headtransplant

I enjoyed your descriptions of the castle in this chapter, both outside and inside. You always seem to have some fancy architectural terminology, so I got to learn a new word! Crenellated. Seems like such a human element. I wonder if that feature was built to serve the same purpose as it does on our castles. It was interesting to see the two alien races interacting peacefully with each other. Gives me hope that they can be reasonable if there happens to be an encounter.

Thanks I just love this hug emoji today lol

Thank you so much for the kindness

I think everyone in this chapter is emotionally and physically exhausted. One thing after another. They’re tired and hurting and end up with raw feelings easily damaged. It’s hard to see them fighting but it makes sense. If they can’t recover from this kind of argument then it never would have lasted to begin with. The only person to blame is Aiden. Why’s he gotta go smash his face (jk jk)

Thank you

My lungs are a pressure cooker; you put the seal on my throat when you said my mood poisoned your food, disposal loud, jarring, as it ate your dinner for you. The seal nearly broke when you recounted this meal to my brother as a joke, a comedian so fine at tearing laughter from our throats. Instead, I joined you in this jovial dance around my dignity, let you leave out conveniently why poison seeped into the food you wouldn’

Yup, I love Jonathan. It’s hard to write him feeling hurt. I swear I tossed and turned over it. Now that it’s done, I’ll probably get a good night’s sleep too 😴 Thank you so much for reading and the comments!!

So the flying creatures were Sasparians the whole time! I wonder if they’ll be the first contact. “People of the wind” don’t sound too scary. Among many other things, we learn these wonder-suits can also fly and change color. I’m sure Nyf doesn’t want to overwhelm Mike with information, but I’d want to know every feature, too. Can they render a person invisible or make them look like another species? Hmmmm

It’s surprising how easy it seems to get a replacement birth certificate. I’m sure there must be some failsafes to prevent identity theft 😰 Ethan has definitely been hiding from the world for too long. It’s not so scary to come out when someone’s there to help. Thanks so much for reading and for your comments!

😂 That would be a cruel trick to play. But also hilarious. Glad to know they didn’t catch you! Whether that’s because you did nothing wrong or because you just never got caught, I suppose we’ll never know lol Thanks for reading and commenting!!

From inside the depths of sleep, something shadowy and formless grazed against my leg. My eyes snapped open and I lurched awake beneath a heavy set of blankets. Sweat trickled down my chest. Pitch black surrounded me. I couldn’t even see my hand when I waved it in front of my face. Where am I? My mind felt foggy. The details of the day before settled in slowly. I was at the Gordons’ place. Mrs. Gordon had worried over me when I arrived sometime in the afternoon, saying I looked pale. She'd

Writing to feed an audience makes me think of the aquarium I used to visit. Hundreds of fish would go into a frenzy swarming around a scuba diver while they pulled chum out of a bucket. It seemed that if the bucket never ran out, the swarm would never end. When I was much younger, I felt motivated to write even though the vast majority of it never met another pair of eyes other than my own. I didn’t consider that another soul might lay eyes on it. Actually I would have been mortified if they did. I still have a few projects going like that. They’re just not intended for anyone else. Now that I’m more interested in writing things that I intend to share, I think more about what others might want to see and read. I don’t know if I’d keep writing these without a few fish in the water, so to speak.

Matt’s doing a great job convincing himself how hard it is to raise a kid alone. Poor guy. After two weeks of this he’ll be putty in Seamus’s hands. Just the way we want it!

Hi Mercury! Welcome. Sharing the happiness sounds like an excellent idea 😊😊😊

I immediately assumed the Schrikken were the creatures Derry and Cally saw the first time they looked through the doors. They have such a wonderful vibe of dark and surreal. Evoking fear in others would certainly have its advantages, although it might make for a lonely existence. I’d love to trust them, I mean, for all I know they could be the most kind and empathetic of all the creatures. But just because there is no record of malevolence doesn’t count out the possibility that they could be causing trouble under the radar. I am excited to see who the characters will encounter first — hopefully Crites or Narthies.

Your poems woke an urge to go visit the forest. There is something magical about being out there in the morning, isn’t there? You evoked that magic well, I think. The beech saplings seem like eager children. And the surprised old leaves is a great image. Thank you for the lovely walk 😊

Another great chapter! I love all the thought provoking things that come up. The technology and the multitude of planets spark the imagination. I thought about the flying people when I read this chapter, too. I’m still curious about them. I remember thinking, what if they’re responsible for the fall of everything? And getting a shiver down my spine. I think it’s wise to start slow with the world-hopping. They need to build up a tolerance to alien landscapes and species, and develop skills for socializing with alien beings before they take the plunge. With so many possibilities at their fingertips, and so much bonus time, I don’t see any good reason for them to rush. I love swimming in the ocean, personally. If I had one of those suits, maybe I’d take the plunge on an alien planet. It would be completely horrifying but thrilling. (How do the suits respond when you pee from terror? lol)

Here we go again, off on another adventure! Personally, I find the time coordinator terrifying. If the Armenti have really disappeared, I’m pointing at that thing as the culprit! They’ve probably gotten stuck in some kind of paradoxical time loop as a punishment for messing around with things better left alone 😂 The awesome tech super-powers our heroes are receiving continue to make me envious. At the same time they are really putting a lot of trust in these alien devices ... I definitely agree with their decision to continue with caution.

Thank you ❤️

Thanks, @Philippe, I like this suggestion as well as the wording you provided. Seems like a good solution to me.

I can see where you’re coming from with that theory. This chapter has that “story defining” feel to it, especially with the titular poem. The first few chapters actually sat in a pile for a long time because I didn’t like my original direction. I decided to dust it off and re-plot. That’s when the ideas you see here came up. Part of its rebirth I guess? I feel like I’m torturing you with Ethan’s lack of therapy! Without giving too much away, he is finally ready to get the help he needs. Thank you so much for your comments, and I really appreciate hearing your thoughts about chapter warnings.

Thank you so much for the kind words! I really enjoy writing poetry and prose through Ethan’s eyes.

I’m so happy that you liked how Ethan expressed himself to Jonathan through the poem. I felt so impatient waiting for the right time to include another of his writings and I couldn’t wait to write this one in particular. Unfortunately the inclusion of the name Elijah was an editing error 😅 It should have been Elliot. It’s fixed now. Sophie wanted to use the name of the brother she remembered and didn’t like the idea of calling him anything else. Sorry about that, it slipped right by me. Thanks for sharing your comments and your ideas on the warnings! I really appreciate hearing your thoughts.

It was such a hard choice to make as a writer because all I can think about is how Jonathan’s going to feel when he finds that letter. Let’s just say Ethan is convinced this is the right thing to do, but I’m not. Oops. It’s supposed to be Elliot. Too many E names were running through my head. Hopefully I can fix it before anyone else gets confused 😳 Thanks so much for your helpful comments!

His choice makes sense in his head, but Ethan should have probably thought it through a lot more carefully. I’ll let the story tell the rest, like you said. Why is it so hard not to spill the beans in the comments? 🤐 Thanks so much for reading, your great comments, and your input on the warnings!