Cia

I grew up in a small town in the Pacific Northwest, it was all I knew til I was 11. We rode bikes, dirt bikes on specially made trails with jumps and stuff, swam in the river, climbed trees... typical outdoor kid stuff. The biggest risk was drunk train hitchhikers getting off in the town and since I lived near the tracks we usually had to cautious down our long driveway at night. We too were gone all day without anyone worrying about us, though if we didn't show up for dinner we were in big trouble Then I started spending summers with my mom outside of Washington DC. That was a wake-up call! City block after city block! It was my first trip to a real public library (yes, book worm I was that thrilled me almost more than the monuments), the Smithsonians... I was in heaven brain wise with all the things available in the city. Plus my first trip to an actual beach. You can't swim safely on the Oregon and Washington coastline so I'd never been in salt water before. To some extent it was't bad there, I could roller skate 2 miles to the local park and often did on my own, even though large parts of the road were secluded. Then reality set in. My mom took us pretty much everywhere and had to keep a close eye out, I had a pair of guys try to lure me into 'taking their picture' in a rest stop on a road trip, we had to lock doors often times when we drove in the city and the sights of a city you become innured to, street people, sex workers, druggies... those were a shock to me. So I think that part of 'those freedoms' to roam as a kid were not as obvious to my city dwelling times. Now I live outside a larger city but it's here in the Pacific Northwest still. There is country close by but my kids have no freedom. They play in the fenced backyard, never in my front yard. If they go outside to play, so does our doberman. He can get from the back to the front fence in 4 seconds flat, way faster than any childnapper could dream of. There is no 'wandering about' town and if we go swimming they are within arm reach. If we go out in public, say to the zoo, I make my kids stay in my line of sight at all times, if not actively holding my hands. At the park I rarely read or write, most of the time I'm too busy just watching to make sure they stay safe. Part of this is because we pay more attention to dangers now and part of it is that the dangers have gone up. I wonder often if the increased media availability of crimes involving children is not partly to blame. We know more now, because we see it more now. It's not 'an isolated incident' that 'could never happen here' because we see cases online, in the news, fictionalized on cable tv... I for one with err on the side of caution as a parent. My kids can have freedom when they are 18. Well... maybe 30.

I saw that nomination! Good thing I'll be eclipsed by such cliffie writers as CJ and Nephy... (fingers crossed). I am glad you enjoyed the chapter. To some extent you know what happens, now you just get to find out what REALLY happened. 1-3k left to write to get it all down, a trip to beta land and a final read through and you guys should be reading the ending chapter soon. Thanks so much for the review, I love hearing what you think of my stories!!

Yeah, it was a little cliffie, bad me! It won't be too long, I'm deep in the world of Dane and Tap and it's got a hold of my writing bug. I will be posting soon (and no, the last 3 week gap didn't count as soon).

I was so upset at the end of this chapter. It's one of the gentlest build-up chapters I've read but one that has a reader completely anxious by the end. I find it interesting that the one who said they couldn't just watch Bridge die is the one who stayed behind. Sure, I know why now, but still... Can't wait to read everyone's reactions to what comes next. You have a way of completely enthralling a reader with the character's lives and plight. Sometimes I even have to stop reading becaue I'm so anxious over what is doing to happen

I hesitate to say promise, my kids have a way of sucking up my time but I shall endeavor to the best of my abilities to NOT torture you all too much. Don't want my readers to band together and torture me. Did you really end up holding your breath? I do that sometimes! It's like... gah! No!!!! Oh man! moments as I read. :evil grins:

Sunday was hot and the infield was dusty. Tap had streaks on his face from the dirt on the inside of his catcher's mask but all Dane could see was the big grin he had as he whooped and joined his team in celebrating their win to take first in Districts. Dane managed to forget his shyness long enough to cheer along with several other people in the stands who had made the drive to support the high school's team. During a break between the games Dave joined Tap and Dane on a trip to the closest

Happy Birthday Lacey! I thought of offering cake but you're always asking me to make you a sandwich so here you go, just for your birthday!

It's never fun to be someone's dirty little secret. It makes you question your own self-worth at times. I faced that, but because I was white and my boyfriend wasn't. His momma didn't like me at all, not even as a friend. He could barely speak to me where she could see. That really sucked.

Well let's put the insurance into perspective. You're looking at a possible harvest of 18 eggs (yes, that's the term they use) and they will inject each one with sperm. Then they will wait, let the little guys/gals begin to divide and then pick the ones with the most divisions and the healthiest appearance to implant. Also, some of those eggs and sperm could split off and produce a multiple even before implantation which would increase your fertilized egg count. If you are going multiple egg implantation then you have the best of the lot for the first chance and the rest put on the deep freeze. With a possibility of at least 10 leftover that leaves very good odds of having healthy eggs to implant should you need to go a second round, ones that aren't inhibited by being cryogenically frozen. So... the insurance is worth it. Plus, if you only have a single child this go round and pregnancy and the surrogate and money allow you have the chance to provide your child with a sibling down the road, if the fees include long term storage. That's an invaluable bit of comfort for your family, though even having a single child is a blessing when you have to really work at being a parent. Paying the insurance to have those chances means a lot in the emotional costs. That being said, breathe, pick up a stress ball, do long complicated things to keep your mind busy and remember that in time you are going to look back and think of this as when you guys started your family. It's amazing, exciting, and yes, a bit nervewracking. Oh, and don't forget to eat. This is only the beginning of the ride you're in for. Oh, and the best part of it? There's no getting off!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday!!

I do not want to close a valid topic someone else started because some members can not keep this from devolving into personal nitpicking. This topic is one with some sensitive situations where people are saying what they view their worst mistakes in their love life have been. Everyone needs to respect that they are sharing their personal stories and either share helpful and thoughtful conversation to the subject or stay out of the topic.

How about we keep this civil and the insults out of it before I'm forced to step in and do the whole mod thing. If you guys want to squabble over semantics and make rude comments to each other use the pm system. Otherwise, please drop it and either stay on topic or don't post.

OMG, LMAO. You are great Marzipan!

Early fall is awful for the preggo woman, being so big in summer but for holidays and such it's perfect. You'll know what baby/babies you'll have for all those nifty gifts they will be spoiled with by family. Plus you will get to live it up for your final non-diaper bag, formula can, spit rag and binky toting days. Trips to the beach, weekend mini-vacations, the ability to sleep in on Sunday morning, read the paper and have brunch, go for a walk before lazing around doing much of nothing will be things of the past. On the other hand your sleep and food deprived minds and bodies will fall under the spell of the yummy smelling, satin skinned, beautiful baby/babies and you will find every loss of freedom (and money) to be worth it. When you get to hold the baby for the first time and watch them blink and yawn sleepily and then gently pass out in your arms, the first smile and coo as they make eye contact, the first time they grab on to your neck and hold on with all the amazing strength in their chubby little hands will rock your world and blow your mind. It may just be a survival mechanism on their part to keep you from smothering them at the 4th wake up call in 5 hours in the wee hours of the morning but it sure as hell works. Prepare for a whole new love to enter your soul, it's coming for you soon.

Aha! I thought it might have been his lover who caught him, if the smell was a trigger. So often a smell and the feel of the arms around us is the strongest memory we carry of loved ones. Living or dying... I think that there would still be more to suffer. As much as your character endured his emotional pain was left unfulfilled by the outcome. And we all know that's the worst kind of all. I say he's still alive and someoneor several someones are going to pay dearly.

Hmm... I was a stupid teen and was into the party scene. Lots of mistakes there but the worst was a guy I was with who thought it was okay to beat on me. The worst thing was that I could have defended myself from him, I was capable physically but not mentally to defend myself from a guy who wanted to hit me. I snapped one day and just started laughing at him after he hit me and that lead to a major beating that left scars. That incident led me to finally get up the nerve to tell him to stay the hell away from me and I vowed to never let it happen again. I was young so it didn't manage to mess me up too much mentally and I have been with a great man for 13 years. I was one of the lucky ones who managed to escape the cycle that so many people who were abused early in life get stuck in. Not everyone is so fortunate.

Of course you're curious! Can't have you losing interest at this point. The next chapter is well on it's way to being done so you shouldn't have to wait too long. I think recovery without problems from the experiences they went through would be too unrealistic. Well, and too nice from me as a writer. I could never make things easy! I can't say more or I'll spoil things but I think you guys will like what comes next. Thanks so much for leaving another review!

A lot of the people who chat are 'regulars' so it can be intimdating for new people to come into the mix. Some persist and are quickly assimilated into the mob, some stay quietly watching for a while before testing the waters, and some come in and go, Holy hell, so not for me!!. It's okay to not 'get it' in chat in the beginning, it's like being plunked into a crowd of people you don't know in real life and being expected to be able to converse with them as they all talk about things you don't really relate to at times. It's not exactly comfortable to be in that place. However, I am always willing to private chat with someone in there to say hi and start letting them test the waters so if anyone is wanting to check it out and I'm in there feel free to click on my name in the online chat users box and start a private conversation. I promise I'll only ask 100 questions to start off with!

Be nice Chase. Nice pics Patrick. Keep snapping those moments!

If I'm being honest about mine it's the color black and yellow. Predominately black. Shocking, I know! However, I'd like to say that whoever wrote up that color chart was obviously biased toward any kind of 'kinky' sex. Like anything between 2 consenting people should be called perverted or misfit just because it isn't your thing. Awful.

Thank you! I wrote a hetero spin off with Carthera characters as well, Falcon clan but not these characters. Anyway, it took 8th place in a paranormal short story contest in October so I figure the story concept and world, while not hugely expanded on yet, is an interesting enough one to catch an audience and keep them reading. I do plan on more stories in this world with different clans to really expand on the culture and people so keep checking back in the months to come!

OMG, LMAO. I've got one to share. CJ in his dotage.

LOL. Welcome to the site. If you have questions there are tons of great people around to ask but feel free to drop me a pm on my profile if you need to! Otherwise, Enjoy

Our bond was doing it's job. He was weak, almost as weak as when he first came back to me but he was still moving. I could almost feel his determination and drive to get out. He would not let anything keep him in these cold stone halls. I felt a passing curiosity about them. If I didn't know better I would think that we were trapped back in medieval times in the dungeon of some evil tyrant bent on taking over the known world. I guess that thought wasn't that far from the reality. Mishtar's m