Uplifting Two

Wondering just what I had agreed to, I opened the door to the apartment. I had never been in one of the top floor dwellings before and did not expect to see a wall of windows in front of me with a great view over the river. There was a small lobby that led directly into the lounge with the view.

La Petite Mardi Gras: Part Two
The Crowning of Lily and Jamie Potter

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As I walked across the crowded ballroom, I noticed how polished the wooden floor looked. I could tell somebody had poured out a mint to have the floor waxed and polished. I mean you could comb your hair in the reflection. All eyes turned toward me as I strolled across the floor toward the refreshment table. The Benton orchestra had paused in their playing for a moment. I collected my thoughts as my eyes fell on Ben who was drumming his fingers on a crystal cup of punch.

NB Although all of the great houses and historical figures are real, current period characters are purely from my imagination and have no link with anyone living or dead.

Part 8 The Future Lies in Wait

Tristan said “Young Sire, I was merely a yard-boy in a merchants house when the witch put the spell on me. Only since I have been reborn have I found that I am related to grand people.” He then went on to tell the young prince the full story of how he had been turned into a frog, something that we had kept from the media.

This is my third story I've shared with my little sister for her ongoing project of chronicling all possible  ghostly and paranormal encounters that have taken place in and around Benton. I'm flattered my stories are included. According to an old family legend, the gift of clairvoyance is supposed to run in the Bell family. My late mother Lisa Avery Bell was supposed to have the gift. I suppose she passed that gift onto me and my sister. Anyway putting that aside let's get down to business shall we? You want to be scared, and I have just the tell for you.

NB Although all of the great houses and historical figures are real, current period characters are purely from my imagination and have no link with anyone living or dead.

Part 7 The Next Shoe Drops

The next local paper came out on Friday and it had an article in it about “What about that Frog?” which took the reader though the other half of the witches spell and had pictures of Tristan giving his presentation dressed in his Tudor garb. It was all right, fair and factual but lifted the lid on the whole shipment of worms.

A Suite of Changes
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

The hotel was grander than he had imagined. The lobby was large with glass lift wells going up several stories to reach a high cathedral ceiling with mezzanine balconies and large staircases between them. The reception area seemed a mile away.

I remembered the night she threw me out. I had worn her sexiest underwear. She hadn’t worn it for years, so one of us may as well use it. I was half way through clipping my stockings to my suspenders when she came in. I thought she would be out seeing her friend until 10.30 at least.

“I bloody knew it, you little queer. You couldn’t leave it alone could you. Well you can bugger off. I want a real man.”

La Petite Mardi Gras: Part One
Pleasure Dies At the Stroke of Midnight

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The antebellum south was steeped in tradition, some of those traditions vanished after the Civil War, some endured through the turbulent years that followed and are still carried on to this day. Among those traditions that started in antebellum Benton was the annual Carnival Ball that's hosted each Carnival by the aristocratic families of Benton. Chief among those are the Potter Family who were among the earliest settlers of the town.

My Date Night in Heels

The club was pretty typical for a night club, but I'd only been in a couple in my life. The lighting was halfway between being bright and dim, just enough light for the waitress to see between tables or for someone to find the bathroom without spilling someone else's drink.

NB Although all of the great houses and historical figures are real, current period characters are purely from my imagination and have no link with anyone living or dead.

Part 5 Changes Afoot!

Happiness is a warm kitchen

The movie was amazing, the animation amazing, the story touching. In short 'From Up on Poppy Hill' made me nostalgic for a time I've never experienced. It was tinged with sadness, heartache, and the pains of growing up. A window into a world in transition. And like Mr. Hayao Miyazaki's movies it was sure to become a classic as the years rolled on by. Lily even found herself getting swept up in the story line, and that's pretty amazing since she has never been the biggest anime fan.

I learned the truth at seventeen
That love was meant for beauty queens
And high school girls with clear skinned smiles
Who married young and then retired

 
“As I’ve said, they are falsies. Alice said to leave them in place for a while,” I said. “Alice? Who the f@#k is Alice?” dad asked.

NB Although all of the great houses and historical figures are real, current period characters are purely from my imagination and have no link with anyone living or dead.

Part 3 Finding Myself

As always - All rights and Characters © Beverly Taff

“I’m tired. Please let me get some rest. Today we, the people of the world worked together. Men and women from all different races and religions saved the planet. Tomorrow I’ll tell you how we work together to save humanity.”

The whole world waited on what this amazing man had to say.

The next morning, Charlie stood at a podium outside the Darwin factory. He waited for the crowd to quiet down before he started.

The feed cut off and the world watched in horror as there was a series of explosions on the surface of the asteroid. The ships were exploding as the power surged through them. They extra power had given the engines a massive boost. The exploding gravity field fields pushed the asteroid out of the atmosphere.

The earth was safe. Cheers erupted from the whole world. In the control room it took a few minutes for the screams to die down. In the control room.

Peter looked up from his coms screen. He was crying. Chloe stared and shook her head.

I was 28. I was between jobs. I was homeless. The breaks with my parents were final. My girlfriend had just dumped me. My best friend from high school had only barely failed to kill me. I needed a break!

Charlie pauses to smell the flowers

All Characters © Beverly Taff

Six months later. David Rodgers was living with Charlie and his family. He was a big hit with the children, who were now old enough to play football on the beach.

The Australian security guards were telling him that he was playing soccer, not football. David knew better though.

Charlie's father has had heart surgery. They are waiting for him to wake.
All Characters © Beverly Taff

There was a bleep on the coms unit in Charlie and Chloe’s quarters.

“It’s Dr Indra. Your father is awake Charlie.”

While they walked to the ICU she told Charlie he should make a full recovery. He was very undernourished and his testicles were badly damaged. She told him they may have to be removed and he would need to be given a testosterone implant.

“What happened to his testicles Dr. Indra? Did it happen in the shed?”

Charlie has found his father, and rescued him from Wilson's assassins. The strain was too much for his father, who has suffered a heart attack.

Chloe worked quickly, while Charlie stood by feeling helpless. He usually had a solution for most things. His engineers brain analyzed situations and came up with ways around most problems, but medicine was Chloe’s field.

She took his pulse and put an oxygen mask over his face.

“I think he fainted due to blood loss and shock. His heart is weak. I suspect he needs coronary bypass surgery.”

“Can you save him Chloe.”

Equality has finally come to the UQ. Now Peter may get to meet his father.

The next few months we a frenzy of hard work for the new parliament. The first task was to make sure the mistake of the past could never happen again. A law was passed that was enshrined in the new constitution that made it impossible to disenfranchise anyone, no matter gender, race or religion from voting.