Nikki let out a long sigh as she was woken by the sound outside her flat. She'd lived in or near the centre of London for her whole life, so she was used to the sound of pedestrians, of traffic, of businesses and of the countless other sounds generated by the nearly nine million residents of the vast city. What she was not used to, however, was the sound of silence.

It had been exactly one month to the day since the Prime Minister had addressed the nation, saying the words that Nikki and countless others had dreaded to hear.

“Okay,” Sophie sighed into her phone as she laid in bed. “Thanks for letting me know. Stay safe.”

“Will do,” the receptionist said as she ended the call, leaving Sophie to groan with frustration as she stared at the ceiling. It had been over two weeks since she’d last had a shift from the airline, and while she was certain she wasn’t being persecuted (unlike when her first book had been published), it came as little to comfort to her- much like the knowledge that while she wasn’t going anywhere, nobody else was either.

This is a story I HAD to write last November. I kept spilling out of me. But it is too depressing to post in grey dull winter time, so I stalled its release until now.

Please do not read this if you are feeling down or depressed or are easily be pulled emotionally down!

If you are thinking about suicide, please get help. There are a lot of people out there willing to help whatever is the reason.
Suicide is never a solution!

Luv,
Louise

"I put my self-doubt aside. The question was, who did Liz think I was? And, could I be that person?"

“I- I’m sorry, what?” Paul asked, confusion and anger seeping into his voice.

“I- I’m also transgender,” Lucy said firmly as her grip tightened on her brother’s hand. “For- that is, ever since- ever since we started university, I- I’ve been living as a girl. Going to classes, going to parties as- as a girl.”

“I- I- just… what?” Paul asked.

“Luke, what are you sa-“ Sarah asked, only for her child to interrupt her.

Sunday

Now we come to the reason Aida and I spent the night - attending church in the morning. My cynical self couldn't help but compare the Gabriel clan with those B movie mobsters that spend week raping, pillaging, boozing and blackmailing, then go to church on Sunday to thank the lord for their blessings. That has to rate right up there with getting fucked by some dude at your own anniversary party. I wondered if we should sit a few pews away in case there was an unseasonable lightning strike.

People Watching At The Party

With that he wandered to greet the guests as they arrived. We seated ourselves in the shade of the big tent and indulged in some people watching. Since most of the guests were of her parent's generation, we weren't disturbed for quite some time as guests greeted one another.

“So then,” Susie asked Luke and Lucy as they and their friends sat around their usual table in the Student Union bar. “Looking forward to Sunday?”

“Ooh, yes, I’d almost forgotten about that!” Priya giggles as the twins’ blushes deepened.

“…Maybe a bit,” Lucy mumbled.

“Maybe even less than that,” Luke sighed. “Tough to get excited about your birthday when you know your presents are gonna suck.”

“Sorry if we’re putting a dampener on YOUR birthday, Gav,” Lucy said to the young man who was exactly one day young than her and her brother.

Friday

That was one of the longest weeks in my life. I strove mightily to get things in shape so I could take the next week off. With Aida pulling evening shift so she could get the weekend off to meet my parents our only direct contact was last night's comedy. It helps when you're the boss, playing with the schedule is a bit easier that way. Also, her people were excited that she would be meeting her fiancée's parents. They were in on the scam with her parents, but not with the scam with me.

The Realization

"Oh Lauren, I'm so sorry," cried Aida. "I was just so damn mad at that bitch with her 'bring your fiancé crap. She knew damn well that I don't have a fiancé."

"No, you've got a fiancée."

“How the hell did you know I was here?” Joey practically screamed at her father.

Over the next couple of months, Dan mentored Mandy at work and Mandy mentored Dan in the skills of dressing and makeup. Dan worked late at least once a week. He had told his wife that there was a lot of work involving turning the company into a PLC.

She didn’t mind. She said he seemed a bit happier these days with all the extra work. Dan was very careful. He always showered before he went home. He was always checking himself in the mirror in the car before he went inside.

I sigh as the loud, impersonal buzzer wakes me from a dreamless sleep. After staring at the blank ceiling for a few moments, I sigh again before getting out of bed, pulling on my slippers and my dressing gown before padding down the corridor to the sterile white bathroom, relieving myself before heading toward the dining room for breakfast. This has been my routine for almost four weeks now, and every day I walk down these halls it reminds me or why I’m in this place- it reminds me of my failure.

Thanksgiving

Sometimes Chaos can be a good thing. The old place was filled to the rafters, but we managed to find places for both visiting families to sleep. I graciously volunteered to sleep at Lucy's place to make room. Hey - I'm a writer, I make up stories for a living. I don't claim they're convincing stories.