My Darling Dreadful Thing

by Johanna van Veen

Ghoulish stories gave her a sense of satisfaction because they reminded her there was always someone who had it worse than she did, someone she could look down upon and think herself superior to.

“Happy. Such a funny little word, don’t you think? Perhaps not so hard a state to achieve, but nearly impossible to maintain, and different for everyone. I’m sure there are people out there who would be perfectly happy to never have to clean, but not me. Doing little has never agreed with me. It gives me too much time to dwell on things.”

“How else does one show the strength and sincerity of one’s love if not through suffering and sacrifice?”