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

[Graeme]

STPL STPL STPL! Join the campaign bandwagon today!

Er... no. I'm too busy

[Meeko]

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.

 

 

CJ

 

All I have to say is someone has ALOT of time on his hands =P

 

Go outside and be a good goat before I find yeah and start me roastin I can smell it already, yum yum =P

[Bondwriter]

I hate to admit that CJames is right. On the count of the reaction to LIS 26. I must say that not only did I post mean comments in the thread, calling for a fatwa if 27 was not properly resolved, but I also had my own little email harassment campaign.

 

This being said, CJames triggered the same type of reactions a number of times that would require more fingers than I have on one hand. He truly is the Queen of Evilest Cliffhangers.

 

Shadowgod would merely be a duke.

[Tiger]

CJ

 

All I have to say is someone has ALOT of time on his hands =P

 

Go outside and be a good goat before I find yeah and start me roastin I can smell it already, yum yum =P

I hear that goat's milk taste pretty good. I am, however, unsure if the meat is palatable.

 

I hate to admit that CJames is right. On the count of the reaction to LIS 26. I must say that not only did I post mean comments in the thread, calling for a fatwa if 27 was not properly resolved, but I also had my own little email harassment campaign.

 

This being said, CJames triggered the same type of reactions a number of times that would require more fingers than I have on one hand. He truly is the Queen of Evilest Cliffhangers.

 

Shadowgod would merely be a duke.

 

I am of the belief that both are excellent creators of evil cliffhangers. I do, however, believe that CJ reigns supreme.

[wildone]

Okay, let's finish off FTL, shall we?

 

Chapter 33

 

Steve and I pulled to a stop, watching as a mushroom-headed column of smoke and flame rose into view, signaling beyond doubt that Blackheart was out of the picture, permanently. His two henchmen were a different matter; the one who hadn't lost control pulled to a stop near his fallen comrade, helping him up off the pavement. Steve and I gunned the scooters, continuing up Mount Tantalus, hoping that the surviving thugs would not pursue. We followed the road to the top, heading back down on the loop road, with no sign of pursuit. As soon as we reached the city streets, we took several turns, before pulling to a stop once we felt sure to have eluded any pursuers. Steve raised the issue first, "I don't think we should call the local cops. If they contact the Piedmont Sheriff's Department..."

 

I nodded, "Yeah, not good. I don't think we're breaking any laws if we just leave, and Blackheart's dead. I'll call Sheriff Buchanan and see if he can get the FBI to raid that shoe store. I'll bet there is loads of stuff there, including that e-mail from Thaddeus putting a price on our heads."

 

The call didn't go smoothly. Once I'd told him what had happened, the sheriff yelled at me for a while before saying that he'd call the Feds right away. He also informed me, in no uncertain terms, that we were to head for the FBI's offices in Honolulu immediately, and then hung up after yelling at me some more.

 

Wow, did CJ just kill of a beloved character and beloved author here? To this day, we still don't know what happened to Blackheart. I'm assuming since we do see posts and a new story, that he is indeed alive. But does then average reader know Blackhearts true identity? A major cliffhanger for sure. And a side note, CJ claims never use cliffs, but didn't Blackheart crash off the side of a cliff?

 

Chapter 35

 

Climbing into the Charger, I hi-fived with Steve, feeling that at last, it was over; Blackheart gone, the Piedmont Sheriff under indictment, Eric on the run without a place to hide, and Thaddeus in jail with hard evidence against him, evidence that would make our civil suit a slam-dunk: we'd won.

 

Well, an argument could be made if this is a cliffhanger or not. I will have to sway to the side of it is. Since we are all now familiar with CJ's use of cliffhangers, we all know that this is not the end of the story. Actually is Blackheart gone? Will the indictment stop the Piedmont Sheriff? Has Eric found a place to hide? Will the civil suit against Thaddeus be a slam dunk? Four questions that are all left unresolved.

 

Chapter 36

 

 

"Hello Chris," said a voice I recognized instantly, the shocked expression on my face causing Steve to rush to my side. I eased the phone away from my ear, motioning for Steve to lean in and listen with me, as the Piedmont Sheriff continued, "I'm sure you've noticed whose phone I'm calling on; the good sergeant and Buchanan decided to try driving through my county this morning. I have them both. It's a pity that the Lonesome Valley Sheriff's department is so short-handed right now, just one wounded deputy, so you can't count on any help from there. I'll make this brief, you and Steve Williams are going to bring the information I purchased from Blackheart to the scrap yard in Piedmont. You'll come alone and unarmed. I'll have people watching, so don't try anything stupid."

 

Steve's hand on my shoulder gripped me tight, as the sheriff added, "You have thirty minutes, but I'd suggest you hurry. I've also got your little lady friend, and one of my men is, shall we say, busy entertaining her with his masculine charms. In thirty minutes, unless I've received good news from the scrap yard, I'll start by killing her, followed by the others. Now, just so you know I mean business, listen, and listen good."

 

There was silence on the line for a moment, soon filled a distant male voice, drowned out by Veronica's anguished cries.

 

OMFG!!! That was my thoughts when reading the ending of this chapter. Forget about all the other cliffhanger before. Everything spoils in the presence of this one!!! CJ, no wonder you are "The Queen Of the Evilest Cliffhangers". This one has to take the cake!

 

Chapter 37

 

Everything slowed down, my body feeling like it was trapped in quicksand, just trying to move my mouth seeming to take forever, the distance ahead seeming to grow and contract at the same time, the futile cry from my lungs crossing the distance, echoing off the stark and lonely hills. I watched the sheriff's head turning towards Steve, a fraction of an inch at a time, feeling my own heart beat once, then again.

 

My eyes, fixing on the sheriff's gun hand, watched in exquisite detail as his muscles flexed, his trigger finger beginning to move, the barrel of the gun still centered on Steve's blood-streaked head.

 

The crashing rapport of the gunshot ripped through me, fast-forwarded my world; my vision shifting, my heart shattering as I caught one last fleeting glimpse of Steve's body, covered with fresh blood and gore, tumbling lifelessly to the barren desert dirt.

 

Well let's just forget the comments about the previous chapter. This ending has definitely made C James the undisputed owner of "The Mother Of Evilest Cliffhangers". Now before anyone argues that possibly LiS is in the same category, let me point out that at the end of LiS 26 we were all sharing Jacob's thoughts as he was being loaded into the ambulance. He was still alive! Nothing other than maybe shock could have made him think of "one last time". Yet here, in FTL, all we have is that the Piedmont sheriff's trigger finger is flexing to fire a gun and then left with the scene of Steve's body, covered with blood and guts falling to the ground. Truly, nothing can be said to convince me that this was not the largest cliffhanger in the any serial I've ever read here a GA.

 

Epilogue

 

On screen was a televangelist, busy fleecing the flock, extolling people to send in their money and be saved. While the bump on his nose was still the same, his cheeks had a different shape, no doubt at the hand of a skilled plastic surgeon, though that familiar upturn at the corner of his mouth had survived intact. His hair dyed grey at the temples, his hairline shaved back a little, his eyes peering out from behind horn-rimed glasses, he looked much older; his new image complimenting the slow southern drawl with which Eric now spoke. I was stunned, but Steve seemed calm and unsurprised. I looked up to him, puzzled, as he said, "I guess we should have expected this, all things considered. I'm glad he came out okay after saving us all. I've even got a hunch we'll meet up with him again. I wonder if he really has changed?"

 

Hugging me tight, in spite of, or perhaps because of, still being wet,

[Tiger]

I guess if your going to start off a story in the prologue with a cliffhanger, why not end it in the epilogue with one. This closing passage has left so many unanswered questions. To top it off, we have "The End?". I must congratulate you CJ, you have given us actually a great story, riddled with cliffhangers. I should think after this complete analysis, it is fair to say that you are indeed the "Queen of the Evilest Cliffhangers", and have successfully usurp any claim to "The King of Evil Cliffhangers". The titles are solely your own.

 

Steve

I agree. A cliffhanger at the end of a story that makes us wonder what evil things a character will do is the most devious of all cliffhangers.

[BeaStKid]

I should think after this complete analysis, it is fair to say that you are indeed the "Queen of the Evilest Cliffhangers", and have successfully usurp any claim to "The King of Evil Cliffhangers". The titles are solely your own. [/size][/size]

 

Steve

:worship: :worship: All hail the queen!!

[C James]

WILDONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ACK!!!

 

 

Now, now, I do realize that, taken out of context, some of those might look a little like cliffhangers, but really, do remember who the Anonymous Beta Reader for FTL is! YEs, that's right, Shadowgod, the King of Cliffhangers himself!

 

And come one, you can't say the "we won!" chanter was a cliffhanger!!!

 

Wildone, posting this here might be upsetting to Shadowgod. He's in the middle of a campaign to protect his honored title, and at this time, what all we Shadowgod fans should do is rally behind him, and help him defend his title!

 

Now, I shall take y'all back to the precipice, yes, the Mother of All Cliffhangers, LiS 26. HERE is a link to the first post in the feedback thread.

 

Now just look, Shadowgod announced the chapter so nonchalantly, but notice his sneaky wording; One step closer to the end. THE END? Not when it looked like he killed Jacob!!!

 

And yes, we see Jacob's thoughts as he is loaded into the ambulance. BUT, he's got the symptoms of collapsed lungs (often fatal) AND he's craving, per the NARRATION, to see Matt one last and final time. Last and Final? Repetitive, and used for emphasis, emphasizing the liklyhood that Jacob is a gonner. That was downright EVIL!!! Then there were MAtt and Val's reactions to the phone call, and the dropped watermellon (which is evocative of carnage). And, Matt and Val know if Jacob is still allive, but the author keeps us in the dark! That's just EEEVIL!

 

And now, I bring us to our reactions, lest we forget.

 

You sure as hell know how to add a cliffhanger...

 

What word comes to mind as I finally have Internet connection after a couple of weeks and get caught up on one of my favorite stories???

 

Oh yeah,

 

BASTARD!!!!!

 

After we all gave you our advice, our feelings, our opinions. Your suppose to learn from your past mistakes!

 

I'm so....so....so, maybe I'll change my first name!!

 

 

I love you for writing such an amazing story, but atm i hate you for leaving us all hanging like this....

 

And i mean hate, hate, hate, hate, hate!!!!!

 

*Starts to Glare evily at Shadowgod*

 

Great, i'll never be able to sleep now, sigh i just had to read it!!!!

 

 

Ok, Steve, you come over here and sit on Uncle Conner's knee while I explain a few things. Here's what I want to say...

 

!!#$??&^??***%!!!#XXX%%%!!

 

There's lots more where that came from, too. But I believe you understand.

 

I guess it goes to show you guys did pick up on a trend I noticed while writing 26, and no it has nothing to do with Cliffhangers, even if I have become proficiant in using them. That said I guess the last one sorta surpasses the great lemonade cliffhanger. We never did figure out if it was pink, or regular, did we?

 

AHHEM!!! Here, His Shadowy Evilness ADMITS he is proficient at Cliffhangers! Understatement of the century, though.

 

Oooo...

 

Steve,

 

that

 

was

 

MEAN!

To keep all the Steve's separate, I think it's appropriate just to refer to our favourite author as "Evil Steve" which seems appropriate after a cliff-hanger of that magnitude.

 

Ah, yess, Evil Steve.. It fits!

 

I think the big question is just: will the Deity from the Dark plagiarize completely this Blackheart fellow's Failure of the Heart? Having read FOTH, I really wonder now about the similarities/ differences. I think someone pointed out this story a few months back in the thread; though the flashback technique starting with Jacob's untimely demise made perfect sense, if LIS followed the same route it would be extremely weird; actually, in Failure, Valerie is the main love of Matt; by now, if Jacob died and Matt got together with Valerie, it would be a complete disaster, since it would be more out of despair that they get together and not out of love.

 

 

 

Yes, yes, in that thread we have Shadowgod called the Lord of Darkness, and also, of course, nominated for the first time for King of Evil Cliffhangers!

 

Go read the thread, and re-live the fear, the chills, and the perilous precipices of the Mother of All Cliffhangers, LiS 26!

[shadowgod]

Does anyone else notice that he only posted snippets in his favor?

 

What the goat wont tell you is that particular line ... one last and final time... was indeed inserted by him in beta. and if you think that is bad you should see what he attempted to add into DnCW 2 just yesterday...

 

If anyone has doubts feel free to pm me I can provide working copys of all files for validation.

 

<g>

 

Lets keep the goat running scared!

 

Steve

[C James]

Does anyone else notice that he only posted snippets in his favor?

 

What the goat wont tell you is that particular line ... one last and final time... was indeed inserted by him in beta. and if you think that is bad you should see what he attempted to add into DnCW 2 just yesterday...

 

If anyone has doubts feel free to pm me I can provide working copys of all files for validation.

 

<g>

 

Lets keep the goat running scared!

 

Steve

 

FOSSSIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In my defense, if you look back on the threads, you will see that it is I who have been saying that Shadowgod is the inserter of cliffhangers in my stories. What he's doing here is trying to blame me for something he does!!!

 

And that "Last and Final" line is irrelevant anyway; the most masterful aspects of LiS 26 are the sum total of it, and the lead-in and foreshadowing.

 

Shadowgod is truly the Lord of Darkness, and the King of Cliffhangers...

[Tiger]

Lets keep the goat running scared!

 

Steve

I second that motion. There is plethora of damning evidence against him.

[shadowgod]

FOSSSIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

In my defense, if you look back on the threads, you will see that it is I who have been saying that Shadowgod is the inserter of cliffhangers in my stories. What he's doing here is trying to blame me for something he does!!!

 

And that "Last and Final" line is irrelevant anyway; the most masterful aspects of LiS 26 are the sum total of it, and the lead-in and foreshadowing.

 

Shadowgod is truly the Lord of Darkness, and the King of Cliffhangers...

 

 

Ahhh but goat, I have evidence Who wants to see what he tried adding to a chapter? can i get a show of hands?

[C James]

Ahhh but goat, I have evidence Who wants to see what he tried adding to a chapter? can i get a show of hands?

 

 

Nooo!!! It would be a spoiler, so you can't do it until after DnCW2 is posted. Or the Echidna will make you into a pincushion! (you know how he is about spoilers...)

 

Anything I added, to this or any chapter, would be in bright red (or perhpas blue, depending on the version of word) text in Word's edit mode. I would never, ever try and sneak anything in.

 

Oh, woe is me... Oh, the trouble I've seen... Nobody knows my sorrow... How could you say these mean things about me?

 

And, ahhem, need I mention what some might perceive to be cliffhangers that appeared at the end of some chapters of FTL Now how did they get there?

[shadowgod]

Nooo!!! It would be a spoiler, so you can't do it until after DnCW2 is posted. Or the Echidna will make you into a pincushion! (you know how he is about spoilers...)

 

Anything I added, to this or any chapter, would be in bright red (or perhpas blue, depending on the version of word) text in Word's edit mode. I would never, ever try and sneak anything in.

 

Oh, woe is me... Oh, the trouble I've seen... Nobody knows my sorrow... How could you say these mean things about me?

 

And, ahhem, need I mention what some might perceive to be cliffhangers that appeared at the end of some chapters of FTL Now how did they get there?

 

ROTFLMAO.... Neat thing about computers, you can do screen captures, but you know that don't you! you have used that approach before... Good thing I save all versions with edits and markups intact isn't it. All I have to do is open it up hit print screen past into a photo editor save as jpeg upload it for the world to see. Hrmm come to think of it I can even make it a pdf. Expect an email shortly as proof

 

As for how they got in there, you of course, I may have merely suggested a word change to make the paragraphs more effective.

[C James]

ROTFLMAO.... Neat thing about computers, you can do screen captures, but you know that don't you! you have used that approach before... Good thing I save all versions with edits and markups intact isn't it. All I have to do is open it up hit print screen past into a photo editor save as jpeg upload it for the world to see. Hrmm come to think of it I can even make it a pdf. Expect an email shortly as proof

 

As for how they got in there, you of course, I may have merely suggested a word change to make the paragraphs more effective.

 

Ahh yes, but we also know that screencaps can be faked. We also know that you can use photoshop..., So

The same is true of word .doc files.

 

Sneaky, oh lord of darkness, sneaky!!!

[Graeme]

... and if you think that is bad you should see what he attempted to add into DnCW 2 just yesterday...

 

Nooo!!! It would be a spoiler, so you can't do it until after DnCW2 is posted. Or the Echidna will make you into a pincushion! (you know how he is about spoilers...)

Posting something that isn't going to be in the story isn't a spoiler

 

Oh, and since I'm beta-reading for DnCW, I can vouch for what someone tried to add to the story....

[wildone]

CJ,

 

When digging yourself a hole like your doing, switch to a teaspoon instead of the backhoe your currently using .

 

Steve

[Tiger]

Posting something that isn't going to be in the story isn't a spoiler

 

Oh, and since I'm beta-reading for DnCW, I can vouch for what someone tried to add to the story....

I am most likely in the majority, believing that what you and Shadowgod are saying is indeed correct.

[BeaStKid]

All Hail the queen!!!

[C James]

Posting something that isn't going to be in the story isn't a spoiler

 

Oh, and since I'm beta-reading for DnCW, I can vouch for what someone tried to add to the story....

 

Now, now, I merely made a little three-paragraph suggestion for the end of the chapter. It was clearly marked in red courtesy of Word's edit mode, and so of course I made no attempt to sneak anything in anywhere. In fact, Shadowgod has indicated that he won't use it, so it is irrelevant anyway, and best forgotten.

 

CJ,

 

When digging yourself a hole like your doing, switch to a teaspoon instead of the backhoe your currently using .

 

Steve

 

It's not my fault... It's Shadowgod's fault!!!!

 

I am most likely in the majority, believing that what you and Shadowgod are saying is indeed correct.

 

Come now.. think it through... Haven't I been saying for months that Shadowgod is responsible for some perceived clifies in my stories? Now, if I had, indeed, added the "Last and final time"line to LiS 26's cliffhanger, would I be running around blaming Shadowgod for doing the same things to my chapters? Also, would I be proclaiming LiS 26 to be the Mother of All Cliffhangers if I'd done so? As further proof, I offer the cact that I myself cite the "last and final" but as part (admittedly, a very small part) of what made LiS 26 such an absolutely devastating cliffhanger.

 

I think I just proved my case.

[Graeme]

Now, now, I merely made a little three-paragraph suggestion for the end of the chapter. It was clearly marked in red courtesy of Word's edit mode, and so of course I made no attempt to sneak anything in anywhere. In fact, Shadowgod has indicated that he won't use it, so it is irrelevant anyway, and best forgotten.

I agree... it should be forgotten. Trying to give Cody superpowers was a nice idea, but I don't think it fitted with the rest of the story.

 

I think I just proved my case.

I think not

[C James]

I agree... it should be forgotten. Trying to give Cody superpowers was a nice idea, but I don't think it fitted with the rest of the story.

 

 

I think not

 

 

I didn't try and give Cody any powers at all! If what you read reads that way, I suspect that Shadowgod has been editing again.

 

Shadowgod? After the chapter posts, please do post the three deleted paragraphs. The real ones.

 

Now, as for proving my case, i think I have.

[Graeme]

I didn't try and give Cody any powers at all! If what you read reads that way, I suspect that Shadowgod has been editing again.

If he posts those paragraphs, I'll point out the superpowers. However, it may not work because I know that Shadowgod has altered the lead up and so one of the superpowers may not be obvious any more....

[Tiger]

If he posts those paragraphs, I'll point out the superpowers. However, it may not work because I know that Shadowgod has altered the lead up and so one of the superpowers may not be obvious any more....

I love super powers. That would be wonderful plot twist indeed.

[Jack Frost]

CJ, when will you get over yourself for once and confess your warm heart to us?