drsawzall

Will Zorro ever come across those he saved again?

I have to think this is one of your finest chapters yet...once upon a time, as the youngest of three in a dysfunctional family, can I relate.... "Yeah," I admitted, my voice rougher than I meant it to be. "It hurts. It hurts every time he shuts me down. It hurts every time he tries to force me into the mold he wants me to fit in. It hurts every time my mother tries to defend him. It hurts just being in that house." *************************************** “Like yours.” I said sullenly. “She’s being split between us and she doesn’t know whose side to pick and I’d rather she didn’t have to choose. She doesn’t deserve it. I mean I know she just wants me to be happy. It’s my dad that’s the problem, he’s not happy unless everyone else is miserable. Classic definition of my father.... “What about your mom?” “Like yours.” I said sullenly. “She’s being split between us and she doesn’t know whose side to pick and I’d rather she didn’t have to choose. She doesn’t deserve it. I mean I know she just wants me to be happy. It’s my dad that’s the problem, he’s not happy unless everyone else is miserable. Sometimes it is the smallest of things, the quietest moments in the still of the deep, dark night.. I shifted my weight, careful not to let the futon creak, my knees tucked up close to give me a steadier angle. It wasn’t about getting everything perfect — not tonight. It was about feeling it right. The quietness, the smallness of the moment. The way it made my chest ache in a way I didn’t have words for. When the realization finally incrementally dawns, that just maybe it isn't you who's at fault Instead, it sounded almost like a lullaby. I finally let sleep take me. For once, I didn’t fall asleep bracing for the worst.

I'm late getting to the chapters, so many things I am reading at the moment. One in particular is the March '25 issue of Smithsonian magazine and an article called The Cuneiform Challenge and much like the Rosetta stone, there was a contest to accurately decipher writings 3 to 4 thousand years old. This challenge took place on the 1850's and one factoid stood out to me, an Assyrian account of the flood that swallowed the world. It buttresses the point that @Philippe made in his comment...this account predated the bible by 3-4 thousand years... Now, leaving my nerd soap box aside, who knew there were so many soapboxes..., if I were a betting man based on my prodigious prognostication powers, I would bet the house on Niki having Will's father for lunch at the art gallery, should they ever meet there...

BTW...I have to assume Asher was driving as they made the trip in one piece, that's my story and I am sticking to it...till I see the car in the morning....

Enjoyed this chapter immensely, a perfect way to set up what's to follow.... I feel that both @Summerabbacat and @Philippe made cogent, worthwhile comments....kudos to you both!!!

I'm finding it difficult to have any sympathy for poor old Charles, he's reaping what he sowed.

As long as we don't hear from any dirty sheets.....

It more like he's chewing the table legs, ever so close to the floor....

After reading all the comments, I forgot what the heck i was going to opine on, which means...I got nuthin......

I am finding the following a bit concerning, and is it the proverbial bug in the rug??? The male shopkeeper had hit him with that weapon and, as Ryder had quickly figured out, that sort of thing had been made centuries ago with the sole purpose of injuring an alpha, if not even killing him. Ryder had been lucky that the wielder of the weapon had been a weak human.

Our intrepid author after reading all the various comments....

I wouldn't say that's the right word to describe you. I don't think that word has been invented yet! 🤪 It isn't just one word, but several involving nuns, bicycles, thunderbolts, rampaging penguins dressed up as vikings for starters... More stories to read...I desperately need longer days!!!

And about frigging time.....

I found the following to be very on point.. The warmth of his touch lingered for a moment longer than I expected, and it pulled me out of the fog I hadn’t even realized I was lost in. I wasn’t used to people seeing me like this. Not even Luca, really. It felt too personal, too raw, for someone to reach out in the way he just had. But... it wasn’t just that. There was something in the way he looked at me, not with pity, not with the weight of judgment, just... understanding. A quiet, steady kind of understanding that made me feel like I wasn’t as broken as I sometimes thought. It's not you who are broken.... There was a crease between his eyebrows, small, thoughtful, and the faintest tuck of his bottom lip under his teeth. I watched it for a moment longer than I should have, then set about trying to capture it, to keep it before it vanished. That was always the hardest part: holding on to something fleeting. Sketching wasn’t just about the shape of things. It was about the way something felt in a moment. About catching something real before the world buried it again.

A somewhat lighthearted chapter and laughed at the following... Didn’t realise you were a virgin,” the amurrun said. “That’s not a crime,” Coradiel said, flashing a warning look at Arlo. “I’m not a virgin! I’ve had sex lots of times!” “Playing with yourself is not-”

Hopefully Arvid is closer to 16 than 15...would love to overhear his conversation with his parents... The party should be very interesting and can't wait to see Rowena's reaction; I would not be surprised if fine with Vince and not a fan of Venita.....

I'm hoping that Walter's sperm donor eventually has "that" conversation with Rocky and Orlando... That Damir needs medical attention isn't in doubt, here's hoping he gets a life-threatening infection as he fails in doctoring himself... Hopefully Walter is treated in time and will recover, and ever so proud of Mary and Micah.... Sarah had best hold on to her recently discovered conscience ....

If it isn't multiple chapters...post it!!!

"It" just may not be alone....insert music from the movie Jaws here....

Fasten your seatbelts folks, this tale is going to not only prove to be thrilling but addictive as well. If you haven't read the first part...stop and read it now, it is as good as it gets!!!!

Can't disagree with any of the comments above, Loved the fact that Mary bitched slapped (thanks @Summerabbacat) the Cuntess of Chicago... Slowly it would seem that pressure cooker is heating things up and when it lets go, nothing will ever be the same. It's gonna be a thrilling journey to see how our hero's put things back together... Rocky and Orlando as restaurant owners, never before have I fallen in love with such a despicable pair such as these two after finding redemption. I can only hope they find Damir. While Damir may have youth and some specialized training, in any confrontation I'd put my money on Rocky and Orlando...

My goodness, talk about restarting another story with a bang...looking forward to the rest!!!

Their success is the breeding ground for continued growth as others like/similar to the DuPont's see the strategic wisdom in joining/combining forces. Still, questions remain from the incidents in the last chapter, I still wonder about the folks that built the two alien ships, I would suspect they are from the other side of the wormholes...

So incredibly sad and totally unnecessary....

Great start and can relate to those days like that in my past when troglodytes roamed the streets....Looking forward to the next!!!