Bill W

I read this story twice and I agree with @Lee Wilson and @Gary L -- this story was confusing. I'm not sure if Henry faked/made up that Tony had attacked him with the paperweight after their argument, because later his said he'd taken the bandage off and his face was unblemished, meaning no injuries from the so called attack. He also said the bandage covered nothing, and yet it covered everything. To me that would indicate Tony had not attacked him and he made it all up, possibly just in his head, and then later he is the one attacking Tony with the paperweight and the broom handle, or whatever that dowel thing represented. And then at the end he reapplies the bandage, but what was it covering if his skin was unblemished, although he did have a black eye, possibly that he got during a fist fight with Tony, but I still question if he was attacked with the paperweight or if that was imagined/made up.

This short story has an interesting premise, with fascinating characters, and a gruesome plot, since it it's a detective story and the main characters are all cops. You'll also discover there might be were-creatures and vampires intertwined in the subplots, and even if you're not interest in a genre that features such creatures, you may find this story as an exception to your noninterest in this genre. And although this is an interesting read, I hope the SA decides to continue the story and this chapter is just a teaser.

Come on, this story can't end here! There has to be more chapters! As I began reading this short story, Jules keen sense of smell had me immediately suspecting that he's a werewolf. Not sure he needs a full moon, though, so maybe he's merely a shifter. Then, you mentioned the daywalkers, but I was picturing Jules turning into a wolf, not a bat. Anyway, you have to give us some closure here, so we need at least one more chapter, possibly more, to answer all of our questions. Good job, though, because you've definitely piqued my interest.

I think we all still have memories of being in high school. For some the memories bring back smiles and warm feeling, but for other they might bring back memories that they've been trying to forget, but still linger in the deep recesses in their minds. This story explores those deeply hidden emotions and causes the main character to search his high school year book to prepare for the reunion. This is a wonderfully written story about one young man who's spent years trying to distance himself from his hometown and those memories, but after receiving a totally unexpected invitation to his 20th class reunion, he decides to attend. Even though he's hoping to remain unnoticed and blend into the surroundings, he is totally taken aback over what happens while he's there. If you wish to discover why he's surprised, you'll just have to read this emotionally packed short story, and you'll be glad you did.

Wow! Did this dredge up a lot of old memories for me. Next year will be my 60th class reunion from high school, and I've never been back to any of those reunions. I'm not sure of the exact number, but my graduating class had around 300 students, so we had a large 9-12 high school. At one point I'd even moved back to my old home town for a few years, in order to help my aging mother, but still I had no desire to attend any of the reunions, even though they were being held close by. I never had many close friends in my own class and all of my friends were either upperclassmen or underclassmen, but they wouldn't be at any of my reunions. Anyway, I found the sentiments hauntingly familiar and when Jake and Derek finally reconnected at the reunion a thought popped into my mind. As Derek was showing Jake around the school, I was almost expecting Derek to show Jake the clothes he'd hidden twenty years ago, but that he'd keep as sort of a shrine now. Thanks for the great read, SA. It was fun and helped to purge a lot of lingering emotions.

This is what I like about using the OED's citation for when each word was used in English, because not only do they give the date, but they generally also name the work in which the word was used.

Proliferate comes from French prolifération, from prolifère "producing offspring," from Latin proles "offspring" (see prolific) + ferre "to bear, carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry," also "to bear children"). According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the verb "proliferate" was first used in English in the 1860s. The OED lists 1866 as the earliest evidence for the adjective "proliferating," found in "Philosophical Transactions". Examples of "proliferate" and "proliferation" used in a sentence: "Stem cells are precursor cells that can proliferate, differentiate, and self-renew." "They also proliferate, multiplying to increase the response to the wound." "Cytokines are secreted proteins that induce cells to proliferate and differentiate." "Over the past 100 years, those flaws have proliferated as the use of the machine has spread across the world." "In these places, the plant proliferates and spreads fast." "As the cells grow and proliferate, the team changes the recipe of the liquid nutrients to boost growth." Bruno worked at the Frosty Freeze ice cream shop until popular new frozen yogurt places started to proliferate all over town, putting his shop out of business." "The past two years have seen the proliferation of TV channels." "The proliferation of wireless and broadband services is continuing." "The Internet encouraged the proliferation of Web-only retail companies."

If you're looking for a story with a little romance, a little intrigue, and more than a few twists and turns, then you should check out this short story. Before you read it, however, I will leave you with one thought, a quote from Sir Walter Scott. "What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive." I won't tell you any more than that, but I think it will all become clear by the time you finish reading this short story - not once, but multiple times.

What an enchanting story, SA. My mind was working on overdrive the entire time, as I tried to read into your words and figure out where you were heading, but you kept throwing me curve balls. I think it worked out perfectly, though, so kudos. I enjoyed it very much.

An intriguing tale in a magical world, with ineresting characters in wonderful surroundings, and a surprise ending.

I was really getting into this story. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, and I loved the premise - and then hot damn, it was over. I was hoping this story would be continued, since I wanted to see how Timon and Joneh would manage in a strange part of their world. Then again, we have people like that in our world as well, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

Yes, Thirdly, Tomas is still alive, since he didn't go on this venture, but will he seek revenge for his cousin's death?

You weren't the only one who felt that way and had to look up the term "steampunk."

A very enjoyable story about some of the members of two families that had known each other since they were very young at a masquerade party. You'll find a little mystery, some romance, and some surprises along the way, so sit back and enjoy this intriguing story.

Enjoyed the story, and just out of curiosity, is this where you got the idea for some of the costumes?

Yes, @Thirdly, I thought the same thing. If only Caleb had figured out Carel's orientation sooner, he and Derek could be well established by now, although Carel would still have lost out.

Must be Caleb didn't know his brother was straight!

The term "dystopian" comes from the Greek words "dys-" (meaning "bad" or "difficult") and "topos" (meaning "place"), combined with the suffix "-ia". It essentially means a "bad place" and is used to describe a fictional society characterized by undesirable or frightening conditions, often as the opposite of a utopia. The term "dystopia" was popularized in the 19th century, with John Stuart Mill using it in a parliamentary speech in 1868 to critique the Irish land policy, contrasting it with the utopian ideals of Thomas More. While "dystopia" is the more common term, another Greek-derived word, "cacotopia" (meaning "bad place"), was also proposed as an antonym for utopia. The adjective form, "dystopian," as used in its current sense, was first recorded in the 1960s, specifically in 1962 by C. Walsh, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. While Mill's use of the term was in the context of political commentary, the term "dystopian" as a literary genre emerged later, with works like Yevgeny Zamyatin's "We", and later, George Orwell's "1984" and Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," becoming key examples of the genre. Examples of the word "dystopian" used in a sentence: "Like the novel, it portrays Gilead, a dystopian society not too far in the future." "I'm not an Internet utopian, but I'm not an Internet dystopian either." "The novel conjures up a lawless dystopian world of youth violence and institutional mind manipulation." "In Lee's dystopian vision of the world of entertainment, television is all-powerful and all-corrupting." "Cyberpunk was known for dystopian futures with alienated loners who lived on the fringes of society." "The movie was released in 1982 as a dark "film noir" look at a dystopian corporate future in 2019 (which looks remarkably like 2005)." "The story is set in a dystopian future in which an overpopulated world solves the problem by allocating people only one day per week."

Unlike some of the other readers, I didn't see this story in quite the same negative light that they did. Yes, the antagonist used some very deceptive methods, and the protagonist failed to heed many of the warnings that he'd been given while growing up, topics that were most likely discussed on multiple occasions. Maybe those warnings had even been harped on prior to this encounter, but I didn't see the story in a completely negative light. Since there was never any physical contact and no one was forced to do anything, I feel the antagonist only wanted to help a young gay boy accept who he is and to eliminate the feelings of shame about his attraction to other boys. You, however, will have to judge for yourself, but I found the prose and descriptions wonderfully written, and it was merely the subject matter that made others uneasy, often, it seems, to the point of being overcome by an emotional reaction.

When we first met Morris, and Lucas talked about the bubble of silence that seemed to keep out the normal sounds of life continuing on around them, I felt that possibly Morris was some sort of a mage, maybe even a demon or the devil himself. However, I like @Lee Wilson didn't immediately take an evil intent from Morris. Sure, Lucan failed to heed the warnings he'd been given while growing up and managed to cross numerous barriers that should have stopped him, but with what we read, I felt Morris was merely attempting to help Lucan become comfortable with being gay. Maybe that's why Morris was attracted to Lucas in the first place, and since the black and white photo that hung in Morris' home was of him when he was younger, maybe he'd had the same shame when first realizing he was gay that he wanted to help Lucan overcome that same shame - first with his naked body and then in the fact that he was attracted to other boys. I don't know who the Secret Author is, since as @kbois pointed out, he seems to be from the UK, not the US, but I don't feel the author would have gone any further than this, now that Lucas was able to accept himself for who and what he is - a gay boy.

This is an intriguing look at a very dark period for the gay population, one that older readers can identify with and younger readers can gain a better appreciation for what the elder gay generations endured. However, this story is not all about the dark times and shows the growth and emergence of a gay person with a vision and a goal, one where he worked very hard to attain success and fulfillment, while also navigating those rocky waters .

I remember this time well and it was very scary. It's good to get a more personal view of Rock Hudson, and it's a shame he died so young. I know the revelation that he had AIDS sent a shiver throughout all of Hollywood, because at the time the cause and how it was spread wasn't entirely known. This lead to speculations that you could get AIDS by just kissing someone infected, shaking his hand, or even eating using the same utensils and dishes. A scary time indeed, and it's nice to see that this Secret Author managed to flourish during these dark times. Thank you, Secret Author, for writing this sensitive and endearing story.

The word "exquisite" originates from the Latin word exquisitus, meaning "carefully sought out" or "choice". It is derived from the verb exquirere, which combines ex ("out") and quaerere ("to seek"). In essence, the etymology of "exquisite" highlights the idea of something being carefully selected or searched for, leading to its modern meaning of something exceptionally fine, beautiful, or refined. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word "exquisite" first appeared in English around the year 1460. It is a Middle English word, borrowed from the Latin "exquisitus". The OED's earliest example is from the writings of John Fortescue, a political theorist and judge. The word entered the English language in the early 15th century, initially meaning "carefully selected". Examples of "exquisite" used in a sentence: "He chose his words with exquisite care." "Her singing voice is truly exquisite." "Scroll down to tour the exquisite home and see the full listing on Realtor.com here." "Much of the work happens in just a small portion of the stage's square footage, and the dancers are exquisite." "The words issuing from her lips gave exquisite pleasure as they flowed over him." "Some of this softening should probably be understood as a reaction to the sheer beauty of these exquisite exhibition spaces."

A light-hearted and cleverly written coming out story. It's short and well written, so do yourself a favor and read it.

I love how the secret author played two events off against each other, the breaking of the Miku statue and the book that revealed Jeff was gay. Ryan was feeling so guilty about breaking the statue that he hadn't even noticed the book, and when it was brought to his attention, it took a while before he realized that it meant Jeff was gay. Well done, Secret Author.