Yettie One

Yes................... Awsome, he's gay too! Ok I kinda guessed that was going to happen, but it's kind of cute the way they come together like that. Next chapter..............

OMG I got such a good giggle out of this chapter. Your depiction of the crash, the tangle of limbs, the second crash, just made me chuckle lots. Fantastic use of words Marky, I really do love the quirky happiness of this story. Excited to see where it goes.

I love the wonderful playfulness of your writing style. Happy, airy and cheerful, there's a freshness about the flow and friendliness of Jo. You warm to both of the central characters instantly. Stunning writing style Marky I also had to google siomai. Sounds delicious!

Nah its elections in Greece today. I think the team didn't want to go home in a hurry!!!

Now here's a boy band hailing from kind of Central or Eastern Europe somewhere that I used to enjoy a lot when a few years back.

Well joining GA has opened my eyes to a lot of different things, and one of them is the Anthology idea. So summer 2012 was the first time I actually came across anything of the sort, and if it weren't for Bugeye pointing it out to me, it'd have slipped by unnoticed as I was caught up in reading some of the amazing stories on the site. But thankfully I was encouraged to give it a whirl and submit an entry. I actually got a good kick out of giving it a go. It was a lot of fun writing and coming up with something a little different. It took three attempts and two changes to what I was working on, but it was a good experience, and now that the whole thing is out there for everyone to read, I'm fairly happy with the result. I've taken some time out to read through everyone else's entry the last few days, and realise what an amazing bunch of writers there are on GA. Some of these writers I read for the first time through their anthology submission, others I've checked out in the last few weeks. But what I can say with absolute certainty is that there are some writers that are solid gold in terms of their content and output. I really enjoyed reading the various entries and seeing the amazing selection in varied interpretations of the subject. That is the beauty of our individual expression. While it'd be easy to rave about almost all of the submissions, I decided that I'd choose my top three and rave about those, so here is my humble opinion in no particular order:- The Milner Device - Andy 021278 Caught in a world of post apcolyptic survival, two young people are forced to face a daunting decision that will change their lives forever. Andy has a remarkable ability to paint a picture of a future as scary as anything you may have viewed watching any of a number of "end of days" movies I could list. His canvas is filled with simple, eloquent brush strokes that paint us a vivid picture of the devastating consequences of man's overwhelming desire to protect and defend himself against himself. Caught up in these consequences of man's innate ability to destroy everything good are two young people learning to survive against all the odds. I really enjoyed this story for two reasons. It's realism is unnerving and presented in simple, yet detailed precision. It's quite disturbing how easily this could come true. Secondly it presents a quandary for its central characters that is a fundamental argument of our time. It is one I have sat and debated already with friends over a beer, it is one that our churches struggle with, it is one that society struggles with, and it is woven into the horror of a future world with little hope in such a clever way that show's that even in our future, there is no clear and certain answer to the things that trouble us today. Should I - CarringtonRJ If your a fan of thrill and wild rides then this is a story for you. This is a display of skill and writing ability that will take you on a voyage of discovery, passion, confusion and decisions. It is the first time that I have ever read a story and been left completely unsure of what I think. It presents a world that few of us have thought about, few of us will ever understand and even less of us will ever be able to so present so carefully, sensitively or creatively. CarringtonRJ takes the huge world of sexuality and the overwhelming confusion of desire, lust and sexual identity, throws it in the tumble dryer and pulls a rabbit out of the hat. All while your right there in the middle of the confusion. It is emotional, thought provoking and daunting all at the same time. When I was finished reading, I was left with a relief that my life is simple and remarkably straight forward in comparison with the central character of this story. It is an amazing tale of one persons struggle to make the right decisions for themselves in that quest for the illusive happiness of acceptance and identity. If your looking for something intense, then hell this is it! Murder In The Woods - CassieQ Nothing to do with what I had imagined this is a story about an individual that has to face his past in order to make his future secure. The great thing about this story is subtle build up that takes you up the mountain to the summit and then whips the expectation right out from under you. I love the intensity of the feelings that the writer is able to invoke through a simple yet complex use of word groups that build the scene perfectly for the purposes of this story. I also like the way the expectations that you form are the complete reverse of the reality for the plot, and how while your attention is drawn to things, it is not till the very end that the mist clears and the full picture becomes painfully clear. I could go on and on about each submission, these are not the only stories that I enjoyed. I wish I could choose them all, but I set myself a task to choose three, and as hard as that was, these I think are them. I do not want to detract from the fine efforts of any of the other writers, or the opinion of anyone else who reads the submissions and has a difference of opinion. I can only thank everyone for providing me with a lot of enjoyment reading some amazing stories, and congratulate you all for your time and effort. I hope everyone else enjoys the anthology as much as I have, and once more thanks to Bugeye for convincing me to take part. Thought for today - "I just want to be known for things other than my sexuality" - Eva Mendes Song for today - Proud by Heather Small

Just spent a wonderful morning with mom. I took some time out to do her hair, one of my hidden talents from a course I took when I left school and was trying to figure out what to do with my life. It was an avenue that ended up taking me down other roads, but gave me some skills I can call on from time to time, and this morning turned out to be a good time to put them into gear. I actually had a lot of fun, totally redid mom's hair into something tall and scary at first just for a laugh. She nearly collapsed when I showed her, and I should really have been thinking in advance and filmed it coz it was a moment that will stay with me forever. It was wonderful to hear her laugh so. When things are good we get along so well. We've always been so damn close. I then set things right, into a semblance of style, probably a little old fashioned if a modern hair dresser was to comment, but for mom, she's happy and that's all that counts. There is something about having their hair done that makes a woman feel special and good about themselves and its good to be able to give that to someone you love. It's days like these that I treasure. They are too scarce now and few and far between, and I grab onto them with such greed and hunger I feel bad for wanting them so. I should be strong enough to accept what is happening and have the ability to deal with it. But instead I hide away and bury things deeply, shutting myself off from the world so it cannot see the pain and fear I am carrying. I am scared of the future, a future that cannot be too far away anymore. Sometimes I don't want these good days, they just make the pain and reality sharper and more real. I have to say a big thank you to everyone that supports and encourages me, and allows me this time and channel to vent, let of steam, think and ramble. Your messages and quiet words of support even though you don't know me too well mean more than you will ever know.

Ha! That imagination of yours is solid gold! This is such a personal text, written from deep inside someone's head, and while there is the air of a dark horror story, it's the overwhelming need to release that shines through. Firmly closing the door on a lonely, sad part of his life. Really keeps you gripped as you read Mark. Superb story.

It is never easy to face the truth of lying to people. One simple lie can cause so many hurts down the road. What starts out as a small innocent hidden truth becomes a complex web of deceit. Wonderfully crafted depiction of the hurts surrounding hiding one's sexuality and the pain of realising the truth. Good work Sid.

For a time while I was reading this I had a really bad feeling in the back of my mind it was all going to go wrong, but it all goes right in the end. Thankfully! Really easy to read, and superb dialogue. Enjoyed the suspense of the dream too! Well written MJ

A carefully constructed realm of existence that gives us pause for thought, that is a clever piece of writing. Some of the scenes are really difficult to read and kind of distressing, especially the soldier scene. But life is not fair and at time very cruel as you say, and your put this across very well. I'm not sure I can say that like is the right word, but it defiantly made me think. Well done.

Argh heck. Lucky Greeks. They knock out Russia! Meh!

Hey Comicfan Sorry your having a rough time. Hang in there and get better, and hope your dad has a full recovery. Yettie Hugs. xx

Stunning piece of writing Dolores. I love it when prose works and this really works well. Really enjoyed reading.

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I read the title, guess it just goes to prove we shouldn't judge a story by its title ey! Really enjoyed reading this, and got a chuckle or two in places. Such a typical teen thing.... "can you ask if he likes me!" lol God how many times did I hear that going around when I was a teen. Great work on the dialogue too. The flow is easy to follow and endears the characters to you. Great story.

I actually felt really gutted for Tyrel at the end of the story.... Nowhere left to turn, not even his choice could be really his own. Lovely Story Renee. I love he was a tiger too!

Crumbs that was a bit harrowing. Very emotive Lugh. Amazing writing on a really sensitive and tough subject.

Hey JoannThanks for your feedback, really glad you enjoyed it and got the humour. I love being able to chuckle when I read something, so I am glad someone got that out of something I wrote.

Buddy thanks for reading. I'm pleased you got to enjoy it, and thanks for the feedback. Tired to do something a little different and faster paced. Just hope that everyone gets it.

Bru you hit the nail on the head. I remember how horrified I was when I heard the word Homo for the first time, and then to realise that it might mean I was one of them was hard to get my head around for a long time. I think the names society uses are derogatory and mean, and sometimes we are our own worst enemy! Thanks so much for reading, and really glad you enjoyed it. I love hearing your thoughts and opinions. x

Hey BillExactly you are so right. It is one of the lessons we all learn as young people growing up.... Communication is key to any relationship. I guess in this story this is one of the lessons that the characters learn as a result of this incident. Thanks for reading, and your feedback means a lot. It's always good to know what the reader thought, and that they get the story.

I felt like I was in that diner. Could see Tom and feel his pain. I love that fact. The vivid reality in the simple flow of the story is lovely, and funny I'm not sure it was so fast paced, just a shift from one reality to another. I wish Destiny gave us all that choice KC. I know exactly what I'd change.

Blimey mate! That is one damn scary prospect. Strange thing is that we have got stuff like this already in existence in weapons arsenals around the world. Vivid, thought provoking and harrowing. It's a good if somewhat daunting story Andy.

OMG! Damit wtf happens to Noah???? Subtle and craftily pulls you in, builds you up, gets you happy, then snatches it all away. Wow, this is a fantastic story Cassie.

I really really really enjoyed this! Awww It's an awesome story Comicfan. I want my very own Ten E! lol I'm glad he got away though. Those clients were fricken scary! Great story buddy, really creative. x