Confidence Trick

(A Fitness Class short)

by Lynda Shermer

Sarah's Stiletto fitness class at the center ended. I was awarded certificates, one for Tim, and one for Karen. Somewhere on YouTube is a recording of our final recital. Of course, in it, I'm almost unrecognizable. It garnered some nice comments and likes at the time, and then pretty much dropped from sight.

There have been some changes since then; I moved in with Julie (she had the better furniture and view of the two of us).

Office Takeover (Extended)

By Susannah Donim (based on a short story by Margaret Jeanette)

Jim and his secretary change places, with far-reaching consequences.

The Christmas party

“Come on – you’re the CEO. You have to push the boat out a bit!”

My wife, Marilyn, was trying to persuade me to splash out on our costumes for the company’s Christmas fancy dress party.

“CEO, hah! There’s only sixteen of us in the company. I’m more like a Team Leader.”

Graphic created by Patricia Marie Allen from photos on Pixabay.com

Authors note: This story first appeared in the “One Dozen Roses” anthology and has been edited to be read as a standalone.
You can read it in the anthology here.

I’ve been asked just how I came to choose the name Rose. The story of my name goes back to my childhood. I was eight at the time. It was in just after the second gulf war. I blame the whole thing on Susan. Susan was the girl who lived in our basement apartment. Her father had been called up in the National Guard and was in Iraq for a year. They decided to give up living in their house and rent it out to cover the mortgage payment. The rent on the apartment we had in the basement fit the budget imposed by his Guard pay which didn’t even come close to his regular pay. The apartment had been grandma’s before she died. It’s just two bedrooms, a bathroom and a sitting room with an efficiency kitchen and the rent helps us with the mortgage, since dad left. As part of the deal, Susan’s mom watched me while my mom was at work.

Space, outer space, was the only source that made any sense at all.
If you’re looking for weirdness, for inscrutable motivations,
for an unending factory for the unexplained,
you can’t beat outer space.

Join a dozen Roses as they attend the SWEET Conference (South Western Exposition for the Embetterment of Transwomen/Transpeople, depending on who you ask.) Rose Gallagher is a registrar for the conference and notices that there are 12 Roses in attendance. On a whim, she contacts them and suggests a meeting of the Roses to share a bit about their choice of the name Rose.

Seven authors collaborate on one story to tell us about

I wrote this a few years ago as I faced my reality and contemplated my transition. I share it now with you all as I find myself farther into my transition. It is not a story, and only about 300 words long. It is not exactly a blog entry either, so I post it here.

Being offered the chance to work with Professor Trent in the university Cybernetics Department seemed an ideal opportunity for about-to-be-made-redundant lab technician, Mike. Little did he know that it was far more than a lab technician that Prof Trent wanted.

Smiles Everyone. Smiles!

A short story by Rosemary

Special thanks to Malady for his help editing.

Brad Tyler.

He had just turned eleven years old, and he hadn’t gotten much in the way of presents for his birthday. In fact, all he had gotten was a twenty-five dollar check from both sets of grandparents.

His dad, Bill, was being laid off from his job as a groundskeeper from the local hospital, so his parents weren’t able to get him anything really. He understood, and was grateful for the fifty dollars he’d received.

Photo by Wilson Vitorino from Pexels
 

Part 29 of 29

Epilogue, October 9, 2020
The whole Covid-19 mess has left me with a great deal of time on my hands. One of the things I have done is re-read my diaries from the beginning of my transition. I've decided that sharing them might be a help to someone else who is thinking that living as a woman is a desirable thing to do, so I've excerpted those parts about transitioning.

I’d already decided to keep Rufus’ information to myself -- at least for the time being.
There was no point in causing a controversy over something I could still manage to not believe.

This story was originally written by Julie, sometime in the 90s and posted elsewhere. I read it and liked the premise, but the ending didn't suit me. So for my own enjoyment, I rewrote the ending. Julie's end had Chrissy transitioning, mine is more like my life. When I was finished modifying the ending, I liked it so much that I couldn’t resist posting it, so…

 

Chapter 14 - The Pinch

Paula the elder
"Are you our of your ever-lovin' mind?" cried Detective Matt Pierson.

"Hold on," I said.

Pulling out my smartphone I made a show of checking it.

"According to this, that's the twenty-seventh time someone has asked me that question today. Since I lost my mind some time ago I guess I must be out of it."

Here's hoping we all have a little Ralphie in us.

https://dawngs.blogspot.com/2019/12/merry-christmas-to-all.html

Click on the captions to enlarge them.

Merry Christmas

She stood there. She stood there on the corner. She stood there as if time had stopped. She stood there not feeling the breeze as it stirred her skirts around her legs. She stood there in shock at the last words she had heard. Biting words, hurtful words that had no place in public or private. Words that could cause one pain and suffering. Words that altered those around them and tore down the very walls that we erect in defense of our very sanity. It was those words that froze her in place. Those words that froze her mind.

There was no sign of the rowboat in the river. No trace of the bathtub in the sky. I was back in my town, back in the normal world. Everything was right again, except that I was someone else, and had a month to learn a new language and a new sport. Perfectly normal.

Felicity Finds Family:
6/My Pleasure

From Erin's One April Morning Multiverse
Into Sasha's Shared Universe

By Sasha Zarya Nexus

Can Felicity deal with the Oopsie Daisy by herself or can she find help?

Deimos

*** October 19, 2027 ***

The Plan-B Bust: 5 / 5

An Altered Fates Story
by Iolanthe Portmanteaux

“Yeah, I know,” she said. “It’s a long story.”

He considered a moment, then spread his hands and shook his head. “Okay. Cool. It’s none of my business. We’ve had our fun, we’ve killed some bad guys. We’ve had some good, sweaty, wholesome sex. You’re the most beautiful and amazing woman I’ve ever met, and ever will meet. And now, whoever you are, wherever you come from, it’s time for you to go.”

How I Met Your Mother-In-Law

An Altered Fates Story
By Iolanthe Portmanteaux

“Anyway, she needs your help with something… something to do with the wedding, and she’s going to pay your way. What do you think about that?”

What did I think about that? I thought it sounded like the beginning of a horror movie. I was scared out of my wits; that’s what I thought about that.

A teenager loses a bet and is forced to get an over-the-top feminine makeover at a transformation studio that specializes in feminizing rebellious teens. But when it comes out that this might not be his first time at the store, he's forced to confront his fears of embarrassment and exposure as he endures trials far more challenging and personal than he ever dreamed possible.