Texas was the first to declare independence when martial law was imposed on the citizens of the old US. Given the wars in Central America along with the economic collapse, the "Gang of Four" ruling Washington could do little to stop the states in the west and southwest from declaring secession. A shoot-on-sight policy was implemented for curfews, which led to dozens of incidents involving US troops firing on civilians. Ev...

I’m down on my knees with the scrubbing brush when my phone buzzes against the tiles. I wipe my damp hand across my leggings and swipe to see the notification. Dentist appointment: 2pm. “Oh, shit!” I had it in my head that my appointment was tomorrow, and now I realise I’ve only got twenty minutes to get there. My stomach drops. I’m flushed from cleaning already, too warm in my pink marble leggings and the stretchy pink s...

Monday morning dawned with the promise of a new chapter in Hannah’s life. It was a bright, sunny morning, which matched her mood entirely. As she arrived at work, she took her place at her usual secretary’s desk, but almost immediately Ms. Buchanan called her into her office. Hannah’s heart raced with anticipation, feeling this had to be good news, although Ms. Buchanan’s initial demeanour gave nothing away. “You surprise...

It was a little after 8 pm when Tanya returned to her apartment, “Thank god it’s Friday,” she said out loud. The day was brutal, she ached all over, was tired and hungry and only interested in two things, a hot bath and a glass of wine. She stood in the middle of her bedroom and undressed. Steam cascaded out of the bathroom as the bath filled. Soft music playing in the background and a chilled glass of Semillon close by....

Safeya was a 39-year-old femboy who enjoyed giving men their first gay experience. The guy she was meeting on this night was only 20, and Safeya had let her pubic hair grow, hoping that the sight of her pubes, and of her underarm hair, might help to get her lover's gay juices flowing. After they met, they began kissing on his bed, feeling horny. Safeya was keen to show him her uncut dick and let him jerk her off. The man...

The house on the hill stood like a quiet queen overlooking the ocean, its white walls glowing under the warm brush of the late afternoon sun. Waves rolled lazily against the shore below, the rhythm of the tide blending with the cries of distant gulls. She sat on the edge of her wide cedar deck, one long, toned leg folded beneath her and the other stretched out, her toes painted a deep, glossy red. The hem of her loose lin...

At 23, I finished my bachelor's degree in accounting and, after several interviews, received and accepted a job offer from an established firm in Miami. I was both excited and anxious at the prospects that awaited me. My moving strategy was simple. I would set up appointments to see potential apartments and fly down from my parents' home in New York to pick one out. Once accommodation was secured, I would return to New Yo...

I’m flushed when I walk into the café, still warm from the cycle over. My legs ache pleasantly, t-shirt clinging, and my hair has gone wild in the wind. I drop my bag at a corner table and head to the counter to order a coffee, already thinking through code. When I sit down again, I open my laptop and before long I’m deep in it; the OAuth flow, authentication layers, scopes and permissions. I’m half-lost in the logic when...