Stephen

I like this new ability that Adam has. At least something good may have come about after the ordeal he and his family have suffered through. More than that though; I really want that power myself.

Thanks for another fascinating chapter, I'd been hoping one would come out soon. You took us back to Yugan's world, which seems to be a place that only gets more deadly as we go along. Is there anything there that won't try to kill or eat you? Dagen's Gift is a totally Unpeaceable Kingdom. Some of those nasty Stalker Telutuk monsters got Mikom! I liked her, and now she's dead. What's Yugan going to do without her? She was his wise mentor, -his matriarch and friend in a hostile world. We now have a tiny bit more information about the origin of aqumi and it's creators from the last of the Arbiter attackers. They are/were omnipotent, godlike beings, and Lucere was once known as Sulin's Will. Earth, meanwhile, still wallows in it's primitive venal, and incomprehensibly tedious corporate world.

How could I not like a story that takes place in the 'Outskirts of Nowhere'? Billy really hates his life there though, ...and more I think.

I think that Nolan has done remarkably well considering what he's lived through. Some things in our lives affect us forever, but we do go on. I'm happy that he's got a loving support group and a loving mother. There is hope. Thank you for the excellent story.

I'm relieved that you've had the kids arrive to safety in Bliss. They've had so much oppression in their lives that their new life will be a revelation. I couldn't be happier about all the turmoil and dissent in Hillcrest. Evil Reverend Furrow may yet get deposed. I won't hold my breath, but it would be nice if he met with a suitable end.

Jackson's mother, Grace, has shown us how good parenting is done. Her actions show how effective she must be at her workplace and why they call her in at every emergency. She has a good mind to be able to pull off the perfect way of reacting to her child's bad behavior. She's out for results and to minimize damage. A very effective person for sure. Everything I think about Jackson's actions has been said very well here already, but I will say that this is a delightful story.

This was a brutal courtroom scene, the victim attacked again, -only by a lawyer this time. I feel the same way that Liam does. Such drama!

Only one dragon gallant with class enough to earn my respect: Emrye. Low, silky voice doesn't hurt either, -just saying so...

These guys are growing on me, and I blame you Mr. Author.

Cory feels his world is imploding. He's dealing with messed up people every day. I hope he can see through all the crap in his life and not just lose whatever's left like Lawson did. I've wondered how therapists keep their sanity in the long run. I am glad that Cory knows now what John Lawson did, -unless he lied about it. It'd be nice to think there were no lies coming from that direction, but betrayal does make people suspicious. At least it should. I'm enjoying this story. It is just strange enough to be plausible too.

It seems clear to me with this chapter that this story has rounded a corner. Nolan's friends and who are his support network, are beginning to realize what he's gone through and that it was much more traumatic than any of them had imagined. Randy in particular is suddenly aware that the Nolan he knows has been terribly damaged in life and that his superficial appearance has all been window dressing. It won't take very long for Richie to figure it out, and the others will soon follow. It is the way things go in real life.

Yay Sam! I'm so happy for him and his fellow lefties (and the ambi dude). Freedom at last. Mr. Tubman, -any relation to Harriet? He's a godsend. Those kids now have a chance to have decent lives now. Now it's time to nail the wicked preacher man in a clever and appropriate manner.

There is little written about the psychological part of abuse that victims of it carry. We as humans consider ourselves so superior to the 'lesser creatures' and yet we are only pathetic examples of hypocrisy. So sad but so true. My heart bleeds just a bit more for Nolan -knowing that there is no rational answer, and his pain is something that he's likely to have intrude into his dreams/nightmares forever in his life. Is there really any solution? I am inclined to think that there isn't any such thing, except in the world of soaps and telenovelas. where it all ends up all rosy posey. I know that I sound like a bitter old creature, but I am not. I only respond to the harsh but fascinating realities of life as I know it. We can never forget that the world owes us nothing. Believing otherwise is to allow the ego to take control, and that's just silly. Please forgive me my soapbox diatribe, but your story stirs up so many emotions, you knew that already when you wrote it, didn't you?

Heaven help him, all those traditional arrangements would make me nervous too.

I do like this prologue, with it's colorful imagery. I don't know if I'll like this story, but I already like your writing style.

There is no easy way to resolve this situation, -any solution will cause pain for someone else it seems. This wicked, self-serving zealot Rev. Farrow needs to be disabled or removed from power. That won't likely happen though, unless some some sort of scandal involving him emerges. Such people as him almost always have some big sins hidden in their lives. Egomaniacs make the rules; so they truly believe that they're above these rules so they feel that they alone can break them. Let's find this man's sin and expose him. Ruin that evil creepy dude! I'd love to discover the vile sin that he's hiding. This sin needs to be something creative. Fraud or an extramarital affair are too mundane for this story. It needs to be something bizarre or nutzo, -and so shockingly taboo that these bible-thumpers will fall out of their prayer benches and never go back. You could have a little fun with that too. Then you could give him a weird and ironically strange death. You were seriously asking a question in your ending comment, weren't you? If not, then never mind...

I had to sigh when I started this chapter. I can't help but identify with David's situation: mid-thirties, married in a stable relationship, and trying to balance all that's required to keep everybody happy at a time in life when everything could easily go stale or dreadfully 40's nutzo crisis on you. Too young to be old but too old to be young, and nobody's ready to see themselves as stuck in a rut. It is a surprisingly difficult time of life for many people and there are plenty who don't come out of it intact. I'm curious to see how these characters deal with it all. You have a nice writing style that flows well, and that's always a pleasure for me.

Oh hell, it's just not going to go well, is it? No, it looks like it's going to be much more of a struggle now. I can only hope that these unfortunate, persecuted kids don't get too injured by the thugs. Even if they aren't killed or wounded, there's going to be punishment if they're caught. Hillcrest just seems to breed hostility.

Busted! By the science teacher no less, -how ironic is that? I can only hope that he's not as strictly dogmatic as that art teacher and the rest of this nasty little town full of evil, zealous Pharisees.

Oh Tobi, how could you even humor Sleazy Sterling? He's such a scuzzball! I'd be more disappointed except that you have video proof of Creepo's gayness. So there's some comfort that you haven't lost your mind to the deadly teenage hormones.

As gruesome as this scene is, I can't stop myself from thinking that this fictional scenario, or something similar has certainly occurred over and over again in this world in reality. My guess is that it has happened often enough to be considered common. We humans aren't even near ready to put an end to religious hatred either. So it will happen again and again for some time to come.

We meet Tobi at last. He first appears kind of standoffish, but he's really cool. He just keeps his mouth shut. I like him. And he knows Sterling's little secret, but doesn't hang it over him which makes him conscientious, -he has an intact moral code. That means he's a good guy, and also no idiot.

This state really sucks. Such intolerance in some places really does exist, even though this story is fiction. Intolerance breeds hypocrisy. This story reminds me of a real story a woman I once worked with told me: Her aged, widowed grand- mother in her 80's was a devout Roman Catholic who lived in Salt Lake City. Every week on garbage day her trash can mysteriously filled up with empty booze bottles, and yet none of her neighbors drank alcohol because of religious prohibitions. Her neighbors were all upright, virtuous churchgoers. Not the Catholic Church, of course. People can be towering piles of virtuous crap. I hope Sam listens to his Science Club friends and starts making plans to escape.

Al Peterson indeed! -I won't forget that anytime soon. I grew quite attached to Lane. He was the exception as I see it; that one little bird who sang throughout the storm. He's special in so many ways. You make all the characters in your stories seem so real, likeable or not. This was a delightful story, and thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Coming from a large city, it's hard for me to know awful small town life can be. I have to fight the tendency to idealize small communities and know them to be hotbeds of Rural American Repression. I'm left-handed so I would've been tossed out of Hillcrest long ago. Imagine Sam having to hide the fact that he paints with his left hand! This small town is awful.