Welcome to episode one of Hysteria. "The Striding Place" was writtten by Gertrude Atherton. This episode is performed by Melanie Mercado-Connor. Music from SoundStripe.com Hysteria is a new horror fiction podcast by, about, and for women. This episode is rated PG. The role of women in the horror genre has been vastly limited. As we look back on the biggest voices within the history of horror, male names and perspectives dominate the landscape. Women are typically relegated to background characters, set dressing, or pathetic victims. In this new podcast, we only read stories where women are brought to the forefront as main characters or authors. Because nothing is scarier than sexism. Each episode contains a chilling performance of a dark tale. Each story is written by a woman, and some provides a commentary about living as a woman in the early 20th century. Thank you to episode sponsors Tech Liminal, Design and Lockedown SEO, and David Wolfpaw. Please visit HysteriaPod.com for a text transcript of this episode.