This really does reach a point where I barely know what to say in response to your so generous feedback. I read and re-read your posts, and you leave me in awe and grinning like an idiot. It's impossible to thank you enough, but I'm going to have to think of a way to do it.
Sorcha, Sorcha... that
you would say this...
I have to tell you, Wendy, I think I'm just about finished here. A broken-down shadow of someone who once quite liked angst, thank you very much. Sitting in a dimmed room with a damp Kleenex crumpled loosely in a slack hand
ROFL!!
Seriously, to all of you who told me that this section made you cry, I thank you, I offer my shoulder and I buy you all a month's supply of Kleenex.
![[Linked Image]](http://images.google.ca/images?q=tbn:fbdaXrI8JhCwxM:http://www.uab.edu/images/imedpub/Kleenex.jpg)
And I'm very, very relieved that the final paragraph of this section seems to have worked. I was very unsure about that one, and it was only after I tested it on a couple of people on IRC (thanks, Sara and Dave!) that I even left it in the file. Sometimes it's very hard for me to take an objective line on my writing, to know whether something works or is just clichéd or weak. So thank you!
There's a debate here, I see, on the role of women in fiction, in particular the tragic female death for the sake of emotional trauma. I think Ann and others have expressed views on that very nicely and clearly - and I entirely agree that where it does seem to be only the female characters who are killed off in that way, where men die as heroic sacrifice rather than for dramatic impact it's uneven, sexist and very unfair.
As far as the ending of this story goes, naturally I'm not going to give spoilers.
Terry quite rightly points out that I posted a WHAM warning for the story in the appropriate thread; if anyone's especially concerned, it's there and can be read. Caution: it does say something about the ending of the story, so if you really don't want to be spoiled
don't read it.
Anyway, there are only three parts to go, including the one I'm just about to post, so we'll be all done by Saturday night. Not that much longer to wait!
Thank you all so very much indeed once more. Your comments and feedback all mean a huge amount to me.
Wendy
