Smokey
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Dear Darling Doctor: Chapter 8
🕑 Added 2025-10-22 09:00:03 +0000 UTCSo... Last chapter had a bit of a rough ending. I didn't want to spoil it in the Chapter 7 commentary, so I'm going to put that Siobhan talk here, along with saying that I hope you all enjoy this new chapter! I did promise that this story would deal with some darker subject matter, but it's ground I've really wanted to dig into for a bit.
Siobhan as a character sprang fully formed for me. Whereas Cassandra and Marion both grew as I've written them (with me now going back to make Cassandra more consistent), as soon as I pictured Siobhan I knew that she was going to be the sort of person who didn't necessarily resist being at Sunny Skies, but instead gave into despair over her fate. She's not a fighter or a rebel, she's a young woman with clinical depression that isn't being treated and she's in a nightmare scenario where she doesn't really have a way out.
I can't say for certain how predictable this was. As always, I tried to set it up naturally without overplaying my hand, but if anyone saw it coming I'm perfectly okay with that. Siobhan was, in fact, the one who took the knife from the cafeteria the same day Cassandra tried to escape. There are a few hints throughout the story that it was her, or that this was coming, and I hope it's an effective reveal.
As for what comes next, I'll let you find out with this chapter. Enjoy~
Comments
Smokey
Thank you so much! I'm really glad I went for it with Siobhan, and that it had the intended impact. Same for the dark humor, it's a reaction to inevitable brainwashing that I don't think I've really explored, but made sense in that moment. They know they're doomed, but they can make a few jokes about it before it all fully locks into place.
Smokey
Thank you so much! I figured it was important to kind of give some more weight to him as a character, after his importance early on. Coming back to his and Cassandra's relationship here towards the end felt necessary.
vasily26
This is my favorite chapter yet! You’ve really made me care about the other characters besides Cassandra (who has long been my fav of yours). To that point, the Siobhan scare really scared me! You’ve never done something like that before, and some of your stories lately have been going to darker places (which I love!) so I really believed it! Omg I’m so relieved she’s okay. I really hope she does end up as a blonde housewife, ideally dressed in bright pink and white all the time! And I LOOOOOVE the girls finding the humor in their fates. Another thing I haven’t seen before, and I love it so much
Jakitron
Definitely another dark chapter, but it was really good. I liked the focus on Brad's perspective this round.
