Valkyrie

Happy Birthday, M! I hope you have a fabulous day! Here's some rainbow cupcakes for you!

Happy Birthday, Wildone! I hope you have an awesome, snowless day! Here's some Calgary Flames cupcakes for you (I hope you're a Calgary fan...maybe I should have gone with a generic hockey cake... lol)

I hope this link works. Check out the video called "The Brain that Changed". It's a remarkable story of friendship and perseverance. https://www.facebook.com/thefeedsbs/videos/329864047347308/#

*flashbacks to chemistry class* Yet another seamless pairing of science and poetry. Never would have thunk it possible... lol Well done, as always.

GAH! *waves torch and pitchfork* I had a feeling that Barrett would get his hands on Kye again at some point. Things were going too well and Barrett hadn't been caught yet. I'm surprised that Kye wasn't more suspicious of his father, although I suppose his nature is so good that he gives people the benefit of the doubt. Next chapter now, please! lol

Welcome back!

I can't remember if I left reviews or not, since I edited the story Cole already had my thoughts prior to the chapters being posted. But I was definitely a fan of Kendra's. While her methods might be cringe-worthy, she did have the best interests of her son at heart. I love memorable characters, and she is definitely memorable! lol

I'm sorry you had to go through all that. I can relate to a lot of what you've been through, although I've never witnessed something as horrific as you did. I'm glad things are on the upswing!

Sometimes just one sentence can make someone's day.

Great choice, Cole. I loved the interactions between Roy and his mom. This makes me want to read the story again.

Wow...just wow! Great story, Skinny! You clued us in right away that something wasn't quite right with Ethan with the repetition of his thoughts. It gave the story an almost poetic feel and rhythm. You had me wondering if this was a real shifter story...did Ethan actually transform? Then you mentioned the age...twenty-five is a common age when a lot of serious mental disorders start to manifest. Gradually Ethan's thoughts become more deluded and narcissistic. There is a lack of understanding of his actions and how they affect others. The final scene with Zane is horrific and leads us to finally understand that Ethan is a shifter in thought only. I wondered about the title of the chapter, but it shows the degeneration of Ethan's psyche. This was brilliantly written. Great job!

I read somewhere once that a good story has conflict...then the conflict has conflict. And just when you think it's resolved...add in more conflict. lol I suppose I do like to take that to heart. Real life is messy and full of layers. I tend to put my characters through the ringer before making it better... maybe. As for Trevor...my lips are sealed. Thanks again for the reviews. They always bring a smile to my face.

I hadn't really planned Robbie's character when I started writing him, but I found I enjoyed him just as much as the main crew. I've known several people like him - crass, crusty exterior, but an interior of gold. I guess I do have a recurring picnic theme in my stories... lol I love the outdoors and quiet settings, so it just seems natural to me to write it into my stories. I like the scenario you described. Sounds lovely.

Yes, it does happen. Thanks for the review.

Daniel, Sean, and Penguin are special to me because this is my first completed story. I hope you like it as much I enjoyed writing it.

A little bit early but... Happy Birthday, Dave!! I hope you have an awesome day!! Here's a Cardinals cake for you!

I hope this link works. The story I wanted to share is about the elderly lady who got to ride a horse one last time. I don't know what language they're speaking, but the look on her face speaks for itself. I'm still crying. https://www.facebook.com/Beeldwerk.TV/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

I love this story! It's one of my favorites by Cole. Definitely worth the read.

Have you seen your doctor about the swelling in your legs? If not, I would make an appointment asap. I hope things go on the upswing for you soon.

Thanks!

I don't think Josh led Galen on. He made it pretty clear that he was sticking with Roger, even if he was starting to feel doubt. There was an undercurrent to their friendship, but I don't think think either one of them was going to act on it until they were both available...if that was ever going to happen. Flaws on both sides? Most definitely! lol Now we get to deal with the aftermath and see what's left once the pieces are picked up. There's definitely a hard road ahead. Thanks again for all the reviews. I'm glad you're caught up!

Galen had never met Roger prior to his abduction, so he had no idea what he looked like. You are absolutely right about Roger being a master manipulator. I'm glad that Josh makes a little more sense now. Yes, he made mistakes, but there are a lot of them going around in this story. Thanks for the review!

I'm glad you caught up with the story. I always enjoy reading your reviews.

I'm glad you had a chance to read the chapter and let me know your thoughts. It was a hard chapter to write. I ended up scrapping it several times before finally coming up with a product I was happy with. You make some good points. As far as the coincidence of Roger choosing Galen, I would say that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. I don't think it's that far out of the realm of plausibility, even if it is an incredible coincidence. My brother grew up on the East coast, moved to a western state, then joined a sports team. A new member of that team had grown up in the midwest, but spent summers at his grandma's in the East. Turned out his grandma was our next door neighbor and they were old childhood friends! So strange coincidences do happen. You are right that Liam's anger was misplaced, but everyone's emotions are running so high right now it's easy to see why he confronted Josh. Details about what happened to Galen will be forthcoming. We don't know how or why he went with Roger. Thank you for the detailed review. I hope my reply didn't come off as defensive, since I really don't mean it that way. I love that this story has people thinking and that the characters evoke such strong reactions. And thank you for your continued support. It means a lot to me.

Thanks for reading and leaving a review. This is one of my favorite short stories that I've written. I'm glad you liked it.