77 Comments
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Jun 7, 2025
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Keith Long's avatar

Wow, thank you thank you!

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May 27, 2025
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Keith Long's avatar

Thank you so so much!

Koen Mars's avatar

That was a riveting read from the first word to the last

Keith Long's avatar

Thanks! It was a challenge

Jim J Wilsky's avatar

Very difficult to do well and an original concept of storytelling...yet you pulled it off. Great job Keith. Enjoyed this very much. - Jim

Keith Long's avatar

Thanks so much, Jim! I’m glad it came off because I was worried at time that I wouldn’t pull it off haha

Katharine Kapodistria's avatar

That was so good! What a fantastic idea, and so well written.

A. C. Sanders's avatar

Incredible perspective!!! Really love this one!

Keith Long's avatar

Thanks a bunch! It was a tricky and challenging piece which made it fun to write!

Keith Long's avatar

Thanks a bunch! It was a tricky and challenging piece which made it fun to write!

Ken Flyingheart's avatar

I knew I was gonna love it, and I did. Perfection, KL!

Keith Long's avatar

Ah! Thanks so very much! I’m struggling to keep my head from swelling today haha

Slater Henatay's avatar

Badass man

Keith Long's avatar

Thanks very very much *hat tip*

EJ Trask's avatar

brilliant brilliant. gripping story and awesome execution. well done.

Keith Long's avatar

Thank thank thank — I had been playing with the idea of a reversed narrative and this clicked together perfectly

Wendy Cockcroft's avatar

Great story, great logo. Thank you for this.

Keith Long's avatar

Thank you and thank you! I had a lot of fun working on this little event in both capacities

Garen Marie's avatar

Keith, damn! The backwards motion of the story that still somehow made forewards sense was mind-bending in the best way. Great story!

Keith Long's avatar

Thank you!! I had so much fun with this event, so truly thanks for putting it together

William Pauley III's avatar

This might be the best story on Substack! Excellent idea and flawless writing. Seriously, it's perfect.

Keith Long's avatar

Daaaaaaamn! Thank you so much — might have to frame this comment, maybe put it on my résumé, brand it on my chest with a hot fork

William Pauley III's avatar

EAT MY BOOK

Keith Long's avatar

You write that companion and consider it consumed!

Edward.Marlo.Ruiz's avatar

YOOOOOOOO. THIS SHIT HIT. Like a fucked up episode of Black Mirror. Amazingly written and brutally put. I felt the heat rise in my gut as it revealed the plan unfolding BACKWARDS. I mean shit that’s such a good concept in itself. Absolutely jealous of this brilliant concept done excellently.

Keith Long's avatar

Thank you, it really means so much to hear from such high caliber writers. Thanks

Nick Winney's avatar

This is so damned clever it hurts.

You make that look effortless but the backwards narrative must have been a challenge. Really like the take... surveillance is seriously scary after all. Top marks my friend. flawless, and also, ball peen hammers... something about them aint there... just something about them...

Keith Long's avatar

Thanks, Nick! It was a challenge, mostly if I wanted to change anything haha then everything had to move around

Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Wow. So perfectly described. I saw all of it!

Keith Long's avatar

Thank you! 👁️

Amy Ebersole's avatar

That sucked me right in! First, it made me think how quickly sometimes things happen and you just want to reverse it back and make it not so. Then the realization of what was going on with the cameras, you got me on that.

Keith Long's avatar

Thank you so much, Amy! I hoped it was a twist that caught readers off guard haha