Life can be so unsettling, a dark maze of emotions we might lose ourselves in, especially after we are misunderstood by the people closest to us ...
A few weeks ago, a fellow fiction writer, Aminah Iman (and also my co-partner in a bookish collaboration on Instagram called @ChaptersOfFear talked about Charlotte Perkins Gilman's feminist, literary classic, The Yellow Wallpaper. After we sat down and discussed it on a LIVE, we considered what a new ending might look like in 2024. Thank you to all following and contributing to the discussion about books that help create understanding and empathy.
Enjoy some ambient creepy music while you read, just click the red button to play.
We wondered what happened to the nameless woman who was gaslit so badly by her husband, Dr. John, that she literally unraveled before our eyes? Did she make it out of there? Would she ever reclaim the life she'd lost due to a deep depression that indicated postpartum complications in an era (Victorian) that seemed to punish and isolate women when they had something going on, rather than trying to understand them.
Below are our modern versions of the ending, which we did not share before this post today. Three rules: come up with a new ending, maximum 250 words, any genre. Thanks for reading!
Aminah Iman is a master storyteller, able to take historic facts and twist them into seductive, and thrilling works of fiction that keep her readers on the edge of their seats. She currently lives in the midwest with her family.
Be sure to grab a copy of Aminah's new release Dark Origins Collection
What do two serial killers and a cryokinetic assassin have in common?
Find out this Halloween in Dark Origins Collection by authors Aminah Iman and Omega. Take a dark and twisting ride through four tales of murder and mayhem that will have you sleeping with the lights on.which just dropped today! Happy Halloween!
New Ending-The Yellow Wallpaper
After creeping around him several times, I noticed that John had also turned that beautiful shade of yellow. Could it be that it was not I who had been trapped, but John that had escaped? My purpose for peeling the wallpaper back was to put John back in the wall. The women in the wall tried to tell me, but I did not understand.
I pulled him closer, using the long smooch around the wall to help me balance. After bending his limbs and chopping off bits and pieces my darling John fit perfectly. Just as I got John securely in his spot, I heard Jane approaching. She let out a horrific scream and ran to displace him, that would not do.
I retrieved the rope and tied her nicely to a chair so that she may look upon my masterpiece for all time.
As I gazed out the window I noticed the green grass looked inviting. It called to me. I made my way down the stairs and out the door. The fresh air kissed my face in the most refreshing way. Maybe my darling John was right, all I needed was fresh air and rest. All that was left was to make the call and have my child brought to me.
The workmen came to finish the renovations on our home, all except the room in the attic, that room was for John and Jane. The rest was for me and my child.
-Written by Aminah Iman, inspired by “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Bibiana Krall is an award-winning, multi-genre author with an insatiable curiosity for spectral realms and the cosmos. Her stories explore the mysteries of the paranormal, speculating on the future while blurring the lines between reality and the extraordinary.
Be sure to check out my new release, pop-gothic, ghost-story-licious Banshee!
New ending-The Yellow Wallpaper
My ears are ringing, and the taste of loneliness taints my tongue with grit. The only sound in this horrid room is my heartbeat. Strong, resilient, facing my demons––now, the dark enchantment is broken.
Did I lose my composure or turn my quiet fury towards the object, the culprit, the silent monster in the room?
No, dear heart, I did nothing of the sort.
John’s body was motionless, his breathing harsh and shallow. The rope I’d considered using for my escape was now in his hands.
I held no power over this dismal soul or what he chose. The truth cured in every tear, every drop of hope, every shred of rancid wallpaper that endlessly mocked me, an assurance that this isolation, this quiet cage was anything less than this man’s private tyranny.
He did not awaken when I brushed the mildew off his cheeks. I'd finally stood up for myself, this fragile life. Sorrow met an ocean of uncertainty. I am a survivor, acknowledging what just happened to me, a bottomless pit.
Why?
It was terrifying to turn away, to peer down the stairs where my precious baby awaited my tenderness, connection, my love, my strength.
My “doting” husband with his cruel confusion no longer holds me spellbound. I am free.
“Mary,” I call out shrilly, traversing the stairs two-by-two, “I’m taking MY child for an afternoon walk.”
Reader, you and I both know, we aren’t coming back, but that part of the story is for another day…
-Written by Bibiana Krall, inspired by “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Wishing everyone a safe, hopeful and calm November. Thank you for your support, interest and friendship.
Until next time, find your Peace, Love, Hustle and then Read or Write. Take care out there.
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Awesome post for Hallowe'en!! And I LOVE the new ending to The Yellow Wallpaper. I'm sorry I missed this discussion. I reread the story and was looking forward to it. Also... I'm trying to find Aminah's book but it isn't listed on Amazon. Just need to wait a bit for it to drop?
Don’t forget to join us at 3pm eastern today 10/31 on @chaptersoffear on Instagram for a reading and Halloween fun!