Winner of the “Dead After Dead Reckoning” Contest hosted by Crisi TM and Fairyblood
Story set exactly after “Dead Reckoning“: Sookie’s way has never worked. Her relationship with Eric is suffering. To save it she’s willing to try it Eric’s way. “The worst is just around the bend.” Sookie uses the cluviel dor with amazing results. Her life changes forever.
The title is from the song “Across the Universe,” written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. I’d never heard the song until Fiona Apple sang it. She also sang “Sally’s Song,” from the movie “A Nightmare Before Christmas,” and the line “the worst is just around the bend” is from that song. I actually like Amy Lee’s version of “Sally’s Song” a little better. The chapter names will follow the lyrics… in case anybody is curious.
After about eight chapters dedicated to “Sally’s Song,” my muse decided to change direction and dedicate some chapters to the song “Give Me a Sign” by Breaking Benjamin. Breaking Benjamin songs had a lot of influence while I was writing The World is a Vampire. Like I told my brother (who is a musician), I don’t like it so much for the music, but for the lyrics.
And then… I decided to move on to pay homage to the song Half-Truism by The Offspring. It seemed appropriate. But then… Ha! I got inspired by Within Temptation’s Jillian (I’d Give My Heart). I really love my music.
Please note that all characters belong to Charlaine Harris. I own nothing. I’m poor, so don’t sue. This fanfic is rated M from the beginning for language and adult themes.
Chapter 1 – The Worst is Just Around the Bend
Chapter 2 – There’s Something in the Wind
Chapter 3 – Feels Like Tragedy’s at Hand
Chapter 4 – Though I’d Like to Stand by Him
Chapter 5 – Can’t Shake This Feeling
Chapter 7 – What Will Become of My Dear Friend?
Chapter 10 – The Shepherd of the Damned
Chapter 11 – My Walls are Closing In
Chapter 13 – No Longer the Same
Chapter 14 – I Can See You Starting to Break
Chapter 15 – I’ll Keep You Alive
Chapter 16 – Out of the Light of the Sun
Chapter 17 – One is for Envy and One is for Spite
Chapter 18 – The Cuts in My Heart, They Show in Your Eyes
Chapter 19 – The Twisting Knife
Chapter 20 – You’ll Make it Better
Chapter 21 – A Hell of a Good Day to Die
Chapter 22 – You Against the World
Chapter 23 – Ashes to Ashes Again
Chapter 24 – Diamonds and Pearls
Chapter 25 – Watch the City Burn (Part 1)
Chapter 26 – Watch the City Burn (Part 2)
Chapter 27 – It’s All My Fault
Chapter 28 – Your Destiny is Forlorn
Chapter 29 – To Find a Meaning
Chapter 30 – Will I Never Free Myself?
Chapter 31 – Kingdoms Through Ages
Rebelina11 
Wow. OK. You didn’t know this was a Beatles song? I feel so old…I remember when The Beatles broke up…so you’re probably about the same age as my kids! Argh!!! Sometimes I feel like the oldest person reading this stuff, but I’ve found such a wealth of untapped creative imaginations & talent on FF (and due to their own stupidity & censorship), also on these wonderful blogs. You are more than deserving of this award, and the story needs an ending. It needs YOUR ending – don’t put any effort or fuss into what CH did with HER ending. That was her story. Tell yours. (Shh…don’t tell anyone I said this, but yours is better! I would buy yours in a hot minute!)
Ya, know… I’m not that young. I’ve been 29 for several years now 😀
I blame my parents for not exposing me to ALL the Beatles songs. They like the oldest songs. And no, you’re not the oldest person reading SVM anything! I have friends from every age group, and I cringe when they’re barely into adulthood – conveniently forgetting that I used to read romance novels since I was about 14 years old.
I haven’t brought myself to read the last SVM book. The stuff that’s out there is good enough to give me a picture of what to expect, so I’m not buying it. Why buy a book that only has 3 stars on Amazon? I’d rather wait and borrow it from the library. Too bad for Ms. Harris, although I’m sure she’s made plenty of money to not care. I’m not envious or bitter (not at all), just sad.
You’re killin’ me. And shame on your parents! You missed some great music. I’ve been 29 in my head for so long my ingrates are catching up & just might surpass me. I am, however, older than all of the Beatles songs…my granddaughter calls me Na Na; instead of lullabies, she was rocked to sleep by The Beatles & I guess she really liked “Hey Jude!”
The library is a good place to get DEA. I’m sure with all that was spoiled you might not have to read it. Here’s the thing: everyone’s all pissed off at CH – BUT – she wrote her stories & only promised an unconventional HEA, never a HEA. She left clues all the way through the other books & short stories. Yes, it’s disappointing, very, VERY disappointing. Everyone comments on the last three books & how awful they were but, they aren’t romance novels. They are mysteries. CH was writing the E/S relationship as one that was falling apart. It was sad. Was she wrong? No. The entire series was HER story. The great thing about FF or your own blog is you having the ability to write YOUR story. So do that – write it the way you want it to end. The one line I see the most often in FF since DEA is “I’m going to write MY story,” as if this wasn’t what Ms. Harris had done! Being tied to the literary world gives me a differing POV, I guess.
So, go for it! Write your own ending & go off-canon. You want the HEA, right? You have an outstanding story already; all it needs is the ending. I, for one, cannot wait to see what you create! I’m certain someone with the screen name of “rebelina” has more than just a bit of “rebel” in her! I know your incredible imagination will bring a most stunning ending to a beautiful story.
Oh please let there be more! This is fantastic!
Love this story! I know life can be busy, but PLEASE update soon!
Was the last chater really the last chapter? I love this story… and hope for more
Rebelina Hello!
I’ve finally found! I was on a weekly fanfiction to see if you had made a new story and nothing! I was rereading alive after dark for the 7th time until I find you here by pure chance when I let you imagine my joy when I discovered your new story!
I have not read all the reviews but after what I understand there are people who are not happy with what you write … what I wonder is why they read you? criticism should be constructive if it is the wickedness!
you know how much I love what you write while I still can not read has “the world is a vampire” (you know how this story touches me and makes me sad) strongly you put it on this site so that people who are discovering take the measure of your talent and your ability to describe the emotions.
there are very few authors svm either here, or fanfic that have a real knack for it and you are part. we should cherish you and encourage you for the joy and the time you give us and you want to share with us.
Here in France the authors of fanfic on svm are zero!! no interaction of dialogue, no humor, nothing!
so when I find authors like you, terri botta, DeeDeeINFJ,alphaen, morgaine swann ect
the only thing I can think is: THANK YOU
thank you for giving me the escape I need to forget my worries and the time to read you.
Your story is wonderful news, I discovered two days ago and I already finished I wait forward to welcome a new chapter. everything is: emotion, love, sacrifice, friendship, tenderness is after all he had read I was like a dream and landing a real life has been very difficult.
I love you
rebelina thank you again!
naima
alphaen rocks. She’s amazing, and of folks aren’t reading her work, why? Go there now. Stunning, really, but there just aren’t enough words to adequately describe. You must see for yourself.
I’ll follow you anywhere.
Sorry for those shit review making you feel bad, I always enjoy your story.
incidentally, is there an easier way to get to the last chapter other than hitting next chapter at the end of each one? if i could only get the damned subscription to take…grrr
From any page, on the very top you will see the list of main pages (Home, About Me, and then the stories “Nothing,” “AAD,” etc). From there if you mouse over them it will show you the pages contained within, the chapters and so on. But I’ve found that I have a little problem the farther down I go, and the pull down menu disappears. I might go ahead and post links on the main pages to make it easier. I think that’ll help. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll get to work on that right away.
P.S.: I think it will also help those who like to re-read particular chapters 😀
I’m sorry that people are retarded on Fanfiction and you feel that you can’t post updates to this story there. I didn’t like when she kissed him either but I’m not going to send hate reviews because of it. The Sookie in the books makes me want to provide a “come to Jesus” moment on her like you wouldn’t believe but I don’t send hate mail to the author.
Good story telling is suppose to evoke feeling in the reader. Some people should just stick to reading bland mediocre things as they obviously have no realization that life is full of misdeeds and mistakes and a good author sometimes has to portray that.
Life would be boring if it was all gum drops and cotton candy, not to mention we would all get fat.
Don’t be discouraged by the naysayers. It’s your story not theirs and they don’t have to read it.
I usually don’t review stories because I’m lazy but small minded & ignorant people lite a fire under my ass.
I find that the people who are often the harshest are just jealous because they can’t do what the people that they criticize can. FUCK EM’. If they want a story to be how they want it that bad they can white their own.
I wish I had half the writing talent that you do.
I am so sorry to read about the bullies on FF. I love your stories! Please don’t let the hatters keep you down
I am so sorry that people essentially chased you off of Fanfiction. I really like this story and found nothing wrong with it. And yes, I got why Sookie kissed Nino. For once, someone wanted her for herself, not because she has special powers or tasty blood. Do I think she’ll be with Eric in the end? Yes. But do I think she needs to know that she has value as a person, beyond having a magic of her own? Yes.
I always thought this was part of the problem between her and Eric- that she could;don’t see how he wants her for herself. He might have started out wanting her because she looked non-fangbangerish, and then because she was an asset, but I’ve thought that what he really likes about her, and loves about her, is that she’s unlike all the other women in his world. She’s usually kind, selfless to a fault, caring, and a quick study in most cases. Granted, there are times when she’s very naive, but then again, she hasn’t been exposed to much. And because she’s not used to being loved for herself, it’s made her mean towards Eric at times when he didn’t deserve it. Regardless of her own honesty, she’s not used to people being honest with her. Eric is very honest, within the limits of protecting himself, and her.
I think it’s also difficult for her to imagine what it must be like to be a 1000 year old supernatural being who has lived in a world where it is perfectly natural and acceptable to a) rape and terrorize your own children; b) treat humans of all ages and sexes as expendable food sources that can be used as sex slaves without any fear of punishment; c) kill others of your kind and take their belongings whenever you can get away with it; d) not trust the veracity of anyone, including others that you’ve known for centuries; and e) see kindness, love and honor as weakness. It’s a world in which contempt for those seen as lesser beings is de rigeur and survival of the fittest has a very sinister meaning. Likewise, I think it’s difficult for her to understand the fear that strangeness engenders in most average human beings when they are brought face to face with anyone who doesn’t accept their value system (which is why she creeps out pretty much everybody in her town, including her brother). In many ways, Sookie is like a mildly autistic child. I don’t think she really understands how awful the world is, and how cruel humans are to each other. it makes sense that vampires would be cruel; what’s insane is how cruel humans are to each other without getting any real benefit out of it. But in your timeline she has a better understanding of how bad the world can be- she’s like a victim of war. Kissing Nino was a moment to take what joy she could out of a bad situation, and discover the wonder of the goodness within humanity- Lord knows she’s seen very little of that on Bon Temps.
If Sookie had met a human like Nino in Possible Timeline A, could she be happy? I think so. At least for a while. It might get wearing for a regular human to be around her, though. and in Possible Timeline A, her guard would not have been up against vampires, which means there’s a good chance that sooner or later one would have snatched her. From what we know about the supernatural world, most vampires are nowhere near as ‘moral’ as Eric- who is ‘moral’ only because he’s fallen in love with Sookie. Let’s not lie to ourselves. Eric might not be a rapist, but he undoubtedly glamoured plenty of humans to give him blood pre-Revelation, and may have glamoured them for sex, too. He has undoubtedly glamoured humans into giving him things he wanted, didn’t worry if humans wanted to be shred or not so long as their owners had said yes to him, and has no issue with threatening humans or burning down the businesses of rival supe. If he thought Sookie wouldn’t object, he’d probably kill Sam for looking at Sookie too hard. In other words, by vampire standards, he’s an upstanding guy, but by human standards, he’s a right royal bastard who is fair to his employees because it’s bad business to abuse them too much; he’d much rather use threats, torture and glamour than rape as a tools of power, anyway. So in both Real Timelines A and now B, he’s really Sookie’s best bet, because he can protect her, he knows what it’s like to be abused, he loves her more than he’ll even let on to himself, and he’s old enough to know just how special she truly is in a world that is filled with unrelenting horror and selfishness. That he’s sociopathic by human standards is rather besides the point- in the world she’s fallen into by dint of not being fully human, she needs a supernatural sociopath as a protector.
I have only read to CH. 19 but I am in love with this story. I know C.H. had her books extended and to chage story outcomes but I really think her heart was no longr in it. The last book could of had better ending and if you are reading this, you must have come up with your own version of how it should end. I want to read Pams’ idea of good ending for all of them.
Would anyone else like to see a different version of DEA? iF SO PLEASE WRITE THEM! I am not a writer but a reader, so please write and I will read them.
Your devoted reader,
Red Dragon8414
Red Dragon,
There are numerous writers who’ve taken up the mantel & written their own versions of DEA. You can find some of them on FF.net as well as WordPress & LiveJournal. I don’t want to name them on another author’s blog because I think it’s inappropriate, but if you check out these sites, you’ll find the stories.
CH had her contract extended after 10 books to 13. It wasn’t to change the story outcome. She had planned the ending from the first book. All the drabble from the last 3 was just that; drabble, to fulfill a contract. Greed really does comeback to bite you in the ass. She should have stuck to her guns & stopped at 10.
Enjoy!
Excellent points, all. I can’t believe I missed your post before.
Love this story and am happy to see you have a blog.
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