Helloooooooooo :) It's been a while since I've posted to this journal. All you need to know is that I am still working on my original novel as well as the Stranger Things fanfiction that I had started. No, they're not abandoned. I'm just having a hard time trying to find a time frame to write with college and currently working two jobs.

So you probably saw the title of this chapter, and if you're here now then you've probably also read my two Lord of the Flies fanfics. Before I even thought about writing The Red Means I Love You, I was planning on writing a sequel for Sam's life after the island. I ended up scrapping this concept for a number of reasons. But first, why don't I tell you exactly what the concept was?

I had the framework set up for this concept before I completed Our Love is God, so I hope that puts into perspective how early on I was planning on writing this now scrapped concept. This fanfic would've been way longer than both The Red Means Ily and Our Love is God as it was going to follow Sam's life up until college.

While I came up with this concept when writing the first fanfiction, I also scrapped it before it was completed and added some of the scenes I planned on using for the Our Love is God epilogue.

I wanted to delve into his inner conflict and angst that would of course come out of crashing on an island and losing a twin. I explored this a little bit in the epilogue of Our Love is God.

At the beginning, the main focus was them going against Roger in court, time and time again only for nothing to come out of it. I would have gone into the relationship building with his parents and the way they all contrasted in attitudes during this rough patch. Thomas Burrow slowly losing hope but being a safe place for Sam while Daphne continued to fight, basing their entire lives around this case until it became to exhausting for her ex-husband and son. As the chapters progressed, Sam would become more and more drained, beginning to loathe everything about the situation as his hope dwindled. At the start, he would've been much more determined.

I thought it would be an interesting to have him make eye contact with Roger in court for the first time after the island. It would be a very big turning point of drama and angst. It would've raised the stakes to have that "first glance." I wanted to go into detail the way his blood boiled despite the intense fear he had of Roger. And as they continued to lose in court, Sam would go from angry, to discouraged, to completed done with it.

This could've been interesting since in my epilogue he was very much done with his mother and how she based their entire life on getting justice for Eric, but Sam became too burnt out and wanted to forget about it. It would've been too much for someone as young as him. Thomas gets tired of the constant disappointment as the law failed them, not one good thing coming out of this shit fest. In turn, he moves states, leaving Sam and Daphne back home.

Sam is seen in the epilogue of Our Love is God trying to "erase" the memory of Eric by not talking about him and obscuring all the photos of his brother. There would be further detail of how he hid and dealt with the physical scars left by Roger, and what a burden it left. His detest and and feelings of anger towards Veronica would continue to grow as he found no real reason to hate her despite wanted to hate her so badly.

And of course his parents also splitting for a second time would do a measure in the midst of all this, so I would've gone deeper into the events of that. Sam would become a shell of the person he used to be. Lost and adrift, entirely wanting to leave his old life behind. Daphne dwelled on it too much. It was suffocating, and Sam wanted out. He was tired of dealing with and hearing the same old thing. In his eyes, it was time to forget and move on. It was hopeless. Nothing would come out of the situation. Roger would indefinitely be a free man. Sam accepted that far before his mother could.

When Sam had become old enough, I'd say around eight grade or freshman year of high school, he would request to move out of his mom's house to move in with his dad. This would be the ultimate way to escape his old life, to leave everything behind. The depressing dreariness of constant reminders like a repeated stab. His father was the one who tried to keep Sam out of the court stuff when it was all going on. He would try his best to protect his son's ears from his frantic mother who was dedicating their lives to staying in this hell.

Thomas did whatever he could to keep Sam's mind off everything when they still lived together. So when Sam got old enough, he requested to move in with his dad. Even with the stuff from court being through with, he couldn't be there anymore. He loved his mother, but she was still living in the life that he buried with his brother. And in his hometown, people knew his name, his background, and everything that happened. He couldn't go out in public without the whispers and gossip following him, eyeing him under a microscope. Moving was in his opinion, the only option.

Daphne is saddened to hear this, but ultimately lets him go, knowing it's in his best interest. Sam would of course visit her for the holidays and random weekends despite how hard he found it to be. The holidays would've been the worst part.

Sam opts to wearing long sleeves only to keep his arms covered and grew his hair out a bit. He's much older now and the news of the crash has calmed way down, especially now that he is in a new state with new people.

In this whole story, its him trying - trying to find balance in life without Eric, trying to live it like his twin never existed and the events of the island never happened. He moved schools and states in hopes of no one recognizing him from the news. In this new school and town, he feels free. Refreshed. It's so much easier to act like it all never happened in a brand new setting.

So he goes into high school like normal. He takes classes, joins clubs, keeps up with grades, makes friends, and is finally able to smile. For the first time, he feels somewhat at peace with himself. Eric is never brought up in conversation. Meeting new people, Sam never tells anyone that he ever had a brother. It's all as if it never happened. Sam would never share the date of his birthday with people as its something he no longer acknowledges or celebrates for obvious reasons.

I planned a scene where during his freshman year of high school, He would be sitting down in his father's home on his birthday - no celebration, presents or any special occasion on which he insisted on to his father. All he allowed was his mother to wish him happy birthday over the phone. When he's sitting on the couch by a window during the last hour of his birthday as midnight approaches closer, Sam would say "Happy Birthday, Eric," right before the clock struck midnight.

You know I love pulling heartstrings.

With a new group of friends, and a new life, Sam can have a somewhat sense of normalcy, but at least he's feeling happier. I didn't plan the individual names of the people in his friend group, but I knew they'd play a pretty big part. The only character I had thought of was a girl named Summer. I don't think I intended in thinking of her as Summer nor was I even trying to think of names. I just thought one day while planning the concept that her name would be Summer.

The actress of Sydney Park is sort of who I imagined when I was planning this back then.

It wasn't like a face claim, but she was the closest to what my brain automatically thought of when I thought of Summer. Summer was a potential love interest for Sam. This sequel would not have revolved around romance. If anything, it would've been a subplot.

Summer was incredibly intelligent. She would've had dry humor and an upfront attitude. Her and Sam would've met in a class or two they shared.

As he progressed into his sophomore year with his new friend group, he began to develop more and more of a crush on her. One day the friend group would go on a hike together and come across a waterfall and a river. Naturally, they all would jump in one my one. The boys took of their shirts and jumped in. Sam of course only wore long sleeves. When being teased playfully by his friends for wearing a long sleeve shirt in the water, he could only fear that his shirt would lift and reveal the scars littering his back. When the anxiety got too him too badly, he'd climb out of the water.

That was a scene that I figured I'd include to show the struggle he still had with keeping his past completely repressed.

Him and Summer would've gotten closer as time went, though I wasn't sure how I would've developed this if it were written. Summer was meant to be working on a research project at some point, so she went to the local library by herself to dig up some archived newspapers. I had no clue what her project was going to be on. But through her digging, she came across a paper about a certain plane crash incident that she had heard about in the past, but never gave any thought.

She would've almost skimmed over it if not having seen a familiar blurry face. It was a small image, and it was black and white, but she caught it, only to see a pairing face next to it. It was Sam... twice. Inevitably, she reads everything. Shoving her research project aside, she shuffles all over the library to dig up anything else she could about the crash.

Shaken up and in horror, she leaves after having learned about this other life her best friend had lived. She met up with the friend group that day, but would keep her mouth shut. It's not until she would get alone with him that she'd confront Sam about what she discovered.

Sam of course wouldn't know how to take this. This would feel as if his world were crumbling around him after putting everything into erasing his past and running away from it, only to have one of his best friends find out. I planned that after what felt like hours of staring at each other in silent tranquility, Sam would finally sit down, shaking hard, breaths coming in quick paces.

I planned that she would have sworn her secrecy to him. Summer would've been there to console him after what he learned about her discovery finally hit, causing him to break down. No events were planned for the plot here after, but that they'd continue to grow closer. I think they'd maybe have a first kiss at some point, but again, I only ever had the concept with a safe scenes planned out that I ultimately scrapped.

So what did you think? I wanna hear thoughts!

I sort of knew deep down that I'd end up writing a sequel, but I didn't feel I like wanted to write about Jack. I ended up scrapping this concept before I even finished Our Love is God. The only way I would've written it would be if people asked me to write a sequel. If I didn't go with The Red Means Ily, I would've brought this concept back and written it, not both though.

As you know, Frankie Taylor wasn't my character. She is owned by my good friend Molli (MGlikescake) me and her communicated and she gave me permission to use her character. If Frankie wasn't the girl in The Red Means Ily, I would've taken Summer from this scrapped concept instead.

As expected and understandably so, a few people did want a sequel, but they wanted to hear and read more about Jack's life. So that's when I went with his separate story. However, that isn't the only reason I scrapped the Samneric sequel.

For one thing, I knew I'd have to do some more research about the Court of Law which would've been very time consuming considering the fact that I already had so little time on my hands. I know the basics about it like anyone else, but I would've wanted the story to be as accurate and realistic as possible, and even with research, I was concerned that I wouldn't hit some of the right marks, or that I'd get something wrong.

The other reason is because of how long it would have to be. The novel I am currently working on will be about as long as this concept was supposed to be. And with a lengthy book, it needs to be engaging the whole time. I didn't want it to drag for too long, and I didn't feel confident that would be able to do it.

Again, this clearly would've been angsty, dark - much darker than Our Love is God - mature in the sense of someone with this trauma growing up, and very detailed. I don't believe even now that I could do a storyline such as this one any justice. I was able to do The Red Means Ily, but I have the vision and concept for this Samneric story. It would've been way different, and it would've required a lot more time and patience. Time and patience isn't the problem, just that I don't think I would be successful in reaching was my vision for the story was.

Writing The Red Means Ily was a very "spur of the moment" deal. I wrote it in a month, only four chapters and kinda thought of the angstiest shit I could drop into it. I feel that with a story as complex that envisioned for the Samneric concept, it would have to be done correctly, and I wasn't very confident. Even now though, I'm done with writing about Lord of the Flies so it wouldn't even be a future project.

So that's my scrapped sequel for Our Love is God! I'm glad that I went with The Red Means Ily. I would love to hear your thoughts and comments <3

As always, I hope you have a wonderful day!