A grieving granddaughter finds a surprising stowaway.

Australian Ghost Story by Melanie Cheng

Read by Sonya Chong.

Synopsis

Alice brings an unexpected guest back from her grandfather’s funeral, in an experience that makes her question the routine of her day-to-day life, what comes next, and the nature of grief.

Originally published in Kill Your Darlings.

Listeners are advised that this episode of Unfolded comes with a language and content warning. 

About Melanie Cheng

Melanie Cheng is a writer and general practitioner based in Naarm, Melbourne. Her debut short story collection won the 2018 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Fiction and her novel, Room for a Stranger, was longlisted for the 2020 Miles Franklin Award. Her latest novel, The Burrow, has been translated and published internationally in North America, Hungary and Spain. It was shortlisted for many Australian awards including the 2025 Stella Prize and has recently been nominated for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award. 

melaniechengwriter.com

Unfolded is produced with support from the Melbourne Public Humanities Initiative, on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Eastern Kulin Nation.

The producers would like to pay their respects to the traditional owners, to their Elders past and present, and to acknowledge their storytelling history, which goes back tens of thousands of years.