innerkid13

A child. Eight years old. Car accident over the weekend.” The words landed in the room and sat there. @mastershakeme THANK YOU for not making the deceaseds child one of the Seahorses. I agree that Owen may not have survived and your readers may have rioted. I am still in tears since the above. Well written. So well written. Ugh, the tears…

Liberace? Elvis? Let me keep thinking… Rathsputin? Hitler? Ugh, getting a bit dark 🥺 Ooh! Hannibal (with the elephants invading Italy?), Buddha

I adore this comment. It verifies the amazingly skilled, well crafted, and emotionally intelligent writing that so many of us are having such strong reactions to this story. WooHoo! Well done. Love it!!!

I think you have captured Ryder well. It seems like a high-pressure move for Owen to make, but I agree Margot seems to be asking for it. PS. I miss your fiction writing. This story reminds me of your writing. I mean that as a sincere compliment to both of you! Just wonderful writing.

Could it be a defensive mechanism? A reaction to such a bad situation that he promised himself it will never happen to him again? He obviously understands Owen, but has issues trusting him through the significant change that will have to happen to come out of the dark.

I vote for the groveling. Ryder has some issue in his past that is creating a massive, hurtful hurdle. If he manages to get beyond it soon enough, there is potential mutually supportive healing for him and Owen. Waiting for him to come out of his dark…

Dijon

I am really hoping that this story surprises the cynic! There are the right good people out there for everyone. Sometimes they are hard to locate.

And if the AI is doing a better job than the guilty conscience… go Hughie, GO!

James Clay Henry and Margret “Maggie” = J and M - an effort to tell the world what Abigail Henry did not want told

It seems that bigotry exists in many forms. Welcome to America…😢

As inept as McCormick is at his job, I cannot fathom why any reader would expect that police force to be anything but a clown car at a circus. As a reader, I am struggling for any other option except that McCormick is now somehow working for or with Tarquin. This town seems to be becoming a major mafia operation with Tarquin being at least a local operator based on the level of corruption and complicity. I am really struggling to give this the benefit of the doubt. (Sorry.) There are too many infuriating characters and situations - maybe it is time to tell Noah to load the Arc and cleanse the rest. AARRGGHH!!!

I agree with Geemeedee: I am triggered. I feel Oliver has become an addict like victim - to TARQUIN! With full knowledge. Is he salvageable? Hmm…. Will it take something above and beyond amazing to redeem this character - DEFINITELY. Do I think it is achievable? Hmm…. Maybe a slightly shorter prison sentence than Tarquin is a good outcome for this character. ugh.

It does not seem plausible that Tarquin could squirrel away money. Convince me otherwise. 🤔

Sometimes sharing how you resist temptation can be the most enlightening and cathartic experience for all involved…even if Kyle deserves the kind of painful death Shaun would inflict. Maybe the dark drug group will eliminate Kyle and Ethan in a public manner as a message to their other local dealers.