23 Comments
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Jessica Renz's avatar

Saltanstall!

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Wendy Cockcroft's avatar

Great story. I love the way you captured his urge to honour his ancestors and his rage against his lady for defying him. Beautifully written.

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EJ Trask's avatar

thank you Wendy!

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Bette Perkins's avatar

Wow very powerful! I felt like I was reading Moby dick!!

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Jessica W's avatar

I love this. The gradual, poetic build up of suspense and anticipation, the sheer power of the symbol of the whale, nature’s inherent strength, the emotionally gripping writing style. Seriously your writing is unmatched and quite out of this world. Stunningly beautiful. The brutality of the tragedy brought tears to my eyes. So good. Thank you for sharing your stellar, wonderfully crafted, and gifted writing with us readers I am intensely grateful to be reading your brilliant stories <3

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EJ Trask's avatar

thank you Jessica! this is so generous and means so much!

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Focal Bonsai's avatar

As a coastal girl who hangs out for whale season every year, I could see both sides. I have been whale watching on a boat and I am a dedicated watcher from shore. I can understand knowing the whales because as I sit there day after day, year after year it does start to feel like that but I also agree with just letting whales be.

This was beautiful and I didn't see the twist coming until it was almost too late.

Thanks for the journey.

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EJ Trask's avatar

thank you for reading!

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Nick Winney's avatar

oooph.!

powerful

some killer whale lines in there. didnt know where that was going until it almost got there.

nice work!

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Pablo Báez's avatar

So I don't have to read MD now, right?

Jk

Good stuff, dude.

It built up just like a wave.

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EJ Trask's avatar

yeah you can check it off your list

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Jessica Maison's avatar

This one hurt me. Nicely done!

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"Tupelo" Honey Steele's avatar

I'm a whale lover from way back. This story was gripping. I chose my side immediately and I could almost see my own life ending this way. At the same time, I understood Cap. The writing is superb.

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EJ Trask's avatar

thanks for the comment. I’m so glad you related to adrianna! I didn’t want her to seem silly.

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"Tupelo" Honey Steele's avatar

It's easy to parody that kind of person (note, by 'that kind of person' I mean 'us.' lol.) The line is thin as a thread between realistic and parody. You did ok with it.

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Sean Thomas McDonnell's avatar

You honestly keep getting better and better. It’s a great thing to witness. This rules.

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EJ Trask's avatar

thank you so much shony 🖤

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Jared Lambert's avatar

Should've known better than to be team Adrianna.

My favorite line was at the beginning, "Let them be whales, Cap. Just let them be". Thought it was beautiful and powerful and simple. It really resonated with me.

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EJ Trask's avatar

thank you so much, that’s really nice to hear

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Garen Marie's avatar

Ooh, that ending. Damn.

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Liz Zimmers's avatar

EJ, this was everything I had hoped it would be, and then some! What a fabulous story! You make me ponder whales, now….

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EJ Trask's avatar

yay! thank you for voting whales 🗳️

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Miguel S.'s avatar

🐳🐳🐳

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