18 Comments
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Bill Adler's avatar

This is a gripping story. My favorite sentence is, "Cassidy trained his eyes upon David with the stillness of a sniper."

Andrei Atanasov's avatar

Thanks for saying so, Bill! It was a risky one at the time of writing, for sure. But I think it’s got some beautiful bits that I really wanted to share.

E.T. Hansen's avatar

Good story, tense and raw, thank you

Andrei Atanasov's avatar

No, thank YOU for reading and the kind words!

Stephanie Sweeney's avatar

“Then he started dreaming about being a hero.” Gripping, tragic. Well done!

Andrei Atanasov's avatar

Appreciate it! Thank you so much for reading.

Jim J Wilsky's avatar

Winner Andrei, I'm new here and poking around. First story I chose and it's a great one. Thanks for sharing - Jim

Andrei Atanasov's avatar

Thanks so much for subscribing and reading, Jim!

Robert Walrod's avatar

A story that disturbed me.

You really have something in the character of David -- would you consider writing another story featuring him before his (presumably) untimely death?

Andrei Atanasov's avatar

Wow. Well. First, thank you so much for your words. Second, I’m not usually one for sequels, and it’s been a while since I wrote this story so I don’t feel very emotionally connected to David anymore. But never say never. There might come more of David at some point. I think his childhood in particular would be interesting to explore.

Nathan Slake's avatar

Jesus, Andrei. Powerful. What a sensational (and dark) ending. I honestly wasn't expecting that when the gun was pulled.

You painted a rich set of characters and context with such few words here. Bravo!

Andrei Atanasov's avatar

Appreciate it, Nathan! Coming from you, it really means a lot. I was anxious when I posted this (as one should be, I suppose), as I hadn’t given it a read-through in years. It’s always had a special place in my heart, though, and it seems it’s stood the test of time. I still think many parts of this are quite good.

Nathan Slake's avatar

Definitely! Thank you for digging it out and sharing it.

That anxiety is always a sign that something is good ;)

Sara B's avatar

What a good story! Congratulations! 😀

Andrei Atanasov's avatar

🤯🎉👌🏻 Thank you, Sara!

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May 8, 2024
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Andrei Atanasov's avatar

Thanks, my friend! I really pay close attention to voice. That’s perhaps why I’m so much more prolific in nonfiction than fiction, because my own voice is easy to nail down. I employ the same standard for most of my characters as I do for me: I need to hear their voice in my head, feel what it’s like to be them. That takes a heavy emotional toll, but it’s the only way I know to write fiction.

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May 8, 2024
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Mar 16, 2024
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Andrei Atanasov's avatar

I’m glad. Plenty more coming.