Where in the world is...thatisastory?

I found Afterlife back on May 19, 2009. Since my account at FFn began on May 4, 2009, you can imagine that it was one of my very first fan fics I read at the site. Basically? I fell in love. This is a story that is just so full of anguish and pain. Edward and Alice are dead, leaving behind two deeply destroyed mates. Now, I have said it many, many times: I do not like Edward and Alice. BUT! This story hit me hard, and I felt compelled to like them, or at least, the memory of them.

Jess, aka thatisastory, gives us probably one of the most beautiful road trip stories out there. Jasper has gotten himself into quite a bit of trouble, no longer living with the Cullens since Alice's death, and it is Bella - forced out of her comatose, grieving state - who finds him in Texas after the Cullens go searching for him. Rather than reunite with their family, Bella and Jasper embark on a journey of self-discovery and reconciliation. They need each other in order to heal.

I loved taking this journey with them. What happens to you when the ones you love die? For some, you become destructive, like Jasper; for others, you close yourself off to the world, like Bella. But, you come to realize, with time and healing, that life can be lived again. Especially with someone who knows your pain. Jasper's and Bella's recollections together about Alice and Edward are just heartbreaking. But, what they share with each other forges a relationship that neither of them ever imagined could happen. And, what I love about this story is its slow build and that Jess doesn't throw them together romantically right away. I hate when that happens in a story, especially where there is so much grief.

Now, Jess delved deep on a personal level to write Afterlife. You can find her emotional inspiration for this story on Chapter 23 (the final chapter). See? Sometimes a story is so powerful precisely because you have written from the heart. Jess' newfound 'appreciation for life itself through the death of another is the basis of this story. And, there are some parts where Bella and Jasper will bring you to your knees.

So, yes, Afterlife has a very abrupt ending; I was very shocked, but not in a bad way. I can see why Jess decided to end it where she does. It's clean. And, of course, it always helps when the author soothes your fear and tells you that a sequel is already in the works. The sequel to Afterlife is called Vie (pronounced 'vee', which is French for 'life'). Jess has only posted the first chapter to this sequel, and we find Bella and Jasper embarking on their 'let's begin life again' journey in Paris. We also encounter a strange, new vampire, and Jess leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger, especially when this new vampire moves her eyes over Bella and Jasper 'hungrily' - uh oh! What's this?

So, on with the purpose of this segment: Jess, honey, where in the world are you? We miss you! Jess posted Vie on September 12, 2009. She also updated her FFn profile page on November 17, 2009, writing:

UPDATE: VIE STILL LIVES!! I promise I'll come out with a chapter soon--new job is far more challenging than I originally thought, but I've been working on it, and I'm so, so excited to share this story with you! Thanks for your love, support, and patience!

Congratulations on your new job, hon! New jobs can be very challenging, to be sure! And, while you're excited to share this story with us, I am sure you know that we are excited to share it with you. So, all we really want to know is how are you, how is your job progressing in its challenge, and can you give us some idea when your next update may be? We're with you one hundred percent! We just wanted you to know that we're still thinking about you and this sequel.

With much love,

Your fans