A thoughtful story, @novamind. Well plotted, well realized. Mature insight into human nature. There were some periods missing, little things like that. I mention this because in the future, if you write for the Inkwell again, editable errors will affect curation.

We never curate new authors fully, so the reward today is uncharacteristically modest. I'm looking forward to reading more stories that reflect equal sophistication of thought.

Welcome !!