19 Comments
author
Oct 27·edited Oct 28Author

I started writing this story at 3am today, couldn’t stop til it was finished.

It was inspired by my own grandma’s stay in a a hospital due to scarlet fever. Whenever we were in the local park, she’d always point to an old building. “That’s where I was. That’s where the hospital used to be”, she’d say. She told me she wasn’t allowed any visitors for weeks just like the child in the story. She also told me that they burned her doll, wouldn’t let her keep it and how sad it had made her.

And that’s how this story was born.

I hope you like it.

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It's very good 😊 Julie as always 🐦🦋🕊️.x

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Oct 29Liked by Julie Dee

I am in awe. Kudos. ❤️

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author

Thank you :)

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Oct 28Liked by Julie Dee

Wow! Julie that was gripping! Held me from the first word to the last x

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author

Oh good. I want to get better at stories :)

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Oct 28Liked by Julie Dee

Brilliant!

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author

Oh I’m pleased you liked it. Stories always take a bit longer and feel like more of a challenge for me. :)

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founding

Loved it. Gripping. The post Victorian hints of social repression and class structure were a good setting for the energy of psychological distress being channelled. The ending was a little abrupt but that was in the nature of the tale. Happy Halloween 🎃

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author

I wanted the ending to be abrupt because I didn’t want anyone to see it coming.

Thank you. Yes I based this one in what my grandma told me about her own experience as a child. That time she made her dad chuck himself on the fire 😂😂 Only joking😉😬

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Oct 29Liked by Julie Dee

You are a poet and the turn in poetry is important. The turn in short fiction is harder and you’ve done it.

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founding

Absolutely, but I found myself craving more character development for Gemma. Catherine’s story is like the first chapter of Gemma’s story!

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Couldn’t stop reading. Enthralled.

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author

Oh that pleases me so much. Thank you!

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Jesus what a powerful story! Thank you

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author

Thank you. I’m glad you appreciated it :)

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Yes l think they had hard times and War and TB or consumption they called it .No washing machines or fridge no TV .I don't think they were🦋 🕊️ ♥️ weak people to come ,to the core of survival.Your story is so real. Brought memories of my relatives back then.Life wasn't easy for them Thanks Julie . Memories of days gone by and a doll x

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author
Oct 27·edited Oct 27Author

Yes. The Scarlet Fever and the doll being burned part is completely true. What my grandma used to tell me. As is he sister getting Diptheria.

Found the pic of the doll on eBay. Creepy.

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Oct 27Liked by Julie Dee

That’s what I thought. Creepy. I started writing a story about a haunted doll that my mother had stored in a closet when I was a child. It was originally owned by my evil grandmother. It looked so lifelike. The look of the doll’s face haunts me to this day.

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