The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
It’s New Year’s Eve, and after being deployed in Hong Kong for a week, Alexand and Jarad are celebrating the coming of the New Year, along with Heyem. They are taking a break from their relief mission for an evening, and are out in Hong Kong, enjoying the city. They have been to many bars and clubs, and all three are quite drunk. Alex has been overly affectionate towards Jarad, as the three of them parade around the outside night market.
Garbán McGrath joined the navy at sixteen to see the world and escape his abusive father. Unfortunately his father’s ghost travels with him, despite being thousands of miles away in Venezuela, onboard the HMS Fantome, under Commodore Robert Archibald Montgomerie. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Heyem Merek has run away from her former life. Her childhood, spent in poverty and her teenaged years in military correction. She is well educated and proud of her achievements. If only her identical twin sister, Alexand would allow her to forget about her past, completely. Things would be a lot less complicated and painful. (Artwork on the wall in drawing 2: by Frida Kahlo, “My Nurse and I.” 1937) This story also features Samuel, Ancille and Anastasia Merevija. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Juba Apfvarzian needs to forget his past. He spends a lot of time taking drugs and drinking with his best friend and fellow drunk Alexand Merek. They met decades ago on a floating asylum ship for the criminally insane. Juba had a wife, Lucy and a son, Ayo, before he went to the asylum. When he was released, he discovered that they had both died of influenza, and he was alone. He and Alexand met up again after her release and discovered that they had a lot in common. Alexand had also lost her wife, Katherine to an unknown virus and her husband Jarad to an unbeatable war. Her son, Sam and daughter, Anastasia had been stolen when they were children. Alexand’s surviving daughter Ancille has grown up and Alexand and Juba spend a lot of their lives trying to run away from bad things. This is one of those days. (A Spanish version is now available to read, translated by Hernán Jara Droguett.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
