Bill W

Carl, I'm going back and checking out the anthologies that I didn't get to when they first came out. I enjoyed this story and can empathize with Philippe, since I know what it's like growing older and your friends either start dying or move away, often to be near other family members. I'm not sure if Gerald's sister consulted him first before making him guardian of her children, but if she did, it's possible that Gerald agreed thinking that both his sister and her husband wouldn't die before the children were grown and living on their own. I half expected Franco to contact Philippe and Gerald after his twinkie left him, so maybe that didn't happen. Gerald isn't off the hook either, after leaving Philippe in the lurch in Paris, without warning I might add, so when he called, Philippe should have told him to fuck off and get lost. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed your story, and it so vividly points out some of the problems about being gay and growing older.

This is an adorable and charming story about first dates, friendship, and the awkward of being a teenager. The characters are very realistic and relatable, the writing is first-class, and the storyline timeless. Trust me, you won't regret reading this fantastic short story!

Cassie, this is a great story about young love, friendship, awkwardness. I'll bet when Kade gets a little older he'll start singing - "I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger". Great story. It was cute and charming and I'll give it 5 stars.

Lassitude comes from the Latin words lassus and lassitudo, meaning “weary.” Our English spelling comes from the French word that developed directly from Latin, borrowed in the 15th century. The word "lassitude" was first used in the English language in the mid-1500s. The earliest known use of the word is in the writing of Thomas Elyot, a humanist and diplomat, in 1541. Here are some examples of lassitude in a sentence: "In the lead-up to a big race, such lassitude can be compounded by a sudden severe case of germophobia". "Heavy lassitude settled upon me as I walked away from Peter Kanarjian". "Shareholders are blaming the company's problems on the lassitude of the CEO".

Can you suffer from exhaustion by reading too many stories on this site? 🤪

Exhaustion comes from the verb exhaust, "a drawing off," specifically of strength. from the Latin exhaurire, "draw off" or "take away." The first mention of exhaustion in the Bible is in Genesis 25:29, where it describes Esau coming in from the field "exhausted" after hunting. The earliest known use of the noun exhaustion is in the mid 1600s. OED's earliest evidence for exhaustion is from before 1639, in a letter by Henry Wotton, diplomat and writer.

A powerful story addressing the churches stance on gay love, which is more than likely not God's stance, but the decision of a limited and powerful number of the congregation. It's a story about love and how that love is more powerful than those trying to prevent it. This is not a preachy sermon, but an eloquent story about how love can conquer all! Just have a box of tissue nearby when you read this.

Gary, I apologize for not getting to this story sooner. You did a great job with this top. Bravo. There isn't much else that I can add to what's already been said, but while I was growing up, I was taught that "God is love." And if God is love, I can't see him condemning anyone for being in love or for whom they love, as you so eloquently put it here. Unfortunately, it's not God who does the condemning. It's people who attempt to use God's name and think they can speak for God who become the problem. I find the hypocrisy in those who attempt to use a few verses in the Bible to condemn gay love, yet are willing to overlook one of the ten commandments - God's given laws! The seventh that states "Thou shalt not commit adultery", and whether they do it themselves or are willing to overlook it in others that do it, such as a political figure, a celebrity, or a sport's star, yet at the are willing to virulently condemn a homosexual individual or couple. Anyway, enough of my sermon and kudos for this story.

This story is a quasi-biblical story that is set in a small rural village in biblical times. It is actually a love story between a human mortal and a heavenly being, and the story is intense with many twists and turns. Although I had my doubts when I first started reading it, I was soon hooked and couldn't put it down until I finished reading all three chapters. I found it a truly enjoyable read and highly recommend it.

What a wonderful and intense ending to this fantastic story. I had a feeling you were going to let Jair become an angel, although I didn't envision what a powerful angel he would become. It's great that you let Epheriel and Eshiel express their love and remain together. It was truly an angelic romance. Well done and a pure pleasure to read.

A love story between an angel and a human. I think that's what is bothering Enoch. He was unable to have that type of relationship when he was human and now it isn't the same, even if he had a relationship with another angel. BTW, Enoch was Noah's grandfather. Thank you for another great chapter.

Thorn, thank you for this intriguing, imaginative, and innovative take on a semi-biblical story. I like Jair and am impressed with his maturity and how he dealt with Joseph, and I'm curious about Epheriel and this phantom 'evil' that seem to have it out for Jair. Great start and I'm glad that I'm backtracking to read the anthology stories I missed when the were first published.

If you enjoy werewolf stories, then you'll want to check this one out. It's well written, contains a romantic relationship, and a lot of drama. It's also only three short chapters long and you should find it a quick read, so it's perfect on multiple levels.

Wayne, I hope you can read this from where you are, but I truly enjoy this fantastic story. Kudos, my friend.

A very powerful chapter. I would have loved to tell Wayne that I felt that way about this chapter.

I wish I'd read this story five years ago so I could have told Wayne he was off to another great start with this story.

The earliest known use of "prude" as a noun was in 1676, in the writing of George Etherege, a diplomat and playwright. The earliest known use of "prude" as a verb was in 1736, in the writing of Richard Savage, a poet and playwright. The word "prude" comes from the French word prudefemme, which means "good woman", so it makes me wonder how it evolved into its current meaning. Prudefemme is the feminine version of prud'homme, which means "good man and true".

Cassie, this story was more hard hitting and dramatic that what I was expecting, and extremely sad. I can only reiterate some of the same things the others have already said, but I have a few questions. If everyone turned on Jack like that for what he did, how are they going to treat Damon and Will, since they're obviously a gay couple? And will any of this get back to Michigan and possibly cause the University to withdraw his track scholarship? Will Jack be able to get back to his house to sneak out his clothes, or get his mom to bring them somewhere that he can pick them up, since he has no money and can't afford more? And if I was Will, I'd be worried about staying with Daman, because I'd be thinking Damon might do something even worse to him if he and Damon have a major fight or disagreement. Now that he's seen Damon's dark side, I'd always have a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that Damon might do something far worse than that with me. There's a lot of disappoint to spread around in the way everyone either took part in what happened or reacted to it, and it does shine a very positive light or offer much hope about a large segment of the population in general.

I'm glad he finally broke up with Alyssa, but he waited far too long. First of all, he should have done it after what happened at the coffee shop when he had Damon and Alyssa meet. Then, he should have done it when Damon came to the house looking for a place to stay. Jack should have also dropped her when she stopped him from going up to Damon and speaking to him as he was resting under the tree at lunchtime. But he finally did it when he had a shot at teaming up with the vixen and possibly getting some nookie. I truly hope that Jack can finally patch things up with Damon.

Cassie, I'm enjoying your story, but Jack is so fucking thick. First of all, when Alyssa didn't heed his warning about bringing up the Bible when he had her meet Damon, he should have realized it wasn't going to work. He would be better off trying to hook up with another girl that wasn't as aggressive and opinionated so he could keep his friendship with Damn. And Jack's father and Claude (Damon's mom's bf) seem to have a lot in common, so if I is Jack smart he'll find a way to get out of that house as quickly as possible. First, by going to college, and as soon as he graduates getting a job far away from there. I'm happy to see that Jack is finally beginning to realize that he not only has a friendship with Damon, but also an attraction to him. And seeing he won't be having any fun with Alyssa if he doesn't dump her, he could still have the option of Damon. Maybe that will eventually work out better.

Yes, a great start, Cassie, and I can't wait to read the next chapter. You've got so many different ways you can go with this and I want to see where it leads. Kudos.

For those of you that enjoy mythology, take a look at this modern story that gives an interesting glimpse at a mythical classical Greek city, He Kalliste, and its relationship with the Pantheon of Greek gods. The story is well-written and an easy read, which I believe you'll enjoy.

As always, Adi, I'm late to the party and just found this story. Being a history lover, I found this modern Greek mythology quite enjoyable and very descriptive. Thank you for sharing this.

A Walter-Mitty-like tale about a young man, Devon, who daydreams to find a sense of fulfillment in his life that seems to be missing, both in his profession and personal life. Because of this, he often seems distracted and unable to verbalize how he feels. By the end of the story, however, he seems to find the fulfillment that he's been seeking.

An interesting story about a young man dealing with an unfulfilling job and a relationship that has become routine and lost some of its luster. Turning to dreams to find that spark that seems to be missing in his life, he often seems distracted and didn't seem to know how to respond to many situations. The students at his school had mockingly made a joke of his last name and seem to laugh at him behind his back, and his relationship seemed to have becine ho-hum. That is until two things happen: his partner goes out of his way to change things and reignite the romance, and a former student returns to thank him for not giving up on him, otherwise he wouldn't have graduated from high school and about to graduate from college. Both things seem to add a new purpose to both his relationship and his professional life. I agree with the others in that the dream sequences were a little confusing at first and you should have done something different to make them standout in some way, whether it was by indenting those sequence or using Italics, but once I realized what those scenes were all about, I was able to enjoy this story. I believe that Devon had also found his Horace Mann moment when Samuel returned to thank him, in that Mann had saud: "Be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity." Samuel may have been at least one victory Devon had achieved.