Summer of Love - Part 13

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“Ohmygod, It's so great to have you back! I didn't realize how much I missed you until just now!”

He wriggled uncomfortably in my tight hug.

“It seems like you've been gone forever! Wow, so much has happened since you left, I hardly know where to begin.... but we have all the time in the world to catch up... oh god, here I go just gabbing on and on and not giving you a chance to even get a word in... but it's just so GOOD to see you back, and I'm so excited! OK. I'll shut up now and let you tell me about your road trip. How did it go? How was the band? Did you play any great places? How were the crowds? Did you... oh, I'm still talking! Sorry. I'm just so... I'll let you... hey.... where's Kesey?...”

I saw the blood drain from his face and the look he gave me as he squeezed me for dear life.

Oh God.

He unpacked in silence. Occasionally glancing in my direction. I could not move. I wanted to know what happened and I was sure his own mind was churning trying to figure out what to tell me. And how. Unpacking and getting resettled in his room was a familiar task that he could perform almost by reflex while his mind wrangled with the issues.

Finally, Colin sighed, threw his denim jacket over his shoulder and walked past me out of the room. He opened the door of the apartment and turned his head back to me. I scrambled to grab my bag and followed him. We walked a few blocks to a small park, and he sat on a bench, staring at the ground.

I placed myself beside him in silence.

We must have sat there for five minutes. I was dying inside and the not knowing was eating at me, but I remained placid on the outside. I knew this was the right thing to do. The only thing to do. I had to give him time and space to tell me in his own way.

He broke his groundward gaze and turned to look at me. The anguish in his eyes almost made me lose it. He clasped his hands together tightly and pressed his forearms into his lap. He stared out at nothing in particular. But I could tell by his gaze, he wasn't here. He was wherever it was. Whenever it happened. When he finally spoke, it was barely a whisper. It was as if he was talking quietly to himself.

“We were done...” he chuckled bitterly. “It was over. The triumphant road warriors returning home. …..I couldn't wait to get home..... to get back to.....” his eyes darted to me and quicky back into space as he shook himself slightly “...to everything.... just to get off the road....” he sighed and became lost in thought again. I waited. In agony. “I was impatient. We should have grabbed a room and slept. Hell, we could have even found a campground and crashed in the van.... but I just HAD to get home.....” He shook his head and stared off for a while more.

“It was, I don't know 11... maybe later... we were heading back west... miles from anywhere.... nothing but desert, and stars and sky that went on forever.”

I thought of driving through New Mexico and Arizona with my busmates so long ago and nodded in recognition.

“I think we saw maybe two cars in hours. Then way off in the distance I saw lights. I thought it was a car, but it seemed so far away. We just drove and drove, and it got a little nearer, but not much. It couldn't be a car......”

I don't know why but I reached out and grabbed his hand. He held it tight and I could feel him trembling.

“It WAS a car.... but it was on the side of the road. It wasn't moving, so it seemed like it took us forever to get to it. It was a station wagon. The lights were on and the door was open. Something was very weird.”

He swallowed. Hard.

“So we pulled over. I held Kesey back as I slipped out my door. I walked over to the car and started looking around, when I heard something coming from deep in the brush beside the road. So I yelled out 'Hello?' and I heard more sounds. No talking. Just scrambling and scruffling. I reached in the drivers door and turned off the lights. Then I killed the motor. As my eyes were adjusting to the pitch dark, I heard whimpering and rapid breathing coming from the darkness. I also heard something else. I didn't know what it was, but I was sure it wasn't human. My eyes were beginning to adjust and I could see two silhouettes in the starlight. It looked like a grownup and a child. 'Are you OK?' I yelled into the darkness. And finally a voice shouted back 'NO!' Immediately there was more scrambling sounds and I heard a child shriek. I ran to the van to get my flashlight and when I threw open the passenger side door, Kesey shot out like a rocket and tore into the woods howling like a hell-hound. I quickly grabbed my flashlight and ran back too, but by then all hell was breaking loose. Their were growls and shrieks and howls and sounds.... oh god... sounds I can't describe and as I was running toward them a woman and a child ran past me in terror. I could see in the faint starlight a whirlwind of activity and violence. I saw what looked like at least a half a dozen shapes maybe up to 10, but they were all moving so fast and kicking up so much dust and the sounds... oh God. I knew I was useless with my flashlight so I ran back to the van as fast as I could and grabbed my road flares. I was trying to strike them as I tore towards the chaos and fortunately got one going before I got there. I'd have been dead if I didn't but I wasn't thinking. I used it to light more and waved them into the frenzy. It startled the animals, and I could see in the harsh flare light that it was a pack of small coyotes. They stared at me with those ….eyes.... and the glow from the flare in them. I knew they wanted to rip me to shreds, but they were startled, so I lunged at one with the sizzling flare and it recoiled. After the first one flinched I could see the others were in retreat mode, so I kept lunging. One or two didn't seem ready to give up the fight so I hurled lit flares at them, and their yelps from the impact or the flame, pretty much convinced the others who took off back into the night. I just stood their dazed. Burning flare in my limp arm, my heart pounding and the sizzle of the flare and my own panting the only sounds in the night. Then I heard the other sound. The labored panting. And I started waving my flare around at ground level looking for Kesey.”

I couldn't help myself. This ….sound.... burst from me. A kind of a choked gasp. Colin squeezed my hand tighter and bored into my eyes.

“I heard him before I saw him. And when I saw him I couldn't recognize him. He was torn to shreds. But I could tell by his heaving, he wasn't gone. I knelt down to what I think had been his face, and finally found a little tuft of fur that seemed to be intact. I gently touched it.” He took a ragged breath. “And he flinched..... but he settled. And I talked to him........ and I told him how proud I was of him...... and how he saved those two women's lives...... and how... how......”

He looked like he couldn't go on, but he kind of drew in on himself, and became one big clench, and spat out the words.

“...and how SORRY I was that I got back too late to save him....”

And he spun and dug into me and crushed the air out of me and held on for dear life, and I tried the best I could to absorb his wracking sobs and the gentle pounding of his clenched fists against my back.

I don't know how long we stayed like that. A while. Finally Colin was able to compose himself. He let go and sat back, and looked at me sheepishly. He took a breath and was about to speak when I jabbed my finger into his chest and spat with a ferocity that surprised even me.

“Don't you DARE...”

That derailed him. I seized his momentary bewilderment.

“You were about to apologize for that ...outburst.” he began to nod but I cut him off. “And I warned you... don't...you...dare! It would be disrespectful. After.... after everything.... well... apologizing would be wrong and so so disrespectful.... so....” my fire was beginning to settle and I forced a weak grin “...so don't you dare.”

He nodded and we just sat for a few minutes. Finally I figured enough time had passed that I could talk around the subject while avoiding the painful part.

“So what happened to the women?”

“A mother and daughter. Long trip. Late night. Too much Pepsi at the last rest stop....”

I nodded. I could see where this was going.

“Daughter finally convinced mom to stop the car. They were in the middle of nowhere so it seemed like the ideal place. No one for miles.” He made a rueful face.

“No people.” I held up a finger.

“Yeah. So mom is waiting. Finally hears daughter scream and runs from the idling car to her side to find a gathering pack of coyotes beginning to circle. I have no idea how she managed to hold them off for so long.... maybe they heard the van coming and thought the meal would get bigger... but it was clear to everyone that the waiting was nearly over. Then Kesey changed everything and in the confusion they escaped. They were just sitting in their station wagon with the doors locked, no doubt getting their wits together. They opened their doors when they saw me returning and began running toward me. I shouted to the woman to send the girl to the car and lock the doors. She fought but relented. After her night it must have been comforting to be back in the safety of the car even if her mom was still outside, although seemingly out of danger. The mom helped me get Kesey wrapped in a tarp and in the back of my van. She then got some wipes from her purse and helped me clean ...uh, clean off the blood.... Once I felt she was OK to drive, I sent them on their way. I changed ...out of my clothes and dumped them in the back with Kesey... and that was about 3AM.... I drove straight here and you barged into my room and.... well, the rest you know.” He gave me a really conflicted smile.

“So Kesey is still in the back of...”

He nodded. I didn't want to finish the sentence anyway. I sighed heavily. What we needed now, Colin especially, but me too I thought greedily, was a semblance of normalcy.

“We need to get you home young man. First thing is a hot bath. Then a long nap. Then we'll talk about what comes next.”

Colin was reluctant, but exhausted in every way possible. I insisted on his hot bath, and he gave me no resistance when I put him to bed just before noon. He slept quickly and deeply. I put away the rest of his things and decided to wait a while before telling him about Priya.

I discussed with our housemates the short version of our conversation. I simply explained that Colin had a grueling road trip and had lost Kesey along the way. Saffron thought he ran away, so I had to be brutally clear with her. I knew they would all respect Colin's privacy and not press him for details unless he volunteered them.

While Colin was sleeping, I called Maria at Fine Lives Pet Placement. I told her about Kesey and I could hear her heart breaking too. I just said he'd been mauled by wild coyotes. I'd let Colin tell her anything more if he chose. She had met Kesey, and I could tell she was as broken up as I was that such a gentle spirit met such a brutal fate. She told me of a guy who did animal cremations. She had worked with him in the past and said he was 'good people'. I took his info and gave him a call. He gave me some options to present to Colin. I had hoped Colin would be open to my idea of having a small remembrance gathering and sprinkling Keseys ashes somewhere Colin thought he'd appreciate.

It was a tough subject to bring up when Colin finally awoke, but I knew time was important. We got Keseys remains to Pete Glover – the cremation guy, who wasn't ghoulish at all. Somehow I had expected that. He was actually very calming. We talked a little while Colin spent a last moment with Kesey. Pete considered himself a sort of grief counselor. He jokingly referred to himself as the 'Prim Reaper', explaining that he tried to deal with all the sordid details so those left behind would have only fond memories. He understood Colin's bond to Kesey, having spent their last moments together. He confided that he was a Vietnam vet, something he didn't tell many people since they were widely despised by many people his age... our age. He confessed that after seeing so much violence and suffering, he found himself drawn to this seemingly unpleasant job, because it gave him a chance to make the painful inevitable just a little more bearable for those left behind.

“I've never shared that with anyone...” he said quietly to me. I could see the surprise on his face that he had openly talked about it. “I never even really admitted it to myself... let alone someone else.” He gave me a look of pain mixed with amused surprise. “How do you do that?”

“Do what?” I honestly had no idea.

“Get people to open up? I spent 15 months with V.A. Shrinks and I didn't tell them shit. 15 minutes with you and I spill my guts.” he laughed guiltily.

I shrugged. “Seems to me you just needed to say it. And I happened to be here.”

“….And listening” he choked back a laugh.

“Yeah. I do that.” I blushed. “It's my curse.”

“Or your gift.” he cracked a wary smile

“Matter of perspective, I'd say” I laughed lightly.

“Well, it felt good to say it. Helped to clarify things. I've been carrying all this....”

“Baggage?”

“I was going to say 'bullshit'... but yeah... baggage is better... Memories of 'Nam... shit I did... shit I didn't do.... shit I was a part of.... just eats at me.”

“Good.” I said. That surprised him.

“Good?” I could tell he was offended and about to get defensive.

I nodded and put my hand on his forearm. “Yeah. Good. Shows you're still human.... you're trying to process all this... and it still eats at you.... shows you still have a soul.... and that it may scar, but that's how it heals.”

He just stared at me, his eyes went off somewhere. Then they came back. He clasped his hand around my arm, still touching his... and smiled. “I never thought of it that way.” The moment passed quickly and he snapped to. “Let's go find your boyfriend and get you on your way.”

I was about to protest that Colin wasn't my boyfriend, but it didn't seem to matter. I just nodded and we went to Colin in the anteroom.

Pete asked if we wanted to watch, but neither of us had the stomach for it. He nodded and explained that courtesy required that he at least ask. I could tell he respected and agreed with our decision.

Kesey's ashes were delivered in a small cardboard container that looked to me disturbingly like a take out box. Colin and Pete discussed places to scatter of Kesey's ashes, both from a practicality angle and legal angle. Pete had been doing this long enough that he knew all the ways NOT to do it, and to stay on the good side of local police and park rangers.

Pete suggested a spot up the coast where we could scatter Kesey's ashes from remote seaside cliffs. It was a long drive, but there was a campsite nearby and motels about another hour's drive, so it didn't need to be a daytrip.

As we drove back, I asked Colin when we were going.

His eyes flashed from the road to mine, then back to his driving.

“You don't have to do this.” he mutterred.

“I loved him too.”

I caught a nearly imperceptible nod. But he said nothing. I did notice his hands tighten on the wheel as he drove on in silence.

It was cold and rainy when we got there, and we were a bit worried about slipping on the rocks and turning our tribute into a tragedy, so we decided to stay overnight and try again in the morning.

The drive into town was rather long, and the poor visibility and slick, unfamiliar roads made us think twice about searching for a motel. The camping area looked pretty washed out as well, so we settled on sleeping in the van. Colin still had his bedroll and some army surplus wool blankets in the back.

As he laid out the bedroll and balled up some old flannel shirts for pillows, I had to ask.

“This is really how you lived all those weeks you were on the road?”

He nodded. “Mostly. Occasionally I could crash backstage or someone local would let me crash with them, but usually it was here.” he shrugged looking at the thin bedroll.

“You must have froze!”

He shook his head slightly. “Not really. I had Kesey...” he stopped abruptly, and I saw the lump come to his throat. “Uh... we had each other.... it was... OK”.

I reached out and put my hand on his forearm. I could feel the trembling, though he would never let the emotion show. He swallowed hard, and I tried to change the subject.

I cleared my throat and raised a brow. “I... uh... notice you only have one bedroll.”

He looked at me sheepishly. “Uh. Yeah. It's... um... it's all I ever needed.”

“You stud.” I teased. He went crimson.

“No... God, NO!” he stammered and blushed deeply. “It wasn't like..like THAT... uh... it was just me and Kesey.”

“Oh come on.... cute artboy passing through town.... wandering minstrel enchanting the locals.... you're telling me you never let a starry eyed fan share your sleepsack …..it looks cozy as a peapod....or should I say love-pod?” I grinned devilishly.

“Oh my GOD! ...NO!” he exclaimed. I was surprised at how shocked and defensive he was, but I also found it charming and sweet, and really enjoyed needling him.

Colin shuffled nervously, hands buried in his pockets, head down. Finally he reached a decision.

Bobbing his head in the direction of the back of the van, he mumbled “Take the sleeping bag. I'll grab some blankets and sleep on the seat.”
I regarded him for a while. The longer I looked, the more restless he got. I eyed the back of the van, looking the flimsy cotton sleeproll from top to bottom. I looked at the two surplus wool blankets folded compactly.

“Looks kinda cold.” I finally muttered.

“I'll be OK.” Colin shrugged.

I shot him a mock glare. “Not YOU dummy!” He blushed & thrust his hands even deeper into the pockets of his jeans. “That bag's awfully thin....” I glanced at the blankets again “...and yeah, so are those blankets.” I let that sink in for a moment. The only sound was the rain pelting the roof of the van which rocked slightly from the wind, and the distant breaking of the waves against the rocks.

“It looks like we're both going to freeze tonight.” I continued. “Unless we pool our resources.”

“Resources?” Colin seemed lost. I gave him a moment to figure it out, then realizing he wasn't getting any closer to my point, I nodded.
“....Resources...” I caught his eyes with mine. “like...body heat?”

His eyes went wide as he finally got it. And I immediately raised a finger. “But NO funny business!”

“God NO! ….of.. of course not!” He shot back instantly.

I found myself surprised and a bit disappointed that he obviously wasn't even thinking about it. Am I THAT gross?

He seemed to realize his blunder when he caught my look and quickly backtracked.

“NO. no.... I didn't mean it that way. I mean... I don't think of you that way....”

He could see on my face that he was just digging himself deeper.

“I mean, no. I like you Olive. I really do.... I mean, as much as anyone I.... uh.... I mean like more than a friend.... but... no, not like.....” he was tying himself up in knots. “ I mean.... no... I really, really like you.... all you did for Kesey.... and all ….” He lowered his head, his crimson face staring at the floor of the van, in a quiet voice he muttered “....all you've done for me......” and somehow managed to dig his hands even deeper into his pockets. “..it's just... it's like.... I'd never try anything..... God.... you're... I really... you're like the sister I never had.”

SISTER? Damn.

I didn't want to ….couldn't.... start anything with Colin. But still.... sister? It felt like a cold bucket of water in the face.

“Are you gay?” I asked quietly. That caught him off guard.

“Gay?” he pulled his head back in surprise while he processed this. “Umm ….NO....” Then he gave me a petulant glare. “Don't assume I'm hot for guys just because I don't want to do it with you!”

It was my turn to blush and backtrack. “Sorry. No. You're right. That was really stupid of me to assume just because you didn't want to....”
He held a finger to my mouth and pulled in really close. “No. I get it. I really do. I'm no Lee Marvin or John Wayne.... I get that. And yeah.... a lot of the side man gigs I get are with glam rock bands... but that's just because of my size, and... uh, okay.... I will concede that I'm not the most ...rugged... guy out there...”

I managed to stifle a giggle at his 'confession' and let him continue.

“...but all of that.... I mean none of that.... means I'm gay. ….or even bi.... I have no problem with that, and yeah, most of my friends are....” he stopped to think a moment and chuckled “...is there such a thing as omnisexual?” He grinned. “Anyway... I figure 'live and let live'.... but none of that is me... and yeah, I really really like you..... but I would never risk screwing that up by making a pass at you. So, when I said sister I didn't mean to offend you. God, there's no one I'd rather.....”

He looked off into space for a while. I gave him time.

“.... God. It's complicated.... I don't know how else to put it right now. Just know that I won't try anything.... but it doesn't mean I don't....” he blew out a breath and seemed even further away from what he was trying to say. Time to throw him a lifeline.

I reached out and wrapped my hand around his neck. “OK. I think I get it.”

He shot me a look of immense relief.

I grinned. “NOT that you're making it easy.... God, you're talking in circles...”

Colin chuckled.

“But I think I get it ….enough to know there will be no funny business.”

He nodded.

I smiled back “....but can I at least be your HOT sister?”

He laughed. And I laughed along with him. And we were good again.

It really was nice. I was a little nervous about sharing the sleeping bag, and crawled in nearly fully clothed. I just took off my shoes and socks and emptied the pockets of my jeans, but remained otherwise fully clothed. Jeans and long sleeve top... no bra, but I was pretty small and didn't really need one. And none of my friends who really did need them, wore them either. They considered them bourgeois symbols of the patriarchy. But I really think it reminded them of their mothers, and they were still rebellious of their parents generation. So, jeans and heavy cotton top in the sleeping bag – which really did help me stay warmer in that flimsy sack. Colin followed my lead and kept on his jeans but removed his flannel shirt. I smiled to myself that his long sleeved jersey wasn't that different from my own top. So we wriggled our way into the sleeping bag and there was no 'funny business'. I did wake in the middle of the night to notice Colin's arms around my waist as he spooned into me. It didn't feel sexual. It felt.... cozy. And really, really nice. I felt the van sway, buffeted by the wind, heavy rain ceaselessly pelting the roof of the van... And I happily drifted back to sleep, with the Lovin' Spoonful playing in my head ...you and me and rain on the roof.....

It was a surprisingly nice night. I slept quite well, and I presume Colin did too because we were smooshed so close together that if he had a restless night I would have been unable to ignore it. Still, he somehow managed to slither himself from our sleeping bag without me noticing, because I woke up alone.

The rain had stopped and the sun was just lighting a narrow band on the horizon. I noticed the back door of the van was ajar and Colin was nowhere to be found. I put on my socks and shoes and stepped out of the van into the damp morning air. After a contented stretch outside the van, I decided to find Colin, which wasn't hard since the ground was so damp his footprints were easy to follow. I trudged into the woods a short way and saw Colin in the distance, his back to me facing a large tree. He must have heard me approaching because he turned his head in my direction and shouted “Hey. Can't a guy get a little privacy in the middle of nowhere?”
I suddenly put two and two together, blushed deeply and called out “Sorry! I just woke up to find you gone and got worried you were eaten by a bear or something.”

He laughed and turned back to his tree. “Nothing so exciting. Go back to the van. I'll be along in a moment.”

I went back to the van, wrapped a blanket around me like a serape, and fished through my bag for something we could call breakfast. I had a rather bruised but unopened box of Screaming Yellow Zonkers. I loved reading the box, but wasn't crazy about the sugared popcorn and stuff inside. Still, I reasoned, it wasn't THAT different from Sugar Pops cereal, and it's not like there were many other breakfast offerings in my bag. I did have tic tacs, but those were more for parties when I wanted to look like I was participating and dropping acid too, than for camping breakfasts. By the time Colin returned, I had fashioned crude cones out of a paper towel stack I found in his glovebox, and when he lumbered through the back van door, I held out a filled cone. “Breakfast dear?” I smiled sweetly like some insipid TV ad character.

A crooked grin broke out on his face as he regarded me. “Thanks” he smirked. Then maneuvering around me he muttered “Just let me clean up first.” and he rustled through his messenger bag, flourishing a wash 'n dry towelette. He opened and unfurled it with the exaggerated moves of a stage magician – or a mime. I instantly wondered if that was another bit of his past he hadn't shared. After snapping it loudly into a fully open sheet, he proceeded to wipe it across his face, still holding my gaze, with the tiniest most devilish smile. He trailed the towelette across his face, lingering here and there. And slowly trailed it across his somehow disproportionately large lips with a single finger. I held his gaze, but took this all in through my peripheral vision. I may have even stopped breathing when he did the lip thing. I felt my face flush as I shifted uncomfortably. That just made his smirk somehow even wider. He removed the towelette from his face and proceeded to clean his hands, rubbing it in his palms and then wrapping it around each finger which he seemed to slowly polish with diligent precision. He made cleaning all ten fingers a slow, vaguely erotic ritual. I don't think there was an atom of that towelette that he hadn't managed to rub over some part of his delicate artist's hands. I was mesmerized. And too caught up in the moment to notice or attempt to hide it. This seemed to delight Colin.

He innocently broke from his mute performance and said quite matter of factly “That should do it.” with a wickedly self satisfied grin, as he reached out to take the cone of sugary snack food from my hands.

I snapped back to reality. “It's a shame after all that trouble, that you're going to end up with hands sticky with sugar.” He looked at me blankly. Or maybe just pokerfaced. I shrugged. “You'll have to use your fingers. I couldn't find any spoons or anything....” I trailed off.

He grinned back. “Or milk.”

“Yeah. Couldn't find a cow. Thought I saw a deer or something, but it ran off.” I smirked.

“No. This is great. Amazing actually.” He regarded the cone of shiny popcorn. “I wasn't expecting breakfast.” He grinned.

“Or a sleepover.” I muttered matter of factly. His face did something. And he shook his head 'No'.

“Still. Sorry for getting you all sticky again.” I frowned.

He just grinned, picking up the spent towelette. “Not a problem.” he grinned. And his tongue shot out and curled around a piece of popcorn, which he snapped back into his mouth like some sort of bullfrog or anteater. His grin was wicked and his sparkling eyes locked on mine.

I'm sure he heard my breath catch.

I skipped breakfast myself. I had no real appetite for glazed popcorn, and I knew I would be no match for Colin's dining style. He seemed vaguely disappointed I wouldn't join him. When I told him I didn't want him to see me all sticky faced and fingered, he looked like he was about to say something but thought better of it and just nodded instead.

The rain had stopped, so we scouted the area and found a high cliff that looked safe enough to scatter Kesey's ashes to the rocky shoals below.
I gave Colin one final moment alone with Kesey, then we stood together hands clasped looking out over the sea as I said some things that will always remain strictly between Colin, Kesey and me. Colin seemed to know they were from my heart, and I guess they were good enough, because he gave my hand one more tight squeeze, grabbed the package with Kesey's ashes, and bid his old companion a final goodbye.

We didn't talk at all on the ride home. But it wasn't awkward. I felt Colin and I had become closer in ways we never expected, and I was certain he felt it too. We were somber, but not sad. There was this overwhelming sense of one phase... one ...season... ending and a new promising one beginning to reveal itself.

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Comments

Apologies for taking so long!

I went to see what I had last posted and was staggered to see the story had developed so far on my desktop without my publicly posting any of it!

And apologies that this part is such a downer.

It gets better. Next.

Not to say that it doesn't get bad at times in the future... but they're all just phases. It all ends well. Promise.

I feel bad about Kesey's fate, but I couldn't think of a more noble one. And it brings Olive & Colin together in ways they can't imagine.

I give you my word... it DOES get better.... but after this bit it seemed a good place to stop and catch a breath... however ragged. ;-)

K@

This chapter is both a

somber and sort of uplifting chapter in one. On one hand I did feel very bad for Kesey. I had to pause reading the story there and come back to it 20 minutes later to continue. I have to say, the honesty and respect Colin has for Olive is refreshing. I felt like I was there peeking in on their life. ^^ I think there is some hope out of this tragedy.

Sephrena

Kuryoyukihime 11 crop.png

That first line says it all.

“Ohmygod, It's so great to have you back! I didn't realize how much I missed you until just now!”

Quite :)

Robi

Long time...

tmf's picture

...but good story. Some very dark part, some light part all with superb writing and feeling.
I would say it was worth the wait. Please don't make us wait this long for the rest of it.

Sweet Hugs tmf

Peace, Love, Freedom, Happiness
Rest in Peace Kesey

Loving it

Thanks.

Hurry with the next chapter! Rhea

Rhea Carrington

This was another story......

D. Eden's picture

That I had given up on seeing more of. So glad I was wrong!

D

D. Eden

Dum Vivimus, Vivamus

Reading this 2 years later

Kat, this chapter has me grabbing the Kleenex. Nice job, darn it.