The following is an unintentional tribute to the fact that another of my short stories is now available in print. This is the big one for me because it’s Apathy’s Hero, the story that started it all. The story that breathed life into the two characters who haunt me night and day and make my daydreams vivid and fun again.

So if you’re Christmas or other holiday shopping and need the perfect gift for that comic book fan in your family, or a stocking stuffer for yourself, go pick up Issue #13 of A Thosaund Faces. With Apathy’s Hero by Loralie Hall. (And other stories by other people.)

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On Saturday night I got hit with this huge wave of exhaustion. Just *whoosh* and suddenly at eight pm I thought I was going to pass out on my keyboard. No, not on the couch in front of the tv, or at the dinner table, because I’m part gamer (only one game, but I’m still addicted hard core), and I was sitting at my computer gaming.

And this wave of tired rocked my skull and I crawled up to bed far earlier than anyone should on any night, especially a Saturday night. And I passed out. And at about two am I woke up. I woke up a lot before that, but I think I had a fever and wasn’t really thinking straight. Nothing made any sense.

But I woke up at about two am and my brain started talking to me. The kind of talking that a lot of insomnia sufferers complain about. Which I’ve suffered from in the past, but doesn’t really impact me any more. But it did that night. And my brain was like “Hey, wanna hear a story?”

And I was like “Yes. In the morning. If it’s good you’ll still remember it.”

My brain: Oh, come on, it’s the story of how Apathy’s Hero goes

Me: I already know that story. It kicked my butt in November, and every month before for the last two years. It’s not fleshed out. It sucks.

MB: No, really. This will be good. I’m going to tell you the entire plot. Start to finish. You’ll love it.

Me: Mmm…no. Sleepy.

MB: Okay, bed time story then. Listen up.

So I did. Mostly because I didn’t have a choice. And my brain outlined the plot to me in more rich vivid detail than it ever has before. And I was hooked and then…

MB: Okay…wanna hear out it ends?

Me: Duh?

MB: The big final battle between Conner and Hades? The all out epic struggle that puts any John Woo movie to shame?

Me: Yes, yes already!

MB: *snore*

Me: *snore*

And that was when we both fell asleep.

So I know how the story goes now. I know what it was missing and why it didn’t work any other time I wrote it. I don’t know what’s wrong with the new plot, because this is SNI syndrome. But I know I love it. Because it’s the best of everything I’ve tried to write in the past, but re-ordered and pieced together and it all makes so much more sense. And it has lots of Lexi and Prometheus (who I may or may not call Theo at some points in time), who are the only people in my multi-millennium universe who can keep Conner on his toes.

I don’t know the details of the ending, except epic battle. How can I walk away from epic battle? With Hades of all people? Not Lucifer, or Loki. Not the antagonists I created almost specifically to screw with my characters’ heads. Because they’re too smart to be sucked into something so primal. But Hades.

So once I finish editing God’s Girl Friday for my critique partner and groups to tear to shreds (it’s on its fourth or so heavy revision), I can go back and write this other story.