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.

Chapter 8

I hadn’t noticed the summer dress causing much hindrance to my fighting style, and I had several in a similar style. I put on a different one and packed a short skirt and tee-shirt combo as alternatives. Mum gave a small smile of approval. I mean the hemline wasn’t that much lower, but it did cross that narrow dividing line on the parental scale between cuteness and indecency. The dress had puff sleeves and a ruffled skirt, which I think helped from the cuteness angle.

I was lost in his arms and dazed by the music, which had switched into a more somber piece halfway through our dance. At this point, we weren't even swaying anymore; we just stood there, holding each other.

I had long since closed my eyes and buried my head in his chest. If I listened hard enough, I could just make out the soft beating of his heart-- or was that mine? I couldn't be sure. I couldn't be sure of that, or anything else for that matter.

Part 22

As Chris stepped back outside, the girls on the porch didn’t react in the slightest at first. He had expected something. A fit of giggles, a teasing reminder of one of the many things he had said under duress, etc. It was almost worse when they acted like this was business as usual, save for the casual female references.

“Thank you, Chrissy,” Sadie smiled, “Such a good hostess.”

“She learned from the best,” Amy said. She took a sip of her lemonade, then asked, “No drink for Julia?”

‘Are you getting dressed tonight’ was the question I asked myself

‘Yes, I am ... but I want to try something different. I want to take one more step.’
That was how this happening happened last night.

Chapter 8

It was dark again when I woke up. Cate had stripped me while I was out to the world and covered me up. I was having dreams about shooting people, only to wake to realise that my dreams were only a reenactment of real life. When I put a gown on and went to the toilet, Cate was there to help me stagger into the kitchen, where she plied me with a fry up.

Note: This is not the Halloween story that I had planned. That story will likely be much longer, and being sick all last week killed any time that I had to work on it. I knew I wasn't going to finish it in time for the contest and then this idea hit me this morning and I managed to finish it just in time. I've really gotta stop these last-minute one day rushes for contests.

This is a true story. At least for the first three sentences.

Cole was in heaven as soon as we stepped through the doors. The entrance was brightly illuminated to showcase the attendees' costumes as they walked through. I hadn't even had the chance to properly take in the scene when a cameraman took one look and almost immediately accosted us, ushering us to the side where pictures were being taken.
 
"Okay I guess we're going this way now" I muttered to my friend.
 
"Just go with the flow" he replied.
 

Rose looks at the contacts she downloaded from Ciarán’s cell phone. She knew some of the people on his contact list. She knew the people he had on his contact list were well-connected. Rose wonders if the people Ciarán turned to were connected to anyone on Ciarán’s list.

Planters Moon
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I should have thought about it. Crops that grow above ground and lie upon it, like watermelons or pumpkins grow best if you plant on a planter’s moon - on the waxing moon, the night before the full moon. Above ground they grow. I should never have buried Lionel Palin on that night.

Chapter 6

September, 1918

‘Dear Tamsyn,

The outside world is more amazing and more terrifying than I ever knew. Everywhere I look there are reminders of how small and insignificant I am compared to the horror all around me, and yet my love of you drives me forward.

"I look stupid, don't I?" I asked Alyssa as she took a step back, mascara brush in hand. It would have been more accurate to say that I hoped I looked stupid.

Alyssa chuckled to herself but kept any answers to my question to herself. She was finding the whole thing, especially my delusion quite entertaining. She knew as much as I did that my androgynous face would take to makeup quite well.

Title

The New Girl at Uskweirs Manor

a pastoral romance by Miriam Robern

Strangers on a Hill

Bath, June 1812

The carriage, like everything else that Ashbourne owned, was well-appointed, suffused in rich fabrics, and, at least objectively speaking, very comfortable.  But Amelia perched at the edge of her seat, back teetering stiffly, a torrent of hasty words spilling out of her mouth.

Chapter 7

Cate was brought home an hour later, after I had put Jenny to bed. I had changed out of my dress and into a nightie and gown. When she walked in, I made sure to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She went off to change and we sat with our wine, talking about anything but what had happened that evening.

CHAPTER 53
I actually felt nervous as I opened the front door. This wasn’t like the interplay between Caro and me, as that had largely been on our own turf, at her place or mine, before… I shut that memory down hard. As I closed the door behind us, Kul called from the front room.

“We’re eating off our laps, you two. Tea’s fresh, though, or there’s some cold ones in the fridge, he hinted in an obvious way”

I led the way into the room, to find the family shuffling seats to leave the sofa free.

Being Samantha Masters

an homage-prequel to Being Christina Chase

Law 69, Section 155Y.

Some years after 1984....

How good was it 'before'?

Remember, Remember, there's only bad to remember.