Helen's fear is a constant force. It causes her to make assumptions that might be reasonable but lack a solid basis. The two men call out for Rodney as they pound on her door. That fear can seem reasonable. But Mr. Ryan only shows concern for her. And so, when she starts rigging the knife, a thought arises that a man will get stabbed. The police patrol officer is a reasonable victim because police are expected to respond to anyone showing a sign of trouble. There are two possible outcomes: the officer pulls his weapon after she pulls the knife, or she stabs the officer who wasn't expecting her to be armed. Thus, the story holds its suspense to the end.
Thanks for reading. Looks like I got it right. In this psychological noir Helen is the product of a messed-up upbringing, her mother passing irrational neurotic ideas to the next generation. Helen can't see the difference between genuine concern and predation. One part of the story arose from the situation where messed-up parents pass the problem on to their children.
In my serial "When the Rains Don't Come", the conflict between the father and his daughter, the central character, is based on his failure to deal with a childhood trauma. One of my notes points out the psychology studies confirming those effects.
You’re an awfully good writer, Tim, a master of detail. Love how the name Helen (same as my daughter), a rarity in today’s world, fits her social estrangement. This is a tough read, but compelling. Keep ‘em coming!
You're very kind, thank you. The idea for this one came out of the blue, just like "Expediency" and "Childish Things." A tip of the hat to my writing group for the help with revising.
You could kind of see it coming, and that only made it more suspenseful.
There's some Helen in all of us.
Thanks for reading. I've met people like Helen.
Just don't BE Helen.
Helen's fear is a constant force. It causes her to make assumptions that might be reasonable but lack a solid basis. The two men call out for Rodney as they pound on her door. That fear can seem reasonable. But Mr. Ryan only shows concern for her. And so, when she starts rigging the knife, a thought arises that a man will get stabbed. The police patrol officer is a reasonable victim because police are expected to respond to anyone showing a sign of trouble. There are two possible outcomes: the officer pulls his weapon after she pulls the knife, or she stabs the officer who wasn't expecting her to be armed. Thus, the story holds its suspense to the end.
Thanks for reading. Looks like I got it right. In this psychological noir Helen is the product of a messed-up upbringing, her mother passing irrational neurotic ideas to the next generation. Helen can't see the difference between genuine concern and predation. One part of the story arose from the situation where messed-up parents pass the problem on to their children.
In my serial "When the Rains Don't Come", the conflict between the father and his daughter, the central character, is based on his failure to deal with a childhood trauma. One of my notes points out the psychology studies confirming those effects.
You’re an awfully good writer, Tim, a master of detail. Love how the name Helen (same as my daughter), a rarity in today’s world, fits her social estrangement. This is a tough read, but compelling. Keep ‘em coming!
You're very kind, thank you. The idea for this one came out of the blue, just like "Expediency" and "Childish Things." A tip of the hat to my writing group for the help with revising.