The version of the Prom Fart I've submitted for publication is not the complete story, and is, in fact, the reason the book is not yet in print.  The problem is that there is an Epilogue to the story that myself and others are debating on whether or not it should be included. And, to that end, it is a stalemate: six of one, half a dozen of the other. The epilogue itself is long, about half the length of the story itself, and is significant inasmuch as it tells you what really became of Ellen and Rick, and why; which, obviously, is different than what the story, as written, depicts. With the epilogue, you learn that the ending of the story was actually a figment of the guys wishful thinking, and that the real ending was anything but. 

    I have put a lot of time and effort into the epilogue, but not because of any artistic reasons. I did it on principal alone, with the idea that the story, in it's entirety, needs to be told, for better or worse.  The story, after all, is, for the most part, dead to rights accurate and true, only, it's been fictionalized. In other words, it is a story that was inspired by true events.  

    The story, as written, is mostly cult humor fiction, but also contains romantic, dramatic, and, to a degree, philosophical elements, making the story hilarious to read, but at the same time, serving as a profound and thought provoking commentary on the man/woman relationship. In all, the story is very entertaining and extremely compelling to read.  However, the epilogue changes all of that and transitions the story into a straight up, very sobering drama, written in pretty much the same fashion and tone as the opening to Incinerator Boy.  In other words, dark.

    And therein lies the problem.  

    I have a choice: I can either leave the story alone, as is, and let it remain a very, very pleasant literary memory that people will carry in their hearts for evermore, or, add the epilogue and make it a story no one will revisit (unlike now) because the ending is simply too hard to take.

    What to do, what to do, right?

    I don't know.

    And maybe, I never will.

    What I might do is create a poll and let you, the readers, tell me your thoughts on the matter.  What do you think?