★Memorable Author: [El_Roy_1999] And Tomorrow...The World! •22pp•

[El_Roy_1999]

The squad found Gladys suspended from a bar by her feet, hanging several feet above the ground. She had a steel plate in her hand and did very slow "sit-ups" if you would call them this way. Every time she moved up, her abdominals bunched into a tight network of muscle. She grunted as she pulled herself up again. The boys watched her for a while. Finally, Washington said:
"Van Rothe? What the hell are you doing?"
She lowered herself down and hung head down.
"Fifty. I'm training. You should too."
"Ah, there's no way you're going to trick me into anything like this. Remember the last time we tried to do a circle with you?" He looked at his comrades. There were shrugs and nods. "Took us three days to get rid of all the cramps and sores."
"Too bad."
"Besides, you being a guinea pig makes it a little unfair."
She shrugged, which looked odd since she was still hanging upside-down and dropped the weight.
"So, what do you really want?"
"Well, Oswald, I mean the lieutenant, suggested we should take an evening off."
"Fine."
"We wanted to ask you if you want to come along."
"Really?"
"Really. You're on our squad, so you come along."
"But I have nothing to wear ..."
The squad-mates grinned stupidly and pushed Yorkow to the front. Washington explained:
"Turns out Yorkow is actually a tailor. So he made this or you."
The corporal set down a box and blushed.
"Have fun. We'll pick you up at six."

[El_Roy_1999]

Reach Your Target Audience

Advertising is hard. We make it simple and effective.

Advertise With Us →

[solitariodude]

Hmmm, for some reason, those emoticons didn't get shown. I was saying WHAT? and WOW! as to Ruth's new darker side. As far as what I'd like to see in one of your tales, I'm content to just have you come up with something. I've been impressed with the way you flesh out stories and don't just throw out some "wham-bam-thank you ma'am" tale that's good for a lot of wankers out there. It takes a lot of time and effort to create a good tale that keeps the reader entertained and I admire your tenacity in keeping up with as much as you produce. Thanks again for the entertaining reading

[El_Roy_1999]

At five to six, Gladys heard a car stop in front of the barracks. She checked her hair and make-up, found it acceptable and took her handbag. She was aware that a woman should always be fashionably late, but she was also a soldier now, so she decided to go with that. She stood up, slipped into her shoes and walked outside. It was funny to see the men in their civilian clothes for once. They had crammed themselves into a Moon Roadster and looked sharp in their suits. As she stood there, there were quite a few gaping mouths, followed by some wolf-whistles.
She was impressive, so much was true.
Standing ridiculously tall in her heels, she had plaited her hair into a very complex but astonishing style that enhanced her features. The dress was shorter than expected but showed off her long, powerful legs and womanly hips. Her small waist was further emphasized and it somehow managed to add some softness to her humongous shoulders. Also, the neckline was low enough to show off her full bust.
For a moment, she thought herself facing a bunch of apes.
In the end, they managed to make enough room for her to sit in the car, even if that meant that Yorkow and Washington had to ride on the foot-boards.
As the car rolled along, she asked:
"So, guys, where are we going?"
Oswald, who was driving, said:
"It's a surprise. You'll like it."
"I can't wait."
Somehow, Gladys now realized that she was definitely an adult now. She felt independent, but at the same time, she wondered what her mother would say.
Deep down, she knew and she dreaded it.

[El_Roy_1999]

After a drive across the empty and savage landscape that surrounded the base, they reached the next larger town. The lights were on, there was music in the air and people were just going to the cinema or having an evening stroll with their loved ones. The soldiers, returning to civilization after weeks of isolation, looked around in curiosity. Eventually, Oswald stopped the car in front of the library.
Gladys noticed that there were blissful grins on all faces. She had to ask:
"We're going to the library?"
Washington smiled and said:
"Yes. Blissful love of knowledge!"
Yorkow added:
"The pure clarity of spirit!"
They guffawed as they climbed from the car. Oswald held out his hand to help Gladys from the car. She gladly took it, even though she was tall enough to do so and was probably strong enough to lift the whole vehicle. Still, gentlemanly conduct had to be observed. Sensing she would only get more stupid answers, Gladys decided to wait. Maybe they would surprise her.
In a way, they did.
Once inside, the men immediately went to the bookshelves and picked out a few tomes, soon immersing themselves in their reading. Gladys was surprised. This was a night on the town?
She asked Oswald what he was doing, but he just shushed her. Humbled, she went to one of the shelves and browsed it, finally finding a book that she might enjoy. She found one and started reading. Soon, she was completely engrossed by it. Then, all of a sudden, there was a loud noise next to her. She jumped up and saw the men stand next to her, Oswald having dropped his book with a bang. He said:
"Enough for now. Let's have some real fun."
He took her by the hand and led her to the rear of the library, where a mousy librarian held open a concealed door.
Gladys was skeptical.

[El_Roy_1999]

They walked past the librarian and went down a winding metal staircase. After a few steps, it opened up onto a large cave that had been fitted with electric lights and rows of shelves. Gladys asked:
"What's that supposed to be? A depot?"
Oswald grinned and said:
"Wait for it."
She could see that her companions were sniggering or alive with expectations. They were excited. She wondered what they were up to. After the joke with the book, she was a little annoyed. Also, she would have preferred to go to a fair or the cinema, not to some musty old cave.
They reached the ground floor and walked past some more shelves until they finally found a pair of large and heavy doors. There was some low noise coming from it. Oswald stepped forward and knocked on it.
Rap-rap-raprap it went.
After a few moments, a small peephole opened. Oswald looked at the glass bead. There was a voice from the other side:
"What do you want?"
"I wish to ease my spirit and sing among the angels."
"I see." The door was unlocked. "Come in, friend."
The door slid open and music filled the air. Gladys was surprised. An underground theater?

[El_Roy_1999]

There was unfamiliar music. Jazz, she thought. Her parents didn't approve of it, but she liked how it made her feet tap. They stepped inside and found themselves in an elegant nightclub. The walls were paneled with deep-brown wood, there were polished brass ornaments and soft green glass decorations everywhere. Above them, there was a large electric chandelier made of crystal. A band was playing in the background, there were pool tables and a large dance-floor. Several people in evening wear were flying over the parquet. Gladys was amazed. The weeks and months of drab campaign life, the endless training, the battles, all this had accustomed her to a drab world and now, there was glamor.
She looked at her shorter companions and asked:
"What kind of place is this?"
Washington grinned and said:
"It's a speakeasy. Never heard of it?"
"They sell liquor here?"
"That's the whole point."
Yorkow added:
"That's what we've been after the whole time."
There were more noises from the back insisting on starting. Gladys was uncertain. She had been brought up as a disciplined young woman and illegally drinking alcohol in a hidden premise was hardly acceptable.
"I don't know if I should ..."
Washington took her by the hand and led her to the table. Just as he was about to pull back the chair to let her sit down, he was accosted by a waiter:
"Members of the band are not allowed on the guest floor."
"I'm not with the band."
"Still, you're not ... expected to be here."
He turned to Gladys, checking that she was indeed a woman and added:
"Has this man been molesting you, Miss?"
"Not at all. He's a friend."
"A friend? Well, I'm sorry, but he is making the other guests uncomfortable. I'll have to ask you to leave."
She could see that Washington stared at him in absolute hatred, when she heard Oswald interrupt.
"Sir, this man is a member of the armed forces and a war hero. I expect you can serve him anyway." He pulled out a roll of bills. "And here's the official document, signed by the treasurer."
The waiter looked around, took the money and said:
"I didn't see he was your assistant, sir."
"Fine, then."
Oswald invited the pair to sit down.
"Let's drink."

[solitariodude]

Nice little twist

[fardomonkey]

Damn, I really appreciate your mixture of historic context, character development, and such.  You're a good writer El_Roy!

Thank you!

[El_Roy_1999]

Whoa! Thank you very much.

[El_Roy_1999]

Deep below the airship, the freighter relentlessly advanced through the waves. There was a sharp breeze, but the engines stabilized the dirigible on its course. Ruth looked down from the observation deck. She turned to the chief officer and said:
"Mister Schroeder, bring us down on the target. Execute the rapid drop maneuver."
The officer shouted his orders.
"Prepare boarding crews! Helmsman, descent thirty degrees, full speed ahead! Radio officer, deploy interference system!"
Below, the ship's crew was unaware of their approaching doom. The radio operator was just transmitting the ship's current location and status when he realized that the device no longer worked. Instead, it spewed out a load of garbled sounds without any meaning. He tested the connections, tried to find the error and suddenly stopped when he heard the voice loud and clear.
"This is airship Liberator. Do not resist. Surrender, and you will be spared. Fight, and you will be destroyed."
He jumped up and ran out:
"Captain! Captain! We're being attacked!"

[El_Roy_1999]

The captain looked at the operator and asked:
"By whom? There's no one around."
The young man pointed up. The captain's gaze followed his sign and his eyes opened wide.
"Oh my God. What is this?"
"They order us to give up. They said they would let us live."
"Order? No one gives me order. As the captain, I am last and only master after God himself. Prepare to defend the ship!"
"But this is just a civilian ship. We have no weapons."
"Still, I won't hand my ship over to pirates."
He ran to his cabin and grabbed his pistol. He checked it and released the safety. Before he could act, however, he found himself thrown to the ground and beaten. Within seconds, a flurry of blows rained down on him. He passed out.
When he awoke again, he was bound and gagged. He could see that soldiers were loading his cargo into the airship. Then, a woman stepped in front of him and said:
"Captain. We will spare your life and the life of your crew. However, this was the last time. If we find you again, we will kill each and every one of you. You have been warned."
He tried to catch a look of her face, but the sun shone in his eyes. He tried to say something, but in the end could only nod.
Soon, the machine lifted off, leaving the freighter empty and chaotic. After several minutes, he managed to free himself.
He freed the radio operator and said:
"Inform the company. There's trouble!"

[El_Roy_1999]

While Oswald, Washington and Yorkow were enjoying their drinks and becoming ever more relaxed and cheerful, Gladys still stared at her glass. She was really unsure. She had taken a nip at her aunt's sherry when she was a kid, but her parents had definitely tried to bring her up without the temptation of alcohol. She had found it odd that they both liked to drink a glass of cognac or some other fancy stuff in the evening, while at the same time wholeheartedly supporting prohibition. Also, her father kept a well-stocked bar that he refilled after every vacation in Europe.
All this was very hard to come to terms with. Also, her changed body furthered the confusion. Her mother would never accept her like that. Her father ... She didn't even want to think about it. What could she do? Should she stay away from her family from now on? What about the future?
Washington interrupted her thoughts:
"You're already all pensive and haven't even finished your first drink. Usually, it's the other way round."
She sighed:
"I know. It's just that I'm having second thoughts."
"About the liquor? You should. It's quite diluted and probably just moonshine. If you value your eyesight, you should stay away from it."
"It's not about the liquor. It's about my life."
He frowned, smiling:
"If you're like this before you're drunk, I don't want to see you when you are."
Washington downed his glass and added:
"You know what, we're going to dance now. That'll show all those buggers. A black man dancing with a woman a head taller than him. It'll blow their puny minds."
He got up, held out his hand and she stood up.
Oswald grinned as the pair walked on the dance-floor. The other patrons, who had already eyed the group with a certain disdain, now stared at them in disgust. He calmly readied his knuckleduster. It might be useful later on.

[El_Roy_1999]

Minutes later, the pair whirled over the dance-floor. Actually, the whirling had taken a little time. Gladys had enjoyed a traditional upper-class education and the idea to dance to jazz music seemed a little foreign to her. However, Washington smiled at her and quickly led her through the basic steps. She turned out to be an excellent learner and an avid pupil. He was amazed by her quickness that belied her large frame and her mass.
Jokingly, he shouted:
"I'm not going to do any lifting on you!"
Before he could react, she grabbed him and twirled him through the air, him landing without missing a beat. He wiped away the sweat from his brow and stared at her:
"Whoa!"
She grinned:
"That's fun. Let's do it again!"
The band saw that those two were in the right mood and upped the beat even more. For Washington, it was odd to lean back and accept his partner as an equal, but what could he do? The towering young woman was all but unstoppable.
As a result, he found himself lifted, thrown, whirled and swung as the band kept up its frenetic pace.
Finally, they seemed to tire and switched to a calmer, more romantic number.
As the singer launched into a soft, gentle love-song, they closed in and embraced, slowly foxtrotting along.
Oswald had watched them blissfully and had softly smiled at Yorkow, finally pointing at the group of young men approaching the couple. He said:
"Finish your drink. There's going to be trouble."

[solitariodude]

Arse-kicking time

[El_Roy_1999]

Dear readers, just a short information for you: I will probably update very irregularly over the next two weeks. The usual schedule will return eventually, but for now, there are some things I have to fix. Also, my internet connection will be very unstable.
Still, give me some time and there will be more stories to come!

Thank you for your patience.