Diogenes

After the disaster that ended Carl's visit, I was tense and on edge. I knew he loved me, but now that he was depressed and maybe even suicidal, I didn't know how to help without making things worse. After two weeks of waiting to hear from him, I called him at home one evening. Lisa answered. “Hi Lisa. It's me, Mark.” “Oh, hi, Mark. How's it going? I haven't seen you in ages.” She seemed cheerful and upbeat; clearly, Carl was all right. “It's going well,” I said, trying to sound pleasant. “Hey

I love how you explore the logistics of registering in a new school with no ID or documents. It's an interesting thought exercise: how do you create an identity when you can't reveal your real identity and you left home with nothing.

Thanks for the comment - much appreciated.

Thanks, Cole. I lived that life in the closet for a long time, and it was a prison. I eventually broke free and have never been happier. I'm glad the chapter seemed realistic to you.

Thank you, Parker. Mark is sort of a mouthpiece for my own thoughts. Don't we all wish we could go back in time and warn earlier versions of ourselves about regret and missed opportunities? Thank you for your kind words and your help beta reading.

Now that I had a girlfriend, I had an opportunity to change the direction of my life. I wanted my relationship with Kim to be a catalyst for that change. Being with her was my chance to acquire all the trappings of being straight, and the trappings were considerable as I came to learn. Being identified as Kim's boyfriend gave me a veneer of social acceptability. In the small rural communities of Selkirk County, single adults were looked on as odd nonconformists or eccentrics who weren't holding

I like the way this is developing - finally Eric is growing and developing as a character. I'm a little disappointed that he was subject to yet another beating; it seems a little predictable now. But this time he didn't run off to another town, and Eustace is there to act as a father-figure, which is something Eric needs. The Eric/Eustace plot line is exactly the story arc that is needed. I'm looking forward to how it develops.

What a sweet, beautiful chapter. I'm so glad your story has developed this way, finally.

Finally, something good has happened to Eric!

Nice chapter - it's about time Eric had a good day for a change. Hopefully things are looking up for him.

Thank you so much, Cole.

Yes, as I've learned since I came out, this scenario is not uncommon. I struggled with it for years, and I wasn't comfortable with myself until relatively late in life. My refusal to deal with my true sexuality led to a lot of confusion, hurt feelings, least of all to myself. I hope people can learn from my mistakes. Stay tuned!

Thank you. I'm glad that bittersweet sense came through in the scene.

Thanks, Cole. I appreciate the comment. Creative writing is fairly new to me - I'm happy for the feedback.

Thanks, Parker - and thanks for the input on the first draft.

My first school year at Milfield High ended with a significant milestone. Principal Gary Dimitriou called me into his office and said, “I have some good news. You've been on a probationary contract for a year, and we're pleased with your performance. The Board of Education has agreed to offer you a permanent contract.” “What exactly does that mean?” I asked. “Well, mainly it means that, barring any drastic change in enrolment, you are presumed to be permanently employed by the Selkirk County S

Interesting scenario - wandering into an AA meeting by mistake. Everyone wants to know his story, expecting him to share his tale of alcohol abuse. He would like to tell his story, but can't because they aren't prepared for THAT kind of abuse. One wonders what would have happened if he stood up in front of the group and told them what had happened to him.

Nice. There's generally a lot of good in small-town folks if you can overcome their natural reticence around strangers. I'm glad you were able to convey that.

It seems like Stefan is healing, both physically and mentally. I think it would be interesting to see him interact with the church congregation. The sign said "All are welcome" - he was expecting the worst, but he might have been pleasantly surprised by his reception.

What a beautiful story, Parker - I loved it. I think the theme of awkward attraction complicated by being workplace colleagues strikes a chord with every reader, but the added twist of both characters being closeted gay men adds an extra layer of dramatic tension. I loved the ending - the climax and denouement all in the last few sentences; a very well-structured short story. Your writing style is lovely - very descriptive. Well done.

Beautiful chapter - nice to have something nice happen after all the darkness of the previous chapters. The interaction with the old woman was especially poignant.

A bit of both, I suspect.

One thing that has bothered me about this story so far is the behaviour of the teachers and school officials. Being a retired high school teacher myself, I know that school staff are generally more sympathetic to underdogs and misfits than you give them credit for, and are always on the alert for victims of bullying. Granted, bullies are good at keeping the abuse out of the sight of authority figures, but it doesn't seem credible to me that Stefan's abuse would go undetected for so long, especially when he shows up at school after a prolonged absence with visible signs of physical abuse, acting evasive and refusing to answer questions, answering "I fell down the stairs" when asked about his bruises, and so on. This would set off alarm bells in the minds of most teachers and school administrators today. A student who's custodial parent had just been murdered would certainly not have been just sent home with his uncle without the involvement of counsellors and some kind of intervention, especially if he was a minor. And I don't think they would automatically jump to the conclusion that Stefan was his father's killer. I buy into your description of Stefan's behaviour and evasiveness around authority figures; that sounds very realistic. But the school's response doesn't ring true to me. Still a good story, though - looking forward to the next chapter.

Very disturbing chapter, Parker - difficult to read. I hope you introduce some light amid all the darkness soon - I'm not sure how much more I can read.

Thank you for your kind comments. This is the first real creative writing I've done - nothing but technical writing in my former job (I'm a retired science teacher), and it's been a really steep learning curve. I appreciate the feedback.