Summerabbacat

Lousie-Marie (deliberately misspelt and reversed) behaved totally out of character by delivering Lorenzo to the hotel where the rest of the "survivors" are in residence. I felt sure she would just leave the "baby" to fend for himself. Perhaps there is hope for her yet. That would be a no, I am almost certain. I arrived at the same conclusion as @Paladin, so your feedback is most welcome @Lee Wilson. I would not shed a tear for him. I imagine there would be many dancing in the streets in California and the Pacific Northwestern states if such an event were to occur. I can even imagine Arnie's response, hasta la vista baby.

No wonder you write murder mysteries @Josh Aterovis. In all seriousness I have to admire your father for his stance on segregation. It is ironic though, if what I have read in many an article, the Southern Baptist churches led by African Americans with large African American congregations are amongst the most anti-gay of churches of this denomination. Similarly, your brother-in-law is to be admired for his stance. Did he have to renounce his gay-sympathetic views to be allowed back into the convention? I assume your brother is the most conservative of three family members as you have not noted any "revolutionary" ideals he holds. I like your description of the damage such bullshit has caused, religious trauma.

I did not know that @Tris. I only referenced it as a saying in American English as that was the first thing I found on Google, but now the first thing I found on Google was the reference to Hosea 8:7. I have continually read the title as Reap The Wild Wind because of the song by Ultravox (not popular in the USA, but quite popular in Australia and the UK with several albums and singles between 1980-1982).

With regard to the friendship/relationship between Walter and Jose, I quote Yazz & The Plastic Population, The Only Way Is Up. With regard to the friendship/relationship between Walter and John aka Farmer Jack, I quote Boz Scaggs, It's Over. Burn baby burn, it's a Long River Inferno.

Dare I say, there is now a Rainbow Connection between the four of them (and five if Matt joins this family).

Maybe he just wants to get away from his spouse or Shi-Anne for a day or two, and perve on some hot beach babes.

I don't either @Geron Kees and I speak my mind to zealots too. My father's religious beliefs are very much akin to this, a biblical literalist; complete bullshit. My father is otherwise a very intelligent man, although if he was not "addicted" to conservative religion, he may well have been addicted to drugs and/or alcohol. I found @Josh Aterovis' description of Will's father very amusing in part: "I knew my parents would be the opposite of excited when I told them. They tended to be a little over-protective. I was an only child, and my father was a rather conservative Southern Baptist pastor." I am neither American nor Baptist, but from all I have read over the years is there any such person as a non-conservative Southern Baptist pastor? I was of the understanding they are invariably not far removed in thought and behaviour from the late Fred Phelps and his family and followers of the Westboro Baptist Church. Fundamentalist nonsense, obsessed with the "sin" of homosexuality. As for Will's mother, I doubt she possesses the intestinal fortitude to argue with her husband. Does this mean she shares his beliefs completely? I suspect not if she has withheld some of Will's transgressions from him. Would she be prepared to stand up to her husband if she disagreed with him strongly? Indications thus far are she would not, but if her husband became violent towards Will she may be spurred into action. And what of Aidan? First impressions are that he is a very affable person, but one whom is lacking a best friend, apart from Killian, and is keen for someone to fill that role for him. Perhaps he has sensed a kindred spirit in Will, and this is why he readily agreed to him being his roommate and disclosing something very personal, which if disclosed to the wrong person could have signed his death warrant at worst, or a severe beating at best. And what of Will? It appears from his nightmare, painting and examination of the photograph of Joey, Laura and himself on holidays at Busch Gardens, something has "clicked" and he is uncomfortable; he recognises he is/was in love with Joey, and he assumes because of this he is gay. He may just in fact be gay for Joey. I am liking this story thus far @Josh Aterovis; the quality of writing similar to the high quality of writing displayed in Bleeding Hearts. I am intrigued if the story title was inspired by the 1942 movie Reap The Wild Wind or the 1982 song by Ultravox? Possibly neither though as I have just learnt from Google that Reap The Whirlwind is a saying in American English, which is possibly why I have ever encountered it that I can recall.

Way to go Vince. Graham aka Dolly Levi, has had a resounding success running interference in the relationship between his brother and Peter. ✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️✌️. Well done. Perhaps Vince may return the favour and "encourage" a romance between Graham and Matt. Perhaps Freddie may feel comfortable to come out now to Vince. What a shame Macdonald Philpott cannot be present to witness his grandson coming out as gay to his now same-sex attracted father, whilst his gay uncle is on standby for moral support. What a great chapter @Robert Hugill. The scene where Freddie witnesses his father on the floor kissing Peter would be the perfect vehicle for some of your very best English comedians to reenact. Comical, awkward and undoubtedly very silly, much like my favourite English musical act (even more than Kate, Robert) with their version of Help, with backing "vocals" by Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Kathy Burke aka Lananeeneenoonoo. It is rather topical too, given the Help from Graham to get Vince and Peter moving in the right direction.

I had similar thoughts to @weinerdog and @pvtguy. It makes sense to invite Mike and Jess to the party and Jess' girlfriend if she wants to come too. Perhaps having sex with the guy who is presumably the father of her baby confirmed for Jess she is a lesbian. I am sceptical Jess' girlfriend will want to raise the baby with her though. Presumably she is a similar age, 17 or 18, so I will be very surprised if she wants to settle down and play 'happy families', and in her defence why should she at such a young age. I think @pvtguy's suggestion Mike and Jess move into Tony's apartment in Brisbane, at least in the short term, is a good one, and Tony buy the sprawling white house on the hill an even better one. I am almost certain he will buy the house, particularly now he will likely have his sister and baby to provide a home for. And what of their mother, the Monolith. Seemingly she has not changed one iota; age has not mellowed her. She is still a nasty, judgmental, sour, bigoted bitch. At least one of her husbands left her, for good reason apparently, and she has driven her children away, all because her life is governed by a fictional account of life's dos and don'ts. It must be awfully difficult being perfect, although she seems to have conveniently overlooked she is twice-divorced, which I understand is a big no-no according to the Old Testament. She is going to be very lonely, although I am certain she will still have her biscuits for company. Great work as usual @Mark Ponyboy Peters.

"She knocked on my door a short time ago, totally naked and asked me to fuck her." I was so traumatised and physically ill by the thought of Marie-Louise naked that I blocked it from my mind. Mathias has my deepest sympathy. If he wasn't gay before he sure the hell will be now. L'Oreal, Ella Bache, Chanel, Clarins and Wilson by Lee. I am counting on you NOT to test your products on animals and to proudly single your brand out for this.

Ryan to Marie-Louise "Take out the trash please Marie-Louise, and while you are there stay with it, bitch". Marie-Louise struck out with Ryan, Benjamin and Henry, the latter of whom she groped before insulting him. Is her hair orange @Lee Wilson? Have we seen the last of Marie-Louise? Somehow I doubt it. Sample 43-b contained some form of formaldehyde, which is why the dead bodies are not decomposing at the rate expected. If it could be modified slightly so it does not kill, it could revolutionise the cosmetic industry. Another outstanding song by the brilliant Kate Bush sums up why so many have died.

Riveting from start to finish, this tale of murder is so much more than merely catching the culprit. A quite large cast of characters, many of whom @Josh Aterovis paints warts and all, ensuring they are believable. Not for the faint hearted, there are a handful of truly despicable characters, one of whom is insane, and understandably so. It is not often one expects to be moved by the plight of a murderer, but in this tale I was. With painstaking attention to detail, the murder, what caused it, and its aftermath, are all very well explained. Exceptionally well written and very entertaining.

It's way too early yet to fully understand the dynamics of the relationships between the three main protagonists, Will, Joey and Laura, nevertheless I do enjoy speculating. "I looked out across the river. "We're growing apart," I said softly. "Laura and Gabe, you and Mackenzie...me and nobody." "We're not growing apart, we're growing up. You're my best friend, and you always will be. Nothing will ever change that. But we're not fourteen anymore. We can't spend all our lives together. We're all going to have families and careers. It can't be just the three of us forever." Given Joey is to be murdered, the statement in bold text may prove true, although I believe Joey and Will's ideal of what a best friend is, is no longer the same, perhaps it never has been. As for Laura, her revelation shocked Will, but I have to wonder if Beth suspected Laura was also in love with Will given her statement they were both always second to Joey. And Will, what to make of him. I sense a cloud of uncertainty within over many things in his life. This could explain his jealousy of Joey's girlfriends and his frequent break ups with Beth. Has he just been using her as a beard? Might he possibly be gay, or just gay for Joey? And is Aidan interested in him for more than just friendship? Many questions which I am sure you will answer in the fullness of time @Josh Aterovis. Will, Joey and Laura are interesting and their changing relationships with each other intriguing.

Wow, you sure know how to capture the attention of your audience from the get-go @Josh Aterovis. I had visions of the opening scene from Twin Peaks when Laura Palmer's body is discovered, the video for Lullaby by the Cure and any number of zombie films, running on a continuous loop. Riveting.

But did it have you gyrating @drsawzall?

Thank you @Mark Ponyboy Peters. Donna, like ABBA and cats, always welcome in my life.

Pheromones were in the air, from Father Andrzej's office, to the Town Hall meeting room, to the gym. The scent of man had Jose and Walter standing to attention, each fantasising about the other, particularly naked. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 a sizzling chapter, hopefully a precursor to a sexual healing for both Jose and Walter.

Well said @Cane23.

Such a heartwarming and uplifting chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters, one which deserves a musical celebration. I wracked my brains for something appropriate and it suddenly came to me, a song so uplifting and topical given the achievements of Aaron and Tony in this chapter. A wonderful song from my absolute favourite album of all-time by a female artist, a song even more appropriate given the events take place in summer in Thompsonville.

It appears Brian may be a "helicopter parent" after all; Toby copped an eyeful of a gyrating Brian positioned between Gordon's legs. Perhaps if Toby had stayed long enough he may have gotten some tips for more fun with Noah. Drew was surprisingly uncertain when he presented the painting he had done of Brian, Gordon and Toby initially to Brian and Gordon only. The usually confident Drew was almost apologetic, thinking perhaps the painting was not good enough. All three were delighted with it. "Dear Beloved Friends I wanted to do something special. Just for the two of you. No-one else. Believe it or not, I had them taken in Italy. One of my business contacts had similar pictures created for his wife – no, I didn’t see the images but heard plenty about them. So, I thought what the hell? And I was thinking of you two, my beloved friends, when we had them done. The case locks, as I thought you might want to keep it private. You won’t share it, I know, but I don’t think Toby is yet ready to see Mr Russ in all his ‘glory’. All my love, and a lot else" It is quite clear now that Russ is in love with Brian and Gordon, probably has been for some time, but the gift and his pleading to visit them whilst honeymooning, left no doubt in my mind. It certainly does not seem to bother Brian or Gordon, and clearly both are at least very fond of Russ. I think they should have a frank discussion with Toby as to their relationship with Russ, although he probably knows by and large anyway. Another chapter where I have to used "lovely" to describe it @Robert Hugill.

I abhor the use of any animals, including human animals, in laboratory testing of anything, unless it is voluntary; however, that abhorrence would not extend to testing on Marie-Louise. She has again shown herself to be so thoroughly unlikeable. Behaving like a millennial princess may have worked for her in the past, but it is not working now. Attitude adjustment time or she may find herself in isolation permanently. Benjamin Fitzgerald is likely to prove to be a very important member of the group of 10 survivors. Ryan appears to be a born leader and capable thus far at least, of keeping the peace. I don't think it will be too long before Marie-Louise insults more, if not all 10 survivors in total. Very suspenseful @Lee Wilson. It is unanimous amongst readers, Marie-Louise is a bitch waiting for her comeuppance.

I think you left out a critical word in that question @CincyKris, and the word is when. Unless the house is not for sale or is infested with termites, I think it is a fait accompli Tony will buy the house. I just hope he consults Aaron before doing so as I fear their substantial difference in income and ongoing earning capacity may be something they will need to work hard at to address. "Why didn’t you want me to know?’ I asked. ‘Because I knew that you would have come back. And I didn’t want to be the one to be blamed for you not achieving your dreams, even if I did want you to come back." Aaron's selfless act almost destroyed him; it demonstrates the depth of his love for Tony, and I doubt this depth has decreased. Likewise, it is very evident the depth of Tony's love for Aaron has also not decreased, if anything it is possibly greater than ever as he has come to realise it is the true measure of his happiness and success. No melancholia in this chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters, but it was still a bit of a weepy, for me at least, but they were happy tears.

Although I am disappointed Lucas is confined to a wheelchair and is paralysed from the waist down, there is hope he may be able to walk again: "His doctors were hopeful that someday he might be able to walk short distances. However, he would still need several years of rehabilitation to learn to walk again." I am pleasantly surprised how positive his attitude is given his disability. I imagine his friends, new family and time have helped him get to this point. Sammy and Alex, Gerry and Paul, perhaps Neil and Chandler, and of course Mr Collins and Brenda; love is in the air at Farmersville High. I assume Brett and Emily readily accepted their father is gay and Dwight is his husband given the scene when Neil is presented with his new car. Ultimately a story of friendship and the adversity that can be overcome if one has true friends. A very good yet again read from @Ronyx.

Creme fraiche perhaps? Ask Delia Smith, she loved it.

Nothing more than what you deserve @Mark Ponyboy Peters. You give freely of your talent, a talent which clearly has universal appeal, even though your stories are quintessentially Australian (apart from those wretched "flip flops", LOL). For me personally, I have appreciated the fact you have not reduced Australia to a cringeworthy cultural embarrassment like that ghastly tourism promotion ad featuring Lara Bingle (where the bloody hell are you?) or Crocodile Dundee. Australia is so much more than this.