Real World

Black Cat Investigations

Black Cat Investigations – that’s what it says on the door to my downtown office.,

I’m Black by the way. No, I don’t mean that I’m black. Do I confuse you? What I mean is that my name is Black but I don’t have any African roots (that I know about). Actually, I’m white, almost albino white, blonde (nice wavy hair), 6’4”, 200 lbs almost purely muscles apart from the skeleton, firm chin, chiseled features, snappy dresser and so on.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 15

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Chapter 3.15

May 30th, 2023

8:27 PM

Marcia was out riding Tigger when Darryl phoned her.

Hi, Foxy,” he said when she answered. “Can you come up to the house? We need to talk about something.”

Do you want to meet me at the stable?” she asked him.

No, I think we need to talk in the house about this,” He told her.

What’s this about?” she asked. “You’re sounding kinda cryptic.”

Nothing bad, Foxy. I promise that.”

Okay, now I’m getting suspicious,” she said as she steered the horse toward the barn.

Twins, part 7

“You two look exhausted,” Priya said as Luke and Lucy sat down at their usual table in the Student Union bar. “I don’t need to guess why, do I?” The Indian girl bit her lip as her two friends both shook their heads.

“Ugh,” Luke sighed, sharing a knowing glance with his sister. “Never mind ‘back from holiday’, I feel like I NEED a holiday.” Luke allowed himself a smile as his friends Gavin and Susie smiled sympathetically.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 14

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

Again, I'd like to thank Malady for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Chapter 3.14

May 23rd, 2023

12:34PM

Bruce sat on a log bench that was sitting near the barn. It was facing out towards the water and Pioneer Peak, and he was enjoying the view. He had his eye on a golden eagle circling something below. He supposed it was a rabbit, and he watched to see if it would dive for its prey.

Chet exited the house, looking for the older man, and when he spotted him, he followed Bruce’s gaze and saw the eagle just as it dived. A moment later, it was heading back up, a wiggling mass of brown and white fur in its talons. He hoped it was a rabbit.

Walking up to Bruce, Chet observed that the man was munching on a sandwich. “Well, did the police mess up your camper?” He asked.

Letter to Mum

Dear mum,

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the love you have given me throughout my life. I know the sacrifices you have made to raise me and my brothers. The long hours you worked to put food on the table. Scrimping and saving to take us away on holidays.

Now that I’m old enough to understand you explained that dad never wanted children. Which explains why he rarely came on holiday with us. Why he never did things with us like our friend’s dad’s did. I can forgive him that. I understand now people want what they want.

Lockdown Lucy

Alleviating boredom during lockdown restrictions? Helping out a friend in need? Discovering that he looked pretty? There were so many reasons for Luke to try being Lucy. So why wouldn't he? This is just a bit of fun, with over 30 photos. Apologies to those that don't like stories with images; but I do.

Ian, part 20

“Okay, just a few more,” the photographer says to me as I pose in my designer jeans and t-shirt. “That’s great Ian, look this way, try to stand a bit straighter so we can see the logo clearly.” I do as I’m told and hold a subtle smile on my face as the camera takes photos of me- or rather, the clothes I’m wearing. “Okay, I think that’s everything. Thanks Ian, I’ll you have the rest of your Saturday back!”

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 13 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 13 of 13

Chapter 19 - High School

And so I continued to grow up. The usual things that happen to teenage girls happened to me. For the most part, my life as a transgendered girl wasn't too different from that of any schoolgirl, but I'll hit some of the highlights.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 12 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 12 of 13

Chapter 16 - A Birthday Surprise

My twelfth birthday party was quite a departure from those in the past. Previous parties were just a bunch of guys getting together to hang out and stuff themselves with ice cream and cake. This year the topic of sex had become apparent.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 11 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 11 of 13

Chapter 14 - The Birthday Party

Have you ever gotten so busy that you forget some important stuff? By the middle of February I was settling in to my new school and new friends and identity. If I wasn't doing homework or thinking about school I was thinking about the upcoming play, learning the songs and dialog and wondering who was going to be playing Colin and Dickon.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 10 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 10 of 13

Chapter 12 - Tales Of Boobs and Bubbles

By Sunday my wonderful, fabulous, womanly new breasts had me in a sticky situation. Really. The things kept sticking to my chest. I had to look around and if nobody was looking I kind of stuck my fingers in my bra and tried to adjust them to be more comfortable.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 13

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

I'd like to apologize for the long delay in posting. Hopefully, that's over now, but I'm not really sure. Anything can happen, and usually does in my life.
As is always the case, I'd like to thank Malady for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!


Chapter 3.13

Wednesday, May 22nd 2023

It had been several days since French and Brandy had told them what happened to Gerald Parks.

Marcia had hoped they would find that the saw cuts had been made after death – maybe the killer initially planned to dispose of the body in different locations? That wouldn’t be great, but at least it wouldn’t be torture. But no, there was clear evidence that the sawing was done while the poor man was alive.

She found it hard to conceive that people could do things like that to each other. She wished she'd never found out about this case, but she desperately wanted to prove that Bruce had nothing to do with it.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 9 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 9 of 13

Chapter 10 - A New School and A New Show

Ursuline Academy was everything I hoped it would be. Eventually. Of course I had to get through being the new girl, which I thought wouldn't be too hard. After all, I was able to stand up in front of a few hundred complete strangers and convince them I was a cute little orphan for several nights. Stage fright? Me?

Team Player - Chapter 20

“Beep! Beep!”

“Eh? What’s that?” I thought to myself, as I slowly woke from my light sleep.

My alarm clocks illuminated display showed that it was just past midnight. With my phone set not to disturb me during the night, I was confused as to why a message alert had woken me. My sleepiness wasn’t helping me think straight.

I reached over to where the now brightly-lit phone was charging, on top of my bedside table.

“You nasty little bitch!” read the message previewed on the home screen, shocking me into a more fully awake state.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 7 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 7 of 13

Chapter 8 - Ursuline Academy

"And to what do we owe the pleasure of your company this morning, Annie?" asked Dad at breakfast.

"Why Dad, isn't my presence always a pleasure?"

"I refuse to answer because I might have to tell the truth."

"Chip, be nice to your daughter."

"He's never nice to me," grumped Kate.

"I guess that means you don't want a lift to the mall?" snarked Dad.

"I'll just have my boyfriend take me."

"Joanna! Where's my baseball bat?"

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 6 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 6 of 13

Chapter 6 - Party Time

Saturday morning I woke up and I just couldn't help it - with all those new clothes still in the bags I just had to wear them. The party wasn't until two in the afternoon, but I really wanted to try on some of my new things.

Soixante-Trois Airlines: Sophie, part 13

“Umf,” Sophie grunted as her eyes slowly opened and she found herself in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. “He- hello?”

“Ah, bonjour!” The familiar voice of Sophie’s roommate replied with an excited squeak that made Sophie wince.

“Not so loud, please!” Sophie groaned as the throbbing in her head intensified. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Time for you to be getting out of bed,” Francine replied in an authoritative voice. “Today is a big day!”

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 5 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 5 of 13

Chapter 5 - Choices And Changes

Take a minute to think back to when you were eleven years old. That's sixth grade if you're in the US. If you're from someplace else you'll have to figure it out for yourself where you were in school. Some things seem to be burned indelibly into the synapses of my brain, but even the things you think you remember perfectly aren't quite the same as the things other people who were there remember.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 4 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 4 of 13

Chapter 4 - Annie And The Angel

I wore my new print dress home at Kate's insistence - she thinks that having a sister could be fun. Dad and Sam did some silly grunting and chest pounding thing when we got home to prove how great their men's night out was, but we sophisticated women just ignored the gorillas in the living room. We women had better things to do, like finish my homework and go to bed; after all it was a school night. Looking back as an adult having to go to bed so early shocks me, but back then I really did need the sleep. That school bus came awful early.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 3 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 3 of 13

Chapter 3 - Outfitting Annie

School on Wednesday took forever.

I was really looking forward to going out with Mom and Kate, and the idea of being Annie for the outing had moved from yeah, OK to this is going to be fun! Something had clicked when I saw myself as the girl version of me. On stage, Annie was a character, a role I was playing; off stage, the Annie I saw in the mirror was me as a different person.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 2 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg

Part 2 of 13

Chapter 2 - Annie Off The Stage

Annie was a great success, which made me want to spend more time on the stage. I was hooked on the bright lights and the greasepaint, just like my parents. The hardest part of the whole thing was the my name in the program.

Team Player - Chapter 19

“Can I give you a call? Something a bit weird happened this morning. X” read my message to Claire.

I’d been unable to concentrate since getting back from my coffee with Sarah. I’d taken Barney for a short, fifteen minute walk, skipped lunch and then tried to continue my studying. I was finding myself reading the same paragraphs over and over, and each time wouldn’t have been able to recall much of the material.

Little Orphan (D)Annie - Part 1 of 13

Little Orphan (D)Annie

Annie.jpg
 

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board-an'-keep;
An' all us other childern, when the supper things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun
A-list'nin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you…Don't… Watch…Out!

"Little Orphant Annie"
James Whitcomb Riley
1885

Team Player - Chapter 18

“Morning!” beamed my Mum, as we saw each other on the landing, both making our ways towards the top of the stairs. She was far too cheery for this time of the morning, if you were to ask me.

“Mornin’,” I mumbled back, as I started to head down the stairs, my Mum a few paces behind.

“This is very early for you,” commented my Mum, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine, thanks,” I continued to mumble, as my Mum followed me into the kitchen.

Twins, part 6

“Good!” The tall young man said as Luke effortlessly lobbed the ball back to him. “One more, come on.”

“Sure,” Luke replied, stopping the ball dead with his feet before chipping it back into his training partner’s hands.

“You sure you’ve never played on a team before?” Luke’s training partner, a young man named Darren, asked in his thick Yorkshire accent as he and Luke followed the rest of the team off of the pitch.

Team Player - Chapter 17

It was quite an early start on Tuesday morning. I’d committed to myself that I was going to follow a normal school day routine, even though I’d be studying on my own. I’d not be doing myself any favours, if I allowed myself long lie ins or spent all morning watching You Tube.

Epilogue

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

--

Joss sighed as he worked on the commission painting. Knowing it needed to be delivered within two weeks, he wanted it done that day so the oils had time to dry. Smiling as he shook his head, he continued to add details to the dog's ears. Four years and a double degree and I'm using it to paint a rich woman's dead Airedale! he chuckled to himself.

Chapter 28 - Family is Who Loves You

Link: The Road to Hell Title Page and Description

--

Joss was happier than he'd ever thought possible. In the days that followed Thanksgiving, he'd started staying over at Judy's house more and more often. While he cared for the Edwards family and knew they loved him for himself, he loved Judy far more than his own mother. Once she became a licensed foster home in mid-December, Judy took over care of Joss officially, moving him from one house to the other with Joyce and Hank's blessings.

Laura, part 26

“Okay,” I whisper to myself, before taking a deep breath and focusing on the words on the page in front of me. “Doctor, what should I do with this liver?”

“Well, fry it with some onions and some beans!” Comes the reply from George, one of my fellow students.

“…It’s a transplant liver, doctor, for humans,” I say in a deadpan voice, before grimacing. “Ah, shit, sorry, that should be ‘it’s a human liver for transplant’.”

Sensible Voice

This is about the little sensible voice that many of us have that keeps us from harm. It also, perhaps keeps us from being who I we were meant to be.

It started way before I remember. The voice in my head. The little sensible voice that keeps me from harm. The one that I always listen too.
At 5 my mother tried to dress me in a pair of girl’s knickers, I refused as sensible voice told me. “Your brother will be shouting to everyone that you wear knickers if you do” He was probably right.

Team Player - Chapter 15

“Oh, how privileged I must be! Princess Sam finally deemed me worthy of having my phone calls returned. I am so honoured!” my Sister teased, as I called her back.

“I’m sure you’ve been sat, twiddling your thumbs, waiting for me?” I replied.

“Well, after a couple of hours of that, my thumbs got tired! So, I decided to head home from Manchester. I’ve taken the scenic route, over the Snake Pass. It was fun.”

“Oh, that’s funny. We were out for a drive in the countryside today, too. How long have you been back? I asked

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