Collected in Brennan’s The Shapes of Midnight, “Disappearance” is a first-person narrative told by a sheriff’s deputy in a small town. The sheriff and the deputy go to an old house where two antagonistic brothers live alone. One of the brothers has disappeared. Foul play is suspected, but there’s no evidence to suggest it.
Years pass, the surviving brother dies, and the sheriff and his deputy return to the house because something has spooked the children who romp around the old abandoned house. There’s something in the cornfield. The scarecrow is concealing a secret: the skeletal remains of the missing brother.
You probably could have spotted the trick a mile away, but it’s still a pleasure to read. I’d imagine the story is based on an actual true crime story, or perhaps an urgan legend. Or, maybe it’s based on a childhood fear of scarecrows? It’s a good reminder that when penning your own stories, you can find inspiration in looking to the past and recalling urban legends, bedtime stories, and folklore.
Where do you come from? What scares you? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time out the gate. Sometimes, you can and should borrow from something old and make it new again.
I also found it interesting how Brennan chose to frame the narrative. It could have been from the perspective of the murderous brother, but that would have spoiled the ending. It could have been a third-person narrator observing the two brothers, describing their routines, hatred, and the murderous fallout. But that’s too obvious. Instead, Brennan chose the disconnected deputy, the outside observer. This gave us a more panoramic view of the town. And it leads nicely to the not-so-surprising but oh-so-delightful conclusion.
Brennan also used “russet” among glowing descriptions of the many colors and feelings of fall gloom. Fucking brilliant.
Add this one to your October reading list. You won’t regret it.
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