The Dale Heron

Gossip is rife in Bridbydale when the Bonners arrive in the village. Amongst other mysteries, the central one perplexing the villagers most is "Has anyone actually seen Mrs Bonner?". An unnamed visitor seems the unlikeliest to learn the truth, but he is the unwitting recipient of just that from Mr Bonner himself, who unburdens himself of the history of how he came to be in the village and the tale of the mysterious woman who accompanied him.

From ruralest Yorkshire to London and back again, this long short story hopes to tempt those interested in the macabre, the fantastical and the unsettling. I'm trying to play with the idea of ingrained misogyny and the lessons we fail to learn at various stages in our treatment of women.

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If you're interested... BEHIND THE SCENES!

Writing is a process, and in this work I had one specific goal: write a short story. It's something I haven't done since I was in seventh grade, and I wanted to see if I could do it.

Things ended up much longer than I anticipated. I like the beginning frame story, but it's perhaps too long and I don't know how well it sits with the rest. Because I hate to name characters, the middle is more of a muddle in places. Even though it's brief, I found that the story in my head still moved me, especially towards the end as Ardea's fate becomes clear. I'm not sure how well what was in my head translated to the page, but still I am proud of it even if it really could do with some polishing.

After seeing how long this story ended up, I wrote a short riff on it called "Naturans | Naturata" (also on WattPad) to see if I could economise. The two stories ended up quite different, although they do share some plot points and prose. There may be a third version in the future if I can find the right balance between the stories and what I really want to say.

Feedback is always welcome!