I became far more discrete about telling people of the changes I planned to make to my body + the new life I hoped to embark on after I kept hearing stuff like: “No matter how much you mutilate your body or try to pretend, you can't change what you are. It's a simple fact of biology!”

And: “Instead of giving in to this sick fantasy you need to get psychological help, and learn to accept
yourself as the person God made you!”

And also: “How can you be a mermaid when there's NO SUCH THING AS MERMAIDS?!!?”

But a mermaid was who I'd always been in my heart + soul, and life as a human girl felt almost as wrong to me as being a male had. And maybe there was no such thing as mermaids, but if all went according to plan in just 48 more hours there would be: ME!

Madness?! Folly?!! Bizarre Body Modification?!!? Perhaps... But for me and for Greg---my wonderful loving mermaid-obsessed fiancee---turning me into a mermaid was absolutely the right thing to do!!

The plague drew Raben out of his avoidance of public life. As an Ianuarian he could not sit by allowing people to die. For the next several years he traveled from outbreak to outbreak treating the ill. Unfortunately the plague was smallpox, a respiratory virus with an incubation period of twelve days and lasting two weeks. Thirty percent of those contracting the disease died, another fifteen to twenty percent, dehydrated or starved to death. Even with Raben’s skills he couldn’t stop or prevent the disease. The best that could be achieved was seeing the ill were nursed which helped save those who would have died by dehydration or starvation. He did recommend the wearing of a cloth mask to cut down on caregivers catching the disease.

May You Live in Interesting Times

Chapter Seven

After dinner, Abigail joined the equally distraught Duchess and Gabrielle for the carriage ride to the prison. They parked outside, and found Joe there waiting.

“I never got in,” the boy said. “They says it cost tuppence to get in ter visit. I done went all around the place. They’s usually a hidy hole or somewhat to sneak in, but couldn’t find one.”

The Superiors: The Gift Chapter 3

Author’s note; This is the conclusion of this little adventure. I hope you all like it. After completing 2 chapters of this story, I suddenly realized I hadn’t shown what E-girl has been up to. And since her story is what got this universe rolling I should correct that ...

At the home of Debra Cain, A.K.A. “E-girl”

Debra: