oh fuck, they know'

How did they find out? My mind scoured for all possible ways they could have found out what I did. They didn't have any reason to suspect me right?

Saturday morning, before my shower, I put on Eve’s underwear and I was changed into Eve. It took at a maximum four days between changes. I suppose I had to experiment to find out the minimum time between changes. Robert was awake as I came out of the bathroom.

“Eve?” He said. “I thought you would wait to change closer to when Marc was coming by to pick you up?”

“I figured I should get reuse to this body before I saw him. Everything is so big again.”

“You are so lucky.”

“I am?” I wasn’t sure what he was referring to.

A Sister 'til Christmas 1
By Sabrina G. Langton

***

Author's Note: Hope.

The few dozen words in the summary part of the email from ‘Sam’ was enough to turn Sergei’s world upside down a few dozen times.

“I think he sought his bride-to-be; and awaited her return after her day was over. I believe.”

Back At The House:
Jasmine arrives home and carries her backpack upstairs to her bedroom. She saw her grandmother’s pickup in the driveway and noticed that the shotgun was missing from the mounting rack. She grabs her Glock and quietly walks back downstairs. As she entered the kitchen, she noticed two teacups and the shotgun in the kitchen.

A Family Mystery
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

I found this picture in the attic just before Grandma died. She wanted me to bring down some photos of her in her youth, but this one seemed much older. She recognized it immediately.

“That is my grandmother’s brother,” she said. “I know it is hard to believe, but that pretty young thing is a young man.”

I needed to know more. I was deeply fascinated by the image even without hearing about who it was.