Summerabbacat

The hypocrisy of Charles Miller apparently has no limit. He molested his younger brother, Elijah, and his nephew, Thomas. I have to wonder if Elijah knew his brother was also molesting his son. Elijah's homophobia towards his son is perhaps understandable as he equated what his brother, Charles, did to him when he was younger, with his brother being gay. I am so looking forward to Roger tearing Charles apart on the stand @empath. His arrogance and self-righteousness will hopefully be his downfall when Roger challenges him. “Is it weird that I have felt freer as a prisoner than I ever have at home?” The older man thought about the younger man’s question. “No. That’s not strange. You’ve been a prisoner all your life, but at least in jail you’ve been safe. It’s messed up, but I get it.” And he did." This pitiful statement by Thomas shed more light on his joyless life to date than anything else he could possibly have said. And for my final comment. I hope Roger adopts Thomas at the conclusion of his trial. Such an action would be very therapeutic for both of them I think.

I had the same thought as you @pvtguy, but went a step further, a darker step, wondering if Uncle Charles has sexually assaulted Thomas as a lesson that being a "faggot" is unacceptable and he needs to "man up". This chapter was even more riveting than chapter 1 @empath and even more infuriating. How can it be said that justice would have been served without the admission into evidence that both Thomas and Brendon had been beaten and that Elijah had "injuries" consistent with having inflicted those beatings. The only reason I can envisage Brendon is a witness for the prosecution is that he is going to turn on Thomas and play the victim of unwanted attention from Thomas and blame him for having corrupted him and "turned him gay". Perhaps he has been threatened by his parents. Masterful story telling.

Brilliantly written opening chapter. Appalling and infuriating, a teenager facing life imprisonment and not a soul has given a fuck about him, whether because they are constrained by the legal system or because their humanity, if they had any in the first place, has been poisoned by bullshit moral dogma. A frightened, small-build teenager beaten by a parent whom he fought back is not some gangster, drug-dealing or drug-addled, thug. The synopsis of this story is what initially attracted me @empath and when I saw that @Gary L has given it glowing praise and that @Cane23 is reading it too I thought this is a story for me to at least read the opening chapter and what a chapter. Riveting and my blood is boiling.

Hopefully enjoyment? Continued top 10 placings for your stories strongly express obvious enjoyment of your works set in the Hugillverse. I can only speak for myself (and perhaps for @Gary L too), but it is the very Englishness of your stories which is so appealing. Witty, quirky, self-deprecating and rollicking good fun. No worriting necessary on your part, your fans have voted with their words of enjoyment and encouragement.

Roland, a thoroughly unlikeable murder victim. In his "inner circle" it may be easier to count those who liked him and whom he had not used and/or abused and therefore did not wish him harm, than those whom he used and/or abused and had reason to wish him harm. I am very interested to learn how he was murdered too, was it particularly gruesome suggesting a great hatred of him, or was it cold and clinical? An interesting start to your latest work @E K Stokes. I am looking forward to the character development and where the story leads to.

"Caught in their embrace, Samson and Troy jumped apart, their cheeks flushed with a mix of shock and embarrassment. Still rooted to the spot, Gloria stared at the two men in utter surprise. “Sorry, boys, am I interrupting something?" Perhaps Samson and Troy will try to convince Gloria their tryst is merely them playing their part as their characters Mr Olive and Reggie are attracted to each other according to the biographies they were provided with upon arrival at the party. I had a good chuckle again in this chapter @ObicanDecko. Some of the celebrities are "performing" almost exclusively, whilst others are slipping in and out of character frequently with varying degrees of difficulty and success. I am enjoying the speculation as to the identity of the killer, especially as some appear to be motivated by dislike of the performer, rather than the suspiciouness of the character they are portraying.

A heartwarming chapter for a very ordinary day (weather wise - cold and heavily overcast) in Sydney, Australia. Lots of tickles, giggles and cuddles, with a smidgen of teasing. Whenever I read a chapter of this story a song by Dolly nearly always suddenly is heard in my head, most likely because of your expressed admiration for her @Ticklishboy30. For some reason I thought of Sugar Hill from Halos & Horns, the first Dolly Parton solo album I ever bought, which I bought because of her cover of Stairway To Heaven, one of the greatest covers ever IMHO (and I do not like the original at all).

And congratulations (Sir Cliff started singing that song in my head as soon as I wrote this word, and I am not really even a big fan, although I do like quite a few of his songs) @Robert Hugill. Not just 1 but 2 stories in the top 10 'General Fiction' this week. A performance of ABBA-esque proportions. 👏👏👏👏👏

And I might win the lottery, get married and have children one day @pvtguy (LOL). Sheila is obsessed with appearances and impressing the "right" people and Norman is obsessed with "perverts" and other people's sex lives. Clearly she is frustrating and he is frustrated. They deserve each other.

Doctor's Orders was a minor top 40 hit in Australia in 1975 but I don't recall ever hearing it then (and I loved my disco even then). It was a huge hit across the Tasman (#3) and in Canada (#1) and Spain (#2). Carol is an American and it charted at #11 there. She had a few other minor hits and did some truly dreadful covers (ABBA's Dancing Queen, the Bee Gees Night Fever and R & J Stone's We Do It). The Thompson's would likely have a few family members they would prefer to sweep under the carpet I daresay.

A chapter of great contrasts @Robert Hugill. Ralph's blood ties could not be more different. The twins are accepting, practical and for the most part, delightful. Mother and father are judgmental, pretentious and for the most part, fucking annoying and overbearing. Fortunately Ralph's balls have finally dropped and he is no longer allowing his parents to dominate and control his life. I have to say I truly admire his patient and still pleasant demeanour with both of them. I doubt I could be so pleasant and rational. The questions beg to be asked, were Sheila and Norman ever children/teenagers themselves? Have they ever been happy and satisfied in their adult life with anything? Is Ralph the by-product of the one time they had sex, and was said sex under the cover of darkness with an immediate scrubbing of their bodies afterwards to remove all traces of such an indecent and degrading act? I so wanted to "jump" into the story and knock their heads together. " "Spicy vegetable pilaf and dal with grilled tofu". Delicious. I have never grilled tofu. I shall to give it a try.

Another Thompson, another twat. This chapter occurred approximately 28 years after Frank Thompson raped Jake at Hidden Beach. Andy Thompson could well be his son, but I suspect he is more likely to be his nephew as surely no woman would have been desperate enough to conceive a child with Frank unless she was raped too. Aaron was very lucky, the attack on him could have been so much more vicious. He was not as I feared may have been the case, raped. He was also fortunate that Matt and Luke's intentions were only of the noblest kind. It is interesting that Scott noticed Ben's apparent fascination with Justin too, yet neither Samantha nor Justin seemed to be aware of it. The mention of Justin's parents and the revelation to them that he and Scott are in a relationship was a welcome surprise. I had forgotten this too. It appears Peter Black may have finally become a Dad to Justin, rather than just an authority figure to be feared and obeyed. An interesting chapter @Mark Ponyboy Peters with Luke introduced to Thompsonville's seedier side, something he appears to have been blissfully unaware of. I assume either Andy and/or Aaron are going to appear in this story again at some point, although I cannot remember either of them. And now in recognition of two of the storylines in this chapter I am including not one but two disco classics, one from the 1970's and one from the 1980's. The former is in response to Scott's comment about the new group of friends "Maybe these guys could be just what the doctor ordered?" and the latter is very obvious (although the song appears to have a different meaning). And I offer no apology for either song as I have posted little of late.

It is a story @E K Stokes and therefore I did not expect it to be realistic. I don't for one moment have any admiration or respect for Russia in its present state, although I am sure not all of its citizens are homophobic, barbaric, anti-semitic, drunken thugs.

I found much to amuse in this chapter @ObicanDecko whether intentional or not. "The old wooden staircase complained loudly under Clementine’s feet as the chef made her way down in her nightgown and slippers, the creaking noise amplified by the stillness of the large house." Is this code for Clementine is a heavy set frump? "There was no telling what Kelly was feeling - other than pursing her lips, her face had barely moved.". She has had so much cosmetic refreshment to ensure a youthful appearance that she is incapable of moving any facial muscles at all. “But it’ll take more than that to intimidate me! They don’t call me the female Sherlock for nothing.” “Who… exactly calls you that?” Kelly couldn’t hold back from asking." What Kelly was really saying with this restrained comment was "You have got to be kidding me Tiffany, you're as thick and rubbery as the tofu you eat. You're a stupid TV starlet". For me the "acting" award thus far would have to go to Eric. He has the patronising, condescending attitude I would expect from someone named Father Tabernacle down pat. The number of times he stated "Yes my child". I wanted to scream before I laughed. My bet is on Father Tabernacle as the murderer @ObicanDecko, but I will freely admit I am biased. If not he, then Nicholas' sister or estranged daughter.

That would certainly appear to be a very real prospect @drsawzall and entirely in keeping with Jackie's demonstrated behaviour and character to date. I agree money laundering appears most likely, but I still cannot rule out something nasty involving other innocent victims, unless those innocent victims are as has been suggested by a number of you are Ludo and Damian only. Either way, Jackie has pulled a cunning stunt.

Unless Zach was gay and expressing internalised homophobia as speculated by @VBlew, it may be that Seth was not murdered because he was gay. What if Asher's speculation is correct: “That’s just it. We don’t know. Any of us could be targeted because you’re being targeted.” “What do you mean?” “That guy in the Batman costume, your broken windows, the note. You’re in danger. Maybe you always were and I was just naive, but it seems more real now. And if you’re in danger, that means anyone who is close to you is at risk, too.” If this be the cause it throws wide open the identity of the killer. Killian's father, Toby, Gilly (we have all assumed it is a man) and I still can't discount Pastor Mike. I will acknowledge my suspicion of him is based solely on the fact he is religious and I wonder if he is as gay-tolerant as he appeared to be. Riveting @Josh Aterovis. I admit I am in the same school of thought as Killian regarding the murder of Zach. His murder does not automatically entitle him any respect or sympathy, and does not alter the fact he was a fuckwit when alive, but I guess he did not deserve to be killed, particularly in such a brutal fashion. If anyone else has to be murdered before the story is concluded may I nominate either Jesse or Gilly for the honour if it has to be those perceived as a friend of Killian's, and if not, Eve or Gary. I know the story is already complete and unless you are undertaking a major re-write will not be changed to accommodate my plea, but it is fun at times to be frivolous when commenting.

Brilliant again @Cane23. Again it had not struck me, the obvious often does not. I hope she has fled to a life of misery or constant worry about being caught.

I had the same thought @Al Norris. What particularly worries me is "Some of his clothes were scattered on the ground." Another calm friendship-building chapter, but this time with a confronting conclusion. What is the fate of the crying boy? I almost smelt that salt-spray as Matt and Luke walked calmly along the beach @Mark Ponyboy Peters such is the power of your words.

This chapter has me wondering if the comments @Cane23 made on a previous chapter that Jackie's whole life since meeting Ludo and having a child has been a sham, a sham to cover up her wrongdoings, has more than an element of truth. What a c#$t she is. Is she perhaps a chubby chaser too @Robert Hugill or is Herr Huber's corpulence not something which drew her to him? If she is being used by him it will not surprise me if she turns up as a corpse somewhere. If she does at least Ludo won't have to divorce her or worry about her returning some day to make his and Damian's life unpleasant again. I don't know if the behaviour of the police in this chapter is typical behaviour but I was disgusted with the way they treated both Ludo and Damian. I guess it could have been worse, in the USA they would likely have shot both of them first before asking questions. I cannot imagineSgt June Ackland or Inspector Morse behaving like this, although I can imagine DS Dalziel behaving in such a fashion at least with Ludo. Very good writing @Robert Hugill. The police incensed me and if they ever find Jackie they should let Ludo and/or Damian throttle her without any repercussions.

I have to wonder if Calvin will be able to endure Alan's pomposity on an ongoing basis.They should definitely get a 2 bedroom apartment or house otherwise they will be living on top of each other literally. Familiarity is nice for a time, but after some time it can breed contempt. And as much as we would like to believe it not to be the case, there can be a thing such as too much fucking. One cannot live on sex alone and a "relationship" built entirely on sex is likely to fail (says I who is sooooooo successful with relationships). Cohabiting will be an interesting observation @KKirk. Alan may become a pain in the arse literally.

Every time I read a chapter of this story @E K Stokes Rasputin by Boney M. starts looping in my head. They were critically maligned, but I was a teenager growing up in rural Australia when they first hit with Daddy Cool and loved them immediately. It did not surprise that Volkov was heavily involved in criminal activities. There appears to be a very blurred line between the legal and the illegal and the criminal and the non-criminal at many levels. I look forward to reading more works by you @E K Stokes.

👍👍👍👍👍👍 I am loving Chris' story and you are telling it beautifully @Ticklishboy30. I hope you reconsider his role in this story and he features more prominently, particularly if he is pregnant. Ev'lynn is certainly a character. It would be very unwise to "mess with Mamma". I guffawed at her explanation, one shot for each ball. Perhaps she needs a visit to Washington DC after November 5th.

It appears Tiffany may have been miscast as Miss Maxwell, her detective skills more akin to those of Inspector Clouseau than Lieutenant Columbo. Some of the celebrities are revelling in their roles, particularly Gloria, Alana, Troy and Samson. There has been some spirited discussion already, with several accusations made and much denial. I have to wonder how difficult it will be for the celebrities to separate the person from the part they are playing, particularly those who are less popular e.g. Kelly. An intriguing start to this story @ObicanDecko.

I am very literal @ObicanDecko and assumed from the synopsis that Nicholas Stone was murdered too as he is hosting the party. My bad.

I have zero sympathy for Gilly. It is she who suggested she be Killian's beard. If I remember correctly, Killian has asked her on at least two occasions if she was comfortable maintaining this facade as she was not getting anything out of it other than Killian's friendship. She did not hesitate to respond positively, even acknowledging they could not be boyfriend and girlfriend in the true sense of the word. In this chapter she throws a hissy fit because her brother Todd blabbed to her that he caught Killian and her twin Jesse kissing; and, she had the audacity to commence outing Killian to all those present at the party. I like @VBlew think she is the likely culprit who smashed all of Killian's car windows. If I were Killian I would cease being her friend immediately, even if it is not she who damaged his car. She is not a friend, she is a spoilt, selfish, conniving millennial princess who does not deserve Killian's friendship. Asher and his brother Marcus went some way to making amends to Killian over their recent treatment of him. I liked the fact that both readily accepted Kane and included him in their celebration at the party and watched out for him when Killian was "visiting" with Batman. Speaking of Batman, I strongly suspect he is Seth's murderer. I believe Killian recognised the tone of Batman's voice being similar to that of Seth's murderer but has not realised this is as yet. I still wonder if it is Pastor Mike. Very suspenseful chapter @Josh Aterovis. If Batman is Seth's murderer it is an interesting reversal of the fictional character's moral compass, although there was, if I recall correctly, a hint he a darker side in the 1989 film version, the only one I have seen. Certainly the 1960's TV series never suggested anything other than that Bruce Wayne, and consequently Batman, was a man of integrity and truth.