Harold
I hope you don't mind my starting a thread but your response to my review (quoted below) raises some interesting points.
Looking at the reader downloads of recent stories I notice that an intriguing synopsis and title attracts as many readers as the story codes.This story, in my opinion, is not my best (good, but not my best), but it's the one getting all the traffic and email. Is that because I posted it serially as opposed to my usual practice of posting complete stories, or did I finally manage to write an intriguing synopsis? I have no clue.
Unlike a few notable reviewers, I enjoy serial works, as long as the chapters are a reasonable size ie 25k (4000 words). What I'll call an extended coffee break length! It gives a chance for reader/writer interaction and makes the site feel topical rather than just being a story archive.
I confess to being one of those that reduced my rating because of the downbeat ending to your otherwise excellent story (although I notice I wasn't the only one.)
Despite the non-consensual and violent subject matter some of us readers still prefer a happy ending! Perhaps it assuages our guilt...