She came with the house, unbeknownst to us. Well, maybe we didn’t check the attic because if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
Or so we thought.
To be honest, she isn’t so bad. On occasion, she turns downright lucid and charming. But she hates the roofers we hired to install solar panels and no matter what we say, she won’t listen to reason.
As she keeps pointing out, this is her home and nobody asked if it was okay to sell it after her husband died and wouldn’t it make you mad, too?
We cannot argue with that.
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Wow…in just 100 words I went through two emotions…creepy yet beautiful, both at the same time. Thank you for such a wonderful post.
Best
Garima
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Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the ride 🙂
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Oh, Sonya. I can’t tell you how much I love this. The idea of some unexplained old woman just coming with your house. I do love the fatc you’ve not said if she’s a presence, a ghost – a real life old lady with squatter’s rights! One of my favourites of yours.
Reminds me of a story of my own.
https://lynnmlovewords.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/through-wooden-bone-and-slate-skin/
BTW, I know it’s early days but heard anything back from Hodderscape yet?
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So happy you enjoyed it. This was one of those stories that arrived fully formed and I’m rather pleased with how it turned out :). I’ll have a look at your story later when I’m not on a tiny screen that reflects the sun…
Nothing from Hodder yet, no. They must have been swamped, though.
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Ah, the joy of the fully formed story – it doesn’t happen often with me, but when it does, joy:)
Yes, you’re right – Hodder must have been deluged. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get emails saying the expected reply date has been put back to give them more reading time
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I rarely happens to me. Writing has been a bit of a struggle in the last few weeks, so it was a welcome respite…
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Well, you’re writing doesn’t read like a struggle and that’s the mark of good writing. 🙂
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🙂
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That first line!!! I must agree that this is one of my favorite pieces from you. Inventive, creepy, and yet charming. Keep blowing us away, Sonya!
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Thank you, Izzy! I’ll try my best 🙂
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Oooh. Bertha in the house. I got the chills.
Great post!
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Thank you, Annie!
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Another by the way – was the use of the name intentional?
Bertha is the name of the first Mrs Rochester – the Mad Woman in the Attic in Jane Eyre. Intentional, or a hint of literary osmosis going on there?
Ever read The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys? Marvellous ‘backstory’ of the first Mrs R. I can feel another of my Books in the Blood coming on …
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YES! So glad you noticed. I’ve been waiting for someone to pick it up 🙂
I haven’t read The Wide Sargasso Sea yet but want to.
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Aha! Gold star for me 🙂
I loved the Wide Sargasso Sea and can highly recommend it. It sounds dodgy – another author using characters from a classic novel – but Rhys has such sympathy for the poor, two dimensional Bertha of Jane Eyre – she’s a great writer who was Creole herself, so wanted to make ‘Bertha’ (also a Creole woman) more rounded, to give her good reasons for her destructive behaviour. It certainly shows Mr Rochester in a new light …
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Gold star indeed 🙂
I always thought that Bertha Rochester was a bit one-dimensional – I reckon I’ll bump the Wild Sargasso Sea up a few spots on the to read list.
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There was a BBC adaptation starring Rafe Spall a while back too. The book’s very good, very disturbing – I highly recommend 🙂
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Creepy and yet, a little sad. I love it!
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Good, I wanted it to be both of those. Thank you 🙂
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Lol, okay its a little funny to find a woman in the attic after you have moved there. Its painful to how mistreated she was. Well, i have many emotions reading this story, definitely a wonderful take on prompt
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Thank you! Many emotions is good 🙂
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I’m sure this woman is not a ghost. I can see her, tiny, wrinkled and irate! Yes, the story starts off creepy, but she’s adorable in her way.
I love this story – nothing new there, but I really, really love it.
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I didn’t think she was a ghost when I wrote it. But I left it open for people to decide for themselves. Thank you, Jane!
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I felt that you had intended her to be flesh and blood…
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You are such a great short short story teller
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Thank you, Donna! That’s lovely of you to say 🙂
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I’m glad I found my way to your 100 word stories. I’m looking forward to following and reading more from you. I like Bertha! I was thinking to limit myself to 300 words. I’m having a hard time with that and try to get an idea across within that limit. I’m amazed how you’ve done it with just 100!
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Hello Kathy, welcome to the show! Glad you liked Bertha 🙂
I think the thing about limits is that it takes some getting used to. If you stick with your 300-word limit, it’ll get easier.
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Thanks Sonya! Good advice. I’m really going to try and figure out my style. In the meantime, I enjoy reading your blog. 🙂
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I love this, Sonya! All the way through I was thinking ‘ghost’ – until I reached the end! The ‘Jane Eyre’ allusion is very neatly done. 🙂 Great story.
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Thank you, Louise! It makes me happy that Bertha is so popular 🙂
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