"This Time Will Be Different" by Bardeara

[AFriendlyFace]

This Time Will Be Different by Bardera

 

Bardeara's Fall Anthology story

 

 

***Possible Spoilers***

 

 

 

I really enjoyed the way this story captured the longing that came along with being in love with someone but being unable to tell them how you feel! There were a few things left to the reader's imagination however. For example what was this accident that Brent spoke of? Why was there an old man sitting in his chair reading a book? Was that him?

 

My interpretation is that Lucas must have died in some sort of an accident at that precise time, 9:43 PM. Thus, he can dress in his Peter Pan outfit and truly not get any older. I didn't understand about this old man who must surely have been Brent though. Unless in reality this routine has been going on for SO LONG that he really is an old man. I wonder if that means he's having some sort of out-of-body experience.

 

I think these little questions and mysteries really add dramatic effect to the story! Almost as though Bardeara is leaving it up to each of our own imaginations!

 

In any case it's a really sweet love story and I'm so glad that Lucas and Brent were finally able to tell each other how they felt!

 

What did everyone else think about these mysteries?

 

Awesome job, Bard!

Kevin

Edited October 29, 2006 by Kitty

[C James]

This Time Will Be Different by Bardera

 

Bardeara's Fall Anthology story

***Possible Spoilers***

I really enjoyed the way this story captured the longing that came along with being in love with someone but being unable to tell them how you feel! There were a few things left to the reader's imagination however. For example what was this accident that Brent spoke of? Why was there an old man sitting in his chair reading a book? Was that him?

 

My interpretation is that Lucas must have died in some sort of an accident at that precise time, 9:43 PM. Thus, he can dress in his Peter Pan outfit and truly not get any older. I didn't understand about this old man who must surely have been Brent though. Unless in reality this routine has been going on for SO LONG that he really is an old man. I wonder if that means he's having some sort of out-of-body experience.

 

I think these little questions and mysteries really add dramatic effect to the story! Almost as though Bardeara is leaving it up to each of our own imaginations!

 

In any case it's a really sweet love story and I'm so glad that Lucas and Brent were finally able to tell each other how they felt!

 

What did everyone else think about these mysteries?

 

My interpretation was that Brent was indeed an old man, who had fialed, the first time around, to let Lucas know how he felt. Perhaps Lucas' ghost had been coming to visit him every haloween, always in the same costume.

 

I think the "old man" is Brent, who has just died, and is now able to be with Lucas. A very romantic ghost story!!

 

VERY WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shadowgod]

My interpretation was that Brent was indeed an old man, who had fialed, the first time around, to let Lucas know how he felt. Perhaps Lucas' ghost had been coming to visit him every haloween, always in the same costume.

 

I think the "old man" is Brent, who has just died, and is now able to be with Lucas. A very romantic ghost story!!

 

VERY WELL DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

This story caught me off gaurd at first, going into lavish detail on the ritual of opening a beer. It had me guessing and second guessing myself untill the very end. Mostly cause I felt details were over looked in favor of placing description on things that weren't neccerily needed. But I knew one thing for sure as I got to the end and the way the main character changed his evening ritual by stepping outside. The moment he looked back through the window and saw the old man with the book spread in his lap, the same book he read every year, I felt a shiver that ran up spine and spread through my shoulders, ending in my cheeks.

That one beautiful, perfect moent of clairity that washed over me, realizing the pining the main character had been doing indeed had been life long, and finaly they had forever to figure out what they were going to do now...

Ive shivered a few times just writing this review, let me tell ya bardera, I love when an author can elicit a physical response from me. The flaws I may have seen definately were worth the 'shiver'

 

Steve

[Tom]

WOW!!!

 

The way you discribed Brent's yearly ritual, making the reader start out wondering how long he had been doing it, then giving it the feel of a well prcaticed song. Then to end it with a love that strong...very moving

 

gotta say, I loved it

 

Hugs,

Tom

[Graeme]

Congratulations, Bardeara!

 

I think the others have said everything I wanted to say, but I loved how, with the close, you brought how Brent had spent a lifetime wanting to be with Lucas -- not just a handful of years which was the impression from the start of the story.

 

I know you were nervous and excited with this, your first story posted, but you should be proud as well. It's an excellent tale and one that's been well told.

 

Graeme

[NickolasJames8]

Good Jog, Bardera......I like how you said, The Accident, but you didn't say what kind of accident. Leaves it up to the imagination.....I can picture a youg Lucas, on his way to tell Brent how he feels and tragically, he's killed by a pack of wild dogs or a combine.....beautiful

[DarkShadow]

I loved the ending!!! Death finally left me with a smile. It's sad to think how many years must have passed to lead to this. Great stuff!

[Rigel]

This story is a great riff on the classic "Vanishing Hitchhiker" tale:

 

http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/vanish.asp

http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/a/038780.htm

and as a "bluegrass" song: http://icdc.com/~fmoore/B/B/Bringing_Mary_home.html

 

But I love the variant of having Brent being able join Lucas; I've never before seen such a romantic ending to this classic ghost tale, much less a gay version. Great writing Bardeara!

 

--Rigel

[knotme]

A gentle, thought-provoking story.

 

My first hint that I needed to rethink my view of this story was

I learned that Lucas loved Peter Pan because of the concept that Pan never had to grow up. The concept of course was flawed, because everyone has to grow up.

I asked myself, what brings on this bitter judgement of one my own favorite children's stories? Then when Brent looked in the house at the old man, I began to put 2 and 2 together, but I think I need a little help from those you who seem to understand better than I.

 

Why is the For Sale sign out front? Is it because Brent had intended to move just before he died? Or has he died, and his estate's executor has put the house up for sale?

 

Peter Pan Lucas is still 17, his age at the time of the accident. Right? But Brent has died an old man. Did Brent revert to 17 upon his death? Are we to assume that life after death is ageless and appearance irrelevant (except for Lucas in his Peter Pan suit) ?

 

Did Brent know all evening long that he is dead, or did he die at the very end?

 

Is Brent really 17 and is the old man a vision of Halloween Future, if Brent does not seize the day and change the future (as in Dickens)?

 

Are all these questions beside the point?

[Graeme]

A gentle, thought-provoking story.

 

My first hint that I needed to rethink my view of this story wasI asked myself, what brings on this bitter judgement of one my own favorite children's stories? Then when Brent looked in the house at the old man, I began to put 2 and 2 together, but I think I need a little help from those you who seem to understand better than I.

 

Why is the For Sale sign out front? Is it because Brent had intended to move just before he died? Or has he died, and his estate's executor has put the house up for sale?

 

Peter Pan Lucas is still 17, his age at the time of the accident. Right? But Brent has died an old man. Did Brent revert to 17 upon his death? Are we to assume that life after death is ageless and appearance irrelevant (except for Lucas in his Peter Pan suit) ?

 

Did Brent know all evening long that he is dead, or did he die at the very end?

 

Is Brent really 17 and is the old man a vision of Halloween Future, if Brent does not seize the day and change the future (as in Dickens)?

 

Are all these questions beside the point?

*angrily mutters about people asking good, but difficult questions*

 

For sale sign: Two possibilities spring to mind. Either he was selling up, maybe to move to a retirement or nursing home, or it was the executor who put up the house for sale, and the image when he looked back was a memory, not reality (I honestly don't think an executor would try to sell a house with the body still inside). I'd like to think it was the former -- and his spirit realised he couldn't leave Lucas behind.

 

Brent's age: We're never told Brent's age, or even given a description of him. My view is that his spirit returned to the age he wanted to be -- the age when he first met Lucas. It's like the Kevin Coster baseball movie, Field of Dreams where one character was the age when he had dreams of becoming a baseball star.

 

Brent's death: I think he died earlier that night, since the body is by the book. However, I don't believe Brent realised he was dead -- he was too focused. Even at the end, I'd like to think he thought he wasn't dead -- just moved onto a new part of his life: one with the person he loves.

 

All just my opinion, as I'm not the author In case you haven't worked it out, I'm a past-master of furious rationalisation after the fact.

[Luc]

I had a sense from the beginning of something

[AFriendlyFace]

I had a sense from the beginning of something

[knotme]

Thanks, Graeme and Luc! Your ideas hold water for me and add to my enjoyment of the story.

[rknapp]

I want to say that Brent had passed at some point between this halloween and the previous halloween, and the heir to the house was selling it at this time. Brents only means of communicating with his only love was threw 9:43 pm on halloween night, and so that is how they met again and confessed to eachother. When he looked back into the house was how he was on the last halloween. He was looking at his past, knowing that it will never happen again, as he with Lucas in the afterlife now. Lucas might have died at the age of 17 or 18, and Brent has thus lived his entire life (7th grade until 80+ years old) in that house, as he previously stated. Another clue to their deaths is the last line,

[old bob]

I loved the ending!!! Death finally left me with a smile. It's sad to think how many years must have passed to lead to this.

I loved the story too, particularly now, the 1st of November, the feast of all the deads...

But the amazing is all the comments in a short time ! We are all impressed by the way you brought us to the end, with so many open questions... For all who parted, is really the death the only way to be together again ?

"Carpe diem", friends , "hodie mihi, cras tibi", as it is written on a tombstone....(call me if you want the translation )

Old bob

[Graeme]

One thing I've taken from this thread (and some of the other ones for the anthology) is how much detail there is in the story that a casual reader (that's me) doesn't pick up. I missed almost all the references that people have mentioned above and, as Kevin said, it just makes the story that much richer.

 

Now for the bad news....

 

When's your next story going to be ready, Bardeara?

 

Graeme

 

PS: Welcome to the world of having eager fans

[Bardeara]

Hello everyone,

 

First I really don

[Bardeara]

For all who parted, is really the death the only way to be together again ?

 

To answer you question... I don't know. I guess in a way this story was inspired as a result of a friend of mine. When someone dear died to her, she started having visits while asleep. While I have heard and do believe that dreams can me the door bettween this world and the next. Most people would probable call my friend crazy or unwilling to accept the death.

 

But when can dreams blur and one have a waking dream? Things to wonder I guess. Thanks once again to everyone who has read my story and a special thanks to those who have posted a responce.

 

Later