Morgan Berry’s mother had always wanted a daughter and when she gives birth to a son, she simply dresses him as a girl and treats him as she would a daughter. When he’s picked on and teased at kindergarten, she homeschools him herself. Morgan is eight when his mother brings home a new beau, a no-nonsense man called Dennis O’Rourke. He compliments his new ‘daughter’ on how pretty she is and when his mother doesn’t correct the man, Morgan flees the room in embarrassment. Naturally, Dennis eventually discovers Morgan isn’t a girl. From that moment on, he barely acknowledges Morgan’s existence and is, in fact, openly hostile to his cross-dressing step-son. On the eve of Morgan’s eighteenth birthday, Dennis, now an alcoholic, bashes his stepson until Morgan loses consciousness. Morgan wakes up outside. He has no idea how he came to be under a tree on top of a small hill beneath a starry sky. He’s trying to work it out when he meets Reginald Batt, of the Big River Batts. Morgan and Reginald become inseparable and together they experience worlds of wonder and awe. Morgan is shown sights he could never have imagined and in the process he learns many things about the world, and about himself -- the most important of which is a revelation indeed.

Stranger Things

The twelve council members talked in quiet voices, listening and nodding as they debated the case before them. Only the ball of light at the centre remained still and silent. Finally, the spirits on either side of God’s representative leaned in close and whispered their decisions. For a nerve-racking minute there was silence. Finally, the light spoke, in a booming voice that reverberated through the entire clearing.


“Rosamond LeSeur, you have presented your case in a clear and concise fashion. I have listened to the findings of the council and I am in agreement. Looking back over your case I think the judgement you received was a little too harsh and as you have already served twelve years in Hell, I think we can rightfully release you.”


Rosamond squealed and clapped her hands. She was beaming when she turned around to face us.


“However, this does not mean you have admittance to Heaven.”


Chapter 23