[Shadowgod] Proof that Shadowgod is the King of Cliffhangers!

[C James]

Warning, spoilers below!!!! Do not read unless you have already read Living in Surreality.

 

In light of recent questions and upcoming elections, I felt it that it was my duty, as a loyal supporter of Shadowgod, the King of Evil Cliffhangers, to post a thorough and detailed review and analysis of the Cliffhangers of LiS!

 

Let the Cliffhanging begin!!

 

 

Ch2

Joanne gave Jacob a look which spoke volumes, trust, understanding, but most of all that what happened with the school district in Sacramento wasn't entirely his fault.

And we wait for two several more chapters before finding out WHAT Jacob did in Sacramento.

 

 

Ch 5

Matt's face blanched, wondering how long Jacob had been standing there. Matt couldn't find the words, as Jacob slowly backed away, tears threatening to run down his cheeks. Jacob turned and ran from the school, unwilling to give Matt the satisfaction of seeing him hurt.

This was a doozy of a cliffhanger, JAcob had just heard Matt deny him. This is the infamous locker cliffhanger; Jacob breaks his hand punching a locker.

 

Ch 6

"Val?" he repeated in a high-pitched croak.

The line went dead.

Matt threw the receiver across the room with a painful howl, where it smashed against the wall. Wrapping his arms around his head, Matt attempted to shield himself from the anger and frustration he felt with himself, with Jacob, and most of all, with Valerie.

We are left, feeling Matt's angst, he feelings of abandonment and betrayal, as the chapter ends in a dizzying cliffhanger.

 

Ch 8, the "Nazi Waitress" tells Matt about Val and Jacob's appearing as a couple at the pizza parlor.

 

Ch 9, Matt and Jacob caught in the act by Matt's father, and the chapter ends with Matt's Mom planning on having a long talk with Jacob's Mom.

 

Ch 12

"Come over," Jacob commanded. "Wear a hat," then he abruptly hung up not giving Matt a chance to question.

Jacob smiled, as he dialed Valerie's number next.

What is Jacob up too? We are left HANGING to find out!!!

 

Ch 14, Brendon kissed Jacob at the movies, and the chapter ended before it was resolved, leaving us to wonder if Val would castrate Jacob.

 

Ch 18:

Richard nodded his assent, "I'll talk with Matthew, he'll fight, just like the last time I came between him and this little shit. I think Matthew or Valerie said he had moved here from Sacramento. So you might want to tell this Raul guy that he may have to travel up north."

"It won't be a problem for him; he had to go to Taiwan for s similar situation," Catherine shrugged as she pulled her self off of Richard's desk.

"Find out how quick he can get me some starting information, will you, I want this Matthew issue dealt with before it becomes too much of a problem," Richard said, dismissing her, and in effect his son.

Here we are getting into the truly dizzying cliffhangers: MAtt's Father has just sicked a PI on his own son!!!

 

Ch 20

"Hello?" a familiar voice sounded from the other end that threatened to fracture Jacob's wide smile. "Jacob?" the voice asked, as Jacob's brow furrowed with the sound of his name in a voice he never thought he'd hear again.

"Cody?" Jacob responded, his voice nearly catching in his throat as the excitement bled out from him.

This is the call from Cody to JAcob, and the chapter ends, leacing us HANGING as we wonder what on earth it will entail.

 

CH 21

"Hello," he spoke with a smile, watching as Cody pulled his shirt from where it was slung over his shoulder, using it to wipe the beads of sweat from his face, and then from his lean, sculpted torso. "Nice day today," Raul commented, making small talk.

Cody spared the man a sarcastic smile. "Nice shirt," Cody smirked; panning the loud Hawaiian print shirt Raul wore with the top four buttons unbuttoned revealing the white A-shirt he wore underneath.

"You didn't call me out here to mock my shirt," Raul observed, receiving a surrendering half-smile from Cody in the process. "I take you called me out here to talk."

Cody took a moment to think about the guy's assessment. Figuring it was mostly true, he gave Raul a cocky nod, accentuated with an even cockier smile.

Here we are left HANGING wondering what Cody will do regarding Raul's offer. Will he betray JAcob?

 

Ch 22: Matt and Jacob at the quarry, manage to get locked out naked, and have to call Carlos. I'd call this a naked cliffhanger if ever there was one!

 

Ch 23:

"C'mon," Joanne said stepping away, her eyes threatening to water. "Let's all go have some lemonade," she offered opening the front door.

 

this one is the infamous Lemonade Cliffhanger.

 

Ch 26... Quite simply, the Mother of All Cliffhangers.

And there we have it... 13 cliffhangers, each one building until we are slammed and ripped assunder by LiS 26. I'm definitely not saying that Shadowgod over-used cliffies, but rather, he uses them for effect. Devastating effect.

He truly is the King of Cliffhangers.

[Graeme]

I'm not bothering to refute every point, but here are a few:

Ch2

Joanne gave Jacob a look which spoke volumes, trust, understanding, but most of all that what happened with the school district in Sacramento wasn

[BeaStKid]

I agree Graeme, CJ's unfounded claims of Steve having cliffies in his stories and going to heel and back to prove it just indicates one thing....

 

That CJ is obsessed with Cliffhangers and uses them. I am not saying these above stated instances are cliffies, but if they are taken as cliffies, CJ, it takes a cliffy expert to know a cliffy...

[Benji]

I agree Graeme, CJ's unfounded claims of Steve having cliffies in his stories and going to heel and back to prove it just indicates one thing....

 

That CJ is obsessed with Cliffhangers and uses them. I am not saying these above stated instances are cliffies, but if they are taken as cliffies, CJ, it takes a cliffy expert to know a cliffy...

 

 

........Actually, I cannot believe the goat took this much time in re-checking LIS for cliffhangers, could it be research for pending chapters of LTMP? Or is the goat just bored?

[shadowgod]

........Actually, I cannot believe the goat took this much time in re-checking LIS for cliffhangers, could it be research for pending chapters of LTMP? Or is the goat just bored?

 

I personally think he is worried Afraid of what the future may bring, so he has to dig up the past. This definately cannot bode well for people following Instinct's world tour...

[TalonRider]

I agree Graeme, CJ's unfounded claims of Steve having cliffies in his stories and going to heel and back to prove it just indicates one thing....

 

That CJ is obsessed with Cliffhangers and uses them. I am not saying these above stated instances are cliffies, but if they are taken as cliffies, CJ, it takes a cliffy expert to know a cliffy...

 

 

........Actually, I cannot believe the goat took this much time in re-checking LIS for cliffhangers, could it be research for pending chapters of LTMP? Or is the goat just bored?

 

 

I personally think he is worried Afraid of what the future may bring, so he has to dig up the past. This definately cannot bode well for people following Instinct's world tour...

I think CJ just turned Political on us and is running some kind of campaign.

 

Jan

[Benji]

I think CJ just turned Political on us and is running some kind of campaign.

 

Jan

 

 

:wacko: ...........But.....but he is already the Queen of all Evilest Cliffhangers!!

[shadowgod]

I think CJ just turned Political on us and is running some kind of campaign.

 

Jan

 

just turned political?

[BeaStKid]

just turned political?

my thoughts exactly?? Wasn't he the one who had a story that has a maniacal villain trying to take over Paraguay?

[TalonRider]

I think CJ just turned Political on us and is running some kind of campaign.

 

Jan

In my own defense, I was in hurry and at work and didn't have time to look up the correct spelling for the word I wanted and spell checker wasn't much help either. The word I wanted was Politician.

 

So this is what I was trying to say, I think CJ just turned Politician on us and is running some kind of campaign.

[Tiger]

In my own defense, I was in hurry and at work and didn't have time to look up the correct spelling for the word I wanted and spell checker wasn't much help either. The word I wanted was Politician.

 

So this is what I was trying to say, I think CJ just turned Politician on us and is running some kind of campaign.

His obsession with denying his cliffhanging greatest has driven to blame others for using cliffhangers. I am one of the victims in question.

[shadowgod]

In my own defense, I was in hurry and at work and didn't have time to look up the correct spelling for the word I wanted and spell checker wasn't much help either. The word I wanted was Politician.

 

So this is what I was trying to say, I think CJ just turned Politician on us and is running some kind of campaign.

 

Nothing on the turn of phrase Talonrider, I was more refering to the just, honestly he has been doing it all along. It just seems he is shoring up his position.

 

it's okay though, I have faith.

 

Steve

[BeaStKid]

His obsession with denying his cliffhanging greatest has driven to blame others for using cliffhangers. I am one of the victims in question.

Even I am...!!! Although I do not deny I use cliffies.... I do use them...

[Tiger]

Even I am...!!! Although I do not deny I use cliffies.... I do use them...

I simply build anticipation for future chapters. If I have used cliffhangers, they are not of the evil variety.

[C James]

Graeme: Ch 5 was a cliffhanger; even shadowgod thinks so.

 

Now Graeme, you have been known to deny that LiS 26 is a cliffhanger, so I think your words on the issue need to be taken wiht a grain of salt.

 

All I'm trying to do her is provide a nice, all-in-one-place synopsis of the LiS cliffhangers. Just A handy reference guide for the.

 

I will also remind everyone of the definition of what a cliffhanger is: use the 2 out of 3 rule:

 

#1 Something left unknown at the end of the chapter, leaving the reader wondering what will happen.

 

#2 The Chapter was written by Shadowgod, the King of Cliffhangers.

 

#3 There is dire risk of death or disaster involved.

 

 

I will note that LiS 26 is the only "perfect 3" cliffhanger I've ever seen.

[Graeme]

Graeme: Ch 5 was a cliffhanger; even shadowgod thinks so.

Does he? I can fix that... :mace:

 

I would suggest that if he appeared to agree, he was probably being sarcastic

 

Now Graeme, you have been known to deny that LiS 26 is a cliffhanger, so I think your words on the issue need to be taken wiht a grain of salt.

I still maintain that I didn't find chapter 26 to be a cliffhanger. I just clicked on the next chapter link and kept reading....

 

I will also remind everyone of the definition of what a cliffhanger is: use the 2 out of 3 rule:

 

#1 Something left unknown at the end of the chapter, leaving the reader wondering what will happen.

 

#2 The Chapter was written by Shadowgod, the King of Cliffhangers.

 

#3 There is dire risk of death or disaster involved.

Pardon, but that's your definition. Most people (in fact I would go as far as to say that over 99.99% of the people in the world) would not use that definition.

[C James]

Does he? I can fix that... :mace:

 

I would suggest that if he appeared to agree, he was probably being sarcastic

 

 

I still maintain that I didn't find chapter 26 to be a cliffhanger. I just clicked on the next chapter link and kept reading....

 

 

Pardon, but that's your definition. Most people (in fact I would go as far as to say that over 99.99% of the people in the world) would not use that definition.

 

But I think that is a perfectly good definition of a cliffhanger!

 

And if you can't admit that LiS 26, the Mother of all Cliffhangers, was a cliffie, I don't think I'm the one who is delusional.

 

Now, about LiS 26... I'm thinking of an essay on it. A worthy tribute to the most masterful of cliffhangers. I'll post it here soon.

[wildone]

Pardon, but that's your definition. Most people (in fact I would go as far as to say that over 99.99% of the people in the world) would not use that definition.

 

I think your kinda low balling that number Graeme !!

 

Might be better phrased as: (The population of the world) - (1)

[wildone]

Shadowgod, please forgive me ahead of time for the following post, but hopefully this may silence the goat for a minute or two as he reads it

 

Okay, I'm bored and have some time to kill, so here we go.......

 

First off, Spoiler Alert just in case you haven't read FTL

 

Prologue

 

I was slowly working up the nerve to come out to Steve when my world began to shatter; I'd found out that he was straight, and worse, homophobic. I was devastated. This meant that I'd have to hide part of myself forever. Steve had come to mean everything to me, and I'd fallen hard for him. I knew that I couldn't let him know I was gay, because I didn't want to lose him as a friend. I also feared that his parents would toss me out of my apartment. I'd be alone and in need of a new place, and I still knew very few people in town. But above all, I couldn't lose Steve. I began to hope that, given enough time, he might one day be able to accept that I was gay. But, my time was up, for I had made a terrible mistake.

 

I'd been found out. By a blackmailer.

 

Wow, you sure decided to wait for us to get into the story before you gave us your first cliffie CJ!! Eric has Chris worked up, we don't really know how Steve will react.

 

Chapter 1

 

Steve hugged me again as I cried, bringing my mind back to the present. I shuddered, my chest wracked by sobs. OK, no more stalling. I took a deep breath, my eyes fixed firmly on the floor, and just blurted it out. "Steve... What he knows is... What he threatened to tell you is... I'm, I'm, gay..." I sobbed harder yet, curling up as tight as I could, dreading Steve's inevitable nasty reaction.

I did not have long to wait. I heard Steve yell "You're WHAT?!?!?" as I felt him jerk back, just before I felt Steve's strong hands roughly seize me. I waited for his attack, not really caring, now, how much damage he did to me.

 

Well what would chapter one be without a doozy of a cliffhanger. Chris comes out to Steve and we are all left wondering if Steve is about the get the crap kicked out of him. Chris is sure he is about to be hurt he isn't willing to fight back.

 

Chapter 3

 

Eric by this point was trembling in the corner, near panic, but still trying to find a way out. "You guys, you can't... You wouldn't! You'll go to prison!"

 

Although our main characters are not in peril, Eric sure is. Will Steve and Chris go through with hanging Eric? Back then it was a week before we knew.

 

Chapter 5

 

Again, just like in my apartment, Steve blocked my hands, so I reached in to tickle him, but this time he grabbed my wrist, telling me, "No, Chris, LOOK."

 

So Steve and Chris are about to get hot and heavy after losing Eric in Chris' Jeep. So what happened that could force Steve to stop? Who knows, but it must be something very serious.

 

Chapter 7

 

Shuddering, I felt Steve stroke me through my Levi's, and gasped, "If you don't stop that, I'm either going to have a wet mess or a raging hard-on when we get to Veronica's party."

 

Steve giggled, and withdrew his hand after giving my shaft one last squeeze, "Just wanted to keep you thinking about tonight."

 

This is becoming quite apparent. You give us a little tease of a sex scene, then WHAM, it's gone, leaving us hanging for more.

 

Chapter 9

 

 

"Don't f**K it up this time, Blondie."

 

In slow motion, I watched the glass slip from my hand, pirouetting in the air, the liquid almost magically staying within the glass as it fell, the light glinting off the glass, each flash slowly flickering out, fading into oblivion, as the glass fell further and further away. For such a long time, I watched it fall, twisting, turning, so fragile, such a fleeting thing.

 

Time returned as the glass hit the floor, a loud crack rent the air as the glass struck the floor and shattered, breaking into a myriad of pieces, as had my heart, just moments before.

 

What???? Is Steve cheating on Chris? Who knows, all we have is a letter that Steve penned and a statement from Veronica. Who know the answer? Tick, tick, tick, tick

 

 

 

 

To Be Continued....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[wildone]

Chapter 10

 

I stared ahead down the highway as we reached a long straightaway that crossed a sloping plain, and miles ahead I saw a speck of tan on the road. I knew it was Steve's Charger. I lost sight of him moments later, but I'd seen enough. He was pulling away from us fast. We topped a slight rise, and I looked ahead, but this time there was no sign of a car ahead, just the empty desert highway, stretching on into the distance, under the setting sun. I knew Steve must be almost in Piedmont, with no idea of what he was heading into, and there was no way in hell that we could stop him.

 

So we have Steve racing down the highway towards Piedmont, possibly to his arrest, or worse. Poor Dex and Chris and all your readers have no idea.

 

Chapter 11

 

"Boys, we have a problem."

 

What??? How do you end a chapter with that one statement and not call it a cliffhanger?

 

Chapter 15

 

"You do read minds, don't you?" I asked in amazement.

 

"Nope, I just know you, and I know you think I have a soft spot for Eric because he's my brother. You're wrong there - I don't - and sure as hell never will. I'm still all for . . .," he lowered his voice to a bare whisper, "setting him up to deliver the Easter Egg. You in?"

 

"Count on it."

 

So Eric has supposedly redeemed himself. What are Steve and Chris planning on doing to poor misunderstood Eric who is just trying to extend an olive branch?

 

Chapter 17

 

Steve looked at me, his eyes showing both irritation and concern, "Why is it that we get mistaken for this Chase and Shawn, both in Lonesome Valley and here? And why is it only when we're eating? What the f**K?"

 

Exactly...What the f*ck? Who is Chase and Shawn? Why does everyone keep approaching them telling them they look like Chase and Shawn? Only seven days to find out...

 

 

Chapter 18

 

The two officers came out, led by Mr. Williams, so I beat a hasty retreat and joined Steve in his room. Steve didn't say a word; he just pulled me into a hug, as we both glanced at the air vent wondering about the countless eyes that must be watching.

 

I felt more than heard the unmistakable crack of a gunshot, and as the echo faded, my eyes met Steve's, his opening wide in shock.

 

OMG!!! Who's been shot? Is it Eric, Is it Mr Williams, or is it one of the officers? Personally I thought this was one of the evilest cliffhangers of the whole story. At least in LiS, we knew Jacob was still alive at the end, but we don't have the faintest clue here as to who was shot or is someone dead in the Williams' living room.

 

After much thinking, I think this is more appropriate to be The Mother of All Cliffhangers

 

Chapter 19

 

I hugged him hard, "That's what I want," I said, before we kissed.

 

When we returned to the house, Steve's father was waiting for us with a pair of double-barreled shotguns, one cradled safely under each arm.

 

Hmm, maybe Sheriff Williams wants to go gopher hunting. NOT!! Why is he waiting for Chris and Steve with two shotguns?

 

Chapter 20

 

Steve paused for an endless second, "Dude, get the shotgun, dad and I will be there..."

 

Whatever he was saying was drowned out by a thud, and then an overwhelming crash as my door was kicked in. I ducked down as low as I dared; lining up on the door with both barrels, easing my finger onto the front trigger as a very large redhead stormed in, with several other guys right behind him.

 

Now CJ, can you sanely claim as Chris' door is being kicked in by a mob, and he is grabbing at a doble barrel shotgun, that it isn't a cliffhanger?

 

Chapter 21

 

 

 

Eric crouched near the edge of the canyon, looking thoughtful for a moment, before slinging the tranquilizer gun over his shoulder and telling us, "You guys got in the way of some business, that's all; nothing personal. But, ya know what, Steve? You've been watching way too many movies if you think I'm going to spill the whole story before I leave you to die. There just ain't no percentage in it; if you guys somehow survive, you'd just rat me out again. Anyway, I've got places to go and people to see. Have a nice day, dudes."

 

With that, Eric lowered himself over the edge and was gone. Steve yelled for him a few times, but no answer, just the sound of Steve's voice echoing off the sun-baked desert cliffs.

 

Oh yes, the infamous stake out chapter. I believe this had one of the highest number of posts in reaction to this cliffhanger. No matter how much you say Eric was just concerned about their tans, the quoted text indicates that he is leaving them there to die. Might even compete with FTL 18 me thinks.

 

 

 

To be continued....

[Tiger]

That is some excellent evidence, Steve. I happen to think that they are both in contention for the title of "King of Evil Cliffhangers." What I do not understand is why CJ tries to deny it and blame others for his cliffhangers. It's something to strive for and be proud of, not something to deny.

[wildone]

Chapter 24

 

The ensuing silence was deafening. Sheriff Johnson

[BeaStKid]

personally, LiS 26 was a cliffhanger, but not such a big one as CJ claims it to be. Again, I say, it was because, after seeing so many Bollywood movies, I am sorta accustomed to these types of suspense scenes.

 

So for me, LiS 26 was a suspense/tense scene/ending. certainly not the Mother of any cliffhangers...

 

CJ...you're the QUEEN!!

[Tiger]

personally, LiS 26 was a cliffhanger, but not such a big one as CJ claims it to be. Again, I say, it was because, after seeing so many Bollywood movies, I am sorta accustomed to these types of suspense scenes.

 

So for me, LiS 26 was a suspense/tense scene/ending. certainly not the Mother of any cliffhangers...

 

CJ...you're the QUEEN!!

I tend to agree, BK. CJ's cliffhangers are so evil that some want to roast him over flames. I am unaware of such a movement involving shadowgod. Besides, When I reached the end of Chapter 27, I simply navigated to the next chapter. How is that supposed to be the "mother of all cliffhangers"?

[C James]

Aww, come on... Go look in the LiS thread and see the responses to LiS 26!!! That was one doozie of a cliffhanger!!

 

Shadowgod is indeed the King of Cliffhangers.

 

As for Wildone's very detailed posts, ummm, well, ahhh, eeer, hmmmm. Ahhh.... Perhaps this would be a good time to re-mention Shadowgod's rile as the Anonymous Beta Reader for my stories? And the opertunity that presents to add any perceived cliffhangers?

 

So, therefor, in order to (literally) give the devil his due, I hereby inaugurate the Shadowgod Title Protection League. STPL The purpose of STPL is to protect and defend Shadowgod's honored title.

 

So, come join me in the righteous and just cause! :2hands:

 

STPL STPL STPL! Join the campaign bandwagon today!