Unknown Quantities

What breaks from silence.

What many called danger, often sickness, was her resistance. What she resisted was death, and so became known for the trouble she made. 

Torrents of unnamed elements suffused her. They referred to these––when they spoke of her at all––as her darkness.

Warn the children. Don’t enter the forest. The little boys especially, at risk of being cooked in her hearth.  These are early lessons. They are called stories and not executions. The most effective captors work invisibly.

Author: Stacey C. Johnson

I keep watch and listen, mostly in dark places.

9 thoughts on “Unknown Quantities”

  1. michael raven – Twin Cities, MN, USA – Nontraditional scribbler of words; occasionally coherent. Mostly harmless. Author of "galdr: thought + memory".
    michael raven says:

    This is fantastic, Stacey. It fits my current mood, almost exactly. 🙂

    Reply
      1. michael raven – Twin Cities, MN, USA – Nontraditional scribbler of words; occasionally coherent. Mostly harmless. Author of "galdr: thought + memory".
        michael raven says:

        Sorry to hear your day is difficult, but glad I could elicit a smile. Please take care and keep writing.

      2. Thank you, Michael. Somehow, Mondays are almost always so (the transition between worlds, I think) : ) Wishing you an excellent day. Peace and light to you.

  2. Alz Gusta Presents – Alex Gust was born in Spokane, Washington in 1974, the only child of Auri Gust and Bill Spencer. He was raised by his mother, Auri, from the time he was one years old. He has written several screenplays, Blaze, The Unworthy Ones, The Case of the Misophonia Revenge, and The Break Fast Track with his wife, Angela Gust. They went on to make these into short films on YouTube under their production company, Alz Gusta Presents. His areas of focus are suspense, dark comedies, poetry, and women’s empowerment. While growing up, he witnessed the struggles of his mother in a misogynistic work culture and how she has overcome these obstacles. Because of this, he focuses on stories that deal with womens burdens and he aims to shine light on their triumphs in the face of such adversities. Additionally, growing up with dyslexia made learning to read difficult. However, he sees this as a gift that provided him with a different way to see the world. This is reflected in his writings. He lives with his wife in a small town near Olympia, Washington. Alex continues to craft screenplays, as well as poetry. He also spends time creating oil paintings, acting at local community theaters, and making short films with his seven grandchildren.
    Alz Gusta Presents says:

    Strong from start to finish. I especially love the last line, powerful gut punch of true realization

    Reply
      1. Alz Gusta Presents – Alex Gust was born in Spokane, Washington in 1974, the only child of Auri Gust and Bill Spencer. He was raised by his mother, Auri, from the time he was one years old. He has written several screenplays, Blaze, The Unworthy Ones, The Case of the Misophonia Revenge, and The Break Fast Track with his wife, Angela Gust. They went on to make these into short films on YouTube under their production company, Alz Gusta Presents. His areas of focus are suspense, dark comedies, poetry, and women’s empowerment. While growing up, he witnessed the struggles of his mother in a misogynistic work culture and how she has overcome these obstacles. Because of this, he focuses on stories that deal with womens burdens and he aims to shine light on their triumphs in the face of such adversities. Additionally, growing up with dyslexia made learning to read difficult. However, he sees this as a gift that provided him with a different way to see the world. This is reflected in his writings. He lives with his wife in a small town near Olympia, Washington. Alex continues to craft screenplays, as well as poetry. He also spends time creating oil paintings, acting at local community theaters, and making short films with his seven grandchildren.
        Alz Gusta Presents says:

        You’re welcome

  3. Jeff Cann – Jeff Cann lives, works, writes, and runs in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. His essays and stories have appeared in the Good Men Project and Like the Wind magazine, as well as various blog sites dealing with the topics of mental health and running. Jeff is married with two children. When he isn’t working, parenting or writing, he can be found hiking or running the wooded trails surrounding Gettysburg. Jeff’s two books, “Fragments – a memoir” and "BAD ASS--My Quest to Become a Back Woods Trail Runner and other obsessive goals" are both available from Amazon.com. A growing collection of stories can be found on his website at https://jefftcann.com.
    Jeff Cann says:

    Reading, reading, reading… “little boys at risk of being cooked in her hearth. ” WHAT?!!

    Reply

    1. Sometime last year, I became aware how fundamentally messed up that Hansel and Gretel story was. I mean, in terms of the woman/ witch connection. So that came up when I was thinking this morning, about how unknowns sometimes lead to easy and quick vilification.

      Reply

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