Dania licks her lips to wipe away the rest of the blood still cling to her lips. The drug dealer she killed lies at her feet with two small holes in the side of his neck from where she had puncture the vein located under the skin. She just looks down at his lifeless body. He was a parasite; living off the misery of those he sold his drugs too. She searches through his pants pockets and such, looking for his drug money. She finds it hidden along with the rest of his stash. She pours some under his nose, so the cops would believe he died of a drug overdose.

Claire is a young curator at a museum.
As she works on a new exhibit she uncovers more than she had thought possible.
Soon she confronted with an ugly truth and a witness.
One that has an interesting tale to tell.

(This story in the "undesirable classes" universe can be read without reading previous stories.)

“How are our patients doing today?” Dr. Victor Evans walks into the lab he had been given by the government to conduct his research.

“They are doing fine, sir. The serum you give them yesterday is already starting to rewrite their DNA.” Dorothy Crowfoot had been hired to be Dr. Victor’s assistant on project rebirth.

It was to be my first date. It was a blind date, or so I was told. I know I know, sucker, big L... I've heard it before, even said it a few times to my friends.

Friends. I'm supposed to be a man, or so my dad used to tell me before all those drinks caught up with him. Don't get me wrong he was never drunk at home. But the old man was a professional bartender and always took a cab home. One he didn't have a drivers license anymore, two it was just easier and cheaper for him to pay ten or so for a ride home at three am. That and I think the owner paid for it.

Swallowed by a sinkhole, Frank wakes up, naked, on a beach. He's rescued by some sailors who not only notice that he's now a girl but seem to believe that she is a mermaid!

"Jewelry is sacred to me so I’m taking it all!” I suggested.

 

Fantastic Mars
10. Jewels of Mars

by Erin Halfelven

Date with Spider-Man

Oddly enough this story contains Infinity War spoilers, so be warned.

"Abby, this is ridiculous."

"Glen, this is the bet. Or should I say Gwen? That fits you better now."

"Don't you dare call me that," I say, pointing with an admittedly dainty hand.

After I screwed up my first contest entry, I pulled and completed another idea. I hope you enjoy

This is a piece of historical fiction based on facts and possible facts. Is it true or is it a fairy tale? The choice is yours.

Jimmy Warren trudged down the street with his hands forlornly thrust into his pockets. The eighth grader was lost in his muddled thoughts of only seven months more of middle school hell. Then there would be four years of high school hell. Maybe, if he survived, college would at least be tolerable. The week before Halloween chill wind whipped and swirled the brown dead leaves willi-nilli across the sidewalks and streets. As usual the backpack he carried was filled with books and weighed nearly half his scrawny seventy five pound weight. The added weight hunched his undersized four feet eight inch frame forward making it look like he was fighting hurricane force winds rather then normal fall zephers.

Unfortunately the day had been normal for the smallest boy in his class. Twice Gary Newhouse slammed him into the lockers as they passed from class to class while his stooge Will Kilmer knocked his books and notebooks from his arm immediately followed by crony Jeff Gray kicking them down the crowded hall. In phys-ed they took every opportunity to trip and jeer at him. No matter how hard he tried to avoid the six feet two inch two hundred twenty five pound fifteen year old the bully still unerringly sought him out.

Why did it have to be lizards?

 

Fantastic Mars
7. Lizards of Mars

by Erin Halfelven