Graphic created by Patricia Marie Allen.
Background from Pixabay, model photo by Spencer Russell on Upsplash

My name is Rose. I’m about five foot eight, and I’ve got light red hair; pretty close to strawberry blonde. All in all, I'm a pretty normal woman.

I was at the SWEET (South Western Exposition for the Embetterment of Transpeople) convention along with eleven other women named Rose. Each of us had given a nickname so that we could be distinguished between each other. One of the women was dressed like a cowgirl, or at least someone from the country, and seemed very reluctant to say anything. When she insisted she be called Jeff, I figured whatever was eating her must have a terrible case of indigestion. I figured she wanted to be left alone, and was chatting with a woman sitting beside me, when one of the women suggested that we all give our stories of how we came to be called Rose.

Part 18

Balnoor snorted “No way!” He folded his arms and carried on “it would never work, you must be mad. Besides, I am a proud Indian man and proud Indian men would never stoop to that level!”

Tavleen glared at him and said “So you think that being a woman is a lower level, just like all those haughty rapist men in the old country?” “No, I didn’t mean it like that” he was on the back foot from her attack. I said “OK. Proud Indian Man, just take a look around the table and tell me what you see.”

Nurse Joe
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Just because I am big doesn’t mean I am stupid. In fact, I am pretty smart. I was just a big guy from an early age; big and too strong for all the other kids. That got me into trouble, and trouble kept me away from classes.

This is the last ghost story of Ghost Stories and Urban Legends of Benton. There were a number of stories I wanted to include in this collection but could not because of the cost of printing. I'm sure those stories will appear in the sequel to this collection Ghost Stories and Urban Legends of The Yazoo Delta. A collection of ghost stories centering on the Yazoo Delta at large. This story was told to me by my mentor Lily Potter the older sister of my best friend Jamie Sarah Potter.

Leader of the Pack Part 2

Before we left we sat around the kitchen table and I was forced to call out the slogans and try to talk in a girly voice. When I was able to do it to their satisfaction my mother gave each of us a hug and, with a smile on her face, said “Go and change the world, my daughters.”

Author’s note: This story is sort of a crossover fanfic, although it could perhaps stand on its own. Being a crossover, it includes people from two television franchises. I can safely say that I own none of the people from either of those “worlds” included herein, nor do I intend any copyright infringement.

It was tempting to simply post this as is, but considering how much trouble it was to write without giving away identities, but still have people act at least somewhat correctly, I decided to post it as it really is. Decipher the story within reason, and the title, and you should figure out who these people are.

And now, on with the story!

-=#=-

The Offspring of Backward Rodents Long Journey to the Fabled Land Encircled by their Cousin's Cemetery

Leader of the Pack Part 1

I have to admit that seeing my picture on the front page of the Sunday paper was a shock. For most people it would be a pleasant one, the fifteen minutes of fame that is often promised but hardly ever given. It was not, for me, very good news at all.

The Helper
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I had not realized how far the house was from the main road until the taxi finally drew up beside it. It was a large house with a veranda on all sides, even larger facing the sea. Mr Golbenkian was waiting for me near the front door. He was seated in his electric wheelchair. I had not met him before then, but his warm brown eyes were as friendly as his voice on the phone.

Nelson’s Raceway, New York:
Terry drives the rollback that was carrying Wraith’s prototype on it through the gates of the raceway. He heads down to the pit area he normally uses when he comes up to either race or test any of his vehicles. He felt at home at the raceway. It helped him overcome what had been done to him.

To be honest I was worried about starting high school. All right, I was terrified. Middle school had been bad enough for my friend Phil and me. And that school was a good and smallish school. The high school we were going to was huge.

Fortunately I had a big sister that not only could coach us but, amazingly, was willing to. Though she did warn us that in school she would not recognize us or in any way admit she was related to me. After all she was the new head cheerleader.

Part 15

Thursday morning I was down at the studio and we listened to the whole album together. The tech had noted the six tracks that would make good duets and had even transcribed the lyrics for me so, when we set up to record, we nailed them by lunch-time.

Tea with True North

I was planning my next crime when I got a call, from a superhero, of all people.

True North was almost a stereotype of a Canadian - unfailingly polite, but a stickler for law and order.

I was so shocked by what he asked me - to meet him for tea and conversation - that I forgot to be shocked about how he knew my number.

So I said yes, we arranged a time, and he took me to his arctic base.

Roberta Rescued
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I will admit it, Robert Kradel Junior was a prick, back when he had a prick. But he did not deserve what he got.

Jose Berganza had reason to dislike his boss, but what he did was way beyond that. It became clear to me that there was real hatred on display. Venal, vicious hatred to warrant this level of degradation.

Yippee-ki-yay! αλογάκι!

 
Jenni has something to tell her mother, but she's scared of how she'll react. Can she find the courage to tell her or will she need her twin sister Jessica's help?

Jacked Up Part 14

If commercial airlines could go this fast and this high there would only be a few very rich; or very busy people who would use it. We got high enough that I could see the curvature of the earth and above me there was a tinge of dark space.

Graphic created by Patricia Marie Allen; background from Pixabay.com,
character photo by Ussama Azam on Unsplash

The Devil’s Due

By Rosemary

Burgess Meredith Phillips was piloting the plane to the island that fateful day. He had been one of the two pilots taking people to and from the island for several years now. This, however, was a different sort of passenger. Not only was it rare that only one passenger was aboard, but this woman was incredibly beautiful and sexy.

He hadn’t asked her name as she boarded the Grumman Widgeon. He wanted to, but as always, he hadn’t had the guts to do so. In fact, any sort of conversation was impossible, as he was completely dumbstruck by her.

History of Benton: Civil War (1861 – 1865)

On January 9, 1862 Mississippi seceded from the United States. Mississippi then joined her sister southern states in forming the Confederate States of America. Late that same year on April 13, 1862 Confederate forces stationed around Charleston Harbor opened fire on Fort Sumter, the bombardment lasted only a day, but resulted in the surrendering of the fort to Confederate forces.

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

Thorn in the Flesh

By Rosemary

I entered the bar with great trepidation. I hadn’t had any problems in several years of being a woman, but I had just had some terrible news. No, I take that back. It wasn’t terrible at all. It was a relief. I had developed lymphatic cancer, and like every other case, it was ravaging my body.

I was reluctantly taking part in a meeting of eleven other ‘Roses’ while we were at the SWEET (South Western Exposition for the Embetterment of Transpeople) convention. I sat down and started taking in the other Roses there.

Most of them seemed to be much more comfortable in their role as women than I was. I had actually been quite comfortable for many years, but I had never been transgendered. I glanced down at my jeans and western shirt. They were women’s – they had to be. Men’s clothing would have been ridiculous on me.

The History of Benton: Growth, Promotion and Demotion (1830 – 1860)