Yikes! I appreciate the way it is left unstated that something horrific must have happened to the protagonist in the park. And the consequence of suppressing rather than working through that violation. And it has a "Twilight Zone" vibe, or "Black Mirror" if you prefer.
This was so cool and dark and unexpected. I'm so curious as to what the prompt for this piece was. I never knew where this story was going, and enjoyed the dark ride! Our minds can be scary places.
Having gone through a bit of therapy myself, I thought, I can relate to this. "It's not about me, it's about you," she used to say. It would drive me crazy hearing that...maybe not the 'right' word, but you know what I mean. And thinking I could relate until she went into the garage. Gee, tell me something didn't happen at the playground. Too many of life's memories are wrapped up in childhood, or so my wife tells me. This one was so good. So well done.
Wow!! What a wild ride! I just finished Rebecca Makkai's brilliiant new book, "I Have Some Questions for You." The first half of your story kept reminding me of passages that come up now and again in that novel—stories of women who've been violated in too many creative ways. "It was the one where she used her umbrella as a shield." Or "She survived the stabbing. She was the one who went on Oprah with scars on her neck, scars on her face."
Another echo is from Margaret Atwood: "Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid men will kill them."
The turn in your story is so disturbing! All the more for being (somewhat) plausible and arousing a bit reluctant sympathy from me. Well done.
Wowsers. That took a turn. I second Mark. There’s a Twilight Zone / Black Mirror feel here. I like how you juxtapose the narrators thoughts with the action and dialogue.
That was quite the ride! It started simply enough and took us into the dark spaces.
Yikes! I appreciate the way it is left unstated that something horrific must have happened to the protagonist in the park. And the consequence of suppressing rather than working through that violation. And it has a "Twilight Zone" vibe, or "Black Mirror" if you prefer.
Black Mirror, yes!
This was so cool and dark and unexpected. I'm so curious as to what the prompt for this piece was. I never knew where this story was going, and enjoyed the dark ride! Our minds can be scary places.
I wondered that, too! What a prompt that must've been - and/or Ken went on a wild ride with it.
Having gone through a bit of therapy myself, I thought, I can relate to this. "It's not about me, it's about you," she used to say. It would drive me crazy hearing that...maybe not the 'right' word, but you know what I mean. And thinking I could relate until she went into the garage. Gee, tell me something didn't happen at the playground. Too many of life's memories are wrapped up in childhood, or so my wife tells me. This one was so good. So well done.
Wow!! What a wild ride! I just finished Rebecca Makkai's brilliiant new book, "I Have Some Questions for You." The first half of your story kept reminding me of passages that come up now and again in that novel—stories of women who've been violated in too many creative ways. "It was the one where she used her umbrella as a shield." Or "She survived the stabbing. She was the one who went on Oprah with scars on her neck, scars on her face."
Another echo is from Margaret Atwood: "Men are afraid women will laugh at them. Women are afraid men will kill them."
The turn in your story is so disturbing! All the more for being (somewhat) plausible and arousing a bit reluctant sympathy from me. Well done.
Many thanks!
Brilliant! Not all stories end in a positive tone and this was chilling enough...
Wowsers. That took a turn. I second Mark. There’s a Twilight Zone / Black Mirror feel here. I like how you juxtapose the narrators thoughts with the action and dialogue.
Visceral and full of tension between our inner and outer worlds.