My spirit is lifted becuase we're halfway through.

Halfway point! Everyone cheer!

No, he's still not dead yet.

Two chapters tonight.

Cole spat at the Spirit Bear. The Spirit Bear approaches and then licks up Cole's spit before walking away. Anyone else think that's completely random? Cole angsts about the bear thinking that he's insignificant. He starts to cry because he's unloved and alone and nobody cares about him. He's still not dead yet.

He dreams he's a baby bird in a nest struggling to survive. Needing to submit and having a simple desire to live. When I read the bit about submission, my mind immediately wandered off to some naughty places. While he dreams, it's raining. He's still not dead yet.

The Spirit Bear shows up again. And stares at Cole. Cole isn't afraid. He knows that he'll fight (though I don't know how) and if he dies then it's his time to die. And I'm gagging here in the corner. Apparently the bear isn't there to finish him off, but instead is just looking at him curiously. Cole pets the bear and feels trust coming from the bear. He doesn't understand why, because he had tried to kill the bear and spit at it. He hated the bear and the bear defied him. And now the bear was letting him touch him. Yes, Cole finally touches his Spirit Bear. Afterwards the bear wanders off. He's still not dead yet.

Suddenly, Cole has a revelation! The world was beautiful! There's a long description of how beautiful things are, the animals frolicking, the trees and everything so wonderful! "Yes, the world was beautiful! Even the wet moss and crushed grass near his hand was beautiful. Staring at the delicate patterns, he wondered why had never noticed this all before. How much beauty had beauty had he missed in his life time? How much beauty had he destroyed?" And he goes on about this and slowly he fades off, though he hears a buzzing sound. He doesn't die.

Unfortunately he gets rescued by Edwin and Garvey. They take him back on boat and is taken off to the nurse's office. The people around him are worried and Garvey and Edwin talk about how Cole's injuries are from an animal. He's still not dead yet.

Cole is tended to by a nurse named Rosy. They give him drugs. Wrap him up in bandages. The plane can't make it until the morning. Edwin and Garvey talk about how Cole isn't as touch as he thinks he is and if only he had a reason to live. He has a dream where he realizes he has people who care about him. Garvey fed him, his parents fed and clothed him and gave him money, Rosey tended his wounds, Edwin gave advice. (Not so sure about that last one, but okay.) And then all these people turn into monsters and yell at him.

He and Garvey talk about how Garvey is helping Cole to help himself. And how Garvey went to jail for five years. And he wishes he had gotten Circle Justice. Blah blah blah. It's supposed to tell us why Garvey cares so much about Cole and wants to help him. There's supposed to be parallels here. They're rather obvious parallels, especially since Garvey almost comes out and says it.

Edwin asks him what happened on the Island when they're taking Cole to the plane. He tells them what happened. They tell him that he may not have use of his arm any more. Cole says, "My arm isn't important." When they ask why, he replies, "If I like the cake, maybe the ingredients are okay, too." Cole smiled weakly. "A famous parole officer told me that once."

Yes, Cole has done a complete and utter 180, without any reason for him to do so. If anything his experiences should have rendered him more hatey, because I know I'd hate everything if I got mauled by a bear. I definitely would be hating nature at least.

Anyway, Edwin and Garvey don't believe him about the Spirit Bear and then he shows them the hairs he took, promising himself that from now on, he'll tell only truth. He lets the hairs go and the last words of the chapter are "Smiling, Cole rested his head on the stretcher. Edwin had said that anger was a memory never forgotten. That might be true. But the Spirit Bear was also a memory that would never disappear from his mind or heart."

Now, the mind part I can get. Trust me, if I had that sort of trauma I'd never forget that too. But the heart thing? I think it would maybe take months or years even for me to make that sort of realization. I definitely wouldn't make it days after the incident. The transition Cole makes is so quick it's unbelievable. It's forced. Like everything else in this book.

I need a lift of my Spirit

Some personal business... mostly because I'm too lazy to make two posts.

First of all, my cat seems to have a new game. It's call wake Kips up at three in the morning by meowing and butting his head against her boobs.

Second of all, a friend of mine, I've known him since he was five (I was older when we met... don't ask how old, cause I don't remember) he's in late high school now, and he's being sent to rehab for drug use. Apparently he's been stealing money from his parents for drugs and everything. I dunno, I don't know what to say about it. It just kinda hurts. I mean, he's a good kid, as far as I know. And I've known him for most of his life. He likes music and everything. Good with it. Perhaps not the best student, but a good Jewish boy. So... it kinda ... makes me funny. Worried. I hope he's going to be okay.


We return to Cole six months later.

He's been in the hospital this entire time. His mother has been visiting every day and so has Garvey. Cole's father has not. His father has been charged with child abuse by his mother because of Garvey making his mom feel guilty.

Cole is confused as to why she shows up. After all, why does she suddenly care about him? And why should he believe her? And why didn't she visit at night... after visiting hours are done. She comes every day and appears to be trying to make amends and he's upset that she doesn't stay past visiting hours. When it's dark and he's alone with his thoughts. And he remembers the bear mauling him, and being angry and stuff. But he also remembers the baby birds and touching the Spirit Bear. Yup, the dead birds and the bear that mauled him bring him comfort. I know it would me.

Apparently the physical therapist tells him, what happened to Cole would have killed most people. Yes. The author fully admits that what he did should have killed Cole, but didn't. There goes any trust I have in this author. He just admitted to us that he did something unreasonable and unbelievable, that his main character should have been dead, but isn't because he's just that special. And when we get to the point where the author says his character is just that special, I want to put the book down and kill something.

And apparently they're taking Cole back to the detention center to decide what to do with him. Because the circle justice failed and what not. Garvey tells Cole that the hard part is not his physical healing but his emotional ones. And I gaged. You don't need to actually go out and say it. We should learn about it not be told about it with a sledge hammer.

Garvey comes by to visit him at the jail, and they talk about the island and how Cole saw the Spirit Bear, which Garvey isn't sort of believing. He says that Cole saw something that he thought was a Spirit Bear. They then talk about Cole's dad, who also has a sob story, which we learn from Cole's mother. Cole's father was abused and insert Cliched Background here.

The Justice Circle meets and people say that Cole should be handed over to regular justice. And then Edwin walks in. GASP. Once Edwin is settled, they say that it's Cole's turn to tell his story.