Albert1434

Well Gary I love your stories and I can not say enough about them,!

Gary delivers a frontier chapter rich with atmosphere, tension, and quiet emotional truth. From the opening line — “The rain stayed with them six full days and nights before it let up…” — he sets a steady, lived‑in rhythm that mirrors the long trail August and Fletcher travel. The writing is textured, grounded in the cadence of the land, and full of the small, practical details that make the world feel real: wet canvas, blowing horses, linseed‑oil slickers, and the constant awareness of weather, terrain, and animal care. But the heart of Gary’s storytelling is always the people. August and Fletcher’s bond is warm, intimate, and beautifully understated, woven through shared work, gentle teasing, and the kind of trust that makes danger hit harder. Their dynamic gives the chapter its emotional anchor. The encounter with Regis and Darnell shifts the tone sharply into tension and moral complexity. Gary handles the standoff with remarkable control — the fear is palpable, the stakes clear, and the eventual revelation of why the young men are running is delivered with empathy rather than spectacle. Their confession is one of the chapter’s strongest moments, and the compassion August, Fletcher, and Runyan show them is deeply moving. Runyan Brown, in particular, is a standout. Gary writes him with confidence, intelligence, and a quiet heroism that feels earned. His tactical plan to save the boys is clever, believable, and rooted in frontier know‑how. His presence elevates the chapter from a dangerous encounter to a meaningful turning point. What makes Gary’s writing shine is the blend of grit and gentleness. The frontier is harsh, but the characters are allowed tenderness, loyalty, and love. The chapter respects the realities of the time while offering hope through human decency. Overall, this is a beautiful, character‑driven piece of frontier fiction — tense, heartfelt, and full of life. Gary’s voice is confident, immersive, and emotionally resonant, delivering a chapter that lingers long after the last line.

No good deed goes unpunished

Collapse of civilisation is the most likely outcome' warn scientists

Aloha All

Poor Hawaii

No I used my time machine!

OOPs. Just testing to see who a wake in here!

I see the Horror Show continue in here!

Aloha All

There he is again Mr. Mean

That doesn't take much

This is the second story I wrote and this is the first A Journey to Egypt

I am glad your enjoying the story!

Thanks Gary Boots rocks.

Aloha All

Could you like the chapter if you do! Thanks so much.

Thank you for this thoughtful reflection. You’re right — Julian’s journey may have begun on the deck of that ship, but Miles’s journey began the moment his brother stepped through the door and didn’t come back. In some ways, Miles is facing the harder road. Without Julian there to absorb the worst of their father’s expectations, Miles will feel the full weight of that household pressing down on him. The danger isn’t that he’ll break; it’s that he’ll bend in ways he shouldn’t have to. I share your hope that the connection between them holds. Even a thin thread — a letter slipped past their father’s eye, a few words written in the quiet of night — can keep Miles anchored to the version of himself that Julian always protected. Sometimes that’s all a boy needs to stay whole. And yes, the grandmother’s gift changes everything. It’s not just money; it’s freedom, foresight, and defiance wrapped together. Julian’s father may have imagined exile as a kind of slow erasure, a way to send his son somewhere distant enough to fade. But that inheritance means Julian won’t arrive in Hawaiʻi as a castaway. He’ll arrive with choices, with agency, with the ability to build a life that isn’t shaped by his father’s bitterness. The voyage itself will test him — long days, long nights, too much time to think, and just enough time to grow. But there’s something steady in him now, something that wasn’t there before. Maybe it’s Samuel’s presence, maybe it’s the shock of freedom, maybe it’s simply the first breath of a life that belongs to him. Your reading captures all of that — the parallel journeys, the quiet fears, the fragile hope. It means a lot.

I post on Tuesdays and Fridays! And thanks!

And on the ship, meeting Samuel becomes the first unexpected shift. He isn’t much older — just five years, close enough that Julian doesn’t feel overshadowed, but far enough that Samuel carries a steadiness Julian can lean into. There’s something quietly compelling about him, something in the way he watches the horizon and seems to understand how a person holds themselves together even when the sea gets rough. Whether the waters stay calm or turn wild, Samuel feels like someone who could help Julian find his footing. His grandmother’s gift is the other anchor in all this. She didn’t just leave him money — she left him a way out, a chance to build a life shaped by his own choices instead of his father’s authority. Julian may not know exactly how he’ll invest it yet, but he already understands its meaning: it’s the first real piece of freedom he’s ever been given.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read the first two chapters. Hearing that you’re already hooked means the world to me. I’m thrilled the opening pulled you in, and I truly appreciate your kind words and support. It’s encouragement like yours that makes sharing this story worthwhile. Thank you for being part of the journey.

I think this is a great Idea! Arrg I'm so pissed of at myself I could Gibbs slap me behind the head!

We have no Idea of what happened to Elias since Julian had no contact with him. The story is from Julians POV and when he wrote to him he had include his address. We shall have to wait and see if anything comes of it!