Before starting my tour of duty in Okinawa, I thought my primary talent was playing the piano. I was soon to learn otherwise, though, and my late coming to "the" life gripped me like a disease or an unshakable habit. I had known since not long after puberty that I had an unusual attraction. I had formed friendships quickly from my days in high school—and no...
The summer before my freshman year of college I went to stay with my dad's old friend Ken for two and a half months. I was enrolled in a summer class, but my parents couldn't really afford housing for me outside of the regular semester. Luckily, Ken lived 20 minutes from campus, lived alone, and had room in his condo to spare. It was the perfect set up....
"Your majesty!" Dalila bowed when the Queen entered the shrine. "How may I be of service, My Lady?" The Queen folded her hands neatly in front of her gown and nodded her head to the girl. "I seek guidance today from the great mother Danu herself." The Queen said solemnly. The girl smiled gently at the forlorn Queen. "This way my lady." She bid Queen Maudli...
Last night's boy was a good catch with a serious potential. I first saw him standing apprehensively in my doorway. Wearing blue jeans, a sweater and tennis shoes, he was just your typical next door teenage boy. His hair was curly and reddish, and he had a narrow face with slightly protruded ears, giving him the ethereal aspect of an elf. He definitely didn't...
Waiting It wasn't the only pub in the area, but it was the only one he remembered. Not that he had been old enough to drink then, of course. But he found it unsatisfactory, filled with grumbling old men in flat caps playing dominoes. The music was muted as if to apologise for its existence — and maybe it should, he thought, when he realised that it was some...
The Great War had ended six years ago. For some of us, though, it was still a part of our daily lives. I had enlisted when I was seventeen. Six months later I was in hospital with pieces of shrapnel embedded in both of my legs. I recovered fairly quickly and returned to the fighting. As luck would have it, only a week before the Armistice was declared I was...
Chapter 03: Homecoming I dropped my boss's dry cleaning off and hopped on the 'L'. God, I was so happy to be getting off work early, and on a Monday at that. When my boss told me to take off early, I was shocked. I was not so shocked when he told me to drop his dry cleaning off on the way. It's hard to believe that I've been working for him for two years....
Chapter Fifteen - Collared Snake Walking into a ring never felt like this. Johnny was sure he was different, and the world was a different place, too. It had to be true what songs and whatnot said about love giving you wings and all that. For a while, he had thought that he would care less. But the soonest he jumped the ropes, into the cage, he knew that w...
This story is based on true facts which were related in a BBC2 TV documentary though I have elaborated on these for my story. * "Holy One," whispers the voice, low and deferential from out of the darkness. Dreaming. The Goddess Nut, gigantic face, features spread over the sky, eyes the size of galaxies, expressionless, open mouth, waiting patiently, teeth...
I was certain my queasy and debilitating feeling of frustration would end if I could only lick the trail of hair that descended, from Dusty's belly button, into the top of his jeans. One side of my brain told me to just do it, while, the other side told me I could destroy the friendship we'd enjoyed since starting kindergarten, thirteen years ago. I'd always...