Mancunian

Well, that seems to look like many family funerals that I've heard of, you know the ones, where long-lost friends and family creep out of the woodwork just in case they have been included in a will. Or am I being cynical? I don't include Aunty Margaret or Ollie's Nona in that, I think they were there there for genuine reasons. I get the feeling that Aunty Margaret will be a great ally in what could be a clusterfuck of a mess, but the jury is out on why Ollie's Nona has turned up at the shop. I have my fingers crossed that it is with good intentions, although I'm not going to hold my breath while we wait to find out.

Ah, the joys of being young and in love. Wouldn't we all like to go back to those days? Hey, don't laugh, I can dream, can't I?

Welcome to GA, you will find plenty of stories to keep you reading for a long time. I suggest you get comfortable and enjoy reading.

Happy Birthday, Pagey, here's to an enjoyable day and many more to come. 🎂 🍾 🍷 🍹 🍺 🍻 🥂 🥃

I'm doing good thanks, I'm a bit spaced out on painkillers so that helps, lol. How are you and Steve this glorious weekend?

The review is well deserved my friend and was long overdue.

Are any of us surprised at the actions of those incensed by what these people did? No. Are any of us surprised these people are still alive following these actions? Yes. Do we care? No. I could go on like this but I won't. I'd just like the judge to get on with it and sentence them to be fried, or gassed, or whatever the death penalty is in that state. While legally what happened to the kid's parents, I use the term parents to stop me from going off on a rant, is wrong many of us would argue it was morally right. Some may even resort to quoting the bible about 'an eye for an eye' but what is done is done. Personally, I think it a shame that people will be punished for actions that are, in my mind, understandable knee-jerk reactions, I'd go with Nick's reaction and start handing out medals, or am I wrong for thinking that? I'm more concerned that the kids are looked after properly and given the support they need to live as normal a life as possible.

WTF! What happened in that bar, or was it after they left the bar? Whatever it was, Jeremy can't bring himself to say anything other than 'Carter let him down', how did Carter let him down? Whatever it is Carter can't remember, but why? Oh yeah, there was a lot of alcohol involved, that probably explains a lot. Now everybody is wondering what Carter did, and everybody is blaming somebody else for what is happening to Jeremy, but what is happening to Jeremy? Nobody knows, but everybody is blaming somebody because it's not their fault, or is it? Does any of this make sense? Probably not, so we will have to wait for the next instalment to explain, or I hope it will be explained. But this whole mess, the shambles that Jeremy is in reminded me of the following, it may, or probably won't explain something. Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody This is a little story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done Ah, there we have it, it's that elusive person we all know but have never met, NOBODY. Now that I've got that off my chest and apportioned blame, I'll continue, rationally, I think. Great writing in this chapter, lots of excitement and tension but no conclusion. Instead we are left with one hell of a cliffhanger. I hope we learn soon about what has happened that Jeremy isn't articulating and Carter cannot remember. Confused? Join the club.

Probably in the hole out back.

Aloha my friend

This is another of Gary's masterpieces that you should not miss. When you read it you are not just reading a story, you will be drawn in, and you will be there with them, bearing witness to these young men rediscovering each other. I'm not saying any more, instead, I invite you to read and step into the barn, I promise you will not regret it.

This is my second reading of this story and I loved just as much on the second read as I did the first. But what I don't understand is why I didn't comment before, now I'm mentally berating myself for that failure. This is a great story of two friends coming back together after a misunderstanding that kept them apart for a year. Caleb believed he had done the wrong thing and upset his friend, and Dalton did not understand the meaning of the kiss and needed time to figure it out and act on it. Strangely they have Dalton's mom and Sheila for bringing them back together, and at the right time too. Dalton has grown and matured, or as he put it he has his big boy pants on, and is now thinking for himself and open to the love that Caleb has for him. I'm happy they have had the chance to sort out their feelings for each other and are together. I love this story, Gary, again you haven't just told a story, you took us there, into the barn with Caleb and had us standing by his side as everything unfolded. And because you took us into that barn I'm glad that you ended the story where you did, the boys don't need us watching as they 'catch up' on their year of missing out on each other.

I hope Brendan has visits with the child psychologist planned for Jill and her brothers, they will need them after giving evidence in court, it would be especially harrowing for Jill to give her evidence. I hope Steven has the recall and courage to back up what Jill has said about her rape. Blackstone is playing a nasty game by trying to implicate Brendan in the abuse, I doubt he will get away with it but if he can plant a tiny seed of doubt in one juror it could affect their decision. If Kaspar proves the forging of the letter it is yet another charge against the kid's parents, albeit a small one in comparison. Is Eve going to be charged too? After that testimony, it looks like she is complicit and who knows, she may turn states evidence and testify against the kid's parents for a lesser sentence. The discovery of human remains is bugging me, who's are they and are they an adult or child? This is an important discovery and the trial should be halted to allow for a full investigation and to determine the bearing on the case against the parents. There are a lot of variables in how this could affect the case, especially if the death was of a sinister nature as I suspect.

Well, one drama has been averted by them finally talking. Coming home to find his mother's boyfriend and homophobic son have moved in must have been a shock to Guy, no wonder he was in no mood to talk when he saw Tim with Jonathon he must have been in a bad mood. Okay, that may not be a good excuse but a bad mood often brings about poor reasoning and judgement. With a homophobic teenager under the roof at Guy's house, I smell trouble in the air, I hope he is not a mirror for his father's opinions, that will only make matters worse.

Tim has tried to do the right thing and be friends with Jonathon, it shows his caring side, but even though he hasn't done anything wrong it has backfired on him. Jealousy is a terrible thing, Guy should not have walked out and asked the question rather than jump to conclusions. It does make me wonder if something happened in his past to give him trust issues, if that's the case he needs to talk to Tim about it, only then can they deal with matters properly.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with Jason, If you look back to the previous anthologies you will see that the number of those commenting is far lower than the number who read. But to be fair that is the same with every story posted on GA. I enjoyed taking part in the SA anthology even though the number who read my story was far lower than others. I didn't take part to win, I took part to enjoy the experience and to try writing in a different genre. Regardless of the numbers, I'm happy with how Hiding In Plain Sight was received, it did far better than I thought it would and feel encouraged by it. I will continue to post stories and take part in future anthologies whether or not they are SA anthologies.

It would be interesting to see the breakdown of views per story if you're prepared to share that.

Well this is a chapter of revelations, isn't it? We have learnt more about Carter's background and the level of distaste that his Aunt has for him and why, but we all do things for love and sometimes they are the wisest thing to do. But shouldn't family be supportive? Not full of hate and animosity, but then I guess some people cannot forgive the past and will always carry a grudge. I don't think the car accident was intentional, it was an accident born of a stupid decision to drive when overcome with emotion and not being able to see clearly. And now we have another person carrying a grudge against Carter, both of them too engrossed in their own grief to see the full picture. It's going to be interesting to find out what Carter has done to upset Jeremy so much, or is it that Carter looks too much like Ethan, and that is what Jeremy's problem is? They do say it comes in threes and now Carter has got three of them that appear to be baying for his blood! I hope something changes for the better soon.

Hiya Freddy, welcome back.

Congrats @kbois and @lucretiaseeks, you both deserve your win.

Just as Carter was about to turn away, his gaze drifted across the room, and he froze. A woman stood a distance away, her eyes locked on him. She held a tray of food, but it was the look in her eyes that sent a jolt of fear and pain through Carter. The hurt in her expression was unmistakable, and it pierced through him like a knife. Carter’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at her, his mind racing to comprehend what he was seeing. The tray in her hands trembled slightly, but she made no move to approach him. She just stood there, her gaze intense and filled with a mixture of emotions that Carter couldn’t quite decipher. “Aunt…?” he whispered, barely able to believe his own eyes. To be continued… Those few ending paragraphs tell me that there is a familial link between Ethan and Carter, and soon we will find out more, but when does Jeremy discover it and what is Dexter going to do about it? I ask the last question because we know Dexter will come up with some cunning plan to use it to cause trouble, but I also know that @vanalas is not going to give us any answers, we will be made to wait and see how the story unfolds. I wonder if this is the cruel evil Aunt that turned her back on Carter, or is it a different Aunt? No doubt we will have to wait for that answer too. I'm hoping that Jeremy gets some good professional help before he lets those good memories turn him so bitter there is no turning back. But he also needs to see through Dexter and see him for the scheming scumbag he is. Then, and only then, will he have a chance at happiness again in his life, whether it be with Carter or someone else.

Our concerns are genuine following the actions of our tormentor, do you like the nickname I just gave you?

I'm, happy for Jill that Andrew appears to be a decent lad and is willing to be patient, I hope he is as good as he appears. I'm also happy that Brendan is taking it slow with Skylar, now Skylar needs to speak to his supervisor and recuse himself from the case so that things do not get messy. Other than that it looks good that all three kids are in good health for now, but there are the extra examinations that need to be carried out, I've got my fingers crossed that they do not find anything to be worried about, although I think Jill may have 'healed' injuries with long term consequences. Everything looks good on the home front thanks to Rich's help and support, he is a good brother and Uncle. And let's not forget the previous owners of Brendan's house, they too have a hand in how things are progressing, could they end up being surrogate grandparents?

What about the wichetty grub? 🤢

Have you never tried haggis?