In speculo Sue invenit: VISUM MONSTRUOSUM… corpus deforme foedumque… (facie hibrida / indigesto protoplasmatium auctu / partibus in perversis locis temere positis / dentibus in genis sinuque haerentibus)…atque TUBER IN TERGO FIXUM FACIEI ELISABETHAE ULULATU GELATO.
Vomens viridem liquorem inquit: Ego sum… sum…
MONSTROELISASUE
Incipt se parare et vestem bellam induere, sicut omnia bene essent. Clausura partem tergi, quod iam est perturbatio carnosa, scindit. Facies in tergo tuber sub textu videtur. Pedes truncos in calceis ea ponit. Inaures gerere vult sed…aures non iam habet. Has in capitis latera directe infigit. Rari comae incomptae flocci qui remanent calamistro dissolvuntur. Soliti superbiae gestus ei sunt: quod est insolitius terrificiusque ob aspectum horribilem.
Claudicans in occultam cellam ingentem picturam sui de veteri spectaculo extrahit: cum caeruleo cultu subrisuque nitido. Faciem forficibus a picturā exsecit, oculos pertundens, quam chartaceam in suam faciem monstruosam glutine figit. Deinde fucum supra induit ut subrisum suum incendat—Puellis pulchris semper subrisendum est.
MONSTROELISASUE, vertens dextrorsum sinistrorsumque caput, in speculo se spectat.
Placida mirabiilter est…
Quasi hic visus monstruosus eam non terrebat, paene fascinans.
Quasi forma ei placebat.
Quasi VERE, liberata ex aliorum placendorum mentis prehensione, illa se primum videbat atque postremo recipiebat.
This is where you belong and you’ll always belong here.
Glossary
abstergeo, -ēre, -rsi, -rsus, to wipe
auctus, -us, m. growth, development
calamistrum, -i, n. curling iron
carnosus, -a, -um, fleshy
chartaceus, -a, -um, made of paper
claudico (1), to limp
clausura, -ae, f. zipper
coma, -ae, f. hair
cultus, -us, m. costume
Elisabetha, -ae, f. Elizabeth
facies, -ei, f. face
fascino (1), to enchant, bewitch, fascinate
floccus, -i, m. lock, strand
foedus, -a, -um, revolting
forfices, -um, f. pl. scissors
fucus, -i, m. makeup
gelo (1), to freeze
genae, -arum, f. pl. cheeks
gluten, inis, n. glue
haereo, -ēre, haesi, haesus, to cling, stick, hang
inaures, -ium, f. pl. earrings
incendo, -ere, -di, -sus, to emphasize, brighten
incomptus, -a, -um, disheveled
induo, -ere, -ui, -utus, to put on
mentis prehensio, -onis, f. obsession
mirabilis, -e, strange
MonstroElisaSue, -es, f. MonstroElisaSue
nitidus, -a, -um, dashing, showy
pertundo, -ere, -tudi, -tusus, to make a hole through
protoplasma, -atis, n. cell (biol)
pulcher, pulchra, pulchrum, pretty
quasi, adv. as if
rarus, -a, -um, scanty, scattered, few
scindo, -ere, scidi, scissus, to cut, tear off
simulacrum, -i, n. shade, phantom
solitus, -a, -um, normal
spectaculum, -i, n. show, spectacle
speculum, -i, n. mirror
subrisus, -us, m. smile
Sue, -es, f. Sue
superbia, -ae, f. vanity
temere, adv. without design, intent, or purpose
tergum, -i, n. the back
terreo, -ēre, -ui, territus, to frighten, scare
truncus, -a, -um, mutilated, mangled
tuber, -eris, n. lump, protuberance
ululatus, -us, m. scream, howl, wail
vere, adv. truly, properly
vetus, -eris, old
viridis, -e, green
visus, -us, m. a vision, a sight
Heather is a Latin teacher turned translator. She has a BA in Classics from Reed College, where she developed a passion for prose composition and mythological women. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband Andy and their senior poodle Mo. She loves watching scary movies and curates feel-good horror sets at happyspookies.substack.com.