Smalltown Heroine
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

I was always a small-town kid. I was brought up by loving parents in a small town in Alabama. We had not much money, but what we had was enough. I played with local kids, just like any other boy. It was just that I was a little different.

I say ‘a little different’, because it was never a major thing for me. I liked to think of Crystal as an imaginary friend, like maybe every other only child has. It was just that she was a girl, and she was part of me.

Author retains all rights to this original work of fiction.

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Friday, June 8th, 4:51 p.m., Phoenix, Arizona
Getting back to the office turned out to be a quicker trip than I thought it would be, though I had to use Lyft first to get my car from the police station. This late in the day, the office was almost empty, and my attempt to find Valerie and recruit her in my quest to deal with Gabriella fell way short. She'd gone home for the day due to a sick child. Damn it!

The author retains all rights to this original work of fiction.

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Ask the Right Questions, Chapter 1 of 6

--- Six years and 5 days ago ---

June 3rd, 20:23 local time, Patsah Melah, Afghanistan
I had been connected on and off to the SAT-Link laptop since arriving an hour ago at our position on the outskirts of Patsah Melah. Colonel Flagg's delegation was just east of our position over the Afghanistan/Pakistan border and had arrived about three hours ahead of our making it to Patsah Melah.

Gregory attempts to get answers to what is happening to him.

I was starting to think that a Distinguished Professor of Linguistics ought to be able to come up with something more penetrating, more insightful, or at very least more likely to generate an informative response from others. Not that my use of “what” as an interrogative pronoun was in any way improper, of course. I was just surrounded by idiots.

A Pearl Among Women
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

“I suppose that I will have to tell you everything then,” she said with a sigh.

“Only if you want to,” he said. “But come back to bed. When you are back in my arms you can tell me anything you like. You know I will listen.”

“You listeners are rare among men,” she said, waving a scolding finger at him. But she flipped the covers and slipped back to where she had laid before.

“Give it time. This is all coming at you so fast. And you’re still sick, and you’re dealing with Iain. If there’s something there, let it grow at its own pace, and don’t tie yourself in knots if everything isn’t wrapped up in a bow by lunchtime. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said. “What would I do without you?”

She laughed and said, “that’s easy. You would think too much and you would worry yourself silly. You’re in lockdown with a good looking guy who wants to kiss you. Just enjoy it!”

I have amazing friends.

“Where are you going to go, Jessica?” Kelly watches as Jessica packs her suitcase with what meager belongings she owns.

“I don’t know, Kelly.” Jessica looks over towards Kelly. She has been like a little sister since she came to the ranch.

“Why can’t you stay? I don’t want you to leave.” Kelly walks over and hugs Jessica tightly.

“I don’t want to go, Kelly. But Mrs. White said the state wouldn’t allow me to stay here.

I suppose this is all my own doing really. I had been working as Mr. Owen’s assistant for 6 months now. I loved the job he was a nice guy. Very generous to his staff and if the company was doing well we all got bonuses. Yes, Owen tech was going places. My dream of buying a narrow boat and living free on the canals of Britain could be realized before I was too old to enjoy it.

“Ugh,” I moan as my phone’s alarm wakes me from a mercifully dreamless slumber on yet another Monday morning. Of course, the fact that it’s the start of August means that all weekdays seem to blend into one, even Mondays- though over the last few months, that’s been truer than ever, regardless of the summer break.

Katelyn sits on the bleachers and watches as the other girls on the swim team compete. Because of her states, new law outlawing nongenetic girls from competing in girls’ sports. She couldn’t compete anymore. Last year she could, but this year she was informed by her school board that if she wanted to compete. She would have to do it on the boys’ team. Otherwise, she’ll be riding the bench.

"Assuming the tests come back clear, you will need to make a choice. Do you want hormone therapy that will make you appear more masculine or more feminine?”

Parker looks at her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of her closet door. She couldn’t believe her parents had accepted that she had wanted to be a girl since she was little. True, she has to see a counselor about how she feels. But she didn’t mind.

The counselor she has been seeing wants to see how she looked as a girl today. Her friend Tony was coming to pick her up to take her. He stood by her when she came to him about how she was.

“Parker, Tony is here to pick you up.” Mary sticks her head into her daughter’s bedroom.

Collecting the Reward
A Short Story
By Maryanne Peters

Part 1

“I thought that I would meet you, Sir, so that you could see that I was qualified to receive the reward if I am successful.”