Rose

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 27

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Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

Chapter 27


6:00 PM

Mage hadn’t had time to prepare anything big with driving Stephen to the doctor’s but on the way back she stopped long enough to pick up a couple of take and bake pizzas.

At eight o’clock, the kids went upstairs when the doorbell rang. Chet answered it as Mage called out to the kids to be nice to each other. Lately, they had started bickering as siblings often did.

The Arctic Fox by Rosemary Howell - Now on Kindle

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When his family moved to Alaska, Patrick had a new life to begin...in more ways than one.

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The Arctic Fox
by Rosemary
Now on Kindle

The new kid is a genius. At thirteen, starting the ninth grade, he just wants to fit in. His Air Force dad moved the family to Alaska and it's a whole new life.

Maybe in a new life he can be his real self, a girl who decides to call herself Marcia to make it more different from her old name.

A new life means new friends, new challenges. Like dealing with bullies and boys who think she's pretty. There is drama—a death in the family, danger in her father's job as a pilot, romantic complications—can Marcia deal with all the changes?

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 26

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?
I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Chapter 26

July 29th, 2023

Palmer, Ak

10:37 AM

It was payday on the farm, and Mage was making her way around to the different workers, handing them their statements. It was the day and age of electronic payments, but she had decided to hand people their statements, at least, as it allowed her to chat with each of them and find out how they were all doing.

The Letters Chapter 11

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Thanks Malady! You're a great help!

I know it's been a while since I've updated The Letters, and I do apologize.

Don't worry. I haven't forgotten about the letters, themselves.


Chapter 11

We should go to London,” Grace said after a while.

Greg didn’t move, but said, “We’re descending right now. We’re almost there.”

Grace sighed and turned to look at him. “Look. I know it was tough seeing what happened to Gracie, but we’ve got a job to do here.”

A Nearly Impossible Decision

Again, I need to thank Malady for his help in editing this. All the ideas he gives are greatly appreciated. This is a fanfic that jumped out at me right after I saw the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (Did I miss an "and" in there? LOL!)

Please let me know what you think about this little piece!


A Nearly Impossible Decision

La’an stared unseeingly at the screen. In her mind, she was back in Toronto, while her heart was ripped out by the Romulan, Sera.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 25

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?
I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Chapter 25

July 28th, 2023

Lincoln City, OR

9:00 AM

Marcia slept in a bit, but woke up to the smell of coffee. Lazily, she sat up and looked around the bedroom. Obviously, Darryl had gotten up a fair bit earlier than her. She distinctly remembered not caring overly much about where her t-shirt, shorts, and undergarments landed before she lay down, but now they were not on the floor, where logic said they must have landed when she and Darryl collaborated in their removal.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 24

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

Once Darryl and Marcia left, Mage and Chet collected the gifts that they had insisted they would put away, and took them to a shed at the corner of the property. After, since they were nearby, they walked to a building that was being erected. It was hidden behind one of the many gravel glacial moraines that abounded in the area.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 23

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

And for the moment you've been waiting for... Well, at least they have...

Trish was immaculately made up, and her hair was styled nicely. She gave a good look at what was arranged on Marcia’s vanity and moved her head in a manner that suggested the cosmetics just wouldn’t do for the day. She grabbed a case that she’d carried in with her and setting it on the vanity, she said, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 22

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

Mike Chatham always enjoyed being in the pilot's seat of an airplane. His Beechcraft Bonanza was less powerful than his fighter, but flying over the Chugach Mountains was a beautiful view.

In the plane was his daughter Amber, seated in the right seat. A newlywed couple was in the back row, and in front of them were Marcia and Sammy. The little boy had come to help take his mind off the terrors of the Fourth of July, but he wanted his Aunt Marcia along with him. Once Sammy and Marcia were going, Amber wanted to fly with her daddy too.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 21

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

Freshly sprayed down with Off®, Marcia, Darryl, and Sammy sat at a picnic table near the Matanuska River dock. It was a ways from where the body had been found, for which they were glad. They didn’t want Sammy thinking about that either. Whether he understood what he’d seen in the case of his parents death, or the skeletal hand, would have to be determined by a counselor.

Handmade

As I said in my blog before, I have some lovely pain in my left hand. Needless to say, this makes it tough to type. Of course, the left thumb isn't used in 10 key typing, but the pain likes to remind me that it's them anyway.

I've discovered a good way to write regardless. I'm using a stylus on my tablet. Quite literally the latest chapters of Arctic Fox and the Letters are handwritten. It's really not much slower than typing. And wonderfully, the tablet usually can read my writing. As a matter of fact, I don't have the general problem of my drunk spell checker!

Happy Easter!

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To all my friends and family on this site, Happy Easter! Ressurection Sunday!

I know many of us don't celebrate the ressurection of Christ. Many of us don't believe in Him. I don't intend this blog post to offend anyone, so l hope you don't take it as offensive. My beliefs are such that I do believe, and I know some here believe as well. To those of us who believe its a celebration, I want to celebrate with you!

God bless!

The Bed

This story is part of a different short story that I've been working on. I really wasn't thinking of writing this section of the story, only to allude to it. But as I was looking at it today, I realized there was a nice place for a Take Your Daughter to Work Challenge story.

I hope you enjoy!

"Joannie!" called Caleb. "Are you getting up?"

There was a high-pitched groan from the little girl's bedroom, and Caleb limped to the door. He knocked on it and called again. "Joannie!"

Sleep!” came the voice from inside the room.

It’s time to go to the factory, Sweetie!”

Wanna sleep!”

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 20

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

When Sammy was three years old, his biological parents were killed in a freak accident at a 4th of July fireworks show. For quite some time, it seemed as though he hadn't remembered the event, but looking at the drawing on his wall, it was obvious that the images were inside his mind.

Disasters and World Prunification -- a "B" disaster movie outline

colin-lloyd-D7jnhK1xFPU-unsplash.jpgpicture by Colin Lloyd on Unsplash

So I was very bored today, and I was watching Prime Video, with its amazing collection of B Disaster films. Then I got to thinking about the Take Your Daughter to Work Day Challenge.

How hard would it be to use the ready-made outline of B Disaster Movies for this idea? It's a very simple outline, I know. Still, it's there, and obviously not copywritten, because EVERY B Disaster Movie uses the same outline! A ready-made outline! Yay!



This is posted as an outline because... because... because I thought it would be fun to post it like that.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 19

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

It was very awkward seeing Trish again.

The younger girl had never been Mage's favorite person as she had always been competition. Even before Mage revealed her true self, Trish obviously had a crush on Chet.

What do you think?” Mage asked.

surgery

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Late in 2022, I started to get pain in my hands. I went and had an x-ray done, and there was some arthritis forming. Well, at my age, that's kinda normal, so I wasn't REALLY worried about it.

The problem was, the pain in one of my thumbs got worse and worse. Unfortunately, it's the thumb that supports my trumpet when I play, and it's used in the piano quite a bit, as well as guitar, accordian, you name it. It's used. I don't play guitar very much, but I do need my left thumb to help me grip the neck when I'm making a chord, or even when playing the bass guitar.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 18

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia watched as her brother and friend eyed each other. She wasn't sure how the meeting was going to go after the occurrences of three years previous, but she hoped both could reign in their feelings.

There was an uneasy silence that was finally broken by Chet. "Hi, Trish. Nice to see you." He stepped up to her and put one arm around her in a friendship embrace.

It was as if there was a collective sigh of relief as they embraced. Darryl glanced at his sister, and saw a small bit of stiffness that quickly evaporated. It was as if Mage consciously made the decision to be friendly.

I haven't abandoned my stories .

Sorry I haven't been producing any chapters right now.

We've had a lot of cold, snowy weather in Eastern Washington lately. As a result, my thumb with an old bullet would has been aggravated as well as my back, keeping me from doing much on a computer or a piano.

I hate arthritis!

I promise the moment I can type proficiently again, I will be doing so.

Happy, happy Thanksgiving!

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It's Thanksgiving in the US, and still 5 AM in the Northwest, so I'm laying in bed, thinking of all I have to be thankful for.

So many things are good! Even when things look bleak, I find that when I turn them around and examine them from all angles there's something good there. Even the death of my dad earlier this year got my sister and me working together, something we hadn't done for a long time.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 17

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Is this a dream?

Marcia had no sense of where she was. She knew who she was, and even where she was, but to sense it? That wasn't there.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 16

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Chapter 3.16

June 9th, 2023

Chatham Yardworks, North Pole

2:46PM

The office building was half a block off the main drag in North Pole, but there was a large sign that was placed at the corner, pointing down the cross street letting people know where they were. Beside the office was a salon on one side, and Ross’ Diner, the same fast food joint where Chet had finally realized how he felt about Mage, on the other.

Bob pulled the car he and Mike were driving into the parking lot. They’d called ahead and found out that it had been a busy day at the office, so when they got out of the car, they went to the diner and ordered some burgers for the office staff, which consisted of Rick and his wife Carla.

Flintstones for the Twin

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Frederick was 25 years old. He was married, and he and his wife, Wilhelmina, had a pair of twins named Bernard and Elizabeth. The reader should note that their last name was neither Flintstone nor Rubble, however. Frederick and Wilhelmina simply found it amusing that the shortened forms of their names were identical to those of a certain modern, stone age family. Thus, naming their kids after Fred and Wilma's best friends was a stroke of humor-related genius.

Dad 2

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I know I've already posted on my Dad, but these are some different thoughts on the topic.

I went to Phoenix (the Arizona one) August 29th. My Dad was unconscious when I got there. I talked to him and he seemed to respond. 5 hours after I got there, he died. My mom and sister had finally gone to sleep, and my aunt (Dad's sister) was resting. I was holding Dad's hand and stroking his hair as he passed away.

Dad

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So last night, at 10:55PM, while I was holding my Dad's hand, he passed away. He had been gasping for breath all day. I arrived from Spokane at about 5. Mom tells me she thinks he was waiting for me to arrive before he stopped fighting.

I sobbed several times as I talked to him. He wasn't responsive in a normal way, but as I spoke, his breathing became easier.

A Dark and Stormy Night...

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Picture by Micah Tindell on Unsplash.

I'd like to thank Malady and Hollis for their help going through this story.
I realize this is an overused title, but it just seemed to fit this story.

October 26th, 2012

Brandon Grey watched as the most beautiful woman in the world walked up the aisle toward him. His heart threatened to skip a beat one moment, then throw in an extra, the next.

For her part, Cammille Smith was radiant. This day was one she had been looking forward to for years. She was twenty-five years old, and she had wondered how this day would be since she started noticing boys.

As the couple said their vows, they both felt like they were dancing on air, and in fact, they appeared to be during the reception. Their first dance, while perhaps not the most skilfully executed, was beautiful due to the expression of love radiating from one to the other.

MRI -- I hate 'em!

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Well, a little while back, I went to get an MRI on my brain. The site of the tumor I had removed about 3 years ago.

Talked to my neurosurgeon yesterday, and there's no new growth of the remain of the tumor. Just a little bit of thickening in the dura (the membrane that surrounds the brain) where the tumor was.

I hate having to get an MRI. A cat scan is fine, but the tube you go into in an MRI is so stinking tiny! Ugh!

Eydie

matthew-cheng-QCTudY8AIiA-unsplash.jpgPhoto by Matthew Cheng on Unsplash
As is always the case, I'd like to thank Malady for his help editing both the text, and the crazy ideas I come up with.
Eydie

October 27th, 2015

It had been a hard night. Eddie had stayed up most of the night, unable to sleep. He’d tossed and turned, and when he finally did fall asleep, he had dreams where he ended up fighting with everyone.

He hurried downstairs, poured a bowl of sugar-encrusted flaked corn, filled it 3/4 full of milk, grabbed a spoon, slopped half of the milk on the floor, brushed a towel off the counter, took a bite of the cereal, pushed the towel over the spilled milk with his foot, took another bite of the cereal, kicked the towel in front of the washing machine sitting in the corner, dropped the still full bowl into the sink, and hurried out the door.

Eddie!” his mom called as the door slammed shut. She hurried to the door and opened it, knowing the teenager wouldn't respond, but she tried anyway. True to form, he continued running toward the highway.

The Lie

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Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash


I'd like to thank Hollis and Malady for their help going through this short story, looking for errors and offering their opinions. Your help is always appreciated!

Mommy, the teacher told us a lie today!”

What?” Janis asked her little girl. “Told you a lie?”

Update to Arctic Fox Pursuit of the Dream, Chapter 3.15

So I updated the chapter in question, here on BCTS.

I just realized, however, that the evidence in question wasn't discussed. At least not out loud. Bill and Sylvia had copied everything they had found and presumably highlighted certain sections.

Interestingly, one of the two in the office revealed something unexpected to me while I was writing the update, forcing me to update the next chapter as well. Sigh. This is what I get for letting my characters have a certain amount of autonomy, I suppose.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 15

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Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

I want to thank Malady, once again, for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Chapter 3.15

May 30th, 2023

8:27 PM

Marcia was out riding Tigger when Darryl phoned her.

Hi, Foxy,” he said when she answered. “Can you come up to the house? We need to talk about something.”

Do you want to meet me at the stable?” she asked him.

No, I think we need to talk in the house about this,” He told her.

What’s this about?” she asked. “You’re sounding kinda cryptic.”

Nothing bad, Foxy. I promise that.”

Okay, now I’m getting suspicious,” she said as she steered the horse toward the barn.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 14

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

Again, I'd like to thank Malady for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!

Chapter 3.14

May 23rd, 2023

12:34PM

Bruce sat on a log bench that was sitting near the barn. It was facing out towards the water and Pioneer Peak, and he was enjoying the view. He had his eye on a golden eagle circling something below. He supposed it was a rabbit, and he watched to see if it would dive for its prey.

Chet exited the house, looking for the older man, and when he spotted him, he followed Bruce’s gaze and saw the eagle just as it dived. A moment later, it was heading back up, a wiggling mass of brown and white fur in its talons. He hoped it was a rabbit.

Walking up to Bruce, Chet observed that the man was munching on a sandwich. “Well, did the police mess up your camper?” He asked.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 13

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

I'd like to apologize for the long delay in posting. Hopefully, that's over now, but I'm not really sure. Anything can happen, and usually does in my life.
As is always the case, I'd like to thank Malady for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!


Chapter 3.13

Wednesday, May 22nd 2023

It had been several days since French and Brandy had told them what happened to Gerald Parks.

Marcia had hoped they would find that the saw cuts had been made after death – maybe the killer initially planned to dispose of the body in different locations? That wouldn’t be great, but at least it wouldn’t be torture. But no, there was clear evidence that the sawing was done while the poor man was alive.

She found it hard to conceive that people could do things like that to each other. She wished she'd never found out about this case, but she desperately wanted to prove that Bruce had nothing to do with it.

What a month or four!

Well! I've said some things about what's been happening, but it's been moving so quickly I'm really not sure of it all myself!

We've had a few last gasps of a dying winter here in the Pacific Northwest, but during the last few convulsions, I was in Phoenix, spending time with my parents and my sister, and ended up with a sunburn. Ah, the feeling of freezing while the top layer of epidermis peels off your arms and shoulders. Such bliss!

Water Damage

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Saturday morning, Norma and I were woke up by one of our sons knocking on our door and saying there was water pouring into his room. His room is directly below our en-suite bathroom, and as i ascended from sleep, I heard water spraying. We wondered if someone was showering in the main bathroom (right beside ours) and the answer was no. I opened the door to our bathroom to find water running across the floor. A fitting underneath the sink had broke during the night, and water was spraying all over under the sink.

it's amazing

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It's amazing, interesting... idk. Strange, anyway, when you realize that something you haven't thought of since you were much younger... something that happened when you were about 5 years old, has had a profound effect on your personality almost 50 years later (48, but who's counting?).

I've discovered that something that was done to me when I was a child has affected me more than I ever thought... leaving some profound trauma in its wake.

The Letters Chapter 10

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Special thanks to Malady for his help in editing and ideas.


Author’s Note: This chapter is very short, but it describes what happened to Grace's and Greg's 'sister', the dead version of Grace.

The Letters Chapter 10

The two made their way back to the office, and Greg had barely made it inside before he stopped to stare at the video still playing there. Gracie had followed him in, and when she saw the desk, she stopped too. There, in the 3D projection, was the sight they’d seen just a few moments before. Grace was lying on the floor in the position they’d left her in.

Arctic Fox Book 3: Pursuit of the Dream - Chapter 12

The Arctic Fox 3.jpg

Cover photo by Jonatan Pie. Downloaded from Unsplash

Marcia is seventeen, and along with Darryl, has moved south in Alaska to attend the Anchorage campus of the Alaska State University. She wants to pursue her dream, but will it pursue her instead?

I'd like to apologize for the 2 month delay from chapter 11 being posted and this one.
As is always the case, I'd like to thank Malady for his help checking through this story for the many errors I frequently insert, as well as listening to my sometimes completely crazy ideas about the direction of the story and telling me how crazy they are!


Chapter 3.12

Wednesday, May 12th, 2023

7PM

It had been a long day for Marcia. She was briefing Darryl, Mage, and Chet on what she’d found out from the two men. When she told them that Kirk was Wanda Gregory’s nephew, and Stephen’s cousin, Darryl just shook his head.

In contrast, Mage exclaimed, “I can’t believe how many people are related to each other in this case!”

To Return Home 4.1

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Cover image from Unsplash

Again, I need to thank Malady for his help and ideas as I write this.

Your help is much appreciated!

Chapter 4.1

Well, you son of a...”

We had returned upstairs, and when we arrived, we had a surprise! Sitting in Marc’s desk chair, talking to Amy, was Rachel. Her wings were carefully folded behind her, and her pixie dress appeared out of place inside a building.

Well... what a season!!!

Well, this has been an interesting couple of months!

Of course, at the end of November, we had Thanksgiving in the US. This was not unexpected, nor was the sudden explosion of colorful, twinkling lights in the Spokane, Washington area following the holiday. In fact, it was rather pleasant.

The Arctic Circle

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December 2021 Christmas Holidays Story Contest Entry
 

The following story takes place in the Arctic Fox universe, but at this moment isn’t part of canon. It may be later, but I haven’t decided on that. For now, consider it a ‘what if’ story.

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.

Thank you to Malady for his help editing, and as usual, bouncing my ideas off of.

Your help is much appreciated!

--Rosemary

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