Shadow, here I am again, commenting on your previous story before I go read the next one. And I can almost guarantee that you'll once again blow me away so much that I won't be able to say anything rational about that one at first. Your writing is really that powerful.
Oh, man... this chapter is so very dark, but beautifully leavened with hope and friendship. Mick's hope of finding a way to mortality and thus to Beth, Mick's hope for Elaine, and hers for him. And the wonderful friendship between Mick and Elaine, and especially between Josef and Mick. It's just so rich, so very real in the way you draw it, that it comforts me as well.
Mick's conversation with Beth at the end of Love Lasts Forever was very painful to watch, and the look on his face spoke volumes about those things he felt guilt for. Your story has illuminated that terrible darkness and helped us all to see why Mick hates being a vampire so much, and why he is so adamantly opposed to turning anyone ever again... except, of course, that he's not sure he could be strong enough to hold back if Beth were the one lying there. And what torture that must be for him. No wonder he longs so much to give up that power to grant undeath to the dying, knowing the horrific consequences of such power.
And yes, of course, Mick would think about how close Beth came to dying herself, that day. So very close. It's chilling to think that he might have had to make the choice while Beth was dying after a brutal attack--just as Elaine had. Knowing what would happen to Beth if he did turn her. And if he thinks the Cleaner is pissed now, imagine the reaction if he'd turned a reporter into a vampire in front of a bunch of cops and paramedics.
I'm glad you're going to address the issue of Mick and the Cleaner. Thank you for filling in the inevitable consequences of such public behavior, which were woefully neglected by the show. Just as Beth would certainly have had to face some consequences from killing Lee Jay, it's ridiculous to assume that Mick could go all vamp-crazy in a police station, and take out an entire bar of bad dudes, without some repercussions in the vampire world. I look forward to seeing how you handle this ticklish situation.
The story of Elaine is so heartwrenchingly, awfully tragic. You've done a wonderful job of describing a young and inexperienced Mick, deliberately ignorant of the vampire rules. I could feel his desperation and ignorance when Elaine was dying, and his despair at having made such a horrible mistake. And as a small digression, I loved the way you described the Monterey Pop festival. You created the ambiance of that time with deft verbal sketches. Not too much detail to trip yourself up--just enough to give us a feel for the time and place. And in this chapter, the fog that Mick walked through... I grew up in coastal Northern California, and I've walked through that very fog countless times. I loved that touch...it not only added atmosphere to the scene, but it further grounded the flashback in realism.
I'm glad we finally know the story of Elaine's disastrous turning, and the guilt she and Mick share about it. And speaking of guilt, I'm
so glad that both Elaine and Josef told Mick that Beth, too, is racked with guilt. He needed to know, because Beth won't ever be able to say so. And I think their telling him about the guilt Beth feels is what made it possible for him to go back to her later, and help her through the nightmare, and learn for himself that she truly does love him. And
need him. Maybe that knowledge will help him through the period where Beth just can't let herself reach out to him.
So here I am, pulled back into Moonlight by the power and brilliance of your writing. I love you for bringing me back to this place, Shadow. I'm so glad you are writing these stories.