Pathfinder: The Siege of Fiddler’s Vale.

In loving memory of crazypagangurl, aka Tiffani, who was a great help in getting this one started.

Prologue

Sometimes, bad things just come out of nowhere.

But sometimes, there is a warning.

And riding hard towards the town of Fiddler’s Vale, a warning is coming ...

A bully has a bad day. (He also gives others a bad day; this story isn't very nice.)

The Headmaster took a deep breath and peered toward me for a very long minute. Finally, he turned his attention toward Linda then he turned his attention toward Lily. After three minutes of silence, he pushed his seat back and stood up.

“What happens... Over the course of homecoming, does not reflect the values of the school. But I feel we should put that all behind us, don’t you all agree. I think I’ll let this matter rest.” He paused and walked over to nearby happen... he stood in front of the window, is back turned to us and his arms folded behind his back.

Not Entirely Myself Today

By Erin Halfelven

 
I hurried home that evening because I had finally done it. I had lost my mind.

And I'd definitely overspent my budget. Ever since skinsuits became more reality than fantasy, I wanted one. Never mind that the good ones, the ones that I wanted, cost more than a top-of-the-line luxury automobile, I wanted one.

The minute I reached the office, the office secretary, greeted with a small smile. She was an older woman, her iron-gray hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Her outfit, a white button down blouse, tucked into the waistline of a black skirt was free of wrinkles and dust. White stockings and black dress shoes rounded out the outfit. And as she stood upon the old wooden desk, her hands folded upon the clean, highly polished surface. She fixed me with a look.

Living with secrets is difficult and is more difficult if you’re in high school. If your secrets and desires go against social norms everything becomes tougher… especially if you are looking for acceptance.

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Life returned to normal following homecoming. I decided to live as Jamie at home and as James during school hours. And Ben lets say I made another email account. ‘[email protected]’ it was a Jamie email, one for Jamie to keep in contact with all her friends. I had given this email to my sister, who had passed it onto Joan who had, in turn, passed it onto Ben. And that how Ben and I kept in contact with each other for the fortnight that followed homecoming.

My entry in the Reader Retention contest.

Snapshots
By Ellie Dauber

This is another of my older stories, appearing on Big Closet for the first time. I hope you enjoy it.

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Retirement is a time to pull back, to take a much-earned and welcome rest after more than forty years work. But for those people whose work has become their life, it's an early death, the end to any useful purpose, while they still have the minds and the heart to continue.

For Lillian Wagner, it meant the sorrow of watching her newly retired husband, Ed, sink into the despair of imagined uselessness. Things, however, aren't always as bad as they seem. Ed and Lil will find a reprieve in a very common place that just happens to lie at the edge of... the Twilight Zone.

My entry in the Reader Retention contest.

I’m in a bind. Not just any bind, the type of bind that normally means you’re in deep shit. I’m currently staring at the decorated walls of the principal’s office. The constricting room was littered with paper and folders. Pictures of his family were ornamented on top of the mess and the trashcan was full of fast food. The principal sat in front of me. A balding middle age man still tall and not any less attractive. Not that I’m into men or anything.

My entry in the Reader Retention contest.

My entry in the Reader Retention contest.

Perfectly Reasonable

I was just about to turn in when when I heard a knock on my bedroom door.

I slipped on my robe, and opened it to see my brother Arthur standing there in just a towel.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.

“I need your help, Gwen” he said.

Yes, I’m Guinevere, or just Gwen. Our parents thought that would be cute.

Doorway to Amau Meru – Author’s Commentary

By the age of two Earl had painfully learned not to tell anyone he was a girl. They all insisted he was a boy like his dumb brothers. Even paying dolls with his girl cousins wrong. He simply didn’t understand why they could play with dolls and he couldn’t. But he did learn not to bring the subject up. He hated playing with his brothers and boy cousins but he was not given a choice. The really sad thing is with each chastisement, the happy, smiling and often laughing toddler steadily morphed into a repressed, quiet and solemn little boy.

One Saturday Night at Magee’s
by Ellie Dauber

I’m afraid that I screwed up in attaching the .pdf file that was the bulk of Magee’s story #2. I have fixed it. So if you couldn’t read it before please try again. And comment. I did get 8 comments on what was posted, but they were all “Where’s the .pdf?” Still eight comments are eight comments, so here’s the third story. I’d like some comments on this one, also. Just because I only wrote three doesn’t mean that a fourth one might show up, given sufficient feedback.

This is the last of three stories about Magee’s, a neighborhood bar with a most unusual owner. Out of work – and bitter -- Vic Cantrell lets his wife. Betty, drag him into Magee’s for a drink. Only to find an evening far different than they ever expected.

One Night at Magee's
by Ellie Dauber

This is the first of three stories about Magee’s, a neighborhood bar with a most unusual owner. When Dutch Blucher comes in, looking for a fight, he finds out just how unusual.

Choice By Ellie Dauber © 2003

Another one of my older stories, served up for your consumption and your comments (if you please).

* * * * *

Joe Neville grew up as “the Mayor’s kid.” Thanks to an African artifact, he gets a chance to be something else.

Getting to Know You
By Ellie Dauber © 2003

Another one of my older stories, served up for your consumption and your comments (if you please).

`*

Gary McFee was really anxious to know if Lisa Tolliver liked him. The SRU Wizard shows him what he wants to know, but hardly in the way she expected,

Kimberly got up and walked up in front of the class, holding what seemed like an off-brand Barbie of some sort. The doll was about ten inches high, with red hair and a more realistic figure than a Barbie, but still clearly an adult, and dressed in a yellow sundress and strappy sandals.

Copyright (c) 2019 Sophie Jones.

I only had to wait a few seconds before the sharp sting to the paddle cracking across my backside flooded into my bottom. The first stroke of the paddle took my breath away and caused the tiny hairs on my arms to stand straight up. Coughing, I crooked out.

“One Ma’am,” I said as took a deep breath and waited for the next one. I did not need to wait long for the second one either for soon the paddle cracked my bottom again. Sending another wave of sting rolling into my bottom. The second strike once again took my breath away, but I forced myself to count again. “Two ma’am.”