ithildin | It's a Head Scratcher

This has happened too many times to be a coincidence. Here's the deal.: I start a story, and the parts are listed as 01/??. and so on. People read, people comment, I feel inspired to keep moving on. I get near the end, with an idea of how much I have to go, and change the ?? to a number. Without fail, people stop commenting, and I guess I assume, reading. What's with that? So should I not let anyone know the story's almost over? I always thought it would be a good thing, knowing a WIP was now near closure, but it seems not. It's seems that's the signal to everyone to stop reading. It's just somewhat disheartening, to near the end, and you think everyone who had been reading went away. I really am just baffled by the phenomena, realizing it has happened every time I write a long fic. So what's the answer, peeps? Do I need to Loki my readers? Keep the ?? until after the fact? Or just never finish a fic? :D And has anyone else experienced this? Or is it just me? Again? Illuminate me, good readers!