A Flight Of Geese by Leslie Norris, 1977
The magic trick:
Building to a truly haunting closing scene
As you read this one, you’ll likely wonder why it’s been suggested as a haunting tale for your October.
It’s a mildly amusing family tale of eccentrics, you’ll think.
What’s so scary about a bunch of old guys sitting around telling stories? you’ll ask.
Just stick with it.
The story surprises by building to a positively chilling scene in its final paragraphs. Truly, it’s one of the most frightening images/scenes I’ve read.
And that’s quite a trick on Norris’s part.
The selection:
“Clever chap, Eddie,” said my uncle. He turned again to Mr. Carrington. “Jimmy,” he said, “I’m prepared to believe the what you saw up at the Bakers’ was a manifestation. Stands to reason that an animal’s identity is bound up with its sense of place, and, in the case of a domestic animal like a dog, with its owner.” He warmed to his topic. “Our lives – the lives of human beings – are astonishingly manipulated by animals. It is useless to ignore the fact that our lives are deeply influenced by those of animals. Take Eddie D’Arcy as an example.”
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