The unseasonably cold wind from the north offered little protection for people like me, who lived on the streets despite it being well into spring. Two blocks away from me, there was a hostel that at least offered a warm shower and some hot food but it didn't open until 6 pm. That was hours away and I’d already been warned off from two places where I’d tried to shelter from the wind.

Changing Roles
By Julie Dawn Cole
Chapter 16

I nervously headed to the door for the ladies restroom and two middle age women were just coming out as I reached to push the door. They were chattering and luckily they never acknowledged me as I stepped aside to let them pass. So typical these days since manners seem to have gone out of the window.

I discovered my true self in the Mississippi Delta, a region known for its coffee colored soil, known to grow any crop known to man, known mostly for the growing of cotton and a style of music called 'The Blues'. Yes here in this flat region, I found my true self and I've never been the same. Now the chief source of income for many in the delta is farming, the crop of choice is cotton.

A week after the opening social was when school started. Mr. Ryan signed both Lanie and Rachel up for Eastside High School, much to Lanie's delight. Conner had said he'd be going there, so she was looking forward to potentially seeing him again.

The night before the first day of school, Mr. Ryan came up to Lanie's and Rachel's room with a surprise. "Hello, ladies," he said. "Guess what I've got for you?"

"What?" Lanie asked.

Mr. Ryan reached into his bag and pulled out two brand-new, unopened Samsung Galaxy phones. "We got new phones for you," he said.

A Coy Pond and a Couple of Trees Part 1
By Sabrina G. Langton

***

Author's Note: Hi, welcome to my epic story about a CD who's backyard transforms almost as much as 'she' does. It will be in four snack size bites. It starts out a little sketchy but ends up quite romantc including lotsa sex 'n drama, I hope YOU Like it.

***

Monday

The girlfriend was almost gone. Six whole days by myself. All alone to pose and take pictures in front of my mirrors.

***

There was nothing in the whole of Faidyre that could have prepared me for the following morning. In my life I had undertaken difficult tasks, from military training, to the art of swordsmanship, but it was, perhaps, that I had never labored as the common man, or woman.

My problem didn't seem to have a medical solution that I knew of.

We were sitting around the table that night, eating a casserole that Abby had cooked. She actually had a lot of culinary experience for someone her age, having had to look after Nicole when Daniel had to work late. She had been working on it when we arrived and it had now been brought to a point where we could eat it. I had set the table and we were all waiting on Abby to move the dish containing the casserole over to the table. Abby placed the casserole dish in the middle of the table.

"Emma, can you serve us?" Abby asked.

Once. A long time ago. Ages past, so far past that there is no longer a history for it the agents of Gaia and the agents of Civilization did battle. In the first great cities of the world did the peoples of Humanity seek refuge as peoples of godlike power walked among them. Hoping against hope that they would survive the cataclysms.

ANOTHER QUICK NOTE: Thanks to Heather Rose Brown for responding to my dilemma with organizing this story's chapters, and helping point me in the right direction. Thanks to erin as well, for helping me with the technical stuff that allowed me to access the "Outline" tool for my stories and organizers. Your help is greatly appreciated.

***

Lanie, Rachel, and Jenny rode the train for the rest of the day until it started to get dark out. The train kept going for a little while until it came to a train yard at the edge of a city.

If it had been cold in the High Lady’s office chambers, it was a level just above damnation here. The room was fairly dark with a concrete floor and stone walls laden with two glow-lamps on each. Their light barely pierced the veil of darkness in front of me, and for the most part they revealed only wet stone that preceded the sound of dripping caused by Sheena’s efforts to ‘cleanse’ me. She stood there just at the edge of the darkness in the company of another servant girl named Kayla.

Summoned: An Accidental Adventure –

Chapter 06

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Nicholas~

              “Nmmneeeiiioooiii-klkkll-hisss.”

              “No.  Damnit.  Not that.”  A pause then.  “N-ee-ko-el-ah-ss.  Neek-oh-las.”

              “Nniieeiiklackchkless.”

Chapter Six

As soon as they got to the car and Frankie buckled him in, she kissed him soundly on the lips. “You know I love you and would never have anything to do with my mother’s scheming.”

It was cold in the High Lady Jenwise’s office, perhaps colder than it should have been. I stood there a good distance away from her desk while she chatted with some dignitary that I didn’t recognize. To the left and right, two guards, each in a pressed blue uniform, each with a rifle slung over their shoulders. Their faces were expressionless but I knew that they were watching me, even as I stood there in my tattered prison uniform and barely passable footwraps.