27 Comments
User's avatar
Edward.Marlo.Ruiz's avatar

I LOVE the way you wrote in the sound of the whispers. Very very good.

Garen Glazier's avatar

Oh, yes! You set the scene perfectly. Loved how she exacted revenge in the end. And I felt like I could hear those whisssspers. Also, I just saw an article about a rise in "alpine divorce" where guys are taking their girlfriends and wives out on hikes in the wilderness and ending the relationship in the middle of nowhere. This story had those vibes, but I mean, he was really ending it! 😆

Author Michele Bardsley's avatar

Thank you! Wow. Alpine divorce sounds awful. I mean not as bad as sacrificing your partner to the forest gods, but still. LOL.

Garen Glazier's avatar

😆

Gregory Blair's avatar

I love a tasty morsel of 'just desserts served with a few sprigs of flora!'! Bravo!

Author Michele Bardsley's avatar

Thank you, Gregory!

Jessica Maison's avatar

I do love a sacrifice! This was a ton of fun!

Author Michele Bardsley's avatar

Thank you, Jessica!

A.P. Murphy's avatar

Lotsa lovely sounds to revel in Michele! Enjoyed it tremendously

Posy Churchgate's avatar

I too loved the voice you gave the narrator & how the ‘worm was turning’ even before Todd (what an entitled name) began his sacrifice. Excellent setting & depiction of the dark trees becoming sentient … or revealing that aspect. Marvellous story- Loved It!!

Saint-Lazare's avatar

I never liked guys named Todd, too bad the whispers didn't get him before he killed that poor girl...

K.C. Knouse's avatar

You sure know how to raise the goosebumps on a reader, Michele. Switching from I to we at the end was effective in dialing up the horror.

MA Knight's avatar

Yummy

Author Michele Bardsley's avatar

Revenge is the best.

Liz Zimmers's avatar

I love the narrator. I love her hate. And I love how she gets her own back. Fabulous revenge tale!

Jared's avatar

Whisper whisper whisper 🫣

Aaron Martinez's avatar

The narrative tone in this one really worked for me. The sarcasm hit just right, and the ending was especially satisfying. Well done!

Waymon Hudson's avatar

That opening voice grabbed me immediately… the mix of climate rage, exhaustion, and dark humor feels so real before everything starts to tip.

And then the way it slides from “bad relationship” into something ritualistic and inevitable… that escalation is so well controlled.

Also, that ending…

the shift into something collective, almost elemental…

yeah. That lingers.

Love this.

Author Michele Bardsley's avatar

Thanks so much, Waymon!

Waymon Hudson's avatar

I can't wait to dig into more of your writing!

GrousyGirl's avatar

Yes! Take that, Todd!