Cynus

Jake is an interesting dude all around. In the original draft of this story, he definitely went too far. As it's written now, it may still be too far, but thankfully Liz is strong enough to handle him either way. I mean, she is the most powerful witch we know of so far, right? Hey, now THAT is an idea! If you could bottle that into a potion you'd make millions. Thank you!

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Caleb grew more restless with each passing minute. Jake lived on Rosewood Lane, known throughout town as the worst street in the entire area. He saw a guy walking toward the car, wearing a dark hoodie despite the warm June weather. He didn't want to profile the guy, but there was a manner he had to his walk which unnerved Caleb and made him want to get out of there as quickly as possible. The guy turned and went into a house across the street, and Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't

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By the time Liz made it back to the car, Caleb was no longer crying, though he looked as if he'd already been to hell and back to try and find Ethan. She wanted to help him more than anything, to make him feel better, but she had a feeling there was only one answer that would be acceptable to Caleb. She didn't think he was ready to read the journal Ethan's mother had given her, and so she placed it carefully on the back seat with some of her other things, sparing one last glance at Caleb before

I think most parents in grieving would behave that way, for sure. However, the question is, would she have actually done that if Ethan were alive, or does the pain of loss make her realize the truth? I think the reality of losing someone is usually what makes a person willing to change and accept things. The journal. Man, what I wouldn't give for a journal like that in my hands... Oh, to understand some of the people I've lost! I'd give anything. Thank you. For our grieving young hero, that "If" needs to be settled right now. Well, "need" is obviously a stretch. He feels compelled to, and that's enough for him. Liz is obviously a bit more skeptical, and rightly so. As for negative side effects from the spell? Why would you think that? I appreciate the director comment. I'd love to see this as a movie or mini-series. That would be epic! Yeah, in that exact situation, I don't know how I'd feel about reading the journal, either. I know I'd like to have something of my lost ones to read, but what with the suicide and missed opportunities? That's something else entirely. Thanks for quoting me! I'm grateful for the continued feedback! So many excellent questions. I can't answer any of them, of course, but I love hearing them! I think you're going to enjoy the answer when it comes. Thank you! We only play in two areas of the Underworld, though the third is mentioned and not experienced. The rules will be a little different than the myths, however, which will all be explained in time. There's a reason the rules are different, in other words. I'll let the psychopomp give you the tutorial of my Underworld once we get there. I'm looking forward to your and everyone else's reaction to the spell. I can't wait to see how all of you deal with the big reveal. Thanks for reading! Thank you for the compliments. You sound a lot like Liz, too! The cautious yet curious one... Meanwhile, there's Caleb walking straight into the unknown. Tunnel vision. That'll be funnier a few chapters from now. Thanks! I chose it specifically for Mrs. Pallet. Somebody has a past!

I've only ever been to one funeral, and it was not a pleasant experience. Admittedly, my situation was not all that different from Caleb's. I wasn't offered the pall bearer job, though I doubt I would've taken it, either. Especially considering the amount of hatred I had toward his family. (Take Ethan's worst fears about his family, times them by 2. That's what his family was like) Maybe you and I are cut from the same cloth, my friend? Magic is as much of a fickle creature as legends are. I think you'll like the experience. We'll see, though. Thank you! Caleb is a bit headstrong, isn't he? There's definitely some new and foreign experiences in store for him, and everyone, really. But I have a feeling that the journey will keep you invested. As many of us would if we thought there was an actual possibility of doing something. Of course, just as many would see that action as rightfully foolhardy. Thank you to everyone who read and commented! I'm in the middle of packing to move right now, so I didn't get much of a chance to stop by and respond to each individual comment as they came in. I hope you'll forgive the bulk responses this time.

Thank you!

Thanks! I know, it's awful, isn't it?

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks! I look forward to your future thoughts on it.

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For Caleb, the next week went by in almost an instant compared to how the first five days had passed after Ethan's death. His parents thought it was because of the closure he'd received at the funeral, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It wasn't closure he'd received, but hope; he would see Ethan again, even if it killed him, and that meant the quicker he reached that day, the better. With that in mind, he did everything he could to distract himself until Liz called him up, tel

I'll send you a PM about that last thought. Liz is the voice of reason. She's the one who keeps anchor in the storm. I think most people will find they can relate to Liz by the end of the story, and I'm glad you do, too.

Thank you. Wish it didn't hurt so bad.

Yeah, I know they're working on it. This is my temporary fix until that's resolved. I actually don't mind, and I didn't want to come across as complaining. It would be a different story indeed. I mean, i totally have an idea for a story along similar lines that takes a completely different path, so maybe I'll explore that sometime?

It's my favorite myth! I am so incredibly excited to learn what you think once we get into the meat of the myth. Part 1 is almost entirely stage setting, but we'll be done with it soon (relatively speaking). Once part 2 hits, we'll be waist-deep in lore. Eventually we'll be in over our heads!

You sound a lot like Liz here. I think you'd get along well with her. I agree completely with your statement about art, and I think that's what my goal has always been with writing, to make people reflect upon emotion. I appreciate your wisdom here, and I'm grateful you chose to share it with us.

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Indeed. The most recent novel I wrote(not this one) deals directly with the grieving process, and I went through a lot of the same themes between these two books, though they are vastly different and that's the only thing which is similar between them. My goal was to make their grieving realistic. Hopefully I pulled it off.

It is extremely unfortunate. Having been there myself, I know the road that takes you there, and it always feels like there's no other fork to take. I've been using the activity stream since i learned about it, but this way I'll get the notifications without having to check (which I consider to be the point of the word "notification"). I can make a habit of constantly checking, I guess... all I know is that this seems to be working so far. Thank you for commenting!

The wind was cold for June, but everything felt cold to Caleb now. He doubted the world would ever feel warm again, no matter how hard it tried; global warming be damned. Caleb stared down the small hill toward the assembly beside the open grave where Ethan's body would soon spend the rest of eternity. Only a small crowd had gathered: a few dozen people, mostly people from the community church Ethan's family attended, a few members of the school faculty who'd known and liked Ethan, and, o

Hope starts to form over the next few chapters.

Thank you. I appreciate the feedback. This is one of the few chapters Liz wrote, and I loved her for it. It was just what I needed to move on to the next chapter.