Prose, Short Prose

Descent Into Madness

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Melissa is our host for dVerse Prosery Monday. She has asked us to write a prose story of up to 144 words using the quote “I pray to God that she may lie forever with unopened eye” by Edgar Allan Poe. Here is my prose in exactly 144 words.

It was no secret that Frederick’s father committed suicide, due, in no small part, to his wife’s constant belittling. The note he left read “The vile bitch! I pray to God that she may lie forever with unopened eye”.

Not wanting his mother to be alone, and despite his wife Helene’s protests, Frederick moved his mother into their home. He hoped the two women might provide some companionship for each other but they soon began arguing.

Helene could do nothing right in her mother-in-law’s eyes. The old woman went so far as to flaunt Helene’s inability to have a baby, goading her on by calling her wretched, a desiccated vessel, a disappointing failure.

Now the pain and humiliation had taken its toll and Helene began her descent into madness. One day while Frederick was at work, she bludgeoned his mother to a bloody pulp.

NAR©2024
144 Words

Forever with unopened eye

This is “Song by Edgar Allan Poe”

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

46 thoughts on “Descent Into Madness”

  1. Hello! Can anyone join in?

    Dear Edgar Allen Poet I have grave news
    Melissa (dVerse Prosery), she doth abuse
    Thy solemn and sincere rhyming heart
    With prose she seeks to pry apart your art
    And leave your love’s eye open with its shine
    Her soul in visioned limbo for all time

    Dang! I’m rubbish at quotes AND prose. (Bows head)

    PS: I like your horror ending. Very Poe. Hehe!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  10. Impossible to not go dark with these lines (still trying to figure out if I’ll participate or not). You did an excellent job with a story that had me wanting to bludgeon the old cow myself!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. No worries. You’ll never get fake me (she’s come out only once or twice and I was not a fan).

        Was she not a cow? She was. Too bad the father killed himself instead… and let`s face it, her son is a bit of a wimp, too!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

Tell me what you're thinking. 🖊️