The Ballad of Bonaduke—
Episode Episode 28: The Warning
DETAILS: Series: The Ballad of Bonaduke, #28 Format: Kindle Vella Story Read Date: June 29, 2023
I could feel blood dripping down my back and begin soaking the waistline of my pants by the time I reached the exit. The pain from my leg almost blocked out the sensation of my socks soaking from the ankle down, but it was there.
The Story So Far…
A drunken Michael Bonaduke decides to use a grift (with maybe some sort of magic/magic-like “help”) to win on a scratch-off lottery ticket so he has money to buy more to drink. He pulls off whatever he did, gets his money and some booze and stumbles off into the darkness to drink himself into oblivion so he can start again the next day. He’s hit by dark memories (probably what’s driving him to the drinking) of fire, pleading, and screaming. There’s going to be a price to pay for his grift, and he’s trying to be ready.
He’s abducted by some representatives of a mysterious group who subject him to a test—if he passes, everything will be explained to him (and hopefully the reader, too). He passes—and is brought somewhere for answers, or maybe training, or maybe another test. Time will tell (or things are going to get really annoying). Answers aren’t quick to come—but the mysteries and questions keep piling up.
Things get hairy and Bonaduke leaves and finds himself back in the neighborhood he started from. He takes refuge in a homeless encampment shortly before a police raid. He’s apprehended and finds himself an interrogation room and shortly escapes after using his grift (but with results he didn’t quite intend). He finds himself by a group of squatters who seem to have strapped a woman to a chair for reasons that can’t be good. He attempts to rescue her before he even realizes what he’s doing, and…
What’s The Warning About?
This episode is essentially Bonaduke carrying the woman he rescued out of the building and thinking about what happened at the end–how did his grift work in that situation? It was a lot more powerful than he’s used to–for that matter how does it work in the first place? He’s still trying to figure that out.
He doesn’t come up with a firm answer–not much of any answer, but he’s chewing on it.
So, what did I think about The Warning?
So, um…yeah. It’s good for Bonaduke (and therefore the reader) to get some clarification on what happened, but I’m not sure we got any solid answers here. I’m pretty sure he didn’t, and if he didn’t, we can’t. I’d like an answer or two soon. The beginnings of theories are interesting, and it’s nice to see a character think through something. But argh…some progress we could hang our hats on to would be interesting.
I’m reminding myself that if I wasn’t reading this episodically, I’d probably not have these frustrations. But…I am and I do.
I don’t have a firm opinion on this episode, because it’s a stepping stone. The problems I have with it are because of the design, not the execution. I didn’t dislike it is the best I can do–oh, and I want more.
I’m hoping we get back to the guys in the apartment (or their colleagues) in the near future–and maybe some more with the sister-in-law. But if Slaywood’s got another interesting curveball to throw at us, I won’t complain.
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