Randy’s wanderings have taken him to the well house near Cindy’s home and the place where she almost drowned. Randy is seriously ill and the girls get Cindy’s father to donate some clothing to Randy. The seriousness of Randy’s illness is very apparent and Stan calls for an ambulance. In the aftermath, Stan discovers that more than likely Randy really was in a war and it was a war that had never happened. Randy has a Purple Heart and the certificate is signed by George W. Bush, President, a man who never was president. The Wizard lurks.

This is a story that I wrote for the BCTS Halloween 2009 TG Terror contest. I didn't finish it in time, but I still wanted to put it up for people to read.

WARNING: This story was written in the gothic style: Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, etc. The language is unwieldy and antiquated on purpose -- if this turns you off on reading it, please still give it a chance, though I should also remind you that the chosen subject matter fits right along with the style, so be prepared.

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The Corpse of Shelley Poe

By Melanie Ezell
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Even though I'm not supposed to be writing, but dealing with the realities of Real Life (as if!), my muse has me firmly gripped by the throat. Therefore I offer a small something for your amusement:

But I made a Promise...

by Penny Lane

A tiny scenario it's possible many of us could wish might have happened to ourselves...

“The fact of the matter is, I am happy here, where I can visit there without having to play games. Here, I am just like everyone else except in the bedroom, and that's my goddamn business.”

Grace had not been listening without reaction. In fact, I think my right thigh will have a star of finely manicured nail welts as a testament to Grace's verbal restraint.

This installment of String of Pearls marks a breaking point in Siobhan's reminiscences. Grace will recall events that led to Chris and Justine's unusual relationship and the impact it had on her own relationship with Shiv in String of Pearls' next installment.
- Eclectic Kitty (EKitty)

Alfred Gontarski had the misfortune to have been born into the wrong body. That’s all been fixed now; however if you are not familiar with how things were corrected, you should go back and read “An Incremental Journey” and “Cynthia and the Reluctant Girlfriend” before you read this little adventure. Now we continue with the adventures of Cindy Lewis, her best friend Bobbie Schmedlap, and Maddy, Cindy’s precocious kitten and familiar.

Randal Mantooth, Randy, has a secret he has never shared with anyone. Don’t we all? Randy, being the good and honorable citizen that he is, joins the US Air Force and is sent to Afghanistan to help support what he feels is an honorable cause. What he experiences there affects him deeply and when he returns to the US, he is suffering from PTSD. Unknown to anyone is the fact he is also seriously ill, and this is contributing greatly to his mental problems. Randy is lost. He suddenly finds that he is in a world similar to, but not the world he grew up in. Then he sees his ‘angels’. Maybe they can help him figure out what’s wrong. Then there is Kinky Friedman. He beat whom to become a US Senator!

Siobhan gathers her friends up for a chat session at their favorite all-night diner/coffee house. Among friends who pledged to hold no secrets from each other, the amount of unknown elements revealed is shocking. Grace lays out a plan that would put distance, literally and on principle, between the four.

At times, this story is not safe for work and truly not acceptable reading for those under 18.

A slightly heavier section of String of Pearls that I hope you'll enjoy.
- Eclectic Kitty

The Half-Lilin Chapter 15 by Shin Eris

Author's Note: The latest chapter of The Half-Lilin. I know it has been so long since the last chapter. No excuses, but I would like to mention that I've edited the previous chapters and two chapters has been extensively modified. I'm talking about the chapter where Ilyse was in Ashmedan and the one where Ilyse was in Tartarus. Anyway, here's a sneak peek of this chapter:

"Well, not really. It was fun, but it's really degrading," I said, suddenly uncertain of what to say, "No... yes... I really hate doing that, Mother. Please don't ask me to do that again."

"Tough. You're stuck with that job for the rest of your long, demonic life. If you decide to kill yourself, I'll just resurrect you. We can do this over and over again, resurrecting you won't even make a tiniest dent on my powers."

"But Mother!" I said, realizing that I sounded a bit like a petulant child.

"Unless..." she looked a thoughtful as she gazed at the red sky. She made a gesture with her fingers and I heard a faraway scream from above.