Alice was happy for her son but hated the situation after hanging up after Luke’s phone call back home. Luke sounded so happy, but all the reasons for his happiness hurt. Her son loved living in California and Alice was hoping that he would be begging to come back home. Luke wanting to return would make her husband stop the fruitless house hunting they were doing. His happiness for being in with a crowd and having a nickname, was not right to the concerned Mom. Luke was Luke, he should not be going by Eck. This was nothing like how an older brother should act.

Katie Reed’s life was perfect. Scratch that; Katie’s life was just about as near perfect as an 8th grade girl’s life could be. Her dad had a great job, her mom worked on the computer at home, and her sister was in the 12th grade and would be going to a college 200 miles away next year. Katie had a boyfriend who was just about the cutest guy at school. They had been going together several months and he treated her great. All the other girls knew Aldo was Katie’s guy and they should stay clear.

CHAPTER 42
Another morning, and another monster hangover. I spent a long while drinking tea and eating simple buttered toast to tray and settle my stomach, and then, after a long round of hugs that seemed to include the entire club, I was off down to the station on the pillion of one of the prospects, who had served his club the hard way the night before by staying sober. I tried to wind him up about that, perhaps seeking to lift my miserable mood by lowering someone else’s, but he just grinned.

“Given what I stand to gain as a full patch, I can bear a few sacrifices. Always another night, isn’t it? Always a party to come”

The parents of a troublesome teenage son finally had enough and sends him for special training. He gets more than she bargains for.

“This is going to be Sashtun’s first-ever movie, kids. It needs to be something special. Not whatever new movie you’re burning to see. Everyone, what’s the best movie you’ve ever seen?”

Mermaid
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

They had almost reached the radio buoy when Nate called out that there was something in the water, off the starboard bow, maybe 200 metres distant. Skipper Greg Hanson was behind his own exacting schedule and was disinclined to investigate, until Nate called out: “I think it’s a body.”

Here’s another one: Dawn

Stone

Chapter 56 – The Dogfights

Chapter 4

He loitered for half an hour, waiting for me to emerge, but I knew he was there with his emotional signature. I was getting tired anyway, so I pulled a couple of jumpers on, curled into a ball, used my backpack as a pillow and tried to get some sleep. I couldn't really settle down until I felt him leave. Then, despite not feeling that comfortable, I couldn't keep my eyes open and drifted off.

Hunter’s Supply Warehouse:
Carla had managed to locate another Hunter supply depot. She goes about gathering items to resupply her depot. While she is gathering her supplies and placing special design explosives to destroy everything. She hears a familiar voice coming from the darkness.

“Hello, Carla. It’s good to see you again.” Robert Caron steps out of the shadows towards Carla.

Carla turns around when she hears Robert’s voice. A smile appears on her face behind her helmet.

Summer With Em Chapter 41

By Julie D Cole

The Slit
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

“Please sit down, Mr McGann.” Senior consulting urologist, Dr. Lambert Pitt did not lift his eyes from the patient file in front of him. “I am just checking my notes. Now let me see … you came to see me, two months ago, regarding concern that your genitals might be shrinking.”

“That’s right, you told me that there was nothing wrong.”