What stood out the most about this piece was how immersive it felt without trying too hard to force meaning. There’s a quiet confidence in the writing that pulls the reader deeper the longer they stay with it. “A blood moon communion” is such a strong phrase because the piece actually delivers on that atmosphere — it feels ritualistic, intimate, and emotionally aware at the same time.
I also appreciated how visual the writing was. Certain moments felt less like reading and more like standing inside a memory or symbolic space watching it unfold in real time. That balance between poetry, reflection, and emotional tension is hard to maintain, but you kept it cohesive from beginning to end.
Definitely one of those pieces that lingers after you finish it instead of disappearing immediately. Thoughtful work all around. I really appreciate your writing, Brother. You’ll always have my support!💯
I am really thankful and grateful you read my work it pleases me you got so much out from it and more importantly it resonated with you. One of my things is to mix spirituality into storytelling I think it facilitates that immersive vibe you got.
I think the challenging part for me was writing the ending — I took 3 goes at it because I wanted to include Quatrain 76 which I felt was really important to have in the mix. I did take a few liberties I suppose the main one was focusing on the dance and peoples reactions to the connection the two women had. I enjoyed weaving that element in.
Thanks again for reading my story, Polar and also for your your support
Totally agree with your take Polar Funk. You really captured what makes this piece work so well—the atmosphere, symbolism, and that almost ritualistic emotional pull running through it. It’s nice seeing someone actually read between the lines and put genuine thought into feedback instead of leaving a generic comment.
You’d honestly fit right in with our community too. We could use more readers like you who can really feel a text, understand the layers behind it, and leave such thoughtful responses. You should definitely come join us sometime.
Thank you, I’d be more than happy! 🫶 I truly hope you enjoy it too. Our friend Miz here has been enjoying the journey of “The Marked” whole time 😂, and it’s incredibly flattering to receive such praise from a talented artist like him.❣️
Love this take Patrick. I had a very similar reaction reading it — what stayed with me most was how the piece transforms the 1518 dancing plague into something far more spiritual and symbolic than a simple historical retelling. That ritualistic atmosphere and emotional undercurrent are what made it linger with me too.
I’ll definitely be checking out your work as well sometime this week. I always enjoy discovering different voices and perspectives, especially from writers who clearly read and think this deeply. Writers should support one another, stay connected, and grow alongside each other — there’s something meaningful about building that kind of community around storytelling and shared passion for the craft.
thank you im glad you enjoyed the story. I find it kinda inspiring that one woman did the butterfly effect with her community whether intentionally or incidentally. it would have been interesting to see the dancing townsfolk and the musicians all together.
yeah the music works well with this story its all about connection and spirituality which mirrors the story. its also my first time basing a tale on historic data so im quite pleased it has gone down well.
I just finished reading your piece and honestly I really enjoyed the atmosphere you created. The way you connected the 1518 dancing plague with a modern storyline was such an interesting concept—it made the whole story feel both historical and strangely timeless at the same time. I liked how this wasn’t just about the event itself, but more about what the dance means spiritually and emotionally.
What stood out to me most was the imagery. The red shoes immediately felt symbolic, almost like a ritual object or a trigger for transformation, and that detail tied both timelines together really well. The scenes with Frau Trauffea choosing the crimson shoes and later Cally instinctively putting on her red heels felt very deliberate, like destiny repeating itself. That connection between ancestor and descendant was probably my favorite part.
I also liked how you portrayed the dance not as madness in the usual sense, but as something almost sacred—a kind of communion or awakening. The line about the multitude becoming “one graceful body” really captured that feeling of synchronization and collective energy. It gave the whole piece a mystical, hypnotic quality.
The epilogue added a nice closing ritualistic feeling too, especially with the blood moon imagery and the sense of cycles ending and beginning again. And bringing Nostradame into it was an unexpected touch that made it feel even more mythic and layered.
Overall, it felt very poetic and visual, almost dreamlike, with a strong gothic energy throughout. You clearly did your research on the dancing mania, but instead of just retelling history, you turned it into something symbolic and personal. It left me with that slightly eerie but beautiful feeling, like I’d just read a legend or folklore retelling rather than a straightforward short story. Really cool work.
Hey Maxim, I’m thrilled you enjoyed the story and in turn it gave me great pleasure reading your comments and observations.
It was natural to me to create timelines that converged, synchronicity with a kiss of serendipity. I wanted to have connection between the two characters which is a dance in itself. The red shoes...I had to check that shoes were coloured back in 1518 and to my pleasure — they were, so that fitted in seamlessly with the context and connection.
With the dance I really wanted to bring spirituality into the mix (I like to do this with most of my stories), to give the dance meaning and perhaps giving the spirit of Frau Trauffea more depth because the mystery still remains why did she one day decide to dance for 2 whole months? What drove her... was she getting a message from a higher power? Some inspiration to worship Nature in the only expression she knew how through dance? She's an enigma and makes one wish to have a conversation with her — a Wise Woman of her time. It's also interesting that witchcraft wasn’t used as an accusation but mass hysteria.
Cally was a substitute for her daughter who also danced with her along with her father, the mystery deepens. And the quatrain I couldnt resist it added flavour to the mystical atmosphere. Nostradamus would have been 14-15 years of age had he visited Strasbourg so I wanted that familial connection between both women and him making a prophecy for his descendant.
The mystery of the dancing plague of 1518 really sat with me thanks in part to Patrick who wrote an article on it and then I did my own research, then the visual prompt sealed the deal for me. If my writers group had a 1000 word limit I would have gone into more detail but we have a remit of 500 words — which is a good discipline. Thanks again Maxim for taking time to read this story. Much appreciated.
What stood out the most about this piece was how immersive it felt without trying too hard to force meaning. There’s a quiet confidence in the writing that pulls the reader deeper the longer they stay with it. “A blood moon communion” is such a strong phrase because the piece actually delivers on that atmosphere — it feels ritualistic, intimate, and emotionally aware at the same time.
I also appreciated how visual the writing was. Certain moments felt less like reading and more like standing inside a memory or symbolic space watching it unfold in real time. That balance between poetry, reflection, and emotional tension is hard to maintain, but you kept it cohesive from beginning to end.
Definitely one of those pieces that lingers after you finish it instead of disappearing immediately. Thoughtful work all around. I really appreciate your writing, Brother. You’ll always have my support!💯
I am really thankful and grateful you read my work it pleases me you got so much out from it and more importantly it resonated with you. One of my things is to mix spirituality into storytelling I think it facilitates that immersive vibe you got.
I think the challenging part for me was writing the ending — I took 3 goes at it because I wanted to include Quatrain 76 which I felt was really important to have in the mix. I did take a few liberties I suppose the main one was focusing on the dance and peoples reactions to the connection the two women had. I enjoyed weaving that element in.
Thanks again for reading my story, Polar and also for your your support
My pleasure, Brother!✌🏾
Totally agree with your take Polar Funk. You really captured what makes this piece work so well—the atmosphere, symbolism, and that almost ritualistic emotional pull running through it. It’s nice seeing someone actually read between the lines and put genuine thought into feedback instead of leaving a generic comment.
You’d honestly fit right in with our community too. We could use more readers like you who can really feel a text, understand the layers behind it, and leave such thoughtful responses. You should definitely come join us sometime.
Thanks man. For sure 👍🏾
Thank you, I’d be more than happy! 🫶 I truly hope you enjoy it too. Our friend Miz here has been enjoying the journey of “The Marked” whole time 😂, and it’s incredibly flattering to receive such praise from a talented artist like him.❣️
Loved the shout out, I like the way you write, completely different to the way I do, you took it to a more personal level, well written good stuff!!!
thanks Patrick, im glad you enjoyed the whole read
Love this take Patrick. I had a very similar reaction reading it — what stayed with me most was how the piece transforms the 1518 dancing plague into something far more spiritual and symbolic than a simple historical retelling. That ritualistic atmosphere and emotional undercurrent are what made it linger with me too.
I’ll definitely be checking out your work as well sometime this week. I always enjoy discovering different voices and perspectives, especially from writers who clearly read and think this deeply. Writers should support one another, stay connected, and grow alongside each other — there’s something meaningful about building that kind of community around storytelling and shared passion for the craft.
Miz, I’m leaving a like for now, but I’ll read it tonight and leave you a comment too. Have a great day for now—the finale is approaching!🤍
thanks Maxim looking forward to your thoughts on this have a great Saturnsday
i really like the way you write!!
thank you im glad you enjoyed the story. I find it kinda inspiring that one woman did the butterfly effect with her community whether intentionally or incidentally. it would have been interesting to see the dancing townsfolk and the musicians all together.
awesome stuff my friend. you have a way of creating imagery that is quite powerful.
i love when you add drum kit to the atmospheric music that you make. it's awesome!
yeah the music works well with this story its all about connection and spirituality which mirrors the story. its also my first time basing a tale on historic data so im quite pleased it has gone down well.
Hi Miz,
I just finished reading your piece and honestly I really enjoyed the atmosphere you created. The way you connected the 1518 dancing plague with a modern storyline was such an interesting concept—it made the whole story feel both historical and strangely timeless at the same time. I liked how this wasn’t just about the event itself, but more about what the dance means spiritually and emotionally.
What stood out to me most was the imagery. The red shoes immediately felt symbolic, almost like a ritual object or a trigger for transformation, and that detail tied both timelines together really well. The scenes with Frau Trauffea choosing the crimson shoes and later Cally instinctively putting on her red heels felt very deliberate, like destiny repeating itself. That connection between ancestor and descendant was probably my favorite part.
I also liked how you portrayed the dance not as madness in the usual sense, but as something almost sacred—a kind of communion or awakening. The line about the multitude becoming “one graceful body” really captured that feeling of synchronization and collective energy. It gave the whole piece a mystical, hypnotic quality.
The epilogue added a nice closing ritualistic feeling too, especially with the blood moon imagery and the sense of cycles ending and beginning again. And bringing Nostradame into it was an unexpected touch that made it feel even more mythic and layered.
Overall, it felt very poetic and visual, almost dreamlike, with a strong gothic energy throughout. You clearly did your research on the dancing mania, but instead of just retelling history, you turned it into something symbolic and personal. It left me with that slightly eerie but beautiful feeling, like I’d just read a legend or folklore retelling rather than a straightforward short story. Really cool work.
Hey Maxim, I’m thrilled you enjoyed the story and in turn it gave me great pleasure reading your comments and observations.
It was natural to me to create timelines that converged, synchronicity with a kiss of serendipity. I wanted to have connection between the two characters which is a dance in itself. The red shoes...I had to check that shoes were coloured back in 1518 and to my pleasure — they were, so that fitted in seamlessly with the context and connection.
With the dance I really wanted to bring spirituality into the mix (I like to do this with most of my stories), to give the dance meaning and perhaps giving the spirit of Frau Trauffea more depth because the mystery still remains why did she one day decide to dance for 2 whole months? What drove her... was she getting a message from a higher power? Some inspiration to worship Nature in the only expression she knew how through dance? She's an enigma and makes one wish to have a conversation with her — a Wise Woman of her time. It's also interesting that witchcraft wasn’t used as an accusation but mass hysteria.
Cally was a substitute for her daughter who also danced with her along with her father, the mystery deepens. And the quatrain I couldnt resist it added flavour to the mystical atmosphere. Nostradamus would have been 14-15 years of age had he visited Strasbourg so I wanted that familial connection between both women and him making a prophecy for his descendant.
The mystery of the dancing plague of 1518 really sat with me thanks in part to Patrick who wrote an article on it and then I did my own research, then the visual prompt sealed the deal for me. If my writers group had a 1000 word limit I would have gone into more detail but we have a remit of 500 words — which is a good discipline. Thanks again Maxim for taking time to read this story. Much appreciated.