I have no idea what happened at the conference that took place in the very back of the main room on the ground floor. I hadn't been invited to join them, and I had enough sense to know that trying to force my way into a meeting involving weres and vampires was downright stupid.

I spent a fair bit of the evening with Kelly-Lynne, Shaneel and Annalise, plus a few other girls, all of us snuggling close on the sofas.

To be honest, I haven't the faintest idea of what was on the big screen TVs above us, as I was too wrapped up in the conversation taking place.

After my all my disappointments last week, I was sure that it was finally my time.

“I’m sorry, I think you’re a little too short to play Romeo,” the drama teacher told me. “Maybe try out for a different role.”

“I know. I’ll try out for Juliet! I’m sure I’ll make the perfect female love interest.”

The teacher looked at me strangely. “I was thinking something more… appropriate to your talents. Maybe Verona Citizen #1.” I was crushed, but I tried to remain firm. I could always try again next year!

When I came around, I felt strange. At first I couldn’t understand what was happening or for that matter what had happened to me.

I soon realised that my hands were bound behind my back and my legs were tied together. I was lying on something hard and dirty.

Slowly I opened my eyes.

“Ah, you are awake,” spoke a voice from out of the shadows.

I moved my head towards the sound of the voice. A man was sitting on a chair looking at me. From my position on the floor, I didn’t get a good view of him but I knew straight away that it wasn’t the man in the picture that Maxine had showed me… Then I realised that I had no idea how long I’d been unconscious.

This is the story of Daniel, who was encouraged by his dying wife Jamie to find his happiness as Dani, his stillborn twin sister.

This is my first submission to Big Closet, I'm told this type of story may find a more appreciative audience here. Obviously comments are greatly appreciated.

“Ouch!” Erin sticks his finger in his mouth to suck on it.

The custom circuit board he was working on, had shocked him. He was putting the finishing touches on his cosplay armor. He was going as a female Iron Girl. He saw the design on the web by an artist named Bogdanbl4. He was changing up the paint scheme from blue and black, to black and silver. He glances over towards his 3D printer as it prints out the last remaining piece he needed for the armor.

CHAPTER 33
I couldn’t fault Ellen in regard to her sentiments, and that served even more than before to show me how strongly the team held me in its collective arms. Candice had commented on my persona at the beginning: “Don’t touch me!”

May You Live in Interesting Times

Chapter 9

“Are you going to be able to handle everything at Michaelmas yourself,” William asked Abigail. “I have to be in Powick in a few days for the battle, and won’t be back until the quarter-day at the earliest.”

“I should be fine,” Abi said. “We are getting things running smoothly here. What are you doing today?”

The land around the south shore of Lac Leman had been settled by the Celtic Nantuatae tribe including up the upper Rhone river valley to the point it narrows just above Monthey. The rest of the upper Rhone valley had been settled by the Celtic Seduni tribe. The area south of Geneva at the western end of Lac Leman and east of the Rhone was settled by the Celtic Allobroges tribe. All three tribes had been conquered by the Romans during the times of Julius Ceasar and his successors. The tribes were not supplanted by the Romans, and after their initial conquest, stayed on the land in relative peace.

The massive influx of people was too much to absorb on the limited lands of the province Alpes Graiae Et Poeninae, more farmland was needed. With the purchase of the Roman Senatorial Estates, Raben now owned most of the land of the Seduni and the Nantuatae. To expand his land he set out exploring the land to the west of Barmaz and south of Lac Leman, what remained of the Nantuatae an that of the Allobroges. Many of the farms were subsistence level like he had bought in Barmaz. The better farmland was owned by absentee Senatorial landlords. Raben knew he could deal with the subsistence farms as he had done in Barmaz. The tougher deal would be to buy out the Roman Estates.

A Staycation Contest Entry

Max Williams smiled when he saw it was his mom calling. It was always great to talk to her. Since she remarried, she’d never been happier.

“Hey, mom. What’s up?”

“Hi, sweetie. How are you doing?”

“I’m great. When are you coming up to visit again?”

“Honey, Henry and I are passing thru in the night. We’re headed up to New York City for the Spring and then we’re flying over to Greece for a cruise. I was hoping you’d do me a favor.”

“Sure. Just say the word.”

Lindsey, or Lyle to his friends and acquaintances, was recently retired and was celebrating his 61st birthday with lunch with two long term friends. It was a fairly low key lunch at a rustic old café in the nearby mountains with a couple of long term friends. Several others of his childhood friends and their spouses, due to work and other commitments, could not attend but had sent gifts and well wishes with Jack and Bill.

The rather fat guy, formerly muscle when he was in highschool twenty years ago, waved them thru before Melissa could speak.

Derek remembered the good old days. He was the man in highschool. Just after highschool he had gotten busted by the cops for some weed and it ruined his life. He, of course, blamed it entirely on the police. After all he was "the man".

A loud heavy banging sounded on the door, startling me out of the methodical daze I’d fallen into. I jumped at the noise, and a stabbing pain pierced through my hand.