Book excerpt: A chalk letter turns into a snake when a rookie teacher realises she is afraid of children. A chocolate box sets free the past of a young mother overwhelmed by her newborn baby. A rivulet of blood runs down the hands of an artist who might, quite possibly, have killed her soulmate. Inspired by the Greek tales of troubled women, powerful artefacts, and deadly curses, these stories peer through the cracks in the everyday lives of twelve modern-day heroines and explore their unconscious fears and hopes.