Valin was doing his morning routine. It had been an uneventful week since his first appointment with Electra, and now he was getting ready for the next one.

He looked at his face in the mirror to see if he needed to shave. He’d only had to do it once since the incident, and judging by his smooth face, he wouldn’t be doing it today either.

Chapter 28

As we moved into the year, I made the final film of the trilogy, ‘Kathleen Cary, the Slide’. It was hard for me to make, with a lot of emotional scenes. If this didn’t win anything I was in the wrong game.

"Don't feel too bad," Cameron said. "Feel bad, yeah, but not too bad.
The good news is, I like you a lot better this way. A *lot* better.
In fact, you should seriously consider never getting your memories back."

Several hours later, Mir'tan and I emerged from our stateroom, refreshed and ready to face the tasks ahead. Our time together was a much-needed respite, allowing us to reconnect and reaffirm our bond.

The ship was alive with purpose, with crew members moving with a determined stride as they fulfilled their duties. We navigated our way to the bridge, exchanging nods and smiles with the crew we passed. The palpable determination among us, a testament to our shared mission, made us feel like a part of a grand cosmic endeavor, something greater than ourselves.

Once they were finished with the Awakening, Megan took Genesis back out to the living room to teach her some basic magic skills. She didn't do anything too advanced. Megan just had Genesis levitate objects and will some of them to change color.

"Okay, good," Megan said after Genesis had performed her fourth successful levitation of an object. "It seems like you're getting the hang of it."

"That's good," said Genesis. She waved her hand at a nearby notebook, and it floated a few inches off the ground. "So what next?"

Part 2: Reason
Rohit shares the heart-wrenching story behind his long hair with Neha, revealing a past marked by loss and resilience. As they bond over his emotional journey, Neha gains a deeper respect and admiration for her teacher. This chapter unveils the profound reasons shaping Rohit's unique appearance and character, setting the stage for an evolving connection between them.

Chapter 25

When we arrived in Los Angeles, we were swept up in a tidal wave of media hype. As defending champions of the Best Film and other awards, we were a hot topic. We were a few days early, which were filled with interviews and TV appearances. ‘Thirteen Women’ was controversial, seeing that it acknowledged the Devil without a mention of God. The ultra-right was in an uproar, which meant that everybody else supported us, ‘just for the hell of it!’

After the phone call with the Council Of Witches, Ramona and Genesis both drove home. As they drove, Ramona couldn't seem to stop thinking about how she'd smoked her first cigarette. "Wow," said Ramona. "I can't believe I actually smoked!"

"Neither can I," said Genesis.

"It felt so good," said Ramona. "Are you sure you didn't like it?"

"Of course I'm sure," said Genesis. "The cigarettes tasted awful, and they made me cough like crazy. Plus, I knew that if my dad found out I was smoking, I'd be grounded for life. So I stopped."

Part 1: First Impressions

Chapter 23

“Thanks, Agnes, see you later.”

I went to where David was trying to answer fifteen questions at once.

“David, we have a security screen. They’ll help us get out to the cars. I don’t think that we’re going to be able to answer everyone, or to make the fans happy, but we have to get out.”

He nodded so I went over to the leader of a very fierce looking group of guys.

“I believe that you’re going to help us get to our cars, lads. Can we do it without blood on the floor?”

Valin couldn’t help but let out a scream as half of his room was reduced to rubble. Luckily, whoever or whatever had cast the spell was concerned for the safety of the occupants, for there was another spell being cast; Some kind of absorption/portal type of thing. Even as he watched his clothing, his computer, his television and half his books sucked into oblivion, he couldn’t help but be impressed; To coordinate and cast such powerful spells in succession took incredible skill.

This story is not finished and after almost losing it owing to recent chaotic events on the Internet and my own computer, I have decided to post it a chapter of about 1000 words a piece 1 at a time. TG content may be added.

Andromeda Smith

6/19/2024, Ahabidah

"One, two, three, four, we're the tigers, do the roar!" Genesis cried as she and her fellow cheerleaders shook their pom-poms. In response, all the spectators in the bleachers cheered. The cheerleaders watched as Eastern Plains High's star batter Rupert Lacey hit a home run and ran all three bases before skidding onto home plate. There was another round of cheering as Rupert beamed with pride.

"Yeah, Rupert!" said the cheer captain and Genesis' stepsister Ramona said. "You're the man!"

"And look at that!" Rupert said, looking at the scoreboard. "We won!"

Acidalia XVII
By Amanda D.

Reynolds Quarantine facility 35 minutes after Brady’s release:

"I'm sorry," I told him, "but I'd prefer to keep this to myself."

"Why?"

"Because you — and the pair of cops who just left — laughed when I told you my name.
None of you call me by my name. Not Perry, not Mason. You keep calling me Deeny. You don't believe me."

WARNING: ABORTED SUICIDE ATTEMPT

“Discipline, discipline, discipline.” Valin repeated this mantra in his head, over and over as he prepared himself for the practical exam. He was sure that he had gotten a perfect grade on the written portion, not that he expected otherwise, as he had been training himself for it almost his whole life. Not that he hadn’t done the same for the practical, it’s just that the practical required certain innate qualities that Valin didn’t have.

Chapter 20

Three weeks later, Colin was holding the back door of a glorious dark blue A8 for me to get in, while Brendon and Jeff put my things in the boot. In the meantime, I had been subjected to one major surgery and several minor ones. I was now classified as a genuine replica of a woman. One that was still a bit slow moving and still had minor horrors at my reflection.

Chapter 19

Everyone was having a grand time. The girls were racing around the pitch, dresses flying, while the guys were a bit more ponderous, no doubt weighed down by the beer they’d drunk. The sides kept changing as they all had a go.

At long last she said, "I hope you can enjoy this time you have: to sit, to think, to watch."

"I am," I replied. "I do. A little. Some. When I'm not afraid."

Chapter 17

There was a knock on my door as I stood there and opened it to see the two comediennes.

“Julia, sweet cheeks. We had to come and welcome you to the home of bedlam, and to thank you for the friendship you showed us in Hawaii.”

“We hardly had a dozen words when we were there. You were off, filming, on the other side of the island. Congratulations on your scene. When I first saw it, I nearly fell off my chair for laughing. I was told that it was all ad-libs.”

Lilith and Shar'li, their hearts heavy with concern, sat across from Elizabeth. The room, bathed in the soft glow of the candles, seemed to mirror the flickering shadows of their emotions. The two succubi keenly sensed the lingering sorrow in Elizabeth's eyes, a pain that no amount of vengeance could truly erase. The loss she had endured had carved a profound void in her heart, and while she had managed to reclaim a semblance of justice, the wounds were far from being mere scars.