i absolutely loved this story. like i literally LOVED IT. at first i thought..hey he may get hurt by nehemiah and get a second chance with skeezie but then as i read more i was beginning to see how it would end. i cryed like a baby! honest i did. but i think it was a good way to end the story. and even as i say i would like to read a sequel just to see how and what nehemiah and skeezie felt i wouldnt want that cause it would stop me from imagining it. but anyways to sum it up: THANKS FOR A FABULOUSLY WRITTEN STORY. no matter how sad ;_;

Oh my god...even though i kind of expected it, this was an amazing ending great job. Though, HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO SKEEZIE? or however you spell that. I loved him! he was my favortie. [ but anyways good job and keep it up!

GAWD this was sad!

I started crying in the end! It was very well written and I loved your characters.. but this was very very very sad!

Can't we have an alternative ending where he ends up with Skeezie? I didn't like Nehemiah much.. he was very selfish and he didn't love him at all!

*starts chanting* WE WANT SKEEZIE WE WANT SKEEZIE WE WANT SKEEZIE WE WANT SKEEZIE!

Maybe another story where the last chapters were a dream that he has and wakes up thinking 'OMG I would never cheat on Skeezie I lurv him'

This is... wow.

I cried. A lot.

The way that Keegan sees himself among everyone else is so... I don't even have words. He is an elephant in his mind, while everyone else is beautiful. I can only feel like I wish I knew this kid, like he was real, so that there could have been one more person who loved him. You created all-over great characters. I thank you.

Wow. o_o I really liked Keegan! Ah, I really, *reeally* enjoyed reading this story. It has everything I look for in slash fiction. Even the unexpected ending. sigh. I'm gonna go.. cheer myself up now.

:) Thanks for a great story!

I'm crying. Like, seriously, there are tears! MY GOD! I just can't...WOW. I'd love to know how everyone reacted...but, dang. That was...okay, I'll admit, that was NOT where i thought this was going...but still, it was good. IN the bad, I'm-crying-and-might-reread-the-story-or-go-watch- a-sappy-romance-to-make-myself-feel-better-way.

Just...wonderful. Sad. Lovely.

OMG OMG OMG o.O that was so horribly but magnificently sad and depressing and I read this whole thing in one sitting and I wanna kill Nehemiah if he doesn't die first and I can't believe that happened, did he really kill himself in the end? What happened with Skeezie? How do they all react to all this?

Plus make an epilogue or something, I really wanna know the AFTERMATH!

Wow, I'm really trying not to cry! That was beautiful, but heartbreaking- well done :)

oh. my. god.

definitely one of the most intense, heartbreaking, TEAR-INDUCING things i've ever read. maybe i'm just too emotional, but i really did cry for nehemiah because of his illness and all his impenetrable walls, for skeezie because of his heartbreak and the fact that he risked everything for someone who didn't love him enough, and most of all for keegan because love is a terrible and beautiful thing, and he made (in my opinion) all the wrong decisions.

keegan's "the smallest elephant" story was really touching and beautiful in a heartbreaking way. i especially loved the heart garden and the departure from this land to freedom, because he clearly felt that death was the only release. BU TOTALLY DIDN'T EVEN SEE SUICIDE COMING AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE A BITTERSWEET ENDING WITH NEHEMIAH/KEEGAN. clearly i should've paid more attention to the "general/angst" genre labeling.

i loved these lines:

"This story started out when I met Nehemiah.

This story continued when Nehemiah kissed me.

This story ended when Nehemiah told me he didn't love me."

and skeezie's line about hoping keegan would starve to death. it was such a punch to the gut, especially since that was the one thing he had NOT wanted. and when he said that he would die without keegan! oh god, now i'm left wondering if skeezie kills himself and if nehemiah succumbs to hiv/aids and if rocks fall and everyone dies. i just really want to know what happens in the aftermath, but of course i can't because this is the end.

but really. thank you for writing this.

Wow. The story was intense until the very end, and, would you believe me if I told you that I'm all shaking and trying not to cry? I think I understand Keegan completely (although his situation isn't at all like mine in any aspect.) The truth is that love is so blind and pointless. He should've thought about everything before indulging in this stupid affair with Nehemiah. I know, he fell in love with him, but he also knew that Nehemiah was a womanizer, such a playboy, a guy who would never settle. It was stupid of him he thought he could change any of that (if he ever thought of changing the green haired prick). He now had Skyler, and it should've been enough for him. I think I can distinguish between the two Keegan's loves. He -loved- Nehemiah, but was only -in love- with Skeezie. He should have thought what he really wanted, or, what he wanted -more-; therefore, in my opinion, it should have been just stupid Nehemiah from the very Skeezie! I really grew to like him! But 'Kook' was so egoistic and I couldn't believe how he was deceiving the poor guy. I really like this Skyler character, and I would go further into analyzing this amazing story, its structure, and the characters, but I'm pretty sure it would bore you to death.

So, to make the long story short, Keegan should have chosen any side; being with Skyler, preferably. Maybe, with time, he would really come to truly love Skeezie, and everything would be wonderful for both of them. Or, at least, I'd do that if I were him. I would choose the safe side. The stable one. To know exactly what is what and all. So I was kinda like: "Serves you right!" when Nehemiah told him he didn't love him. And his suicide seemed reasonable (well, not entirely; it's never the best solution, but let's say it's ok here), taking into the account that he was left with nothing. But still, if I were him, I would wait a bit, when the dust settles, and try to make up with Skeezie (with lots and lots of effort, sacrifice, and all of that).

And one last thing. Nehemiah is a bastard who was just playing with other people's feelings, never caring even for his friends. At least I think so, but correct me if I'm wrong. He should just overdose and die at last. Ok, that was a bit too personal.

Anyway, awesome story, profound,...I'm kinda lacking words with which I want to describe it. It's enough, for the end, to say that my heart is still beating so fast, and it still aches.

I'm crying so much, that was so unexpected. I was hoping for some sort of reconcilement or forgiveness, but it ended as a tragedy for Keegan.

I guess Keegan couldn't get the love he needed and desperated for. His feelings were confused for Nehemiah and Skeezie, creating a mishap that left him worse than from where he started. It ended up all downhill on his "fresh start".

But you could say he probably messed it up for himself, being unknowingly greedy. He gave love, to only not receive it. And he was also given love, to only not reciprocate it. Keegan's feelings were hurt, and also hurt another's. I honestly thought he would end up with Skeezie.

It was a great story despite the dark ending. It has great main characters, although Nehemiah's secret confuses me, and most of the supporting characters were left out. Keegan's story of the elephant portrayed a lot about how he felt, and summarized important previous events in metaphors.

I hope Keegan truly finds happiness in "Freedom".

I'm crying. Wow...I'm crying. The ending was so sad, but nothing else would have been proper. Nothing else would have really made sense. The open conflict...the open pain...and the only logical resolution was death. It's amazing the symbols you packed into this. It's wonderful and sad. I love it. Thank you.

The hate bit...that was amazing. I find myself often saying I hate you when I really want to say I love you. I hate you never carries the same effect, though. Keegan's pain really shone through this chapter. It was really good. Loving it.

Wow. That was definitley the most orignal sex scene I've ever read. I wish I had a trophy to give you. Though, to be honest, I'm rooting for Nehemiah...don't ask me to explain why. Haha. Intuition, I suppose. I love it.

Wow that was super sad...but i guess it really couldn't have ended any other way...I really want to know how Nehemiah and Skeezie reacted! Awesome story though. I really liked it.