By: Beth Goder.

The house had a heartbeat. The walls pulsed like lungs breathing.

Once inside, Clara could hear the booming rhythm.

It wasn’t the biggest house on the block, or the most recently renovated, but it was the only one with a heartbeat.

Clara liked the feel of the house, so she decided to buy it. She got a huge discount because of the heartbeat.

That day, the house was full of clean air, whooshing in and out. At night, the gentle twin booms lulled her to sleep.

It was only when she awoke that Clara realized her own heartbeat was missing.

© 2025. Beth Goder

Beth Goder is an archivist and author. Her stories have appeared in venues such as Escape Pod, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Flash Fiction Online, and Horton’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy, among others. You can find her online at bethgoder.com.

Posted December 2, 2025.