ColumbusGuy

“How can you be so sure?” The question hung in the air like a noxious gas, something you wanted to ignore but couldn’t. In Tycho Deep’s recycled and renewed atmosphere, odors were nearly eliminated except in the public parks where the scents of flowers and growing things predominated. In private apartments like Silver Eagle’s, there was a greater variety depending on whether the occupants liked to cook, or had hobbies which could generate fumes either pleasant or annoying. Raising flowers at

Thinking on it a bit more, he hasn't shown any real danger signs that couldn't be attributed to events that occurred to trigger them directly...and maybe I'm just disturbed by his seeming acceptance that his whippings were okay--I was never subjected to them, and I can recall being spanked only once or twice when I was a kid. Birthdays didn't count of course, and those stopped I think when I was ten or so when I got to be too tall do fit easily across a lap. :) My usual punishment was to be sent to my room without television, which was okay since my books were in my room...or I'd be told to sit at the dinner table until I finished everything I'd put on my plate. For some reason I objected to some sort of apple thing one holiday, and sat for three hours until I forced myself to eat it--it would have been better warm, but oh well.... From that point on, nothing got to my plate before I was sure I'd like it.

I'm sorry my friend, but I had to move this one down from 'love' to 'like' due to the belt being sent by Adam's mother and his subsequent actions. While I'm not sure if he's in denial, the statement that it was the belt and not his parents who abused him indicates a severe need for counselling. With the Connelly's natures and the fact that I think they offered it at one time--I think they were remiss in not making him go. Clearly he isn't as 'together' as he wants the family to think. I'm glad the GSA seems to be working out, and being co-presidents will help Adam's self-esteem, but that doesn't negate his need for professional help--and I'm not talking one of the school's 'pros'. Eager for more!

What a wonderful surprise to find when I come to visit! I wasn't sure I'd read the queue right as I seldom see anythinmg by you on it, but I think Fate was with me today. I'd been reading another story here and it was good but tension was evident in the thing over the outcome, and then I get the warm and fuzzies reading this--you can't start a day better than that! For me your strength is in crafting scenes that ring true without being overdone or complex, and feel like you're being allowed to see into a private moment. My emotions were all over the place from the start with Alan's sadness at losing Eric, and the growing contact with another person represented by Colin. Then you give us that little extra bond that they can share, and what follows is as simple as it can be and yet resonatingly touching as they find out the depth of that bond with the same birthdays. Passing it on was more than a reference to the ring which could have ended up in a junk shop...it was letting another generation know that love is out there and can last forever. Unforgettable, my dear friend!

Sorry Obi, after my eye surgeries two years ago, I can't make out any details from that because the background brightness drowns everything else out. I have to reverse text and background to be able to read online, which gives me white text on black. It doesn't work with pictures, so I can only get enough detail if there's a lot of contrast in them originally. Loving the story though!

Nice to see a new chapter at last, I get distracted too so am also behind on new chapters, but two are in progress and should be up this week. How do you mean emojis are broken? If you mean in comments, then yeah, they don't show up if you type them like before...you have to choose them from a huge list, which is hard for me with my vision problems, and not all of them are labelled. At least it tracks the latest used, but I can't find any via search anymore like before. I don't have ten minutes to try and find one for a comment, so I just ignore them, or type them the old way. I think--but can't be sure--that if you quote someone, they will show up, but not in the original post. Okay, that one showed up as I typed, but that has never happened before!

I read through most of the comments when I finished, then took a few hours to think things over, so I may have missed some...but the trend was to hang Kyle out to dry as a monster, and I thought that was emblematic of the treatment he'd had in your story all his life. It didn't sound like he was that way before he hit puberty, which was when his brother began forcing sex on him, so based on what we're told, is that fair on him? He was slapped down at every turn--where was his chance to prove himself as any sort of a worthwhile person, or any type of leader? Mike was clearly the truly evil one of the pair as he gave no thought to the possibility of giving his 'friend' AIDS...it took that blow to jolt Kyle out of his somnolent acceptance of his life. I wasn't generally one to take a lead as a child, but I could think for myself which saved me from swallowing everything others said to me...fortunately I hovered on the fringe of my peers and escaped their notice, so I came through my teens lonely but relatively unscathed. Yes, different times in the 70s, but bullies will find their foils. To blame society is a common thing today as it absolves parents of all responsibility for their kids' actions, but that's not my point--clearly, Kyle's family is at fault for their lack of involvement in a positive way in his growth. And I think Kyle should receive some punishment for his part in things...all I'm saying is that his case is far different from that of Mike Daubney. A good judge should weigh these factors in deciding outcomes, but I think if Troy were to say something it would help. Adam being who he is, I think he can see this view even though it was his boyfriend who was attacked; it may take a little longer for it to sink in, but he cares about justice and is compassionate, and he knows Troy is also when he's allowed some time to consider things. We'll know in the end I'm sure, old chap!

I'm not a 'bleeding heart liberal', but I come away from this one with an abiding fear that a boy is about to be lost to the system and lose his last chance to redeem himself. I think Kyle wants to change, but he can see no way for it to happen. At every turn in his life he's been abandoned and steered into bad directions, beginning with a worthless father and an older brother who saw him only as a convenience for sexual relief rather than as one who should guide his younger brother and help him. I don't see Kyle as irredeemable or evil...it takes a boy who has freedom of choice for that to happen, and Kyle has had no such option. He isn't a leader of any sort, and those who came into his life could sense that, and use it to their own advantage. He had no chance against those odds...and now, I think Adam and Troy might be the final chance to set him on a better path than life-long institutionalization and victimization. Kyle's crime was as an accomplice, so perhaps the right word at the right time could mitigate things for him? Are Troy and Adam willing to step up and give him that hope? I think Adam is, but Troy needs to be an active participant also, and at the moment I don't think he will be....Come on Adam, try to steer Troy to be his better self.

Uh oh, I smell trouble in the works...but I hope I'm wrong. Is the bond between Rex and Andy being strained too much now, or is Rex uncomfortable with what they did at Easter? Perhaps Rex was in it for the fun, while he thought Andy might take it a lot more seriously? Without the constant contact to talk about things, this could be a big deal for them. More please, Rains!

I had my first eye surgery--a cataract lens replacement the day before Christmas 2015, then another for retina re-attachment a couple weeks later. About six months after that one, I had the fluid in the eye replaced to saline rather than oil since the healing had stabilized. My vision isn't back to what it was before then--I've worn glasses since I was six months old being two months premature back in '58--but I have enough left to do some things again, and can be online with the aid of narration software and high-contrast settings. Black text on white is invisible to me due to the brightness of the background, so I have to reverse it to white on black. My output has slowed down due to the new circumstances, but I'm not out. :) Now that real books are out, I read online at several gay sites and can get involved in a story and forget to schedule my own writing,,,I need a little regulation in my life I guess. Eager for the next chapter!

I'm so glad to see a new chapter in this story! I hope Derek can get his mom in the right frame of mind for her interview--that's the prime factor besides talent for these things. I just hope she gets a fair hearing.

Hey Rains, just wishing for more because it's a good story. I found it because Ivor sent me the link, and he's never steered me wrong. I don't always catch new postings because I get involved elsewhere and they are off the queue by the time I come back...so it's good to have someone alert me to good stuff. Before my eye surgeries I was more on top of things and now that it's harder, every little bit helps. Longer chapters will come in time, don't force it. My Jay & Miles began as Prompt chapters, but I got 'the bug' and began to put more in them, and people thought that was good. I hadn't intended it to be a long story at the time, but hey, it's pretty big now, and I'm working on Chapter 55! Set your own pace in your own time, and be yourself--that's the best advice I can give.

When you're eight years old, change is frightening and to have it involve your best friend...devastating. There is so little you can control, so being able to depend on your best friend is even more important. I'm glad Rex has kept his bond intact, but we're at early days yet...time will tell. At this point, new friends are good, but the prime place still belongs to Rex. Ten years on, we don't know yet, and there are so many trials to come for both Andy and Rex... Only complaint--longer chapters would be wonderful! :)

I agree with Ivor on this one. While some good points were made by Sky, this was just to set the stage, and I think you did that very well. Always leave 'em wanting more...and you never show all your cards at the start. I'm always leery of stories where a young narrator seems far too prescient for his age, and you can only play so much off as the narrator being mature for his age...that only works to a point. I'd like to have seen a bit more scenes of them playing together, but you gave us enough to show the bond they shared, and the tyrannosaur scene at the end had my eyes watering. Great start...and welcome to the fold!

I'm liking Alex more and more as we see him away from his father, and I hope he and Luke can find a good resolution to their situation. A little worry is creeping in with how things went with Robbie and Nathan at the motel...will Alex become a bigger factor in the relationship? Finally, I'm trying to brace myself for what will eventually happen to Jamie...this is gonna hurt so much.

I've got to admit that I fist saw AFL on one of my cable stations years ago, and I was hooked by the game's sheer novelty for us Americans. I detest our 'football' as too overpaid and teaching the wrong values for bullying and violence in our schools--these guys were almost always the worst offenders. No brains needed, just muscle, and wearing ridiculous amounts of padding and still complaining at every little scrape? AFL is played by guys who know strategy and teamwork are the vital parts of the game rather than sheer brutality. And they wear simple shorts, shirts and socks with no padding in evidence. No idea about their pay scales, but I imagine they don't whine about getting injured on the job, but carry on to get better. Still, I'm biased in their favor and of Australia in general. Wish I could visit some time. I discovered Graeme's works more than a decade ago at a site called Dewey Writer, and I've been hooked ever since...so now we get the joy of his talent and sexy sporty guys...can't beat that!

Eww...toe sucking? Not for me, just like seeing guys in socks and undies. I'm glad they decided independently to go talk to Kyle...I think it will do them a lot of good, and maybe Kyle too. Maybe he wasn't such a bad guy before falling under Mike's influence? I admit that under the circumstances set by his mother, I wouldn't have attended the funeral at all, even if that would make her think she'd won, I'd know better. I likely would have gone to the grave-side later...in time. What he did to Adam was unforgivable to me. In an abstract way I get that it's better to forgive to heal from such things, but the man just went too far too often. Eager for the next one--gotta see the 'smooth' Adam again!

I'm not sure where you're going with this one, but I'm glad you're writing again. I read 'Lem' elsewhere several years ago and could find very little else until this. Wasn't there supposed to be a sequel to 'Lem'? I'm in for the ride.

Well, I don't know if this will work since I couldn't give it a rating. Whether that has something to do with the chapter disappearing off my browser's edge, I don't know. Got a page saying, 'Sorry Problem displaying rating' or something. I noticed that 'Like' Wasn't the option to click on by default. Okay, it finally worked, and I'll try posting this again.... Anyhow, I absolutely loved this story, from it's lyrical poesy at dawn, to the poignancy of Nick's 'Somewhere Under The Rainbow'....Sheer genius every bit of it! I had no idea that pigs couldn't look up, and I've seen them on farms in my teen years without a clue...it's just something you don't think about at all. And Nick and Brian...I was hoping they might be another gay couple to support Jesse and Marty, but you've shown us that the love between best friends is just as special and lends understanding for those couples who evince their feelings in a more physical way, bi or gay. As a certain Canadian would say...'Kudos!' More of this wonderful group's exploits please!

Ah well, I didn't really think Adam's mother would respond any differently, but having his fears confirmed so unashamedly has torn a hole in his heart. As much as he may try to fortify himself against such hurt, it's too basic to our natures to be rejected so badly by our parents. The consolation is that he now has genuinely loving parents who are more than ready to step into the breach. Without the violence and rabid hatred, I still know how Adam is feeling; my mother suspected and accepted me, but didn't like the guy who eventually became my significant other-no real reason except she just didn't like him the one time they met...that was her way, quick decisions that would never change. My father found out by accident several years later and cut off all contact with me two months later when we moved to separate locations...no contact at all for his last thirteen years. That's what hurt me the most as we'd been close before that, though he was never demonstrative about it. I pretty much wrote him off after that, though he'd still come to mind and it would hurt all over again. Troy, give Adam a huge hug for us!

A while back I remember the notice about needing to sign up for the newsletter again due to some European laws, and I clicked on something onsite that asked me to subscribe, but I didn't get last week's or this week's newsletters, so I'm assuming that didn't work. I just went to the home page and followed the link to Subscribe, put in my email and username, and things went fine until the last step where you have to prove you're not a robot. I saw the box with a check box in it, and the word reCapta, but nothing to read or type in what might have been there. This could be due to my need for high-contrast settings, but even if they were off, I couldn't read one of these things. Can one of the Admins please sign me up again using ColumbusGuy and my hdrainer@hotmail.com email? Otherwise, I'm locked out of this site feature. Thanks! Oh, one of my friends said if I logged out, then back in that something would show up asking me if I wanted to sign up for it again...well, it didn't show up.

Thanks Droughtquake...I'm so glad I've never been to any therapist, only seeing them in films or books. My imagination is pretty active with my constant reading, so I'm good at looking at all sides of things. My distrust of the mental professions and doctors comes from my mom, who had a doctor who'd prescribe a pill for any symptom she came up with, and with a medical book she could convince herself she had all sorts of illnesses. The fact that us kids all knew the facts behind my parents' divorce didn't help either--she blamed my dad for it all and spoke badly about him constantly. Sure there was fault on both sides, but we all kn ew she had the first affair yet proclaimed her innocence until her dying day. Sadly, one of those affairs was with a married minister who had no morals whatsoever. Even though all this went on as I was in my late teens, it still bothered me. I chose to live with my dad since I was commuting to college, and we always got along, which is why his reaction to my gayness was particularly hurtful and unexpected; my mother had suspected and had no problems with it since I was the youngest...and we got along okay, but I couldn't live with her due to her trying to turn me against my dad during their divorce. Still, we were okay once she remarried to a very nice guy and she'd settled down by that time. :) I should have had issues with my background, but my German pragmatism and imaginative open-mindedness has held me together pretty well for sixty years!

I'm not surprised at the differing views, people are complex things most of the time and often holding contradictory positions at the best of times. With the stress of Adam's family, who can say what his father's motivations were? He might not have been able to say himself in that crucial moment. As for Kyle, I'm undecided. For a long time he went along with Mike's actions without protest, and then he was confronted with proof of just how bad Mike's actions were...is a 'death's bed conversion' trustworthy? Or is it one more coping mechanism humans use to keep going? Adam has found one at the moment to deal with the loss of his father...let's hope he comes through the coming months in one piece. With Troy's help and that of the Connellys, I think he will do okay with or without the aid of a therapist. I'm not always sure one can help, but a good one ought to be able to guide you in the right direction...it's finding one without their own agendas that can be problematic. The separation from my own father wasn't violent or emotional--he just cut off contact when he discovered my sexuality...but years after he died, one of my sisters told me he'd occasionally asked about me, and that news tore me up inside; I'd essentially written him out of my life as an uncaring figure--so that's why I'm writing Jay & Miles to give him another chance at being my Dad. I learned in my twenties that I had an older brother from his first marriage, and that my Dad had ended contact with him too--over a set of tires! That was why I only met him once when I was a teen, and no one talked about him. Jeez...why are people so petty? I've talked a few times with my half-brother on Facebook, and learned that we are the last of our direct line--me for obvious reasons, and he and his wife can't have any children. At least some of my Dad's brothers had boys.

Alas, no alcohol for me these days. I did learn to make Pina Coladas in a college Speech class and the guy passed out samples! When I used to go out, it was mixed drinks like Screwdrivers or Fuzzy Navels...most often 7-Up mixed with either Blue Hawaiian or Tropical Schnapps. My farm neighbor introduced me to Screwdrivers when he'd come by after his chores for a drink or barbecue or massage....

Sorry, just a typo I heard when re-reading. Toward the beginning I left the second 't' out of 'twisting'. It snuck by multiple readings by me and others--G-Man wasn't on board yet as my alter ego.