Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #79 (16.3)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Things have taken a strange turn indeed. Who would have ever thought Vinnie and Ethan would be having a heart-to-heart with Joey, of all people? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't  forget to see what the other Briefers are up to! Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #79 (16.3)

“What were you mad about?” Ethan asked cautiously. I didn’t look up, afraid to be seen as staring at Ethan’s brother. I wasn’t even sure he’d want to answer the question. But his comment seemed like a cry for help almost. I don’t think I’d ever seen Joey so...what was the right word? Vulnerable. Human, even.

“A lot of things.” Joey sighed. I noticed he never stopped stroking Benny. Not that our pup was likely to complain. He seemed pretty comfortable right where he was. “You. Sarah. Mom. Dad. Heather.” He paused for a moment, and no one broke the silence. “Maybe me most of all, I dunno.”

Wow, that was candor I never expected to hear from Joe Jr.

“I was a disappointment to him. I wasn’t as good as you. He kept holding you up as an example of what I should be. But he never wanted to help me, even when I asked. Too busy being the great and wonderful minister. The saint of Imperial, Georgia.” He paused and I darted a quick glance in his direction. His eyes were closed, and he seemed to be struggling not to cry. I glanced at Ethan, and his expression was rather stricken, as if his brother’s words pained him to hear.

“He even turned me down when I asked to work with him at the church. I thought maybe we could bond that way, but he wasn’t interested. And then he went and hired Heather.” Now his voice held a bitter note. “My own wife. I think he loved her more than he loved me.”

Whoa, what was there to say to that?

“He got me the agency, yeah. My reward for marrying Heather. But then he…then he…” Whatever he’d been about to say became lost in choking sobs that wracked his thin frame.

I glanced at Ethan in alarm, but he was already in motion. He closed the distance between them and threw his arms around his brother and held him while he cried. I wiped my own tears at the sight, feeling helpless to do anything but offer my silent support.

After a few moments, Joey drew back and nodded, as if to say he was okay, and Ethan returned to his seat beside me.

Joey sniffled a little, before speaking again. “I wanted to make you jealous,” he said.

Ethan’s eyes widened, probably in shock. “Jealous?” he echoed.

“Yeah. That I could get such a beautiful girl, and you couldn’t. That was before I knew…well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Ethan said softly.

“And I wanted to show Dad that I was better than you. So I married her for all the wrong reasons. That didn’t mean he had to—”

“Joey, I don’t think,” Ethan began, but he was interrupted by a quiet voice behind us.

“He didn’t.”

When had Ethan’s mother Maureen come outside? And how much had she heard?

We all turned toward her as she approached us, her attention focused on her aching older son.

“Mom, I didn’t mean,” Joey tried to backpedal but Maureen wouldn’t have any of that. She eased herself next to him on the step and reached for her son’s hand.

“It was the perception,” she said. “The appearance. Call it a mid-life crisis, or what have you. It was all illusion. There was nothing there, I know it. But shame on me for allowing it to go on as long as it did without putting my foot down. I failed you, Joey, and I know it.”

“It’s not your fault, Mom,” Joey protested. “It was Dad.”

“It was both of us. And it was Heather. I’m sorry if their pretense destroyed your marriage.” Her voice sounded as if it were full of unshed tears. I was beginning to think we shouldn’t be here for this. Or me, at least.

“No, no, don’t blame yourself. I should never have married her. I didn’t love her. I still don’t. I was just…I was mad that she dumped me like that. Made me feel like more of a loser than I was before.”

“Don’t ever say that about yourself!” Maureen sounded fierce. “You are not a loser. You are my son, and I love you and am proud of you, of all of you. You’re just going through some rough times, that’s all. But you can always count on my support. And your father’s, whether he shows it often enough or not.”

Joey heaved a large sigh, as if he’d just been relieved of the weight of the world, and leaned in toward his mother. She wrapped her arms around him.

That’s when Ethan nudged me, nodding toward the door. I immediately understood. We rose and silently tiptoed back into the house, leaving them alone, with the sleeping Benny sandwiched comfortably in between them.

 to be continued

Now go see what's happening with the other Briefers! And welcome back J Ray Lamb!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

 

 

Book Review: Annabel by Kathleen Winter

 

Annabel            

Author:  Kathleen Winter

Publisher: Black Cat Press

American release date:  January 4, 2011

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Coming of Age Fiction/480 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

In March of 1968, Treadway and Jacinta Blake welcome a child to their home in rural Labrador. But this child is different from other children, having been born with both male and female genitals. Jacinta’s friend Thomasina warns her to watch out for what her husband might do with the child. She was right to worry. Having seen what there is to see, while Jacinta puzzles out what do to, Treadway decides  for them. He names the child Wayne, and he has doctors sew up the female part of him, although he never forgets it is there.

Treadway is a trapper, and he spends a great deal of the year out in the wilderness. Nonetheless, he is a good husband and father, better than a number of the other men where they live. Even so, he refuses to deal with the truth about Wayne, so Wayne grows up unaware of his dual nature, and life goes on. Thomasina watches over Wayne carefully, and she is the one to recognize that something is wrong when Wayne reaches puberty, and a certain part of his body reacts the way girls’ bodies have reacted from time immemorial. She does what she knows needs to be done, acting in his best interest as his teacher. Nonetheless she has broken the rules and must pay the price.

Wayne doesn’t truly know what the many pills he has to take are for, or how much they cost his parents. He doesn’t have any friends to speak of until he meets Wally Michelin, and they become fast friends. Wally’s real name is Wallis, named for the woman for whom a king abdicated his throne. They spend a lot of time together, Treadway’s chagrin,  and one day Wayne asks his dad about building a bridge. Treadway is enthusiastic, having done so as a boy, but he and Wayne have different ideas of what a bridge should be. Wally has dreams too, of singing and music, and a particular vocal piece by Faure. But not all dreams work out.

Annabel is an amazing debut novel from Kathleen Winter, about a child born intersex (what was once called hermaphrodite, said to be inspired by the story of Hermaphroditus, the child of Hermes and Aphrodite). It is beautifully written and engaging, as we fellow the life of Wayne Blake, wondering if he will ever discover his true nature and what he will make of it. The characters are beautifully written and engaging, while the prose is simply beautiful. There is a great depth to the story, as Wayne navigates a world in which he is different from the people that he sees, but he does the best he can. One can’t even fault his father, knowing he means well. There are definitely some heart-breaking moments here. I think what everyone should take away from this book is that people are people, and not to be defined by their body parts. A wonderful read, can’t say enough good things about it. I highly recommend this book.

 

Saturday is Horror Day #119 - Ichi the Killer, Let's Kill Ward'sWife

 Ichi the Killer

Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano) is a yakuza enforcer who definitely stands out in a crowd because of his blond hair, his strange facial markings, and the wires around his mouth. When his boss goes missing, Kakihara vows to find him no matter what, and no matter who tells him to leave the matter alone. Kakihara is a sadomasochist who enjoys receiving pain as much as he likes inflicting it.

In the course of his search, he discovers a killer named Ichi (Nao Omori), a young sensitive man who has 

been trained to destroy the bullies of the world, having witnessed a very traumatic scene in his youth. He leaves a wake of death and destruction wherever he goes, and Kakihara can't help but be impressed. Perhaps this is someone who can offer pain beyond his wildest dreams.

Let me start by saying this is a very violent film, so violent it has been banned in various countries, not such which ones or if that ban still exists today. This is just what I read. Yes, very violent and visceral, but very well done also.  I am not familiar with the director, Takashi Miike, but I understand he is very respected in the industry. This story was taken from a manga, again one I am not familiar with.

There are some very compelling characters and outstanding performances here. If you are in any way squeamish, I would not recommend it. That being said, there are some interesting twists if you can stick with it. It is a little long, over two hours, but worth the watch. Kakihara and Ichi are both compelling characters. I give this film 4 Stars.

Let's Kill Ward's Wife

To say that Ward (Donald Faison) is henpecked by his wife Stacy (Dagmara Dominczyk) would be an understatement. His friends have all noticed it and hate it. Not that they don't have issues of their own. David (Patrick Wilson) is a temporarily unemployed actor who is separated from his wife Amanda (Marika Dominczyk). Ronnie (James Carpinello) is an unmarried womanizer. Tom Bradford (Scott Foley) works with Ward as a reporter, and is married to Gina (Amy Acker), but he makes a date with a woman he interviews. Ward and Stacy hold a party for son Ramon's christening, but of course, Ward ruins it (at least in her eyes) and she doesn't stop ranting. Ward's friends watch the spectacle from across the room with great dismay. We need to kill Ward's wife is the general consensus.

An unfortunate circumstance arises in which Scott actually does kill her. Now how are they going to get rid of the body? Friends (and wives) have to stick together, right? There is a slight complication, though. Ward's neighbor Bruce (Greg Grunberg) is a cop. And he wants to hang with the guys and play golf. Think they can distract him from figuring out what happened as they dispose of the body and then report Ward's wife missing?

This is definitely a dark movie with elements of comedy. Which doesn't make it a comedy, per se. Nobody is perfect in this film, not the guys and certainly not Ward's wife. But I also think that maybe she is suffering from PPD, since Ward says she was fine until she became pregnant. This is like the ultimate bro movie - what would you do for your friend? Even Ward isn't fazed by his wife's death once he realizes he's gained the world. Interesting film. I'll give it 3.5 Stars.

Book Review: Assassination Classroom, Vol 10 by Yusei Matsui

 

Assassination Classroom, Vol 10         

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date:  June 7, 2016

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Action Adventure Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

A nationwide surplus of eggs leads to a brilliant idea by Kayano! Rather than throw the eggs away, she will buy them and make a giant flan, which is a weakness of Koro Sensei. She will rig a bomb to be hidden at the bottom with hidden anti-sensei bbs. She enlists the aid of the others and they all brainstorm their way through the problems of creating such a large eggy dish. Koro Sensei will be pleased with the custardy offering and will never suspect Kayano, as she has always taken a back seat in assassination attempts. But now is her time to shine!

Karasuma plans to teach Class 3E advanced assassination techniques this semester, including explosives and parkour, or free running. Koro Sensei notices the parkour training and has an idea for a game – Cops and Robbers. They can have a 3D game of tag using the entire mountain! Per his idea, he and Karasuma will plays the cops to the students’ robbers. If they can’t catch all of the robbers within the hour, the students win. As a handicap, Koro Sensei will play the part of the jailer and stay in one position on the field. Hewon’t make his own move until the last minute. Sounds like a good game! But will Koro Sensei prove to be his own worst enemy?

Someone is stealing lingerie in Kunugigaoka City, and a description of the thief sounds suspiciously like Koro Sensei! His students are disappointed in him and he is mortified. The only way to prove his innocence is to capture the actual thief!

Itona and Shiro have returned, and Shiro is determined to use Itona to assassinate Koro Sensei – even at the price of his own life! Shiro abandons his student and now time is not on their side as they have to remove Itona’s tentacles, or face the consequences!

Itona has come up with a great idea for how to kill Koro Sensei – a high tech little tank. His ex-mentor is warned not to involve the students in his assassination attempts any more, and he reveals that there is a worse monster than Itona in that class.

The students are growing and developing at such a rate! And so creative! Who would have thought of using flan as a weapon? I’m glad we’re rid of Shiro, at least for the foreseeable future, and that Itona has calmed down a great deal, to more tolerable levels.  Looking forward to the next volume!

 

Book Review: The Elusive Samurai, Vol 4 by Yusei Matsui

 

The Elusive Samurai, Vol 4       

Author: Yusei Matsui

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: January 3, 2023

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Fantasy Manga/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★

 

Kiyohara is now the Kokushi of Shinano, and as such does not feel obligated to follow the rules established by the previous administration, including the taxation of the second crop. The citizens are less than pleased. In northern Shinano, Hoshina Yasaburo raises an army to rebel against this oppression, but Suwa feels they have no chance of victory. He sends Tokiyuki and his elusive warriors to convince Hoshina to abandon his plan and to help him and his men to escape. To be on the safe side, however, Suwa will not permit the girls to go, as there may be fighting.

When Tokiyuki and the others catch up to Hoshina and his men, they realize how deeply committed they are to dying for what they believe in. He finds a sympathetic ear in Shinomiya and strategizes with him about an escape route. But can he convince the stubborn man that this is the way to go? Will he have to battle him to get him to listen?

One thing Tokiyuki really misses about home is the fresh fish he was used to, especially sashimi. But where they are located, fish spoil long before they can arrive. So it’s up to the Elusive Warriors to find a way for their Lord to have his fish and make him happy.

Takauji and his brother Tadayoshi have brought an element of youth to Kamakura, being younger than the previous rulers, the HoJo, and they are working at restoring the city and maintaining order. Sadamune is determined to do his part for his new boss by rooting out any remaining Hojo.  He has no proof, but he is very suspicious of one young fellow (Tokiyuki in disguise) and decides to put him to the test. He requests a gift from Suwa, and asks that Chojomaru-dono/Tokiyuki bring it and then take back the return gift. To refuse this request would only make him more suspicious. Sadamune is still miffed at being bested by the young boy the previous year and is determined to look closely at him. Can this end well for Tokiyuki?

I really enjoy reading Yusei Matsui’s interpretation of historical events and people. His sense of humor is just as sharp as it was in Assassination Classroom.  I also like the notes at the end about life in feudal Japan. I hope Tokiyuki bests Sadamune. That man has something wrong with him lol.  Can’t wait for the next volume!

 

 

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #78 (16.2)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Things have gone upside down with Vinnie and Ethan. Are they really going to have a conversation with Joey? How can that turn out? See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #78 (16.2)

Nothing was said at first, we simply sipped our sweet tea and stared out into the backyard, where the laundry floated gently on the breeze. Benny raced about the yard like a madman. He’d spotted a rabbit and, despite the fact the little fella offered him no harm, insisted on chasing it. But the bunny managed to keep well out of Benny’s grasp, to our amusement. I wasn’t worried that our boy might actually catch and harm the rabbit. I think the fun lay in the sheer physicality of the chase.

“I always wanted to have a dog,” Joey broke the silence. That surprised me. I just couldn’t imagine him being interested in another living creature that wasn’t him. Of course, he’d obviously been married, but I’d never seen him show any sign of interest in his wife. Joseph Thorn had paid her more attention than his son had.

And let’s not open that can of worms again.

“I know,” Ethan said softly. I glanced at him in surprise, but said nothing to interrupt the moment. “Sarah and I did too.”

Joey was worrying at his lower lip, his gaze fixed on the porch. He raised his head and released a long exhale. “Dad always said no. He told me I wasn’t responsible enough. What did he tell you guys?”

“The same,” Ethan said.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for both of them. Not that I’d had a pet either, but that was due to circumstances, and I’d never blamed my mother for that. I knew she would have if she could have. I scooted closer to Ethan, close enough for our thighs to touch, and twined my fingers with his.

Another moment of silence passed. Benny grew tired of the futile chase and came trotting back to us, tongue hanging out from exertion. He yipped at us before bouncing onto Ethan’s brother’s lap—to our great surprise—where he comfortably settled himself and closed his eyes.

“Must be tiring to be him,” I commented with a chuckle.

Joey seemed as startled as we were. I watched him tentatively stroke Benny’s back, and then began to repeat the process with a growing confidence. “His fur feels so nice,” he said, a note of wonder in his voice.

“We give him regular baths,” Ethan said. “Whether he likes it or not.”

We all had to laugh at that. Benny didn’t seem to mind being the object of our joke, too happy at being spoiled by someone new to care.

I felt as though whatever tension may have been in the air around us seemed to lessen. That had to be a good thing, right?

“I’m sorry about what happened, Joey,” Ethan said. “I mean, with you and Heather….”

Joey nodded, but didn’t immediately reply. He continued to stroke Benny’s soft fur. I began to think maybe he just needed something to hold onto. I could relate to that. Ethan was my something, and I didn’t even want to think about what I’d do without him. I was too used to being with him now.

“Have you thought about what you’re going to do now?” Ethan continued. “What kind of job you might want to get?”

That was assuming he wanted to get a job at all. On the other hand, even I didn’t think the reverend’s patience was unlimited enough to support a son old enough to support himself.

Ethan’s brother made no immediate reply. Was I seeing things or did I see him wipe a tear from his eye? Not at all what I expected.

“I don’t know,” he said at last. “I really don’t know. I mean, I realize I messed up. Bad. It’s my fault the business failed. But I was so mad…so very mad.” He continued to pet our pup, and I realized with a start that his hands seemed to be shaking.

I exchanged a startled glance with Ethan. Was he thinking what I was thinking? What everyone was probably thinking because Joseph Thorne Senior led them to that conclusion, whether out of vanity or ego or whatever.

I suddenly felt sorry for Joe Junior, and that’s not something I thought I’d ever feel.

 to be continued

Now go see what the other Briefers are up to!

Cia Nordwell

 

 

 

Saturday is Horror Day #118 - Amusement

 Amusement

Shelby's (Laura Breckenridge) boyfriend Rob (Tad Hilgenbrink) is fascinated with the concept of being part of a convoy, so when the opportunity presents itself while they are on a road trip, he goes for it, despite having no idea who the other people are. Shelby sleeps intermittently while Tad drives but wakes enough to see a girl's face at the back of the semi they are following. Wait a minute, didn't he say he's alone? Tad tells her not to worry, but then a moment later, a girl's body is flung onto their windshield. Tad tries to get the trucker's plates as he tears off into the night, but worse is in store for them when Shelby is kidnapped.

Tabitha (Katheryn Winnick) agrees to watch her two young cousins, but oddly enough, when she arrives, the babysitter she expected to see is nowhere to be found. The boys assure her that the girl left, but they seem far too amused by the situation. Tabitha shrugs it off, but when she goes to the guest room where she'll be staying, she finds the clown motif a bit much. Especially the life-sized one in the rocking chair. When her aunt calls, she tells her how creepy it is, but her aunt is confused. She doesn't have a clown like that. Kidnap Victim #2.

Lisa (Jessica Lucas) doesn't believe her best friend Cat (Fernanda Dorogi) just went to a hotel with a random dude, that isn't like her. But when Lisa approaches the decrepit-looking place, she is informed that all the beds are taken. Concerned, she sends her boyfriend Dan (Reid Scott) to find out what's going on, using his authority with the health department. Hours later, he hasn't returned, so Lisa sneaks into the hotel herself.

*****SPOILERS*******  I am going to spoil this because this movie is so bad, I'm going to save you the trouble of watching it. The three young women are all childhood friends who haven't seen each other in years. The guy behind all this mayhem and murder is another child they knew, one with a sick and twisted sense of humor that they never found funny. He calls himself The Laugh (Keir O'Donnell). He kidnaps the first two girls and sets them up in a pseudo diorama resembling one he did as a kid that they thought was sick (spoiler alert - it was).

The only people I recognize in this film are Katheryn Winnick, who played Lagertha in Vikings, and the psychiatrist played by Rena Owen, who was Helen in Siren. This movie looked like it was written by a child and was left over from a fever-riddled dream, only half remembered, and making no sense. It is horrible. Not scary, not creepy, just bad. The best thing about it was that it was only an hour and a half long. Even Katheryn Winnick can't save horrible. I'm going to give this film 1 Star, just for her, but I recommend you avoid it entirely.

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #77 (16.1)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

A quiet in the madness finds Vinnie and Ethan drying clothes the old-fashioned way - outside. But an unexpected noise draws their attention. See what's happening in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #77 (16.1)

Joey managed to give us a look that was both sullen and apologetic, but he didn’t say anything, simply stood there.

“Why are you spying on us?” Ethan demanded. “What are you up to?”

“I wasn’t spying on you,” Joey insisted, but I wasn’t very convinced, and I was pretty sure Ethan wasn’t buying his act either.

Ethan folded his arms across his chest, as if he was addressing a wayward child and not his older brother. “Don’t tell me you came out to offer to help with the laundry?”

I decided to keep quiet. Not my monkey, not my circus. I didn’t think Joey was that altruistic, and even if he was, he was obviously too late to be of any use.

“No, I…I just wanted to see what you guys were up to, that’s all.”

If that didn’t sound suspicious.

Despite my best intentions not to say anything, I decided to open my big mouth anyway. “What, you were thinking you’d catch us in the act or something? Sorry to disappoint.”

At least he had the decency to blush, once he figured out what I meant.

“I…I…I,” he stuttered then fell silent. Finally, he turned away from us, shoulders slumped as if in defeat, and I suddenly felt bad for reasons I couldn’t define. I think Ethan shared my feelings.

“Wait a minute,” he said, taking a step toward his brother, me close behind.

Joey stopped but didn’t say anything, nor did he face us.

“We’re just going to hang out for a little bit, want to join us?”

I didn’t remember that being on our agenda, but I held my tongue. Joey pivoted to face us now, and I was surprised to see a hopeful gleam in his eye before he looked back to the ground, as if for guidance.

“Are you asking me to hang out with you?” He sounded as surprised as I felt.

“We are,” Ethan said. “Aren’t we, Vin?”

I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I know my Ethan pretty well, and I could hear the unspoken question in his question. He was asking me to go along with what he said, so how could I do otherwise?

“We are, yeah,” I quickly replied. Ethan reached for my hand and gave it an approving squeeze, which only reinforced my thoughts. If it would make Ethan happy, I’d even suffer spending time with his brother.

Joey shuffled his feet unsurely, before running his hand through his hair in what I took to be a nervous gesture. “Sure, where,” he said at last.

“How about we sit on the back porch?” Ethan suggested. “I’ll see if Mom’s got any tea or anything.”

“Yeah, okay, sounds good.”

We all headed back the way we’d come. Ethan went through the back door, while his brother and I picked out spots on the steps. I didn’t know what to say to him, to be honest.  In fact, I didn’t think I’d ever been alone with him before, and our interaction had been very limited. Not counting the time I’d punched him, of course.

Luckily, Ethan wasn’t gone long, returning with hands full of three plastic cups, as well as a very excited Benny. Our pup had been napping when we’d come outside, but he was clearly awake now, and ready to play. I took one of the cups from Ethan and handed it to his brother, than held his and mine while he sat beside me on the step.

Our fearless Benny ran from Ethan to me and back again, before approaching Joey, cocking his head at him inquisitively. When Joey raised his hand, I instinctively tensed, prepared to defend our pup. But all Joey did was to lightly pat the top of his head before drawing his hand back.

So far, so good.

 to be continued

Now go say hello to the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

 

Book Review: Zombie-Loan, Vol 2 by Peach-Pit

 

Zombie-Loan, Vol 2      

Author: Peach-Pit

Publisher: Yen Press

American release date:  February 13, 2008

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Fantasy Manga/192 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

The Sister is missing, but life goes on, and even changes a little when Michiru says she won’t be getting the girls’ lunches anymore. Chika and Shito applaud her for standing up for herself, even if Chika still calls her gofer. But when he catches her eating bread crusts for lunch, because she can get them for free, he is appalled, because he believes that women need to eat food with fat so they can bear healthy babies. Unfortunately, being short of money for food, Michiru also has no place to live. Shito and Chika have an idea and return to Z-Loan where they tell her to go with a mysterious little girl, who will help her get a place to stay. She turns out to be Shimotsuki Kuze, chancellor of Holy Kurou Campus. Michiru ends up in the school’s old monastery, which has been turned into students dorms. But students must meet two criteria in order to stay there. First, the student must have a living arrangement problem as the result of a family issue.

Before Michiru can learn the second condition, a cheerful girl named Koyomi arrives, and the Chancellor tells her to show Michiru around and then leaves herself without offering an explanation. The condition of the dorms is less than ideal, but Michiru is thrilled to have her own room, with a window, even though it opens onto the cemetery. Shito and Chika and Koyomi throw her a small welcome party, which is when Michiru learns of her debt to the two boys. The only way to pay this debt is to work with them. After the party, Michiru also learns of Koyomi’s secret. The boys are delighted to learn that they can use Michiru to bring out that secret, naturally to benefit them.

Chika takes Michiru to his second job at a convenience store and makes her help him with his work. There he runs into an old acquaintance, Shiba, and the two boys instantly bond. Michiru thinks she’s never seen Chika so happy. However the situation turns dire when the three find themselves faced with a large number of rats!  Shiba’s solution to the problem surprises both Chika and Michiru. Afterward, when Shinba follows them to Z-Loan, things get tricky. Everyone is working together to solve a recent murder, and Shiba proves surprisingly helpful. So Ferryman offers him a job, to Shito’s chagrin. Believing Shito to be jealous of Chika’s relationship with Shiba, Michiru is set straight by Shito, who explains how things really work with him and Chika and why they appear to be so close.

Lots of secrets going on – some revealed, some not. We meet some new characters, including the personable Shiba, whom I suspect will be around for a while. Is he as nice as he appears to be, or does he contain a secret self? Only time will tell. The revelation regarding Chika and Shito is not totally surprising, as we saw evidence in the first volume, it’s simply been corroborated now. I like the artwork as well as the story and look forward to reading more.

 

Saturday is Horror Day #117 - Rigor Mortis, Otis

 Rigor Mortis

A washed-up actor at the end of his rope moves into a dilapidated tenement building. Feeling he has nothing to live for, he attempts to take his life, but a neighbor intervenes. A woman who cannot deal with the death of her husband discovers a way to bring him back to her, thanks to a practitioner of the dark arts. But he warns her to never remove his mask. A child seeks the attention of his neglectful mother. Twin girls seek revenge for what happened to them in life. 

Living here will not be easy...

This beautifully filmed and well-acted movie will give you the chills. Chock full of spirits, who run the 

gambit of Chinese mythology, this is a must-see for those who love horror. Maybe even more than once, to catch everything.

Pay close attention to the special effects and the sound track, which are crucial to the setting of each scene.  I highly recommend this and give it 4.5 Stars.

Otis

A classic high school story - boy meets girl, boy loves girl, boy asks girl to be his date at the prom...except this is no boy, this is an obsessed 40 year old serial abductor/killer by the name of Otis (Bostin Christopher) who keeps kidnapping pretty girls. He chains them up in his specially equipped torture chamber, forces them to go by the name of Kim, and then wants them to relive with him a time of his life that never existed.

The Lawsons are a somewhat typical dysfunctional family, led by parents Will (Daniel Stern) and Kate 

(Illeana Douglas). Riley (Ashley Johnson) is the golden girl who can do no wrong while son Reed (Jared Kusnitz) is the fuck-up who can't be bothered to do anything he should. He and a friend get caught making a video of Riley in her underwear in the privacy of her bedroom, and the parents are incensed. However, their video attracts Otis' attention, and he begins to peep on her himself. Luckily, the parents aid in his plans by ordering pizza from the pizza parlor where he works as a delivery driver. The game is on!

When Riley comes outside to pay him for the pizza, he kidnaps her and introduces her to his secret room. Meanwhile, the FBI have been called in and the investigation is being led by an obnoxious agent, Ralph Hotchkiss (Jere Burns), who is more hindrance than help, and doesn't let a little matter of truth get in his way.

The savvy Riley knows the only way to survive is to "play along" with Otis, answer to the name of Kim, and pretend they are on a date. Unbeknownst to her, Otis has a brother, Elmo (Kevin Pollak), who is thoroughly disgusted with the way Otis lives and who is unaware of his brother's extracurricular activities. When Otis tries to speak about Kim, Elmo warns him to never speak his wife's name again...ever.

Riley manages to escape, and even remembers the address where she is held. But when she tells her mother, Kate tells her to tell no one else, especially Hotchkiss. She and Will and Reed have plans for Mr. Otis....

Otis is a dark horror/comedy, but mostly a horror film, which will keep you wondering from beginning to end how everything will plan out. You'll remember Daniel Stern from the Home Alone films, where he was one of the bad guys terrorizing Macaulay Culkin. This film feels like a bit of a twist in that he is defending something/someone, not the other way around. Jere Burns is wonderfully obnoxious as the FBI agent you can't wait to hate, and I also loved the stoner son who stood up when it counted. Hooray for family solidarity!

Remember this is ultimately a horror movie, and does get graphic. There is an alternate ending which is quite different than the original. All in all, a good watch. I give this film 4 Stars.

Book Review: I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver

 

I Wish You All the Best      

Author: Mason Deaver

Publisher: Push

American release date: May 14, 2019

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Teen & YA LGBTQ+ Romance/336 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Coming out to his parents as non-binary, that is. Being honest  with them about who they really were. But for Ben de Backer, the truth quickly turns ugly when his horrified parents arbitrarily kick them out of their house. They have nowhere to go and nowhere else to turn except to Hannah, the older sister they haven’t spoken with in ten years, now married and living an hour away, in Raleigh (at least according to her Facebook).  Surprised to hear from her brother, she agrees to pick Ben up and take them to her home.

Ben tells Hannah the reason for what happened, and she is surprisingly supportive. Ben meets his brother-in-law, Thomas, who teaches chemistry at the local high school. Hannah rallies behind her brother, telling them they can stay with her and she’ll help him out with their needs – such as enrolling in school, buying new clothes (they left with only what they were wearing), as well as therapy. Ben isn’t sure about the last, but they agree to try. While waiting in the office on their first day of school, Ben meets a nice-looking affable fellow student named Nathan. Is it Karma that Nathan is assigned to show Ben around the school? They become fast friends. Maybe life will be better here…it certainly can’t get worse.

Or can it? As Ben’s feelings for Nathan grow, they’re afraid to say anything, afraid to lose him. Nathan is certainly supportive of everything Ben does, including their art, and encourages Ben to display his work at the student art show. How will Nathan feel when he sees the portrait Ben drew of him? Will they ever be accepted for who they are?

I really enjoyed reading this book, and loved Ben so much! I felt for him when he was kicked out by his parents, knowing how that feels, and was thrilled when Hannah stepped in to anchor his world. There are some wonderful characters, including Ben and Nathan, Meleika and Sophie, Hannah and Thomas, Mariam, and more. Ben’s fear of not being accepted for who they are is understandable, and only goes to show that we must all work hard to erase the negativity surrounding those who are not what others consider to be “normal”. In other words, a new “normal” needs to be established where pre-conceived notions of gender and sexual identity need to be rearranged. I think this book will go a long way toward doing that.

Kudos to Mason Deaver for writing such a beautiful and meaningful book. I look forward to reading more of their writings.

 

 

 

Wednesday Briefs: Bad Karma and the Family Plan #76 (15.6)

Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

A momentary lull in the drama finds Vinnie and Ethan hanging laundry the old-fashioned way - on a clothesline! See what's going on in this week's chapter of Bad Karma and the Family Plan. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follows my tale! Enjoy!

Bad Karma and the Family Plan #76 (15.6)

For that time of year, the temperature was fairly pleasant, being in the mid-fifties. Sunshine radiated down upon us as Ethan gave me a quick lesson in how to hang laundry. Not like it was rocket science or anything, but I wasn’t complaining. Gave me an excuse to have his hand over mine was he explained the intricacies of clothespin placement, punctuated by occasional kisses of approval.

Let’s be honest. Sleeping on the floor in the living room, with Ethan’s uncle, as well as Troy and Brendan, close at hand was not conducive to making love in any way shape or form. I was grateful that we could even snuggle together. But I wasn’t complaining, not really. I knew we’d make up for lost time as soon as we could. Probably after Benny gave his testimony and that was all taken care of.

“Thank you,” he murmured against my lips in between hanging up sheets on the line.

“What for?” While I wasn’t reluctant to take credit for anything, I couldn’t think of what I might have done recently to produce such a statement. I also wasn’t complaining.

“You’ve been so patient with all of this. Being cooped with my family. Putting up with some nonsense…”

I suspected he meant Joey, but not like that was Ethan’s fault.

“Sleeping on the floor, no privacy…the whole nine yards. Baby, I appreciate you so much.” He kissed me softly as I melted inside.

“I would do anything for you,” I said sincerely. “You mean everything to me. Everything.”

His beautiful smile only grew wider at my words. “And to think you couldn’t stand me at one time,” he teased. I felt my face grow warm, but I managed a weak smile.

“I think I can more than stand you now, Mr. Thorne,” I responded before I proceeded to demonstrate my changed feelings by kissing him very thoroughly. By the time we came up for air, his face was very flushed, and his lips were kiss-swollen.

Once all the laundry had been hung to dry, we were speculating on what to do next.

“Must be almost lunchtime,” I started to say when a flash of movement caught my eye from the side of the house. What the hell? I glanced at Ethan to see if he’d noticed. The serious look on his face told me whatever it was had caught his attention too.

Ethan put his finger to his lips and carefully crept in the direction of the movement. I automatically fell behind him. If someone had come up to the house, surely Carlos and the boys would have given us some sort of warning. No time to worry about that now.

A sense of trepidation stole over me. Had we been too unobservant of our surroundings, caught up in one another and the moment? We were on the job, after all, even if it didn’t exactly feel like it.

I almost ran into Ethan as he cornered the house and stopped abruptly. I put out my hands to steady myself, clutching at his hips.

“Son of a bitch!” I heard Ethan swear. I glanced up to see the object of his irritation—young master Joey himself.

Why was I not surprised?

 to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

Saturday is Horror Day #116 - The Orphanage, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

 Saturday is Horror Day

Raised in an orphanage for handicapped children, Laura (Belen Rueda) and her husband Carlos (Fernando Cayo) purchase the now vacant building and move into it with their adopted son Simon (Roger Princep). Simon is not only unaware that he is adopted, but that he is HIV positive as well. Concerned that Simon's only companions are the invisible friends he insists he plays with, Laura and Carlos arrange a get together for other parents of special needs children and their children. Simon tells her of his special friend Tomas, insisting he is real, and wears a cloth sack over his head. At the gathering, Laura sees such a child but he disappears. And suddenly Simon has disappeared, and Laura is beside herself, anxious to get her son back. Who are these invisible children, and could they hold the key to Simon's disappearance?

In an effort to find Simon, Laura calls in a team of parapsychologists, led by Aurora (Geraldine Chaplin). 

The Orphanage is a Guillermo del Toro film, and as such is beautifully crafted, less of a horror story than a ghost story. Laura must deal with the ghosts of her past even as she searches for her missing son. She refuses to give up, even when her husband insists they need to go. She is sure she can find him, given enough time. It's a testament to the strength of a mother's love, and the lengths to which one mother will go to get her child back.

The movie is well-written and acted. While not terrifying, it is haunting and tragic and worth watching.

I give this Film 3.5 Stars 

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

A documentary crew led by Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) receives the opportunity of a lifetime when a man who claims to be the next great slasher/serial killer offers to let them film his story, from beginning to end. The man's name is Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel), and he has a reign of terror planned for the sleepy little town of Glen Echo. He considers himself to be a worthy successor to such greats as Michael Meyer and Jason Voorhees. He takes the filmmakers on a practice run of what he intends to do before revealing his actual target - a waitress at a local diner, Jamie (Bridgett Newton). He's been stalking her for some time, and he reveals how everything is going to go down, including how and where everyone will die. Except for Jamie. She will be his Survivor Girl. The one who will take him down. Why? Because she's a virgin.

Leslie lays down certain rules that Taylor and the crew must obey, and one of them is that they must not talk to Jamie. They are observers, nothing more. They follow him as he silently terrorizes the poor waitress, leading up the grand finale at the party.

This film is both a mockumentary and an homage to horror films, including references to such films as Halloween and Nightmare on Elm Street. There's even a detective played by Robert Englund, and Zelda Rubinstein, whom you might remember from Poltergeist, is there too. Leslie is very matter-of-fact in the way he tells Taylor et al what he intends to do and how he intends to do it. Even they come to realize there comes a point where they cannot remain passive witnesses to such horrific events and have to step in.

It's not a bad film, and I do appreciate the intention behind it. However, and maybe this was just me, but I felt my attention wander from time to time, and I felt it was fairly predictable. Including the ending at the end of the credits. Not bad, just not memorable in my book. I'll give it 2.5 Stars.