A Halloween Story: Stars

[Jamie Hogan]

Then there was a mad swirling about, people in blue and white and orange and the questions came down on the kids like confetti and they answered with fog in their voices, lost in their eyes. After the paramedic promised her that Theo was going to be okay, the girl walked out into the garage, the wide doorway now a yawn into the night, and looked at the brothers wrapped in blankets in the driveway.

Burke saw her give a thumbs up and looked at Owen, who would not look at the house, "Theo's going to be all right."

Owen nodded, then lifted his eyes and after a heavy moment he said "stars."

Burke looked at him for a while and the long weeds in the yard got drunk on the wind and Laura in the garage behind them like a candle and finally Owen said "You can stop staring at me 'cause I ain't conflicted about shit, and if mom finds out it won't be from you or me, you got it?"

"I got it tough guy, I got it."

[Joe Gensle]

"Boys will be boys," and your enviable voice has painted the proof, above. Kudos.

[Gita]

You just used lost as a noun. You made weeds get drunk on the wind. You made Laura like a candle.  You made the boys make a sacred pact. If this isn't enviable writing I don't know what is.

There's something else going on here, too. You like these children. You made things turn out okay for them. It's something that both George Lucas and Spielberg have, as well: I call it "sympathy for the boy."  It's hard to explain exactly but you feel it in their films.  Watch ET sometime.

[Stephen Torelli]

American kids, thrill seekers and not like our European counterparts. And yes, "powerful stuff."

[bolton carley]

typical boys thinking they can cover for each other after all that!  oh, there will be questions like confetti for sure.  you guys are brilliant.  powerful stuff.

[Cita]

whew.  What a ride.  Love that Laura is like a candle and love the drunk weeds and love the fog in their voices and the lost in their eyes and love the single word stars.  Excellent.  

Good job, you two.  I am going to miss this story, too, even though at one point I hated it.

[Bill Floyd]

Moving and cryptic, just like kids on Halloween.  I think I'm going to miss these guys.