A Kingswood Family Christmas - Chapter 5
Added 2024-11-08 17:00:11 +0000 UTCMonday 26 December 2022
Comments
@Deneb Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to good people, and sometimes it's lots of bad things. I do feel bad for Josh, but don't blame me, these characters all make their own decisions, I'm just the guy putting it in writing lol. Mark is a lovely character to write, and Mikey remains as interesting to me as he has been since day one. Still lots to come on both their storylines. As for the laptop, it's not actually a significant thing, but you do find out whose it was in the next chapter. @Johnny Tate does seem to be showing remorse, but is it too much, too late? Only time will tell! @Rutabaga You're right that there are definitely mental health problems with both the older Williams brothers. As for the consequences of what Tate did, while I often leave these sorts of things to play out over time, you'll be getting answers on this (as well as more about Josh's birth family) fairly soon for a change.
Matthew Smith
2024-11-12 13:45:33 +0000 UTCThis was definitely a big thing for Josh, although there's still more to come on that subject for sure. Telling a story over seven years was always intended to give me the time it really takes to explore trauma effectively. Josh is on a long road, with plenty more miles still ahead! Mark and Mikey definitely have some interesting development coming up too. As for Danny, he always bounces back eventually :)
Matthew Smith
2024-11-12 13:40:47 +0000 UTCHonestly, part five not being shown was partially because of the thing Chris knows that David isn't ready to reveal, but was mostly kept out because so much else happened in that chapter and the word count was already well above what I wanted it to be. As for Danny, he really does seem to be determined to drag himself down :(
Matthew Smith
2024-11-12 13:39:12 +0000 UTCInteresting conversation both as always! @Rutabaga It would certainly be a nice 'full-circle moment' for Josh and Danny to have something like that. Whatever happens, it's clear Danny has a lot to deal with... which I'm sure he'll figure out eventually. Tate does seem to want to make things right, but it does raise the eternal question of remorse, rehabilitation and forgiveness. Can all things be forgiven? Should they be? Is it true remorse or just guilt? As for how he was there... keep reading. Based on Josh's reaction to Tate, it seems very unlikely he would willingly meet with him. Danny definitely needs to stop giving himself such a hard time. Right now he really is his own worst enemy! @Johnny - You're right about Tate knowing the school. He wouldn't necessarily know the new building, as it was built after he left, but he would definitely have a lot of insider knowledge.
Matthew Smith
2024-11-12 13:37:55 +0000 UTC@Rutabaga As I said above, Mr. Rudd is the number one suspect in my mind. Maybe he contacted with Josh's brothers in private, and even tried to match their blood.
Johnny Kape
2024-11-12 07:11:47 +0000 UTCFor that matter, it is worth asking: How would Mark/Tate even know about Josh's situation? Who would be maintaining contact with that family? It seems more likely than ever that someone was reaching out to them surreptitiously.
Rutabaga
2024-11-11 02:17:16 +0000 UTCMark-Tate was a student of Kingswood too, so he would be able to know the environment, maybe that's why he could get into the Kingswood ground without being found. But - yes, if Tate thinks he is able to help Josh, it's very likely that someone has already contacted with them, and even probably already matched their blood to make sure Mark-Tate is the one that could donate. This "someone", indeed, Mr. Rudd is the number one suspect in my mind 🤔 I guess, (again, very likely to be wrong), maybe Mr. Rudd arranged Mark-Tate to come visit Josh, but Mark-Tate came early than Mr. Rudd expected and with some coincidence (like Danny(?) forgot to lock the door) he intruded into Josh's dorm and then everything lost control because of Mark-not-Tate appeared unexpectedly.
Johnny Kape
2024-11-11 00:03:59 +0000 UTCIt would not be surprising to learn that Mark/Tate has more mental issues going on than Mikey. Josh was able to tell him and Ryan to f*** off and die, and he was able to find a whole new family that treats him with respect and affection instead of malice and abuse. We lack any real clues to the mother's role and perspective in all of this. The three of them have to live with the fact that their actions and inactions drove Josh out of the family, and that only his kind nature (and desire to look forward rather than backward) allowed all three of them to escape the serious legal consequences of what happened to him. If the law in the UK is anything like the US, then Josh (at his young age) still has the power to drop the hammer on the brothers for their abuse and on the mother for her neglect and indifference. I can't remember whether Mark/Tate was subject to a no-contact order that he has just violated. Presumably we'll find out more in due course.
Rutabaga
2024-11-10 22:10:49 +0000 UTCI can see, shaping up, a new "rooftop scene" with Danny talking Josh into accepting the lifesaving help his brother is offering, despite Josh's entirely understandable revulsion at doing so. Danny will argue, "What would your death prove? That you are stubborn? That you are first-class at holding a grudge? That hate is more important to you than living? That you're willing to put all your friends and supporters through agony and grief just to prove a point?" It seems likely that a family-member donor is going to be the only viable source of what Josh needs. It seems apparent, from what little we can learn, that Mark/Tate is feeling remorse for what he did. As unhinged as he must be mentally, it seems like there is a spark of humanity there, reminiscent of Darth Vader's final scene with Luke ("You were right. You were right.") As for how Mark/Tate managed to show up in Josh's room, thereby hang a host of questions. What are the odds that he would just randomly happen to arrive at a time when everyone else is gone, and when the the outside door has been rigged not to lock? How would he know where to go? I can't help thinking that he had some kind of inside help, perhaps from Rob or Mark or Mikey or someone else (Mr. Rudd?), who perhaps noticed that Danny had monkeyed up the outside door lock and suggested Mark/Tate could come in that way. He would have to have gained the information that everyone was staying in the guest quarters, not the regular building. But more importantly, he would have to have gained the information that everyone except Josh was going to be absent during Mr. Rudd's hike at that particular moment. To me that practically shouts some kind of prearrangement, rather than sheer happenstance. Otherwise his arrival just at that time would seem to involve a series of coincidences of cosmic proportions. In light of that, Danny should ease off on his self-recriminations. Meanwhile, I'm of course curious about what Chris's story was about to reveal. Does it involve David's voyeurism? FOOTNOTE: Is it possible that Josh himself agreed to this meeting, not expecting it to go sideways as it did?
Rutabaga
2024-11-09 15:32:45 +0000 UTC> I cannot grasp the ordeals poor Josh has to go through… Isn't it a tiny little bit unfair of Matt to have him endure all these trials and tribulations? But, Mark-Tate's words and reaction after hearing Josh's rant show that he's actually not that bad - he regrets what he did, and wants to help Josh with his life-issue, just still uses the wrong way, and maybe underestimates how Josh feels about them.
Johnny Kape
2024-11-09 02:42:25 +0000 UTCBut where is A Chris-mas Carol part five?? *knock the table* And even with this Hostage Hijinx, Danny could find a way to drown himself into "fucking up things" self-loathing?
Johnny Kape
2024-11-09 02:07:51 +0000 UTCWell, I guess, it would DEFINITELY be David's, and... I hope he doesn't save any "kinky" videos in that laptop!
Johnny Kape
2024-11-09 02:06:36 +0000 UTCI am hoping we are seeing the beginning of a new effort by Danny to overcome his problem. I think Josh may have overcome something that has been holding him back emotionally; his anger fully expressed may have been a breakthrough for him. Like all of his year, I think I might be in love with Mark, lol. Let's hope his own explosion helps both Mikey and Mark turn a corner with their own families. Chris is quite a perceptive young man. I can't wait to hear him tell David's Christmas story.
Rich
2024-11-08 22:12:46 +0000 UTCI also wondered if it was David's laptop.
Rich
2024-11-08 22:07:37 +0000 UTCI cannot grasp the ordeals poor Josh has to go through… Isn't it a tiny little bit unfair of Matt to have him endure all these trials and tribulations? As for Mark: I like his down-to-earth character more and more, and he seems the only one to (momentarily) stop the voices in Mikey's head. I still count on David's perception – but then I am ready to bet that it was David's laptop that was crashed on the intruder's head… so there will definitely new adversities be in store for us!
Deneb
2024-11-08 20:40:03 +0000 UTC
