Two lonely high school students walk parallel paths.  One, impoverished and losing hope, yearns desperately to become their authentic self. The other, wealthy and the victim of unfathomable manipulation, resists changing to something they never wanted to be. Can these two, meeting amidst the clatter and chatter of the school cafeteria, find connection? Can they embrace their fractured selves and each other and then become whole? Or will a duplicitous villainess, in the guise of a loving mother, destroy their fragile hope and leave them living a miserable, incomplete existence?

“It’s so nice to meet you. Jeff and Greg have been talking all about you.”

The first email I received was a shock. It was addressed to Christy. I looked at what email account I had signed on to, then took a deep breath. Someone knew about Christy and had sent an email to my male email account.

Christy,
Don’t you just love the new spring fashions? The sundresses are to just die for! Hope to see you in one soon.

I re-read it five times, trying to believe that it was just a mistake. Someone getting the wrong email address… yeah, that was what had happened. I quickly deleted it and made sure my cache was empty.

After flubbing a powerful incantation, meant to give newly coronated Demon Queens the wisdom of their ancestors, Devilla Satanne awakens to memories of her past life as Jacob Divington, a human from Earth. Having gained a new perspective on life, she quickly comes to a rather horrifying conclusion: she's been a complete and utter brat! No wonder everyone hates her!

And then there's the fact that she's apparently been reincarnated as the villainess of Tower Conquest, a lesbian porn game with a surprisingly intricate plot. One in which the Heroine conquers Dimona Tower, turning Devilla's people against her in the process. In victory, the Heroine brings about a glorious age of peace between demons and humans for the first time in millennia. ...Which actually sounds pretty good for her people, come to think of it. Devilla knows her terrible behavior is beyond forgiveness, but maybe she can still make up for her past mistakes? She just needs to make sure the events of the game unfold correctly. Though there is one little detail she'd like to change - the part where Devilla herself is killed or enslaved!

The series cover was commissioned from https://twitter.com/HaizeUqei

Photo by Morrhigan on Freeimages.com

When you're a kid growing up, you just naturally assume the way you look at the world is the same as everyone else looks at the world. There are simple things like ice cream – everybody loves ice cream, right? Stay with me now and don't hand me any crap about lactose intolerance or juvenile diabetes, that stuff a kid doesn't know or care about. When you get a little bit older your binary world starts to acquire shades of gray, and even some colors, or in this case a better focus.

A Hillbilly Funeral
by
Rebecca Anna Coleman
Part Two of Three

I’m a nerd. I like being a nerd. I never had any other ambition. I’m also a boy. I like being a boy. I never had any other ambition.

I had just recently moved to Scottsdale, Arizona as a result of my mother’s death. My only living relative was going to allow me to stay with her for a couple of years, since there was no one else. Up to recently my Mom and I were living just outside of Amarillo, Texas on a small farm that my Dad used to operate.

He got killed several years ago when his tractor overturned as he drove it along a small stream next to one of his fields. He was caught under one of the wheels when it rolled over and he was squashed.

Alex Preswick-Walcutt and his journey to Whateley Academy

Asher stood in front of the bathroom mirror, his heart racing with anticipation. He had always loved the smooth, sleek look of shaved legs, and today he was enjoying the bliss for himself.

With a deep breath, he began to carefully shave his legs, the cool razor gliding over his skin, revealing the soft, hairless surface beneath.

Author's notes: As always: (1) I don't care what the devs say, Alisaie is absolutely not 16. By 6.0, she'd be about 23. (2) In a world where no one is explicitly gay or trans, that means anyone can be. Therefore, Alisaie and G'raha are T4T.

- - -

7.0 - SHARLYAN

G'raha was losing his mind.

Both because he badly missed his partners, Savvel and Alisaie, who had set sail for Tulliyolal two weeks and five days ago (the longest they'd been apart since making their arrangement 'official'), and because it was the longest he'd been celibate in... well...

Unable to find a job after flunking out of high school, my Mom had given me several accounts in her cleaning business. All three were nightclubs, the cleaning had to be done in the early morning hours since the club was open late afternoon and evening till 2 A.M.

The job was not hard, me being eighteen allowed me to work at the club because they sold alcohol. Most of Mom’s other employees either too old to work early in the morning or too young to be in the club.

Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade

Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and without.

Celeste Rawlins moved with practiced efficiency through the eastern lot of Millridge State Park, her footsteps nearly silent on the forest floor. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the path ahead. After her morning classes had finished, she'd decided to follow up on the unsettling energy readings from yesterday's reconnaissance with Erica.

Chapter 8

The following morning, Willow told her father about Brent going to buy the drums and that the account will be emailed.

“You can pay for them out of my account, Dad, and transfer a thousand to the debit card account I use. When Maisie takes Gina and me into Coventry, I’d like to take them to a decent lunch. The way that Maisie has pitched in with everything is amazing.”

“That’s all right. I’ll do that tonight. Just make sure that you’re not Miss Moneybags. You may need that nest egg later on.”

“I’m not saying you don’t have good family members. Shit, you’re in it, so of course it does. But as a family, it’s fucked up. Know what I’m saying? It’s like, they don’t know the meaning of the word. What family’s supposed to be all about.”

By Penny Lane and Iona Laing