She knew how he felt for she too had served her country in prior years and had wished she never left. Joseph spent many hours with Emily, the two shar...ng stories of their lives, and hopes of their future together. Emily believed everything Joseph told her, all promises he made, and the commitment they shared. She fell in love with him quickly, and always questioned why, yet she knew in her heart the answer. He enkindled a flame in her that had never seen light, her heart a tool of ignition.. "Christine glanced at me and I barely nodded my head. "I might not stop at blowing you hard," she teased. "Good luck, next time."He nicely refilled our drinks and then turned to laugh and joke with his friends. We took our drinks and drifted our way around the crowd.A woman I didn't recognize smiled as she caught Christine's attention."Is this really your first time swinging?" she asked.Christine nodded and shrugged."How do you do it?" the woman asked. "I would have fainted doing what you did. It was as if my mind had gone into hibernation leaving only my animal instincts to guide me. SpringI awoke, feeling as if being freed from a dream. A pleasant one, perhaps, but one I was ready to shake off. Isshu rested nearby, his tentacles coiled protectively, or perhaps possessively, about me. Carefully, I extracted myself, a feeling of restlessness spreading through my being. Gaining my feet, I felt suddenly drawn towards the pathway that led to the island’s surface. Naked, my unshorn hair. She told Joe that from what they found, Bill seldom sees trouble, other than speeding tickets. The profile they built of him suggested that like many bullies, he’d back down after a show. Especially if called on his bluff. His abuse of Ashley seemed out of place for his character, until they found out about his drinking habit. ‘As you know, alcohol tends to alter personalities,’ she said to Joe. ‘He may be violent to those who happen to be around him when he’s drunk, but we don’t think he’d.