Alone On the Water

by MadLori

Sherlock Holmes never expected to live a long life, but he never imagined that it would end like this. - 7725 Words

Sorrow’s my body on the waves
Sorrow’s a girl inside my cave
I live in a city sorrow built
It’s in my honey, it’s in my milk

Don’t leave my half a heart alone on the water
Cover me in rag and bone sympathy
Cause I don’t want to get over you.

-The National

Genres: Fan Fiction, M M Romance, Romance, Short Stories, LGBT, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary

17 pages, ebook

First published June 11, 2011

About the author

Aka: Lori Summers, madlorivoldmort.
Madlori is a multifandom fan writer. She was known as Lori Summers (or just "Lori") in Harry Potter fandom, where she wrote the popular HP/HG epic The Paradigm of Uncertainty.
Ao3 @ http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mad_...
FFnet @ https://www.fanfiction.net/u/971433/M...
LJ @ http://madlorific.livejournal.com/

Reviews

[Julio Genao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Staggeringly beautiful.

Find a quiet moment—an interval as precious as any—and give it over to this.

I am undone; I am undone.

“I look, and I see things I would not have seen before. I don’t fool myself that I see all that he would have seen. But I see a great deal. It turns out that I see enough.”

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Clearly, despite the 'warning', I can be a masochist

The writing is gorgeous. The story is gorgeous. The ending is gorgeous (despite the fact that it successfully made me cry). The only reason I can't give it 5-stars is because I kind of wish that there's more to it in the middle; because it's a little bit too short to describe the length and significance of Sherlock and John's friendship (and love).

Still ... impeccable and darn moving.

[Vishous · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember when was the last time I loved SO MUCH a shortie of 16 pages, like I did this one. 16 pages of simply brilliant writing! Oh I shed a tear...

I am trying to memorize his face. I don’t know what I’m going to say until I hear it emerge. “I
really thought I’d be spending the rest of my life with you,” I say.
He smirks a little. “That’s all you planned? Rather limited, isn’t it?”
“No, I mean – no matter what else happened, who else I met, or what else I was, before anything
else I’d be – this,” I say, making a vague motion in the air between us.
He nods. “I suppose in some sense, I am fortunate.”
“Fortunate? How?”
“I do get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
I am undone.

I was undone too <3

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never should have read this--14 years and I managed to find that pain again. May sleep allow me to forget.

[Ery · Rating 5 out of 5]

*sob

Horribly depressing. Most beautifully written.

Not a traditional romance, but who cares.

[Emma Sea]

Note to self: save for when I need a cathartic ugly cry

[Salsera1974 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"'I suppose, in some sense, I am fortunate.'"

"'Fortunate? How?'"

"'I . . . get to spend the rest of my life with you.'"

"I am undone."

So am I. I wish that I had more to say, but it is good that I don't -- it would undoubtedly diminish what she already said. This is beautiful. (And as much as I loved Zero at the Bone, back when I was a baby m/m reader, I didn't know that the author had writing chops like this. Nope. I really didn't. Now that I do, I will hope she does it again.)

[Tully Vincent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story. Beautifully written, heart-wrenchingly sad. I read it, cried my eyes out. Read it again and still cried.

I think this quote (by Pharrell) sums up how I feel about this story perfectly: "I'd rather be moved by something than impressed by something."

[Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the ugly cry. I’m naturally NOT a crier. But this, even on the reread, it gutted me. Like literally made my heart ache in my chest.

[Teddy Cheverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

first time I've uncontrollably sobbed in a while.

[Sunne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a Holmes/Watson fanfic.....and I know that.

I just wish this author would put her talent together and write something not fanfic. This little piece was utterly beautiful and heartbreaking, consistent in character and if I ever feel the need to shed tears, I'm going to reread it. I never got the feeling that there was an amateur stumbling over words but it flowed beautifully.

So - I'm going to read the other fanfic, too. But please, dear author, write your own book, use this talent you've gotten.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yep ugly wibbly faces of sadness are a side effect of this fic. But it is its own type of beautiful
Nothing beats actual love in a romance for me, words don't matter, kisses, sex, all those things aren't needed to show love. Fanfics have the unique ability to draw on their original media for references of personality or descriptions. This fic is one of the best examples of just how great an author can play with the world. Everything seemed so completely realistic for both John and Sherlock's characters and their actions that showed their love for each other.

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fucking thing broke my heart.
I knew I was going to cry (everybody does), but I didn't know I was going to cry EVERY 2 MINUTES. I mean, every line is fucking heartbreaking. And the ending.
Ugh. Amazing. One of the best fandom classics out there.

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

UGH
THIS STORY HURT MY HEART
THE WRITING IS BRILLIANT, AND IT'S ONE OF THE FEW THINGS THAT HAS MADE ME CRY

[Freda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuck you I cried nonstop trough this.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me while I go sob into my pillow.

[Lotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I suppose in some sense, I am fortunate.”

“Fortunate? How?”

“I do get to spend the rest of my life with you.”

FUCK all of you I hate this. I love this arghhhhh.
crying the whole story through...

[Samridhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was recommended to me as a 'try not to cry challenge' and I have no shame in admitting that I failed at it tremendously.
Although, if someone reads these 16 pages as a short story ,they may or may not cry. But I was coming from a state where I had 4seasons as a prequel to this.
Your amount of involvement/investment may have a big affect on your experience.

[Apoorva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh God. This is just what I was looking for (appreciation of fan fiction on Goodreads). And why not, sometimes these are better written than so many real, published books.
Coming to the author, I think Mad_Lori should SERIOUSLY be given an award. I owe my love for Sherlock fan fiction particularly, and my respect for fan fiction generally, to her.
As for the fic, words like gut-wrenching, heart-rending just don't cut what it does to you. The first time I read it, I'd had my insides shaken, no, mutilated. Despite all this, I must've read it more than 20 times. Yes, it's that good. And yes, I'm that much of a masochist.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been almost two years since I've read this and I'm still not over it...this story has broken my heart in ways I wasn't expecting at the time. I wouldn't be able to deal with another reading, not with His Last Vow coming soon.

Do read Alone in the Water, even if you are not a fan of fanfictions. Actually, ESPECIALLY if you think these things are "a waste of time for teenagers", because they definitely aren't. It's the other way around, some can become masterpiece.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know a fanfic could make me cry until I read this. I balled for hours. Then I saw that people made fan-videos for it and I watched those and cried even more. It was so in character, so heartbreaking. I had a friend read it who isn't in the fandom and she cursed me the next time we spoke (oops). A really moving premise and so beautifully written. I'd read it again but... well. You know. Ouch.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm shocked to see a fanfiction work on Goodreads, but if any short story deserves to be here, it's this one. This story will make you cry buckets. I mean literal buckets people. This story deserves all the praise and recognition it's had over the years, simply because it's a masterpiece. I will read anything by MadLori, and will read anything that resembles their work.

Seriously, even if you don't like Sherlock Holmes, read this!!! It's beautiful. <3

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this such a long time ago and I was strong enough to read it twice to assure there weren't any spoilers for my friend who was quite new to the fandom and wanted to read it. I loved it and I still remember so many sentences from the entire masterpiece and I might read it again just to be reminded of its beauty. Of course it made me cry, but it's beautiful and heartbreaking and just so so brilliantly written <3

[Farah &#x1f308; · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this was like being on a roller coaster made with words from this novel (and my tears).
The writing was amazing, the relationship between Sherlock and John was beautiful, and
I loved it despite the fact that it broke me and left me emotionally crippled.

[Axim · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is the first time I've been moved enough to write a review. How can 17 pages grab someone so strongly? It's is so beautifully written I Know that it will stay with me for a long time. Thank you Madlori for sharing your wonderful talent.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Books 48 - 2016 **

3,4 of 5 stars!

I am not really into read the sherlock homes story. However, this story is simply beautiful and break my heart in this morning. It is so sad and painful. Why this books is appear into my newsfeed? T__T

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not prepared for all these emotions.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful

[Emma Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL THE FUCKING FEELS.

[Tamika♥RBF MOOD♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So heartbreaking.