Lucas’s makeup skills are challenged, but something very unexpected happens when he puts those skills to work.

Max never truly believed that his dream of becoming a magical girl could become a reality - but he never even imagined that becoming the villainess of the magical girls was a possibility! 

***

Ever since the first Magical Girls appeared, to fight against the Violet Ooze threat, Max has dreamed of joining their ranks. Not that he’s particularly interested in the girl part - no way! - but the magical bit? The being a hero bit? That’s everything he’s ever wanted in life! So when a Magical Crystal offers him an out from the mundanity of college life, he agrees without a second thought! 

Unfortunately, the Magical Crystal gets attacked by Violet Ooze during the formation of their contract! Instead of a purehearted magical girl, ready to face the forces of evil, Max ends up as the Violet Queen - the new leader of those very same monsters!

Of course, the problems don’t end there! She's got magical girls aiming for her head, powers that are fueled by people lusting after her, and - worst of all - a ‘corrupted’ crystal that insists the true threat to the world is actually the (unwitting) magical girls themselves!

Cover by my lovely friend Lulla.

 
It is now the 2nd November. but the shops are already bedecked with all the toys, food and decorations for Christmas. Perhaps time to put pen to paper for the Christmas story. As always, I am not fussed about the story being a formal entry to the contest, but I hope readers will enjoy the story, and it may act as a prompt for other people to join in and make an entry.

The Other Side of Me – Part 33
by Lily Rasputin

After my initial shock of finding myself unceremoniously falling on my butt during cheer practice, I realized that everyone, including Coach, was staring at me with bewilderment. Everybody that didn’t know I was currently leaping back and forth between universes; that is.

“Miller,” Coach said, giving me a look that was part annoyed, part concerned. “You okay?”

The next morning at the breakfast table a freshly grounded Tracie was almost shouting. "If I was a boy, I wouldn't be grounded, and we wouldn't even be having this discussion right now!”

Speaking through his teeth, Tracie's dad spat, "You ARE a boy!"

"No. No, she's not."

It was spoken quietly, almost unheard, but it had a force behind it that shut everyone up.

Corinne looked at her husband, "Face it, honey, she's not a boy and hasn’t been for a long time, if ever, really." He sat back down and put his forehead in his hands, staring at his plate.

The Hitchhiker
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I know that you take your chances when you stand on the highway shoulder with your thumb in the air. It was just that I had no money, and no real place to go. It seemed like the best way out of a home that didn’t care for me was to just walk to the edge of town and stand on the side of the road and make the sign. If somebody woud stop for me I was ready to go as far as they were, and then keep going.

Ed makes an accidental discovery at work that challenges his ideology. Should he go to HR and demand that Carl act appropriately, at least while he’s at work?

Prince Connor sat in his lavish study, a glass of wine in hand, watching a recording of the trial's conclusion on a large screen. His expression shifted from intrigue to irritation as he leaned back in his chair, swirling the wine in his glass. The sight of Alex standing firm alongside Princess Helena, her loyalty unshaken, clearly displeased him.

"Huh," he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the screen, "I hadn't expected Consort Alex to completely abandon her parents like that. She played the part well—loyal, unflinching. It seems going after her family is not going to work."

When Akari returned to Gale Haven Academy, the atmosphere had shifted. Word of the king’s summons had spread quickly, and the students and faculty alike were abuzz with speculation. Her walk through the academy halls was met with hushed whispers and furtive glances, and the once familiar surroundings now felt tense and uncertain.

Chapter 4

We both got out of the pool, and we walked hand in hand, down to the beach. We would stop every so often to kiss and he wanted to fondle my breasts. Eventually, we came up onto the promenade and into a park which gave us some privacy.

Not only was he fondling my breast as we kissed, now he was stroking my groin. Had I been a true girl I would have been ready to have him ravish me. I reminded him that my lower half was out of bounds, but I could make him happy.

"Just--" I raised a finger to get her to stop talking if only for a moment. I couldn't understand what she was saying. Or maybe I didn't want to understand, "What are you telling me?" I asked plainly.

"You have been manipulated ever since you stepped foot in King Richard's court" she replied. "I had tried to warn you but I'll admit I could never have known to what extent"

Chapter 13

“What’s happening?” he asked as we arrived at the comms tent. Stuart and Jen were there along with our remaining guards.

“We’re er, waiting for Laurel,” Stuart said. “She and Nick are on their way. I’m not sure she would have been able to do anything by herself, any more than these, er, people can.”

“This has to do with what you were saying when I left the tent, isn’t it?” I asked one of my former captors. “That heuristic defence thing you were talking about. Care to tell us about it?”

CHAPTER 61
Things did settle down after that fortnight’s busyness, for the simple reason that even the best management magicians can’t come up with a new and revolutionary idea every day. We almost gave up on the sausages idea, for example, because there was no feasible way to fly out a sample pack to the east coast, and by definition anyone renting a van in Perth was likely to be heading over that way, so wouldn’t exactly be in the area for a repeat purchase.

Instead, Chad had a word with Rhona, who was definitely SWMBO in that business, and breakfast packs for their camping sessions started being ordered from a former miner. And Maz bought a helmet.

Chapter 2

Dido sent her team of ‘dips’ off for their summer break in late June. That allowed her to see how being on the ‘right’ side of the law felt.