Mikiesboy

It was hard to hide that from you and our beta reader @Reader1810. I'm pretty sure I failed. LOL.

I didn't tell them your real age did I? Be nice or I won't give you your present. 😑

I know when I'm reading I usually read more than once. I've also learned after twenty years of therapy that I'm a very reactive person. So criticism, as an example, was hard for me to hear and deal with. But I learned to read something, freak out, and then walk away for an hour. Then I reread it, this time trying very hard to 'hear' what's being said. I try to understand/hear it from different angles before I comment or respond. Life is not rainbows and skipping along tossing rose petals. It's a fight for most people on a good day, for some, it's tooth and claw to survive. But you can survive and thrive. As you say, we need to be open to possibilities for the characters in this story.

Happy Thursday. In my world, this means Michael is cooking dinner by calling Pizza Pizza. Yessss!!! I am grateful not to be in the kitchen today. This means many of you are close to the start of your weekend. Some of us are taking a long weekend and have a birthday on the 13th. 🐦🎂 So, with that news slopped out of the bucket, here are some lines from Harper Lee's wonderful book To Kill a Mockingbird. Sadly, places have banned this book or removed it from libraries, as it seems we can no longer understand the meaning of time or history. We must now be spoon-fed and protected from our pasts. Embrace our past and history, both right and wrong, and learn from them. Have a good Thursday.

It certainly brought us back to Matt's present reality. Let's hope things change for him.

Thank you, thank you and thank you for this excellent comment. This story has another 48,000 words in addition to the 30,000+ we've read so far. Hopefully, something will happen. Speculation is fun, and I enjoy reading what people are thinking and hoping for. But the story is written, and I know these characters' truths. Let's go there together.

If you have been reading the story @Talo Segura, Andrew says he is writing this book for himself. His father says the same thing, that it's a selfish, not an altruistic project. The conclusion you quote above is drawn from looking at what's written and comparing Andrew and Mr Black. Why you say finally an acknowledgement, I don't know. It's all in the story. @Talo Segura, you seem to have a blinkered view of the world and the people in it. Is everything so black and white for you? Based on your comments, your world is filled with wonderful, kind people and rainbows. There have been some wise and excellent comments. You should read them. Here's a very good one: it may help you understand that people are not just good or bad.

Dante certainly has and told Matt in ch 4. Ahmet we'll have to wait and see what we learn about him. Matt is likely figuring out he needs to keep his humanity in a box to protect it.

Thank you, Michael. ❤️ A couple more chapters will bring us to the halfway mark for this story. And things will change for both these men.

I can tell you after I escaped that life, sex was the last thing I ever wanted again in my life. However, meeting the right person can change that. I was lucky enough to do that. We can hope that Matt will have the same chance. Thank you for your insightful comments, Al Norris. I appreciate them.

Thank you, Gary L. People pointing out how they feel about the differences in the chapter is a surprise. It's not a conscious thing when I'm writing.

Congrats on being first. LOL. There are no bad guys; no one is completely bad. Even Mr Black is not completely bad.

Thanks Parker. You've written about abuse and living with it until you can escape. It's horrible, but in those times, the only one you can truly rely on is yourself. As I mentioned previously, you need to be your own hero. Matt has realized the same thing.

Yes, you're right. The difference is vast, and you see and feel it all for both as the reader. Don't feel guilty about caring for Andrew. He was deserving, as was Matt. They are going through different things that really cannot be compared. The fact they were in pain is the only common denominator. It's like an apple and an orange - not the same at all beyond being considered a fruit. Where Matt is is not easy. It takes courage and inner strength to get through it. People ask how that's possible. There are really only two choices: do it or do not. Personally, the 'do not' option was the scarier choice. 'Do it' offered an awful present but the possibility of a future. Matt has chosen to live. He is a hero for his own life. Your reaction made me think about a number of things. Thank you for that.

You're right about poor Matt. He's doing the right thing to keep himself alive, which is the most important thing now. Andrew has no right to complain if he feels bad. He made some odd choices that most of us would not make and only he can make those right in his mind.

@kboisdid. I know that for a fact.

In some ways, Andrew is no different than Mr Black. This non-fiction book he is writing is to prove he's a good writer. It is his vanity project. It's all about his ego. Just as his father told him earlier in the story. When Robert said it was a selfish thing to do and not selfless, I think that woke Andrew up. However, there's very little that would change Mr Black, save perhaps his child being on the auction block. Well, we'd hope that anyway. Matt is at the mercy of others for now, and that's a tough place to be. While we see the victim fight back on TV and in film, fighting back in the real world, where you are surrounded by more of them than you, isn't the best choice. It can leave you badly hurt or dead. Sometimes, giving in is the best option while you wait for your chance. Thanks for your comments.

I chose the heart reaction because there isn't one for jealousy.

Yes, you're right. I'm sure all those young men felt 'saved'. Mr Black is a hero in his mind only!

Oh geez. LOL. Let's hope not. But I can certainly see why that crossed your mind.

If I were Ms Coleson, I would show less interest in the hope that Andrew would stay home and leave this stuff to the experts. Who wants another amateur out there she would have to rescue? That is interesting. You say there must be a further reason. What could Andrew do for Mr Black? I think for Black I think he allowed the visit because of ego, the big 'me' show. He doesn't think he's doing wrong. He's a powerful man, so let's show the little author. But time will tell. Thank you for your excellent comments.

Kanaan cares little for others. He's there for his own pleasure and satisfaction. Oh, Go To The Market With Matt sounds like a great YouTube channel. Exercise adds to retail value... sounds good to me and it's likely true. Thanks for your comments!!

Good question. I did look at yachts and boat registration and all of that. There are a lot of variables. Ships do show up on radar. Registered vessels usually have a GPS or transponder. Do they have to have one? It's smart in case of emergencies. But because this story isn't about chasing down Mr. Black, I decided not to go there. You're right about both Andrew and Matt. Matt's time at sea is not yet over so he may yet have an opportunity to escape.

Thanks, K. Both men are working on accepting their realities. Matt's seems to be the harder of the two.

Oh no! How will you cope with all that time off? 🤯