This story puts me back in school… Those long days and nostalgic feelings… I remember the coolness of the marble floors and the smell of the library and the feel of the dirt beneath my hands as I sat on the playground with a pen and paper. You’ve brought all that back. I love this story so far, but I think it’s halfway because of how it reminds me of childhood.

Yes! I love it that we’ve slowed back down into Alex’s thoughts, into the agony of childhood love, and into the Venturing Into the Unknown territory of adventure… much prefer this direction, and especially that you’ve moved the story a (tiny) notch forward without over-resolving it…

Love it! Before even reading the prequal(s), I love it!

i enjoyed the internal dialogue.

what is he doing?!

Awesome, keep them coming.

Hmm… what could Alex possibly be doing?

I don’t know what Alex is doing and neither does he. Idiot logic runs deep.

This kind of puts me in mind of one of those hero’s quest stories where the hero starts out with a bag full of random crap but somehow ends up needing to use each and every item along the way. You know, like the Infocom games, or the John Woo Ben Affleck movie Paycheck.

I love the way you capture this kid.