All Comments on 'The Empty Chairs'

An interesting story premise and most of the description was quite good. For me there was too much telling of what was happening to Barbara and not enough delving into her emotions while this was happening. If it had had that, I think it would have been an excellent story.

Who is Hortense?

...on many levels: erotically, for sure, but with a genuinely mysterious and other-worldly quality. Stands on its own--the ambiguity of the ending is both suggestive and open--but another chapter would be most welcome. Bravo!

(and I assume "Hortense" was an uncaught mistake...)

I missed a Hortense? AGH! I'll edit it after the contest.

I used the name as a trick while writing the story; it was such a ridiculous and archaic kind of women's name that it made the story easy to write; it didn't seem as dark or weird when the main character was named 'Hortense'. 'Barbra' is loosely translated as 'traveler', and I changed it to that when I changed the name of the main character. It kind of changed the tenor of the story, didn't it?

I apologize. I'll see what I can do.

Great transformation!