Ben's Story

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Note: This is the third part of the WANTED trilogy. Make sure you have read WANTED first, then The Breaking Point, before reading this. Thank you. This was written from August 2022 to March 2023, so there are some elements that no longer appear in my writing.

A bucolic spring day.

Sunlight glints off the river coursing through Blueberry Grove.

The Averys look forward to a family picnic, not having seen each other in a long time. Marcus, Diane, the triplets, Cecilia, and Ronald and his family intend to enjoy great food and soak in the familial company this peaceful Saturday afternoon.

Little did they know, that day would cruelly sear itself into their memories the rest of their lives. Ben, Ronald's elder son, is forced into a tragic dilemma between guilt and escape. Neither is pleasant, but he must pick.

Life often happens to us unfairly as it pens the harshest inciting incident...

But your reaction and the unfolding of the story are up to you.

Information

Status
Completed
Year
2025
Author
The Musical Marten

Tags

ACTIONTRAGEDYDRAMAPSYCHOLOGICALMALE LEADNON-HUMAN LEADLOW FANTASYPROGRESSION

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.5/ 5.0
Followers
1
Views
1,596

Chapters(7 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(1)

  • WuldenRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    *HALT*  Before continuing go read 3 other books!
    [Wanted, Breaking Point] - Musical Marten
    [Raise Them the Way They Should Go.] - DanielWatts
    It is important for context I go over below
    This story is an emotional spiral ride that does not let up the decline until the conclusion.
    Marten manages to really pull the heart strings on this one.  As the tormented characters experience hardships that no one should go through.
    Marten touches on extremely sensitive concepts and life lessons regarding loss, depression, the affects you have on others, and even manages to include some biting commentary on the irresponsibility of news journalism (of which struck home to me, as I have experienced it personally. *hat tip* )
    All of this has been accomplished in a small package of a short story that once it grips you leaves you wanting to know if there will be a happy ending, or a grimly honest portrayal of just how real the world can be for people.
    I made a callout to a few short stories above for a reason.
    This story is a continuation of the lives of the Avery family, characters that you grow an appreciation for through the telling of the other books.  By reading those stories first, you can really see just how interesting subtle things like "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" concepts throughout this story.
    The characters imbued their mannerisms into the younger generations as the stories move forward, and you can see the threads connecting each character despite each one being uniquely individual.
    This is a wonderful conclusion to the "Wanted Trilogy"
    Well done Marten!