Horizons of the Heart

By Melange
Copyright© 2013-2014 Melange
All Rights Reserved.

Synopsis

Jaden and her friends revisit the town of their first adventure, Carrick Field, and then continue the chase across the Olman countryside. Upon arriving in Tarad, the border town where Oleander grew up, they hatch a cunning plan to make a suspect man talk.

Flashback: Before braving the Outside world, Alisan spent her youth training her voice to become one of the best singers in Ral Sona.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I must caution readers that this particular chapter in the story may be offensive to some. It includes scenes that many would consider abusive in nature. To be honest, they are, but there is a reason for this that will come out later in the stories within this universe.

If you do not think that you want to read this particular chapter, then here is a sanitized synopsis so that you can skip to the next one and still follow the story line: Joey is forced by the group he calls the Joy-Squad to be pierced and tattooed. He is obviously confused and hurt, both physically and mentally. This is NOT the theme of the rest of the book.

Hopscotch…A Jump in Life 8

*Before…

No…honey not at all there’s nothing wrong at all about being trans.”
(Sniffle-whine.) “There’s not?”
“No, not at all…you’re a girl. It’s just a pronoun, it’s just one little thing about you.”
(Sniffle.) “But I’m…I’m like…”
She is wiping at my face with a tissue now and that helps and I see this soft concerned but actually caring and maybe even happy? How? How can she be happy about this?
Here hand strokes my face and she kisses my cheek. “You’re alive Sarah. You’re still alive.”
And I start crying all of over again and it feels like this deep aching dam of stuff inside that I couldn’t really articulate like right just kind of breaks in me and lets go with this flood.
………….right now, right friggin now I’m Sarah and i…I really have a Mom.

*And Now…

Chapter 68

“Roxx? What do you wanna do when you grow up?” Mary asked thickly. “Y’know, when school’s over?”

“Eh?” Roxx asked Mary, suddenly irritated by that question. Robb had asked her that once. More than once in fact. What bothered her was that she never seemed to have an answer. He was always going on and on about having a better life. Paying rent and bills were no fun. To the then Melanie, and now The One Who Is Roxx that the simplest, easiest way to accomplish that was always the best.

“It’s what they call a mental Twist. Most of my body didn’t really change at all, but my brain... there are a lot of little changes there, because I have a kind of new personality. Basically, I have a girl brain.”

A good paying job? Check. A loving wife and little girl? Yes. And a beautiful home? You betcha. Yes, the current criteria defining success in America certainly applies to Daniel Davis. But is he happy? Most definitely not; in fact, he's miserable because he has everything he never wanted. All he wants is one thing: to stop living a lie by freeing the woman inside. But will he have the courage?

UF-2 BOOK 2 CHAPTER 3
BY BARBIE LEE
EDITED BY CATHERINE LINDA MICHEL

FROM BEFORE: Vin had been watching, along with everyone else in the bar. “Those girls are deadly. They handle those swords as good or better than any bounty hunters I’ve seen.” She looked over at Toni. “The chair by the Blonde disappeared when her sword touched it. It’s been a long time since I heard stories about the Sword of the Queen. I’m guessing I just saw the sword in action?”

A hint of a smile crossed Toni’s face. “It’s possible.”

Loads of action in chapter three. Brandy, Sherry, Tony and Meliss try to gather forces to help if war becomes inevitable, while fighting off slavers, pirates, and general scum. Strap in and settle back. UF-2 continues now!

1

Hopscotch…A Jump in Life 5

*Before…

I look at her. “I’m like my Dad?”
“Well with like that temperament and stuff.”
“Oh…”
I…I really don’t know how to deal with that or how to feel about it? I mean I’m Sarah right so I just kind of thought that I’d take after my Mom more or something and not my dad and I really can’t figure out if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“Surprised?”
“Y...Yeah kind of…it wasn’t what I was expecting to hear.”
“Really?”
“Yeah…I thought I’d be more like you Mom.”
I look at her and she actually has this really sort of surprised look on her face.
And…I’m really surer than ever she doesn’t know.

*And Now…

UF2 Book 2 Chapter 2
By Barbie Lee
Edited by Catherine Linda Michel.

War is on the horizon and it's up to Brandy, Sherry, Toni, Meliss, the rest of the Pash, their allies and anyone else they can find to help prevent war, or win if all else fails. Can they do it? Can they convince enough races that war will be devastating to everyone? Only time, the author and I know for sure. you all will have to read to find out.

This chapter does contain some very violent scenes, hence the warning in the "Tags." It's necessary for the rest of the story.

FROM BEFORE: "As soon as I started to bring the sword up it shifted to this dimension. Now it was most certainly visible to everyone. As I brought it up I sliced through the middle of my neck with it. It was too late for them to react to stop me. Attuned to my molecular makeup, the sword would never hurt me but it collapsed molecular matter on everything else it touched. The sword never really passed through my body. The blade shifted back to another dimension where my body was. To those who were looking at me it seemed as if I had passed the blade through myself. The slave collar disappeared when the sword touched it.

“WHAT THU...” Len was staring at what he couldn’t believe. His slave was armed and no longer wearing a slave collar!"

AND NOW:

Chapter 52

"Put this collar on, and I'll take you away from this cell."

Of course, this is much easier said than done.

(This narration relies heavily on information penury, as well as continuous improvisation on my part. Because information penury doesn't work well when spoiled, minimum tagging is enforced (if the main character isn't aware of something in a given story part, then the corresponding tag won't be included until they become aware of it in a latter part).)

There we go, part 3 of Your Wings Are Beautiful! Sorry for the wait, I sincerely hope you'll enjoy it~

Then the real fun began, picking out skirts and blouses and a couple of dresses. I was eager to finally try on something that was right for me, but worried that, until I got my body fixed — and who knew how long that could take, if it was even possible these days? — this stuff wouldn’t look right on me, even if it felt right to my Twisted mind.

Hopscotch…A Jump in Life 3

*Before…

I…I don’t know what’s wrong but it’s wrong and I know she’s trying her best but I end up crying through the whole thing and even when she’s done I’m still crying and I roll over to my side as best I can and cry into the pillow.

I think she was rubbing my back at one point and trying to comfort me and she was replaced by Mom and there is something that is like maybe visceral there?

I know Mom’s touch, just from the way she was with me before I know the difference and I cry all the harder once it’s her.

*And Now…

UF-2 The Seeds of War
by Barbie Lee
Edited by Catherine Linda Michel
Copyright April 2002

"His breath reeked of gin and spirits. It was probably the only mouthwash he ever used. He smiled, and his yellow teeth looked bright against the dark recess of his yawning gullet. His lips were thin. Probably from seldom being pulled into a smile. He held his knife to my throat. “I’m going to sell you to the slavers.”

Over the shoulder of the first man, I could see another man coming across the room. He was holding up a slave collar. A cruel device, it was guaranteed to make the person it was placed on, submissive. Voice controlled, the master didn’t need a transmitter. All the master had to do was give a command. If the slave didn’t respond the slave collar would give a cruel shock. I had seen slaves drop to the floor writhing in agony when they didn’t respond to a command from the master. Those slave collars were a product of the government for use on prisoners. Pirates and slavers found a new use for the government prisoner collars."

And off we go in Book two of UF-2 The Seeds Of War. Strap yourselves in and suit up for action in deep space. Pirates, slavers, alien races and war loom ahead for Brandy, Sherry and all the universes and dimensions. Can our heroes and heroines stave off war and win out against the worst that space has to offer? Well here we go!

Hopscotch…A Jump in Life 1

Chapter 1

Beep…
Beep…
Beep…

My throat hurts…

There’s a flicker in the darkness… a jingle of keys? Seeing them falling slowly into a hand and a feeling of excitement.

I see a blue car, a muscle car and we’re all running towards it.

We…I’m with a bunch of guys getting in the back seat.

I can feel a forward pushing me back feeling going fast.

I don’t think there was any like drinking or stuff but there was yelling.

The screech of tires and a girl screaming.

Me?

This is the final chapter of Angry Mermaid. I could drag on by writing about Drustina and Carl's married life and children but that would be too much like a 'Happily ever after' fairy-tale.

Beverly.

Garia spends a day meeting people all over the palace. Plans are made, ideas are discussed, decisions taken, and a surprising offer comes from an unexpected direction.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

111 - Five Conversations