Chapter 10

Parentless and without siblings, Carlton lived alone on his nameless island, tucked away in his fictional world. His characters were not only his livelihood but also his best friends. There was Lucy Kind, who was just like her name, Beatrice Daunting from Carlton’s only mystery, TheShadedRotunda, and Franklin Ossiffer from BrokenEdge, a psychiatrist who could have passed as Jax Morrison in the real world.

There were two other men of importance in Carlton’s life. Saul Bannerman and Samuel Bannermen. The lovers could have passed as twins with their military cuts and broad shoulders. Saul was a professional cheerleader for an ESFL (Eastern States Football League) and Samuel taught chemistry at a private college in downtown Pittsburgh. The two men visited Carlton’s island approximately three times a year, staying for one or two weeks at a crack, enjoying Carlton and the Pacific.