Chasing the Dragon
The debatable merits and dangers of meddling40 total reviews
Comment from Sasha
Wow! You held me captive from the beginning up to the awesome ending. I am exhausted too. What a fantastic and fascinating story. Did you meet your expectations??? You went way beyond mine.
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Wow! You held me captive from the beginning up to the awesome ending. I am exhausted too. What a fantastic and fascinating story. Did you meet your expectations??? You went way beyond mine.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thank you so much, my friend :-). I did end up with something I'm quite pleased with. I think this could be a fun way to give myself subjects in future. I'm enjoying writing the short stories at the moment, but I have trouble deciding what to write about. So happy you liked it!
Mike
Comment from MumEsGirl
Good grief, this was a whirlwind. Do you feel you met your own challenge?
I like the reversal of the story. Your monster comes back to haunt you lol. Makes a change. The stong language actually adds to this work
kate
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Good grief, this was a whirlwind. Do you feel you met your own challenge?
I like the reversal of the story. Your monster comes back to haunt you lol. Makes a change. The stong language actually adds to this work
kate
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thank you, Kate. Yeah, I'm pretty happy with how it worked out. I'm thinking of creating a contest that works the same way - give people a scene and have them write the story preceding it.
Mike
Comment from Jayson Therriault
Wow, I was engrossed from start to finish!
The characters are complete, the drama unfolds slowly at first, then at an ever growing pace until it seems everything all crashes upon you.
Every loose thread you leave throughout the story finally ties itself before the end, making the story complete in it's shortness, leaving the reader spellbound and wanting more.
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Wow, I was engrossed from start to finish!
The characters are complete, the drama unfolds slowly at first, then at an ever growing pace until it seems everything all crashes upon you.
Every loose thread you leave throughout the story finally ties itself before the end, making the story complete in it's shortness, leaving the reader spellbound and wanting more.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thanks so much, Jayson :-). It was fun, coming up with this on the fly. I'm so glad you liked the end product!
Mike
Comment from Herb
You got one wiked imagination and the skill to match it.
Great story. The title first attracted me because I often wru=ite about drugs. So was a little confused, in a good way. has this got anything to do with my perception on what 'chasing the dragon' is, like it alegoric or just ne big metaphor.
Either way it was a cracking read.
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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You got one wiked imagination and the skill to match it.
Great story. The title first attracted me because I often wru=ite about drugs. So was a little confused, in a good way. has this got anything to do with my perception on what 'chasing the dragon' is, like it alegoric or just ne big metaphor.
Either way it was a cracking read.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Hi Herb! Yeah, I knew the title would immediately conjure a drugs image. At one point I was considering makingvthe whole thing a mad trip, but then I decided it just worked as a parallel theme. As with many of my stories, there's an underlying investogation of perceptions and how they overlap going on, and also that need a scientific mind has to constantly push the boundaries, to explore things without thinking about the destination or consequences. One way or another, we all have some self-destructive addictions.
lol, sorry if I sound a bit up my own arse! I love analysing my own writing after the fact.
Mike
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Not at all, Mike. I thought as much. :)
Comment from Tonulak
Once the story started in the lab facility, it good really good, really fast.
Right from the bat, your opening threw me as "waves crashing on a pebbly shore" was too pleasant of an image for the situation. Fror me, a hectic, frantic case scene with lots of metaphoric descriptions and similes, begin to drag the pace.
But once the stories of the scientists and the dragon started going, I thought it was just great. That was worth the price of admission, as they say--Ted
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Once the story started in the lab facility, it good really good, really fast.
Right from the bat, your opening threw me as "waves crashing on a pebbly shore" was too pleasant of an image for the situation. Fror me, a hectic, frantic case scene with lots of metaphoric descriptions and similes, begin to drag the pace.
But once the stories of the scientists and the dragon started going, I thought it was just great. That was worth the price of admission, as they say--Ted
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thank you, Ted! I'll have another look at the opening section. I see what you mean about that analogy, and the sequence could probably stand being trimmed a little. I'm glad you enjoyed the story :-).
Mike
Comment from James crofoot
You did an excellent job with this little story. The opening interested me, then I was caught by the mention of an angry computer. (corridor B) And then again at the mention of a dragon head artificially kept alive, from then on I was an inch from the screen.
The descriptions filled the story wonderfully, it was very easy to visualize. Fast moving, tension building.
The dragon, though, in the end. It had to know what was in the nuke part. Was it suiciding-trying to take all those with it that had imprison it? Just a thought. ;-)
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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You did an excellent job with this little story. The opening interested me, then I was caught by the mention of an angry computer. (corridor B) And then again at the mention of a dragon head artificially kept alive, from then on I was an inch from the screen.
The descriptions filled the story wonderfully, it was very easy to visualize. Fast moving, tension building.
The dragon, though, in the end. It had to know what was in the nuke part. Was it suiciding-trying to take all those with it that had imprison it? Just a thought. ;-)
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thank you, James! I haven't decided whether Beatrice was ending her tortured existence or covering a wider escape - I think I'll leave that up to the reader :-). I do love writing visually, although I'm sometimes guilty of bogging down the story with description. I'm so glad you liked it!
Mike
Comment from N.K. Wagner
Yum. Crunchy! As always, Mike, you astound me. There's enough here for the main plot of another book. A couple of subplots and.... I hope you won't waste it. This is good stuff. :) Nancy
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Yum. Crunchy! As always, Mike, you astound me. There's enough here for the main plot of another book. A couple of subplots and.... I hope you won't waste it. This is good stuff. :) Nancy
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thanks so much, Nancy :-). If I could afford to dump work and write full time, there are many books I'd love to write. This can go on the list of future projects! I'm so happy you liked it. Two very long train journeys on Tuesday gave spawn to this one.
Mike
Comment from Larissa B
Very interesting read....your Ending circling back to your beginning ....quite epic !
The action keeps you on the edge ....violence and gore ( a bit ) ....enough to keep your audience awake ....fear is a good substitute for caffeine .... 100x more potent ! Lol!!!
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Very interesting read....your Ending circling back to your beginning ....quite epic !
The action keeps you on the edge ....violence and gore ( a bit ) ....enough to keep your audience awake ....fear is a good substitute for caffeine .... 100x more potent ! Lol!!!
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thank you, Blaze :-). I do enjoy jumping around in the timeline of my stories, as long as I can keep it obvious what point it's set in at any given moment. So glad you enjoyed it!
Mike
Comment from Chris Tee
Wow! Mike, you have done it again and wrote a real thriller here old sport.
Well done with this splendid horror and thriller science fiction story here old chap.
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reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Wow! Mike, you have done it again and wrote a real thriller here old sport.
Well done with this splendid horror and thriller science fiction story here old chap.
This rating does not count towards story rating or author rank.
The highest and the lowest rating are not included in calculations.
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thanks, Chris - so glad you liked it, mate :-)
Mike
Comment from adewpearl
I love the opening and love that you wrote it first and then had to come up with the back story to explain what is going on. :-)
Great image of Satan taking a deep breath.
Excellent dialogue that conveys speakers' emotions and attitudes well
Excellent description of setting
Love the morass of body parts in the lab and the splashing sounds of the macabre LOL
Love the discussion about Beatrice
the lizard/Komodo dragon head
Oh, great ending - sure explains his panic in the opening paragraph!!! Brooke :-)
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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I love the opening and love that you wrote it first and then had to come up with the back story to explain what is going on. :-)
Great image of Satan taking a deep breath.
Excellent dialogue that conveys speakers' emotions and attitudes well
Excellent description of setting
Love the morass of body parts in the lab and the splashing sounds of the macabre LOL
Love the discussion about Beatrice
the lizard/Komodo dragon head
Oh, great ending - sure explains his panic in the opening paragraph!!! Brooke :-)
Comment Written 01-Feb-2012
reply by the author on 02-Feb-2012
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Thank you so much, Brooke :-). I was more than half way through before I had any idea how I was going to link to the start/ending, but I quite like writing that way. At one point I was going to go full-fantasy and have a classical draon created, but it ended up being more fun in the 'real' world. :-)
Mike