Stay in the Light: Horror Activity

            They broke through the door into a long hall. At the end of the hall a door waited for them with the promise of escape. The light of the day slipped through the cracks of the frame. The light above them began to creak and shake as the shadows wound their way around the cords. The pair jumped out of the way as the light fixture crashed to the floor and its light twitched in the darkness. Next the shadows attacked another light.

            “Run! Come, on.” Caleb commanded, “We have to run.”

            This monster had already murdered the others and now had its sights on the only two that remained. It inflicted the same pain it felt as it died in alone and terrified, in the building’s boiler room. When the creature’s victim walked into the shadows he struck, first making the person deaf to all sound, even their own screams, then blinding them. And just as the panic became too much to bear, their bodies began to seize and the life was shaken out of them. It was the same horrible death Jeffery Leipzig had suffered. Trapped in the old building’s boiler room because of a cruel prank, he had suffered an attack from the illness he had long been battling. The boy screamed for help and banged on the boiler room door, but when he fell into a seizure there was no one there to help him. The minutes before his death were terrifying and years later his souls still seeks to makes others feel his horror. In his fits of convulsions the his skull had cracked on the concrete floor. That dead boy became the creature of shadows that hunted the pair now. It’s only

            The falling lights cascaded down behind them as they ran. The shadow of a boy trailed slowly behind them, his outline just barley visible in the darkness.

            One of the falling lights struck the Caleb’s back as he ran, knocking him to the floor. Jemma scrambled to push the light off and pull him to his feet. The ran sprinted down the corridor, the creature and his darkness never far behind. Then the light directly in their path is severed from its cord and the pair is trapped in an island of light. The shadows immediately build between them and the path of light not ten feet away that leads to the door. Still the outline of the boy approaches from behind.

            Jemma looks at the door. “We can make it.”

            “Jemma, no. Hallie said to stick together and stay in the light. It can’t get to us in the light.”

            “I’m fast, I can make it.”

            “No, Jemma, you can’t.” He held on tighter to her hand.

            “Then how the hell are we supposed to get out of here?”

            “We’ll figure something else out. Just stay with me. Don’t let go, alright?”

            She nodded reluctantly.

            “Good, okay.” They watched the light above them flicker. “The matches, Jemma. Give them to me.”

            Her shaking hands pulled the matchbox from her jean pockets. “There’s only one left.” She sobbed, “Caleb, there’s only one left.”

            “I know! Just give it to me.” He snapped.

            The light directly behind them smashed to the ground and Jemma sobbed.

            Caleb was so focused on striking the match that he didn’t have time to catch her hand before she dashed into the shadows towards the door.

            “No! Jemma, don’t!” he cried.

There was just enough light to watch Kelly being knocked to the ground. Just like all the others, her world went silent. She would never hear her own screams. Blinded, she crawled forward in desperation. But she couldn’t make it to the light before she collapsed into a fit of convulsions.

            Caleb stood on the edge of the light and watched her die. There was no way to get to her. Jemma’s screams of fear echoed down the long corridor. The boy of shadows hovered over her twitching being. And when finally her screams ceased and her limbs lay still it turn its gaze of Caleb.

            The single light that was left above him began to flicker and tendrils of shadow wrapped their way around the wires.

            “No, no, no,” Caleb muttered as he desperately tried to strike the last match.

            The flittering light of the match illuminated a face woven from shadows that crept closer. It was kept at bay by the pathetic glow of the last match. There was nothing Caleb could do but watch the flame burn its way to the bottom of the match until there was nothing left to burn. And as the flame died out the creature moved closer.

            Then it all went dark.

I Break Eggs

Since we're doing the Romance Genre right now I thought I'd get into the spirit of it with another "Fun One". Its yet another short story, but this ones just a 'mini'. (This is not an assignment. It is not intended for marking) 

I break eggs for a living.

Technically I’m an ‘industrial technician’ on a factory line.

Which basically means I stand in front of a massive mixer and as eggs come down the conveyer-belt I break them into the mixer and throw the shells into the bins on my right.

So, like I said, I break eggs for a living.

I break eggs for eight hours a day. Five days a week.

Sometimes I drop one by accident.

Sometimes I drop one on purpose.

No one knows the difference.

Sometimes I think about how I will never be able to put the shells back together again once I’ve broken them and how they’ll never be whole again and all the philosophical and metaphysical meaning in that.

Most the time I just think about the TV shows I watched last night.

Or at least I used to.

Then I met Helena.

I still break eggs for a living.

But I don’t think about TV shows much anymore.  

Romance Dialogue with Kara: Bianca and Elijah

Setting: New York City.  Subway late at night. Train, waiting for their stops.

Eli is was watching the emergency lights of the subway flash by when the train rolled to the stop at Astor Place station. A young woman with a booming voice entered the nearly empty car.

Eli can’t help but over hear her conversation. She is gossiping about a friend.

            After a minute or so the young woman hangs up the phone and notices Eli staring at her. He’s not used to city life and finds her sort of interesting.

            “Can I help you?” She raises an eyebrow at him.

            Eli takes out the earphone from his left ear. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. I’m not used to hearing people have such honest conversations in public.”

            “If you don’t want to hear it then you don’t have to listen.”

            “No, no. That’s not what I meant. Or rather, I wasn’t eavesdropping. Sorry.” Eli was gets up from his seat and walks over to her seat. He extends his hand for her to shake. “I’m Elijah Newman.”

            The girl looks at his outstretched hand in a mixture of confusion and annoyance. “Um, hi.”

            “I didn’t mean to offend.” Eli retracts his hand but still studies the profile of her face. “What’s your name?” His abruptness surprises even himself.

            “Bianca,” She says hesitantly.

            “Bianca…?”

            “Why the hell do you care?”

            “Sorry. I’m not from New York. Where I come from everyone knows each other’s last name. I don’t know how this city works yet.”

            “You’ll learn quickly.”

            He put his hands in his pockets and he looked out the window at the darkness of the tunnel. “People here are so honest. There’s no polite bullshit.”

            Bianca shrugged slightly. “No ones got time for that in New York.”

            “I think that’s why I like it here.” His gaze fell on her again. “Why I like the people here so much.”

            The subway rolled to a stop and Bianca stands up. “Well, this is mine.”

            “Oh, alright.” Eli steps out of the way. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

            She snorts. “I doubt that. This is New York.”

            Bianca gets up to leave the train and her wallet is left on the seat behind her.

            Noticing this Eli quickly gets to his feet grabs the wallet and runs after her.

Bianca is already climbing the stairs and has her headphones in.

            “Wait!” He calls out to her but she doesn’t hear it over the loud music.

            He touches her shoulder to get her attention.

            Startled Bianca turns around and instinctively takes a swing at his nose.

            She realizes its him and shouts “What the hell? You can’t just sneak up on people like that.”

            He holds out the wallet as a peace offering.

            Bianca looks from the wallet to his bleeding nose and back again. “Wow, you really don’t know how this city works.”

            Bianca notices the blood streaming down his nose. “Ah, shit, sorry. You really shouldn’t scare a girl like that.” She digs through her purse and hands him some tissue.

            “Its fine. No really, it was crooked before anyways.”

            She laughs for the first time. “You’re kind of funny.” Bianca grabs hold of his arm. “If your nose isn’t too badly broken, call me.” She scribbled her number on his forearm in sharpie. “I can show you around.”

            He watched as she walked away. Eli had a broken nose, a blood stained shirt and an arm covered in ink that probably wouldn’t wash off for weeks. He was completly mesmerized.

Romance Character Sketch

Name: Elijah Newman
Age: 24

Comes from a traditional family in the town. Family has been there for generations and he is always expected to be polite to everyone because everyone knows him. He is able to put on the false charm but most of the time he prefers to be inside his head or alone, mostly because he thinks very grim thoughts and hates the false happiness people put on.

Loves to go hiking by himself. There are no false facades in nature and he can figure things out.

Family is Jewish but he isn’t so into religion. Father was Jewish, mother was Greek. Strange mix and the two sides of the family don’t always get along. 

Loves being in the city as it give him anonymity. Always wants to get away from the small city he grew up in and become his own person away from the family and familiarity. Expected to become a banker like the people on his father’s side.

Isn’t so sure what he wants to be. Loves artistic stuff but he isn’t very artistic himself. Has a love/hate relationship with modern art. Some of it is honest and some of it is just another façade.

Looking for something or someone honest. No cover-ups or false characters. Someone who feels what they feel and doesn’t cover it up.

Then he met Bianca. 

Mystery: Murder at the Ballet

         

  A. The Setting: The murder takes place at a theater in a private box while the curtains are closed. The entire investigation takes place while Swan Lake is being performed and during the intermissions. The murder occurs as the theater goes dark and the curtains rise and the murderer is caught during the final scene.

            B. The Crime: A woman in her sixties is discovered with her throat stabbed in her private box. There are no witnesses as the curtains had been closed over the front of the box. Her many jewels remain untouched. The nature of the stabbing seems very personal.

            C. The Murderer: Katherine Carter was born into a privileged family. Her father owned a multimillion-dollar company, which her elder brother would inherit he passed. Kate had always been close with her brother and she lived her entire life under the belief that she would be taken care of financially by him, never having to spend a day behind a desk in the corporation. Unburdened by any financial want, Kate planned to spend her life creating modern art, which was her passion in life. Not long after Kate’s 23^rd birthday, her mother confessed that her elder brother, Jeffery, was the result of an affair. Though the Ms. Carter didn't admit who the lover was, Jeffery's biological father was Mark McQueen, the chorographer for the Royal Ballet. Betrayed and heartbroken, Mr. Carter divorced his wife and disinherited Jeffery, leaving the company, family legacy and responsibility completely to Kate. Kate’s family and her future as an artist have been smashed by her mother’s infidelity. Kate and her father happen to attend the ballet the same night that her mother does. Jeffery appears in the theater as well and Kate, overjoyed to see her brother again slips from her father’s box before the show begins to find him. When Kate finds Jeffery he confesses to her that he has discovered the identity of his biological father. Kate is enraged that her mother has the audacity to show her face at the ballet again and seemingly rub it all in. Jeffery tries to calm his half sister but fails to do so. The two part ways and Kate heads towards her mother’s box. On her way she grabs an ice pick from the refreshment table in the hall. The mother and daughter fight and during the conflict Kate grabs a locket from her mother’s neck that holds a picture of her brother and herself and smashes it. Kate stabs her mother in the jugular as the lights fade in the theater. Her gloves are stained with blood so she replaces them her mother’s and heads to the ladies room where she freshens up before returning to her family box and watching the rest of the ballet. She intends on murdering Mr. McQueen, her mother’s lover as well for his part in the scandal but it caught by the detective before she can finish the job.

            D. The Detective: Bridget Franks is a soon to be New York Police Officer. She had recently joined the academy and intends to eventually become a detective. Her brother, Cedric, is engaged to a wealthy young woman, Violet MacDouglas, whose family is part of the upper class social circle of New York. In order to introduce his Tomboy sister to his future family in law and fiancé Cedric invites, or rather insists, that Bridget attend the ballet Swan Lake with them. Bridget is clearly out of place in the theater setting and the meeting does not go well. Violet is very sweet but somewhat of a lightweight and despite her best efforts to connect with Bridget the two don’t share any common interests. The MacDouglas disapprove of the upcoming marriage and sticks their nose up at the middle class Franks. Over the course of the night the soon to be sisters in law bond over their efforts to solve the murder case and Violet becomes the Watson to Bridget’s Sherlock.

               Bridget discovers the body of Ms. Carter after mistakenly enter her box instead of her own. The police are called. Ignoring her brother’s protests, Bridget sets out to figure out who the murder is before the ballet ends and the crowds disperse. Upon questioning the MacDouglas family who were associated with the Carters, she learns of the scandal and discovers that the entire family is at the ballet at evening. After inspecting the body of the deceased woman Bridget notices a pair of bloody opera gloves lay beside body. Everyone assumes they must belong to Ms. Carter but Bridget finds it suspicious that they were not on the woman’s hands. The vicious manner in which she was attacked with an ice pick and the fact that none of her jewelry is missing save for a locket suggest a personal attack. The smashed locket was discarded in the hall. Engraved inside it was the inscription “For my loving mother”. Bridget and Violet believe that Jeffery Carter must be responsible for the murder. A staff member of the theater confirms that he saw Jeffery walking the halls before beginning of the first act and that he looked quite flustered. Bridget and Violet come across Kate in the ladies room as she is calmly reapplying powder. Bridget decides not to distress Kate with the new of her mother’s death and the fact that her brother is a murderer just yet. Kate forgets her gloves in the ladies room and Violet picks them up to return to her later. Bridget and Violet are unable to find Jeffery and fear that he might be going after Mr. McQueen as well. When they go to warn Mr. McQueen in his box he is demands to know where Violet got the gloves she is holding. The girls discover that the gloves have Ms. Carters and Mr. McQueen’s initials on them and were in fact a gift from McQueen to his lover. This leads Bridget to the conclusion that Kate must have switched her gloves with her mother’s after committing the murder. The two woman track Kate down, who attempts to escape through the back stage of the theater. The chase ends when Bridget tackles Kate, tumbling on stage and taking out the prima ballerina as her character Odette is about to commit suicide. 

Post Eight: Sci-Fi Activity

What if this wasn’t Earth? What if the human race had been moved to another planet and wiped out the indigenous alien species? What if no one knew what had happened?

After a nuclear war mankind was forced to evacuate the Earth and a select few were moved to another planet, where their descendants now live completely unaware that they’re not on Earth. During the process of moving their records of history were mixed up, blending time periods together. Due to this, the society of the new Earth is a mix of the 1930’s, the Victorian age and the future. Knowledge of the transfer of planets is keep secret, as an indigenous race of aliens that inhabited the planet before humans was wiped out. Knowledge of is genocide and the transfer is limited to a select few within the new government system.

The new planet is similar to Earth but is smaller and has a more tropical climate. Animal species were brought from Earth with the humans and have mated with the new planet’s animals to create cross species. Areas of the planet are blocked off because they are ‘Nuclear fallout zones’.

The architecture is a mix of Victorian and Indian style. Clothing resembles that of the 1930’s. The new Earth was a chance to start over for the human race. Concepts such as racism and sexism have never been heard off. The new world is run off of clean energy. They brought modern technology with them so they still have their space ships and computers. They have even developed technology further and now have vehicles run on hydrogen gas. The society is something of a Utopia on the surface, but it is built on the graves of the an alien race.

The character is a historian. He was told, as everyone was, that many records and archeological sites were lost during the world wide nuclear war, and so his job is to sort through the remaining records and sort them out. Despite protests from the government that nothing remains, archeologists are exploring the planet in the attempt figure history out. He participates in these digs and on one occasion uncovers an alien object. When he asks the university for funding to continue the excavation his dig is shut down by the government and he is fired. The protagonist is contacted by the ‘Historical Society’, an illegal group of people who are devoted to uncovering the truth of the past. They realize that key to the past is hidden within the ‘nuclear fall out zones’ where entrance is prohibited. Along with other historians and scientists, the protagonist escapes into the nuclear zone and is trailed by government agents. Within the zone they find the remnants of the alien civilization that was murdered. The character becomes determined to bring the truth to the public.

            The Protagonist is determined and devoted to both history and the truth. He is conflicted between maintaining the Utopia that the new society is and bringing the truth to light. 

Post Nine: Fantasy Activity

• He can wield fire. Because of this he can melt various things, including stone and turn it into lava. He is not able to fly for extended periods of time, as that is too exhausting, but he can send out bursts of fire that will project him upwards or forward quickly. He is able to increase fire and also extinguish it with a wave of the hand. 

• Everyone in the world has an element they are connected to, but they are unaware of this connection. It is only when they are killed by the element (ex. drowning, burning to death) that they are able to wield it. Because these sorts of deaths are pretty rare and it’s even rarer that a person would happen to be killed by the exact element they are connected to, few people have magical powers. The protagonist is able to control fire because while at a bush party his pant leg caught fire. Because of his connection to fire his skin caught flame as if he had been using gasoline for moisturizer. Instead of being severely burned, his skin was covered in a layer of thick ash and upon wiping it off he discovers that there is a new layer of unharmed flesh underneath that. Soon after he uncovers his abilities and is then picked up a group of people with similar power. 

• Due to unpredictability of his abilities it is no longer safe for him to live with his non-magical family. He joins a group that resembles a gang and travels from place to place, living in secluded areas. His family believes he has been abducted and in the interest of keeping the magic world secret he has to let them believe this. 

• Those who yield elements, Workers, are only able to do so when the elements is present, in other words he cannot create fire from nothing, which is why he carries several lighters and match boxes with him wherever he goes. Once they start working with the element the original source is no longer necessary, but if his fire goes out he has to find another source of fire.
              Those with powers are only able to wield them with the mercy of the element. Each element has its own personality and can at any time choose to kill or abandon the Worker. Though the Workers are capable of controlling the element, either fire, water, air, or electricity, it is more of convincing the element to do something than commanding it to do so. 

• Fire is a very violent and unpredictable element. It is very much like a stallion as it must first be broken before it can be ridden safely. Once broken it becomes very loyal to the worker, but that is only if it doesn’t kill them in the process. His task throughout the novel is to break fire and learn to wield it with caution. Then using his abilities he and several others must battle other groups, sort of like gangs, who pose of threat to the secret of magic. 

• Malcolm Zapaliti 

Post 7: Poetry Unit Reflection

            I hate poetry. Or at least, I used to. After this unit I now have something of a begrudging respect for the form of writing. Previously I thought of poetry as a cliché and melodramatic way of expressing emotions. If I’m being honest, I still think of some poetry like that. But after analyzing famous works in this unit I’ve come to enjoy some of them, in particular ‘Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night ’ by Dylan Thomas.

            I find that I enjoy poetry that uses more formal language and what might be considered atypical descriptions and grammar. Normal speech and writing can become so dry and these sorts of poems allow the writer to ‘spice up’, if you will, the English language.

            Friends of mine write poetry as if it were their drug. I may not be at that level but I can understand why it’s addictive. After working on a poem or spoken word for an extended period of time I found myself thinking in rhythms, which might have been sort of funny had it not been so entirely irritating.

            Though we did the spoken word assignment in the poetry unit, it seemed like a subject on its own. Yes it is poetry, but its different in the way that its entire value is dependant on how you perform it and how it comes across in that moment.

            I had heard spoken word before but never seen live performances. I practiced my piece dozens of times the night before and had it memorized but I never anticipated the nerves. It was very different from reciting a speech, which I have done on multiple occasions without any mental breakdowns (As of yet). Obviously the subject matter was closer to my heart than the typical ‘Eye Symbolism in King Lear’ speech topics but I was none-the-less surprised by my own nerves.  

            I am told that the nerves gave it more emotion and actually enhanced the piece rather than took away from it but I was still irritated that it caused me to choke on some phrases, making the piece chopping in the places it wanted it to be flowing and smooth.

            What surprised me even more than my own nerves was how much more effective spoken word was when watched live. When I was looking for a piece to analyze for the blog post I listened to dozens on YouTube, but they couldn’t compare to being in the room while watching my classmates perform.

            In reflection, I enjoy poetry much more than when the unit started and can appreciate how difficult of an art form it really is. Words are fickle. A verse in a poem may work beautifully at first, but when you return to the work later the meaning has changed and the entire thing sounds like something bent at an awkward angle. I still find poetry frustrating, and probably always will, but it no longer seems like such as waste of time. 

Randompedia: Rivers of Gold

Subject: Belinda Mulrooney, Klondike Entrepreneur

Set to the music of Sound of Silence Sound of Silence

Where the mountains do yield

Lay yet unbroken fields

Here cold cuts to the bone

And rays run through the stone

Where the rocks do scrap the sky

There future and past do lie

In the rivers of gold

Each time your good fortune falls

The wicked northern winds do call

To this land your fate is bound

Three times these cruel grounds

Brought you riches untold

Forth from rivers of gold

Lost souls chips away at this land

In search of ever precious strands

With only strength of mind

Did fortunes knots you bind

While all the dreamers’ did but wilt

Its here a life you thrice built 

Amongst the rivers of gold