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Hey all! I got a heads-up from at least one person that the comments were restricted for them in the app; be aware that comments for this story are fully open to all, so if for any reason you're seeing otherwise, please let me know so I can report the glitch! Thank you!

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I hate when that happens. We don't really know why, right?

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by S.E. Reid

I loved it! You staged it perfectly. My imagination says that Tom might be a ghost of a stage manager who wisely sees in Hector an actor who just needs a little help from an experienced fellow thespian ghost. And what stage actor hasn't had some experience with a theatre ghost, whether admitted or not! And Benny is very aware of when to show respect. Perfect actors dog!

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Like stage fright isn’t bad enough already!

I love the way you have, here and in other stories, of befriending the unknown and/or the frightening. Beautiful!

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There was something intriguingly satisfying about this, in a way that goes deeper than just being Shakespeare. Poetry, history, and closure all coming together in this one moment on a stage. I liked it very much.

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This was wonderful. The cosy beginning, the awkward interruption, the fear from the shock, the turn to sorrow and sweetness at Gloucester helping, and the resting of all ghosts.

It was done beautifully. And refreshing for it to be done with King Lear instead of Macbeth.

The foreshadowing of this being a tradegy not a horror, was so smoothly done it took me a moment to clock.

Also, the way the kids call him Glossy to separate him from the character they may have been taught in English lessons.

I'm also curious to know if the father's before Hector had a secret dreaming side they shoved down. A little heartbreaking.

Thank you for a wonderful story.

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This is just fantastic. Between the tight pacing, the imagery, and the way the chosen play ties every element together, you've created something that's so much more than just a wonderfully spooky story appropriate for the Halloween season. The initial sense of fear giving way to the understanding that this isn't a horror story, but a tragedy, something that was smartly foreshadowed about a third of the way in, adds an extra layer of depth that pulls this story beyond the usual creepy fare we expect around this season. Wonderfully done!

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by S.E. Reid

Wow this is incredible. Ive never read Lear but I have a healthy appreciation for shakespeare. This is a great way to introduce (for some) and reintroduce (for others) Shakespeare, by trojan-horsing him in flash fiction! Wonderful story!

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Oct 22, 2023Liked by S.E. Reid

Bravo!!! Really gripping and beautifully told! Love Scoot’s comment about “Trojan-horsing” the Bard. Nicely done.

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I haven't even read the play, but I loved this, and I understood it! Brilliant! I really need to read more Shakespeare.

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Very enjoyable and good use of the play. I wasn’t anticipating the ending but it was satisfying. 😎🐺

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An enjoyable read with my morning tea! Thank you. 🥰

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Another wonderful story

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Wow. Nicely done. Shakespeare on top of Halloween tragedy.

I could almost hear Brannan doing the part.

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Terrific stuff. I have a soft spot for for any story that mentions King Lear, and you've incorporated it wonderfully.

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Another wonderful story ❤️

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Love that. Lear is tough, but he works so well here.

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