B is for Blood (PG-13)

[sg_fignewton]

This ficlet is my contribution to Jack Alpha-Bits for Gen Fic Day. A dark fragment of Jack's stream of consciousness in Abyss. PG-13 for canon torture. 368 words.

Random, I can't thank you enough for helping me get this right.

Comments

[aurora_novarum]

It's poetry rather than prose, isn't it? Fascinating technique to expose Jack's emotional state. And I like how after everything Jack's seen with blood, it's Charlie's blood and that horrible memory that comes back to him now.

Because in the end, it's always about Charlie for him.

[sg_fignewton]

I hadn't meant it to be poetry, but prose wasn't working either - that's the problem with presenting a stream of consciousness (most of us don't think in complete sentences, after all). I'm so glad it worked for you!

And yes, I thought of Jack flashing on other people's blood - the botched op in East Germany, the reporter in Secrets, Daniel with his chest blown away - but it all came back to Charlie. Stark and always, always there.

[suzannemarie]

What a creative and interesting approach! Very well done.

[sg_fignewton]

Thank you! I think it surprised me a little too. :)

[maychorian]

Ow. Poor Jack. You really brought us into his headspace here, and it hurts.

[sg_fignewton]

Part of me still finds it hard to believe that the show actually showed us all this, so - yeah. Ow. I'm glad it worked enough to hurt, so to speak. :)

[neiths_arrow]

I'm so glad they didn't show us more. It allowed a lot of great fics to be written. I really think our imagination is worse than they could have shown.

[sg_fignewton]

Oh, like fanfic writers ever have trouble imagining the worst... :)

Still, the writers did a superb job of showing us just enough horror to more than fill in the rest of the blanks.

[neiths_arrow]

Hm! My first review went into NetherJournal.

You did a great job continuing from the episode. I could see this all happening after he hallucinated Shalin and was well on his way to insanity. What a nightmare for poor Jack. Very in character for poor Jack.

[sg_fignewton]

Nightmare - yes, that sums up Abyss just perfectly, I think.

And yes, poor Jack was well on his way to insanity. I'm glad this worked for you.

[silerswench]

This absolutely took my breath away. Intense and painful. Truly brilliant writing.

[sg_fignewton]

Thank you! Abyss could never be anything less than intense. :)