*Before…

We’re pulling down our road and I can see the ranch. “Well it’s not burned down so I guess we’re having pasta tonight.”

He smiles and he pulls up my lane and into my yard. “I told you so.”

I look at him and then at his place and my place and just sort of everything. “I love you y’know right?”

He just smiles as he reaches over and pulls me in and gives me this really tender kiss on the forehead. “Yeah, I know.”

*And Now…

The letter that Garia receives causes her to question what it is the Beings are doing, but other more urgent matters require her attention. It seems the Einnlanders need to know the effects of firearms, and it so happens the Kallend estate is the perfect place to show them.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

115 - Fire in the Hole

Aaron addressed the group in the Alt-TOR-net hangout.

The pieces, methodically and patiently placed over the preceding three years, were all falling into place, and having laid dormant, were apparently still undetected. The end game was ready to begin.

Over the months Aaron and I had spent many long nights discussing the situation, and I was beginning to truly feel like the partner and co-collaborator that everyone always presumed the fictitious Lade 3V3 to be.

Be careful what you wish for. If you're lucky, you just might get it!

(Sephrena asked me to do an epilogue to make sure it met all of the contest requirements, so here it is, hopefully squeaking in under the wire.)

Keren sends news that he is planning a side trip, which causes concern at the palace. Robanar, Eriana and Garia travel out to a mansion to welcome the Norsemen who are arriving from Plif. The meeting throws up an unexpected problem that causes Eriana some personal contemplation.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

113 - Winter Happenings

Be careful what you wish for. If you're lucky, you just might get it!

Training moves out into the countryside between Galdarin and Joth. Maralin learns much about the art of soldiering. Then comes a shock... Maralin faces accusations of spying but there is no time for arguments - they must run and hide!

Maralin faces his next challenge: to learn to fight with weapons his world had forgot and worse, to mix with a company of men who all think he's just like them...

Identity Theft
by Ellie Dauber
© 2000

Author's Note: When I read an article about identity theft some time back, it occurred to me that such thieves better be very careful whose identity they steal.

* * * * *

T-Jay watched from the shadows while the guy from Apartment 307 tossed his trash into the dumpster. He waited till the old coot ambled back into the building. Sure that nobody was watching, he ran over and grabbed the three loosely tied plastic bags. He turned and ran back into his own apartment, locking his door behind him.

This story is available on amazon here The New E.D. Treatment
for sale or a review if you can spare a few seconds.

Author's note: If ever there was an epic fail.

At the ending of the year there are two important occasions Garia must attend. First comes the last ever gathering of the Guilds of Palarand before they merge to form a new combined engineering institute. Then, as the old year ends, there is the festival of Midwinter's Night, where each family gathers together to remember the past and prepare for the new year to come.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

112 - Midwinter's Night

UF-2 The Seeds of War
by Barbie Lee
Edited by Catherine Linda Michel
Copyright April 2002

"His breath reeked of gin and spirits. It was probably the only mouthwash he ever used. He smiled, and his yellow teeth looked bright against the dark recess of his yawning gullet. His lips were thin. Probably from seldom being pulled into a smile. He held his knife to my throat. “I’m going to sell you to the slavers.”

Over the shoulder of the first man, I could see another man coming across the room. He was holding up a slave collar. A cruel device, it was guaranteed to make the person it was placed on, submissive. Voice controlled, the master didn’t need a transmitter. All the master had to do was give a command. If the slave didn’t respond the slave collar would give a cruel shock. I had seen slaves drop to the floor writhing in agony when they didn’t respond to a command from the master. Those slave collars were a product of the government for use on prisoners. Pirates and slavers found a new use for the government prisoner collars."

And off we go in Book two of UF-2 The Seeds Of War. Strap yourselves in and suit up for action in deep space. Pirates, slavers, alien races and war loom ahead for Brandy, Sherry and all the universes and dimensions. Can our heroes and heroines stave off war and win out against the worst that space has to offer? Well here we go!

Sweet Dreams-59

Chapter 59

*Before…

I look around the caf and it’s just a sort of morbid kind of curious look and I’m looking not at the kids around me in the whole popular side of things but over to what would have been me…you ‘know the loners and the geeks and the sort of like unpopular kids that don’t really fit the popular and semi popular high school tribes and I’m kind of looking for.
Yeah…it’s there.
I see them and they see me and some of them sort of do the don’t look right at it thing with me but some of them are doing the glare and don’t like me because I’m one of “Them” looks.
Sigh…fuck.
I knew it was bound to happen and yeah if I was a shitty person and all self-absorbed and shit I’d trot out the they’re just jealous crap but I’ve been there and they’re coming at this from places of being likely treated like dogshit by some of these popular people and stuff.
So…I’m going to need to change that.

*And Now…

Hopscotch…A Jump in Life 1

Chapter 1

Beep…
Beep…
Beep…

My throat hurts…

There’s a flicker in the darkness… a jingle of keys? Seeing them falling slowly into a hand and a feeling of excitement.

I see a blue car, a muscle car and we’re all running towards it.

We…I’m with a bunch of guys getting in the back seat.

I can feel a forward pushing me back feeling going fast.

I don’t think there was any like drinking or stuff but there was yelling.

The screech of tires and a girl screaming.

Me?

Garia spends a day meeting people all over the palace. Plans are made, ideas are discussed, decisions taken, and a surprising offer comes from an unexpected direction.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

111 - Five Conversations

UF-2 Book 1 Chapter 6 By Barbie Lee, Edited by Catherine Linda Michel

FROM CHAPTER 5

She made the motions of drawing an X over her heart. “Nope, God’s own truth. He turned of age yesterday. That meant two things for him. He was allowed to marry without his parents permission, and he ascends to command of his clan. His dad, your father in law, has stepped down as leader of the clan.”

“Honey, you married into the Number One Clan. Toni is head or leader of all Pash as of yesterday.”

FROM THE EDITOR: So now we know who Toni actually is. In this final chapter we will witness Brandy's acceptance of the life that fate has brought her, the final showdown with the Trag, and Brandy's rise to Queen of the Pash.

Book 2 of this great space opera is about done with editing and will follow as soon as possible.

Snakes and Ladders-33

Chapter 33

I take a ragged breath as I’m sniffing and I’m just honestly so surprised really that he’s acting this way towards me and everything. I was expecting stern and commanding and all sorts of things I guess really I was not expecting an elf, a Sylvan man with hazel eyes and thick long brown hair with really dark brown deeper in and the outside of it lightened by being out in the sun.

I was not expecting him to smell like red clover and the best parts of a sawmill.

I was not expecting the hug like he’s a dad.