Shutter ReleaseChapter 2: Circle Bright free porn video

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The day’s torture wasn’t over, since we still had to tell Heather about the state of things. She was supposed to be calling me that evening after dinner. Lara and I had discussed what we would say to her, but it hadn’t been easy to come up with anything. It felt cruel, now, as we remembered how inspired she’d been the past few days. Now we had to throw sand over it again and bury it away.

Before dinner we went for another walk since it was easier to talk freely that way. It was dark, so we headed for our old swimming hole, using the very faint light thrown out by the main house windows. It was just enough to see where we were going, nothing more. Not that we really needed light to follow the well-worn path.

“I need to be the one to do it,” Lara announced, when we arrived at the stream.

“Do what?”

“Talk to Heather. I owe her at least that much. Plus, it’s my thing, you know.”

“Um, not exactly.”

“You’re not changing anything with her. I am.”

“Well ... Okay, let’s say it’s that for now. What are you going to tell her?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but the right thing will come out at the time, hopefully.”

“I think she’ll totally understand. She even said as much in your bed. She knew it might be just a couple of nights of trying this out, and then we’d go back to how it used to be.”

“I guess she did say that, but it’s all so hazy. Still, it does feel a bit like I’m breaking up with her,” she added glumly.

“True.”

“Hey, did you get the impression that our moms had any suspicion?”

“Of?”

“You know ... Truth.”

I let out a little laugh, understanding her code word for our situation immediately. “Truth ... I’d say no, but it was a bit strange when I was talking to them about Dad’s pictures. I told them I understood why they were doing this, about hiding the photos and their past. And Mom said, ‘We know.’ It was almost like they were saying they know you and me have been talking about the same thing.”

“Whoa ... And when I said it was sad that we had to hide parts of ourselves, they were like, you have to be even more careful when you’re young.”

“Hmm. Do you ever wonder if...”

Lara looked at me. “If they worry that they’ve brought us up wrong?”

I chuckled. “Damn, I feel like I don’t even need to use words with you today, sis.”

“I know, right?”

“It’s ... cool. A little scary, honestly, but cool.”

“It’s like a wall used to be between us, and now it’s gone.”

I rolled my eyes. “Heh, I had the same thought a few nights ago. Except it was a camera aperture, for some reason.”

Lara laughed. “You’re such a photo geek.”

“That’s me. But anyway, do you think our moms feel that way? That they’ve messed us up?”

She pondered this. “Maybe that’s part of what this thing with Dad’s photos is about. They see us going down the same road and are trying to keep us from going there?”

I grunted. “Do you really think they could know about Truth? It just all happened.”

Lara eyed me. “Or maybe it’s really been there underneath everything, for a while.”

“Have you ever told them you like Heather?”

“No, not at all. Still, maybe they picked up on it.”

“Maybe they don’t want us to go through the pain they’ve had.”

She sniffed. “I almost think they want us to be normal.”

“Hmm, normal ... Well, it’s far too late for that. Hiding a few pictures isn’t going to do shit now.”

“Yeah, we’re fucked up beyond rescue, right?”

“Probably. I mean, right now we have a fucking code word for some weird-ass three-way relationship that probably no one else on earth would think is okay.”

Lara laughed a bit wildly. “Yeah, definitely beyond rescue, then.”

We stood in silence for a time.

“I really wish I had a joint,” I blurted out.

“I was just about to say the same. But the good news is, I have some in my room.”

I gaped at her. “Really?”

“Yeah. A pretty big bag of extra joints from Jonah’s. Heather gave them to me. I guess she cleaned out his cabin before we left.”

“Wait, why did she give them all to you?” I wailed even as I laughed.

“Because I’m clearly the more responsible one of the two of us,” she said evenly. “So do you want to get completely ripped or not?”

I guffawed at the irony. “After dinner?”

We ran back to the house.

Supper was warm and familial, like old times. Our moms were very grateful that Lara and I had ended up supporting their difficult decision. We discussed our family ‘cover story’ over the meal, and it became a humorous event as we all took turns promoting ridiculous alternate histories for ourselves. Eventually we settled on the simplest, the most obvious and closest to the truth. Our moms were a couple who simply chose to both have artificial fertilization at the same time.

“The complainers will have to deal with the lesbian aspect,” Melissa announced. “I’m not sleeping in a different room for some hateful people.”

It was good to see the fire back, though there was a slight glint of sadness in my mothers’ eyes, even as they laughed. This would never be easy, fire or not.

Decided on the story, we took some time to honor Dad, knowing he wasn’t being hidden away forever, nor forgotten.

After eating, the two of us took another walk under the pretense of visiting Alice. Once freed from the lights of the house, Lara pulled out the long-awaited joint and got it going with her lighter.

“How did it go with Heather?” I asked.

They had finished their call just as dinner was served, and there had been no chance to discuss it.

“She is, I have to say...” Lara began, before taking some time to inhale the sweet smoke, “ ... a complete joy.”

A colossal sense of relief flooded through me. “She was okay?”

“I think she was even more understanding of it than you and me were. It sure seemed like it, anyway.”

I took the joint from her hand and filled my lungs. This brought an even deeper feeling of release. “I am so glad to hear that.”

“And guess what? We do have the same winter break!”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She’s working on her parents, trying to get them to come up and ski. We should do the same with our folks, she said. You know, get them to invite them up.”

“Wait, was this before or after you broke up with her?”

Lara chuckled. “After, Matt. She’s totally cool.”

“I’ll get on it then! It could be a blast, Heather here with the twins...”

“Yeah. Then again, will Heather be able to wear the mask and keep our secrets hidden?”

“Wear it, yeah,” I replied. “Keep it on? Who knows!”

We walked aimlessly around the deserted roads. There was much laughter and odd talk as the joint quickly disappeared. Eventually we landed at a small park and took to the lone picnic table there, after swishing the snow off the top. I was flying high.

“We should’ve brought some food,” Lara mused.

“Tell me about it. You should just start storing your joints inside bags of chips or something.”

She guffawed. “Like that would be subtle.”

“Better than starving to death. I’m about to start eating the snow.”

“Fine, but stay away from the yellow stuff.”

“Ugh, Lara.”

“Damn, Jonah’s weed is something else. I’m feeling totally baked.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m not cold anymore either. Not sure if that’s good, but whatever.”

“Whoa, you know what I just realized?” Lara blurted out.

“Uh ... No, I don’t, sorry.”

“Are we even related now?”

I gaped at her. “Say what?”

“Well, think about it. Our moms get some sperm donors, then have us.”

At first, I didn’t see her point. Then the information managed to slip through a crack in the stone. “Shit, you’re right!”

“What if they used different donors?”

“Then we’re just stepsiblings.”

“Exactly ... I wonder which we should be,” she mused.

“It’s just a front, Lara.”

“I know that, silly! But someone might ask. I wouldn’t be surprised if the twins actually do ask, since they’re, well, twins. It means something to them. So, are we actually related? In the fake life?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, do you want to be?” Lara asked me pointedly.

I eyed her, laughing. “You do know that no matter what we pick, we still are related, right?”

“Of course. Jeez, Matt, I’m not that dumb!”

“I know. But for a second it seemed like we were really deciding.”

“Just for the cover story!” she said, exasperation in her voice.

We were silent for while.

“Not related,” I finally said. “It would be more normal that way. I think so, anyway. Right? It would be weird for two women to get the same sperm donor.”

Lara murmured in agreement. “Yeah. The other way is more normal. So, not related.”

“Maybe our moms won’t like that, though.”

“That’s too bad. We get some say in our story, I think.” Lara hopped up. “Come on, let’s go back and get warm again. I’m actually starting to feel the cold.”

“Told you to wear ski pants.”

She eyed me but said nothing.

“Are we smoking another one for the way home?” I asked.

“Easy there, bro. We do have school tomorrow.”

“Oh shit, I totally forgot about that!”

“And this,” Lara proclaimed, “is why Heather gave me the joints.”

I only could laugh as we made our way home, the world passing by us weirdly.

“What are we going to do about the band?” Lara asked, after a time.

“I have no idea,” I muttered. “It kind of depends on you mostly.”

“I guess you guys can go back to the way it was.”

I laughed. “Yeah, right.”

“Well, I’m not going to play in a band with Pete in it.”

“I get that.”

“I’m not upset at him like I was last week, but I also can’t play music with him again.”

“Seems like it would be super awkward.”

“Yeah, but also, it’s too ... intimate, you know? I can’t let him in like that again. I thought we had something. I did stuff with him that I’ve never done with anyone.”

“Like what?”

“Like, a lot. Told him stuff no one else knows. Let him ... do stuff to me no one else has ever done.”

“You mean like sex stuff?” I asked delicately, sensing that change in tone in her voice.

“Yes, Matt, like sex stuff,” she answered patiently.

“I kind of figured with what you’ve told me about James, you pretty much had it all covered.”

“Uh, no? Not at all.”

“What are you talking about? Did he, like, tie you up or something?”

Lara started laughing and it was contagious.

“No way!” she eventually managed. “I don’t think Pete would ever be able to do that.”

“Yeah, I can’t picture him doing that either. So what did you do, then?”

“Nothing, just forget I said it.”

“Why?”

“You never want to hear details.”

“Well, it’s fine. I’m stoned so I don’t seem to care right now!”

“Yeah, but when you remember this tomorrow, you will care.”

“Just tell me,” I pleaded.

“No.”

Now I was intrigued. Lara was never one to shy away from sexual talk. That was my job! I went through my mental Rolodex of Lara’s known sexual acts. Outdoors with James; blowjobs, even with me watching a bit that one night; fingering herself in the tent ... She let James come in her mouth, I knew... Did James ever lick her down there?

“He gave you oral sex?” I asked.

“Matt, really? You’re going to start guessing?”

“If I have to! Did he?”

“It’s not that. I’ve done that before.”

“I couldn’t remember.”

“Julie was the best at it.”

“Oh, shit, I forgot about her!” I burst out, as my mental list got longer. “But come on, Lara, just tell me!”

“Aren’t you Mr. Pushy?”

“We always shared stuff like this before, remember?”

Lara was quiet for a short time. “I remember.”

“And it was kind of fun, wasn’t it?” I continued.

“It was ... But it does feel a bit different now.”

“Why? If we’re ever going to make Truth happen, we have to be able to be comfortable with each other in this way,” I said pointedly.

Lara turned abruptly. “I know that!” she huffed, her tone serious.

“Well then, out with it!” I cried, keeping my voice humorous.

For a moment we were both still.

“The thing is,” she said quietly, “you’ve never really been okay with that kind of talk. I always thought I was forcing it on you, in the end.”

I paced around. “I know. That was before the wall came down, I guess.”

Lara stared at me. Eventually she started walking again. “Some other time, Matt. I have to think about it, first.”

I caught up with her. “Okay, fine.”

“But really, why do you want to hear about me and him in that way? Do you realize what you’re asking me?”

It hit me abruptly, and I felt like a jerk.

“Oh, damn, I’m sorry,” I mumbled. “I don’t know what I was thinking. Obviously that’s not a happy subject. I’m so sorry, Lara.”

She stopped again, so I turned to look at her, bracing for the reprimand.

“No, Matt, I don’t care about that. No matter what he did the other night, I’ll remember the good times with him as good times, thank you. So I don’t mind telling you. But why do you not mind hearing it?”

“Me? Well, I’m stoned,” I ventured, flailing at her unexpected turnaround. “Not my usual grumpy self?”

Lara got closer to me. “Matt, come on. It’s not because you’re stoned. Why do you really want to know?”

A hollow feeling in my stomach was creeping up on me, and it wasn’t hunger from the pot smoking. No, it was a feeling I’d not felt for a little while. An old pang of pain, easily forgotten in the elation of recent events.

Lara was gazing at me, less that a foot away from my face.

“You’re right, it’s none of my business,” I finally said, breaking away from her observation. “I’m sorry. I just got a little worked up with the weed and all the stuff that happened today.”

“Okay. That’s fine.”

“Anyway, maybe we should call it a night,” I suggested, suddenly feeling spent. “I keep hoping for a snow day tomorrow, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. The roads are all clear.”

“Yeah, we’re not going to get lucky,” Lara lamented. “Back to the grind.”

“Ugh, the bus ride...” I groaned. “Where am I going to sit?”

Lara laughed, far too happily. “Decisions, decisions.”

“I know, right? What should I do? You want me to sit with you?”

“They’re still your friends, Matt. Just because me and Pete are done, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hang out with them anymore.”

“I know, but ... It’s going to be fucking weird in the back seats,” I moped.

“Well, maybe you’ll get lucky.”

“Lucky? How? They’ll all be sick tomorrow or something?”

“Maybe. Don’t worry about it. Things will be fine.”

“Oh, and then the twins are here,” I continued with added drama. “Where the heck will they sit?”

Lara patted my arm. “Matt, trust me, and forget about it. It will be fine. You’ll see.”

“Okay, if you say so.” I pulled her close to my side as we walked on. “Thanks, for talking today. We’ll get through all this.”

“We always do, Matt. We always do. And we still have a few days to figure out who exactly we’ll be when the twins are here.”

Lara, that little imp! She knew the whole time that the bus ride wouldn’t be a problem and didn’t let me in on the secret. The first sign was the appearance of an older but serviceable Corolla in the clearing that fronted our house.

“Mom, someone’s here,” I called out to Melissa, as I put on my coat.

Lara bounced past me, far more excited at this early hour than she’d ever been. “Come on, or we’re going to miss the bus, bro!”

Before I could ask what had gotten into her, Lara had whipped the front door open and bounded out. I followed slowly, watching as she ran right for the car. I did a double take as she slipped into the passenger side.

I couldn’t make out the driver from the glare on the windshield, but as I got closer I could finally see Alice grinning at me through the side window.

With a surge of relief, I jumped into the back seat. The car was warm, and Lara turned to me with glee.

“Welcome to the new bus!” Lara cried.

“Jeez, Alice, what’s this?” I asked.

“Christmas present!” she exclaimed, as she started off down our driveway.

“Damn! That’s awesome!”

“It’s my brother’s old car, so it’s been around the town a few times.”

“But it’s a set of wheels!” Lara squealed. “This is so cool!”

Soon after turning out of our drive, we passed the bus going in the opposite direction. We cheered at it. As I looked up at the rear end, I could see Brian’s shirt back leaning against the rearmost window, his usual spot. Later on, suckers!

“Alice said she’d drive us to school now, and by the way I’m calling shotgun for the year,” Lara announced.

“I don’t care. I’ll ride on the fucking roof if I have to! Are we really never taking the bus again?”

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“We need to decide what song we’re going to audition with,” I announced, as the five of us settled into the cabin for some rehearsal. Colin looked at me. “Let’s vote then. What are the choices? We have a lot of songs that we know now. Some more than others.” “I’m thinking we should do an original,” I offered. “We have Four Days, Shell Game, Absinthe... And Please Don’t Stop, but since we played that one at the show last year, probably not a good idea.” “Don’t forget Gunkstomp!” Lara...

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Shutter ReleaseChapter 16 Once

I tried delaying our hike for a day. I really did. Although Heather’s ankle was sore after she removed the ski boots in the lodge, by the time we got home it was already feeling a little better. She could certainly get around, since it mostly hurt only when putting sideward pressure on it. Skiing was probably out for a few days, at least, but a walk through the woods was not worth postponing. Or so she said. I was of two minds. Twenty-four hours of extra rest would allow more time for her to...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 17 See the Light

The music store wasn’t too far from the jeweler’s shop, so Heather and I walked there. “I mean, I get it, now,” I said, still caught up in the surprising meaning of the Chinese symbol she now wore around her neck. “Oh, I think you got it a long time ago,” Heather said. “It’s just a word, Matt. It has no meaning on its own.” “I know, I know. It’s just ... most people would find it kind of...” “Weird,” she supplied. “You said it, not me,” I laughed. “It is what it is.” “Yeah ... Anyway,...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 18 Mountain Stream

Three girls, three cameras... And me, tagging along, superfluous but certainly enjoying myself. I offered to be their model a few times, but they seemed to prefer photographing each other. And there was the teasing, of course. Endless. “Nice, Muireann!” Heather chirped. “You’ve learned a lot about photography, I can tell.” “She has a good eye,” Shannon agreed. “Matt has been teaching me.” “Which makes it all the more surprising!” Funny... But even there, I was given three cute grins,...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 19 Burning Fires

Admittedly, I was slightly apprehensive as we pulled into our clearing that evening after our day of skiing. Heather, alone with Tommy all day... The snow was falling heavily again through the headlight beams. Both Frej’s and the Martins’ cars were parked in the same positions they had been that morning, and they remained covered in several inches of snow. Oddly, there were no lights on in the main house. Maybe Muireann was rubbing off on me, because for a few seconds I had a panicked vision...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 20 Sleep in the Dark

Mairead and Aongus left after lunch the next day, forced to end their vacation earlier than Frej and Heather due to the demands of the business they owned. I was indeed grateful for the Danishman’s generosity in allowing Heather to remain for another three days. The Martins’ departure left a rather obvious hole in our daily schedule. After dinner was cleared and we sat around the table, it suddenly seemed remarkably silent. The positive feedback loop between Tommy and Aongus had been...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 21 Mother Time

I was grateful for the band. Heather’s departures were never a good thing for me, inevitably the start of a long slide down into wistful distance, but the fact that I could go from our final embrace to playing my guitar within fifteen minutes was at the very least a welcomed distraction. “So we need to start thinking about a set for the battle,” I said, once we’d played a few numbers to warm up and clear the farewell feelings as best we could. “We have six originals, so we’ll need another...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 22 The Bed That We Made

The week passed slowly and somewhat agonizingly, since Gwen couldn’t rehearse again until the following weekend, and the homework was being laid on thick. I was anxious to make as much progress as we could on the set, which we still hadn’t quite settled on. Certainly as the battle approached, I was imagining more and more how it might turn out, even though I knew that daydreaming about the glories of winning was a dangerous game. Things could turn out so many different ways, surely, but in...

1 year ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 23 Soon Irsquoll Be Gone

If I hadn’t been sure that Tommy had Dr. Kendall in his back pocket, that was put to rest in study hall the following Tuesday. Carmen, Tommy, and I were walking along the outside of the school building, on our way to the fields as was our habit now, when the principal rounded the far corner and came toward us. “Uh oh,” Carmen said. “Caught.” “Principal alert,” I whispered, for Tommy’s benefit. The three of us laughed quietly, all of us wearing shades as was our other habit these days. “We...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 24 The Regrets of a Fool

Carmen was disappointed but seemed understanding when I called her to let her know that we didn’t have room for her after all. It was a bit strange to talk to her on the phone, something that I didn’t think I’d ever done before. Odd, considering we were together for a while. Then again, this fact was testament to how messed up that time had been for me. Saturday evening arrived, and it was not without some anxiety that we packed the gear into Colin and Shannon’s vehicles. While my moms...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 26 Hard to See

“Hello?” “Oh hi, Mrs. Martin. How are you?” “Matt ... It’s me,” Heather said. I jerked in my chair. “What... ? No way! You said ‘Hello’!” “I guess I did.” This must be part of a joke... “Okay ... Where have you been? We were supposed to talk on Wednesday, remember?” “What day is it today?” Heather asked. I was quiet for a second. “It’s Friday? Seriously, is everything all right? You answered weird ... Well, you answered normally, which is weird for you. And you really don’t know what...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 27 Red Lines

I was surprisingly alert when Tommy and I slipped into Frej’s car at a quarter of six, just as the light was starting to make itself known in the east. I let Tommy have the front so I could squeeze against Heather in the back. “Good morning, my love,” she whispered, and immediately I wondered if I was overdressed for the warmth she caused in me. Maybe forgetting all my clothes at home would be okay after all. Damn kissing ban, though... “Is your man coming with us today?” Tommy asked...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 28 Burning Heart

Lara responded so sweetly when I asked if she could entertain the twins, that I took her into a surprisingly hard hug. We were alone in my room, so I made no effort to hold back. “Easy there, bro,” she warned, even as she returned the tight embrace. “I’m so sorry about the underwater thing,” I breathed. “I still feel terrible about it.” “No sweat. I know you didn’t do it on purpose, because you hate doing laundry. And now you’re stuck doing it every day!” I laughed. “True. But it’s the...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 29 Last Place for a Landing

It was strange to wake up. I was still on the couch, but Heather was gone, and I was horizontal and covered by a blanket. I could hear my moms and aunt chatting in the living room, since I was occupying their usual morning hangout spot. Then again, the sun was bright and the shadows on the porch floor were well past parallel to the wood beams, suggesting that my first meal of the day would be called ‘late lunch’ and certainly not ‘breakfast’. So, I really took their usual afternoon spot......

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 30 Jump

I think I’m half-Danish... It took me a moment, I’ll admit. It was perhaps like seeing someone on a distant hill make an odd movement, and only realizing a long second later that it was the head-on motion of an archer having released an arrow to fly forth from her bow. It took me a moment, yes, but then that five-word missile arrived, slamming into my heart with surgical precision. The world seemed to spin. I only knew one Danish person, and I knew him quite well. I struggled to hold her...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 31 Steer it True

“Do you wish this never happened?” she asked quietly. I turned to look at Heather, her face illuminated by the fading twilight. Until now, Heather had not spoken in the half-hour or so since I’d silently confirmed her connection to Frej. I didn’t mind the quiet, because I had much to think about myself. The pier was strangely deserted, and we’d migrated to the gazebo to sit. “Why do you say that?” I asked. “Because it really puts a new light on everything.” “It does, it does,” I agreed....

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 32 Coming into View

I was just about to make a call when Lara poked her head into my room. “Back to the telephone life, huh?” she said, giving me a sympathetic look. “Yep. Hard times again.” “You could’ve been born a hundred years ago,” she observed, “and then you wouldn’t even have had the phone.” “If I’d been born a hundred years ago, I would’ve missed out on her completely. And on you too, sis ... But I’m glad for the phone either way.” Lara nodded thoughtfully. “True. Come up to the cabin when you’re...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 33 Flames and Scars

On Monday, I was very relieved to get summoned to the principal’s office. Despite the amused looks I got from my classmates, I was feeling pretty high. Dr. Kendall had been silent since our meeting the previous week, a bit worrisome since the time before May wasn’t exactly abundant. But I trusted in his promise, and now it seemed we’d be shifting into gear. When I stepped into his office, another man was already sitting in one of the chairs. He looked vaguely familiar. I took the initiative...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 34 The Pedals of My Mind

“Sorry I stole your bed,” Lara said, giving me a sheepish grin as she wandered out of my room the next morning. I shrugged. “The couch is comfortable enough.” “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. We were working on lyrics, you know, and ... Yeah. Where is everyone?” “Colin’s not here yet, and Gwen came by a while ago but just grabbed Muireann and took off. And you and Tommy have been sleeping like logs.” “Where did Gwen take her?” “Beats me. She said they’d be back in a few...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 35 Split in Two

“Hello?” Uh oh ... That’s not good... “I don’t like the sound of that,” I said. “The last time you answered ‘Hello’ was—” “Good evening, Matt,” Mairead interrupted. “Oh, hi, Mrs. Martin!” “Heather is not here,” she added, her voice quite amused. I would’ve laughed, except that I suddenly realized how close I’d just been to revealing Heather’s secret. Holy shit... ! Way too close. “I’m sorry about that just now,” I explained, my skin prickling. “Sometimes Heather, well ... She’ll...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 36 Shooting Star

The scene at Smith Park, when we pulled in around noon, was rather astonishing. The light scaffolds loomed over the stage, and for a long moment I stood by the car door in complete shock. We’re going to be playing on that... ! “Are you coming, lad?” Tommy asked, having already seized his guitar and equipment bag from the trunk. I snapped out of it and went to grab my own things. “Yeah. It’s just that ... it looks pretty damn neat, man.” He grinned. “I’m sure it does. Now let’s go set...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 37 The Levers of My Heart

The post-concert went by in a rush. People came and went, to greet us, share their joy and emotions. The twins and Lara in particular were mobbed, which was fine with me. I’ve had just about as much excitement as I can take... After hugging the people closest to me, I slipped back up to the stage again, grateful for the banality of winding cables, collapsing mic stands, and the opportunity to help the sound and lighting crews get their work done just a little faster. They’d been amazing...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 38 The Point of Dying

Away... From us... To say these words affected me would be a vast understatement. The massive upwelling that I’d seen a moment earlier in Heather’s eyes, that flood which would destroy everything around ... It suddenly burst out of the sea. Nothing prepared me for its impact. My throat constricted and suffocation beckoned, caressing me gently into blackening edges. “Why?” I tried to ask, but the sound was grotesque, a pitiful gurgle at best. “Shh, shhhh,” she consoled through tears,...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 39 Gone to Ground

On the day that our connection was severed, I was roused by a warm hand caressing my face, the fingers leaving behind energetic currents. “Good morning, my love...” I opened my eyes all at once. The sun was just barely tinting the sky, and I was disoriented, wondering why the couch felt odd. It took me a moment to realize that I was down in the main house. Memories abruptly returned in a panicked rush. The night before, after partying for a while, the three of us had taken to Lara’s old bed...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 40 The Last Day of a Quiet War

The long work of pulling the concert together had fully caught up and crashed into me. That wasn’t the source of my problems, though, or I would’ve simply slept hard for a few days and been done with it. If I’d wanted to take a ‘sick’ day or two to stay home from school, no one would have batted an eyelid, for any of us. I wouldn’t have even had to fake a fever, holding the thermometer against a hot light bulb. I could just cash in on good karma. Instead, on Wednesday I’d found myself...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 41 Strip it All Away

“So, how much of this will you tell Tommy?” It was the first thing Muireann had said in some time, having grown progressively more reticent as I revealed my secrets to her, one by one. There were many, so it had taken a long while. But they were out, now... All of them. “Tommy...” I murmured. “Yeah, I’m not sure.” “He’s very fond of Lara.” I sniffed. “I know that. You think he’ll be weirded out?” “I can’t say for sure. And what about her?” I frowned. “Lara? She knows all of this...

1 year ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 42 This Fraying Cord

I was waiting for Muireann to emerge from the restroom before we headed to photography class, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I figured she was playing the other-shoulder trick to get me to look the wrong way, but I was surprised to find Bruno there after all. “Oh, hey man ... What’s up?” I greeted. “We need to talk,” he said quietly, glancing anxiously down the hall. “Hm. Let me guess ... Pete?” “Yeah. Are you heading to class? I can walk with you.” “I am, but ... I need to wait for...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 43 Endless Honeycomb

That evening, I was once again drained. Despite the temporary refueling that Muireann had gifted me in the pool after the terror of Pete’s episode, the subsequent rehearsal of Other Side had eventually sapped me. I could also tell that Muireann was almost as wiped as I was. The song was intense. It was a great relief when we both settled down into our beds in the main room of the cabin, her on the cot and me on the couch. “The downside of sleeping out here is that you can’t go to bed until...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 44 A Sweeter Hell

Pete didn’t attend school the rest of the week. The two times I called over to his house, I hung up as soon as I heard his dad answer. Even Bruno said that he hadn’t been able to talk to him since the day he canned Skinner. I was feeling unsettled again, but I held on to the hope that whatever was in motion was happening out of sight. It was all I could do, besides barging over there again and trying to force another chat. In the meantime, I made sure that all my other irons were still in...

1 year ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 45 The Best Part of Us

The talent show was in full swing. Ready or not, the acts were cycling on and off the stage with inevitable tempo. This time around, Green Space had opened the show, and The Nameless would soon close it. “I hope Pete keeps it together,” I said to Lara, as we stood in the wing watching a kid play a rather impressive classical piece on the piano. “He will. Muireann seems to have a calming influence on him.” “Yeah, I noticed. She’s been so helpful in dealing with Pete these last few weeks, I...

1 year ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 46 Bleed Again

It was early evening on Sunday and the final music marathon was coming to an end, our last opportunity for rehearsing as a full band before Jonah’s concert the following weekend. Gwen was particularly intent about everything, calling out any and all problems she heard, and by now we didn’t question her judgment or ear. The only unknown was if we had the skill to do whatever she asked of us. Usually we did, even if it meant practicing it thirty times. Or more, in my case... But now it was...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 47 The Point of Taking

We arrived at Jonah’s in the early afternoon as arranged. He emerged from the side door of the Castle, grinning broadly. “What’s up, motherfuckers!” “Fella’s in a better mood than usual,” Tommy quipped. “Aye, probably this is his highest form of greeting,” Muireann added. We exchanged fist bumps, handshakes, and shit-eating grins. “This event is going to be the jewel in the Castle’s crown, I’m fucking telling you!” he gushed. “You’ve been busy,” Lara said, looking around at the yard...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 48 Down On My Knees

Sunday was a complete waste. I spent the morning dead to the world, vaguely aware of being moved from Jonah’s cabin to Shannon’s car, and then to Colin’s recliner. At least the world was happy about something, because whenever I was semi-conscious I could mostly hear laughing around me. In retrospect, I was obviously being hidden from my folks until such time that I was with it again; that turned out to be late afternoon. Well, maybe not ‘with it’, but a few hours before dinner I finally...

1 year ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 49 Down by the Shoreline

I slumped in the front seat as Sarah started the car. She drove slowly, winding through the short-term parking lot, then out into the seemingly hundreds of ramps and exchanges that strangled the airport like a concrete octopus. Eventually the stress of navigating lanes and fighting off aggressive taxis dissipated as she started heading east on the Southern State Parkway. East, yes, because we had a stop to make. In fact, the twins would be sleeping in their own beds again before I did. Then...

1 year ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 50 Fall In

The elation and fright of what I’d just done with the necklace still fluttered violently in me when I arrived at my destination a little while later. I could still go back to the pier... ‘It was all a mistake, Darya ... A joke... !’ I swiped the ridiculous idea aside as I stared at the house. There was no need to climb the stairs and knock, on the chance that anyone would be there. The ‘For Sale’ sign out front and lack of decorations on the porch were enough indication that they’d moved...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 51 Valley Stream and Lea

Truth is out... There was a long moment where nothing happened. Having been pulverized, that brittle shell washed away and left everything wide open. All was paused as I remained on the couch, stunned and unsteady. My thoughts all glanced at each other in confusion, blinking in the sudden light. What happens now? Then Clara said one thing to me: ‘Let me go... ‘ It wasn’t really her speaking, of course. I wondered what message she would’ve had for me if I’d answered her question with a...

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