Cynus

Chapter 12 The sound of airbrushes filled the air as the black paint was applied to the side of the van. Brady watched with satisfaction as the rusty side of the van was covered up and he could already envision the look it was going to have. They had gone over their logo several times to make sure it was everything they wanted it to be, and then worked it out with the detail guys at the auto body shop to make sure that it would come out the way they wanted it to. They had more money than the

When I turned twenty-one I was just about to finish my term of service as a Mormon missionary. I don't know what you know about Mormons, but on your mission you aren't allowed to listen to any music not sponsored by the church. If I had to answer this question based off of the day that I turned 21, then I would have to answer with an album produced by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir titled "Love is Spoken Here". Just a few months later I was home from that mission and almost immediately I went out and bought a Rise Against Album titled "Appeal to Reason". I'd have to say that I would choose that over the Mormon Tabernacle Choir any day. This is one of my favorite songs of all time.

Pastor Gregory . . . Nope. Can't say much there. There's a lot of story to go through before you'll have any sort of answer to that one. Chelsea's definitely one to watch right now. Good thing she's got her friends around her to look after her.

Are you certain?

Depression is something I've dealt with off and on over the years, and I can say that I've been down most of the roads it can lead you to. I felt for Chelsea the entire time I wrote her, and still do.

I think as a Taoshi I'm supposed to promise enlightenment. As to Silas' future, I already know a great deal. Did I mention yet that there is going to be a sequel? if not . . . Well, here it is again.

I hope the whole thing will be connected by the end. I try to tie up my loose ends, but sometimes I miss a few. I am not a musician at all, though I do sometimes write parody lyrics (weird Al style). This is the first time I've ever tried to write a serious song though.

There are reasons for most actions we take in life, but I'm afraid I may have already said too much.

Chelsea was leaning against the window when Jenny let him inside, staring out at the street in front of the house. Tara was sitting in the large cushioned chair in the room and watched Chelsea with eyes full of concern. Silas smiled at Tara and nodded before entering and sitting down next to Chelsea. "How are you doing today, Chelsea?" Silas asked. Chelsea didn't turn toward him, but her nose crinkled as she sniffed. "I've been getting used to you showering," Chelsea said as she turned t

Thanks, Lisa! Chelsea does have a lot to work through now, and Pastor Simms has certainly made a lasting impact on her life. Only time is going to tell exactly what will happen. But you're right, she does have Tara and Silas there. She's bound to smile again.

Amy is one smart woman, but in writing I was often curious if she had met her match in Silas. I won't tell you the outcome, but I do promise there's plenty more to come. As for Chelsea's mother . . . Stockholm Syndrome is a very real and terrible thing.

Thank you for the compliment. When I first began writing this story, I had no idea what Silas' exact path through his emotions was going to be. I could take him so many different ways. But I have a method that seems to work pretty well. When I write from a character's perspective I do everything I can to become that character mentally, and to think through how I would react in the same scenarios if I had their backgrounds and feelings.

The great thing about a logical family is that you can include anyone you want, even those you have blood ties with. Ian and Amy are good people.

Yes, but changes are definitely in store. As to what those changes are, I'll have to leave open to speculation.

Just under 30 hours at this point.

I don't know how to respond to this in ways that wouldn't spoil anything, and so I might just have to leave it alone. You'll learn soon enough just how far the rabbit hole goes. Thanks for the review!

I don't know how to respond to this in ways that wouldn't spoil anything, and so I might just have to leave it alone. You'll learn soon enough just how far the rabbit hole goes. Thanks for the review!

I don't know how to respond to this in ways that wouldn't spoil anything, and so I might just have to leave it alone. You'll learn soon enough just how far the rabbit hole goes. Thanks for the review!

Silas' eyes flashed open and he surveyed the room. Waking up on the couch in Ian's living room was going to take some getting used to, even if he had already had three weeks to adjust. He hadn't spent a lot of time in the place, preferring to remain aloof despite Ian's attempts to reconcile their differences. After the initial emotional moment at the diner had passed, Silas had returned to his old feelings, and wasn't looking forward to connecting with anyone. There was just too much pain to

This is an awesome video on that very subject.

Jack is the one the always looks out for everyone else, but it's Brady's job to include everyone Jack missed on accident. Together they always make sure that music goes in the direction that it should. Jack is the heart of the band. Brady is the soul.

Oh, I completely agree. I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, which is known for being the Mormon Capital of the world. While it is certainly a changing climate here, when I was a teenager being gay was just about the worst thing you could be in a Mormon family. It was certainly worse than having sex outside of marriage, though they weren't too keen on that either. I think it is a very progressive point of view, especially considering the time period in which C. S. Lewis was alive, to view all 'sin' as essentially equal, and to also essentially establish that all people are sinners and we should treat each other with equal love as we are taught to love the sinner. (I'm not Christian any more, but last I checked that was still the lesson.) The point that Lewis makes about it being the 'disgust' factor makes a great deal of sense to me as well. I know that there are certain actions I find revolting, and though they are no worse than other things, simply because it engages my gag reflex I do tend to hate it more and therefore speak more ill of it than things that I hate less. For instance, I find that either ketchup or mustard on a hamburger would make the hamburger inedible to me(as a matter of personal preference of course), but I can eat Ketchup in some instances and hate the taste of mustard altogether. You'll never hear me rant about how much I dislike ketchup, but you'll hear me do so toward mustard all the time. I think those that have been trained to think of homosexuality as something that is disgusting are those that are prone to treat it as the most grievous of sins, because it engages that gag reflex as Lewis points out. Of course, my perspective is that it isn't a sin at all and the thought of rejecting people for who they choose to love is completely ludicrous, but I'm far more comfortable with a view like Lewis' than a view like the Westboro Baptists'.

I too found that fact to be quite interesting. Of course, who knows at what stage of his life this interview was held. C. S. Lewis went through many different stages of belief in his life.

Despite the fact that C. S. Lewis considered homosexuality a sin, I find him to have been a rather enlightened Christian for the time that he was alive. This blog article takes from some of C. S. Lewis' words on homosexuality and I found it quite enlightening. http://spiritualfriendship.org/2013/08/23/c-s-lewis-on-homosexuality-and-disgust/

Brady is the soul of the band. He'll always make sure they're on the right track.