Book 2 -- Houston

I've read through half of book two of APoS and it's moving along but is a lot more superficial in places, though I'd already started making notes as to what was needed, where, so it's on its way to being there. I know what I'm aiming for, in here -- parallels to happenings in Derry at the beginning of the Troubles -- and I can see the groundwork laid. There are also notes for aspects I need to add to book one.

Brendan's personality is shifting, thanks to the trauma he's been through. Smokes more. Pot and cigarettes. Drinks. Does pills. Seeks oblivion. Yet has flashes of anger that boil out of nowhere at the same time that he's more casual about things. A lot depends on the circumstances and whether or not he feels like he's being put upon.

He's still isolated, but I'm not seeing much of his Derry attitude in here, and I'm not sure about that being a good thing...or bad...but his new mantra seems to be, Do it, especially if you don't want to.

For example, he gets talked into going ice skating in the Galleria...and becomes quite good at it because when he's finally able to slick around the rink at speed, it's like he's flying and leaving his troubles behind him.

But other occasions are problematic -- like sneaking into a gay bar with his cousin, Scott, when he's underage and in the US illegally. Things threaten to go bad but a gay man named Everett helps him out. It's only afterwards that he realizes what hell that would have caused his family, if he'd been caught by the cops.

I don't know how long it will take me to handle all of this, there's still so much work that needs to be done...but I do feel like I'm closing in on the complete story. And will...someday...