Thursday 21 February 2013

#RomanticFridayWriters - We Love Lovers - fan fiction challenge - Wuthering Heights - Heathcliff, the Byronic Hero, and Cathy

Fan fiction (alternatively referred to as fanfictionfanficFF, or simply fic) is a broadly-defined term for stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator.      Wikipedia

This month's RomanticFridayWriters challenge is writing fan fiction. As it is Valentine's month, Donna Hole and I named the challenge - We Love Lovers. Not all entries may reflect lovers past or present, but I've always been fascinated by Scarlett and Rhett, Elizabeth and Darcy, Heathcliff and Cathy...thus, my entry...a monologue...an additional scene from Wuthering Heights with a twist.

Heathcliff is one of the Byronic Heroes. You can read my post comparing him to Edward from Twilight here if you're interested. I did a series on these brooding heroes in the past. Here is an excerpt from one of my posts:

We all love him or hate him – he’s the tall, dark brooding hero. The Byronic hero, based on the fictional characters of author Lord Byron, is a mysterious man, intelligent, sophisticated, educated, magnetic, charismatic, socially and sexually dominant while at the same time being detached from human society. We suffer his moods accompanied by his bouts of temper. His past is often troubled and he is riddled with self-destructive secrets. 

Lord Byron himself, according to his lover Lady Caroline Lamb, was ‘mad, bad and dangerous to know.’ Recent examples of this type include Batman, Dr Gregory House from the television series House, MD, and the late actor James Dean. 

The Byronic hero is sometimes called an anti-hero because of his negative qualities. Gilbert and Gubar compare him to a bewitching monster like Milton’s Satan – “He is in most ways the incarnation of worldly male sexuality, fierce, powerful, experienced, simultaneously brutal and seductive, devilish enough to overwhelm the body and yet enough a fallen angel to charm the soul.” 


DISCLAIMER: "Mt story 'Who is the Ghost Now?' is a work of fan fiction using characters from Wuthering Heights, the 1847 novel by Emily Brontë. The story below is a work of my imagination and I do not claim ownership of the story or the characters. I will not profit financially from this work. Thank you Emily Bronte for your contribution to the world of literature."



Who’s the Ghost Now?


Can you hear the wind blowing in from the mountain peaks? Can you see the grey glint of snow in the faraway clouds? Can you feel the ice crunching under your feet? 

No! Your thoughts are elsewhere!

You are so infatuated with Edgar Linton you’ve forgotten everything else!

You never invited me to your special day! Why? Were you afraid I’d create a scene?

Cathy! How could you do this? You love me, I know you love me! At least you used to love me. When did that change?

I never saw this betrayal coming.

We’ve loved each other since we were children, ever since your father adopted me and treated me as part of the family after your mother died. Everyone treated me with kindness except your nasty brother Hindley. How he loved to torment me, just because I was different. And just because I was so much stronger, more useful to father than he was. But I was never good enough to be his brother—father should have left me in the gutter to rot and Hindley would have been happy.

But Cathy, my darling, how could you desert me? How could you give yourself to another man? I could bear it if he was worthy of you, but he’s not! I could forgive a little flirtation while I was away overseas bettering myself, but marriage! Cathy! We were meant for each other! It is you and I who should be marrying today!

Old Ellen caught me at the door last night. A whiff of me anyway as I passed through. Gave her a shock I'm telling you, ha ha.  Couldn't resist revealing myself to her--even asked her for the key to the roof. She was unhappy to oblige.

I can be so-o-oo persuasive.

Now I have you in my sights. I see you and that loathsome crowd you hang around with. I hate how they touch you…how they fawn over you.

Enjoy their company while you can.

You, my Cathy, are a vision in white, pure as the driven snow. But we know better, don’t we? We have our secrets! Only you and I know what went on when we spread our cloaks on that carpet of soft spring flowers in the woodlands.

No one need ever know!

You’re leaving the house for the chapel. Look at those pathetic followers bowing and scraping to your every whim.  I’ll ignore how they press against you, brushing snow from your white cape and your beautiful hair. I want to kill them all!

My Cathy!

Do you love me?

Do you remember our days, carefree and wild, running on the moors like lambs in the springtime? How soft the grasses were as we collapsed in a heap of tangled arms and legs. How sweet the flowers were as I crushed you to myself, covering you with my cloak. How tender your body felt, as I caressed you through the soft stuff of your gown. Oh Cathy! You did love me! Why couldn’t you wait?

I was penniless, a nobody. Well, I made my fortune, just like you wanted. I’ve come back for you, but too late!  Was that dirty, ragged, black-haired gypsy not enough for you? Did you need the handsome, rich Mr Edgar Linton after all?

Cathy, you never loved me. To you I was just a wild child, someone to tame. After that visit to the Linton’s, you changed. You wanted the refined life, a life of silk frocks and fancy dinners -- not the life you’d have with Heathcliff, your savage!


Don’t leave me Cathy! 

Did I scream out loud? 

I see you turn towards my window.

I see the fright in your eyes.

Have you seen a ghost, Cathy?

Did you not think I’d return to claim you?

I see your confusion.

What a sight I must be. Some demented ghoul looking down on the wedding party. Someone who could tear you all apart in a moment.
But I will bide my time.

Don’t think marrying Linton is the end of our story, Cathy.

I’ll be back to claim what is rightfully mine. You’re part of me. We’ll never be parted. Never!

You love me, not Edgar Linton!


I hope you enjoyed  my monologue. 

Full Critique Acceptable
WORDS: 705

If you want to read/post fan fiction on the net, here is a link...

For other entries to this challenge, click on the names in my right-hand sidebar or click on the RFW link.


27 comments:

Yolanda Renée said...

It's been a while since I've read Wuthering Heights, but now I want to read it again. I love your post, the voice is excellent.

“He is in most ways the incarnation of worldly male sexuality, fierce, powerful, experienced, simultaneously brutal and seductive, devilish enough to overwhelm the body and yet enough a fallen angel to charm the soul.”

And don't we all know someone just like that! :)

Charmaine Clancy said...

Oh Heathcliff you naughty, naughty boy! Cathy was a fool, she could have totally married Linton AND kept Heathcliff on the side.

Excellent capture of the gothic tone of Wuthering Heights, fits right into the story. I am quite worried for poor old Ellen.

Denise Covey said...

Glad you like it Yolanda. Oh, that Heathcliff!

Denise Covey said...

She probably died of fright!

Nilanjana Bose said...

Enjoyed your post, great balance in the tone, made me want to read the original again.

"Don’t think marrying Linton is the end of our story, Cathy."

Delciously ominous, and totally in keeping with his character.

Denise Covey said...

Thanks Nilanjana. I tried hard to emulate the tone. He was pretty evil, especially in the second half of the story.

Unknown said...

February 21,2013, 06:14 a.m.
Dear Denise,
These two are one of my favourite couples in literature. Loved the movie too. I stole the idea for one of my ghost stories from a line at the end when Cathy dies in Heathcliff/Laurance Oliver's arms: 'Haunt me Cathy! Please haunt me!'
Well done. You got his demonic qualities right.
Best wishes,
Anna

Denise Covey said...

I'm glad you share my love of Heathcliff and Cathy Anna. He'll always haunt us!

Samantha Vérant said...

This line: "To you I was just a wild child, someone to tame."

LOVE IT!!!!

Sally said...

Wow, great writing, I could feel the angst, the love that then turns evil when he can't have what he wants.

Rosalind Adam said...

Love this take on Wuthering Heights. As a teenager I loved this book. I thought Heathcliffe was the ultimate sex object. Now I'm not so sure.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Death really twisted his mind! Nothing scarier than a vengeful ghost.

Dawn Embers said...

Creepy for sure. I've never actually read Wuthering Heights, so I don't quite have a reference base, but you still made it easy enough to read and understand. Well done. :-)

Denise Covey said...

I expected most would have known the story or the characters. Even so, glad you got the drift.

Erin Kane Spock said...

Wow, that was intense. He was total alpha here, sexy and dominant, a beast claiming what was his -- except that he wasn't. He was howling at fate, threatening but full of futility. It was a great scene, his anger instead of heartbreak.

I'm embarrassed to admit, but the dialect in Wuthering Heights has been a big deterrent to me ever finishing it. I've started a few times, it's on my Kindle right now, but I never read more than a few pages at a time.

Denise Covey said...

Erin, I think it's well worth the read! Obviously.

Michael Di Gesu said...

HI, Denise,

ONE of MY FAVORITE stories and characters. I loved that you chose a monologue for your entry....

One tiny suggestion. I found the pace a bit fast. Slower would be SO MUCH MORE intense. Maybe it was the way I read it. I may be wrong. Otherwise the tension was AWESOME!

Denise Covey said...

You're probably right Michael. I guess i was thinking fast.

dolorah said...

I think I watched Wuthering Heights on an old movie channel a long time ago, and it didn't capture my attention. I'm sure the novel will though; I expect to read it some day.

I like how you portrayed all his broodiness; what a martyr he has himself to be. Great use of the Byronic personality. Monologues are good for getting to know a character intimately. This was an interesting take on the theme. Well done.

No, mine's not completed yet; had some other things come up. I know, shame on me. But I'll have it up by tomorrow at the latest. Have a good weekend Denise; I hope the storms all cleared there.

.......dhole

Deniz Bevan said...

I love this idea! And yours was a treat to read, even though (sorry!) I don't actually like Wuthering Heights all that much... Weird, huh?

I don't think I can write something new for this, so instead I'm going to reveal two things, which sort of count as fan fiction, maybe?

The first is that my snip for Joy's blogfest was based on real people, Charles II and Catherine of Braganza.

The second is that my first two completed novels, back in high school, were, um, about Per and Marie of Roxette. Since, you know, I thought they should be together...

Is that fan fiction or libel?

Scheherazade said...

Oh he is wicked and self-absorbed! Now we must all wait to see what happens. And we want to hear Cathy's side of the story. Well written.

Nas said...

I've read some variations of Wuthering Heights. And I liked what you did here today!

Denise Covey said...

Hee hee, fan fic or libel? I really couldn't say Deniz...without reading them.

N. R. Williams said...

Hi Denise
Well written. How intriguing to have a youthful love, now ghost, haunt you while you wed. I think there's too many people in the bedroom. I like that everything is from the ghost perception. Kudos.
Nancy

Rek Sesh said...

Intense just like his character in the books. Didn't quite like either of them but despised Cathy the most...may be because they were far too were human not the idealistic pairings of other books.
Ghosts can be nasty,. if I were her, I'd be scared, really scared.

Misha Gerrick said...

As a rule, I love Byronic heroes, but I have to admit I never got Heathcliff and Catherine in Wuthering Heights.

(Please don't hurt me. :-P)

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