Drabble - "The Strangest Place in the World" (PG)

[thaneofcawdor]

Title: The Strangest Place in the World
Rating: PG
Word Count: 100
Warnings: Talk of mutilation, slight sexual hints.
A/N: Written for the second drabble contest at purestofprose - prompt is "corner". Created under the influence of Enya's Very Best of album and after discovering The Forbidden Corner site; The Forbidden Corner was the original title and the current

Comments

[ms_anthrophy]

Ethereal. This has a flow like a slow river. Glimpses of different scenes that are surreal, desolate and strangely beautiful in their sadness or agony or cruelty -until it all stops in a place you never wanted to go.

In other words, this is made of epic win.

[thaneofcawdor]

Thank you so, so much: all of that was precisely what I was aiming to create and your feedback makes me so happy. I wanted it to be like if Labyrinth was adults-only, so took all of the Goblin King's malice and took out the cute puppets.

[keppiehed]

*shivers* This reminded me of a dark Alice in Wonderland, like something the Queen of Hearts might have in her gauntlet. When I read your response about Labyrinth, I was thrilled. That was one of my favorite movies! This had some beautiful lines, and I like the questions that punctuate it throughout. Very effective!

[thaneofcawdor]

Eee, another Labyrinth fan! Awesome. The film intrigues me because, despite Hoggle, the Worm and the other cuddly aspects, it's got this ever-present darkness and warped sexuality, like the original fairytales. If everything was ruled by Jareth it would be my kind of heaven.

I'm a huge fan of the Alice stories (though not really Tim Burton's attempt to make the reinvention generically creepy), so I'm really grateful for your comment about this aspect. Many thanks for the feedback!

[keppiehed]

I didn't know it when I was a kid, but apparently my idea of the high bar of awesomeness was going to be set by David Bowie in a blond wig. (It's probably good that I didn't know that back then) I always thought that Sarah just should have stayed there with him, the damned fool!

And yeah, Alice was another fave. You have a way with words and the excellently lush and tattered imagery. It's all reminiscent of a nightmare you aren't sure you want to wake up from. And in 100 words, wow! I love it!

[pyre006]

"All the pathless children guard us"--very beautiful. I love the different flashes of fantasy worlds (or dark realities?) blended in this piece. I'd love to see you expand on it (being totally selfish and wanting to read more of course). Great job :)

[thaneofcawdor]

Thank you very much. A big rush of different images fought their way into this and had only time for brief exposure, so I think it would lend itself well to expansion. Incidentally I got your comment at 3.26 this morning in a half-awake phone check, and the subsequent sleepy pondering made me remember that my uni hosts a "Quick Fictions" competition for stories 300 words long or less. This is definitely the piece I want to adapt for that, and I'll post the result up here :)

[pyre006]

the early bird gets the worm, eh? I would love to read your expansion if you post it here on lj :)

[thaneofcawdor]

Thank you so much! Macabre is definitely what I aim for *grin*

[thaneofcawdor]

I had this image of children who had been raped or suffered trauma in some way, so that they'd been murdered without actually physically dying. Their hollow selves were down in this place, leaving their physical selves up in reality. Though the speaker kills the man she's enticing, I feel she's a protector and avenger. In Greek literature, their gods were always shown as fickle beings who chose who to favour and who to toy with: that's what she is.

[thaneofcawdor]

Also thank you so much for your feedback, I really appreciate it!