Voiceless

By Dudley Clarence Sturgis IV

In this five-chapter epic, Si and Jake have been best friends since they were in kindergarten. Si, a mute, teaches Jake how to use sign language. Jake teaches Si about friendship.

And when they become teenagers, they fall madly in love. Set aflame by this new emotion, they can't get enough of each other. Like a gay version of Romeo and Juliet, things take a tragic turn when Jake's father catches them kissing.

Jake's conservative Christian family is torn apart by his love for Si. The parents separate the boys, truly believing they're doing the right thing.

Drowning in guilt, Si finds himself alone for the first time in his life. Isolated and separated from the only person who ever showed him any attention, he loses himself within his misery and takes his own life.

Now, Jake's world is falling apart. His dreams mesh into reality almost seamlessly and he can't tell the difference. Will he play it safe and stay in the closet? Or will the loss of Si give him the voice that he needs to survive?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Aug 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781312471764