headtransplant

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment. Jonathan certainly does have an interest taste in clothes!

The moonlit night held me sharply, pricked my throat, crystallized my lungs. With a heavy bundle of birch against my back, I trudged over a bald spot among the pines and fir trees. Mirror Lake. It didn’t really have a name, but I’d given it my own. In winter, the surface of a lake remains barren, but the water below holds an incredible amount of life. Fish hover in the reeds, their metabolism winding down to a near-halt. Crabs bury themselves in the mud and hibernate. Everything lives, but

Beyond anything, Ethan wanted peace. A remote town in the woods felt promising, but soon violence came pounding at his door. It always did. Time to run again. But this time, the things he’d done, the burdens he carried, refused to stay locked in the dark.

The violent scenes in the first few chapters are not representative of the story as a whole. While these initial scenes were painful to read and over the top at times, they were successful in making me want to read the whole story so that I could see Ian survive and find a better life. The Pentecostal theme was interesting for me personally because my family was Pentecostal in my early years. My memories of that time are foggy but I certainly remember a pervasive feeling that like the devil was always watching me and reading my mind. Even without any child abuse, that kind of religious intensity is very damaging for children’s mental health, in my opinion. Probably goes a long way into explaining why I’m an Atheist now. So while I appreciated Ian’s spiritual journey, I wonder why it was so easy for Ian to come to the conclusion that God made the good things happen, but not the bad. Did he really believe Jesus was carrying him while his dad tortured him? Sounds more like he was abandoned in hell, to me. I also understand how it feels to be raised in a bubble, and how frightening and exhilarating the world feels once the bubble is escaped. I related to Ian’s feelings often as he tentatively explored the world around him. It felt good to read about all the positive experiences he had once he left home. He was certainly lucky to find people who cared. Even people with the purest intentions and kindest hearts can be stomped on by the world. So I don’t believe what anyone said when they told Ian it wasn’t luck. Oh look at me getting all emo. Your story hit a lot of notes for me and made me think a lot. I am glad I read it and glad you posted it. It’s been a full in decade since you wrote it, so who knows if you will ever see my comment? Either way I hope you do, so you know that your writing is seen and thoroughly enjoyed.

What a great read. I’ve often thought about people who face this situation and wondered how they survive it with their spirit intact. I’d like to hope they can all get a happy ending like you describe here, with people in their lives who support them and believe them. Powerful and thought-provoking story. Personally I think it stands well on its own, though I do wonder how the accusations will impact how Patrick interacts with his students in the future.

A great big warm hello to all of you! I just discovered this site when googling for some reading material and I’m so grateful for the treasure trove you all have provided here. Currently binging so hard that my eyes will definitely fall out soon. Please don’t offer medical support, I will refuse and continue reading, thank you. Looking forward to a time soon when I gather the courage to post some writing of my own. Until then, don’t be surprised if I jump all over your stories like a rabid spider monkey.

This was the first story I’ve read in a very long time that had me both obsessed and riveted. I literally couldn’t stop reading. Someone should have dragged me away lol, it was bordering on unhealthy 😅 I am always attracted to stories with a character like Andy who is struggling against incredible odds. But I think the main reason I enjoyed this in particular is because of the long journey, the variety of realistic locations and characters, and all the lonely little places Andy tucked himself into. I could feel his heartache. The pacing felt just right to keep me reading as you slowly eased the tension on the poor kid’s life. The happy ending and wedding were sweet. I love how many kind people came into his life. It was healing to read. Thank you so much for the wonderful read. I’ll remember it for a long time.

Ugh I loved reading this so much, I binged on it. Good thing you wrote in that Zack occasionally remembered to breathe, otherwise I might have passed out from lack of oxygen. You laid out his thoughts and feelings on the table in a poignant clear way that caused me to feel for him incredibly strongly. Now it’s the next morning but my chest still feels sore, but a good kind of sore. I guess I must really like having my heart wrenched out of my chest and used as a baseball. Thank you for the beautiful story.