BendtedWreath

This was an excellent read. One I'll likely read again later on. Relatable and heartfelt.

I promised myself when I graduated high school that I’d never come back to this town. Not for holidays, not for funerals, and definitely not for a reunion. - Only two sentences in and I'm already sold. House sold, assets split, boxes packed - I read that sentence a little too fast and saw "Asses split" but even those words fit the mood of that sentence just fine. College led to ROTC. That led to officer candidate school, then a career in the Navy. - Oh, wow. Talk about riding that trajectory all the way. I’d spent most of my adult life dodging nostalgia like it was a trap. Turns out, sometimes it disguises itself as peace. - Well, those were my favorite lines thus far. They hit me right in the chest. My first reaction wasn’t nostalgia. It was suspicion./How the hell did they get my address? - Right? And for the first time since opening the damn envelope, I actually smiled./"Curtis? So you and Jason, huh?” - Nice! Recognition and a smile is good! “He’s an administrator at the community college now. When we were putting the list together, he thought he saw your name in some paperwork. Had to go digging to be sure it was the same Jacob Cooper, and… well, you know.” - That explains that. If I was really going through with this, I figured I needed some intelligence data. Something to run recon on before I walked back into a room full of ghosts. - HAHAHA! He never touched me. Never pushed. Never got caught./Just chipped away, one comment at a time, until I started holding my breath whenever he walked into a room. - What an ass. She had a rhythm to it, like she’d rehearsed. I got a dozen double-takes, a few wide smiles, and more than a handful of oh wow, you look greats./It was surreal.- Haha! Derek Foster./Older. Sharper. More put-together than any man had a right to be after twenty years. - Darn. “Good seeing you again,” I said with a smile that didn’t reach anywhere near my heart. “Let’s make sure we never do this again.” - "See you never." “Yeah,” he said with a small, sheepish nod. “I’m the principal of this high school now.”/I stared at him, then cracked a grin. “You? Enforcing order? I'm honestly shocked the place is still standing.” - That's what I'm saying. Now we get to choose it, deliberately, and with everything we’ve learned. - That's fair. Not what I would have personally chosen, but I'm not Jacob. This was a great read. Very smooth from start to finish. I enjoyed it.

Get swept away into the drama and twists that span two whole generations. I know this writer's unique style, and I really enjoyed reading this entry.

The boy took his girlfriend out to a fancy dinner - Oh, I didn't realize it was a straight couple. I need to stop assuming things. “Maybe six months,” he answered sheepishly. That was a lie. The condom had made the boy’s wallet home for about two years. - Uh-oh. “I hope he won’t mind having two fathers,” Martin said. - Of course not! Martin thought, “Jamie’s going to tell Cal that I’m his birth father, and Cal is going to come out to Jamie. I’m glad I won’t be there, but I would sure like to be the invisible man.” - HAHAHA!! “Be careful,” Martin warned. “Don’t make the same mistake I did.” - HAHAHA!! Not even halfway through the story I knew exactly who wrote it, but I'm not telling.

A peek into a world that feels so deeply established as it it always existed? Fantastical characters thrust into high stakes peril? Love and loss? What more could you ask for if you're a fan of dark fantasy?

She poured herself a glass of clear orange wine. - Might have to stop by the liquor store on my way back home and pick up a bottle myself. “I’m going North to find the man I love.” Jonah braced for the inevitable reprimand. /Tomas knew of Timon. - The man he loves is named Timon? I have a strong gut feeling I know who wrote this. It can theoretically be one of two people, but I am leaning one person over the other.

checked the floor for any tissue paper stuck to the bottom of his boots - I always forget to do this. The amount of times I've had tissue paper and gum stuck under my shoe are infinite. I knew the one you liked was Carel, and I really tried to make that happen despite the sick feeling in my stomach every time. - Self-sabotage. I know this feeling well.

The writing style itself has poetic flair. The theme and content was a bold choice. But don't expect to leave this one with all of your questions well and truly answered (and that itself might have been an artistic choice). The only reason I gave it 4 out of 5 stars is because I didn't feel we understood enough while we were reading, we had more outer cues like the setting, atmosphere, the objects around the characters... but, we didn't spend enough time in Lucas's headspace and feelings to truly understand the choices he made, and that's why it didn't feel like he was the main character that the story description/summary led us to believe. It was like a detailed snapshot of photography from the surface instead of a hand-painted canvas baring a glimpse of the painter's soul.

It was Coke, definitely, but it had a slightly different taste - At this point, I was just hoping it wasn't such an old version of Coke that actually had coca in it. Posing for a picture. Or pictures. But like what? Like the one on the wall. - That explains that. Well, this entry left me with more questions than I had before. Why did Morris pick Lucas out specifically? What was with that initial meeting? Why did Lucas feel he needed a stranger's validation?

This isn't just a testament of the struggles of the past, it's a reminder of resilience for the struggles ahead.

I had received a verbal promise that my identity would remain shielded from the prying eyes of the press. However, to my shock and dismay, the very next day, my name was splashed across newspapers worldwide! “Holy shit!” - Yeah, some shielding. Roy, better known as Rock Hudson, introduced me to captivating individuals and unveiled a world of fascinating stories and experiences that have left an indelible mark on my soul. I hope he would be proud of my unshakable support during times when many chose to remain silent. - Hear hear. Doesn't matter the generation, it's always been a challenge to keep your head high and do right for yourself and others.

This entry gave me a good laugh. I needed that laugh so early on a hectic Monday morning. Thanks for sharing!

I was annoyed that my reflexes only kicked in after I was already in trouble. - HAHAHA! Wait, since when did Jeff have a gay book on his shelf?- HAHAHAHA! The fact that my best friend was questioning himself came second to the realization that I had ruined months of his hard work. - I like how quickly Ryan sorted out his own priorities! "You're not just saying that to get back in my good graces after what you did to Miku, are you?" - 🤣 I have my suspicions as to who wrote this, but it's too short to truly tell. Like @Valkyrie, I'm going to wait to guess until I've read them all.

Why am I in the mood to watch All Dogs go to Heaven all of a sudden?

"It may or may not involve drunk otters, superhero penguins, and alien capybaras" - Well, consider me sold! 😂 I'd like to read that.

That's awful! Get well soon, Cia.

20 entries!! 😂 Amazing!

Did anyone guess 17 yet? What about 7 by itself?

11?

Quality of reading indeed. I can hardly wait to try some of those features out!

Same here! 🤣 Everything I mentioned may not have happened to me all on the same day, but I'm sure 75% of it has, more than once.

The Capybara Invasion: This story is smoldering, but not in the way you might think! 😂

2054- I imagine I'll be slower by the time 2054 hits, but less rattled. If I'm alive and we're not all nuked to death, that is. They created a lab-bred species of capybara that would eat meat, specifically Norway rat meat, and move away from their vegetarian diet. - Whoever greenlit that lab needs to be tossed to the carnivore capybaras. Other pets of larger sizes like most cats, dogs and unfortunately penguins were unaffected by the toxin. - Wait, penguins??? Just the genius never thought of sterilizing the capybaras before releasing them. - That person needs to be tossed to the carnivore capibaras, too! Long introduction to me, Clayton Smyth, capybara killer at large. - Give exterminators a run for their money. Where I got my napalm supply was nobody’s business and why I worked alone. - 🤣 This was great!!