The Day the World Changed
By Morpheus

I was crouched down in my garage, looking over the dirt bike in front of me. It looked like it was in pretty decent shape but I knew that it had some nasty problems that weren't obvious at first glance. For one, the gas tank had a small crack in it and that wasn't even going into the engine. I'd had a nasty spill on the bike a few weeks ago, and though my helmet and pads had kept me from getting anything worse than a few nasty bruises, my bike hadn't been quite so lucky.

We get more descriptions of the heroes and how they feel about being "Gifted" and descriptions of their powers.

The Girl Most Likely To ...
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Part V - At the hospital.

Gloria and Mandy just made it to the hospital as the paramedics were taking Ruth in to the Emergency Room entrance. They parked in the ER parking lot, and went in and talked to the receptionist. They were told to have a seat, because the doctor may want to talk to them.

They sat down in the small waiting area, you so commonly see in Emergency Rooms. It seemed to take forever, but then a young nurse came out and called for "family" of Ruth Watkins.

Chapter 6

We continued moving downward for almost an hour, eased left onto a flattened area for several hundred yards and then sharply right again, taking us down at a very steep angle.

"There's a creek at the bottom of this drop, just past this line of trees. Slide here any further and you'd probably be taking a dip in the drink." He smiled, showing his white teeth. "Not that I'd mind seeing you take a swim."

I wondered to myself about his comment, whether he wanted me to fall in because he would be amused at seeing me soaking wet. Or was it that he was dwelling on the thought of seeing me wet, forced to have to remove my clothing and allow it to dry, putting me in a compromised position?

One of the final "volunteers" is chosen. Can they all find one another and get used to their new abilities and bodies? Stay tuned folks. It gets bumpy from here.

The chapter deals with Daphne's convalescence and the stay by Shirley and the children for the last week of the Christmas 'hols'.
Dave anbd Blodwen meet an old classmate who proves to be sympathetic to Daphne.
Arfon also appears at the end.

The Welsh Mountain Ram 23.

Briony... Betrayed wife and mother.
Sion... Her eight-year-old son.
Ellairy... Her nine-month--old daughter.
Arfon... Brionys’ abusive and unfaithful husband.
Dave Cadwalloder... Welsh bachelor hill-farmer.
Jenny and Lassie... Daves’ sheepdog bitches.
Laddie... Daves’ sheepdog.

The Girl Most Likely To ...
by Barbara Lynn Terry

Part IV - After the mall.

After the police left with Roger, Renée started crying. Sandi was the first one to notice this.

This was very hard to write. Been there, done that, but nobody ever found out. At least so far as I know!

Mom, Grandma and I went outside to the backyard, and we walked up to the tree. It was quite large, easily 40 feet tall.

“Okay, now what am I supposed to do with it?” I asked.

“Well, the first thing to do would be to strip the leaves off of it, then remove the branches from the main trunk, stacking them carefully over by the garage for a bonfire Friday night.” Mom said.

“How should I do it? Is there some kind of mental tool I need to use?”

Chapter *8.06*

Just Friends

“Well that wasn't a call I want to repeat any time soon.” Dad opined when he returned to the lounge.

Two more newly created heroes make their appearances. Read their backstories

March 30, 2011; 3:00 AM:

“It looks like they’re starting to come to.” came a disembodied voice, as my groggy mind started to clear. I opened my eyes, and tried reaching for my service weapon, only it wasn’t there, and a searing pain shot through my head, sharpest at the two points at the ends of my optic nerves. I fell back... into a bed?

A chapter that describes the friends settling in for a brief holiday at Plas Graig Las.

The Welsh Mountain Ram 22

Briony... Betrayed wife and mother.
Sion... Her eight-year-old son.
Ellairy... Her nine-month--old daughter.
Arfon... Brionys’ abusive and unfaithful husband.
Dave Cadwalloder... Welsh bachelor hill-farmer.
Jenny and Lassie... Daves’ sheepdog bitches.
Laddie... Daves’ sheepdog.
Jessica and Pansy... Daves’ sows.
Angel... Daves’ mare.
Gabriella (Gabby)... Angels’ foal (Gift to Sion.)
Elsbeth... Briony’s sister.
Daphne... Daves’ ‘girlfriend’

CHAPTER 59
That was the start of so much, that lunchtime, and for the rest of the day, and about the next fortnight, I endured the steady flow of colleagues past and into my room under a variety of excuses who wished to see the freak. Nine Days’ Wonder is the phrase, and that was what I felt, and once nine days were up I hoped to be allowed to settle down and get on with it. The next hurdle to present itself was my first control visit.

The Earth has reached a crossroad. Destruction could be immanent. Can a Rookie band of newly created heroes stave off Doomsday? Chapter 1 of a collaborative effort by several Top Shelf writers will begin to explore this dilemma. Introduction of the heroes and their powers will be the first couple of chapters. Writers are: Catherine Linda Michel, Grover, Ariel Strickland, Erin Halfelven, Maggie Finson and Scotty, "Voice Of Reason" Bishop.

The Girl Inside
By Julie D Cole

As I looked into the mirror it gave me quite a fright,
I’m getting old, an aging man and it’s not a pretty sight.
My hair is limp my face is drawn and as I took a look down there,
Where’s it gone, it’s hard to say, with all this body hair.

I stood and stared for ages, not a pretty sight at all,
Reflecting on my life so far, then at a picture on the wall,
A woman in her prime of life, her beauty plain to see,
A picture taken years ago, Mmm was that really me?