Although today’s story introduces us to the Grim Reaper, there’s nothing grim about the poignant conversations we get to follow as our protagonist moves through the years.

Old Friends
[Sad] [Slice of Life] • 2,330 words

She noticed the pony for the first time when she was young, not long after she’d received her cutie mark. He became her oldest friend.

FROM THE CURATORS: There’s no better way to summarize this story than Present Perfect’s formulation: “a short, quiet contemplation of the nature of death and loss.”  Those elements are also what make it such an exemplar of fanfiction.

We all were impressed at how much depth the story was able to cram into its mere 2300 words. “Although many years pass in the story, I never felt as though there were important events glossed over or skipped,” Vimbert said. “Authors who spend hundreds of thousands of words on a few days or a week could stand to read this and re-examine their attitudes towards detail.”

It also struck an admirably gentle and accessible tone. “This is a surprisingly light read, despite its seemingly weighty subject matter,” Chris said.  “The sparse descriptions and languid pacing, a seemingly odd combination in the abstract, match the tone very well. … Its sadness is a natural product of the story, not the result of any particular attempt at emotional manipulation.”

Read on for our interview, in which RBDash47 discusses demons in lightsuits, lies of omission, and slogging through a freezing river in your underthings.
Continue reading →