-I wrote the following novel nearly two decades ago. In the years between then and now I've honed my craft, and my perception of this world; my thoughts and ideas; have changed dramatically. However, I still enjoy the premise and have decided to do an overhaul of revisions and rewrites, though likely not until sometime next year. (Though I'm sure I'll do a little as I post chapters)
For now I hope you will enjoy a glimpse into my book writing beginnings...
They are the closest of friends though they have never met in waking life.
Prologue-PT1 Prologue-PT2 Chapter 1
Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13
Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16
Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19
Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22
Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25
Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28
Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31
Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34
Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37
Chapter 38 Chapter 39 Chapter 40
Chapter 41 Chapter 42 Chapter 43
Chapter 44 Chapter 45 Chapter 46
Chapter 47 Chapter 48 Chapter 49
Chapter 50 Chapter 51 Chapter 52
Chapter 53 Chapter 54 Chapter 55
Chapter Fifty Six
Collin was staring at the ceiling in his room, thinking about the experience of the day. He had gone to a church called First Baptist with John and Katherine and though he had been in several churches in his life, none were like this. The sermon was intriguing, but aside from just the words it was the man’s passion that caught Collin's attention. He was a slight man who literally bounced around the stage, emanating joy. Today he was preaching about a disciple named Paul, who had once basically been a Christian executioner.
He was still a long way from convinced that the Bible was factual, but the story was an inspiring one.
He was back at his own place this night, he didn’t want to miss anymore school. This week representatives from colleges all over the country were going to be there and he wanted to get in a few early applications. His adviser told him that he might even see some responses before Christmas if he did. Of course he was pretty set on Cornell, but he needed to keep his options open. If there was one thing he had learned in the last week, it was that you never knew what the future held.
He had dreamed of his little blonde friend the night before, but it had been a short one. They had decided they would run to the road and down it, hoping that they might make it around the curve before they woke, but apparently whatever was around it was as off limits as their names. As soon as they were through the middle he was sitting up in his bed. He hoped to see her tonight, so he could discuss his church experience, but he kind of doubted it. These days more time seemed to elapse between their nightly meetings.
He drifted off to sleep- and he was right- no Bright eyes. But he did dream, and his dreams were strange.
He was in a warehouse, he didn’t know where, and ahead of him there was a door with a square window at the top. There was a figure standing on the other side, and when the face turned he saw that it was Jack. He yelled out to him and started to run. He pushed open the door and saw a door on the far side of the room swinging shut. This went on, room after room, door after door until he reached the exit. He opened it to blinding sunlight, he had to shield his eyes to see anything. He was finally able to see that he was looking out on a magnificent garden. He was two stories up on a fire escape. He looked down and saw that two more people were on the stairs almost at the bottom. Jack was already off the stairs, beckoning the people, walking towards the garden. He started running down to them. The pair at the bottom didn’t move, but he still couldn’t get a good look at them. Just before he reached them they stepped off the stairs and disappeared along with the garden and Jack. When he stepped off himself he was standing in a dark empty parking lot.
He heard a voice, like a whisper, or a breeze, “Not yet Collin, it’s not your time.” “Who’s there!” he shouted. “Who said that?”
There was no answer. He turned in a circle, but he was alone.
The dream faded and he had other dreams, but they were jumbled up and in the morning it was only the first one that he remembered.
**
The following weekend he and John went upstate to Cornell University. He had put his applications in, now it was time to check out the campus and see what he thought. Jack was on his mind constantly, but the pain of it had already lessened. It made him sad and a little mad that it would only take him a couple of weeks to stop hurting so much. It didn’t seem right that life kept moving forward as usual. Two cliché’s whirled around in his head. “Life goes on,” and “Time is a healer.” How true they both were.
Jimmy had gone back to his house near Jones Beach after the funeral, but at least they had all reconciled. They talked on the phone once since then, and he intended to call him once a week from now on. He visited his mother just before they left for Ithaca and it was not good. She had dove into the bottle head first, and though it was only three in the afternoon she had already been three sheets to the wind. He wasn’t even sure if she was going to work. But there was really nothing he could do. Unlike Jack she was a grown woman who’s choices were her own. So he decided to take the high road, hug her and tell her he loved her.
They had checked into a hotel in Taughannok State Park and then took a walk down the lower trail that lead to the foot of the impressively steep Falls. It was beautiful, breathtaking. The leaves had begun to turn and their was splashes of reds, yellows, and oranges decorating the trees like Christmas ornaments.
He and John talked easily about all manner of things. Since the funeral they had become more and more like father and son. John gave him a big hug when he picked him up, and constantly put his hand on his shoulder in a fatherly manner. Collin found himself looking forward to these gestures, probably some part of him that had always craved his own missing father. Either way, he loved the man, Katherine too, and was glad to be their surrogate son.
The next morning they spent the day on the Cornell campus, which was more like a small city than a college. He fell in love immediately, not just with Cornell, but the town of Ithaca as well. It had an unusual feeling about it. They went to a place called the Commons and there were college age kids out on the sidewalks playing instruments. The people there could only be described as eclectic. There were tree huggers, gothics, alternatives, punk, business men and women, average middle aged parents with their small children. And every ethnic background was represented.
They ate at a restaurant called the Tacqueria, a Mexican place with great food and atmosphere.
If he had only known that the table they were now seated at had been occupied by his dream girl and mother just a week before, his decision for the college and the town would have been sealed.
The weekend went by fast, too fast, and he was back at school, going on with life, letting time continue to do it’s job.
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