For the 'Once Upon a Time' Challenge at open_on_sunday

[alwaysjbj]

With a little over-inventive use of the hyphen and a lot of culling I managed to get this down from the 170 words it wanted to be to 100.

Title: Too late.
Author: alwaysjbj
Word Count: 100
Character: Buffy
Rating: G





Too late.


Buffy stared sightlessly at the destruction before her.

“I used to think fairytales were real; one day I’d find my prince and live happily-ever-after,” her voice broke the all-encompassing silence. “Then I found out fairytales were real; only not in the happy-ending kinda way, but the evil-monsters-and-things-that-go-bump-in-the-night kinda way. I guess I figured there were no happily-ever-afters. Only there was, and I didn’t realise ‘til it was too late. I really blew it, huh?” A tear traced slowly down her cheek, her gaze fixed on the ground beneath her, searching for his dust amidst the detritus of her former home.

Comments

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

Sniff. That was sad.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

It was actually angstier before the culling. So I guess it is a good job I culled. lol

[prophcygrl.livejournal.com]

That is so very lovely and poignant. *hugs*

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I actually really liked the longer version and have kept it as I have a nasty little plot bunny niggling at me to expand upon it... when I don't have so many other fics I need to be writing.

[prophcygrl.livejournal.com]

Squeee!! *cheers for the plot bunny* ;D

[talesofspike.livejournal.com]

Okay, blame the beginnings of what promises to be a pounding headache and some solid sleep deprivation, but my inner voice is jumping up and down and shouting that it's no more than she deserves (bitch)... No fault of your wonderful prose, just me being strange again.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

I hope your head is feeling better now, sweetie! You will get no argument from me about Buffy deserving it!! I agree whole-heartedly! But I like to think she finally realised how she felt... and that she mourned him (and that The Girl in Question never happened). I am hanging onto the longer (and slightly angstier) version of this as I have a bunny or two that may yet see it expanded upon.

[spikereader.livejournal.com]

I think I got distracted by all the over-inventive hyphenation, which made me smile rather than cry. (plus I'm kinda with Tales on the 'serves her right' pov). I love the word detritus.

My inventive word counting used to involve taking several one, two and sometimes three letter words and lumping them together to just count as one. Still, that was in the days of handwritten essays - harder to con a computer count that way.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

LOL... well it was hard enough getting it down from the 170 words I had originally... I NEEDED those hyphens! LOL

I agree that Buffy deserved to feel that pain... I also felt that Spike very much deserved to have her mourn for him. So it was more for Spike's benifit than Buffy's that I wrote this. If that makes sense?

I rather like detrius too... I have always thought it was a lovely evocative word. Thanks for reviewing!

[jans-intentions.livejournal.com]

Wow. Great piece of Buffy.

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Thanks, sweetie! I am glad you enjoyed it... I feel Spike deserved to be mourned, and in my little world (where TGiQ never happened) I think Buffy would have gone back to Sunnydale to say goodbye to him and tell him how she felt.

[jerusha]

Oh. That was sad...

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know... but I think that Spike deserved her tears, her appology and her to have her admit, properly, that she loved him.

Let me introduce myself...

[bekah-leigh.livejournal.com]

Lovely drabble. It may be short, but it gets you right in the chest. Poor Buffy. :(

Hey, I'm Bekah, newbie to the Spuffy author universe. I friended you tonight, so I thought I'd say hello. Hello! :P

Re: Let me introduce myself...

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

Hi Bekah! *waves* I'm glad you liked my drabble... I felt Spike deserved to be mourned... we were never given any indication on the show of her mourning hm and I really do feel she would have.

Thanks for letting me know you friended me.. I friended you back and look forward to getting to know you.

[buffyprof.livejournal.com]

*sniff*

[alwaysjbj.livejournal.com]

I know... what can I say... I like angsty drabbles.