Chapter 6

Beverly woke to the sound of soft knocking on her bedroom door.

“Who is it?” She called in a somewhat croaky voice.

“Ellie.”

“Ooh, come in girl,” she called through the door.

Ellie entered and smiled knowingly.

“Morning you dirty stop-out. What time did you get back?”

Beverly smirked then stepped towards the bathroom and poured herself a glass of water before returning to answer Ellie’s question.

“’Bout half two-ish I think maybe three. I wasn’t checking my watch.”

“I didn’t hear the car.”

This story is being rewritten.
A new chapter will be published every 2 weeks starting on 19/07/2022.

When I finally reach this chapter again, I'll replace this message.

Astrid, “Mum remember we have the battle later today.”

“Yes dear I have remembered. Gaby and the others are getting ready for their race later so do not go and pester them. Helen I presume you are still monitoring Gaby?”

“I have no real need she is quite well adjusted. Initially she had a few problems, but those have abated now. Her problems where genetic as they are for all males in this family.”

Chapter 17

We were delayed leaving Aunt Julia’s as I wouldn’t leave the house without first removing the nail varnish from my fingernails. Julia found some remover and cotton pads and left me to remove the varnish as she got Emily ready and locked up.

As I removed the varnish from each finger I wondered how Nan was doing. I prayed she would be ok. I loved my Nan. She had always been around for mum and me since I was a baby. I started to well up as I thought of all the good times I had spent with Nan and Granddad.

Jessica smiled for the passengers as they disembarked the plane, stretching their tired muscles after the long flight from Madrid.

“Thank you for flying with Soixante-Trois Airlines,” Jessica gushed in her practised overly-saccharine ‘stewardess’s voice’. “Enjoy your stay in London!”

“I live here, you dumb valley girl,” one of the passengers snorted as he passed Jessica with a backward glance.

Choices, Choices

The exchange was a set-up. My partner, James, and I with backup from a few other teams were to meet with an anonymous informant to learn where the disappearances were taking place, how they were taking place, and why. We had gotten indications that an ancient spirit from the Eastern Asia area, possibly Korea, possibly Japan, possibly some of the islands between. This is why we were called in, because we have been trained to deal with them.

The Waltz

The best friend asked me teach him the waltz for our school's formal winter dance. What happenned later was completely unexpected.

An aging overweight man who plays too much online gaming receives a gift from Freya, the
goddess of love, lust, beauty, sorcery, fertility, gold, war and death.

Freya's Gift

Chapter 23: Family Trip

Friday 14 Aug '15 late afternoon

Back to school day is here. We decided to fly even though we had just barely escaped disaster. We didn’t figure lightning would take a second shot at us, and neither of us wanted to endure the long drive in the Corvette again. I was happy not to have the specter of surgery hanging over my head. My new parts were still tender, but could hardly wait to take them out into the world.

“Mr Charlton, unless you are prepared to tell me your troubles I really see no point in us continuing these sessions. Well?”

I’m Paul Charlton and I’m sitting ‘in the Psychiatrists Chair’. I was here because I'd lost it in a very big way and had a breakdown. That breakdown had led to the end of my marriage and thence to me becoming homeless and virtually penniless. Now three years later I was trying to rebuild my life but one huge thing was getting in the way. That was my secret.

I didn’t reply straight away. That didn’t matter to Dr Yacub Pakker, my Psychiatrist.