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Date Posted: 01:45:00 10/12/09 Mon
Author: Sabazius (OMG Sab's first story!)
Subject: Welcome Home Chapter 1

Hey shackers! Well, the time has come... I've started my debut story! And the first chapter is here for your delectation. Of course, I'm feeling a little self-conscious right now, but very proud as well. I hope you enjoy it, and I look forward to your feedback - feel free to give positive criticism as well as the heaps of praise you'll undoubtedly be lavishing on me :)

Here goes...

WELCOME HOME - CHAPTER ONE

It had been two years since Callum had set foot in this town, and as he looked out of the window he was disconcerted by how different it felt. The places he had spent his childhood seemed a little smaller; some old shops had gone and others had come to take their place. As the car moved slowly down the main street that bisected the town, Callum's father could see him shrinking slightly into his seat.

"I think Michael is looking forward to seeing you." At his father's words, Callum's head jerked up, but he didn't say anything. The expression on his face was hard to read, and as he turned his head away Jack wondered what his son was thinking. The boy had hardly spoken two words since getting into the car, although Jack was pleased to not that, although cautious, his reception by his estranged son was much more amicable than the look of cold disdain that his son had send in his mother's direction upon their parting.

Michael and Callum. The two boys had been friends ever since their first day at school, and they acted with a strange combination of intimacy and shyness, as if neither had really wanted to acknowledge their dependence on one another. Callum had always been reserved and introspective, while Michael was almost a polar opposite, chatty and outgoing and very active. Or at least, that's how he had been. When with Callum though, he had been patient and gentle in a way that was unknown in most boys - as a teacher at the town's school which both boys attended, Jack knew how rare such friendship was. For his own part, Callum's quietness gave way to an incredible sense of humour and comic timing when with his friend; his quiet nature and deadpan expressions belying the blistering observational wit that lay beneath. While Callum seemed to need his friend to draw him out of his shell, it had been difficult for Jack to really understand what Michael got out of their association. As idealistic as he was, he knew that some boys had trouble making friends and he had never quite understood if Michael was just taking pity.

But when Jack had split up with his wife, Cassandra, and had Callum taken away from him for two long years, he had seen a new Michael, and he had understood. At first, the boy was simply less talkative. Once a seemingly permanent fixture in Jack's house, the unwilling departure of Callum had taken Michael away too, and Jack had felt at times that he had lost two boys instead of one. At school, Michael had become distant from Jack, more reserved. But he had thought this only natural. After all, the connection between the two was broken, and their former friendly relationship had retreated to that of teacher and pupil. However, as time progressed more changes became apparent. Michael had become quieter and quieter, and his other friends seemed to fall away like dried onion skins to reveal a smaller, paler boy who seemed less defended, more raw, more vulnerable. When the bullying started, Jack had only heard about it from afar, through staffroom gossip; and the namecalling had quickly stopped. By that time, however, Michael had retreated entirely into his shell, and become as reclusive as Callum had been when left to his own devices. Meanwhile, Jack had struggled with his own loss. Cut off from his son by the bastard of a lawyer that his wife had found somewhere, he spent most of his time focused on his work, marking papers and planning lessons. While he didn't miss his wife, he certainly felt keenly the loss of his child.

Then a month ago, his wife had called out of the blue. She was moving around again (he had lost track of her sometime around her third move, although he'd scarcely been allowed any contact anyway) and she and Callum had 'agreed' that it would be best for all of them if Callum returned to his hometown and his father. Yes, she would make that official in writing and in law. No, she didn't see there being any chance of Callum wanting to be with her in the future. In fact, she was quite happy never to hear from either of them again. And so, here was Jack, with the boy he had missed for two years and now felt he barely knew, driving to a town that his son had once called home and which held the boy's once best friend. Cassandra had been almost silent on the details of Callum's life or her situation over the past two years, and Jack's heart nearly broke at how shy his boy had become even of him. It would be hard, he realised now, to build up a relationship again. And he had no idea how Michael would react to his friend's return. Jack had spoken to his parents who said they would pass the message on, but they gave away nothing, being the discreet and somewhat distant type.

The car turned the corner off of the main street and onto a side road. Jack slowed, winding the wheel to slide the vehicle between the two great chestnut trees who stood either side of his driveway like giants guarding the gate to some mystic castle. With a quiet crunch, the car halted. Jack turned to look at his son, who met his gaze with that same inscrutable expression.

"Welcome home, Cal. Welcome home."

*****

OK, looong introduction/backstory there. A lot to get your head around. I'm hoping to make this into a reasonably big story (although hardly on the Comsie scale!), filled with realistic and complex characters, so any sexy fun times might not be immediately forthcoming. However, the other chapters will hopefully be in a much more narratorial style, with all that fun stuff like dialogue and description that this chap didn't have. Comments, criticism and praise please!

Sab x

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