Hey all, first time poster.
I always listen to the feedback portion of the podcasts and think, Man, I wish I could get in on that. So this week I decided to.
I enjoyed this story far more than I, knowing myself, thought I would. I am not normally a fan of the old fashioned storytelling style. But I found the author to have (as I believe someone else put it) a compelling voice, unbelievably so. She was able to manipulate my thought processes, I could feel myself following the script in my head for reactions. I know that sounds bad, not every single reader will respond the exact same way, and "manipulation" is often a dirty word, but I mean it in the best of senses. When the men were out on the terrace, and Mars is brought up for the first time, I was right there with the narrator, "Oh boy. He really IS crazy. Mmmmmkay." And I caught myself doing it, and had to give the author a mental kudos.
I listened twice, and I really enjoyed the story. I was left with some questions, however, that maybe others can clear up for me...
First and foremost, WHY doesn't the narrator see the well? Does it disappear when it's not a portal? (I noticed that immediately after Atkins "fell down the well", when the neighbors and police were around, the narrator did not go downstairs. Did it disappear again between the time that the officials were buzzing around, and when the narrator was finally able to get down there himself?)
What's the deal with the ice? I figured when the narrator (sorry for the ambiguity, I'm crap with character names) refused to get Atkins ice he just didn't want to wait on him, but was it more than that? Did Atkins help himself to all of the ice, which would be amazing considering the narrator ordered enough for the week plus extra for his guests? Why mention it in the prose?
What do you think happened to Mars, exactly? I believe that somehow Atkins did it with his thoughts, but I don't understand why unthinking a man or his ancestors would have that kind of impact? I wished they'd cleared that up a little. I don't expect every story to wrap everything up for me in a neat little bow, but that bit confuses me. I hadn't thought about the microbe thing...I guess if you go back in ancestry enough eventually you get to the building blocks, and if you unthink those, you unthink the world....I could buy that.
Why did the narrator's friend know Atkins from boyhood? Is that more thought-manipulation? Can Atkins control other people's thoughts and memories? Did he erase the narrator's memories of the well?
And lastly (I promise!) WHAT is the narrator doing at the end? I don't understand exactly what he's hoping to accomplish by keeping watch on the basement.
Please note (since text isn't always the best for communication) that I'm not being petulant, or irritated in any way at all with any of these questions. I'm genuinely curious. I don't think it should have been done differently, I think this piece is pretty great just as it is. But these are things I was wondering about, and I was hoping someone else might have caught something I missed.
Oh and PS...if the Snotty-Martian-Prince is not actually named Atkins, forgive me. It's hanging around the tendrils of my mind. But typing "Snotty-Arrogant-Martian-Prince" is a little time consuming.
So there you have it.
Thanks for giving me a few minutes of your time. I'm thrilled to be a part of the feedback finally!