PART TWO
SADIE/1930s EVENING GOWN

1

Irresistible
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

Perhaps because my staff were always giving me a hard time about my old-fashioned manners and conservative style of dress, I was in favor of a diversity hire. We had two races other than white covered, so when I was looking for a new secretary the office manager put forward a candidate she described as “gender non-conforming”. I thought that it would be to test me, so I had no choice but to go through with an interview.

Chapter 6

“You have been a busy boy. She is, follow me.”

We followed her to the far corner of the churchyard, where there was a long line of small plots. There, we stood in front of the grave of the six-week-old Jacqueline Hubert. I gave one bunch to Maisie, who knelt down and arranged it on the tiny plot. Geraldine had tears running down her ghostly face.

Chapter 11: Lawyer Up

On Saturday, Kelly and Yuqi were having a great time at the pool while their parents tended to some yard work. Suddenly, they noticed three sleek, black SUVs pull up in front of their home. The driver emerged and opened the back doors, revealing three sharply dressed individuals: two Asian women and an Asian man. The man held a beautifully adorned wooden box, while each woman carried a briefcase. Their formal attire and confident demeanor exuded a sense of respect as they approached the front door.

©2025 SammyC

After witnessing a murder. Young Robbie Dunkirk sees his family also murdered. He calls his mothers estranged twin sister. She comes up with a plan to hide Robbie. He becomes his twin sister Sarah.

Chapter 5

I took my phone off the charger and turned on the laptop. I looked up the Tate Modern and rang the number on the screen. When it was answered, I told them my name and that I had found some interesting drawings in the attic of the house I was living in and asked to speak to someone about authenticating them. When the girl asked me who the artist was, I told her that they were abstracts and some of a really beautiful woman, and that they all had PP in the corner. I added that there were notes in Spanish which I couldn’t read.

Max never truly believed that his dream of becoming a magical girl could become a reality - but he never even imagined that becoming the villainess of the magical girls was a possibility! 

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Ever since the first Magical Girls appeared, to fight against the Violet Ooze threat, Max has dreamed of joining their ranks. Not that he’s particularly interested in the girl part - no way! - but the magical bit? The being a hero bit? That’s everything he’s ever wanted in life! So when a Magical Crystal offers him an out from the mundanity of college life, he agrees without a second thought! 

Unfortunately, the Magical Crystal gets attacked by Violet Ooze during the formation of their contract! Instead of a purehearted magical girl, ready to face the forces of evil, Max ends up as the Violet Queen - the new leader of those very same monsters!

Of course, the problems don’t end there! She's got magical girls aiming for her head, powers that are fueled by people lusting after her, and - worst of all - a ‘corrupted’ crystal that insists the true threat to the world is actually the (unwitting) magical girls themselves!

Cover by my lovely friend Lulla.