/./././././././././././././././ GOODBYE CHESSBOARD ! /./././././././././././././././

Greetings, Folxxxx !

There are a few song titles I find particularly pertinent, and one of them is George Harrison's ALL THINGS MUST PASS. (as a matter of fact, it is the title of both a song… and the album that contains it).

I'm fond of this title because it expresses one of those general truths you cannot go against, one of those indisputable realities that you are forced to agree with. For yes indeed, all things must pass : they all will have an end at some point. Nothing is eternal, ever, except naturally spiritual entities like God or souls (for those who do believe). But all the rest will disappear one day, and there is nothing we can do to prevent that. Nothing at all.

And in this case, what will pass is… this story.

Eh, y'know, it's been almost a year since I started this thing. Two more weeks (and not 'years', like Bloc Party sang) and that would be it : exactly one year since I published the first words of this story… well, not directly the story, since the first "chapter" was in fact an introduction, a kind of long Author's Note (which the Robocops of FF, known as c…un.t.. (yes, this abbreviation hasn't been chosen by chance…), have been pointing at, criticizing it for not being part of a chapter, and that's against the rules, please comply, otherwise we'll report you and yadda yadda yadda… narrow-minded blind ones doing their "rounds of reporting", as they call it on their forums, to tell on users who "shamelessly infringe" the Holy FF Scriptures (kinda remind me of French "collaborators" or "collabos", ya know, although this here is obviously less serious). Do they even write stories of theirs and thus use this website for its main purpose ? Not even sure, coz for all I know, they might only spend all their free time denouncing others like good "collaborators", isn't it…). And if one or more of them is reading this : "as you make your bed, so you must lie in it".

Anyway, enough time wasted about writing about what's unworthy of it…

So, what to retain from this story exactly ?

Well, I've always had a soft spot for dramatic stuff in general, with much emotion and fine analysis of feelings, and drama is my fav' cinematographic genre… which is paradoxical, coz I'm a pretty cool and funny guy, in a good mood most of the time (even if I'm not particularly optimistic about this planet's fate…). I like to humor people, joke with them, prank them, love to smile and laugh, and I thought that it would be a nice thing to write a story to let my nature come out, and not always my paradoxical taste for drama.

And that's how CHECKMATED ! came into elaboration.

I tried to put as much humor as I could, without exaggerating… and I do hope that I didn't "overstep the limits", fun-wise ! Writing amusing plots isn't my specialty, but I've done as much as I could to help you spend a nice time in here, and by God, I do wish you indeed appreciated this one-time fun story. It was my first attempt at the genre, so please be merciful with me about it. And please forgive me for delaying the updates, but both existence's hectic flow and INLAND EMPIRE were mostly "responsible" for that.

I had a really cool time crafting this and I hope you had an equally cool time reading it, and enjoyed most of it. But if you are still here with me right now, taking in this "afterword", it means you've made it until the very end… and that it can only imply one thing : that you indeed liked this fiction !

I would be glad to read any concluding comment / critic of yours – except if it comes from c…un.t.. and is therefore solely about non-story chapters instead of a pertinent review of the story itself.

I would notably be interested in knowing which was your favourite chappy, your favourite emoticlone, your favourite chess piece.

And now, what's next ?

Well, I've still got INLAND EMPIRE "up my sleeve", with Ana, and I'm planning to write some brand new stuff which will be an unusual compound of two very different genres, and in a new FF archive, i.e. one I haven't written in up to now. So much for diversification, right ? ;)

Thank you all very very much for caring to read this, for your reviews (except the two useless ones by c…un.t..), for your support. I wish you all the best in your own undertakings and send you all my sympathy… and humor, eh ! ;P

Be what is best to be : H.A.P.P.Y. !

Peace, Love, Ecstasy !

**** Léo ****