Jack Poignet

Just a little heads up. In a few weeks, Mid-November, I'll accompany my partner to a conference ... which just happens to be in New Orleans (Isn't it amazing what coincidences there are in life ). My current plans include lots of sightseeing (even so I've been to New Orleans before when I was 19 .... many moons ago) and sightseeing might become part of the story (Alex and Jacques are both tourists after all). I promise to be most diligent in my research up and down Bourbon street! The prequel has lots of New Orleans history in it (It's actually an amazing historic treasure and woefully underrated), so sightseeing in modern day New Orleans might be a good idea. Let's hope I don't stall the story too much til then.

So, you expected to see the two gorgeous, well built (just wait a bit), probably rich guys, who can do everything absolutely effortlessly on the first try (I think that's called a "Mary Sue" when it's a female hero) just to kiss and live happily ever after? No sir, this ain't written by Disney+. I must admit, I never actually thought much about what happens to Alex (or Solomon for that matter) after the short story. Hmmm .... maybe you could just guess what happens next? You're rather good at it and I have a suspicion that you might guess almost exactly right... (*polite cough) No, seriously, I know the rough shape of the story. I have a whole (unfinished) prequel to draw from and the main point/a good idea of the sequel. This chapter, transitory as it seems, has introduced the idea that there are other factions, so there will be some conflict. There's Jacques's friends who might play a role and then there's the issue with... the hand. Solomon/Noir Foundation will also have their say in the story. Next chapter will include a bit of the interesting back story (aka an info dump). I'm currently cleaning it up, but I'm also trying to force something slightly exciting into it... We'll see. I'll probably have to split it into separate chapters as there's just too many topics to address.

Hello Everyone. This should have been the last chapter of the short story. Obviously it isn't. I enjoyed your comments and our small exchanges on here too much, so I'll just do the novel instead. I've adapted the description of the story accordingly.

Beside Solomon, Jacques began to stir again. After orienting himself, he turned to Solomon, his mind reeling with questions. But before he could speak, Solomon raised a hand to silence him, his expression grave. “Do not dwell on what you have witnessed,” Solomon said, his voice low and solemn. “There are forces at work here that you cannot begin to comprehend… yet. Trust in your feelings; all will become clear soon.” Leaving their cover, they moved over to the unconscious form of Alex’

@evlfox I didn't want to spell it out, as that would have been a totally different kind of story, but yes, that's exactly what I had in mind. And I just might have to steal @Danners "hungry bottom" comment and turn it into a separate story 😂

@Danners I always worry that I setup things too complicated, but you’re pretty spot on. Except that Lucien was not a ghost… but that’ll be resolved in the next chapter. The hand will still be “missing” after the next chapter, but it should be pretty obvious where it needs to end up. The original idea of this short story was pure, kinky sex, so I leave it to your excellent imagination what Jacques and Alex originally would have had to do to resolve that issue

Jacques couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so alive. The night had started like any other Halloween — music filling the air, the French Quarter awash with lights and color. He’d come here expecting to have some fun, sure, but nothing out of the ordinary. Now, though, as he clutched his drink and let the pulse of the crowd carry him, he realized this night was different. It was better than good — it was electric. The music pulsed through the air like a heartbeat, syncing with his own,

@VBlew and @Danners Of course, an author must meet some of their reader's expectations and I'll do just that. However, fair warning, if this story truly qualifies as a horror story, then it's gonna be because of the next chapter. Let's just say I struggled with writing it. Shameless plug: You can find solid beta versions of the coming chapter on my Patreon page which I totally had to set up now. The chapters are cut differently there (more, but shorter), however, the content is the same. Of course, you can just wait until I post the final version on here in a few days. I need to add lots more content (behind the scenes research, character sheets, thoughts on the stories etc.) to Patreon to make it worth the money.

Alex woke up in the late afternoon, sunlight streaming through the curtains of his room at Maison Noir. The warm glow bathed the room in a golden hue and reached deep into his soul. For the first time in as long as he could remember, nothing hurt. He lay there for a moment, savoring the unfamiliar sense of well-being. The constant fatigue had lifted, replaced by a strange sense of calm and strength. He closed his eyes and smiled, remembering the ecstasy of last night’s encounter, the magical pre

Thanks for the encouragement! These first reactions actually make me eager to sit down and take up work on the prequel again... (Which will answer the question where that hand came from). Romantic undercurrent? For a second there I thought Chapter 2 already made it past the moderation queue without me noticing ... but no, you'll have to wait until later (today?) for the romance.

Thanks. I was worried that it might be too obvious that English is a foreign language for me, but it seems that it’s acceptable. To be honest, the hardest part is to simplify my words enough to achieve a good flow. Should I continue this story beyond the promised “short story” it will become obvious that there’s a scientist lurking in the shadows behind this keyboard As for Alex: Is NOLA ever a safe place?

Thanks a lot. Finding an entry point to a story seems to be one of the trickiest parts for me. I plan on publishing a new chapter once a week, but now that I see that people are actually reading the story I have the urge to add more ... oh well, I'll see if I stick to the three or four chapter "short story" plan or write the whole novel down. It really only depends on wrapping things up in the last chapter or not ...

“Breathe! Just… breathe!” Alex steeled himself as he stepped out of Union Passenger Terminal. He clenched his fists and tried to steady his breathing. His heart pounded wildly while memories of countless doctor visits washed over him — sterile hospital rooms reeking of despair, endless nights staring into the abyss of sleepless darkness, his parent’s helpless eyes red from crying. Each memory was a dagger twisting in his gut, a vivid reminder of the mysterious illness that had plagued him since

Ancient forces have awaited the two unknown lovers for over 200 years, weapons drawn. Now, young Alex accepts the invitation of his mysterious benefactors to New Orleans, where he meets Jacques. Through their immediate but shaky bond, they uncover startling truths, face expectations thrust upon them and their own demons. The fight is on.