Cole Matthews

The story will continue. I needed to take a break. There is an outline and rough draft so no worries. Thanks for your patience.

Dark little secrets are what kill us. You are right. I hope you read the next prompt. Cole

Very insightful comments. There are many undercurrents and conflicts that affect all kinds of relationships in the gay community. Certainly Christian knew something was up, but he was surprised at what it was. Darren's attack on Christian wasn't warranted at all. But it's human and all too common. Lashing out in fear at loss of something is dangerous. Please check out the next prompt because the June one called Private Speech is the next part of this saga. Thanks for your comments and reading our experiments!!!

Thanks so much Gary!! That's exactly it. Most crimes of passion are just explosions of emotions. There is more in June's prompt. The story continues.

You're absolutely right. Most assaults are spur of the moment, not planned, and impetus reactions to emotional confrontations. We will see what happens next. The following prompt is the next scene in this situation. Thanks for the comments and for reading us!

Thanks Valkyrie! Yes, it's quite violent and abrupt. Unfortunately, domestic abuse occurs in all facets of society. I'm not sure what will happen with Darren, but I'm sure justice will be done.

That was certainly a surprise. Wow! So Carl had always had a thing for Mark and as Amanda it continues. Interesting. What a great twist! Awesome job!

Someone was singing. That was his first conscious thought. ‘She has a pretty voice’, was the second and it made him feel it was real, and not a dream. Try as he might, he couldn’t open his eyes. They felt glued shut, and there was a sense of heaviness that kept them closed. The room was cool, with a gentle band of warmth across his chest and abdomen. It felt like an electric blanket that was only covering part of him. When he attempted to lift his hand and move the blanket, his hand woul

Great review! This is an awesome series that will make you think, laugh, wonder, and relish the dynamic storytelling by Graeme. One of my favorite stories of all time.

Thanks for the kind words. It is very sad, but I wanted to capture the sense of that era for people who experienced AIDS. It wasn't just dying, but losing those around you as well. I appreciate your comment.

Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad it touched you.

I probably would have given a little dash of something sweet if it was longer. Unfortunately, it was a scene I saw too many times in the past. Thanks for the lovely comment.

Thanks Gary! We are fortunate they've figured out how to stop this plague. It was such a common occurrence to see in my twenties when I worked at a gay bar. I wanted a little remembrance of them.

Maybe, maybe not. The Dorcas I had in mind would be nervous about it, but she is compassionate as well. You could be right, because that happened quite a bit as well. Thanks for the comment!

It is, but I wanted to have a little peek into the past. Thanks for the comment.

I think she was a good distraction and a good way for him to get himself together. Thanks darling!

Oh!!! I love the use of the dream here. The elephants are his worries for his mother. It's a fascinating idea, and well done in just a few lines. Great job!!!!

Wow!!! A brain tumor. Jeez. I'm listening to a book and there are drug-induced hallucinations so of course that's my mind went there so it surprised me. Great job!!! I love he saw the actually image.

Balancing Act Darren shifted in his seat, tugging on his cap, pulling the worn and threadbare bill down to cover his eyes. Hiding. He was pointedly not looking at the screen of the laptop facing him. The computer was gleaming gunmetal gray in the fluorescent light in the trailer’s kitchen. Happy pictures assaulted him. Christian didn’t avert his triumphantly angry smirk. Though he could only see the shadows below the hat, he knew the man’s face was as red as the back of his neck. A

Very heart wrenching. This is a love story. Not a positive one and probably not one that will end well, but it shows Fred and Cyril love one another. (Please note I'm not condoning or excusing it.) I think Fred doesn't know how to show love or vent his frustrations. I think Cyril has come to believe it's probably his fault in some way or that Fred will change. So this is a love story that shows how the dynamics of relationships are unique. There are patterns, as Stuart was witnessing, and that's what Stuart is. He was watching the love story continue to unfold or perhaps a better word would be 'on hold'. I have been thinking about this story and how true it is from things I've witnessed in my past. I feel a little like Stuart in an observer's role. Really great treatment of an awful subject, but one that exists in all it's ugliness.

Really good job with the storytelling and the details. I like the characters, especially the dragon, and could clearly see the action. The self-exile of the main character was really quite fresh and defined him well. I thought the complexity of the situation was treated well, and not treated with a heavy hand. Thoroughly enjoyed a lovely tale I'm still thinking about. Thanks!

There, but for the Grace of God, go I. Liam's character resonates with me because I grew up in an era when his path would have been far easier and more acceptable. I went through the process he did, but in the end, I realized I couldn't playact my way through life. I would have had a Kath and maybe having a Ryan would have been okay, but I think it would have turned out as harried and painful as this. Everyone is hurting from Liam's decision, which was to marry Kath and 'be straight'. Now that time has tolled and life gets in the way, there are few scattered joys to keep things going. I can't help but think poor Ryan is probably as scarred from the dysfunctional relationship as he is from his father finally coming out. In fact, things will probably get better with Liam being himself and discovering some sense of self-respect. Kath will heal if she realizes it wasn't her, it was the lie that hung over her that twisted their lives. Really great story and some very great characters that ring true and inspire thought. Great job!!!

This story is powerful, in a couple of ways. First of all, Brian is real and Eric is not, at the beginning. Then, when Eric confronts Brian, Eric is real and Brian is now not. Then, Brian starts figuring out his own actions, and the wages of his sins. Very compelling and driving. It took some seriously great writing to pull of doubly sympathetic and flawed characters that remain likeable. Great Job! The second way it's powerful is the unflinching way the story faces cheating. A few questions are posed that require our thoughts. Was Eric's affair unforgiveable? Did he even want forgiveness? What was Brian's role in the cheating? Is there a duty of a partner to attend to the other person's needs and did he breach that duty? It sounds like Eric fell in love with Jamie and Brian didn't even notice. It's fascinating because in general cheating isn't a good thing, but this story suggests it's more complex than a wandering eye and hot pants. Excellent!

Interesting subject matter. The character, Ace or Jason, was well laid out at the beginning and this carried through to the end, which I will not call the conclusion. I could feel his self-consciousness which almost bordered on self-loathing, but then he saw a glimmer of light. I think the story isn't really a story, but a kind of character sketch and exercise demanding more. Great job and very engaging!

Congratulations 🎉