Shutter ReleaseChapter 5: Raven’s On My Shoulder free porn video

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Friday. The last day before the masks went on, before Dad would have to sleep in my desk drawer for two full seasons, and before Truth was buried, maybe forever. We cleaned, we arranged, we considered everything to make our home normal. After dinner, the four of us were satisfied with both the house and the cabin. Our guests would be treated with respect and love.

After dinner, Lara and I went for a walk. It was made much easier by the fact that Colin and Shannon had plowed our driveway at some point during the night. Or perhaps it was in the early hours of morning. It was the only sign of life from her, since two phone calls her way that morning had gone unanswered. No news was makes-me-grin news, since that meant a good time was being had by all. For all I knew, the pair of them were working their way across the state by now, saving the world one motorist at a time.

As was our habit now, Lara produced a joint and we wasted no time in setting it to flame.

“Last blast,” I remarked, holding the fat white stick aloft. “How do you feel?”

“Better.”

“Good, because you looked like crap this morning!”

“I know, right? It was… a long night,” she admitted with a smile.

“Sounded fun. Sorry I didn’t join.”

“Alice was going berserk.”

“I bet.”

“At one point she started a tampon fight. It was hilarious.”

“Uh…”

“You had to be there, I guess.”

“Kind of glad I wasn’t, now!”

“You would’ve had fun.”

“Sure, until I woke up in the middle of the night to find Alice on top of me, going for a ride.”

“I think she was just kidding around, Matt.”

“If you think so.”

“Then again, she was pretty drunk, so maybe you’re right.”

“So, do you and her ever like, you know…?”

Lara sniffed. “Nah. She’s all about the guys.”

“Does she know, though?”

Lara made a noncommittal gesture as she tried to explain. “She knows, but not… most of it. It’s only come up, you know, when we’re watching the Great Masterpieces on her TV.”

I chuckled. “Okay.”

“Sometimes they show that kind of thing.”

“I’m sure.”

“How was your night?” she asked.

“I talked to Heather. Went to sleep at who knows what time…”

Thankfully I’ll never know… Or wait—

“Oh, shit!” I blurted out.

“What?”

“We get phone bills! Like… in the mail!” I announced, my eyes wide.

Lara stopped short and slow-clapped at my astounding discovery. “What’s it like, to have a brain like yours?”

“Oh, quit it. It’s going to have, like, a huge long call on it!” I explained.

“So what?”

“We might’ve been up past four!”

Now she did look surprised. “Four! Doing what?”

“Three guesses.”

“Phone sex.”

“Okay, one guess was enough,” I quipped, laughing.

“That wasn’t even a guess,” Lara dismissed. “A guess is when you’re not sure of the answer. Until four though? How do you not look tired today?”

“I don’t know. Must be my superior genes!”

“Yeah, what does that prove? We’re related—”

I raised a hand, cutting her off. “Story foul!”

“What?”

“You blew cover, step-sis!”

Lara gave an embarrassed smile. “Whoops… Walked right into that one!”

“See, it’s pretty easy to let things slip. We need to be careful.”

“I guess so. Okay, but wait. You were really up past four?”

“Probably. Though I couldn’t see straight by then, so my clock numbers looked like blurry red eggs.”

Lara made an appreciative face. “You always hear that whacking off can make you blind. Guess it’s true, then.”

“Shut up.”

“How many times, then?”

“What?”

“How many times did you two do it?” she pressed.

“I don’t know. Three? We mostly talked.”

“What about?”

“Anything. Everything.”

“Me?” she asked.

“Of course.”

“What about me?”

“Uh, your obsession with porn…”

Lara slapped my arm. “Give me that joint.”

“Please?” I goaded.

“Pretty please?”

I smiled at her, and we shared a laugh.

“Missed you last night,” I said.

“Me too. Alice is a crazy girl, but half the time I was wondering what you and Heather were doing.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have to guess.”

Lara sniffed. “Yeah, I know. The details, though. That’s what drives a girl mad. Can’t picture it without the details.”

“Thus the obsession with—”

“I don’t have an obsession!”

“Of course not… So you asked me a question the other night,” I said, switching gears.

“Which one?” Lara asked.

“Why I wanted to know about you and Pete and whatever crazy thing you did with him.”

Lara came to a stop and faced me. She put the joint to my lips.

“And?” she asked.

I blew out the sweet smoke. “It was a good question. I’ve thought about it a lot today.”

“Tell me, Matt. Because I’m trying to answer it myself.”

“I guess… I was always…”

Lara toked patiently as I struggled to voice the words. It was surprisingly difficult to pull them up from the surface of my thoughts. Finally I reeled in.

“I was always jealous of you and Pete.”

She nodded slowly. “I’ve always wondered that. But… I could never figure out why.”

“You’ve said you were always a little jealous of me and Heather.”

“True,” Lara said cautiously.

“So you must know what I mean then.”

But now spoken, my words seemed suddenly empty, as something didn’t quite sit right anymore.

Oh, shit…

The clear thoughts from earlier in the day suddenly froze up and shattered. Lara felt it too. For a long moment, we looked around, sometimes at each other, sometimes at the ground.

She spoke first. “No, Matt, I don’t know what you mean. Not exactly. When I was jealous of you and Heather, I… well, I wanted to be you. Not Heather.”

My mind tried to sort out the analogy, even though it seemed to be instantly understandable.

She wanted to be me. Me, not Heather… Do I want to be her? With Pete?

“Oh…” I murmured. “That much makes sense. But I don’t get me, now.”

“Yeah. Unless you’re like, into Pete? It’s cool if you are, but…”

“No, no, it’s not that… It’s not about Pete at all, actually. But it is about Heather? Oh, I don’t know!”

Lara laughed gently. “Here, maybe this will loosen it out of us.”

I took another hit. “Ah, forget it. I just lost it all. I’m not sure what I think anymore. Let’s go back and play some music and hang in the cabin. It’s our last night alone; let’s just have a good time and stop trying to sort out all the crazy shit.”

She smiled at me. “That sounds perfect.”

We headed home, where Lara popped her head into the house to tell our moms that we’d returned. As we walked up the path to the cabin together, Lara angled off into the woods. At first I wondered if she was intending to visit the pool again, perhaps for a night swim. I was about to protest the insanity of that activity, but then I realized she was heading for our old illicit cairn.

“Did you hide something here?” I asked as we approached the area. As far as I knew, the hole had been empty for a long time.

“Yeah, thanks to Jonah!” she chirped.

“The gig that keeps on giving,” I joked.

It took a little work to find the exact spot, what with the snow and faint lighting, but soon Lara discovered the flat stones. Without the moon it would’ve been hopeless. I helped her swipe away the white blanket and then we started moving the weights aside. The wood boards covering the hole looked oddly familiar, but certainly not from having seen them here before.

“Wow, you’ve been busy!” I exclaimed.

“The old ones were rotted out. Found these scraps in the garage.”

“I know. They’re the extra pieces from my darkroom table… The wood that keeps on giving!”

“Hah. Is that what Heather calls you?”

I frowned at her, not understanding, and then rolled my eyes. “For fuck’s sake, Lara, not you too!”

“What?”

“Heather tortures me enough with her dumb puns.”

Lara sniggered. “Oh, I’m so sorry. But not really sorry. I’m stoned, and you know what that means. So if you say the word ‘wood’ out loud, well… you take your chances!”

She grinned at me and pulled up two freed slats. The glints of a half-dozen liquor pints were revealed by the moonlight.

I let out a low whistle.

“What do you want?” she asked. “Vodka?”

“Sure. Damn though, that made a dent in Jonah’s collection.”

“I really doubt that. He gave them to me right after our set, to take with us. Like a little payment, I guess. They were actually hiding in my clothes bag for a few days in the cabin, because I forgot about them with, you know, everything.”

“Yeah. Good thing Mom didn’t find them before you took care of them!”

“Totally.”

She examined a few and then pocketed a bottle of Smirnoff. We tucked the rest of the ghosts back into their bed and said goodnight.

Once in the cabin, we got the heat going a bit higher and reduced our clothing load to something more comfortable. I pulled out my acoustic guitar, idly poking at the strings as Lara approached, carrying two glasses from the kitchen. She settled onto the couch next to me and poured two servings.

“Cheers,” she offered, and we swigged the icy liquid.

Lara hid the bottle under the couch and then stretched back on the cushions.

“I have something I want to try out,” she announced.

“What’s that?”

She pulled a small wad of slightly crumpled papers from her pocket and unfolded the stack. She separated one sheet and set it on the cushion before putting the rest away again.

“The song you sang the other morning,” I realized.

“Actually, no. Something new. I’m not sure about it, though, but maybe you can help me.”

“Are those other pages more songs you’re writing?”

“Mostly just ideas of songs,” she deflected.

“Wow, you’re really cranking the lyrics out! That’s so cool.”

“I guess.”

“What’s this one?” I asked, gesturing to the sheet.

“I don’t have much written yet. But the chorus goes something like this, maybe…”

Lara drained her glass and then turned to face me, cross-legged.

“Four days… That’s how long it took to see… How much you mean to me… But the raven’s on my shoulder now… Please, don’t, touch… Last time she flew away… This time she’s gotta stay… And keep me on the ground… For a few more days.“

“That’s really cool,” I breathed. “I like it… Sing it again?”

I quietly fiddled with some chords as she repeated the chorus several times.

“It can be a little more upbeat than that,” she suggested.

“What you’re singing sounds kind of sad, though.”

“Mm… Bittersweet,” she amended. “Hopeful, even…”

I nodded. “Okay. Try this.”

I played some repeated chords, using a pulsing rhythm that was restrained but carried some underlying energy. Lara came in, and it seemed to fit quite well. I stabbed at some changes, occasionally finding a good match.

“Nice, Matt. Kind of what I was hearing when I first came up with it, honestly.”

Lara refilled our glasses and we went around several more times until I was satisfied with a complete set of chords to go with her snippet. It was almost magical, the way the parts could come together like a puzzle.

“I like it,” I said. “It’s funny, though: here you sing ‘Please don’t touch’, and our other song is Please Don’t Stop.”

Lara smiled. “I know, that was on purpose. They’re kind of like opposite songs.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m thinking of calling this one Four Days.”

“What, like a sequel to Three Days?” I joked.

Lara looked at me but didn’t laugh. “Yeah, actually.”

I frowned. “How?”

“It’s kind of, well, about what happens after, you know. After Truth. Having to hide, and all that.”

“Hmm. Okay.”

“The ‘you’ in the song is plural. But you knew that, right?”

“I wondered. But then you should probably change the words. Four days…“ I sang. “That’s how long it took to see… How much y’alls mean to me!”

Lara cracked up, doubled over. “Oh Matt, you’re too much! Y’alls! Can you imagine?”

“I don’t have to imagine it. I just sang it. And I killed it, if I may say so myself!”

“Killed it, yeah…” Lara said, eyeing me dubiously. “You definitely did that much. Ugh, it’ll be a fucking victory if I can ever sing that song again without laughing. Y’alls? Shit…!” She tittered again.

“You’re welcome,” I deadpanned.

At last she composed herself.

“Anyway,” I sighed, “you were saying, about Three Days, Four Days?”

“Oh yeah… Like, first it was please don’t stop,” she continued. “But now it has to be please don’t touch. Want it, but can’t have it.”

I nodded, starting to piece it together a bit more. “What’s with the raven?”

Lara smiled coyly. “Oh, you know, just a bird of warning.”

“Right on.”

“Like that poem from class last year.”

I nodded slowly, but something nagged at me. Unable to define it, I played the guitar part again. We jammed for some time, quietly but with an energy to the music nonetheless.

Eventually we moved on to other songs, as there was only so much to build on without additional lyrics to Four Days. It was quite late when I set my guitar aside. We’d finished almost half the bottle, so between that and the earlier joint I was feeling quite good.

After serving us some more of the vodka, I shifted on the couch to face her.

“Okay, now you have to tell me this thing you did,” I challenged. “The one with Pete. You said you had to think about it.”

Lara seemed to shy from the subject and I was sure she was going to dismiss me yet again.

“Fine,” she finally mumbled. “But it’s…”

“What?”

“Kind of weird.”

“The whole week’s been weird. Should fit right in.”

Lara turned to face me on the couch, steeling herself with another sip. The fact that even this much pot and booze hadn’t loosened the information out of her was surprising, making me want to know it all the more.

“It was after Jonah’s first party, maybe a week later. Pete came over after school. You stayed late for pictures or something, so me and him were just hanging out alone.”

Another swig, as Lara looked around, perhaps seeking one last avenue of escape. Her smile was a mix of coy impishness, though, and I knew the ride was going to start for real now.

Buckle up…

“I woke up that day, horny as fuck for some reason. And to top it off, me and Pete smoked one of Jonah’s bones. You know how that goes.”

I grinned. “Uh, yeah. I would know that.”

Lara made a face. “And you’re the one complaining about hearing bad puns?”

“That was before we hit the stash!” I sang.

“You’re such a goof sometimes. Anyway, there we are, in… Oh, Matt, I don’t know if I can say it!” she whined.

I threw my hands up. “All right, fine. You don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s just really… personal. I don’t know.”

Unbuckle…

“Whatever you want Lara. I kind of thought you were just teasing me, trying to make me work for it, like usual. But if you really don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

“I don’t know. You’re going to be grossed out, probably.”

I frowned. “Grossed out?”

She was quiet for a while. “I was… having my period that day.”

I laughed, relieved. “Oh my god, Lara, I know you have periods! It’s fine. Did you have sex on your period then? Because me and Julie almost did that, once.”

She looked at me with surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah, when we were hooking up again last summer, you know, before I saw the light with her.”

Recognition glinted in her eye. “Oh, are you talking about that day when she gave you like three blowjobs?”

I guffawed. “It was more like seven…”

Lara patted my arm. “Okay, there, bro. Take it easy.”

“But yeah, she was having her period that day. We were pretty close to doing it a few times anyway, but in the end, she didn’t want to.”

“And so, the fifteen blowjobs instead?” Lara grinned broadly.

“Yeah, basically. It was like she couldn’t stop herself. Hell, remember when you all went to get ice cream without me?”

“Yeah, and you went home to get some more blowjobs. I knew that.”

“I couldn’t remember if I told you.”

“You didn’t tell me, but everyone knew anyway.”

My mouth dropped open. “No!”

“Come on, Matt. Julie looked like sex on a stick that day.”

Immediately the hot image of her seared my brain. Julie, for all her challenges, could be devastatingly attractive.

“It was just a regular outfit,” I hedged, though weakly.

“Right,” she drawled. “A tiny jean skirt, a tight top, push-up bra… Just another boring day in Montauk.”

“Shit, you think the adults all knew?”

Lara’s patient look was enough of an answer.

“All right, fine. Maybe they cut me some slack because of everything that went down with Julie before that. They never said anything to me.”

“What would they have said?” Lara rejoined. “‘Hey Matt, how were all the blowjobs tonight?’”

“Shut up… But anyway, I sure dodged a bullet that day! I don’t know how I ever escaped Julie’s grip, but I did.”

“Yeah, I was sure you were going to get with her again for the summer and start all over again. She was obviously trying her hardest to get you back.”

“You don’t know the half of it, Lara. I’m serious, if we had the time that day, she would’ve given me fifteen!”

Lara chuckled. “How many really was it?”

“Five.”

“Are you fucking serious?” she blurted out.

“Totally. She was so amped up that day. Oh yeah, she was also talking a lot about doing it without a condom.”

“Damn, really?”

“Yeah, she said it was safe right after her period. The plan was to wait a couple of days until she was done and then fuck like rabbits. It was crazy! She was, like, obsessed with doing it, and making me, well, you know… come inside her.”

Lara hissed. “So you were saved by the period, after all!”

“Yeah, who the fuck knows what would’ve happened,” I shivered, feeling a jump of anxiety at the thoughts. “But I’ll admit that if she said yes to going all the way, I totally would’ve done it that night. She was acting so wild, and it kind of got to me. I was out of my mind.”

“I know exactly what you mean. When Julie got worked up, it was like a tornado coming at you. She’d get so horny and then it was contagious.”

“Exactly. So anyway, I’m not grossed out, see?” I finished. “I came close to doing that with her, blood and all.”

Lara looked at me. “Cool. But, that’s not really what happened with me and Pete.”

“What!” I guffawed. “After all that, you tell me this?”

Lara grinned. “It was fun to hear some more of your secrets, so why would I stop you? But no, that’s not really what I’m talking about.”

I was thunderstruck. The relief and sense of closure I’d built up for the past few minutes broke apart into an even more intense sense of curiosity.

“Okay, so what are you talking about then?”

Again Lara shrunk into a coy grin. “You can’t tell anyone about this, okay?”

“Who the hell would I tell, Lara?”

“Not even Heather, for now.”

Not even Heather? Damn, it’s serious…! Buckle up…

“Um, okay… I promise then.”

She eyed me, before starting, quietly, her voice quivering with lustful energy.

“So we were on the bed, making out, rolling around… And I started giving him a blowjob because like I said, I was super horny. But… that wasn’t doing it for me. I mean Julie might be able to orgasm by sucking a guy, but I don’t.”

Lara took a sip of her drink. The pause was endless, pregnant and weighty.

“So… we ended up doing it,” she said with finality.

My mind started reeling as I masticated this statement, completely confused at the contradiction.

“I thought you said you were having…”

Lara smiled slightly, picking at the couch cushions.

“Matt, there’s oral sex, there’s regular sex, and… there’s something else.”

My insides lurched in ways I’d never known were possible. I knew almost instantly what she meant, but in my world, this topic was either the domain of extreme porn-ish raunch or it was the, well, butt of gay jokes and puerile insults. It wasn’t a real act, not one that anyone real actually did.

Apparently, I’d been wrong.

“Okay,” I managed, struggling to control the multitude of ideas and images flashing through my brain. Holy shit! Pete… He fucked Lara, like that?

“You do know what I mean, right?”

“I… think I do.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just wasn’t… How… What… Why did…?”

Lara sighed after I trailed off. “I was at Alice’s house a few days before that. We watched some movies, and in one of them, you know…”

“Jeez, is that all you do over her house? Watch people fuck?”

She chuckled. “Not all we do. But yeah, it kind of was stuck in my head after that. Like really stuck in my head.”

“I told you it was an obsession”

“It sure as hell was that week,” she agreed rather vehemently.

“Damn. So wait, Pete actually did it?”

“He did. Though we hardly got going and then he came, so it was short.”

Like a kaleidoscope, the visions multiplied, and I realized my earlier mental seatbelt was thoroughly inadequate for Lara’s revelation. I was spinning out of control.

“How… was it?” I managed.

“It was… interesting.”

“How did you even bring it up with Pete?” I asked, now fascinated at how such an act could initiate. That was certainly the keystone of building this unexpected scene up in my head.

“I didn’t really. I was lying on my front and told him to get behind me. And… okay, this is probably becoming too much info.”

“Go on,” I urged.

Lara took a long look at me. “Why?”

“I just want to know.”

“Does this, like turn you on, or something?”

I made a face. “No, not exactly. I’m just… surprised. Trying to figure out how this even happens.”

“Well, it’s not that complicated! It’s just a few inches away from the usual.”

“I know that, but the idea of it is miles away from the usual!”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” Lara agreed with a chuckle.

“So then he just… did it? He knew what you wanted to do?”

“No, I just grabbed it and put it where I wanted it to go.”

“Straight to the point, I guess,” I murmured. “Did it hurt?”

“Less than I thought. But we were so stoned. That probably helped.”

“Wow.”

“Like I said, it was quick.”

“Damn…”

“Now you know why I wasn’t sure about telling you.”

I nodded. “I’m not wigged out or anything. Just trying to, well…”

“You’ve never thought of doing that with Heather?”

“No,” I admitted.

“Well, anyway, like I was saying an hour ago, I let Pete in, in ways I never let anyone in.”

“And you should’ve said ‘literally’,” I joked.

Lara laughed. “I guess so. But now you know. I don’t think I can ever be close to him again, musically, or any other way.”

“I’m sorry I made you bring it up.”

“No, Matt, I’m okay. It actually feels good to tell you. Especially since you’re not wigging out.”

“I’m not. Though I’m still having trouble imagining the whole thing.”

“Really?”

“Just that it’s… foreign. Honestly, I never thought normal people did that, just casually.”

“We’re not normal, remember?”

I chuckled, letting out some of the tension. “True.”

“But yeah, it was crazy. It was so…”

“What?” I pressed.

“It was so wild, and felt really, I don’t know…”

“Naughty?”

“Naughty just scratches the surface. Like, what’s the craziest time you’ve ever had with Heather?”

I looked at the ceiling. “Depends.”

“When was the time you felt most, I don’t know, like you were going to blow apart from what you were doing?”

“The night of the talent show, I guess.”

“Well, multiply that by ten.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “I don’t know, Lara, that night was pretty intense.”

“What did you do?”

“Not what you did, that’s for sure! But it was very crazy in its own way.”

Lara passed me the bottle. “Go on.”

I rolled my eyes. “My turn to tell all?”

“Sure. It’s only fair.”

“All right,” I said, pouring us another inch. “Well, probably my thing was a bit different. I was obviously amped up at the fact that Heather surprised me, so maybe the actual sex wasn’t particularly out there.”

“I get it. It’s a state of mind, right?”

“Yeah. But wait, I take it back. The second time we did it, she had her legs over my shoulders, and that was really different.”

“She was on her back?”

“Yeah. We were face to face, but she swung her knees up near her head. Folded in half, like.”

“Ooh, I get it. I’ve never tried that way.”

“It was… intense, especially for her. We were on the floor, and, well… I pounded her pretty good.”

Lara shifted in her seat. “Surprised I didn’t hear her!”

“Ha! So then, the third time—”

Lara made a face. “Oh, you and your fifteen times!”

“Hey, it was a long night, and we hadn’t seen each other in a month!”

“See, I told you earlier.”

“What?”

“The wood that keeps on giving.”

I smacked Lara’s thigh and grimaced at her. “I swear, say that one more time, and I’m—!”

“I know, I know. I’m just kidding! But it’s funny, I hear nothing from you about your sex life for weeks, and then when I do it’s like a giant sex festival in there.”

I guffawed. “We only did it three times that night, so chill. Anyway, the third time, we kind of were talking about Dad, and the whole idea of, you know… Truth.”

“Wow. I didn’t realize that! That was probably pretty intense, huh?”

“Yeah. And talking about doing it without a rubber, we did it for a long time like that. But slow, you know, so nothing bad would happen.”

“Yeah, it is nice without one,” Lara mused, caught up in a memory. “Only ever tried it once, for a little bit.”

“It feels pretty damn good,” I agreed. “So then I was about to put one on, because it was time, but I ended up licking her instead.”

“Nice. Pete would never do that.”

“Really? Why not?”

“We were fucking once and I tried to get him to go down on me. No go. He was so lame about it. Idiot probably thought it would be like sucking his own dick or something.”

I snorted. “But I’m sure he’d let you blow him after some sex, though.”

“Actually, he wasn’t into that either unless he washed up. I don’t know… He was weird about things like that. No kissing after oral, either.”

“Wow, then I’m really surprised he went through with, um… well, you know.”

“What, do we need a code word for that too?” Lara snarked.

“Hey, you haven’t really said it either tonight, so don’t give me that crap.”

“He fucked me in the butt, Matt.”

I groaned loudly. “Damn it, when you say it like that, then yes we do need a fricking code word!”

“In through the out door…?” she supplied, grinning at my stupefied face and hogging all the pleasure in the room now.

“For fuck’s sake, Lara!”

She shrugged innocently. “I don’t know… I thought you were a Zep fan!”

“I am! A little less now, though! I’ll never see that album title the same way again.”

“Consider it payback for y’alls, bro,” she retorted.

“Aw, you suck!”

She just grinned back at me. I took a sip of the vodka, feeling unsteady.

“I still can’t believe it,” I muttered.

“What?”

“The, the… Zep thing.”

“It’s a good code word—”

“No, I mean that you actually did it!”

Lara made a face at me. “Well, I did. How many times are you going to say it?”

There was some silence. Apparently, Julie wasn’t the only tornado, though. I still couldn’t shake the scenarios that kept blossoming in my head.

“So were you just lying there and you just like, thought of it?”

Lara sighed patiently. “I told you, I was blowing him, but I wanted to get off myself.”

“Oh yeah. So you’re blowing him and thinking that you want to try it?”

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Shutter ReleaseChapter 3 She Flew Away

Colin and Shannon were still chatting near the door to Jane’s classroom, so I told her I’d grab our regular seats. When the bell rang a few minutes later, she joined me. “I guess we’ll have to check out the photos later,” Shannon said apologetically. “Tomorrow’s another day,” I said, grinning. “Nah, no school tomorrow.” I turned to her as Jane called for quiet. “Really? Why?” “Another big storm,” she whispered. “Whoa! They already cancelled?” “I don’t know. But we’re going to get...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 4 Donrsquot Touch

After the successful phone call to Colin, Shannon was on cloud ten as we tramped through the deepening snow with the saw horses. Well, I carried the barricades; she badgered me about not being allowed to help. “They’re not that heavy,” I dismissed. “Which is why you should let me carry one!” “They’re crazy heavy,” I amended quickly, pretending to stagger. “This isn’t the eighteen-thirties, Matt. Chivalry is pretty much dead.” “Says the girl who dances in a show where there is literally a...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 6 Fire for the Cold Ones

Given the unknown amount of potential baggage, Sarah decided to pick up the twins by herself. At best, one more person could have gone with her, but if it turned out that Muireann and Tommy were major packers then it would’ve been a tight fit and an uncomfortable ride. We knew from their letter that they’d likely be bringing some instruments with them. “Better safe than sorry. Besides, this will be my first and last chance to talk to them, I’m sure,” Sarah joked. “Don’t worry, we’ll let you...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 7 Porcelain Shell

I’d set an alarm for five, deciding that the lack of sleep would be better than leaving the twins stranded by themselves. However, when I slapped the sound off and staggered out into the living room, all was quiet. Figuring they’d be up soon, I grabbed my Walkman and stretched out on the couch to relax while I waited. As it turned out, I fell asleep and Lara ended up waking me up. I started, surprised to see her shaking me. “What time is it?” I asked, pulling the tangled headphones from my...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 8 Tint Shade and Hue

Figuring that the ‘warmest’ part of the day was passing, Lara suggested that if we still wanted to swim, now was the time. Tommy had not forgotten the offer and eagerly agreed, not put off by the frigid air temperature. We put away our guitars and returned to the house to don bathing suits. It was admittedly a bit odd, since Lara and I never did so; pulling jeans over the trunks felt completely alien. Lara had a giant stack of towels in her arms when we met up in the living room. Muireann...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 9 New Dream

“Well, last period is finally here. Enjoying the first day?” I asked, leading Muireann to some desks on the side of the classroom. I avoided my usual study hall spot, where Carl and a couple of other guys I usually sat with were already seated. “Aye, though it’s been a whirlwind,” she admitted. “Yeah, introducing you in each class ... I swear everyone has met you three times over!” Muireann sniffed. “At least that many. It felt a bit odd, all that. But everyone seems nice.” “For the most...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 55 Lie Down

The morning Alana dropped me off, my reunion with Lara was delicious. We shared a long and happy hug. I’d made every effort while with Alana to do exactly one thing: be with my dear friend. But on returning, I let all that stored-up love for Lara emerge again, and I didn’t want to let go of her. Of course, we eventually had to peel apart. She was due at the shelter soon, so after greeting my moms and Frej, we resumed our morning walks that she’d kept up in my absence. As usual, we didn’t...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 56 Waters

We entered August, the last full month of summer, of vacation, and of divine mountain warmth. I spent all my time at Clara’s; Lara increased her hours at the shelter since Chuck hired her more formally and started paying her for her computer work. Our tent became lived-in and undeniably welcoming the more we used it and adjusted our setup. With Frej’s help, we’d flown an oversized tarp above the area that gave us some dry space around the shelter in times of rain. It remained a heavenly...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 57 From Depth to Shoal

Are you sure about this... ? Back down by the house, I found Frej in the garage. He was peering closely at a tangle of wires. “These new electronics...” he grumbled. “They are all so small and impossible to fix... ! Or maybe I need glasses.” I laughed as best I could with the tremors that seemed to be creeping into me from all sides. I haven’t been sure of anything lately... “Need a break?” I asked. He tossed the thing onto the worktable and grinned at me. “Yes, that is enough for...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 58 Silent Sea

We followed Heather down the pathway to the rocky intertidal expanse and picked our way toward the rowboat that sat patiently in the shallows. Between us, we silently pushed the craft into deeper waters, until it floated freely with enough clearance for the extra weight it would now carry. Heather held it steady as first Lara and then I got in. She joined us with a nimble leap. I studied the rowboat as I sat in the stern with Lara. Though clearly aged, it was sturdy and well-maintained. A...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 59 True

Not even twenty-five hours into our new life, it became clear that our bodies were entirely unprepared for the relentless existence of sea-harvesting with Heather. When we awoke after that first night’s sleep, early morning’s glow was faint. What’s the rush? It was Heather who had roused us, and despite various attempts to roll over and slumber away the deep soreness that pervaded every cubic inch of my limbs, she would not allow it. I finally yawned, struggled to sit up, and gave her a look...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 10 Alizarin and Cobalt

“Welcome to darkroom class,” I announced as Muireann followed me into the darkroom the following evening. She eyed me. “Are you going to lie on the bed again?” I grinned broadly. “I think I might, and let you do the work. Hands-on is the best way to learn, right?” “You’re going to give Tommy a run for the title of laziest boy.” “Am I winning yet?” Muireann just smirked and started blacking out the windows. “I have to admit something,” she said. “What’s that?” “I didn’t realize the...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 11 Go Figure

When Melissa and I returned to the house after dropping off the order for the necklace, nothing much had changed. In the cabin I found Lara and Tommy at the table, intently studying a sheet of paper. They didn’t even glance at me as I closed the door. I could hear Muireann’s muffled fiddle playing from the darkroom, the sound of a slow Irish melody permeating the warmed air inside. “How’s it going?” I announced, taking off my coat. After scribbling something down, Lara turned to me, smiling...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 12 Take a Look at Me

I felt an arm grip my winter coat. “Matt ... I don’t know that we can do this!” “Of course you can. It’s not that hard.” “No, I’m worried about Tommy!” she whispered. “What if he falls? Or runs into someone?” I gave her gloved hand a pat. “He’ll be okay. It’s pretty soft, you know. Watch...” I let myself fall sideways like a cut tree, landing on my hip and shoulder. Muireann gave a little cry of surprise, but I just laughed it off. In another moment I was standing again. “You want to...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 13 Everything You Want

“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...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 14 Nothingrsquos What it Seems

“What have we here?” Jane asked, coming to a stop in front of our half-dozen pictures. “Twins,” Muireann said. “Aha.” She examined our spread. “Did you do the project together?” “Aye, we tried something different.” I could hear the hope in Muireann’s voice, that this would be okay by our teacher. Jane pursed her lips. “Interesting approach.” “I know there’s only six photos, but we both did take six shots,” I explained. “There’s two exposures on each!” Jane gave me a small smile. “Yes,...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 15 Victory Mask

“Damn, I’ve missed you,” I whispered. She giggled. “Wow, I didn’t realize how much!” “Hey now! Hands above the waist!” Heather cuddled up closer to me on the couch as the hubbub carried on in the rest of the great room. After all the greetings and chats following our guests’ arrival, dinner was soon going to be ready. With Frej volunteering to help with what remained of meal preparations, we’d been told to go hang out. Not being one to deny my parents’ wishes, I didn’t think twice to drag...

2 years ago
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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,...

4 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,...

4 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...

3 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...

3 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...

2 years 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...

3 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......

3 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...

3 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...

4 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...

3 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,...

4 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...

2 years 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...

2 years 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...

2 years 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...

4 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...

2 years 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...

2 years 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...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 25 The Dreams of a Girl

Chapter 25: The Dreams of a Girl Alana’s driving was a balm, a relaxed and smooth ride augmented by the loose shocks on the wheels of her old Buick. I reclined in the passenger seat, swigging from the wine. “Want some?” I asked, holding up the bottle. “Come on, I’m driving.” “I know. I was just being polite,” I murmured. Alana patted my arm. “Fine. But be safe first, polite second, dude. Someday someone will take you up on that offer and next thing you know you’ll end up making out with...

4 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 52 Sing Sweet Mountain

Lara held my hand as we stood in the currents of the Roe, watching the flow of life as this playful tendril of the sea wound her way around and through us. Each little splash measured one more instant of being together with my sister, little moments that when placed end to end added up to simple perfection. Because the hours that recently passed had been just that: a complete surrender of any fear of each other. Our deeds and misdeeds were starting to come out now, weighed and reckoned, then...

2 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 53 Carry Me

“Good morning, sis!” I sang. “Nice bedhead!” Lara squinted at me from the doorway to the darkroom. She released a giant yawn into the cabin before speaking. “Morning ... Uh, what the hell are you doing in an apron?” “Making breakfast!” “I thought I smelled something good, but then I remembered who I live with and was like, nah, can’t be. What’s the deal? Wait, are you making boxty?” “Fuck yeah!” She came close and scrutinized my meal preparation. “You do realize the twins aren’t here,...

3 years ago
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Shutter ReleaseChapter 54 Slip Through

Summer was fully ripened now, it being the latter part of July. The chorus of insects was thick in the air as I walked along the last stretch of our road. I was alone; Lara was already home, having left the shelter an hour before I’d swung by to gather her. In fifteen minutes I’d be in the creek, washed clean by Roe, and enjoying my time with her. Or, so I thought. As usual, expectations sure were a bitch. Well, not a bitch this time, but a gorgeous girl that I adored! “Hey there...

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