One thing about this work is that this is the pure, original text in its original format, and it's completely intact; I dug around and located all the scattered pages with success. It's not like Lucifer, which seems to have gone through some sort of revision even before I wrote the "original" draft, or like the ones that came later, where I did similar things; it's also not just a tiny fragmentary text, but has quite a bit of substance to it. As for the quality of that substance...much is to be desired.
Even though this story is pure junk, and the new version isn't much better, it was still quite instrumental in my writing evolution, and Damien went on to become one of my most important characters--for a long time, my favorite character. So, while this novel attempt is poor, I appreciate it for how much it ended up meaning to my writing in whole. Someday, I'd like to rewrite the early D4D novels, and hopefully make them much better; though I don't know how salvageable they are. Compare this to the newest version, which can be found in its entirety elsewhere on the site. Also compare to "D Is For Damien Excerpt," which was certainly written before the newest version, but possibly after the original. (This novel, BTW, was first set up on audiocassette. I was acting out my characters Chernobyl and Harvey, when Chernobyl received the pivotal phone call which starts the story.)
Written in a very battered five-subject notebook long missing its cover; the title page is on the green divider page, and features a heavy pencil drawing of the D in question, forming the title; the word "Damien" is written in what's supposed to be Damien's handwriting. On the inner front cover is the Scorpio logo (an M with a tail), but the tail is missing; I seem to remember I drew the symbol incorrectly back then. This novel was probably started before the original version of Lucifer, although it takes place a year later in the timeline. Interestingly, this story represents a sort of transitional phase in my writing; my King Kuts books (circa 1988-90 or so) were all profusely illustrated, whereas this story practically isn't--there is only one illustration, early in the text. I sense that I intended to include more drawings, but just grew tired of it, and focused on the writing; this has been the case with almost all of my serious writing ever since. Another interesting thing which I only just noticed--this story is written over an earlier, erased, Trench Rats story. I dimly remember the plot as being about a mouse who, early in the story, was rescued by the Rats, but as for the story's title, I'm not sure; perhaps it was Dobermann On Wheels? A shame that I don't remember copying it anywhere.
The plot of D4D was hatched, and the story itself takes place, in late summer 1990--in fact, this is what the copyright states--but the actual writing could have started somewhat later. It does not date beyond junior high (1989-91).
Front Material/Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10/Back Material