Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 25

A diner, real cherry coke, meatloaf and bad weather. It must be a road trip.

In this week's Telepaths Carl gets out of the house to do a little surveillance work. But distance won't save him from trouble at home, and his anger will lead to trouble with Lee.*

*This chapter contains strong language, wild theories, pickles and well deserved violence.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 22

In this week's Telepaths we find out if Elise's family can survive a dinner with Maggie and Lee.*

*This chapter contains strong language, more flirting, bizarre anecdotes and finally some kissing. It only took the girls 22 chapters.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 20

This is a picture of a New York black squirrel.

In this week's Telepaths: Maggie and Elise's adventure looks different from Andrew's point of view. Who got thrown against the window? Did Andrew get a good look at who he was shooting at? Why is he in such a hurry to get Smith back to the labs?*

*This chapter contains strong language, a tackle, four bullets that miss their mark and chocolate Häagen-Dazs.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 19

Here's one last picture of winter.

Senator Gates has refused to hire a field agent, so Maggie and Elise are trying their hand at surveillance. They're only taking pictures and filming a little, what could go wrong?*

*This chapter contains strong language, flirting, hotel rooms and some unexpected violence.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 16

Andrew relieved to be back to work with a new assignment. But first he has some business with his last assignment. What will Carol have to say to him now that she's escaped the asylum and finds herself in a government lab?*

*This chapter contains strong language, lab animals, scientists with no social skills and a touch of violence.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 15

Maggie is almost done with her interviews at Park Slope. After that it's back to the dogs and a quiet life. Unless she accepts a suspicious contract from Senator Gates and joins his investigation.*

*This chapter contains strong language, eating, reading between the lines and some blood.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 12

Andrew has escaped with a little help from his friends. But how will he explain his capture to his boss without getting fired? Will he figure out how Maggie got through his block? Will he and his girlfriend ever eat their Chinese food?*

*This chapter contains strong language, bloody flashbacks, red faced reprimands and some PG -13 adult content.

Good Samaritan

This alien story should be prefaced with a true story.

A few weeks ago I was walking to the subway. It was dark but early. I heard something over my headphones but didn't look until I saw a blur of movement out of the corner of my eye. At first it looked like teenagers horsing around, running up the sidewalk, pushing each other a little. Then one of the girls started shouting and one of the guys was thrown up against a store window while the others tried to hit him. People stopped on the sidewalk to watch. One of the people from the store came outside and stood there with a very serious expression. I took my cell phone out of my bag but I didn't dial. I walked up the steps to the platform and peeked over the edge a few times. The fight was still going. I hesitated on the platform, phone in hand. A cop came around the corner and started down the steps. I put my phone away and caught my train. Ever since then I've been wondering what I should do if I see a fight on the street again.

The story isn't really an answer, it's just how one of my alien characters would handle the situation.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 11

Maggie has agreed to help with the Park Slope interviews. But no one told her her first interview will be with Andrew, aka Brad Steadman. It's a fight between Andrew's mental block and the worst the serial killer Lee can throw at him.*

*This chapter contains strong language, lots and lots of blood, tea and some brains.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 8

Maggie is called in to talk to the police about the bank robbery. Can she convince them the kid that almost shot her should be committed? Can she convince the police shrink that she's still sane enough to make a diagnosis?*

*This chapter contains strong language, bloody violence, lattes and old professional rivalries.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 7

Elise is on assignment. She needs background on the Senator's opponent. What she finds is a dark glimpse into the military and a connection to Andrew's organization.*

This chapter contains strong language, violence, Country French and more politics.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 6

Carl and Maggie. Two old friends having dinner and reminiscing. Sounds harmless, but then you notice the violence disclaimer.*

*This chapter contains strong language, drugs, violence and awkward dinner conversation.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 2

Andrew sits in a dark hotel room, gun in hand, waiting for his target. He doesn't know that he has a much more dangerous assignment coming.*

*This chapter contains strong language, imaginary blood and politics.

Telepaths: The Park Slope Conspiracy - 1

It all starts with a bank robbery. But can a retired psychiatrist get out of it alive, even if she is telepathic?*

*This chapter contains strong language, violence and a one-eyed dog.

A Useful Skill

he's watching, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

This guy with the giant fan went up a few weeks ago. I didn't notice until today that no matter where I stand he looks like he's looking right at me. I think there might be a story in there.

But it isn't this week's story. This week's story is about a quiet guy with an unexpected skill. Besides cooking.

Fair warning, there's pasta, scotch, boats, and a very bloody ax ahead.

Invitation

upturned eyes, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

I dare anyone to find a connection between this week's picture and this week's story.

The picture came from a nice walk around St. Patrick's.

The story was inspired by a secret bar someone told me about at a company Christmas party. You had to know a member to get in and supposedly it had the best $14 drinks in the city. I picture it like the club in the story, but with fewer aliens.

Mobsters, wine, aliens and a liberal splash of blood ahead.

Professional Embarassment

sorting bricks, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

And here we have two things that are completely related. A photo of an imploded building, and a story about blowing up a building.

The photo was taken out of my kitchen window. Previous to Thursday there had been two buildings fenced off because of asbestos in that lot. Now there is a pile of debris and a lone guy in a hardhat who seems to be sorting bricks and inexplicably hitting them with a hammer first. Maybe he has brick issues?

The story has no bricks, but I've made up for this by including a french maid's costume and lots of explosives.

A Smoking Gun

This week's story came from the above picture. I just had to know why it looked like her blouse was on fire. Along the way I found some mutants, an underground video game market, and the real reason subway trains stop so often in the tunnels.

Agent, Poet, Friend

a light corner, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

This week's picture had the kind of dark ambiance that instantly brought a story to mind. A story that I wrote a while ago. Which isn't really very dark, though it does take place at night. The original challenge was to make the protagonist a poet.

Read on for questionable haiku, shady government dealings, and chocolate!

The Smell of Death

drain to nowhere, originally uploaded by Jenn Platt.

With skiing postponed everyone is wishing for snow. This is what we got instead.

I'm posting a story with a little snow in it. Maybe it will bring some luck.

After all, snow helps slow the bleeding when you're running for your life.