November 16th, 2020 - Hansa and Gretyl and Piece of Shit

Dear TNY,

Finally, a story with a title I can get behind: “Hansa and Gretyl and Piece of Shit”.

And you know what?  I…liked it?  Do I “get” it?  No.  Did I nearly cry?  You bet your fucking ass I did.  Very close. Was that the Hans Zimmer I was listening to? I don’t know. I think I would probably chalk it up to the fact that I’m a parent and it’s heartbreaking watching these shitty, asshole, fucking worthless, selfish cunts of parents treat their daughter like this.  I just wanted to rush in and scoop her off the couch and take her to the ER.  Fuck those parents.  Jesus.  It’s just hard to watch a kid suffer like that, and then accept the fact that she will die.

Okay.  The fantasticalness.  Is it allegory?  I don’t know.  If there’s something to “get” here, I’m not getting it.  And if this piece addresses some social agenda, as is your typical fare, I’m not getting that either.  And I’m saying all of this to say that even if I am a complete simpleton with regard to a “purpose” in this story, I liked it anyway.  I wanted to know what would happen (even though it did use the Chekhov gun adage and was, at least in broad strokes, predictable).  And I felt yucky while reading it.  I fucking felt.  That’s mega these days, especially from you.

The other line that really got me was:  Every day until her death, she orders an ambulance to carry her sister away from the house.

That’s the fucking definition of regret right there.  Jesus Christ.

The more that I think about this story while I’m writing this letter, the more that I am starting to tear up.  Just seeing that little girl sitting there on the couch in her own shit, fuck my face that’s terrible.

Well, I can’t say for certain, but this might be the best story of the year.  Really pushing that shit towards the end of the year.  But I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Nick