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All I can say is I was totally unprepared for both the ending and emotional impact it had on me. For me to say any more would be a spoiler. Brilliant. –Scott Allen

The revelation by the narrator was gripping and horrific, but well-executed. This was an ideal short story that will stay with me for a long time. – Ayelet Golz

A gruesome, yet captivating story told in a succinct style. No need to inject hyperbole and fancy phrases…just the story. It held my attention throughout and evoked strong emotions. – John Dussling

I loved the dreamy feeling throughout -- the main character's sense of longing was a constant undercurrent. And the ending was deftly executed. – Scott Allen

I loved the gypsy’s prediction and how that played into the ending of the story…will they ever meet again?! However, the story could be tightened up a little and it was a little difficult to tell the lapse of time from the start to the end. Otherwise, the story held my interest. – Ayelet Golz

The story started with an interesting theme and explanation; but, assumptions in the story line caused my attention to wander. For example, the reference to poker and the other guys; the lack of depth and detail about his torture; and, the conversation with the gypsy could have been expanded and exploited to help set up the imagination better. Also, the use of capitalization for “sea” was not consistent throughout; and paid was misspelled (payed). – John Dussling

The thought of a roomful of screaming, sugar-wired kids running wildly about in search of the next level of entertainment is an image only the parent of the birthday child can appreciate. Having been there, I get it…and loved it. I think it’s a good story told fairly well; however, there were opportunities to add more costume descriptions and feelings; a little more about the glare and stare from passing motorists would add to the embarrassment. Maybe a little more about the calamities at each party location would have spiced up the story, too. Otherwise, an entertaining story. – John Dussling

I got totally caught up in this story. The author does a great job of generating strong empathy for the protagonist. I would have done exactly the same thing at the end! – Scott Allen

Sounds like a horrible job! The story moved along quickly, but I wished that there was more insight into the lead character’s inner thoughts during this job. It would have been interesting to see what was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. – Ayelet Golz