"So it happened here, eh?"
"Yes."
"How?"
A scroll was drawn from a satchel and unrolled. The two women studied it.
I watched from my window. During the summer, the dwelling spirits within the tower walls hushed; eager to eavesdrop on tourists.
"Poor soul."
"So young."
I twisted my strawberry trendils; waiting for more.
"That white dress; how innocent!"
"My, how her hand-ladies sobbed."
"Gentle he was; guiding her to her death."
The scroll lowered, revealing a lithograph. I examined from afar; straightening my long, pearly-white gown.
Some details were erroneous; sure.
Mostly, however, the painting divulged why I linger.
About the Creator
Gina C.
Achievements:
- Twice-published in Vocal's Moment of Freedom Collection:
Free-Form poet of ethereal style🧚♀️✨
Fantasy writer
A sucker for a good rhyme
Follow my Ghosts of Relationships' Past series:)
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
At the Sheltering Doors
The doors, they always scrambled for the doors first. When they arrive and always by night it was a race to desperately bar the creatures entry to the house in the slow crawl of numb feet that the dream would impose upon him. He never seemed fast enough and the creatures uninhibited by the same constraints always made the doors first. The houses in his dream-scapes vary night to night - Some are mansions, others shacks and some are distorted contortions of his childhood home which burned down when he was ten. But the doors are always the same – frail, loose hinged and never could be fully shut. The creatures too vary – twisted and corrupted forms of animals and people familiar to him: family dogs preternaturally swollen to twice their size with rotting coats of mange and slicked damp with dark liquids of decay. The people too were bloated vestiges of ones vaguely familiar to him but whose names escape him. Their eyes gorged wide with dark blood which streaked their mottled faces in crusted trails like lost rivers which hung from their chins swinging in ropy columns beneath paling yellowed teeth. To let them break through would mean death. This he knew with grave certainty. At the door was desperation and panic as their stench emanated forth, sickly and pungent like vomit and mold and ending in a gruesome exhalation like cancer, the stench sticky and clinging invading his nostrils and lungs never to be expunged. Then in the sudden waking he never knew if he repelled them or not.
By Kevin Rolly5 days ago in Horror
Comments (27)
She is one of my favourite historical figures 😁
I hope it was one simple, clean, swing.
Great, I think she does still stay in the tower chapel.
Great job! I've read history of the English monarchs, but this puts a new spin to the story.
Wow! This was very well done! You have an amazing way with words! ❤️❤️
I really liked it! Great work!
Oh I reaaaaaaally like this one, Gina! 👏👏👏 I wasn’t super familiar with this story but this was fascinating!
Ooooo, I like it! Great job, Gina!
i got hung up a sec on the typo - ekphrastic piece. a fascinating take, Gina. Your writing here is layered and interesting. One has to work a bit. I like this very much.
I adore the blend of art history and fiction. Delaroche's masterpiece is both powerful and tragic. Well done!
Amazing ✨😉💖
Whoaaa, this was soooo amazing. I love HERstorical fiction and you did a fantastic job!
Great, well executed concept. Your artwork stuns me every time, too!
Excellent job again! Niche topic, and I fear to say I wasn't familiar off-hand. But now know context and re-reading it, I was impressed! Delicate yet powerful!
This is so, so good. Very nicely done!
Nice one my friend 😊
This is a fun little version of the story of Lady Jane done by the British children's show Horrible Histories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3wsQII_gc
Beautiful and evocative, I greatly enjoyed it. Lady Jane Grey was the first Queen of England crowned in her own right, although in the 1100's Mathilda or Empress Maude through her rights as Holy Roman Empress after her husband's death had ruled England grandly. Lady Jane was just a teenager when crowned, and a woman with high education and great possibilities. Unfortunately in the eyes of England and under its laws, the grim Mary Tudor (Bloody Mary) was the rightful heir to the throne. Off with her head!
Fantastic!!! Loved it!!!💖💖💕
And why we continue to linger as well. Herstorically heart-wrenching.
Such a great read, I know the challenge was micro-fiction, but I definitely want more!!
Wow. Artfully horrific and unsettling! 🥰 You have a rare vision with the skills to interpret for the impaired reader to pull us into the scene. Literary critics call it Double vision. Awesome story. ❤️
Great take on the challenge. Well done.
Love your spin on this! Great job!
A very beautiful story and painting