TGIF

Author's Note

First and foremost, I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading TGIF. This is one of my favorite stories, and it makes me proud to know that so many people have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Now I'd like to address the most common question I receive regarding TGIF, "Did Sophie have to die?" or "Why did Damien have to kill Sophie?" or any other variation you can think of. TGIF has been online for three years now, and I've provided this explanation so many times that I'm afraid if I have to do it anymore my fingers might fall off and my brain might turn to mush. So, in the spirit of transparency and understanding let me give you all a little bit of insight into what inspired me to write this story.

On the surface, TGIF appears to be a story about a time loop. Many stories like this are focused on "setting things straight." For example, an event is supposed to happen and some how a person stops it. As a result, that person is stuck in a loop until they allow what ever pre-ordained event they've obstructed to actually happen.

However, TGIF was never meant to be a typical story about a time loop. The loop is a metaphor for grief. Every person goes through the same stages when they lose someone they love. Denial, anger, depression, and so on until eventually they can reach acceptance. Damien experiences all of these stages while stuck in his time loop and only after he accepts Sophie's death is he set free. In the end, Damien's final act of pushing Sophie from the Ferris wheel was not an act of violence or murder. It was a symbol of acceptance. When he finally comes to terms with the fact that the woman he loved is gone, he's able to let her go.

Again, thank you all for reading and enjoying. I hope my simple explanation helps any of you out there who may be confused, but I also hope it doesn't discourage you all from coming up with your own understanding of the story.