Every week we post six lines from a work of ours, a work-in-progress or published or a recommendation of someone else’s work with at least one LGBT character. Posted at Rainbow Snippets here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/963484217054974

We’re late with this Fourth Of July story (celebrated in the US with barbecues and fireworks.) I posted a snippet of the romantic beginning of this story a couple of years ago Kip Starkwell has reason to duck out on his boyfriend in “Fireworks in Hudson City.” https://authorjeffbaker.com/2022/07/08/fireworks-in-hudson-city-friday-flash-fics-for-july-8-a-few-days-late-2022-from-jeff-baker/ with news of a fire in the city…

“Hey, Tommy, hold my sparkler, okay?” Kip handed the nearly burned down sparkler to Tommy and rushed off, yelling over his shoulder. “I gotta go take a leak.”

Tommy stared. “Shoulda done that before you left the house,” he muttered.

Okay, just a bit more

Kip ducked between two of the tall old apartment buildings and darted into the alley behind them, quickly shucking off his duster, t-shirt, shoes and jeans, pulling a pair of welder’s goggles out of the duster pocket, wadded the clothes up and tossed them behind a dumpster as he muttered

“Fire, fire, blazing way

Carry me to the sky today”

In an instant, his skin radiated heat, then fire, then a sheen like molten rock, rippled with streaks of flame. In another moment, a twister of fire surrounded Kip and he swiftly rose into the sky, what was left of the clothes he’d been wearing reduced to cinders.

Maybe more than six lines but it’s a superhero transformation and takeoff. Gotta have that! I’ve written a few stories about the superheroes (and villains) in Hudson City and this may be my favorite. Next week, more snippets.—jeff