Bolt from the Blue

[Castle Herald]

[Special Note: The new website is now live. As a result the links throughout this thread are invalid except for the latest posting to the thread. All of D’Artagnon’s stories can now be found at D'Artagnon]

NEW STORY!

D'Artagnon

 

Bolt from the Blue

 

Chapter 1

 

Edited October 4, 2017 by Zach Caldwell
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[Jay]

What a supprisingly wonderful story. Glen just grabs you from the start. Peter is shy how much more will it take for his longing for Glen befor he acts. We will just have to wait and see. A long chapter but well worth the time to read. It left me just wanting more. This is a new story and as of yet well over looked. A fine work and a fabuiless story. I most strongly recommend this adventure of mind.

[Jeikor]

It is indeed a wonderful story and may be overlooked by many because so much of it has been available in the Sneak Peek section of the Forum. I am glad I decided to read it again because the rescue of Jamie was a surprise not in the Sneak Peeks.

As for Peter; it will take Glen realizing and accepting how he feels about Peter and proving it to Peter. Peter is too shy and beaten down to act on his own. In my opinion.

More people do need to read this.

As always great job, D'Artagnon.

[D'Artagnon]

I thank you both. 

Glen's story, at least this part of it, is only scheduled for three parts, sort of like Alex's story.  Both of you seem to have some pretty keen insights about Peter,  We shall see if your suspicions come to bear.  Believe it or not, this all blends together with the other stories. 

There is one player left in the "Boys of Summer" cycle that remains to be seen.  He may poke his head up from behind a book sooner than anticipated, but not in this story.  I know it sounds kinda cryptic but it's a lot like playing chess.  Every move creates numerous possible other moves, even though the goal is to capture only one.

So the question becomes this: what part does Glen play in the overall story?  Watch this space.

[Ricky]

I don't know how I missed this one. An awesome opening. As usual, your stories just suck you right into it.  The first chapter has nearly 30,000 words. I would have been happier with 30,000 more. Your writing is so easy to slip into and forget the world of reality. You build a solid bubble of fantasy that is not easily broken.

You can feel Peter's loneliness and love as well as his unconditional acceptance. I love Glen's persona and the way he accepts how he was in the past and knows he has to make things right. I think screwl might not be very pleasant in the coming bits. I can see how this will blend in with the other stories.  Peter is the missing one I think. And the fact that he works at the bicycle shop MAY even be how he meets the others. 

I'm saddened to think this will only be three chapters. It's the kind of story you just want to live in for a while. Thanks for this. In a way I'm glad I didn't find this until now. It means I won't have to wait as long as the others for the next chapter. OH! I just realized how I missed it! I was dying in the hospital when it posted. Glad I made it through. I hate dying, there's just no future in it. I look forward to the next chapter.

[Emperor Roland]

D'Artagnon

Bolt from the Blue

Chapter 2

[D'Artagnon]

First off, I apologize for how long it took to get this one out.  It has been a difficult year.  Being homeless has brought new challenges and perspectives to my life.  Changes in my family situation have also made life, well, let's call it interesting.  I have been working on Glen's story for a  while now, trying to make sense of the various medical and scientific aspects I have written into the story.

But be warned, Glen's memories aren't the only thing changed by his contact with the electrical world.  Things in his life that Glen-who-is would never have suspected are about to make their presence felt.  And a few little surprises will enter along the way.

Act three is in the works.  I'm hoping it will take less than 18 months to get it to the finish line.  There are other projects still wanting love as well, so I will do my best.

Seeya on the other side, my brothers,

D'Artagnon, aka Robby

PS.  Monumental shout of praise to Al who made the graphic for the story page.  You keep coming through for this site again and again, buddy.  Thank you.

[David McLeod]

So happy to see Chapter 2 of "Bolt from the Blue"; so sorry to hear of Robby's troubles and travails. I hope for him a turn for the better.

[Wyatt]

I am really enjoying this story.  I've read the 2 chapters currently available and am impressed with the story itself and the characterization. I suspect that Peter will become a force in his own right; there have been numerous hints.  And you gotta listen closely when tortoises use understatement!

Glenn's physique has apparently shifted.  Instead of being a bruiser of a football guy, it sounds like he might be better built now for swimming or track. If there are only to be three chapters in this story, his high school sporting life will likely not be a factor, but it is good to know he'd still be able to excel at his chosen sport(s).

[D'Artagnon]

I will say this without giving away any plot points, secrets or positing any clues for further conspiracy theories: While this first story is strictly centered around Glen, it will not be the last time that we see Glen.  As for Peter...

You'll just have to wait and see.  Not all stories have happy endings.

But some do.

Watch this space.

[Wolfhighlander]

This is very cool Robby.  I'm really looking forward to more of this.  Can't wait for more

[David McLeod]

I always learn something from D’Artagnon’s stories. The prize, so far, in “Bolt from the Blue,” is Lichtenbert-Figuren (to use the original German, which I got from a Google search). A simple, if difficult to understand, concept which was incorporated neatly, thus creating verisimilitude and expanding the mystery.

The story begins and continues with whimsical moments, in which anonymous watchers observe, comment, and occasionally intrude. Then, magic happens. We all know Clarke’s Second Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. However, I do not think these Powers are using technology. Their magic is real. And eminently satisfying.

I promised myself I would read no more stories until they were completed. That I read (and re-read) Chapters 1 and 2 of “Bolt” is a tribute to D’artagnion and an expression of my faith in him.

[David McLeod]

I found Chapter 3 of Bolt from the Blue, yesterday, devoured it last night, and re-read it this AM. Many clues in Boltpoint to D’Artagnon’s earlier stories including Coupé,the Ripostestories, and The Lost Boys. This demands the eminent pleasure of re-reading those while waiting for the next chapter of Bolt.

Glen’s way of dealing with the cell phone was not only rational, but perhaps the best possible solution for all those involved. The word, “closure” has taken on life, its use more than doubling since 1960 according to Google Ngram Viewer. I don’t like the word. It’s so easy to use it has become nearly meaningless. The ritual with which the boys dealt with the cell phone and their past was much more than closure. It was a symbolic way of dealing with a situation and one that would perhaps allow them to begin putting it out of their minds. A brilliant bit of psychology. Thunderbird’s concern that “Justice, trust, [and] honor…” are at stake is a satisfying recap of the ceremony.

Injecting not only the Powers but also their avatars –  Cockatiel, Thunderbird, Unicorm, and others – immediately after the ceremony provided a welcome bit of relief. Not “comic relief,” for nothing in the story is comical, rather a relaxing of tensions.

Looking forward to the next chapter.

[D'Artagnon]

Social events can be very revealing, especially in tight knit groups.  Glen and Peter's sleepover plans might be in for a bit of a sudden left turn... into a wall... at Mach 20!  But there are other implications in the air as well.  And a few twists of uncommon expectation.

Bolt from the Blue - Chapter 4 - Shapes in the Clouds starts us off.

Chase!  Wanna go for a walk boy?

[D'Artagnon]

How can a simple thing like walking a dog turn into something so...dangerous.  More to the point, who is it that Chase is chasing?  And who all is watching it all?

Bolt from the Blue - Chapter 5- Chasing Thunder is the beginning of the end for a main character... but which one?.

BANG!

[D'Artagnon]

In the aftermath of Glen's brush with the spirits and his growing powers leads us to a few loose strings, we find out there are threads leading to other scenes in a larger tapestry in  Canterbury.  But then again, that is another story.  And here are a few juicy clues.

Bolt from the Blue - Codicil The Next Morning lays things to rest.  Or does it?

Who's that peepin' in my win-dow?  Who's that creepin' 'neath the sill?

[JohnnyC]

Wow Wow Wow ! 

    I don’t want this story to end ! , I hope to see Glen & Peter in a cross-over story soon. And as for Glen’s little sister ? Maybe her powers wake up too for this pending war of the worlds possibly.

       Thank you for sharing your writing with

  us all ,

       John C. 

[D'Artagnon]

Thanks Johnny. Glen and Peter will make a reappearance in the coming up series I have planned, as soon as Riposte and 5th Age wrap up.  They are going to show up with all of the other boys in a massive concept story, hopefully easier to keep track of.  I threw enough hooks and plot dangles into Bolt to show where other such hooks and dangles exist in the other stories. They all link up, more or less.

As for the irrascable Carolynn... She is rather  young to be going about doing the sorts of things that Glen and Peter are about to be getting into.  Does she have powers?  Dunno.  But there are a lot of secrets running around in that small New England town.  Kind of makes you wonder what's going on in your own back yard. 

[D'Artagnon]

I am shamed to admit that i haven't done any serious writing in the last year.  I tap and click and edit one thing in 5th Age, and then get distracted by other things.  I'm trying to strike a balance between technical "magic stuff" in Marc's story while still injecting a sense of him learning and the dangers of the world he's blossomed into.  I'm also working on the balance of finishing out Riposte.  These will lead into things with Glen and Peter finding their way into the rest of the group.  As many of you noted, The Eight Pack feature much in Glen's story, even though they haven't met officially yet. 

There is a plan.  There is a story.  And there is progress being made.

Some readers have asked me to expand on Glen's story, feeling that six chapters of what i originally only slated for three left the story feeling incomplete.  I have not ignored that sentiment.  So be watching.  Glen's "Bolt from the Blue" may have hit that "tune in next week" point, although the story there is done.   But there is more in the works.  This chapter and book have closed, but more remains yet to be revealed, in other volumes.