Tor.com, July 15, 2015; 5,752 words
Rating: 3, Good, ordinary, story
Stories say that deep in the the Brotterling caves something sings a song that drives people insane, but four cavers are trapped in there, and Karyn intends to find them.
Pro: Great use of imagery to make the dark, wet, cave suitably claustrophobic. The story moves briskly along to the climax. Even Karyn's "synesthesia" figures into it, because it appears that it is what enabled the creatures to infect her with their song.
Con: Her solo rescue operation is hard to take seriously. Her ability is not really synesthesia. Instead, she has the ability to understand any language simply from the way it feels on her skin. Fighting the madman, she goes in the water, but her headphones aren't damaged. Afterwards, it's hard to believe she forges ahead alone.
