Worlds apart: An anthology of lesbian and gay science fiction and fantasy

He had saved hundreds of lives. He had vanquished mythical demons, slayed dragons, defeated hordes of invaders, creatures of untold horror. As a gamer, he had brought peace to Earth many times. But this day was different. Nothing he had done before had prepared him for the mess in which he found himself. This was real life. It was Thanksgiving, the one this twenty-two year old would never forget. It dwarfed Armageddon. That's what LMU junior Clayton Gaines realized as he hid from his relatives and other dinner guests at his parents' home. The truth was he didn't want to see or talk to anyone until the Xanax he stole from his mother's medicine cabinet kicked in. Under the best of circumstances Clayt hated being trapped with relatives. Mercifully, like the flu, he only endured this gut-retching once a year. "Hey Clayt. How's it going?" Clayt was caught between his mother's shabby chic credenza and his father's oft' confused brother, Uncle Earl. He replied with a unique smile, somewhere b...… (more)