BendtedWreath

As soon as he slid open the patio door, he saw Bruce’s body sprawled on the ground, broken leaves, thorny branches, and rose petals all over him. - How sad. His husband’s eighty-five-year run had come to a sudden end -- peacefully, in the place that he loved the most, doing what he loved. - Not the worst way to go, to be honest. Kirby sat up front with Bruce’s daughter Septima - That explains the name of the roses. Sad to see some things never change, including younger generations always seeking for the easy way out. But, a very interesting story, indeed.

Brilliant! Action-packed, humorous, and just enough of a taste of the "otherwere" to want more.

A bunch of out-of-town hooligans, that's who. - Of course. Then they charged, and all hell broke loose. - I can imagine. Instead, along with all childish pretense of being a hero, I turned and fled. - No, that's your self preservation talking. At school, the athletics coach thinks I'm an excellent runner; if he'd only seen me then, he'd have put me in for the Olympics. - Attaboy! "So Bill, me droog, 'e must still be 'ere."/I'm not religious, but I started praying. - Totally valid. "What? You really think us fifteen are gonna be stopped by you, a lanky, goth, streak of piss, do-gooder?" - Wait, goth? The raven and crows?? then looked forlornly at my sodden sneakers which had been new on that morning - Oh, no! Not the new kicks! Before he died, my Dad, my real Dad not my bloody stepfather, had given me a well thumbed copy of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.' Fleetingly, I wondered if this was my own personal wardrobe moment. - Just go with it, kid. The beating of wings filled the air, along with the joyful chattering and cawing of the flock as, with another thunderclap, we entered the otherwhere. - Let's go! This is another story I wish we had more of.

There's a little bit of everything in this one. You'll end up feeling something, that's for sure.

As in, his ex./As in, took a one-way Lyft to the afterlife six months ago. - Damn. RyIP: That last guy you talked to? Had me rolling in my grave. - Hahaha apid firing tabs closed and clearing his browser history like it was a CIA cover up. - Hahaha "This is why I can’t have nice things," Jamie muttered, looking wildly around his bedroom like the IKEA lamp might offer to throw hands in his defense./Or at least provide emotional support./Maybe a protection spell? - Got a container of salt? Should we make a salt circle around the phone? This was obviously stress related. - I'd have scheduled a therapy appointment so fast. Jamie messaged a guy with the handle NoahFromLA./He had nice arms and the emotional depth of a saltine. - Hahaha RyIP: You wore that same shirt on our first date. - Ouch. The song?“Somebody That I Used to Know” - Hahaha! “Yeah, I don’t really believe in mental health stuff,” Noah said. “Like, if you’re sad, just go for a run.” - I just let out the deepest sigh. God, I miss you./I miss us./He choked back the tide of memories rising in his throat. “I miss you, too,” he finally admitted. “Every day, Riley. I think about you all day, every day.” - 😭 Then, in what could only be described as a truly gay ending, Jamie’s fingers curled, slowly, achingly, around Riley’s. - I haven't needed this amount of tissues since @CassieQ's Save Tonight

She quickly surmised his relationship with Martin Perkins - Hello, Martin. It was she who comforted him when the telegram came, telling him Martin had been killed in action. - Oh, no! Goodbye, Martin. In addition to the Royal Family, six members of the housekeeping staff also passed away. - Whoa. And in closing he announced his engagement to Robert Trent Jr. and would marry before the coronation, date to be determined. - And, hello, Bobby. I felt this would have been better as a chaptered story with each section its own chapter, but it was still a good read.

I'm sorry for your loss. I bet she had an amazing garden.

When you become Adrift in your fantasies, you can sometimes not realize what's warm, real, and within reach. I really enjoyed this one!

How many hours had he spent down at the docks when he should've been in school? - Haha! “Merda!” - Language! Now there was only them, the boat, and the one remaining sealed jar of fresh water that had somehow survived the chaos. No oars, and no food – not that there'd been much left. - Well, shit. They put it into action the following day, knowing time was against them. Both he and Giuliu put everything they'd got into it. And it led to them being stranded in a boat, without food, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. - Damn. After a heartstopping few seconds, he found the oar, still floating. Where was Giuliu? - I'm not panicking right now. Not one bit. Without knowing how he’d gotten there, he rolled over, covered his friend's body with his own and kissed him. - Let's go! “You don't get to weasel your way out of this, Luca. Not when I spent years hoping you'd notice me. But hey, what chance do I have against your fevered imagination?” Bitterness was creeping in. - Bro, it's not what you think! This was great! Another of my favorites this season!

This is yet another favorite of mine out of this year's SA entries. Well, well done!

That is, unless you want to be known as someone who doesn’t finish. Believe me, if you’re a bachelor or bachelorette, that doesn’t bode well if that saucy rumor were to spread. - Haha! I will find you, and I will steal your shoelaces. - 🤣 Okay, think Seth Rogen, but if he ever became serious enough to narrate a season of “Planet Earth” or some other fascinating animal-slash-nature documentary series. - HAHAHA I turned on my Bluetooth headphones, selected “Epic: The Musical” on my Spotify playlist - Ruthlessness is Mercy Upon Ourselves...Ourselves! I instinctively swallowed. Oh, no. Was this some psychedelic tomfoolery afoot? - Just what's in that vodka? 🤣 Also, if you find the asshole who ran me over, steal his shoelaces for me. - Oh no! 🤣 This one read like a fusion of the brainchild of an offspring made of a fusion between @astone2292 x @wildone I'm completely thrown off. Enjoyed the hell out of it, though!

The sub-genre's exactly what you get. A very fun read. Acquaintances gossip behind your back. True friends gossip right in front of your face.

Ben was very quiet./Jimmy was very quiet. - These two are a little too quiet. Jayson picked his jaw off of the table, "No way. Isn't that like cradel robbing?" He motioned at the diminutive Ben./"Hey!" Ben sounded annoyed. - Oh no!! 🤣I feel your pain, Ben #2! This was another short that had me cackling. Thanks for sharing!

I just noticed that about the name. Also:

Caught me redhanded! 🤣

I didn't remember if I had read your work before, so I peeked at this story randomly. Reading the rest will have to wait until after I catch up on SA entries, but I'm already hooked, and not just because there's a Benny in this one. 😂

Some bonds are so strong that even death can't break them apart.

This one was quite imaginative. I must say that the way Neil's feelings were conveyed so openly that even the foreign visitors managed to reconstruct Liam from his memories alone was a real pleasure to read.

This felt more like a first chapter than a completed entry. I hope I'm right.

I'd like to read more. It's a shame what happened to Darren's parents. That felt as sudden to me while reading as it was to Darren, it seems.

I perceived this as a fractured self just after the fracturing. As someone who struggles with the fear and disgust of becoming even a shadow of the violence I've seen, I am unable to relate to this character. But this entry was well-written, nevertheless.

If a few minutes could change a person's life, four hours can skew the whole world or an entire perspective, indeed.

It's hard to remember that there are less loud ignorant voices than softer heartfelt ones. And it's frustrating when the fear keeps the softer voices from speaking out...which is not as challenging as caring for all the voices just the same.

I feel really lucky this SA season to read so many stories with genres I absolutely love. I don't want to give anything away, though. So, I'll just say, this one was one of my favorites.

Jules drove the rutted back roads with knowledge only locals have. - Loved that opening. I have many a friend that drives the local backroads like a maniac. Jules knew he was close to his prey. - Oh, wow. Wonder what he's hunting. The human footprints stopped and were replaced by a set of large, clawed paw prints. - Uh-oh. Looks like a were-bear, possibly. - Whoa! “This is bad, Bobby. It’s feeling like vampire.”/“Shit. Why would they kill the mayor?” - Right? “We should assume both, I think.” - Hell. “Well, the teeth they used to puncture the skin are all somewhat of a different shape. I believe there were approximately eight to ten of them.” - *making the sign of the cross* “All right, you, eat up. I’ll be downstairs preparing stakes.” - Haha! Oh man, I really loved this. I have a couple of guesses, but either way I enjoyed reading it.