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#Post#: 3041--------------------------------------------------
Haunted by the Past - Chapter 37 - The Last Line
By: RampageSports Date: April 27, 2016, 12:56 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Author's Note: The Spenser, Hawk and Susan Silverman characters
belong to mystery novelist Robert B. Parker. Mr. Parker is one
of my favorite authors, and his work is a major influence on the
the way I write. Whether I even come close to mimicking his
style is open to considerable debate, but I have chosen to use
his characters in this story as something of an homage. My goal
is to handle them as lightly as possible and to maintain them as
Mr. Parker created them. Any failure on that front is
completely my own.
[hr]
Haunted by the Past - Chapter 37 - The Last Line
Driving back to Danni's in this weather had been a stupid thing
to do, but something deep inside me told me I couldn't let this
wait until morning.
Besides, why the hell did I pay the extra money for the
all-wheel drive if it couldn't get me through a few inches of
snow?
As it turned out, Tramp and I made it back in one piece, with
relatively little slipping and sliding along the way.
Danni didn't give much of a reaction as she buzzed me through
the gate, but she was waiting at the door as I came up the walk.
Tramp blasted past her the minute the door opened, and he was
reunited with his oversized friend seconds later. Though it had
been less than two hours since the two were separated, they spun
circles around each other like they had spent a decade apart.
Gaining entry was not as simple for me.
"You came back," Danni said.
"We still have a lot of Once to catch up on," I replied, holding
up my right arm.
Dangling from my hand was a plastic shopping bag containing a
couple of bags of the baked chips she and I both had a taste
for.
She smiled a little and arched an eyebrow at me. We stood like
that for a moment or two, as she waited for me to say something
more.
"You gonna invite me in, or are you just gonna wait until I
disappear into a snow drift?" I asked.
Her expression didn't change as she stepped back and gestured me
into her home, once again.
I shook the snow from my hair, hung my jacket and wiped my feet.
Then, I went straight to the kitchen and set the bag on the
stone countertop. I retrieved a pair of snack bowls from the
cabinet, emptying the plain chips into one and the flavored into
the other. I tossed the empty bags in the trash, then got out
two glasses, filled each with ice, and set them on the counter
beside the bowls.
As I retrieved the pitcher from the fridge, Danni decided she'd
waited long enough.
"What are we doing?" she asked.
"I'm pouring iced tea," I answered, "and you appear to be
watching me pour iced tea."
"Are we going to ignore what happened earlier?" she asked.
"We'll get to it," I said.
"When?"
"One step at a time," I said.
I picked up the full glasses and started toward Danni's inner
sanctum.
"Can you grab the bowls?" I said to her.
For a moment, her face registered a desire to pick up said bowls
and dump them over my head. But the look passed, and she
followed along, chips in hand.
I put the glasses down... one toward each end of the coffee
table... and she placed the bowls in-between. Then, she watched
as I went about setting a coaster under each glass.
When I stood up, she was standing right in front of me, our
faces only inches apart.
Her expression was soft, and there was a warmth in her eyes I
had seen a time or two before. It was that warmth... or, more
importantly, the fact that she was willing to show it to me...
that had helped me understand that I had a connection with Danni
I didn't have with other people.
She and I were similar in many ways. We enjoyed helping others
when we could, but we didn't want any help of our own. Not that
we were unfriendly or ungrateful. We just preferred to be
self-sufficient. Humor and sarcasm were the tools we used to
keep people at arms length. Though neither of us would admit
it... because it just sounds rude... we did that because people
tend to get in the way. When you start letting people in,
things get messy and tangled. Danni and I both enjoyed having
the ability to act on our own, without worrying about what
others think or who we might offend. So, we've each developed a
defensive layer... a bubble we use to keep our world from
getting bogged down with eveybody else's.
I know how hard it is for someone to get past those defenses.
The more years that go by, the thicker and more impenetrable the
bubble becomes, because life inside of it is familiar and
comfortable. But, over time, Danni had worked her way through
mine, and she had let me in, as well.
I had known for a long time that there was something more to us.
Maybe I had misread it slightly, or maybe I was just
deliberately blind to what that something was. But there was no
denying it was there.
"Look," she began, "I know what I did wasn't fair. I just... I
don't know why I did it that way. It was a moment, and I took
it. But, if you don't feel the same way, I get it. We can just
forget it, if you want."
"First of all," I said, "let's not kid ourselves. There's no
way either of us is going to forget it."
"You know what I mean."
"Secondly," I continued, "I don't want."
"What?
"I don't want to just forget it," I said, "but I need you to
give me time."
I was trying to be heartfelt, but I guess it sounded like I was
making excuses. I knew I'd missed the mark when Danni went into
recovery mode.
"Time to pack up the rest of your stuff and head for the hills,
right?"
It was a move out of my own playbook. She had opened herself
up, sharing her feelings with me and exposing herself in the
process. Now, she thought bad news was coming, and she was
bringing up her shields... getting ready to shrug off the blow.
"Don't do that," I said gently. "Just listen, okay?"
Her eyes held on mine for a beat, then she nodded.
"Okay."
"You have to understand, I've only had a couple of hours to
digest this. I don't know when you started feeling this way,
but you've had a lot more time to think about it. I need you to
give me a chance to figure it out for myself."
"That sounds like you don't feel the same way."
She's a great listener, isn't she?
"Can you shut up, please?" I said testily.
She looked at me for a second, then started to laugh. That's
when I realized the b*tch was playing me.
And, really... who was I kidding? Here I was, acting like I was
building up to some big announcement. Did I really expect she
would think I had come here to say, I'm sorry. I just don't
like you that way. Here, want a potato chip? I got the baked
ones you like.
I smiled as I gave her a gentle shove. She went with it, and
flopped down onto the couch.
"It's not funny, you idiot," I said as I dropped down next to
her. "You said you were going to listen, and it lasted all
of... what? Ten seconds?"
"I'm sorry," she said. "I wanted to be serious, but you were
making it impossible. Why do you have to be so dramatic about
everything?"
"I wasn't being dramatic," I protested. "I was trying to give
the situation the proper amount of gravity."
"And the difference would be?"
I only spent a second or two groping for a response before I
realized I was wasting my time.
"I really don't know," I admitted.
"That's what I thought," she said.
We'd landed right next to each other, instead of our typical
positions in opposite corners. The new arrangement seemed
right, so I decided to go with it. I sat forward and stretched
to get my drink, took a sip, then casually slid the coaster over
before putting the glass back down.
My attempt at being inconspicuous worked about as well as you'd
expect.
"That's just ridiculous," she said. "Now, your glass is
blocking your access to the chip bowl."
"Shut up," I snapped. "You're making a mockery of my
nonchalance."
"If you were nonchalant, then I wouldn't have noticed."
"You're ruining this. I'm trying to share my feelings with you.
This is supposed to be a defining moment, for us."
"Wow. I didn't realize. Please... accept my apology and
continue."
"Nah," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "You already f*cked
it up. There's no way to get it back."
She laughed. I made a show of shaking my head and rolling my
eyes, but it was no use. I laughed with her, then sat back and
let my head loll in her direction.
"You know, you seem very confident about all this, considering
you needed romantic advice from Hawk."
She frowned for a second, then said, "I do, don't I?"
"You wanna share with me the source of your certainty?"
More frowning. She seemed as puzzled by her own feelings as I
was.
"I don't know," she concluded. "I just am. I wasn't before,
but now... you're here, and I am."
"Well, just so we understand each other, I am not."
"I know."
"I... you do?" I asked as I sat up and looked at her.
"Sure. It took me a long time to figure out how I felt and what
I wanted to do about it. Then, it took Hawk to get me to
actually do it."
"Huh," I said. "How long have you felt this way, anyway?"
"I don't know, exactly. It's not like it happened in a single
instant. It started during that episode with Sophia."
"You mean, when I temporarily fired you?"
"That would be the one."
"Right," I said. "I could see how something like that could
conjure up romantic feelings."
"Well, I think maybe it happened during the whole un-firing."
"That does make a little more sense."
A piece of ice near the bottom of my glass disintegrated...
weakened by melting, then crushed by the weight of the other
cubes. As the pile shifted, a small wave of ice tea pushed up
the inside of the glass, cresting just as it reached the rim.
"This should make quite an impact when the girls find out," I
said, wincing at the thought.
"Well," she said, "it might not come as a surprise to all of
them."
The realization hit me instantly.
"Emma!" I cried. "You told Emma?"
"I did no such thing," she said definitively. "She figured it
out for herself."
"How?"
"Because she's Emma," she replied, as though that explained
everything.
Fact was, it kinda did. Emma was observant, especially when it
comes to me. After our little episode of violence, she and I
had a long and heartfelt conversation. It touched on a lot of
things, but one of the most memorable moments came when I told
her that I, along with all of her teammates, would always have
her back. Since then, she's made it a point to keep an eye on
mine — even when I didn't realize she was doing it. So, it came
as no surprise that she had noticed something between Danni and
I that I had been oblivious to.
Gotta give her credit, though. She managed to keep the secret
while doing all she could to warn me. It wasn't her fault I was
so slow on the uptake.
So, Emma knew. Hawk knew. It was nice of Danni to fill me in
before I was the only one still left in the dark.
Emma's awareness added a pressure to the situation I hadn't
expected and was not exactly prepared to deal with. I love her
to death, but Emma... well, she can be pretty aggravating when
she sets her mind to it. And something told me she was going to
be keeping a close eye on Danni and I, waiting to see what
developed.
Now, as far as I was concerned, she could wait forever. I
wasn't going to rush things just because Emma was watching. I
doubted Emma's knowledge would impact Danni much, either. She
wasn't know for bending to such pressure, or even acknowledging
that it existed. But it did make me wonder just what she was
hoping for between us... and how soon she was hoping to see it.
"You understand I'm a little messed up, right now?" I probed.
"I haven't figured out how I feel. I don't even know where to
start."
"You're here," she said simply. "We'll start with that."
I smiled, wondering if she realized just how relieved I was to
hear her say that.
With just a few words, she had let me know she was okay with the
slow and steady approach. That we would ease our way along
together, the same way we'd done everything else.
Well, okay... maybe we hadn't exactly eased our way to this
point. Actually, our relationship has been pretty combative so
far... in every sense of the word. But, this next chapter was
going to require a more delicate approach... at least, to start.
I was here because I wanted Danni to know I cared about what she
was feeling, and because I wanted to find out together where
this was going to take us. But, let's face it... I really
didn't know what the hell I was getting myself into. My head
was already spinning. Rushing into this would be a sure way to
have it end in disaster.
After a few minutes, though, I decided maybe just one more
little step would be appropriate, for tonight.
I took hold of Danni's arm and gently lifted it up as I ducked
under it. Kicking my shoes off, I pulled my feet up under me
and curled into her... laying my head on her chest and dropping
her arm behind my neck and across my shoulders.
"Okay," she said, "what are we doing, now?"
"Just testing the fit," I answered.
"And?"
"It's not bad."
"That's good to know."
It was a nice moment, and it really did feel good. So, what
were the chances Danni could just leave it be?
Yeah, right.
"You think you can just throw your shoes on my floor?" she
asked.
"Oh, shut up."
The show came on, and we watched silently... content to simply
enjoy each other's company.
I tried to convince myself that this was good... that everything
was good.
I was here with Danni, starting down a road I'd never considered
and feeling just the right blend of fear and excitement about
where it might go.
Spenser, Hawk and the gang of merry men were no longer following
us everywhere we went.
King Powers was out of our lives. For good.
I had every reason in the world to feel fantastic. Which is why
it was so jarring that I felt more and more miserable with each
minute that went by.
My thoughts drifted to Powers. I still felt no remorse for what
I'd done. He'd made his own choices, and he'd gotten what he
deserved as a result. In fact, I think I'd enjoy it very much
if he came back to life, just so he could die again.
Okay. Maybe not.
Powers wasn't what was bothering me, though. My problem
revolved mostly around Danni. The misery my past had brought
upon her. The evil and the pain that I had brought into her
life. The things she'd been dragged through that I couldn't
undo.
But, for the first time, I realized there was something else
that was weighing me down. Something that had been there all
along. Something I had pushed past while I had focused on more
immediate problems.
Simply put, I hated the things that I had been forced to reveal
to Danni about myself.
She knew about the life I used to lead and the person I had once
been. And we both discovered that I could obviously become that
person again, if I needed to.
But what I hated most was that she knew what I'd done that
terrible night in Boston.
I thought about that night now. Just as I had every single day
since it happened, and will continue to for as long as I live.
The process is always the same. I start out angry. Not at
Powers. What he'd done once made me furious, but I've moved
past it. He was a piece of filth who had seen me as a means to
an end... a worthless pawn in whatever game he was playing. He
was a leech with no redeeming qualities, and I had been unlucky
enough... no, stupid enough... to fall into one of his schemes.
It hadn't been fair, but it had, on some level, made sense.
I had fresh fury for him now, after what he'd tried to do to
Danni. But, still... I could step back and see the whole board.
He may have been a psychopathic dirt bag, but at least I could
understand what he'd done and see what he stood to gain.
No, this initial wave of anger was always reserved for her.
That nameless girl who'd stepped in that ring, armed with
weapons she should not have had. Everything that happened as a
result was her fault. Her fault that she was dead. Her fault
that I had to live with this black stain on my soul. What did
the stupid b*tch think was going to happen? What if she had
won? That would mean I would likely be the one who was killed.
Would she be able to live with that? How? And why?
That was always the moment in the process when things would
start to turn. The anger would dissipate as it was replaced by
cold logic.
What had she been looking to accomplish? To jump start a career
of her own?
Not likely. Though she had displayed some fighting ability, I
had still beaten her... despite the huge advantage the gloves
provided. You have to be pretty terrible for that to happen.
So, I highly doubted she had dreams of glory in the ring.
Did she just think it would be fun to kill someone?
No. No matter how hard I tried to force the memory to work
within that theory, it just never fit. As punch drunk and
beaten as I was, I clearly remember her body language... the way
she kept wishing I'd just stay down. Inflicting pain and
suffering for personal enjoyment did not seem to be her motive.
As usual, cold logic led me to the only place it could: the
cold, hard truth.
It had all been Powers' idea. Instead of calling things off
when his fighter couldn't go, he'd improvised. He knew the big
money would be on me. He just needed to make sure I would lose,
and he'd have himself a sizable windfall. So, he found himself
a new champion. He found a young woman who was desperate
enough to try anything, and he had promised her whatever it was
she needed. She just had to do this one little thing for him.
She had agreed... likely thinking the gloves would allow her to
finish things quickly. What she had not expected was that, to
stop me, she would've had to kill me.
In truth, she'd had the chance to. But she hadn't.
I closed my eyes and let the memory play... squeezing them
tight... hoping it would work out differently, this time. But,
no matter how I looked at it, I couldn't see her as the sadistic
killer I wanted her to be. Time after time, all I saw in her
was a confused, scared girl who was in over her head.
Time after time, I only saw one killer in that ring... and it
was me.
I try to tell myself that it wasn't... that I didn't know that
woman. That vicious, savage I remember must have been someone
else. That woman... so clearly out of her mind with rage...
unencumbered by any of the moral limitations that define a
person as being human... it simply could not have been me.
That's not who I am. I am not a killer. I would never take
someone's life like that. EVER.
And yet, I had.
It's job done, logic would fade away... leaving only the cold.
My eyes would come open and I would stare vacantly at whatever
was in front of me, feeling nothing more than emptiness and
despair. It's a feeling that can only come from knowing you've
done something so shameful... so horrific... that you can never
speak of it to anyone. And there's nothing you can do to make
it right.
I opened my eyes now, immediately realizing something was
different. Instead of being lifeless and hollow, they were wet
with tears. The emptiness I usually felt inside had been filled
by a sadness I'd never experienced before. A sadness brought on
by knowing that my personal shame was now greater than ever,
because it was no longer personal.
Danni knew.
I had long ago buried what I'd done where only I could find it.
I could never... would never... free myself from it. But I
convinced myself that I could build around it. That I could
make a new life. A life I could use to cover over the old,
allowing me to hide what I had done from everyone but myself.
It hadn't been easy. It had been a long, hard process that
required a lot of patience. But I had succeeded. I had used
the old me to build a new future... one that had value. One
that offered a chance at redemption. That redemption seemed to
eternally lay just beyond my reach. But, each day, I woke up
with the opportunity to try for it again. That alone was quite
an accomplishment.
Now, I was not the only connection between my past and my
present. Thanks to that f*cking Powers, the old life had
touched the new... merging them together. It was the one thing
I had always feared, and would have given anything to avoid.
Now, it was too late. Danni knew, and I had to live with that
fact.
I sniffled softly... almost inaudibly. Or so I thought.
"It wasn't your fault," Danni said, as if every one of my
thoughts and memories had just played out on a screen for us
both to watch.
Even in the depths of my sorrow, I marveled at the way she did
that.
"How can you say that?" I said without moving.
"I know you. I know that's not something you would do."
I sat up and looked at her with a bewildered expression on my
face.
"I did do it!"
"I know," she said softly, "but you wouldn't have, if you'd had
a choice."
"Danni, c'mon..."
"No one is perfect. Everybody has something about themselves...
something they can't change."
"Please don't start with some kind of psychological bullsh*t."
"It's not bullsh*t. People struggle with all kinds of problems.
Shyness. Anxiety. OCD. Tons of sh*t."
I had stopped crying... my sadness shocked into submission by
the presence of Dr. Danneel Freud.
"They can't stop it, so most people find some way to cope," she
said.
"I don't think OCD was the problem, Danni."
"F*ck OCD. Try raging anger management issues."
It's scary how well she knows me.
"You know it. I know you know it, because I've seen the way you
deal with it."
Yeah. Poorly.
"I've seen you walk away from situations when you knew you were
going to lose it. I've even seen you avoid some things
altogether. Because you know your limits."
Jennifer Morrison's face loomed larger than life on the TV to my
right. The main plot line for this season was that her Emma
character had turned dark, having been overcome by evil magic in
the previous season finale. The story now revolved around her
friends and family... as those who cared the most about her
sought to save the savior.
I was quiet now, as I listened to the person who cared the most
about me try to save me from myself.
"You thought you knew what you were getting into that night, and
you knew you could handle it. But it wasn't what it was
supposed to be. They lied to you. They tried to kill you.
Anyone would go berserk after what they did."
Her wording almost made me laugh, despite the circumstances.
Going berserk was the perfect way to describe what had happened
to me that night. I wondered why the phrase had never occurred
to me, before.
"It wasn't her fault," I said. "She didn't deserve to die."
"Oh, bullsh*t," Danni said. "She may not have deserved it, but
she earned it. She had metal gloves on her hands, Richelle.
Are you trying to tell me she didn't know what she was doing?"
"I don't think she new what it would come to. I think she
expected me to go down easier."
Danni stared at me as her mouth fell open.
"Jesus," she breathed, "you really do go to great lengths to
feel as guilty as possible, don't you?"
"It's what happened," I protested.
"Yeah, sure," she said. "It's all your fault because you fought
back."
Danni has a funny way of putting anger into her voice without
raising her volume.
"Don't be mad at me," I said, sounding a little like a child
who'd just been scolded.
"I'm not," she snapped.
She looked away as she recognized that she was. Running her
fingers through her hair in frustration, she paused to regroup.
"I'm not," she said more gently. "I just can't stand what
you're doing to yourself. Don't you see that YOU were the
victim in this?"
I had never worried about what others would think of me if they
found out about that night. That's because worry is what you do
when you're not sure about something, and I was absolutely
certain of what the reaction would be. I would be shunned
immediately.
No one wants to hang out with a murderer.
Danni was my friend... even more than that, I now realized... so
her initial support didn't surprise me. But I knew time and
reason would whittle away that support, until there was nothing
left of it.
But weeks had gone by since I'd told her, and... as with so many
things I think I know... it appeared I was wrong again. Not
only was she still here, but she was pushing back at me...
visibly emotional. Not because of the horrible thing I'd done,
but because of what had been done to me.
"I don't blame you for what happened," she said. "I don't blame
you, at all."
Suddenly, the cold sadness within me was at war with a new mix
of emotions.
"Spenser doesn't blame you," she continued. "Hawk doesn't blame
you. You're the only one who thinks it was your fault."
A tear ran down my cheek.
"It could happen again," I croaked, my voice strangled by
emotion.
"No, it couldn't."
"I was out of my mind, Danni!" I yelled. "I couldn't stop
myself! I didn't even try..."
"It won't happen again," she said patiently.
"How do you know?"
She cupped my head in her hands and raised my face to hers.
"Because I'll be there to stop you."
And that was the end of that. The damn burst and the tears
flowed freely. Not a trickle or a stream. A flood of them.
I buried my head in Danni's chest and cried without shame.
She held me there and she let me.
I sobbed openly in a way I hadn't in many years. I don't know a
lot about the science of emotion, but I have learned that scenes
like this one are rarely the result of a single event. I wasn't
crying because of what had happened back in Boston. It wasn't
because of the strain of these past few weeks, or because of how
Powers had threatened Danni, or because of what she'd just said.
It was all of it... and more.
Remorse, shame, anger, sadness, grief... years of pent up
feelings came pouring out, and I had no hope of stopping them.
I just kept crying until I couldn't, anymore.
I don't know how long it went on. As I started to recover, I
realized that, at some point, Danni had turned the TV off,
leaving me with no way to judge the time. Not that it really
mattered.
I stayed there, curled into her, long after my tears had dried.
It was the end of a long day, that marked the end of a long
saga and concluded with a long, badly needed cry. I was so
exhausted, I doubted I had the strength to even lift my head.
On top of that, there was safety and comfort in Danni's arms,
and I need every ounce of it.
Suddenly, the Castle reference came back to me, again. Though
the original line had been far less than optimistic, Stana's
character had repeated the quote later in the episode, adding a
line of her own. A line that hadn't applied earlier, but seemed
very appropriate, now.
[list type=none][li][font=courier]There are no victories in
life. There is only the battle. And the best that you can hope
for is that you find some place where you can make your
stand.[/font][/li][/list]
[list type=none][li][font=courier]And if you’re very lucky, you
find someone willing to stand with you.[/font][/li][/list]
After long ago accepting that I would silently carry this weight
alone for the rest of my life, Danni was here. And, despite
everything she'd learned about me, she was willing to stand with
me.
I smiled and closed my eyes, letting that thought carry me off
to sleep.
[hr]
Character Reference
HTML http://s19.postimg.org/x7gm9w22n/Richelle_100x120.jpg
Name: Richelle Winterfeld
Nickname(s):
Background: Owner of the RSI stable, former underground fighter
HTML http://s19.postimg.org/9av3z511b/Danni_100x120.jpg
Name: Danneel Harris
Nickname(s): Danni
Background: RSI stable leader, reigning DEF welterweight
champion
HTML http://s19.postimg.org/cj46pxcov/Emma_100x120.jpg
Name: Emma Watson
Nickname(s): Dr. Watson
Background: Reigning FAC featherweight champion, training
partner and romantic partner of Tiffany Mulheron
HTML http://s19.postimg.org/u4khk9chr/Sophia_Bush_100x120.jpg
Name: Sophia Bush
Nickname(s): Sophs
Background: Danni's close friend, Dragon's Den stable leader,
DEF welterweight competitor
HTML http://s19.postimg.org/5ul2pzr7j/Tramp_100x120.jpg
Name: Tramp
Nickname(s):
Background: Richelle's dog
HTML http://s19.postimg.org/6rw3cls3j/Winzig_100x120.jpg
Name: Winzig
Nickname(s):
Background: Danni's dog
#Post#: 3042--------------------------------------------------
Re: Haunted by the Past - Chapter 37 - The Last Line
By: RampageSports Date: April 27, 2016, 1:02 pm
---------------------------------------------------------
Pardon the (obviously intentional) pun, but... that's all she
wrote. :)
Thanks to everyone who hung with me through this. I hope it was
at least half as enjoyable for you to read as it was for me to
write.
Special thanks to those of you who took the time to comment
along the way. It's very rewarding to know people were really
engaged in the story. And, let's be honest... you guys are the
reason I wrote it in the first place. ;)
#Post#: 3043--------------------------------------------------
Re: Haunted by the Past - Chapter 37 - The Last Line
By: Dragons Den Date: April 28, 2016, 7:59 am
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I was enraptured from the very first chapter. This was an
incredible story and I can't believe it's over. :(
We want a sequel! Haha. Encore! Encore!
Fantastic work, Richelle, as all of your work is, and thanks so
much for writing and sharing it with us. I really enjoyed it,
and now all I can do is sit here and wait until you write a
little something more.
#Post#: 3045--------------------------------------------------
Re: Haunted by the Past - Chapter 37 - The Last Line
By: RampageSports Date: April 29, 2016, 8:21 am
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Enraptured, huh? Do you keep a thesaurus with you at all times,
or what? :P
I know we passed similar comments back and forth as the story
was being published, but I just want to say again how thrilled I
am that you enjoyed it. I really liked what I was writing as I
went along, but it's a whole different feeling to have others
read it and say they liked it, too.
You want more? Well, I have a requested story that I've been
struggling with that I really need to finish. But, after
that... I have a few ideas for some of my more typical short
stories. For sure, you're going to see some of the characters I
created sprinkled in as I go along.
Speaking of which... did anybody have a favorite character? I
don't care if he/she was major or minor. And I'm not trolling
for feedback with that question. Yeah... OK... maybe I am. :P
But I'm really just trying to get a feel for what resonated and
what didn't.
As for a full-blown sequel, well... it's probably going to be a
long time, but I have some ideas for that, too. ;)
Thanks again.
#Post#: 3046--------------------------------------------------
Re: Haunted by the Past - Chapter 37 - The Last Line
By: Dragons Den Date: April 29, 2016, 8:45 am
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That's right; enraptured. Why does it surprise you so much that
Dragon is of the educated variety? :P
I DO want more! I'll take all of what you just mentioned. In
fact, I'll take anything you're willing to write, you know that.
And that's exciting to hear you may have ideas for a sequel! ;D
Favourite character, eh? It's tricky. Your characters are so
well crafted. I'm gonna pick two that I wasn't already familiar
with and hence haven't loaded mountains of praise upon
previously...
Meghan and Hawk. I really loved what you did with both of those
characters. Perfect, I thought. You may get more out of what
exactly I liked when I'm more awake, but for now, just know that
I really thought Meghan's whole part of the story was perfectly
done, and I really enjoyed how Hawk's character was portrayed.
But your characterisation all-round is nothing short of
magnificent. ;)
#Post#: 3047--------------------------------------------------
Re: Haunted by the Past - Chapter 37 - The Last Line
By: RampageSports Date: April 29, 2016, 9:17 am
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It doesn't surprise me, at all. Dragon has always struck me as
intelligent and well-read. :)
Of course, then he went and got himself caught in a triangle
between his own stable leader and the leader of an opposing
stable. Oh, and let us not forget that he apparently has some
sort of makeshift harem distributed throughout Australia. So,
educated? Sure. Smart? Maybe not so much. :P
It's interesting that you picked Meghan. I have to admit that
she had no defined role when I first created her. In fact, I'm
a little ashamed to reveal that she came into existence simply
because I felt the trooper trio needed a female member. Like I
was filling some sort of gender-based quota, or something. But
as I went along, I realized she was going to be pivotal. After
all... the RSI world is loaded with strong female characters.
So, if the story was going to have a hero... well, that's how
the final version of Meghan was born. :)
The fact that you liked Hawk thrills me to no end, but I will
take no credit for it. Hawk may be the clearest character
Parker has ever created. Every time I went to write him, the
result was nearly automatic. I mean, Parker is religiously
faithful to all of his characters, but there are always
variations and nuances in how they act. But Hawk is always
constant. Come what may, he is completely and unfailingly Hawk.
;)
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