Medusa's coil

"Medusa's Coil" by Zealia B. Bishop and H. P. Lovecraft is a horror novelette written during the early 20th century. The narrative follows a stranger who, while driving to Cape Girardeau in southern Missouri, encounters a dilapidated plantation home. Inside, he meets an enigmatic old man, who recounts a chilling tale involving his son, Denis, his wife Marceline, and the dark forces linked to Marceline's hair, suggesting a blend of horror with elements of folklore and the supernatural. The story begins with the narrator seeking shelter from an approaching storm at the derelict house of Antoine de Russy, who slowly unveils a family legacy of anguish and dark secrets. De Russy's son Denis becomes infatuated with Marceline, a woman linked to ancient magical rites. Their marriage leads to catastrophic consequences, as Denis becomes aware of Marceline's darker nature, culminating in a horrific confrontation that reveals her true, monstrous self intertwined with supernatural powers. The tale escalates into tragedy and madness, rooted in themes of possession, decay, and the primordial fear of the unknown, leaving a lingering dread that haunts both the characters and the reader. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Zealia Brown-Reed Bishop (1897–1968) was an American writer of short stories. Her name is sometimes spelled "Zelia." Although she mostly wrote romantic fiction, she is remembered for three short horror stories she wrote in collaboration with H. P. Lovecraft.