Dancer From the Dance, Part 1
_Mozhem li my otdelit' tantsora ot tantsa?_ _ _ Some very few, very fortunate, souls are born into a real family; the rest of us have to spend a lifetime searching for it, and of those, some very few, very fortunate, actually find it. Only in this...
Arrangements
"What the hell do you mean, I'm dead?" Were I anyone else, such a question would probably have sent me in search of some nice young males in their clean white coats (or whatever other fur color they might have) to come and take the speaker away. I,...
Dancer From the Dance, Part 2
**_Walpurgisnacht_** I wasn't fully aware of holding my breath until it came out in a rush of air, in a gasp, in sounds that had tried to be words and failed. Abram stood calmly before me, his soft amber eyes gazing at me half-lidded, breathing...
Gaming the System
I left the employment queue, keeping my anger in check. It was bad enough that they weren't going to give me a job at this high-and-mighty office complex; I wasn't going to give them the excuse to have me incarcerated as well. Just as well that it...
Of Dumplings and Dumps
The Dobie security guard was right about the Flaming Grill Buffet. It was surprising that the place could afford the space for seven islands of food, much less the kitchens and the spacious dining area, located as it was in the heart of downtown....
The Firm Law
I'd like to have lingered over the tea; instant or not, it was warm, as was the kitchen, and the company was good. I learned that other required services to the McMansion were provided by independent contractors. No big snows for the past few weeks or...
Clean-Up on Aisle 1
"Why am I always the one who has to haul out the trash?" "Because you're the only one big enough to handle the kind of trash we get in this place." "You need a better lock on the door." Manny grinned softly at the large black bear. A full two...
Only Love Survives
The young vixen, her white fur almost glistening in contrast to the dark muted blue of her outfit, waited as patiently as possible given the circumstances. Even from a distance, she could smell the myriad scents of the crime scene - sweat, blood,...
In the Moonlit Mist
In Latin, the moon is_luna,_ which is where we derive the term "lunatic." Originally, it meant to be "touched by the moon" or "moonstruck," because it was thought that the full moon affected people's minds, perhaps the way that it affects the tides....
Baby Steps
"I didn't want you to go to any trouble." "Stop being silly." Jerry watched as the younger of his landlords continued to straighten up the living room of the big house, waiting for the auto-set electric kettle to chime its announcement that the...
The Jam Jar
For Neil Gaiman, who unknowingly gave me the seed crystal _ _ _ "Ye gods, that thing is repulsive."_ _ "Yes, I know."_ _ "Why do you keep it?"_ _ "It needs me."_ \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* \* The rat, mid-sized for his particular feral...
Family Treasures
"I can report with confidence that Niceville, Florida, is just that, but that there's one house that should not be allowed to stand." Bobby Harris could only nod in agreement as he welcomed Duncan and Daniel Lamar back to their familial home with as...