My midwife first came to me and I asked for her, not to touch me. For I had recently been examined on admission and I was progressing as would be expected, for someone whose rhythms had been disrupted by the discomfort of driving to the hospital, and the cold, sterile environment of the assessment unit. Ten years today, and I still vividly remember how quickly I escaped the wheelchair and wandered to the confines of the b...

If we don’t listen to our hearts, How can we find where we belong If we don’t love one another then the world can seem so wrong Forget the attacks and deadly wars Forget the hate and the insanity We are all somehow connected Together as a whole, called humanity We are the woman with cancer who still always wears a smile We are the teen dad with a job To work, he walks a mile We are the one who lost a lover feeling angry,...

4th of October – Season 3 "So tonight you take on the Formula-X Queen, huh?" Thawn took note of Jeremiah's tone. "No, tonight I take out the Formula-X Queen," responded Thawn, specifying. It was the final part of what he called his revenge tour for retribution for his loss at the Second Formula-X Grand Prix in Gauntlet IV. While Thawn had planned this since the first episode of the season, he hadn't expected part of his p...

Entering the jewellers he pointed at a bracelet. "I'll take that one please." The assistant boxed the bracelet and gift wrapped it. "That's an expensive gift, special occasion?" "It's a birthday gift. Only the best for my special lady." The assistant smiled and handed him the gift. Thanking the assistant he headed off homewards. Ringing the doorbell, he waited while she slowly opened the door. Giving her the gift, he gent...

I have a strange tale for you, a very strange tale indeed. I almost don’t know where to start. I suppose the beginning may be a good idea. Firstly, I’m a writer. I write crime novels, perhaps you’ve read some of them. My name is Rambles, Verity Rambles. Oh dear, I’ve only just started and already I’m sounding like James Bond. Sadly I’m not; I’m just a writer. I’m a big fan of the nineteen-twenties. Most, if not all of my...

27th of September – Season 3 Penny Potgieter had never really liked weddings. They were a mess to organize because the people getting married always thought they knew better than her. In the end, it was always an elaborate celebration for people who didn't deserve it that didn't mean anything afterward. It kind of reminded Penny of another celebration that was happening tonight... Queen Stevie's Coronation. It was traditi...

26th of September – Season 3 Devì stared at the Arbour Games poster that had her and Stevie on it and couldn’t help but be disappointed. Does this make me look fat? Looks were very important to Devì and she was unapologetic about it. Devì wondered why they’d chosen to put her on the poster wearing her racing suit considering she was something of a bombshell. It couldn’t be in an effort to pander to the more conservative “...

Late one night, the police phoned to inform us that one of my grandfather’s buildings was on fire. We rushed up to Brook Farm, but could only stand and watch as his old wooden barn burned to the ground. The firemen let us stand nearby as they pumped water from the nearby stream. As we watched the barn crackle and burn, my parents went into the farmhouse to check on grandfather. The real sadness came as my ninety-three-yea...

Many smiles I wish For you today With your smiles I pray To cross your mind A time or two All the memories We have shared Each has a spot in our hearts When my time comes When I am no more The memories we have Of our love We share Love and live in your heart Forever more

He walked into the bedroom, ready for bed. His wife of sixty-five years was already in bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. Her hair was in curlers, her teeth in a glass on the bedside table. As he took his teeth out and put them in a glass on his side, she pulled the covers down revealing she was wearing the red silk nightie she reserved for special nights. “Trick or treat?” She smiled. He sighed. “Doesn’t matter....

The scars of yesterday Remind her She must take control Taking a deep breath Refusing the tears to fall She will be strong She waits Soon to pack the memories away To love another day No choices she has Each day will be a bit easier She must be strong

I’m so fortunate to be able to look out on the world, to see the sunrise, to smell the freshness of the morning dew, and to experience the warmth of the rising sun, and at the end of the day, to cool off and experience those special sunsets; the ones that display the brightest oranges and reds against the silhouetted trees. Then there are the arcs of brightly coloured rainbows that fill you with awe and the bird song that...

From the first night in that house, female moans invaded my dreams. Now, I awake to a new sound- tap tap tap- as if someone's rapping on glass. I look, but there's nothing outside the window. "Over here," whispers her melodic voice, luring me toward her. I find myself staring into the antique mirror. She appears- hauntingly beautiful! Her face angelic. Her body by Aphrodite. "Closer," she begs. I cannot help but obey. Her...

I am not sure how old the thick glass door is, but it might be from the early eighties. I swipe the access card, and the push bar lets me free inside the apartment. Waiting on the elevator now for the second floor, and I hear chattering behind me in Hindi. I peek through a long hallway behind a wall. And at the end of the hallway, I see a group of people in decent clothing, and each holds what appears to be the holy bible...

20th of September – Season 3 As Darcy Stevens looked over the edge of the pier, looking out at the ocean watching the sun set, she thought about the night ahead and how nervous she was. She only had one shot at doing this right and it was all riding on her winning tonight. “I haven’t seen you come out here in a long while.” Stevie turned around to see her brother, Pieter ‘Tar’ Stevens. He was dressed in Navy Dress Blues....