I entered the bar as I had done many times before. The difference this time was that I was there as Annie. I was in equal parts feeling exhilarated and mightily nervous. There was always a chance that I might have been recognised but I thought those chances were pretty slim. I make for a pretty convincing girl, and when I'm Annie I look miles different from my usual self. My heart was pounding, nevertheless.

CHAPTER 56
I stared at her back, just for a couple of seconds, wondering what she had meant, or if she had meant anything at all. It was a word used freely by both Geeta and Kul, as well as some of our customers, and she might not have meant anything at all by it, caught up as she was in her excitement at the birds and the dolphins.

Leave it for now, Rhodes. I called Vern over, and showed him the cracks in the exposed rock.

Hope's Light

Chapter 6

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Six - Potatoes

“Why does one without need seek passage?”

The grey-cloaked spirit towering over me stood thirty-feet tall. With sandals straddling slowly rocking parallel top decks of a slender felwood boat, the voice boomed out from under a deep and shadowed hood. If the barren expanse behind had any features other than scattered ancient bone, the sound would have echoed mightily - but as things were it simply resounded loudly from above.

And given the message, I’d barely started this undercover investigation and already my cover was blown. Joy.

CHAPTER 55
Friday morning duly arrived, and we made a fine group as we entered the conference suite in the boatyard’s business centre. Maz was in her very best suit, sharp enough to slice whatever you might need paper-thin, Chad was amazingly neat and both Kul and I had done our best to match them. We’d picked up Martin and Trudy from the biodiesel company at the reception, and once inside, we were introduced to three suits from the ferry company, along with another pair I gathered Kul hadn’t been expecting. Just as I was bracing myself for a typical stuffed-shirt meeting, the leading Ferry Suit simply grinned and held out his hand for a shake.

I accepted magic to fight evil and it turned me into a girl, but I don’t think I really mind?

Jennifer Shannon

Chapter 2

Chapter 9

The next few months went by in a rush of business, hospital visits, the odd Weed Run, and life in general. Al and I were regulars on the Weed Runs, with Cate coming along occasionally, with Angelique looking after Jenny.

Pablo and Antonio were good contacts, telling us a lot about life on the island. It was their sales of weed that allowed them to live above subsistence. We discovered that the cigars came from the Party Headquarters, with some going missing before the final delivery.

Author’s Notes: This is another transcript of a conversation between myself (taking the part of Ben) and an AI known as Talkie AI (taking the part of Linda and the Bartender). The basis of every story has been pre-planned by a user (in this case me) and the first line of text is pre-scripted. Everything after that is generated spur of the moment, either by me or the AI.

Since you read this on BCTS you are familiar with my situation.

I wore a skirt to school ONE day to see what would happen. At the time I was known as Toby. Well, it was supposed to be only one day. Things snowballed. Being tagged as a girl. Cheerleading, ballet, standing up to bullies, assigned to the girls’ locker room. Even a boyfriend. Ending up as the popular girl, slayer of bigots, savior of damsels in distress (perhaps not the last). The Prom Queen ruling the school.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

My friends from middle school took advantage of my absence from high school the first days.

This Little Light of Mine
by
Rebecca Anna Coleman

“Ye are the Light of the World. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that in the house. Let your light  shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.” Matthew 5:14 – 16

All Hello’s Night

Harold Benjimin Harrigan was a loner. He had been a loner all his life. At school, he had merged into the background but did well enough to apply for a few good jobs. He wasn’t a handyman but had one redeeming skill that set him apart. It was the inability to become bored with repetition.

He landed a job with the London City Council. It was probably because nobody else was interested in being in charge of the public toilet maintenance, mainly making sure that they were cleaned regularly and ordering the tons of toilet paper.