I cried and cried when Christopher Eccleston’s Dr Who died. I have cried into books many times.

You capture the emotions brilliantly and, one day, I hope to recreate them in someone else.

A lovely ode to the power of storytelling in its various forms to evoke real emotions and help us test/reaffirm our own reality. Just lovely.

‘Fan’ is just an abbreviation of ‘fanatic’ anyway, from a time when fanaticism wasn’t always considered evil, so that tiny little part irks me a little bit, but the meaning comes across clearly so I say keep it. I want to be all big and blustery and say I’ve never cried over a fictional character, but I’d be lying. I cry more over lost love than death though, but that’s just me.

Beautiful – loss, grief and mourning is something society takes away, keeps hidden from us, but still we need to grieve for someone, or something. The pain is very real, even if the object of grief is fictional.

All I can say is Torchwood: Owen! Gwen! Ianto, I barely knew you!

Even on the second time through, it was as though my cheeks were made of salt water.

And Angel. Doyle, Cordelia, Fred, Wesley, the inevitable end that they all meet later.

And Doctor Who, that season finale when he remembered all the “Children of Time” who have died helping him or because he couldn’t save them.

OK, I’m emotional now.

I’ve had a few fictional losses that have upset me greatly…

[Sirius Black (Harry Potter, the books, not the movies), Godric (True Blood)]

So this really resonates with me. Great job.

@DoItForScience: The “fan”/“fanatic” split is something we tend to use in fandom and the convention scene to differentiate between the mostly sane people, and the ones we have to use security for. :-)

Thanks guys. I wasn’t sure how well this would go down, so your kind responses are a bit of a relief.

I find something cathartic about writing about my grief, which is why I did this.

I aimed to keep it reasonably generic, so that as many people as possible could identify with it. (Though, it is actually related to two specific character deaths I’ve dealt with this year.)

I like the “while you may not be, I am real”. It’s the show that touches us that we love and remember. And that line speaks true for so many people who never leave their living rooms…

Great work. Nice piece. Congrats on the Feature!

@dkscully I’m aware of the vernacular, but does that mean it can’t irk me? I consider it mild self-delusion [to make the distinction], a practice which I don’t favor, even though I’m guilty of it myself. Self-loathing and hypocritical of me to be sure, but still the truth. Like I said though, the meaning comes across clearly in your story.

@doitforscience: Not a problem. You are, of course, allowed your own feelings about the way that words are used.

@ALRO613: thanks! It was very unexpected.

Charlie from Lost a few seasons ago… that was tough.
Great job capturing the emotions.

This is a great piece, and it’s so close to home. Congrats on being featured also!

When L died in Death note i jumped up and down so hard that my brand new pc fell off the balcony and landed in a very unorganized thousand pieces. I know how characters have a life of their own. awesome story . and weren’t you saying how you never get featured? well cant say that now can you? congrats on the feature.

huh, so that’s how long a title can be lol :D
I’ve felt close to fictional characters also.

Oh, Tasha Yar! I cursed the writers a thousand times for that one.

I think you captured our collective angst.

Oh, now you’ve just made me miss Kutner and Amber again. I had almost gotten over them.