“Why is it so hard to spend some quality time with my daughter?” Mom sighed as she started the car, the familiar rumble a backdrop to her frustration. “I swear, all I wanted was a peaceful evening, but now we have to deal with her.” The thought of Chrystal’s deceit cast a shadow over th...
2025-04-26 19:06:34 +0000 UTC
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The Curse of the Fountain
By
Melanie Brown
Copyright © 2025
Part 17
“Bea’s been attacked? Who? How? Is she okay?” I had a good notion on the who.
“We’re not completely sure. &nb...
2025-04-24 19:03:56 +0000 UTC
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Mom went to the door to greet John and Cyndy and I stayed in my room for a while longer. John was eight years older than me and had been in the Air Force for two years and married to Cyndy for over a year. His first overseas assignment would be coming up at the end of the month, but as a lowly se...
2025-04-24 03:02:33 +0000 UTC
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Friday finally came. Game day, as usual. Not as usual, I would be going to school in my cheerleader uniform — just like the rest of the girls in the squad on game day. So weird.
And maybe the weirdest part was how over the moon Mom and my sisters were about it.
“I’m so proud of ...
2025-04-17 10:55:24 +0000 UTC
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The Magician’s Daughter
By SammyC
Chapter Two
“You yawned wide enough to ingest a large woodland creature, Lindsey,” Dad remarked as I moved to cover my mouth.
“I didn’t know you wanted to start rehearsing ...
2025-04-16 16:42:55 +0000 UTC
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Clothes were scattered everywhere—dresses, skirts, blouses, shoes—a total mess. I felt a wave of frustration, my stomach twisting into knots. This whole 'new look' thing was already stressing me out, and now I had to deal with this chaotic pile. I sat cross-legged on the bed, staring at the p...
2025-04-15 16:58:11 +0000 UTC
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The Curse of the Fountain
By
Melanie Brown
Copyright © 2025
Part 16
I knew he’d call, I thought to myself, looking at the caller ID on my phone. I just hoped Jeff would have waited a bit. Mom is e...
2025-04-12 19:45:45 +0000 UTC
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I got dressed in the clothes I had picked out before, then changed my mind and tried on something else. Long pants and I don’t really get along unless it is cold out and my part of California is seldom really cold, even in winter. I think the temp today might have reached 85 or 90, not unusual ...
2025-04-09 14:57:36 +0000 UTC
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“Welcome to Sha-Wang-Ah Lodge, Mr. Ace. Good to have you back again this summer,” the cheerful young woman at the front desk announced, as my father and I checked in. “And I see you’ve brought your lovely daughter with you this time—”
I raised my hand and started to protest, but...
2025-04-08 19:33:12 +0000 UTC
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“Don’t scream, bitch!” hissed a voice in my ear. I tried to wriggle away, but couldn’t.
“Clarry, hurry up,” said someone I couldn’t see.
“Don’t use my name, you idiot!” snarled whoever had their hand over my mouth. He then yelped in pain as I bit his fin...
2025-04-07 16:33:48 +0000 UTC
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“So, now that we know you’re a girl, I don’t think the name Carl fits you well,” Johnny said, leaning back in his chair, his brow furrowed in deep thought. I was pouring juice for him and Angela, my hands trembling slightly as I tried to focus on not spilling.
“I never had the tim...
2025-04-06 20:10:47 +0000 UTC
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Maryanne presents 18 more tales of Romance, the timeless pursuit of lovers and dreamers, from new explorers in the wilderness of desires to determined conquerors of the citadels of suburbia.
2025-04-06 12:52:29 +0000 UTC
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Turns out cheerleader practice can get pretty hard, what with running and screaming and learning the cheers. And dancing! Moving with the music from Coach Debbie’s portable stereo was fun, but not something I could really remember doing before. It wasn’t the kind of dancing you do in th...
2025-04-04 04:44:31 +0000 UTC
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Copyright © 2025
Part 14
He’s just a boy. I mean, come on. Why am I acting so goofy around him? I let myself get roped into this date. When did I start liking boys? When did they become so cute?
Walk down the hall, stupid, I scolded myself. Everyon...
2025-03-24 21:24:59 +0000 UTC
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By Joyce Melton
The school day went by quickly, but first, Megan helped me repair my eye makeup. She insisted that I do the actual work while she advised. “You have to know how to do this yourself, Petey.”
I grumbled, but it was nice to be with Megan again, even if...
2025-03-20 17:26:39 +0000 UTC
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I'm sick with a bad cold. It's not the flu and I tested negative for Covid, so it's just a cold. And now Melanie has caught it too, but we are getting by. Today it feels like it's turning around for me, so I expect to be fine in another four or five days.
Not to worry.
Hugs,
Erin
2025-03-19 02:08:29 +0000 UTC
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Coming soon from DopplerPress, Cathy's adventures continue in her 24th book!
2025-03-17 20:38:42 +0000 UTC
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I carried clean clothes with me to the shower. My bathroom opens off the hall, so I’ve always done it that way. John, when he was still living here, would forget and have to run back to his bedroom in just a towel. I’ve always been kind of paranoid about someone walking in on me, too.
B...
2025-03-15 22:51:51 +0000 UTC
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Terry had built a nice life for himself: Army veteran, city engineer, landlord, do-gooder...but then it all started to come apart.
2025-03-13 00:13:01 +0000 UTC
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“Siri, who’s calling?” I asked, glancing down at my phone.
“Ms. Hart,” Siri replied.
My eyes went wide in surprise. Ms. Hart had been my violin teacher since I was five years old, more like family than a teacher at this point. I quickly grabbed the phone. “Ms. Hart, it’s...
2025-03-10 21:39:24 +0000 UTC
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Three novellas about Undercover Cops, coming soon!
2025-03-09 02:25:51 +0000 UTC
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Melanie Brown
Copyright © 2025
Part 13
As he leaned towards me, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t watch! This can’t possibly be happening to me! And why am I going to let him do it? His lips are so close to mine. No! No! I can’t do it.
He parted his lips and paused...
2025-03-08 07:54:35 +0000 UTC
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It sure was breezy out on the balcony at nearly midnight. What the heck were they selling with these pics? And what did people down below think seeing him standing there in this lace mini-dress. At least, the director said it was a dress. Pauie wasn't sure it wasn't just a slip or, a what-do-you-...
2025-03-07 14:00:12 +0000 UTC
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“I think Debbie…uh, Coach Debbie is in her office now, Pete,” said Coach Wilson. “You can go through mine, and hers is just across the hall.”
“Okay,” I agreed. Everyone else was leaving the locker room through various doors, depending on where they had homeroom, ...
2025-03-06 04:49:16 +0000 UTC
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We only worked a little more in the yard; it didn’t have to be perfect. The trailer would cover it all up, anyway so however much we cleared away would just have to do.
Some of the dust we stirred up was the alkali sort so common in Cabarker; it sticks to your skin, turning your sweat int...
2025-03-04 17:32:53 +0000 UTC
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By
Melanie Brown
Copyright © 2025
Part 12
In many ways, it was like my first day all over again, except I didn’t have Mom’s hand to hold. And while I had to deal with getting stared at by boys, they didn’t drool the...
2025-03-02 14:53:31 +0000 UTC
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I was used to locking my door back in New York, having two psycho brothers who wanted me dead, but it didn’t make me feel safe. Last night, I slept without fear of Dicky or Peter, which means that I made the right choice.
One issue remained; how do I tell Mom about my issue? I know she ...
2025-03-01 09:39:34 +0000 UTC
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Deputy Dan Weathers, the Oklahoma Mud Man, took his big hat off his face and glared at the Multi-Band Communication Console set into the dash of his cruiser. Most people would call it a police radio, but it was much more, including the capabilities of a computer terminal and a cellphone in its re...
2025-02-27 05:26:04 +0000 UTC
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Illustration for my Space Opera poem on BigClose. :)
https://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/84511/space-opera
2025-02-25 16:56:28 +0000 UTC
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Curse of the Fountain
Melanie Brown
Copyright © 2025
Part 11
“Nell! You have a visitor!”
“Thanks, Mom!” I called as I hurried to the front door.
“Hey, Nell.”
“Thanks for coming over, Sissy.” I said sincerely. I had asked Siss...
2025-02-24 21:51:37 +0000 UTC
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