Deborah Esch

A young governess receives a position in which she will look after a girl and, when he is home from school, a boy without contacting their guardian uncle at all. The governess is nervous and sleep-deprived, but Flora and Miles seem to be perfect little children and everything goes smoothly - until the governess begins seeing ghosts who - she is certain - want her young charges.

*SPOILERS* The ambiguity of the story (are there really ghosts, or is the governess insane?) lends itself well to multiple readings and indeed I found my reading much changed this time around. I first read this short story for a college class, and found it is just as horrifying as a reread. This time, instead of being scared of the ghosts, I was more terrified by the governess herself - her strange turns of thought, her sudden adamance and certainty about the ghosts purpose even when no one else can see them, and finally the sinister ending.… (altro)