Charia is the head councilwoman of the Central Witch Council. An organization that keeps mundanes unaware that magic exists.
Today is the review day. She and other council members are apprised of recent misuses of magic by agents working for the council.
However, this meeting derails as more and more cases appear to be connected.

The next day I woke with Ken's arms wrapped around me. I liked the feeling and wanted to stay in bed. I knew I had to get ready for the day and get breakfast started. After all, I was the lady of the house.

I showered first, then shaved. There was almost no hair. Just a slight fuzz. I only normally shaved every two to three days. I did my makeup and choose what I was going to wear.

The Recall
A Vignette
By Maryanne Peters

I was close to him in age, which is why they called on me, I guess. I was still assigned as “Active for Operations”, but I had not done a whole lot. That work is for younger men.

It was just that he had worked in the Ukraine, and now that was the place everybody wanted to understand. A lot of intelligence is about experience, and old connections. It is the kind of stuff that people retire with.

It had been a busy day for Austin. His day at work had been long and hard, tiring him out like nothing had in a long time. Fortunately, he'd made it through, and he was now back at his apartment. Plus, he had the day off tomorrow, so that was an opportunity to recover till the next work day.

While Austin was making himself a dinner of Ramen noodles, his friend and roommate Ken came home. "Hey Austin," said Ken. "Long day at work?"

"Don't get me started," Austin groaned.

Ken read Austin's pained expression and nodded. "I'll take that as a yes," he said.

What Do You Love?
By Sabrina G. Langton

***

Author's note: Hmmmmm, a nice little story, about a nice little couple, living their best lives. I hope YOU like it.

***

"What do you love? Really love?"

"Besides you?"

"Yes, besides me, keep me out of this." She giggled, she tapped my nose.

It was the day before Thanksgiving and my wife decided to ask me a complicated question.

Mark and Mary
A Short Story from Times Past
By Maryanne Peters

It came from one of those misunderstandings that you hear about, but it was to shape our family in a most unusual way.

Widower Marek Janski stood in the queue in Ellis Island, and with him were his two sons Pavel and Radek. His English had been improved on the trip over, but he was still feeling his way. He knew to say his surname first.

Cemetery Shenanigans
Part One: Being Chased by A Phantom

I took a deep breath as I peered through the bars in the old iron fence. The sight that greeted me was one befitting a lovecraftian horror story. The grass was as tall as me, tombstones lay scattered about in all directions, there was no order to them, some were half sunken into the ground. Many were covered by moss. Somehow been worn smooth by the passing of countless years. Yet others lay broken and laying down. It seems even the dead to not gain any respect in this day and age.

A little game leads to mistaken identity and indirectly to love.

You haven't arrived in popular culture unless there's a YouTube Pitch Meeting about your show! Today's installment takes a look at "My Uncle Fifi," the hit comedy series that has been been seen and enjoyed by literally dozens of people around the world. Don't miss out!

Mothers Encouragement Chapter 33

As I came around, I could hear mum speaking. I couldn’t figure out who she was speaking to however quickly made out that it was Auntie Heather and another lady.

I felt very clammy and as I refocused, I could make out mum’s face looking down at me with concern. “Are you alright love” she asked as her hand rested on my nyloned knee.

“Err I think so mum. Where am I?” I asked confused

Chapter 5

We spent the afternoon lazing around the hotel pool and being well looked after by the staff as well as being chatted to by several tanned and fit young men. The band had been spending the day in interviews and we all had dinner in a separate dining room.

Gregory learns more about his situation, and gets some tiny hints about his possible future.

I was taken aback. I stuttered. My heart was thumping. I had never shared this part of me with anyone. I was too scared. Now it was like my soul was laid bare. I had always expected hate and derision. Grace was willing to help me.

"I hope you don't mind me asking. I have heard all sorts of words about men who dress as women. Sissy, transvestite, crossdresser, drag and transexual. What do you call yourself?"

I grew up in a smallish town in one of the Prairie states. The town has about 50 000 inhabitants. It was quite a straight town. The straws in the surrounding wheat fields were straight. The plough furrows were straight. The edges of the fields were straight as were the roads separating them. The roads just kept on going straight on until they disappeared beyond a horizon unobscured by hills, mountains or forests. In town the streets were straight and the blocks square. To be honest the people were straight and square as well. Even my sister’s flushes were straight.

Chapter 4

We had adjoining rooms and Molly had stayed the night with me for reassurance. All the crew had lunch together and discussed the previous day, picking out the likely troublemakers and offering suggestions to make their part easier. A phone call to the maintenance chief at the airport got those changes under way.

"I’d never been with a man before, let alone two. Truth be told, I was just afraid of them as I was turned on. Maybe, ‘til that point, I’d known the wrong kind of man, and for that reason never let myself desire them..."

Aylin looks down at her little girl. She was surprised when she found out that she had been pregnant. She was even more surprised when she went to tell her mother she was pregnant and discovered she already knew. When asked how she knew, she used the excuse that mothers knew everything about their children.

"Mrs. Bamford. I needed to move the wardrobe to get to the window to finish painting it."

"No problem Terry. Can you manage it? It's heavy."

I liked Mrs. Bamford. She was mid 50's, and always dressed well. She exuded femininity. I admired that so much. I had done several small jobs for her. My handyman business was really starting to take off. I hoped that it could grow and I could give up my job at the fast food restaurant.

"Yes, I only need to slide it across the floor a few feet. Even I can manage that."

A story for the season.

In the Hollow of the Devil's Hand

by

Rodford Edmiston

"I don't really know why you're interviewing me," chuckled Corville. "I'm pretty small beans, even for a town newspaper."

"A very political town, the state capital," the eager young man pointed out, as he absently skritched the purring cat on the couch beside him. "I bet you've got some interesting inside views of many events which have taken place here, Mr. Lamb."

Sandy wasn’t just my spouse. I made it very clear to the professionals we hired for the campaign that there was no better political mind on the planet. Sandy almost never dipped an oar into my campaigns anymore, but I told the campaign staff, on no uncertain terms: “If Sandy says jump, you ask ‘how high?’ Don’t wait to talk to me.”

Photo by Bruno Salvadori: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-wearing-red-dress-standin...

Daaaaaddddd!!!!!

Ah, nothing quite as heartrending as the plaintive wail of a teenage girl confronted with an intolerable family situation.

"But Mom was going to take me…"