A Descent

Author’s Note

This one came out of nowhere. I began writing and this is what came out. Was I feeling down when I wrote it? Was I feeling hopeless? I don’t think so. It had a working title “Jim’s Suicide”, which was a little on the nose. It had a narrator that introduced us to the protagonist and gave us a running commentary as events unfolded.

I quite liked this narrator, it intrigued me. Who was it, anyway, this omniscient creature that liked to watch as people killed themselves? But as I re-wrote, I knew the story was about Jim, and only Jim. So I got rid of that disembodied voice.

I like to think that there might be a smidgeon of hope down in the darkness with Jim. A ray of light. I’m optimistic that the story isn’t quite as nihilistic as it first appears. Or, then again, maybe I’m wrong about that and Jim finally started something that he completed.

Lifetime Events

• Published in jamscary.com (May 8th 2022)