Snapshots
By Ellie Dauber

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

* * * * *

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.

Morningstar,

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.

When I get on the bus, I don’t know what I expect but hardly anyone pays any attention. These students are in various stages of self entertainment. Most are on their phones. Some have books out.

There are a few empty seats and fewer empty rows. I pick one of the empty rows and settle in. The bus hisses before it’s on it’s way. I haven’t had any time to myself to process and I won’t find that here either because a boy jumps in the seat beside me.

“You ignoring me, Hill?” he asks with a smile

“ What'd I do now?” his expression is carefree.

The Medallion of Zulo" -- A Song Parody
by Ellie Dauber
(c) 2002

A song parody to the tune of the old blues song, "They'll Be Some Changes Made." The original words are there for comparison.

The Medallion of Zulo" -- A Song Parody
by Ellie Dauber
(c) 2002

"They'll Be a Change in the Weather"
By Higgins and Overstreet
(based on the 1927 Bessie Smith recording)

This is set in my A New Life universe, which is set in Dot's M.Y.T.H. universe.

Fair warning: Suicide is attempted, but (spoiler alert) the attempt fails. And thus comes the real Christmas gift in this story.

The Christmas Eve midnight service was wonderful. I took my place in the soprano section of the choir and sang carols that I had literally known for decades. I had to pay attention to what I was doing, though. It would have been easy to slip into the baritone or tenor parts that I had learned years ago.

At the stroke of midnight, Pastor Dan placed the baby Jesus into the manger. We all wished each other a very merry Christmas, sharing hugs all around.

Galen was sitting in his office, going over preparations to take Bug into custody. He felt like a wannabe inventor trying to become an actual inventor. It was one idea after another. He just couldn’t figure out a way militarily that would even work out successfully for them. It was getting to the point that he would be forced to enlist the help of military strategists and historians to aid in this endeavor. But Bug might simply be too powerful for Galen, the Agency, and the best the military had to offer.

Ben and Amanda cosplay as their favorite superheroes for Halloween, and run into some old friends at a Halloween block party. But since the appearance of the Venn machines, Halloween cosplay has taken on a new dimension.

Nerd-No-More Ad #3
by Ellie Dauber

Commercial products have been put to political use since the dawn of time. This use (misuse to some) of Nerd-No-More is only the latest case, and the Nerd-no-More company claims no responsbility for the INDEPENDENT actions of one or more of its customers.

“The Many Faces Go To War: Chapter 9”
By = Fayanora

Chapter Nine: Unofficial Self-Defense Club

Notes: Whoops! Forgot to post this last time! So you'll be getting two in a row!

Started putting dates on these chapters where possible, it helps me keep track of where I am in the story. (Something I figured out when writing my original fiction.) Dates are provided by HP Lexicon's Order of the Phoenix calendar.

Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade

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

Harry pulls his battered pick-up truck up to the house he had been told to clean out by his father. It was to pay his father back for buying the truck he was driving. He grabs his gloves and paper mask as he heads inside the house. He couldn’t believe how much of a mess had been left behind.

The house had been foreclosed on and his father had bought the house at an auction to flip it. His father loved making money. His father was paying him and four of his friends to clean the house out. If there is anything they wanted to come for themselves, they could.

This is a second person FtM story, I've been kinda intrigued with the idea of writing something in second person for a while. This is a heads up that this story is basically about the reader being turned into a boy and I figure that could be triggering to some people, especially trans women. There's no abuse, but just be careful and maybe give this one a miss if you think that might upset you. Otherwise, enjoy!

“The Many Faces Go To War: Chapter 8”
By = Fayanora

Chapter Eight: Defiance

Notes: Started putting dates on these chapters where possible, it helps me keep track of where I am in the story. (Something I figured out when writing my original fiction.) Dates are provided by HP Lexicon's Order of the Phoenix calendar.

Shadowsblade a Whateley Tale: Written by Shadowsblade
Created for war and forged in pain, dealing with demons within and
without.

In this one Another time...to come.

Another time

If I should die before I wake...

They came from the same direction we had come from, more of the huge green things than I could count. Gunshots banged out from our side, but they had firearms, too, monstrous pistols like the one we had found for Trike.