Dom,

Let me repeat my comments from Dom's Forum:

"Let me say up front that I liked the ending. I didn't feel that you left me hanging. Like so much of life, events are not nice, well-defined, with a happy conclusion. We are often left to linger from one event into another and then another. Someone once told me that "Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived." You certainly carried out that theme in this story. Well done!

I also enjoy your style of story telling, the care with which you bring along the reader from one event to another, one time period to another, guiding and inviting the reader to enter into the story event. You are truly talented and disciplined in your art of story telling. I am envious of your talent. But, more important, I would grieve if you did not let your talent grow and blossom even more than it has now. To me, your writing is not a form of escapism (as you alluded to in one of your blogs), but an invitation to the reader to enter into the mystery and joy of life's stories.

Again, well done!

Rest - but come back to us soon!

John"

You have great talent and tell a story better than most. Don't let that go to your head, but you need to be told that over and over - if necessary. Thank you, Dom, for sharing your talent and stories with us.

Sorry about this. I accidentally posted this and now don't know how to cancel it.

My comments is posted below.

Hi Dom,

Rest assured, I understood that remark made by Frank when I read it the first time.

I always did think that David 's feelings for Frank is a bit ambiguous. I suspect David himself isn't too sure how he felt about Frank. There is always an element of trust and distrust between them. That is saying alot cos David is distrustful of everybody except his brother (okay, in the end he also suspected Oliver for betraying him).

I would be disappointed if David left Frank in the water to die as it would be not in tune with their relationship protrayed earlier.

It is just so like Oliver to tell Frank about the present just before he left to visit David. I kept wondering if he mentioned it to David or did he kept it as the one secret for himself. I'll like to think it was the latter.

That's what I like about the story. The characters are defined yet the writing gives the readers room to imagine.

Thanks again for the wonderful story.

Ena

I enjoyed the story, and although I felt slightly disappointed with the ending, I enjoy stories that have an open ending as as has been mentioned it reflects real life to some extent.

My disppointment is due to two things, both reflect on me as the reader rather than you as the author. I feel torn between the two characters, David needing his freedom and the possibility of Oliver shutting himself away, though I suspect if the medical staff were any good, it shouldn't take them long to realise they were trying to treat the wrong person.

The

I thought the story was great, and I thought the ending was great. I just started reading this two days ago because I swore after DD that I wouldn't read a Dom story when it wasn't complete. He's a master at cliffhnagers! I'm darn glad I waited until it was complete otherwise I may have ended up where Oliver did at the end of the story, hehe. I liked the ending, because David got his freedom and Frank's last words were 'we have to get Oliver' which to me meant that Oliver would not be locked away in that place much longer. I don't believe David is evil incarnate, in fact I spent a lot of today wondering how i'd come out had I been locked in a well or 'cistern' for 9 days, knowing I was left there by my own parent to die. And that topped off a life that most people could never even fathom, to me David was victim of his life, he was taught to disregard it, to kill, what he did he always had Oliver's best interest at heart, Oliver, the one person that loved him. I don't disagree that David needed therapy, but he didnt' need prison. I'm happy he got away, and I'm content in the knowledge that Frank will get Oliver out of the institution.

It was very thoughtful of you to clear up that whole David, and Frank thing for us Dom. Even though I assumed that David had purposely let Frank live, I had my doubts until you clarified it. *_* sorry, I guess I'm blind to subtlety. The open ending doesn't bother me; only the thought that David had left Frank to die made me wonder if I had misjudged his personality, hence misunderstanding a major character in the story.

Dom, I got what you were doing in that chapter and I just loved how you left so many things open-ended there. The surprise that came over me when they found Frank in the boat instead of in the water was just wonderful. My mind had already leaped forward to the others either finding him dead, dead, dead in the water, or pulling him up in time to save his life. I wasn't expecting that David had already pulled him out of the water. What was even nicer was that we were left able to imagine our own reasons for WHY David did that.

It's like as soon as I read that Frank wanted to see his brother alone, and I realized they were really alone, not being watched at all, that my brain started screaming NO! Still, though, we were left with just enough doubts that it COULD have been innocent. In my opinion, those are the kinds of elements that make for great stories. The Other Side of Me has been fantastic in that regard. There was a lot for readers to guess about, argue about, and really get involved with the story because so many facets of it were left up to the imagination of the reader.

Thanks for a really great story!

HIa, thought I'd say hello for the first time! Just to say that I understood what message you were trying to give and interpreted in my own way as you intended, it took me a puzzled few seconds to realize what had happened, but I did get it -- I don't think it was lacking in any way, so cheer up. Also to reiterate I would have loved to have the story continue and discover what is destined for the characters next, but I accepted easily (and naturally) that it was the end of the story being told, and for my imagination to begin, not that I am saying its an abrubt ending but a just one as someone else as has already said, it fits perfectly with life -- it Always goes on and continues with twists. Badically well done and I hope you have a good life whatever you decide and happens!

Dom, I too thought that was all pretty clear and that the things that were ambiguous were because you meant for them to be.