Cynus

Well, to be fair I've wanted to write a modern retelling of Orpheus since I first heard the story. @Wesley8890 would definitely appreciate that bit of information. It was really funny, too, because that was back in March, in the middle of my dry spell of being unable to write anything, and then, eight magical days happened.

Precisely. That's the magic of it!

Cocytus and the other rivers take different forms in literature throughout the ages. It's interesting to see how different people interpret things, and I love that we do. It's kind of like how we all derive different things from art, you know? But how do you know Dante isn't a party here? I found him very inspiring for my writing. I even named a character after him once. I've actually never read "Dante's Inferno". I considered reading it when I was setting myself up to write this story, but then this story wrote itself in 8 days and I never ended up reading the book... Lingering ghostly presence on your mind, eh? Sounds like The Underworld is doing its job. I hope the Fates take you somewhere intriguing, though it may be dark. That's one of my favorite lines in the story. More on the journal below. This is all about symbols. The journal and the knife represent different things. The rivers, likewise, represent different things. Keep in mind the principles of magic as described by Liz. Will, Knowledge, and Emotion. These three things are what fuel magic and also are what shape the reality of the Underworld. The symbols are Caleb's, and he will have to choose what to do with them.

It's a worthy point of discussion, and one I can address without spoilers, since I believe everything I need is already stated in the text. I absolutely love this question, by the way, so thank you for asking it. Since Orpheus has already stated that the Underworld is a reflection of Caleb's perception and will, and Caleb has asked if 'will' meant the same thing as what Liz said it did concerning magic. Will is powered by emotion according to Liz, so . . . As long as Caleb imposes his will over the knife through its perceived connection to Ethan based upon the emotional association to Ethan's suicide, it has value in the sense that Charlie/Charon was asking for. It is about giving up the emotional connection to the object in question, being willing to let go, more than it is about the actual objects being present. To all parties involved, it's simply symbolism represented in a somewhat physical form. But yeah, I can see how that might be perceived as disingenuous, and I appreciate you bringing it up. Orpheus is a grumpy middle-aged man terrified of growing old.

Five or six. There's the Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, Lethe, and Styx, of course. There is also record of a sixth river, the Mnemosyne. I'll let you look into it on your own, though, since I used the mythology of the rivers and their symbolism all throughout the story, and I don't want to risk any accidental spoilers. The Lethe is one of my favorites though. I actually like all of them... This image of Orpheus is also an avatar for me, as he's the character in the story I put the most of myself into.

I like what you're saying about Liz, and how you feel she's the saddest part of the story. I would imagine it's easy to lose sight of what she's lost in the face of Caleb and Ethan and their pain, and I'm glad you're thinking about her. Mushrooms are just the sucky-icing on the poisoned cake. I love paradoxes. They're my favorite thing to play with. The really scary thing is that Ethan totally would've gone through with it if he thought it would make things right somehow... I love that you're keeping track of it all. Man, I am aching for you to find out how it all fits together so I can see how much you've guessed right by the end. One of the funnest things for me is seeing the way readers organize the breadcrumbs they pick up along my trail. Ooh... time questions. I approve! Ethan has never been more motivated than he is now, and, he has an edge. He already knows there's more to his world, so he'll be able to use that "perfect will" Liz speaks of. Concern for Caleb's parents. That's the first time I've seen it come up, and I am giddy about the diverse things people are taking away from this. Oh, Liz and magic, now there's a topic for another day. Let's see which one . . . *counts some chapters* . . . It should be coming up within the next few weeks. Thank you for the comment!

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Caleb wasn't convinced of what he was seeing until he reached the bottom of the path and started walking toward the small tollbooth. The guard inside the shack looked up from his magazine, a boating magazine of all things, briefly acknowledged their approach with a glance, then returned to reading. "A toll booth," Caleb said, pulling up short. "There's a tollbooth in the afterlife." Orpheus stopped next to him and shrugged. "For you apparently. You have an interesting way of seein

The Magnificent Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. I realize this doesn't fit the rules of the game, but wouldn't that be an awesome movie? I want to write this script!

Is it as much as I'm looking forward to taking you there?

This is where i thought you were in the story, haha! That's why I asked you about the cliffhanger.

Probably, though he's mostly in too much emotional turmoil to process it in a healthy way regardless. But at least it's over, right? Silver-lining, I guess.

The first draft of this scene was much worse. This is the tame version of Jake. I'm glad I went with it, because otherwise Jake would be significantly more loathed.

Thank you! Phyllis, huh? Maybe in the far future when you get there, you can suggest it to her. I'm glad you love Orpheus. I put more work into him than anyone else in this story. Hmm... tolls. Now there's a question. And yep, the chapters switch between Ethan and Caleb all the way to the end of the book now. Yay! More votes for Orpheus! He's my favorite. She's not that bad. A little cranky, certainly . . . although, I suppose she was there for Henry VIII . . . Thank you! I'm glad you appreciate it! Thank you!

Excellent questions. Maybe I should've named this chapter "Liz's Folly"? Lots of changes in store for them all either way.

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It was noon on Tuesday morning when Liz's phone rang. She'd been hoping Ethan would call, and Ethan's name on the screen prompted her to answer before the second ring. “Ethan?” she asked without saying hello. “Sorry, no, it’s Mrs. Pallet," Ethan's mother answered. "How are you today, Elizabeth?” “I’m fine, thank you," Liz replied, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "You’re calling from Ethan’s phone?” “Yes. I thought that'd be simpler than looking up your number and ca

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Darkness enveloped Caleb, although he noticed a light ahead. It seemed to be calling to him in some primal sense, drawing him forward. As he approached, however, he realized there were more lights in every direction, like stars in the night sky. There were even some beneath and above him, and each one called to him the same way. He felt something solid beneath his feet, but when he looked down he saw nothing but the sea of blackness filled with stars. He didn't know what to make of it, or,

I don't consider it a compliment at all, to be honest. As I was just explaining to a coworker, it's sort of like saying "you look good enough to rape".

And now I've found a second one. First time "Summer Smiles" has been plagiarized to my knowledge.

I'm kind of numb to it. The first time it happened I was pissed off for days. This time I'm mildly angry. Of course, if the website refuses to take action, I imagine my anger levels will increase tremendously.

God damn it, I was plagiarized again! The same story, too! Apparently "Is Love a Miracle?" is just something people like to steal...

Also, I started a forum topic for this story if anyone wants to participate! I've got a couple of wonderful people over there already.

Chapter 2 of Part 2 just posted last night, and it seems everyone has a lot of questions. Obviously I can't answer the spoiler ones, but if you have any questions about why I chose to write things a certain way, or concerns about things that have already happened, feel free to discuss them here.