CHAPTER FIVE

Day 60

CHAPTER 15
That was when I nearly broke, but I had a long chat with myself. Stupid bloody thing to say, really, but while my thoughts were screaming and painful, there was a little voice underneath the agony whispering words of… What? Not solace; not comfort. Just words of sense and sentiment.

Carolyn had loved me, at least as much as I still loved her, and I had absolutely no doubts on that score. She was gone, and I took what solace, what comfort I could, in the fact that it had been so quick. To be honest, there was nothing better I could find to lift me from my bed, but in the end it was all I had, and it was enough.

January 2001

Chapter 27

6:00 PM

Mage hadn’t had time to prepare anything big with driving Stephen to the doctor’s but on the way back she stopped long enough to pick up a couple of take and bake pizzas.

At eight o’clock, the kids went upstairs when the doorbell rang. Chet answered it as Mage called out to the kids to be nice to each other. Lately, they had started bickering as siblings often did.

In a nation plunged into the abyss of chaos and darkness, where the boundaries between the tangible and the otherworldly had evaporated, the President's authoritarian grip tightened, and his loyal advisors were bound to him in a sinister alliance, driven by anger, fear, and desperation.

CHAPTER 14
I managed to steady the bike enough to get it onto its sidestand, pain ripping into my chest as I did so. Something felt broken there, and I found my vision greying out as I struggled to get off. There was a lorry stopped just to my left, another pulled slightly away to my right, angled into traffic. I found myself falling, another agonising stab from my chest as I sat down hard on the tarmac. I really didn’t want to look behind me, but it had to be done. I had to know.

CHAPTER THREE (Caution. -Things get a bit darker - temporarily- in this chapter)

Day 16

I got up early as part of what’s becoming my usual routine and went to milk the goats. They’ve all got names now, and they come to me as soon as they see me appear out of the house. I’m sure that’s because I’ve usually got a bucket of scraps and peelings from the day before, but I like to think its because they’re getting to like me too.

The ongoing trials and tribulations of Ronin Kassius as he assumes the identity of Isabel val Sanreal and returns to Ar Telica City. Having survived the encounter with the Gun Queen of Ar Telica, Ronin returns to Ar Telica and begins his/her new dual life as Isabel val Sanreal, illegitimate daughter of the uber rich Sanreal Family, and as the Gun Princess, Mirai, an artificially created entity with preternatural abilities.

Pete needs a makeover....

CHAPTER 13
The year turned, the seasons shifted, and no doubt Doctor Derek and Mister Simes continued to fight for dominance in their bony cave. Caro and I simply carried on in that same traditional way, both of the clubs taking enough of our spare time to make life worthwhile in other ways.

News of Ma’s passing seemed to spread like wildfire around the town. Once the presence of California Bureau of Investigation vehicles and a Medical Examiners wagon outside Nancy’s house was known, it would be hard to her death a secret.

AUTHORS NOTE

Rylee awoke to Fiona lightly rubbing her shoulder; she slowly opened her eyes and beheld a view of her own hand, bathed in morning light as her face resided in a puddle of drool she’d made during the light. With a small moan, she managed to flip over onto her back and look up into Fiona’s eyes; she was rewarded with a brief smile and a shoulder pat as Fiona adjusted her position to make herself a bit more comfortable.

5 & 6

Happy New Year and Putting it to the test

Christmas has come and gone. Alex spent four glorious days wearing the soft luxurious fabric and deliciously feeling lingerie. Getting ready for work he almost doesn’t think about it as he reaches in the lingerie drawer. As a result, he has to admit to himself that this thing is growing on him. He tries to fight it and finds that he regrets his decision to abstain.

Diva Dismayed: Chapter 14 – When is a date…
Sure enough, the following morning, after a somewhat restless night for me, we set off for my ex-fiancé’s house. On the well-tried principle that knowing I was well-dressed would bolster my confidence, I took longer than usual to get ready. It also served to delay the evil hour of an encounter which I didn’t relish in the least. I’d brought with me the dress I’d worn to my last medical appointment. It was my current favourite so I felt it was a good choice for today’s visit.

Life and Love are far more complicated than we can possibly understand. For one young cop, a journey of self-discovery will teach them that true strength was inside them all along.

“I’m changing!” I yelled out loud and fast. The door handle seemed to stop it’s downwards motion as soon as the air had escaped my mouth while time felt like it had slowed down to crawl. Turning on the light to prevent any more suspicion, I tried to play along with my mother’s beliefs regarding the ownership of the bags. “Just leave it there, Il bring it over to Riley’s tomorrow!”

Diva Dismayed: Chapter 13 – On the road again
Della’s ability to leave me speechless had proved second to none, once again! All I could utter by way of a response was a nervous laugh. I desperately needed to change the way this encounter looked like developing and fast. Searching around for a safe topic of conversation, I hit upon the previous night I’d spent going out. Accordingly I asked her if she ever attended the monthly dances and mentioned how much I’d enjoyed the one which Rachel and I had been to the evening before.