‘Okay Bev, if you think I’m so good-looking, and attractive, and nice and all the rest of it, how come you’re trying to get me off with Sharon?’ They stared at each other – Vince in challenge, Beverley in shock. The trouble was, she had done such a good job of convincing herself that a … More The House-Sitter – Part 6
There came a day when the papers were ready to submit to the websites. For maximum anonymity they hired a car, drove to a big public library in the city, and used the computers there. They were well-prepared and the computers were fast, so it only took them an hour and a half, though it … More The House-Sitter – Part 5
All three of them took showers (Bertie’s with local applications of the garden hose), then re-assembled in the Porters’ house, where Vince took charge of the kitchen and cooked a delicious bean stew with polenta dumplings. He did make a terrible mess, but it was nothing that Beverley and the dishwasher couldn’t handle. Afterwards, they … More The House-Sitter – Part 4
So Beverley told Vince all about the man who was lurking among the trees on the evening of her arrival. ‘But he could have been next door’s gardener, couldn’t he?’ said Vince. ‘If so, he’d strayed over the boundary and was gardening in the dark.’ ‘Or he could have been an intruder of some sort…’ … More The House-Sitter – Part 3
The main drawback of being escorted home by Alice was that she proceeded so very slowly down the road on her sticks. This allowed the neighbours plenty of time to scrutinise Beverley, dressed in her night-clothes as she was, with rumpled hair and tear-blotched face. Even worse, some of them wanted to chat. ‘Good morning, … More The House-Sitter – Part 2
Beverley would sometimes describe herself as ‘universally incompetent.’ People who didn’t know her would put this down to humorous modesty – always an attractive trait if not over-done. But the sober truth was that she was rubbish at almost everything. This was apparent from her earliest days at school, and continued throughout her education. Her … More The House-Sitter – Part 1
On Monday morning Teri was delayed by a domestic crisis, so when she arrived at school she had to go straight to her History class. She expected Caroline to be there already, sitting in her usual seat, but she wasn’t. Had she been held up, too? Was she unwell after all the excitement of the … More Coming Out – Part 6
They held a Council of War the following evening and asked Kat, Arabella and Pip to join them. First there was the unveiling of the feet, and this time Caroline was able to say, ‘I’m a hybrid,’ without even flinching. It was as if each time she said it, it made the reality less shocking, … More Coming Out – Part 5
‘Tom Price must have been sent by the Colonel!’ said Caroline. ‘To let me know they’re watching me, and I can’t escape. Oh God, do you think they’ve been spying on us?’ ‘Not necessarily,’ said Teri. ‘He may have just turned up as insurance. After all, there’s only five weeks to go till you turn … More Coming Out – Part 4
She was the product of a top-secret genetic experiment. Her embryo was put together in an ultra-advanced laboratory in an underground military base, and gestated in a tank. Her natural mother’s genes were meticulously spliced together with those of an extraterrestrial donor, in such a way as to make Caroline’s physical appearance and emotional makeup … More Coming Out – Part 3
Dreams of New Earth 