Parker Owens

Red Letter Day. And not for the blood and all that. No, today, we get a rescued Wyatt, which is the best think I've clicked on in a long time. It's been very hard all these weeks watching a character we like hurting like that. So, thanks very much for this chapter. Poor Eddie and Bryan. They have to cope with some serious emotional injury now, and while they may look more or less put together on the outside, it could take a long time for them to heal on the inside. And once Wyatt recovers, I'm afraid he'll have a very, very hard time trusting Bryan - or anyone - ever again. Perhaps the wedding will be put off...indefinitely. Oh, dear.

Oh, yes. You just reminded me why I love these two characters. And I have missed them, really. Thank you very, very much for this. God bless Avery for trying, and for Matt who supports him and loves him. These shorts are perfect snapshots in an album whose pictures I will never tire of seeing.

Answer to Twoey: yes, possibly. For some kids, the answer to the question is irrelevant; it's what they want. But most care. How does Twoey feel about this? Glad he's asking the question - how he answers will be important for the way he lives his life way after the story ends. That the reader can get attached to this degree with these characters is a good way of saying how engagingly written and compelling this story is. Kudos to SD for this - and taking a bow could be in order. Agree with ColumbusGuy again - Danny's kind of enigmatic. Not sure how to approach him as a reader. David continues to float along on a tide of Kathy, Kathy, Kathy, which could wind up stranded someplace where he really doesn't want to be. At least he recognizes that in some way. Still wondering how he can get out of that, gracefully. How's the next chapter coming?

I feel for Gary; a black, black sense of worthlessness and hopelessness will completely blight any efforts he makes to be a missionary true to his faith, or even partly so. That, in turn will lead to more self-flagellation, and catastrophic downward spiral. Not sure how Chris can help Gary successfully, especially now that Jason has damning evidence that will, well, damn him. Can't avert my eyes from the coming wreck. Looks like we may lose at least two, if not three, of our characters to emotional cataclysm. Perhaps Jason will have to find a way to dip deeper into the well of decency and kindness that he keeps perfectly hidden from his colleagues. That, or he can blow them all up. Very good chapter, posing plenty of unanswered questions.

Crazed mother, knife in hand, threatens onetime golden son - kidnapped lover expiring in the cellar; police too many moments away....Had to take my heart medication before finishing this chapter. Honestly, such suspense and excitement should be illegal. This chapter gets an award. Practically inhaled it the moment it got clicked on. Now must wait far too many hours (my Craftingmom clock has been reset) for the next chapter. Augh!

Have followed CJ now for a little while. I agree that Caesar and Brett might not be happy with the direction things are taking, but CJ is growing up, fast. Is he emotionally mature enough to deal with that? Really appreciate the clarity of the dialogue, and the story certainly continues to compel further reading. Many thanks for this.

Sounds like a doctoral thesis in the making: "Lavoritorical Etymology of North America and the British Isles, with Reference to Special Phrases and Fixtures."

Okay, now this one is lovely, and we see a side of Ian we haven't met yet. I'd sure like to be invited to dinner at Ian and Miles' house!

Faaaaaaantastic. Way to go, Eddie. Keep life supporting Wyatt for just a little longer...Let's see Carol try to wriggle out of this one. Looking forward to watching her twist slowly in the wind.

Agreeing with ColumbusGuy here. Looks all set to blow up like a truck full of fireworks. Since when did David's pals get to be relationship experts? Of course, it's not like David has a lot of experts to choose from...

Lovely, very cute, and wonderfully economical writing. AC used "delicate;" I might suggest "crystalline." Anyway, these are fun, and probably exquisite torture to produce. Or maybe just a lot of fun to write. Or both. Excellent reads, though.

So David socked it to the pastor. The gay agenda is pretty much everyone else's: live life, pursue happiness. Why some churches can't see that and accept it still a great mystery. Wonder what Danny is up to? And the urge on Tommy's part to dig the dirt on Twoey can't lead to anything good.

Fantastic confluence of factors to raise the suspense, and leave the hapless reader on the edge of the chair. How fast can Bryan drive? How terrible is he going to feel when he learns the whole truth? And most importantly, will he be in time to save Wyatt? Wonder about the next chapter...will Sarah just get in Carol's face, or will she be learn to use her backhand before Bryan loses it completely? Or maybe the police will have arrived first...Can't speak for everyone, but this reader is very, very grateful for this chapter.

Thank you for drawing these two together. Perhaps Felix will get more than just his fantasies fulfilled; maybe his reality will be better. And maybe Dorian can become something better, too.

Very, very cool plot movement. Like how Marc and Nathan get fleshed out some more; love how the fingerprint database for people likely to go astray comes in handy for someone else who has gone...missing. Just when you thought it was Carol who would slip up, it's just good old police work. Very, very nice chapter. Many thanks.

Beautifully written. Very nice to see Twoey and Danny together. Maybe they will be good for each other. And maybe David can go do some serious self-discovery on his own.

I am attempting to write my first story. It is long - possibly too long, because I really want to find a good way to make it come out feeing final and natural. If I couldn't do that, I would feel really unhappy, and wonder why I started. So I agree with Krista on that. Specifically to Krista, I hope she continues writing.

Somewhere, there is a film in this. It's absolutely priceless to imagine. Many thanks for every bit of this lovely gem.

Two words: Oh. Wow.

The need to shout overwhelms the reader: at Bryan - come on, try to make some connections; go see Eddie...at Wyatt - hang on, Wyatt, stay with Bryan as long as you can, don't die yet... at Carol - you heartless, unfeeling, selfish, psycho! This was a shouting chapter, indeed. No sniffles here. Any hope of another chapter that rests reader's vocal chords? Soon?

Very glad to see another chapter post for this story. What's more, this is a really great chapter for seeing what Dorian might really be like. Perhaps we'll be able to see beyond the exterior of his fears, work and habits.

Thanks for this chapter. I like Danny's verbal characterization, especially. You have to admire Twoey for being brave enough to say something out loud. David continues to be clueless; wonder if Matty will do something to clue him in. Thanks also for making me want more without leaving me hanging off a cliff.

Davy hurts, and it's starkly written down. He must have plenty of anguish piled on in layered to feel this way. The simple beep distracts, but can it hold the blade away from the skin? Great suspense packed into a painful note. Nicely done. More chapters coming?

The tension is so great, you could play the violin on it. Will Ryan break down and let someone in, or not? Can Colt take the step he needs to take in order to set just one little part of the world right? Oh, wonderfully done. Once fed and cared for, maybe Ryan can learn to trust and love again. Want to be there when that happens.

I have been reading this story off and on for awhile. This is one of the best chapters. Let me echo SkinnyDragon's comment on the drama and helplessness packed into Zack's breakdown. Awesome. I'm not worthy.