The Cat Came Back, The Very Next Day

Bijili by Sharath Komarraju is a short story set in Palem, India and the second story to be featured by this author in the Lair this month. Bijili begins with a suicide note and the narrator contemplating memories of his life. The subtle reference to the story Rescue drew me closer to Mahender and his conflicting emotions, only to be utterly horrified at the details of his life. The supernatural element left me with so many questions.

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One of my biggest fears is that one day I will start seeing things and not realize I am seeing things. This presents a huge problem in the case of a horror scenario. What if I find myself in a surreal situation and I don't react because I think I've lost my mind? What if I do react and it turns out I was delusional and did great harm to myself and others?

I've dealt with a similar issue when it comes to dreaming and waking. I have vivid and extremely detailed dreams, which can make a false awakening a nightmare in itself. I've read about a couple of reality checks someone can perform to find out if they are awake or dreaming. One test is simply to smell something. The human brain can be fooled into hearing, seeing, feeling and tasting things, but supposedly the brain can't perceive a scent that isn't there. However, I've also read a small percentage of people do dream about scents.

The other test is to read something in the dream. Again, I've been informed it's next to impossible to read words because the attempt causes a dreamer to wake up. I've found this to be true with one exception: I once read the word "cow" in a dream. Unfortunately, I became so excited at having been able to read my first dream word, I woke up right after.

Of course, being able to tell dreaming and waking states apart might not help with seeing things while you're awake, which brings us back to square one...

As always,
AstraDaemon

Question Everything

Rescue by Sharath Komarraju appears to take place in India. The story has several ups and downs as the tragic family history is revealed. Although the reader is led to believe Vali's mother has come back to save her from a terrible fate, the scene with the well made me question Ratna's true intentions. The conversation between the father and the doctor also had me wondering if Ratna's perception of events is a result of mental illness. The author uses misdirection to amplify the horror of uncertainty, and the choice of the girl's name, Pravallika, is the perfect touch.

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I've often wonder why readers are so quick to believe what is being revealed to them through the POV of the narrating character. Isn't it possible, for one reason or another, the character is mistaken about events? Maybe the character is lying to herself and, as a result, feeding misinformation to the reader.

I've always known, if enough time is spent with a character or a group of characters, readers become sympathetic and attached to that POV on a personal level...but I've only recently realized that readers are also likely to be biased in favor of the main POV as well.

Is it the author manipulating our emotions or is it simply human nature to choose a character to root for?

As always,
AstraDaemon