I thought it was a good mix of plot and character, too.
I always appreciate shorter stories because it means I can usually comment in a reasonably timely fashion, but now I'm going to contradict that by saying I think The Ghost of You should have been longer! I liked the spooky feel of it but I think the impact of the scary reveal would have been bigger if the story had spent a little more time sitting with it.
I finally went back to the story and reread it. I can't figure out where I'd add words. They find out that the body is her, which flips them back in time but they're aware of it this time--maybe because they're together? I think if Fortune added anything it would have to be plot. Mulder and Scully could spend more time investigating what's causing the time slips. But I think more plot would slow the momentum and diminish the emotional trajectory. I remember feeling a little cheated by the ending because in order to save them both, it resets everything again. It's a tricky structure to work with, repeating day stories. Usually in this type of story, there's someone who becomes aware fairly quickly that the day is repeating. In Groundhog Day, it's Bill Murry's character. In Monday, it's Pam Driscoll. In this case, it's Mulder who gets clued in, but it's like he has to figure it out every time. The sex has to happen to save their lives but once they're saved, it never happens again, and time goes back on track. What! No more sexy tiems!? That's right, Reader. We are back in the universe of the series where they're celibate. Damn it.
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I always appreciate shorter stories because it means I can usually comment in a reasonably timely fashion, but now I'm going to contradict that by saying I think The Ghost of You should have been longer! I liked the spooky feel of it but I think the impact of the scary reveal would have been bigger if the story had spent a little more time sitting with it.
I finally went back to the story and reread it. I can't figure out where I'd add words. They find out that the body is her, which flips them back in time but they're aware of it this time--maybe because they're together? I think if Fortune added anything it would have to be plot. Mulder and Scully could spend more time investigating what's causing the time slips. But I think more plot would slow the momentum and diminish the emotional trajectory. I remember feeling a little cheated by the ending because in order to save them both, it resets everything again. It's a tricky structure to work with, repeating day stories. Usually in this type of story, there's someone who becomes aware fairly quickly that the day is repeating. In Groundhog Day, it's Bill Murry's character. In Monday, it's Pam Driscoll. In this case, it's Mulder who gets clued in, but it's like he has to figure it out every time. The sex has to happen to save their lives but once they're saved, it never happens again, and time goes back on track. What! No more sexy tiems!? That's right, Reader. We are back in the universe of the series where they're celibate. Damn it.