An anonymus writing competition is the most honest way of voting. And it's wonderful to see that some of the best writers on this site are chosen in the top three. Congrats to all the writers that were couragous enough to write their Halloween piece.
Julia Agrippina, also known as Agrippina the Younger, is often depicted by ancient sources as a figure marked by cruelty and debauchery, wielding her influence with ruthless pragmatism.
Here are some notable examples of her alleged debauchery and cruelty:
Incestuous Relationships
Ancient historians like Suetonius and Tacitus suggest that Agrippina may have engaged in incestuous relationships to consolidate power. It is rumored that she had an incestuous affair with her brother, Emperor Caligula, to maintain her status and political favor during his reign. Later, Agrippina was accused of having an incestuous relationship with her son, Nero, to maintain control over him when he became emperor.
Murder of Her Husband Claudius
Agrippina's marriage to her uncle, Emperor Claudius, in AD 49 was a calculated move to secure power. To ensure her son Nero's succession, ancient sources allege that Agrippina poisoned Claudius with a dish of mushrooms. This act not only eliminated her husband but also cleared the path for Nero’s rise, showcasing her willingness to use murder as a political tool.
Persecution of Rivals
Agrippina systematically eliminated those who threatened her position. She played a role in the downfall of Claudius' son, Britannicus, who was the legitimate heir. She ensured he was sidelined and possibly poisoned at a young age. Agrippina also targeted rivals like Lollia Paulina, a former wife of Claudius, whom she forced into exile and eventually had executed on false charges.
Manipulation of Nero
Agrippina was notorious for her attempts to control her son Nero’s reign through manipulation and coercion. She is believed to have used her influence to commit heinous acts on his behalf, including the assassination of political opponents and threats against those who opposed her dominance in the early years of Nero’s rule.
Names can carry the weight of history. Consider names associated with notorious figures, like “Adolf”, “Judas” or “Caligula”. A name like “Agrippina” can haunt a person. Halloween is a scary celebration. And it may well leave a scar if the Y is erased. So fair warning to all those in love. The name of your love is not just a label. So if the name of your loved one sounds like a curse, run like hell.
Thank you all for voting, you were most generous.
Han
The L-word has lost it's meaning. What does 'I love you' mean? Word inflation. What does it mean to you? I know a lot of us can't see the love between people like Koen and his Sylvia.
But we don't tell our neighbours what to think, even if we don't agree with them. We just accept that they have a different relationship than 'normal' people.
Because they are happy that way. What can be wrong with being happy?
“Would she ever dare tell him that no pleasure, no joy, no figment of her imagination could ever compete with the happiness she felt at the way he used her with such utter freedom, at the notion that he could do anything with her, that there was no limit, no restriction in the manner with which, on her body, he might search for pleasure?”
Pauline Réage, Story of O
Frozen in time, it's time to let my Good Girl go. Trying to make it better will make it worse. So I finished the last edits of Good Girl and moved on to the next one.
Not very original, my next book is called Bad Girl. Not Batgirl, that's a fictional character. The subtitle is "Her Shocking Uncensored Diary." It's a fragment of Sylvia's diary and she is looking back on what has happened and describes what life looks like in the present.
Sylvia is under orders to write the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and has to reveal all her secrets.
Nothing is as boring as describing scenes you have already read in Good Girl, so it's a real challenge to meander around that. The balance of flashbacks and current events is a challenge in itself.
It will take me a couple of months to write Bad Girl. If you see on my door, "do not disturb" sign you’ll understand I’m sitting behind my laptop desperately trying to find the right English word for "Vrijetijdsschrijver".
Ever truly yours,
Han
My name is Han van Meegeren and “Good Girl” is my first story, well, the first I have finished. It’s 30 chapters short and in total 77k words. I will post two chapters weekly on Mondays and Wednesdays. Since I’m from the Netherlands, I write in British English as that’s the language I learned during my school days.
Like any other narrative, it’s best to start by reading the codes. However, if that doesn’t interest you, feel free to skip the story.
Finally, I want to give a special thanks to Eddie Davidson for inspiring writers like myself to write and sharing their work.