The Woman He Deserves
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I said it to Hannah: “How can she do that? It is like she is tormenting him.”

It was supposed to be a double date, but Tammy had insisted on bringing a friend. A man friend to make five at the table. Then she spent the whole night playing footsie under the table with Rafe (that was his name), while Jack was right there. I could see it, and I was damn sure my date Hannah could see it too.

But Hannah’s response left me cold.

Origins # 3: Captain Canuck

I woke early on Saturday morning, after again struggling to get to sleep the previous night. Too many excited thoughts running though my head, from the experiences of the last few days and the anticipation for the coming evening. I got up much earlier than I would normally have on a Saturday, and very early considering how tired I had felt.

The two fugitives have to be smuggled out of Wadek and the Norse have unusual ideas how to handle this. Once the two vessels depart the crews settle down to the next leg of their voyage, learning more about each other as they do so.

The Voyage of the Visund

A tale of Anmar by Penny Lane

62 - Blood and Subterfuge

It Takes All Sorts

Part One

She was unlike any girl Kyle had ever seen. She was tall, taller than him, anyway, and wore a black leather biker jacket, Doc Martens boots, slicked-down hair and an attitude. Kyle kept sneaking glances at her as the day went on, and wanted to speak to her, but he couldn’t pluck up the courage. As he packed his bag at the end of class, she turned to him.

“What’s your problem?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been staring at me all day.”

“No, I haven’t.”

TFOS: Freddy On The Loose

Part 27

by

Rodford Edmiston

Note: This story uses background and concepts from the Teenagers From Outer Space role-playing game, Copyrighted and Trademarked R. Talsorian Games, Inc. It also uses properties Copyrighted DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures. The original characters and story are Copyright 2022 Rodford Edmiston Smith.

Fall Happenings

Idol

Idol - 1980- Age 11
Fame is an illusion. A lot of secrets to hide

“Mum’s home?” I said in surprise, as Claire pulled onto the driveway.

Seeing my Mum back from work before 7pm at the earliest was unusual. She was a bit of a workaholic, albeit a very successful one. As the divisional CEO of a large segment within a FTSE100 consumer goods business, the financial rewards almost matched how hard she worked. My Dad, before he died, had been the Group CFO of the same business, him and my mother having met each other at work many years ago.

“However, back to the matter at hand. Nowadays, the matter of male and female is considered by the open minded to be a very broad multi dimensional continuum, a multi dimensional spectrum if you like, rather than two points at the opposite ends of a single dimensional line. However, the question I would love to have answered is at what point, and why, does a person of one apparent gender or perhaps that’s better expressed as one apparent identity, wherever they are on that multi dimensional spectrum, make the decision that they are in the wrong body, or indeed that they are in the right one? I’m asking what is the trigger mechanism that brings about that magical transformation? I know the matter is much more complicated than that, but you have to start somewhere. I am sure I’m not the only one who would like to know. I also suspect the matter to be deep, very, very deep.

This is an extract from A Grumpy Old Man’s Tale Ch. 36 Changes Ancient and Modern that is not yet ready for posting, but I considered it to be capable of standing alone as a solo tale perhaps of interest to those who have no interest in the GOM tales.

Jennifer did her best to talk to me during the nearly three-hour journey from Shropshire to York. I wasn't in the mood to talk. My rumbling stomach soon alerted her to one of the reasons why I was fairly uncooperative. She took pity on me after an hour or so and we stopped for a late breakfast which made me feel a good deal better, but not enough to engage in anything other than a casual conversation with her. I wanted to know more about why she and her colleagues thought that I could be useful in their investigations.