Parker Owens

Have now read thru this chapter. You have a gift for action and plot torsion and unusual narrative knots that would make a Celt blush. Well written. Hooray for Tris and Micah, and for saving the complex Peter....too bad about Nevala, but there's sure to be more where that came from...

This is a marvelous addition to your growing collection of awesome work. The contrast between the first and final stanzas makes it so compelling. And, of course you succeed in making me feel good inside, too. I'm not good with emoticons, but I'm sending a hug, anyhow.

Cannd, thanks very much for your consistent and kind reviews. Eric has to wrestle with som many things in these weeks, not the least of which is daily survival on his own terms. His encounter with Ozzie, who may or may not have been benign, tells us that he doesn't trust people, and that he mistrusts outreach. The strawberry farmer would not have looked kindly on the scruffy wiry blond thief, and he has plenty of hands of his own. But work is likely to cross Eric's mind again....

A big break in the overcast sky. The weather could change for Eric. This was another fun chapter to write. I remember splash wars with friends in an actual swimming hole ( they really exist). Too many kids these days never see one....

No, Twoey, you're not paranoid. Sometimes life seems too good to be true. Perhaps this time, it will be fine. Twoey falling for Danny? Maybe that would be good for Danny, and best for David, too. Certainly something seems more than a little off about Danny, and Twoey may not see it, or want to see it. I'm kind of afraid to find out what it is. David conciliating Deena is a good thing, if it comes to that. Advice to David: play out the church people on their own string, don't fight them on their own terms. It's always a losing proposition, and as adults, they hold the power cards. Thank them for their prayers, smile sweetly, and refer to the mysterious ways of God and all that.

Can I trick or treat with James and Faris, too? Promise to bring patterned toilet paper to complete the effect. A wonderful story, and splendidly timed. Thank you for writing this. It was a treat to read!

Thank you for the review, as always. Eric had a few moments when he forgot about everything and had fun. And while the menu was kind of singular, he got to eat his fill. At least he seems to be flying under any radar that might be looking for him...

Sigh2. Thank you.

Wonderful characters, and the plot twists and turns! Poor old Logan is a man who can't figure out what's happening. Seth has certainly developed, and you've painted a great picture of him.

Oh, you sly devil. You had me hook, line and sinker, too. I shall have to be more careful around your plots. This is a lovely story. Splendid writing and good fun.

Eric just can't quite bring himself to trust. But the barriers are wearing away. He actually had fun, at least for a little while. If the rest of the world were like Luis and Ignacio, things would be looking up...

June 20 Another hot day developed today as the sun rose up and over the mountain I’d just come down yesterday. I looked in my water bottle – empty. I must have filled it up at some house – when? Early yesterday morning? I kept my eyes open for another house where I could fill it up. I wasn’t about to chance filling up in one of the muddy streams that crossed under the road, let alone the puddles in the drainage ditches. Still, the morning was beautiful, and I walked along as quickly as I c

Thank you for reviewing. It is a hard story to read. But Stefan is an engaging character, and it's hard not to read his diary.

Right now, poor Eric's world narrows right down to the need for food. wild strawberries are past, and he never learned how to look for other things less familiar. Some people keep gardens, but Eric learned they also keep dogs. In some ways, Eric is fortunate that he does not see or know about the search for the good Samaritan that must have ensued. It would have made him twice as watchful, twice as untrusting.

Eric is really a good kid, with good instincts. He's been away from the hell his father put him through for almost three weeks, now, and maybe it's beginning to show. Hard to realize that the life he leads now is better than that. Eric's musing about his mom finally helps us see the dawning of a new perspective - one that might begin to balance what he's always been told about himself. But that could take a long time to develop.

How wonderfully evocative this chapter is. I can see the places, hear the voices, and be in Mark's shoes throughout. Beautifully written and crafted. Can't wait for more.

What's amazing is that Eric's instinct was to help - to do something, even though he could have done nothing. Fear could have kept him motionless. But he couldn't hang around for the rescue squad to find him. No, I think Eric/Stefan will need a dose of something good before he will trust anyone again. That, or he will have to be forced into it.

Happy Birthday, Random. 45 is an excellent number. Us composites have to stick together - Parker (48)

This really got to me. It's a lovely piece. Like Fantasyboy, I read it through twice. It's a gem. Thank you for writing it. Please tell me you will write more like this. Please.

Had to take antacid tablets and heart medication to get through this chapter! And the loss of Jacob is a body blow. Great chapter.

June 18 I felt the need to get out of Marshall quickly, but it’s not so easy to get away from people when you’re hungry. You just don’t feel like moving very fast. I stumbled my way out of Marshall as soon as the librarians kicked me out at closing time. It didn’t matter that it was still drizzling, and I didn’t really care which way I went, as long as it was out of town. I didn’t make it very far before I just felt too depressed and tired and hungry to go further. I remember staying in the

Hang on, Cannd. Eric is still with us. And you're right that Eric appears to have a gift for attracting the Colins of this world, though the Maggies have begun to find him, too. The Ozzie guy is an enigma: is he an abuser, or a misunderstood do-gooder? In small towns, there are people like that who sometimes polarize by doing what they think is right. Some good has happened to Eric, but he has farther to walk.

drpaladin said it all for me. I am in awe of how you tied the story together so well. So very, very, well done. Thank you.

Thank you for a chapter showing CJ enveloped in the love of the Abello family. How wonderful it is that he can experience this, for it opens the mind and heart far more than anyone can say. It stands in stark contrast with the meeting with Lourdes. His conversation with her seemed a little rehearsed: did CJ go over what he was going to say in his mind? Save it up over months of increasingly clear, bright anger? Possibly he'll make an excellent lawyer one day. And how will Lourdes react? Undoubtedly, she won't take it lying down. Another note of caution arises from the repeated idea that it's not good to piss CJ off. What kind of effects on growing relationships and interactions will that attitude have on CJ and everyone else around him? I suppose that's what the other seasons are for... Great chapter!

Have read several chapters so far, and like this one the best. Quite a lot of tension built so beautifully and evocatively. Thank you for this chapter...