Half A Day Away

Chapter 1 ▪ A/N and Preface

Written for Summer Breeze Writing Contest [ShadowsWithinMe]

Let me preface this piece with the following disclaimers:

· I am not, and do not claim to be, a fiction writer. I am merely utilizing this form since it lends best to the idea of this particular story, and perhaps to the contest in and of itself. You have been warned.

· Also, while this story focuses on teenagers/young adults, be assured that I am not a teenager and have not been for quite a while. Thus, I will undoubtedly make mistakes in presenting scenes for this backdrop. Forgiveness is the better part of valor.

· I am a minimalist at heart. The likelihood that I will ever write an extensive novel, or work of non-fiction for that matter, is infinitesimal. My motto re written creative works is generally the fewer words the better. That said, I was surprised how much I wrote here!

· I do not use a lot of dialogue. Minimal here too, people. Rather, I tend to write in the first person/third person narrative. I convey mostly thoughts of the characters. It is what it is...

· Some of this story takes place in the Philippines, a country that has fascinated me for many years, and which God has laid on my heart to pray for. However, fair disclosure - I have never visited this group of islands in the Pacific and thus have no first-hand knowledge of its people, culture, etc. I write based on what little I have gleaned from the web. Ergo, I am likely to make many mistakes about this location in my story.

· This story involves two people who meet via the internet. This author strongly urges all users of social media to take every reasonable precaution to protect their identity and safety. Internet predation is a real threat!

· If you made it this far without a sense of dizziness and nausea, congratulations! Please move on to the story!