Time on My Hands
Chapter 5: 195 CE: Tending to Romans

A few minutes later the centurion led Raben into a two story stone home. The moans of his wife could be heard as soon as they entered. Without hesitating he ran up the stairs and into the room where the moaning woman lay on a bed. The midwife and the healer were ineffectively tending to the woman.

“Have you given her anything?” Raben asked as he moved to the woman’s side and began to gently palpitate her swollen tummy.

“Who are you?” The healer asked indignantly as he tried to maintain control.

“I’m an Ianuarian,” Raben declared. “Now answer my question! What have you given her?”

“Get out,” The healer demanded. “You’re too young to know what to do.”

“The baby is turned,” Raben declared as he glared at the healer. “It’s too late to try to properly realign it. That should have been done when labor began. It will never come out naturally.”

Into The Light (Part 6 of 6)

by Erisian

Chapter Twenty-Two - Power

Saturday and Sunday were a blur. True to her word, Jenna escorted me to each meal plus all the exams they kept throwing at me. In addition to the ones on Friday, they assigned World History, U.S. History (yeah, they made them separate tests), Chemistry (ugh), Biology (double ugh), Physics, Theology, and even Computer Science. Yes, they added a few to the original list Rabbi Kirov had previously rattled off.

By the time I finished the last one I was readily convinced I was an ignorant idiot. Whoever was organizing these damn things was expecting college graduate level knowledge as far as I could tell. And theology, really? Why bother giving me that one? Other than general knowledge from reading the Bible in high school and whatever myths I had enjoyed in my role-playing game years (alright, so at least I had some passing familiarities with a few pantheons), I was fairly lost when it came to the finer questions regarding various sects and their unique interpretations of whatever scriptures their groups had declared to be holy. My exam booklet was entirely blank across vast sections other than a comment I wedged in the middle of a question about Sodom and Gomorrah where I wrote, ‘Angels are real. I met one. She was nice’.

Let’s see them grade that, ha!

The Girl Most Likely To … - Part 62
By Barbara Lynn Terry

Chapter 1 – Debra goes home.

At nine o’clock the next morning, Ms. Joan Wells, the superintendent of the Pine Meadows Home For Adolescent Girls, called all the staff of the main house together. This was an informal conference, so it was held in the dining room. The girls were all in school.

“Mrs. Sanger, this is your meeting. Tell us as best as you can, why the judge discharged Debra on such short notice.”

I've been a bit busy the past couple of days - including dealing with a plumber - so this is a bit short. I just hope it's readable.

The Angel of Chicago

Part Six: Collisions

by

Rodford Edmiston

Melody and Arielle didn't have much time to catch up.

"Unfortunately, Dad wants to see you as soon as you are unpacked."

"Give me five minutes," said Melody, even as she turned and hurried towards the bedroom.

"Five minutes?" said Arielle, laughing. "How unladylike!"

Callie enters her third and final year in College with reservations about continuing in the cyber-warfare activities.

I wrote this over ten years ago. It was essentially finished, but I somehow never considered it ready for posting. Or, at least, it had gone as far as I was inspired to take it. It kinda begs for a sequel, but it's fine as it is.

Much thanks to Terry Volkirch for test reading it way back when. She might even remember the story.

One fine day, Joe wakes up and finds that his whole life has been turned upside-down.

Sunday, June 12, 2022:

I woke again in Butch's loving embrace. For the third time in a row, I was unable to sneak away quietly. He was already awake, watching me as I pretended to sleep.

Into The Light (Part 5 of 6)

by Erisian

Chapter Nineteen - Manifestation

Impenetrable fog surrounds everything, deafening all sound, all sensation; walking yet going nowhere, for within the clouds there is no path.

A distant voice’s call; a response choking upon the barrier of thickening mist threatening to suffocate all…

A Second Chance

By Dawn Natelle

Tears were involved in the writing of this chapter, so you might want to have tissues ready as you read it: Dawn.

SUNDAY, June 5, 2016

CHAPTER 29
We settled down to sorting out more of the shitstorm of paperwork, and I caught Blake looking at me, which destroyed my concentration. I could remember everything from the night before, including the hand-holding, but I was sober now. Let it ride, DC Owens, let it slide, and he’ll do the same. Booze and stress, that’s all it was. Sammy ruined that plan.

“Di? Blake? Could you two do a run up to the greasy before we sort out the charging? I need cholesterol, and I need it now! Couple of dog rolls for me, and I’ll shout for whatever the others want”

I wrote this over ten years ago. It was essentially finished, but I somehow never considered it ready for posting. Or, at least, it had gone as far as I was inspired to take it. It kinda begs for a sequel, but it's fine as it is.

Much thanks to Terry Volkirch for test reading it way back when. She might even remember the story.

One fine day, Joe wakes up and finds that his whole life has been turned upside-down.

Tuesday, April 26, 2022:

Butch and I slept cuddled against each other last night. That's as far as it went. We were tempted to do more, but felt that we just weren't ready.

Into The Light (Part 4 of 6)

by Erisian

Chapter Sixteen - Patterns

A nurse lent me a spare t-shirt she kept on hand ‘for emergencies’. The wreckage of my outfit qualified, and as I really didn’t want to streak across campus I quickly took it and thanked her. Speaking of clothes, Jenna and I both needed to get back to the gym before we could fulfill her ice cream desires. She needed to change out of her gi, and I needed my shoes and socks.

Arriving back at Laird Hall we discovered that Brendan had put my things aside - I think he had been hoping to use my footwear as an excuse to come visit me later. After thanking him, he again reminded me about the movie event at Emerson tomorrow night - but this time Jenna heard and declared that of course we both would attend. Brendan awkwardly affirmed that, sure, she could come too - which made her all kinds of happy.

After changing clothes, Jenna spent our entire walk to the cafeteria teasing me about how she had never seen him have such puppy eyes for anyone before. She thought he was being ‘adorable’.

The more flustered I got, the more she poured it on in an attempt to outdo the rain cascading upon us both. I’m sure my face matched the color of my hair by the time we got to the entrance.