This was so unnerving, haunting, and beautiful. As somebody else in the comments said, it is so difficult to capture the feeling of a dream in writing, yet you do such a wonderful job with this. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work.
I love the idea of familiar strangers. We see them all the time. Commuting, or in our neighborhoods. If you're a people watcher, you can know these people intimately pretty quickly. I've thought about writing a story on this for a long time. I'm happy you captured it here and cross polinated it with her dream world and the Blackwater universe. Super well done. Thank you.
Dreams are so hard to get right in fiction. One step too far, and the dream goes from 'uncanny valley' to 'Dr. Seuss comedy'.
This gets it right. There are enough perfectly ordinary details to make the dream feel real, but with the un-realities (bolt cutters in a padlocked elevator; a mirror reflecting a different-looking image of yourself) necessary to make it unnatural. It reminds me of House of Leaves - eerie with a spoonful of romance - except this piece doesn't require a magnifying glass and a pocket mirror to read.
Oh that's very very good. Hooked me right from the beginning.
Thank you!
I really love your take on this! The style feels so intimate and tense. I was on edge the whole time.
Well worth the wait to read.
This was so unnerving, haunting, and beautiful. As somebody else in the comments said, it is so difficult to capture the feeling of a dream in writing, yet you do such a wonderful job with this. I'm looking forward to reading more of your work.
I love the idea of familiar strangers. We see them all the time. Commuting, or in our neighborhoods. If you're a people watcher, you can know these people intimately pretty quickly. I've thought about writing a story on this for a long time. I'm happy you captured it here and cross polinated it with her dream world and the Blackwater universe. Super well done. Thank you.
Wow, thank you for such high praise!
Nice one, had me reading to the end.
I sense danger.
Dreams are so hard to get right in fiction. One step too far, and the dream goes from 'uncanny valley' to 'Dr. Seuss comedy'.
This gets it right. There are enough perfectly ordinary details to make the dream feel real, but with the un-realities (bolt cutters in a padlocked elevator; a mirror reflecting a different-looking image of yourself) necessary to make it unnatural. It reminds me of House of Leaves - eerie with a spoonful of romance - except this piece doesn't require a magnifying glass and a pocket mirror to read.
Great story.
Thank you so much!
Man this is such a clever and unexpected and unnerving take. Well done! Worth the wait!
Thank you!