Short Story: How to Bring Someone Back from Dead by Veronica Schanoes

I was kind of google searching for stories related with death and I found How to Bring Someone Back from Dead by Veronica Schanoes. As I am reading short stories right now, I thought to give it a go too.


The story has a has a surreal feel to it. And that is to be expected. Someone close to you is dead. It can be anyone, your father, mother, son, daughter, beloved. Anyone. You are under a lot of pain and you want to bring that person back from dead. So you undergo a journey to achieve that goal. You are hurt in the way. By the way of thorns, stones, brambles...

Then you have to avoid talking to the weird characters you meet on the way, like black Ravens or wolves who anyway do not speak your language.

"You may ask an old woman who sits by the path mumbling to herself. If you walk by without a word she will reveal herself to be a witch and eat you in two bites, but if you ask her for help and offer to share an apple with her, she will give you guidance. Do not throw stones at ravens. You may ask wolves for help, but you should not believe what they tell you. They do not think carefully. They do not think as we do."

You go on. Your pain for your loss plods you on. When you finally get there, you just lie down with that person. Although that peson does not acknowledge you. However, you made that journey. Is it fruitful?

To find that, read the story. I won't say, it shook me up. Because it did not. In Hindu mythology, we have numerous stories like this. So there was nothing new for me. Apart from the language, maybe. The new element here is maybe the modern interpretation of it. That too, is not new for me.