empath

Thanks all for the comments! I love reading them and hearing what stands out. I also am enjoying getting to know some of the supporting characters from Kept Boy like Devon, the De Luca twins, Bean, Anton, and others better. @Mattyboy is right. A lot of my interest in writing is to explore the growth of people finding first love and acceptance and then themselves. It’s a journey I hope you are on. I certainly am. I’ll try to get my brain to focus @drsawzall, as I know waiting is no fun! I’ve been learning and growing this month, which has my mind moving in a lot of different directions.

Well done with the word play @Philippe! Glad to see you! 🤣

Elio Cicero was excited. He and his brother Emilio had never been sent on a pick-up without their older brother. Granted, Anton was in charge, but they had the most important job. They were responsible for helping Theo, who was apparently close to their age, learn that he was not alone. That was a revelation they themselves had to learn to accept just over four years prior. It had been harder for Elio, as his place as the oldest was usurped by Thomas when they too became Roger Cicero’s

Because this ties into my other stories, Mutt’s story is likely to come out at some point in the future. The short of it (from my super secret plot notes) is:

A cynical Haiku for you, @Summerabbacat empath writes to feel, Stories that pull on your heart, MAGA-twats don’t care!

@Cane23, I share your heartbreak and distress! Puberty is a tumultuous time in any child’s life, but even more so for kids without clear love and support. While he is mis-translating some things and circumstances are aligning in just the wrong ways, many of his conclusions are not far from the truth. Unfortunately, Henry’s emotional journey is just beginning, but @CincyKris's observations provide hope: 🤞 While this resolution would have been wonderful, @Anton_Cloche, Henry was just getting settled when his mother happened by. We can conclude he was still being “hooked up” or that the excitement around him masked his invisible response to his mother. Perhaps, this scenario will still play out! ❤️

Each was born into a role they didn’t choose and has been limited and defined by it. To some degree, that is true of all of us, and it isn't until we experience an unavoidable identity crisis that we begin to look beyond face value to find the intrinsic value the world has either failed to notice or refused to acknowledge. There is immense hope, especially when one realizes that the hidden and forbidden parts below the surface are the very things that make them unique and incredibly valuable to people willing to accept and understand them. ❤️ Thank you @HARRYWALTER! As with most of my stories, this one is rooted in my current journey, so it is far more than encouraging to hear it is striking a major chord. They say the devil is in the details, but I think that’s 8ull$hit. Those unassuming details are where the answers and, ultimately, the hope for a brighter future reside. 🔍

“So much for a quiet shift.” They had been clocked in less than ten minutes when the call came in: ‘Officer involved shooting, probable DOA, the scene is active.’ “Welcome to Chicago! I haven’t bothered to pack a paperback since week three on the job.” The driver punched the siren several times as he wove his way through yet another red light. “Are the side streets really faster?” The paramedic was still getting used to the older man’s driving, which was like nothing he had learn

The story continues with chapter 5 and so on. I’m sorry if the chapter note made you think it was over! Thanks for reading @MastaMak!

I’m glad to hear that! Thanks. And welcome to the Land of Lincoln!

lol. empath-lite…. I like that @Summerabbacat. Excited to hear what you think of my first attempt at fiction since college @Paladin

Yes @drsawzall, this chapter was packed, and I hope it was suspenseful in a good way @CincyKris! I think @Mattyboy has the gist of it and @VBlew must be following along on Google Maps! 624 West Division Street was a real apartment building known as “Da Carter.” It was demolished in the late 90’s/early 2000’s with the other Cabrini-Green towers. (It’s a Target store now) @Summerabbacat & @Cane23, I am glad to hear you say you felt at least a little something for Matthew/Damir/Wolf. You can thank @mayday who mentioned in their beta read recently that Damir didn’t feel like a person yet. It was great feedback. An extra special thanks to @mayday, @Paladin and @pvtguy, who have greatly decreased the confusion in plot, phrasing, and grammar! I hope the story is starting to get good! We’ve got a good start, but we still have a ways to go!

It had taken over an hour to transform himself into the overtly offensive character that boldly stood in the building’s main entrance before his visibly agitated and unwelcoming hosts. The right-sized eighties surplus BDU’s and black nylon bomber jacket sharply contrasted the baggy and bright clothing surrounding him. His pasty complexion and freshly shaved head stood out far more. “Youz brave G, steppin’ up on da 624. I’z here, so talk fo’ we’z be playing cap da cracka.” Silas was both

Also, thank you all! This chapter tipped the Land of Lincoln word count to over a quarter million published words! That is crazy since it started with a single chapter short story about a repressed computer geek who goes to a gay bar when he runs out of Scotch.

Angelica is a complex woman who is beginning to look at her life with fresh eyes (she had resigned herself to being Henry’s mom and running the charitable side of the family empire, but her husband upset the balance when he set his sights on his second son). I am excited to witness her changing priorities and the resulting impact to the family dynamic. It is never wise to challenge a momma or threaten her young! @Mattyboy, that’s a very perceptive observation. There is a manhunt under way, and WSIII isn’t the suspect everyone is looking for. As @CincyKris and many others have called out, he is sloppy and possibly, as @Summerabbacat surmises, a touch insane. 😿 Thank you for the praise @HARRYWALTER and @Summerabbacat. World building across stories is as rewarding for me as it for you. I worry it makes my stories less impactful for casual readers, but for those of you following the various things I’ve published in the Land of Lincoln, I hope the cumulative character development adds to the experience.

Thanks for the read and positive response @Lee Wilson and @Sherye Story Reader! ❤️

Wednesday January 1st, 1997 “No!” Teyshawn’s subconscious terror broke into the waking world again, making Lawon jump. His brother was finally asleep, which was a relief, but that fact made the older boy’s fear-filled mumbling even scarier. He hadn’t had a night terror in a long time. Lawon hated seeing his typically strong brother so weak and vulnerable even more than he remembered. Tucker’s death had been hard on both brothers, although they never really discussed it. Sle

More families selling their kid’s souls…. 😭😠 You handled the viewing of vids and Josh’s distress well, @Paladin. Then you helped him recover with the promise of future Olivia time. ❤️ Daniel! I don’t know how Josh is holding it together. I’m not sure a couple big guys with clubs will be enough to keep him away when the emotion breaks. I imagine the fear, excitement, relief, and dread are confusing, however. There is so much trauma between them, even without Adam’s death.

I'm writing! I really am! @drsawzall, the “764” sounds scary. Silas knows how vulnerable and manipulatable youth can be, especially if they have deep, unmet emotional needs. I personally find such exploitation one of the worst human atrocities. Countries, religions, educational and social systems attempting to mold kids into tools are deplorable. You are right @Paladin, there are certainly clues, but will they help in a world without centralized databases and more advanced technology? Knowing someone was in a specific place doesn't necessarily make it possible to find a current location. @drsawzall, @Summerabbacat, and @Cane23, the CPD is a different place than it was. Teddy Jackson has made changes since the 1992 investigation that exposed the rot in both the department and the city itself. But there will always be conflict and differing points of view strongly held. Some issues seem more derisive, often leading to physical strife if left unresolved. Sometimes all it takes to bring unity is a shared purpose or common goal. Sometimes unity is impossible. 🤞 Thanks for the conversation. I am excited to see what you think as events unfold. Now I should get back to writing. People are waiting for a chapter 5!

That seems appropriate. Although this story takes place in the Land of Lincoln, there are plenty of, often sardonic, English/Royal inspirations layered throughout.

I can always count on my GA friends to provide appropriate nicknames. The Turd, the Cuntess. lol Thank you @drsawzall, @Mattyboy (good to see you again friend!), @Summerabbacat, and @Cane23 for sharing your thoughts and observations. For those left wondering, Rocky, Orlando, Dominic De Luca, and other names mentioned in comments that you don’t recognize from this story appear in the previous story (Kept Boy to Made Man). 1996 has come to a close. What will the new year bring? The Liberty family has grown, but have they also grown complacent? Chicago has changed, but is it for the better? As the good @drsawzall asks, "How effective can/will Damir be...time is running out???" Keep the comments flowing! I read and appreciate them all! Now I have to get ready to the day, even though I’d much rather be writing….

“How is it?” Angelica asked the almost twelve-year-old sitting across from her. “So gooood!” The boy hurriedly covered his mouth with a paper napkin as he realized his mistake. “Relax, Henry. Your father isn’t here to scold you, and a Portillo's dog with your mother doesn’t warrant the same level of manners he demands.” She smiled as she thought back to the many secret trips to the original Portillo’s she had made as a young girl with her grandfather. “As long as the food stays in

Wow! Thank you, @Ianstarlight, for this beautiful response! What a gift, as an author, to hear that your story has touched someone so profoundly. Tu n’es plus seul! (I love that!)