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- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
daily 2 : letter to my future self
Dear Future Self,
You won't believe it when it's the end of SWC and you open this up. You'll be so excited to reflect on Past Sophia's accomplishments throughout this month. So, here are some goals that I have for the month of November. Firstly, I'd like to do at least 10 dailies. This may seem pretty easy for me to achieve right now, but I know it will get harder to keep writing every day. I want to practice writing a lot more consistently instead of doing the first five dailies in a row and then slowly losing motivation or activity in SWC. I'd also like to do at least one weekly. It would be a huge accomplishment for me to do two, but I would be really proud of myself. I remember doing so (completing two weeklies) last session and being really happy when I pressed “submit” and saw how much I wrote. I had no idea I would be able to get so many words out of my mind and phrase it into something that sounds like a novel. Speaking of which, this month, I'd also like to start working on my current novel!! It's another one of those stories set in a fantasy world, with an academy like Harry Potter and KoTLC, but I really want to create something more original. I already have a decent amount of ideas swirling in my head on how to make my story more unique, but I have to actually implement them and write a story. World-building is important but I also have to remember to think about the story itself, like the theme I want to convey or any plot twists. I actually want to finalize what the main idea or summary of the book itself is, because all I have right now are specific fragments and a rough draft of the beginning. My goal is to actually plan my story in an organized way, starting with figuring out what the end is. Wow, I wrote a lot! I'm getting pretty close to 350 words. I do have some questions for Future Sophia. Well, a ton. Some include, has my writing actually improved after the session? Did I make any progress in my book? And how productive was I this whole month, aka did I make sure to get enough sleep and put life > SWC? Hoping for the best and excited to see my past self a month later! <3
Past Sophia
414 words
Dear Future Self,
You won't believe it when it's the end of SWC and you open this up. You'll be so excited to reflect on Past Sophia's accomplishments throughout this month. So, here are some goals that I have for the month of November. Firstly, I'd like to do at least 10 dailies. This may seem pretty easy for me to achieve right now, but I know it will get harder to keep writing every day. I want to practice writing a lot more consistently instead of doing the first five dailies in a row and then slowly losing motivation or activity in SWC. I'd also like to do at least one weekly. It would be a huge accomplishment for me to do two, but I would be really proud of myself. I remember doing so (completing two weeklies) last session and being really happy when I pressed “submit” and saw how much I wrote. I had no idea I would be able to get so many words out of my mind and phrase it into something that sounds like a novel. Speaking of which, this month, I'd also like to start working on my current novel!! It's another one of those stories set in a fantasy world, with an academy like Harry Potter and KoTLC, but I really want to create something more original. I already have a decent amount of ideas swirling in my head on how to make my story more unique, but I have to actually implement them and write a story. World-building is important but I also have to remember to think about the story itself, like the theme I want to convey or any plot twists. I actually want to finalize what the main idea or summary of the book itself is, because all I have right now are specific fragments and a rough draft of the beginning. My goal is to actually plan my story in an organized way, starting with figuring out what the end is. Wow, I wrote a lot! I'm getting pretty close to 350 words. I do have some questions for Future Sophia. Well, a ton. Some include, has my writing actually improved after the session? Did I make any progress in my book? And how productive was I this whole month, aka did I make sure to get enough sleep and put life > SWC? Hoping for the best and excited to see my past self a month later! <3
Past Sophia
414 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 2, 2023 23:45:54)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
daily 3 : write a scene focusing on character dynamics, and convey them through the atmosphere using fall symbolism
Callista stared in wonder as the last red leaf fell from her beautiful maple tree. She heard the resounding but controlled applause of the townsfolk gathered around her. It was time.
In the town of Abundance, due to the extremely small population of inhabitants, there were usually only one or two teenagers who turned eighteen annually. This year, it was a dark, curly-haired girl with hazel eyes who people described to be a kind, diligent, and capable person. It was Callista.
Callista was your typical inhabitant of Abundance, who focused on her studies and never went “wild.” She never roamed the woods or traveled beyond the fields. You would usually find her in her cottage where she lived with her mother, at school with her small group of friends, or alone under a tree with her mind elsewhere. She was a simple, uncomplicated person, who wasn't full of mysteries or someone to gossip about. She just blended in with the rest of the town, as if she were one of the autumn leaves at the center of a huge pile, not bothered unless someone steps on the pile. So far, the pile has not been destructed. And Callista was content with just that.
However, on that day when she stood before the tree she had cared for since she was old enough to talk, and she could feel the eyes of a hundred people on her, she knew that she was no longer just a person in the crowd. The leaf had been picked out of the pile. And as she saw the very last leaf fall from the tree, she realized the people were clapping for a reason. Callista was no longer a Petal. She was now a fully fledged and blossomed Flower.
Callista placed her hand at her heart, trying to process what happened. She couldn't believe that eighteen years ago she was declared a Seed and now the tree had made her a Flower. She was an adult. But although she did not seem complicated according to others, Callista was not the most optimistic person and now her mind was swirling with thoughts. All the responsibilities that came with being an adult…and the training. She had been dismissing the thought of the Challenges at the back of her mind ever since she became a Petal when she was fourteen. The Challenges were exciting but fatal. Whoever failed and didn't die during the brutal competition was sent somewhere else, far away from the towns. It was a way to prove one's worth, and the townspeople had grown to accept it since they had no say in the government's decisions anyway. The Challenges always happened in the fall after someone's eighteenth birthday…it was fall season now! Callista shuddered at the thought.
Callista looked up to see her mother give her a look of assurance–her mother knew exactly what she was thinking about. Trying to put a confident face on, she walked down the aisle, and the crowd, who had stopped clapping for a moment, started their applause again.
The dark-haired girl sat on one of the available tree trunks next to her mother, trying not to be bothered by the eyes of a ton of other people looking at her. She wasn't used to all this attention.
At that moment, Callista realized what it meant to be an adult. It was like a leaf falling from a tree, exactly like the tradition with her own maple tree. One's childhood was gone like the leaf, drifted away like the wind, and then came adulthood. Although the thought of the Challenges were scary, Callista was determined to be a braver, more confident person. She was no longer the simple and obeying child people knew her as, because the Challenges would change her. It would force her to make risky choices and extreme ones…even murder.
Callista looked out into the forest of maple trees, which were shades of red, orange, and the occasional yellow. She wondered what the possibilities would be for her in the future. The leaves had all fallen now. To Callista, her childhood was over, and suddenly life seemed so much more complicated and confusing.
694 words
Callista stared in wonder as the last red leaf fell from her beautiful maple tree. She heard the resounding but controlled applause of the townsfolk gathered around her. It was time.
In the town of Abundance, due to the extremely small population of inhabitants, there were usually only one or two teenagers who turned eighteen annually. This year, it was a dark, curly-haired girl with hazel eyes who people described to be a kind, diligent, and capable person. It was Callista.
Callista was your typical inhabitant of Abundance, who focused on her studies and never went “wild.” She never roamed the woods or traveled beyond the fields. You would usually find her in her cottage where she lived with her mother, at school with her small group of friends, or alone under a tree with her mind elsewhere. She was a simple, uncomplicated person, who wasn't full of mysteries or someone to gossip about. She just blended in with the rest of the town, as if she were one of the autumn leaves at the center of a huge pile, not bothered unless someone steps on the pile. So far, the pile has not been destructed. And Callista was content with just that.
However, on that day when she stood before the tree she had cared for since she was old enough to talk, and she could feel the eyes of a hundred people on her, she knew that she was no longer just a person in the crowd. The leaf had been picked out of the pile. And as she saw the very last leaf fall from the tree, she realized the people were clapping for a reason. Callista was no longer a Petal. She was now a fully fledged and blossomed Flower.
Callista placed her hand at her heart, trying to process what happened. She couldn't believe that eighteen years ago she was declared a Seed and now the tree had made her a Flower. She was an adult. But although she did not seem complicated according to others, Callista was not the most optimistic person and now her mind was swirling with thoughts. All the responsibilities that came with being an adult…and the training. She had been dismissing the thought of the Challenges at the back of her mind ever since she became a Petal when she was fourteen. The Challenges were exciting but fatal. Whoever failed and didn't die during the brutal competition was sent somewhere else, far away from the towns. It was a way to prove one's worth, and the townspeople had grown to accept it since they had no say in the government's decisions anyway. The Challenges always happened in the fall after someone's eighteenth birthday…it was fall season now! Callista shuddered at the thought.
Callista looked up to see her mother give her a look of assurance–her mother knew exactly what she was thinking about. Trying to put a confident face on, she walked down the aisle, and the crowd, who had stopped clapping for a moment, started their applause again.
The dark-haired girl sat on one of the available tree trunks next to her mother, trying not to be bothered by the eyes of a ton of other people looking at her. She wasn't used to all this attention.
At that moment, Callista realized what it meant to be an adult. It was like a leaf falling from a tree, exactly like the tradition with her own maple tree. One's childhood was gone like the leaf, drifted away like the wind, and then came adulthood. Although the thought of the Challenges were scary, Callista was determined to be a braver, more confident person. She was no longer the simple and obeying child people knew her as, because the Challenges would change her. It would force her to make risky choices and extreme ones…even murder.
Callista looked out into the forest of maple trees, which were shades of red, orange, and the occasional yellow. She wondered what the possibilities would be for her in the future. The leaves had all fallen now. To Callista, her childhood was over, and suddenly life seemed so much more complicated and confusing.
694 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 3, 2023 04:05:06)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
weekly 1 : characters
part 1 : character inspiration
song - safe and sound
lines:
When all those shadows almost killed your light
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire
Hold onto this lullaby even when the music's gone, goneThunder woke up the baby Hazel at midnight. Her eyes flickered open with a start and then she started wailing.
Evelyn, who was still reading under the lamp, immediately went to the baby's side and started patting her back. “Shhh,” she soothed, “It's okay, it's okay…”
But the baby continued to cry as if she saw a ghost. The sound of thunder continued outside, and from the harsh patters on the window Evelyn knew it started raining. What a miracle if it had rained during the fire…
But Evelyn pushed that thought away. She cradled her baby sister in her arms and started singly softly, “You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now…Hold onto this lullaby…” Eventually the baby's cries turned into wailing, which became quieter and quieter until it stopped.
Evelyn sighed in relief when Hazel's eyes finally closed and she drifted off into sleep again. Looking out the window, although it was dark at night she could still see flames in the distance outside the home. More bombs had been dropped, and this time it was nearer to the shed. Evelyn stared with sadness and longing at the dark spot where the house stood. But it was all burnt up and dilapidated now. Because of the fire that was set on her home. And her parents were in that house.
The girl looked at her baby sister, who was now sleeping soundly, and started to doubt all her decisions. She was only fourteen. Why did she have to take care of her one-year-old sister when she couldn't even take care of herself? They had been eating oatmeal for five days straight, and it had only been a week since the fire that took away all the happiness in her life. The only important person left in Evelyn's life was Hazel, and Evelyn knew she had to do everything to keep the baby safe.
But the option of turning herself in was still there. She could get some kind of support for Hazel from the government. But that was the least her parents had wanted her to do. Evelyn remembered, with a heavy heart, what they said before they perished. No one could know that she or the baby was still alive, or else they would hunt her down. And they would take the baby away.
Evelyn knew that her parents trusted her to take care of Hazel and even though she had her doubts, as she glanced at the sleeping baby, there was still a belief in herself deep down in her heart. Even though war waged outside of her little makeshift shed, Evelyn promised herself that she would never let anyone hurt her sister.
“You'll be alright,” she whispered into the night-time silence, “You and I will be safe and sound…”
465 words
part 2 : character sheetName: Evelyn
Pronouns: She/Her
Sexuality: Straight
Personality: Evelyn is responsible and very mature for her age. She never fools around but she likes to act playful to entertain her sister. She is a very down to earth person and is always very honest. Evelyn is also dreamy and hopeful for the future, even when a bunch of worries cross her mind, she brushes them off and hopes for a better day tomorrow. She has a lot of emotional strength, and she isn't very sensitive. She handles her negative thoughts and deals with losses by burying them deep inside her mind and she just doesn't think about them. That means she has a lot of emotions in her head that she is eventually going to let out one day. She is not the bravest person in the world but she would do anything to protect her sister. She regrets not being able to save her parents when they died in a fire. Evelyn is very caring towards the people she loves.
Goals: She wants to live a good life with her sister and for war to stop.
Relationships: She has deceased parents with unknown names and her sister is a one-year-old baby named Hazel. She currently does not have any friends but will make some in the future. She isn't close with any other of her family members and she doesn't know them.
Values + Beliefs: Evelyn is against war and violence. She believes the world would be a much better place without it.
Appearance: Evelyn has plain brown hair and brown eyes. She usually ties her hair up in a messy bun. She wears simple clothes without any jewelry because she doesn't have the money to afford it.
288 words
part 3 : character motivationscenario 1 - 153/150 words
Evelyn walked out into the vast meadow. All the flowers were dead because of a dry season without rain but there will still some shades of green here and there. After her eccentric aunt Trisha arrived a few days ago, Evelyn finally had time to herself instead of taking care of Hazel all day. Evelyn lied her back on the warm, dried-up grass and looked up at the sky. The girl remembered when she was younger when her parents would bring her out to this same spot and point at the clouds. She would watch in wonder as the clouds took shape into all her vast imagination could think of. Now that time was over and the sky was a murky, gloomy shade of gray.
As she thought fondly of the past, there was a sudden high-pitched cry coming from the shed. I should go check, she told herself, her suspicions kicking in.scenario 2 - 161/150 words
Hazel let out a whimper. Evelyn shushed her as quiet as she could. She heard the stomping of the soldiers outside the shed.
She and her sister were crouching in a secret passageway, which could be easily found by lifting up a panel of the ground. Evelyn suspected her parents dug it just for fun. But now it was a life-or-death situation. The soldiers were going. to come and all she could think of was that they were going to be found. But Evelyn urged herself to not be a pessimist and hope for the best.
The girl looked into the baby's eyes to see fear and also a speckle of knowledge of what was going on.
Evelyn was scared too, and she knew her sister could tell.
The door was opened, letting a gush of wind it. Evelyn panicked and held Hazel close to her, trying to make herself as close to the bottom of the hole as she could.scenario 3 - 187/150 words
Evelyn never really slept well but this time, with aunt Trisha taking care of baby Hazel, she could finally sleep at an early time. So she pulled the sheets over her head and closed her eyes.
As her mind faded into darkness, amorphous figures started to form. The figures became clearer, revealing two very recognizable people.
“Mom? Dad?” Evelyn exclaimed with shock and joy.
But her parents did not speak. They just walked up to her and hugged her, as if providing some kind of silent support.
They looked at her with sad smiles. It was as if a windy storm was going on in Evelyn's mind because she could not hear what her parents were saying. We're sorry, her mother mouthed. This confused Evelyn. Sorry for what? They had nothing to apologize for, and she was still regretful of the time when she couldn't save them.
And when she turned to her dad, he just stood there with a dark, shadowed look on his face. Then it softened as he spoke directly to her. Something bad is going to happen, Evelyn. You need to protect yourself.
501 words
scenario 4 : expanded scenario
(continuing scenario 3)“From what?” Her words came out raspy, even though the swirling storm in her mind was quieting down.538 words
We trust that you can face it, dear daughter, Her mother replied.
Then her parents slowly faded away and she was again left in the darkness.
Evelyn sat up from the bed, gasping for air. That was the first dream she had in months. But it seemed like a warning. She was so excited to see her parents, but of course she couldn't experience happiness for one minute. Her parents said she needed to protect herself. From what? Were they sorry because they could not protect her so she had to conquer life all by herself?
She thought sadly of how life was before the fire. She was a happy little girl who played all day and didn't have to worry about any troubles in life, especially not things like food, water, and earning money. Her parents never had that much money, but it was enough to bring her up.
Evelyn wanted to cry. She had told herself to be strong for so long, but there had never been a time when she let out all the depressing but wild emotions that were buried deep down in her mind.
There was so much she wished for. She longed for her parents to still be here, so they could handle all the responsibilities and she could feel like a child again. She wished that she could just be happy everyday. That she didn't have to worry about anything and the only duties she had were chores. Just like other girls her age. Equally, there were things she wished didn't exist. Why did war just have to happen the moment she was born? Evelyn remembered only decades ago when her region made a treaty with the Other Side. It was signed in order to ensure there were no acts of violence against the other region.
Then it was broken when there were conflicts between weapons. And now she was stuck in this situation and it was impossible to get out.
Evelyn almost jumped up when the door suddenly creaked open.
Standing in the doorway was a woman with curly red hair, a big leather hat that covered part of her eyes, and abnormally large makeshift earrings. Evelyn sighed with relief. It was just Aunt Trisha.
In her aunt's arms was Hazel, looking quite comfortable. She had a peaceful face compared to the fearful one Evelyn saw a couple nights before. From her bed, the teenager waved at Trisha. There were a bunch of things Evelyn knew Aunt Trisha wasn't the best at, one of them being how Evelyn was able to act more like an adult than her thirty-year-old aunt. But when it came to taking care of babies, Trisha was just the one she needed to ask.
Her aunt came into the shed and sat Hazel down on the bed. “Are you okay, dear?” she asked Evelyn, “You look like you just saw a ghost.”
Two, to be precise, the girl thought half-jokingly, but put on a brave face and told her aunt, “I'm fine. No need to worry about me.” It was hard to smile but she forced herself to.
final checklist:
- part 1 (song lyrics): 465/200 words
- part 2 (character sheet): 288/100 words
- part 3 (scenarios): 501/450 words
- part 4 (expanding scenario): 538/500 words
total words: 1792 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 10, 2023 03:59:35)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
daily 4 : how a constellation came to be
Cancer the crab had always wanted to fly. All of his crab neighbors told him it was impossible, as crabs were meant for swimming in the ocean and crawling on beaches. But Cancer always had a strong belief in himself. He told himself, “I will fly one day!”
The crab tried all the ways he could think of to escape the gravity that pulled him down to land. He attempted to build himself a kite that he could sit on, but that didn't work because he would keep slipping off. On top of a tall pile of sand during a hot, sunny day, Cancer tied himself to a few balloons which he had stolen from a party that day. He could feel more lightweight but the balloons didn't lift him up. He added more balloons onto the string. Still, he wasn't even an inch off the ground. Frustrated now, Cancer attached the rest of the balloons, desperately hoping for the best. It took a moment and Cancer was starting to lose hope. But suddenly, he felt his body slowly leave the ground and eventually, very slowly advance up and up, into the sky.
Cheering, Cancer looked down at the other crabs who were gaping at him. “I told you I could fly!” He exclaimed. He started to wave his pinchers around as if he were a bird. The eccentric crab knew that the other crabs thought he was crazy, but he didn't care because he had just accomplished what was assumed to be “impossible”.
One of the crabs asked him, “How are you going to get down, Cancer?”
“I didn't think of that,” Cancer replied nonchalantly, still filled with pride, “But I'll figure it out, don't worry.”
To the crab's surprise and happiness, he was very high up now. In fact, Cancer was so high he was at the same altitude as some birds. He waved energetically, boasting at them, “Look! This crab can fly!”
An eagle caught up with the crab. She looked at him curiously and asked, “You're not scared of birds popping your balloons?”
The realization hit Cancer all at once. He glanced at the eagle's sharp and powerful talons fearfully. Then he thought about falling from this great height to his death. He thought about the dangerous rocks that were waiting for him down below. “Please don't!” He begged. When the eagle gave him a look as if she were pondering something, he continued, “I just really wanted to fly…”
“Well, if you really want to fly, you need to think smarter,” The clever eagle told him, “How are you going to get down, and what if some animal popped those balloons that you rely on for dear life?”
“You're right,” He replied regretfully, “Can you help me?”
“Yes,” The eagle said, “I can lift you up so high that there will no longer be gravity pulling you down. Then, you can just float in the air and fly and do all the fun tricks you want.”
Cancer thought about how fun that would be. He agreed, and suddenly he was in the eagle's grasp and flying higher and higher. The next time he opened his eyes and turned around himself, he saw that the balloons were gone. Still, he was floating by himself. He was flying even without the balloons! Imagine what his crab neighbors would think once they found out.
Cancer was about to cry with happiness until he realized the eagle was gone. All the birds were gone. Even the clouds he saw daily in the sky had disappeared. Awareness hit him all at once.
Cancer was stuck in the sky with no way to get down.
614 words
Cancer the crab had always wanted to fly. All of his crab neighbors told him it was impossible, as crabs were meant for swimming in the ocean and crawling on beaches. But Cancer always had a strong belief in himself. He told himself, “I will fly one day!”
The crab tried all the ways he could think of to escape the gravity that pulled him down to land. He attempted to build himself a kite that he could sit on, but that didn't work because he would keep slipping off. On top of a tall pile of sand during a hot, sunny day, Cancer tied himself to a few balloons which he had stolen from a party that day. He could feel more lightweight but the balloons didn't lift him up. He added more balloons onto the string. Still, he wasn't even an inch off the ground. Frustrated now, Cancer attached the rest of the balloons, desperately hoping for the best. It took a moment and Cancer was starting to lose hope. But suddenly, he felt his body slowly leave the ground and eventually, very slowly advance up and up, into the sky.
Cheering, Cancer looked down at the other crabs who were gaping at him. “I told you I could fly!” He exclaimed. He started to wave his pinchers around as if he were a bird. The eccentric crab knew that the other crabs thought he was crazy, but he didn't care because he had just accomplished what was assumed to be “impossible”.
One of the crabs asked him, “How are you going to get down, Cancer?”
“I didn't think of that,” Cancer replied nonchalantly, still filled with pride, “But I'll figure it out, don't worry.”
To the crab's surprise and happiness, he was very high up now. In fact, Cancer was so high he was at the same altitude as some birds. He waved energetically, boasting at them, “Look! This crab can fly!”
An eagle caught up with the crab. She looked at him curiously and asked, “You're not scared of birds popping your balloons?”
The realization hit Cancer all at once. He glanced at the eagle's sharp and powerful talons fearfully. Then he thought about falling from this great height to his death. He thought about the dangerous rocks that were waiting for him down below. “Please don't!” He begged. When the eagle gave him a look as if she were pondering something, he continued, “I just really wanted to fly…”
“Well, if you really want to fly, you need to think smarter,” The clever eagle told him, “How are you going to get down, and what if some animal popped those balloons that you rely on for dear life?”
“You're right,” He replied regretfully, “Can you help me?”
“Yes,” The eagle said, “I can lift you up so high that there will no longer be gravity pulling you down. Then, you can just float in the air and fly and do all the fun tricks you want.”
Cancer thought about how fun that would be. He agreed, and suddenly he was in the eagle's grasp and flying higher and higher. The next time he opened his eyes and turned around himself, he saw that the balloons were gone. Still, he was floating by himself. He was flying even without the balloons! Imagine what his crab neighbors would think once they found out.
Cancer was about to cry with happiness until he realized the eagle was gone. All the birds were gone. Even the clouds he saw daily in the sky had disappeared. Awareness hit him all at once.
Cancer was stuck in the sky with no way to get down.
614 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 4, 2023 23:34:44)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
word war w/ChrysaoraJellyfish
prompt: “dear diary, today I finally figured it out.” - PixelDucko
Dear Diary,
Today I finally figured it out. My sister and my parents and my entire family had been lying to me my entire life. She told me that I had magical powers. My family was full of the most wonderful and famous wizards in our era, yet one day I was born and the powerful bloodline was tainted. My parents didn't want anyone to know, of course. So they lied about my non-existent powers and instead brushed it off by saying I was just a late-bloomer, although everyone in my family knew powers existed at birth. But what would humans know about powers? Therefore, my parents convinced the whole population including myself that I was a new magical baby with great potential born into the world. I'm thirteen now and yet never, once, have my powers appeared in my life. I might have guessed that I was just a human but my parents were too convincing. And my sister was in the game too. I'm so angry now, diary. I wish I was just like everyone else. Then no one has to fake what I can't have. I wish
190 words
prompt: “dear diary, today I finally figured it out.” - PixelDucko
Dear Diary,
Today I finally figured it out. My sister and my parents and my entire family had been lying to me my entire life. She told me that I had magical powers. My family was full of the most wonderful and famous wizards in our era, yet one day I was born and the powerful bloodline was tainted. My parents didn't want anyone to know, of course. So they lied about my non-existent powers and instead brushed it off by saying I was just a late-bloomer, although everyone in my family knew powers existed at birth. But what would humans know about powers? Therefore, my parents convinced the whole population including myself that I was a new magical baby with great potential born into the world. I'm thirteen now and yet never, once, have my powers appeared in my life. I might have guessed that I was just a human but my parents were too convincing. And my sister was in the game too. I'm so angry now, diary. I wish I was just like everyone else. Then no one has to fake what I can't have. I wish
190 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 7, 2023 01:16:59)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
daily 12 - pick someone else’s tongue twister and write a story based off of it
Two witches dared each other to compete for who could watch a watch for the longest time. The two witches sat down on two wooden stools and placed the two watches in front of them. Then they began to stare at the watches, their eyes looking like vacuous vessels since witches don't blink.
After an hour of watching the watches, the time on the two clocks changing from 12 pm to 1 pm, the first witch exclaimed, “This is way too easy!”
The second witch agreed. “We have to make it harder or else we will be watching the watches for forever.”
So they whispered a plan into each other's ears and squealed with excitement. Together, they murmured a curse and the watches started to levitate off of the table. Then, a second later, the two watches started moving side by side, faster and faster, exchanging positions.
“Now,” the first witch said, “We just have to make sure we watch the same watch that we watched in the beginning and losing depends on if one of us loses sight of that watch we are watching.”
Firstly, the witches made sure that the watches were going at quite a slow speed. Then, they started the competition. They determined that the first witch would watch the watch starting on the left and the second witch the watch on the right. It was important that they never took their eyes on the watch they were watching or else they would lose track, as the two watches were identical.
After every thirty minutes, one of the witches would increase the speed in which the watches were exchanging positions, to make sure the competition got harder. It must have been a sight to see two witches sitting there, their eyes moving to the left and then to the right, for hours on end.
After almost twelve hours of the witches' ridiculous game, it seemed like they were still tied and no one was losing track of their watch, even though they were going at an extremely fast speed now. Both witches were starting to get frustrated since the latter was as equally good at the competition.
The first witch tried to cover the other one's view of the watches to distract her. Yelling with annoyance, the second witch pushed the first witch out of the way. But the effect was already made. Now that the watches were going at such a fast speed, the second witch no longer knew which watch was hers. And since the first witch was pushed onto the ground, she wasn't sure which one was her's, either.
The first witch pointed at the other witch and said, “You lost! It was you who lost track first.”
“No, you were the one who covered my eyes,” The second retorted. “You broke the rules, so you lost.”
Screaming in fury, the first witch kicked the watches on the ground, shattering the screens into little pieces. “I hate this game! I'm leaving.”
“Whatever,” the second replied indignantly, “Just know that you lost. Haha!”
509 words
Two witches dared each other to compete for who could watch a watch for the longest time. The two witches sat down on two wooden stools and placed the two watches in front of them. Then they began to stare at the watches, their eyes looking like vacuous vessels since witches don't blink.
After an hour of watching the watches, the time on the two clocks changing from 12 pm to 1 pm, the first witch exclaimed, “This is way too easy!”
The second witch agreed. “We have to make it harder or else we will be watching the watches for forever.”
So they whispered a plan into each other's ears and squealed with excitement. Together, they murmured a curse and the watches started to levitate off of the table. Then, a second later, the two watches started moving side by side, faster and faster, exchanging positions.
“Now,” the first witch said, “We just have to make sure we watch the same watch that we watched in the beginning and losing depends on if one of us loses sight of that watch we are watching.”
Firstly, the witches made sure that the watches were going at quite a slow speed. Then, they started the competition. They determined that the first witch would watch the watch starting on the left and the second witch the watch on the right. It was important that they never took their eyes on the watch they were watching or else they would lose track, as the two watches were identical.
After every thirty minutes, one of the witches would increase the speed in which the watches were exchanging positions, to make sure the competition got harder. It must have been a sight to see two witches sitting there, their eyes moving to the left and then to the right, for hours on end.
After almost twelve hours of the witches' ridiculous game, it seemed like they were still tied and no one was losing track of their watch, even though they were going at an extremely fast speed now. Both witches were starting to get frustrated since the latter was as equally good at the competition.
The first witch tried to cover the other one's view of the watches to distract her. Yelling with annoyance, the second witch pushed the first witch out of the way. But the effect was already made. Now that the watches were going at such a fast speed, the second witch no longer knew which watch was hers. And since the first witch was pushed onto the ground, she wasn't sure which one was her's, either.
The first witch pointed at the other witch and said, “You lost! It was you who lost track first.”
“No, you were the one who covered my eyes,” The second retorted. “You broke the rules, so you lost.”
Screaming in fury, the first witch kicked the watches on the ground, shattering the screens into little pieces. “I hate this game! I'm leaving.”
“Whatever,” the second replied indignantly, “Just know that you lost. Haha!”
509 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 12, 2023 19:43:24)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
weekly 2 : humour + fanfiction
part 1 : skitChildhood best friends, Scarlett and Abby, walk together on the path to the school.373 words
Scarlett (clenching her fists): Ughhhh!!
Abby (tilting her head at Scarlett in concern): What's wrong?
Scarlett (looking extremely irritated): It's my little sister. She's so annoying!
Abby (trying to understand even though she is an only child): Ah, yes. Younger siblings. They always bring out the worst in us.
Scarlett (exasperated): She literally stole my lunchbox because she said it was bigger and now I'm stuck with her Hello Kitty one.
Abby (offended): You don't like Hello Kitty?!
Scarlett: It's not that I don't like Hello Kitty, Abby! It's the fact that my sister thinks she can just do whatever she wants and steal all my things. Now I have to walk into school with this lunch box. She practically ran away from me when I found out in the morning and I couldn't catch up to her. I guess I'm just too tired in the morning to deal with dumb little sisters…
Narrator: Scarlett's house was just one block away from the nearest elementary school in the district. Therefore, Scarlett's eight-year-old sister, Carly, could arrive at school in the matter of minutes. Meanwhile, a twenty-minute walk was left for Scarlett. When given the opportunity to ride a bike, Scarlett frivolously refused, but now she was regretting her choice.
Abby: Honestly, eight-year-olds are just annoying in general.
Scarlett (nodding): True. But Carly… she's kind of unique… in a bad way.
Abby (even though she has heard Scarlett complain about this many times): How so?
Scarlett (getting hyped up):Well, how can I start? She's literally a spoiled brat. She wants to buy a bunch of things, especially beauty products, that we don't even need. Like why is she desperate for a twenty-step skincare routine when the only thing I do is wash my face? She's eight, Abby, eight.
Abby nods along, trying to look sympathetic.
Scarlett (continuing with her rant): Also, she always steals my things and gets in the way when I'm hanging out with my friends! You've definitely been there.
Abby (laughs): Remember that time when she was watching that horror movie with us and spilled popcorn all over us?
Scarlett (angry): Yeah, she completely ruined our sleepover.
part 2 : song parody
song i chose: under the sea from the little mermaidReader, listen to me372 words
The world, it's a mess
Life in SWC
Is better than anything they got there
Your writing is always better
After one session
You dream about eating mangoes
And that is the best mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here in this community
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?
In SWC
In SWC
Darling it's better
Where you write weeklies
Take it from me
Away from here there's no mangoes
Away from here is not to go
We can procrastinate here
And rush our writing here
In SWC
Down here everyone is happy
Yet tired since we stay up late
We get so angry because
Our siblings drive us crazy, right?
But this camp is a great reprieve
From all of our bad days
And whenever we are hungry
Just ask for cookies and plate!
Oh, no, in SWC
In SWC
Nobody can beat us
On the leaderboard
'Cause we're amazing
Even if we have writer's block
In SWC there's no limit
To our stories
Life is the slayest
In SWC
In SWC (In SWC)
We get to write poems
We got the beat here
Naturally (naturally)
Even if you're last place in the ranks
You'll get a boost and get first place
We got the spirit
To write all the dailies
In SWC
We make critiques
We make writing comp entries
We make memory book covers
And they are all great
We count all the words
To reach the final goal
Five-hundred, to a thousand, to 10k
(Yeah)
So many ideas
And prompts to try out
When you're reading the description
Of the main cabin
Then there's matching pfps
You can get made something new
And oh there's banners too!
Yeah, in SWC (in SWC)
In SWC (in SWC)
When the signups start
Begin the huge craze
That's so fun to me (So fun to me)
What do they got? Just writing essays
We got a ton of activities
Each SWCer
Has so much fun here
In SWC
Each SWCer
Writing the best here
In SWC
Each SWCer
Puts life > SWC here
That's why it's better
If you join us
Ya we in luck here
Participating
In SWC!!
part 3 : swc fanfictionIt was a nice autumn morning at Scratch Writing Camp and Sophia suddenly felt the urge to be productive. She got up from her bed, creaked open the door quietly as to not wake up anyone else, and exited the Horror cabin to see in front of her the beautiful scenery of the outdoors. It was barely windy yet still a little chilly. Fall leaves were all piled on the ground. Across from her were many more cabins like hers lined up next to each other. All together, the fifteen cabins formed the neat outline of circle. And in the very middle of that circle was the main cabin.719 words
She seemed to be the only one awake. Sophia decided to go wake up other campers to change that. Then, maybe they could go work on a weekly together.
Why not start with the nearest cabin? Sophia walked to the majestic Mystery cabin, which was only a few meters away from Horror. She knocked on the door with a gentle tap of her fist.
“Hi Lily!” said Sophia to the person who opened the door. “How's it going? What have you been doing lately?”
“I'm doing good,” Lily replied with a smile, “Y'know, just obsessing over Taylor Swift, like always…”
Sophia laughed. “Of course. You wanna go with me to wake up other campers and maybe we can help each other write a weekly?”
“Sure!”
“Great.” And together they went to the next nearest cabin, Ilu-fi.
Sophia was so awed by the pretty mushrooms growing all around the cabin that Lily was the one to knock on the door.
It was Maia who came to the door. “Hi, what's up?” she asked.
“Maia! How are you doing?” Sophia replied cheerfully.
“Good! I actually woke up an hour ago. I hope my bassoon playing didn't wake you guys up…”
It seemed Sophia wasn't the first one up after all. “Not at all!”
Suddenly, Pepper appeared behind Maia. “Hey guys!” She waved.
“Hi Pepper!” Sophia responded. She noticed that her friend was wearing a pair of black converse on her feet, as usual.
“I hope my alto saxophone playing didn't wake you up either,” Pepper commented with a laugh.
The group took a moment to chuckle about it together and then Lily asked, “Do you two wanna come with us to work on a weekly together?”
Maia agreed and the four went on their way to the next cabin.
There was a beautiful spring right next to Myth that represented the ocean because the water looked like waves. The sand that led up to the cabin's door was extremely soft and comforting.
When Eva opened the door, Maia exclaimed, “Hello fellow Swiftie and Six of Crows lover! How are you?”
Eva replied, “I'm doing pretty great, thanks!”
“We're heading to the main cabin to work on the new weekly together,” Lily said, “Want to join us?”
“Yeah, of course!”
Sophia had already found four people, which was definitely enough. She turned towards the glistening main cabin that was decorated with countless stars and planets. Gathering her group, she exclaimed, “Come on, let's go write some words!”
“Wait, wait,” Eva said and the other four paused, “We have to eat breakfast first.”
Sophia did a facepalm. “I can't believe I forgot about that!”
“Yes, we need our daily helping of mangoes,” Maia announced.
“Well, the cafeteria's in the main cabin, anyways,” Pepper commented, “Since we're already heading there, we can just go into the cafeteria.”
The group of five walked into the main cabin, chattering with excitement. They were all interested to know what delicacy was being made for them today.
The wonderful smell of mangoes filled the warm cafeteria, making Sophia wish she could stay there forever.
“Look at that!” Eva pointed enthusiastically.
Set on the translucent purple counter were hundreds of yummy-looking mango desserts. Next to each plate was a tag that described each dessert. From what Sophia could see far away, she read, “Mango Pudding.”
When Sophia glanced around, she noticed that no one else had arrived in the cafeteria yet. “All the food's for us,” she said jokingly.
The group eagerly went over to the counter, grabbed a fork, and started to take as many desserts as they could. They were so excited to dig into the delicious meal.
final checklist:
- part 1 (skit): 373/350 words
- part 2 (song parody): 372/250 words
- part 3 (fanfiction): 719/700 words
total words: 1441 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 17, 2023 15:21:00)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
daily 13 - take out the last sentence of your cabin's storyline/intro and create a short story with this sentence as the first line
You will do whatever it takes to escape. Pain rushes up your hand as you punch the wall with all your might. But it stays unmoved and unbroken, no cracks, no dent. Then you try pushing it with all the effort you could muster. Again, no movement at all.
Internally you scream at yourself for being born with weak muscles. But it's not like people can hear you. Examining your environment, all you can see are gray marble walls and a clear one moving directly towards you.
You look around but you don't see any hidden cameras. Then you pinch yourself. Unlike you hope, this is not. a. dream.
Fear and frustration are all the emotions you feel right now, and you want to cry but you were raised not to. You try to gather all the knowledge, from so long ago they're buried deep in your mind, on how to escape this. But mainly your pessimistic self just says to you over and over again, you will never get out of this situation. You panic as the glass wall slowly starts to close in even more and the icy water coming from underground is reaching your ankles. Eventually the glass wall will get so close it'll crush you, and if not then the water will drown you.
What did I do to be here? You push that thought away. You can wallow in your emotions later. Action now. Reflection later.
Suddenly, feeling the pockets on your jeans, you pull out something very familiar. “My phone!” You exclaim. You laugh at yourself almost maliciously at the obvious idea you should have thought of in the first place.
But your phone screen stayed black when you tried turning it on. You yell in frustration. You clearly remembered charging it up fully but someone must have tampered with it or maybe even broken it. But why didn't they take your phone away, then?
The water was now up to your knees and your ears were ringing for some reason. Trying to ignore your feeling of fearful anticipation, you keep on looking around for more clues or some possible way to get out.
360 words
You will do whatever it takes to escape. Pain rushes up your hand as you punch the wall with all your might. But it stays unmoved and unbroken, no cracks, no dent. Then you try pushing it with all the effort you could muster. Again, no movement at all.
Internally you scream at yourself for being born with weak muscles. But it's not like people can hear you. Examining your environment, all you can see are gray marble walls and a clear one moving directly towards you.
You look around but you don't see any hidden cameras. Then you pinch yourself. Unlike you hope, this is not. a. dream.
Fear and frustration are all the emotions you feel right now, and you want to cry but you were raised not to. You try to gather all the knowledge, from so long ago they're buried deep in your mind, on how to escape this. But mainly your pessimistic self just says to you over and over again, you will never get out of this situation. You panic as the glass wall slowly starts to close in even more and the icy water coming from underground is reaching your ankles. Eventually the glass wall will get so close it'll crush you, and if not then the water will drown you.
What did I do to be here? You push that thought away. You can wallow in your emotions later. Action now. Reflection later.
Suddenly, feeling the pockets on your jeans, you pull out something very familiar. “My phone!” You exclaim. You laugh at yourself almost maliciously at the obvious idea you should have thought of in the first place.
But your phone screen stayed black when you tried turning it on. You yell in frustration. You clearly remembered charging it up fully but someone must have tampered with it or maybe even broken it. But why didn't they take your phone away, then?
The water was now up to your knees and your ears were ringing for some reason. Trying to ignore your feeling of fearful anticipation, you keep on looking around for more clues or some possible way to get out.
360 words
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
“minutes to the end” - writing competition entry
word count: 1369
tw: mentions of death
———
11:55 pm
The gigantic translucent screen that hovers over the crowd suddenly beeps loudly. Then the numbers displayed on it change from “11:54” to “11:55”.
The reaction is instant. I hear gasps and yells of shock. Dad puts his head in his hands and my nine-year-old sister, Julianna, begins to wail. Mom, who is the most unwavering person I have met in my life, bursts out crying, along with many others. Whimpers turn into sobs as the thousands of people surrounding me let out their distress, their sadness, their hopelessness.
My own heart beats rapidly against my chest, and although tears want to slip out of the corners of my eyes, I hold them back. I know the Panel is watching us right now, and maybe this is what they will see. My face standing out in the mass of faces, unwilling to show my suffering in these last moments. Because throughout my whole life enduring their oppression, I have never backed down.
Of course, it’s not like they care. They were never built to feel emotions. Sure, it was tried before, but that was a long time ago, when I wasn’t even born. When my parents weren’t even born. It’s been a long one hundred years of AI tyranny. Ever since they killed off every single human member of the government, life has been a roller coaster of misery.
Their plans to destroy the population have been lingering around for decades but never been executed. It’s like they were waiting for the perfect time…
I let out a breath and the air solidifies to become a cloud of dense, white fog. The press of bodies at my side is the only thing that provides warmth in this freezing weather. The harsh gust of wind that passes by causes me and many others to shiver. I think about the people in the crowd. Some of them are ill, some of them are elders, some of them are babies, and the list goes on. My heart aches, thinking about those who are suffering infinitely more than me.
I take Julianna’s hand in mine and squeeze it, partly for my own sense of comfort. I don’t bother to tell her “It’s going to be okay” because I know it won’t. I just stare at her fearful face, and then glance at Mom and Dad. Everyone in my extended family is dead. They’re all I have left.
The people surrounding me look despondent and anguished. Every ounce of the anger and defiance I admired when I was younger are drained out of their faces. We all know our fate and accept it. There’s nothing we can do about it.
The realization escapes no one. It’s 11:55, almost 11:56. Five minutes until the end of the world.
11:56 pm
Another loud beep arouses yet another round of sobbing and despair. It’s too much for me to take. I grit my teeth to stop myself from crying. I can just imagine the Panel looking at us through the cameras hidden who-knows-where, annoyed by our bothersome human sounds.
I hate them. But what can you do when they don’t even feel your resentment?
It’s the ancient scientists that should be loathed. The world was actually getting close to fair treatment and an uncorrupted society back then. I remember my great grandmother telling me about how life was like back then. She wasn’t even born to see the best days, but at least she had history textbooks that explained all of it. Robots were simple chatbots and machines, programmed by humans to do their bidding. Quite ironic how that’s the complete opposite from how we live now.
All of a sudden discoveries were made and technology rose to its peak. There was no stopping those scientists. They didn’t realize what they had brought upon themselves until one day the smart inventions began turning against their own inventors.
Now, those robots have innovative minds of their own, and they planned for a bomb that was destined to destroy the world. Well, it was simply a rumor until now.
I don’t know the whole story, but I do know the aftermath. Those groundbreaking scientific discoveries have led to the complete, inevitable destruction of humanity.
11:57 pm
I ignore the next beeping, but the sadness of the crowd tugs violently at my heart. Only three more minutes. My parents are weeping and looking at my sister and I with grief-stricken eyes.
Every person nearby has the same expression on their faces. Human populations all around the world must feel it too, looking up at the sky to see the same evil, threatening clock numbers. All of us, too traumatized by the past to fight, remembering everything we had lost in the short period of our lives.
Memories that I want to push away keep resurfacing in my mind. My grandmother collapsing with lifelessness, just to be stomped over by robotic soldiers during massive riots. My brother’s mind completely brainwashed, driving him to run off a cliff.
Although pain is the last thing I need, I dig my fingernails into the pale skin of my palm to distract myself. Yet the memories keep clinging on.
When Julianna whispers to me fearfully, “I’m scared, Cali,” I don’t know how to respond. I want to tell her I’m scared to, but I don’t want the Panel to catch sight of my vulnerability. Instead, I bend down and give her a hug.
When I look back up into her teary eyes, I murmur, “I'm here, Julie. I'll always be here.” She gives me a small nod, and I notice the half-doubt in her eyes. We both know that “always” won't be that long.
It’s impossible to feel assured when you realize you can’t prevent what’s been destined to happen for the last century.
11:58 pm
The extremely loud and unbridled unfolding of emotions stabs me like a knife. I wonder for only a second if the sadness of the crowd is affecting the Panel, whose members are silently watching us from far, far away. The bitter, stone-cold feeling I had before turns into useless desperation. Maybe, just maybe at the last minute they could change their mind….
I look into each of my family members' desperate, loving faces. Although they seem helpless now, during any other time in life, they would have done anything to protect me. Gratitude I should have felt before seeps into me.
I promised myself to keep a straight face until the end, but eventually a tear slips out of my eye, followed by many others, and the next moment I’m breaking down, sobbing.
I run into my parents’ arms. All around me people are forming clumps of groups, hugging each other and getting their final moments with their loved ones. My own family is doing the same, our arms intertwined with another, letting out our sadness together.
I don’t care about the Panel anymore. In fact, I regret spending all that time contemplating their history and loathing them. It’s all of no use thinking about that, since my brain will disseminate into a million pieces in just a couple minutes. I can hate them all I want, but I can’t make them disappear with feelings.
I haven’t been brave, I’ve just been pushing my feelings away. As I’m hugging the people I’ve known my entire life, I let myself feel the pain and the grief. I let myself feel human.
11:59 pm
I don’t look at the clock anymore, even when the threatening, ominous sound of a loud beep strikes us like invisible lightning.
My vision is blurred by constant tears, so I wipe my eyes and look into the sorrowful faces of my sister, mom, and dad. “I love you guys,” I say, on the verge of crying a second time.
I know they love me too. All of us break down into tears again, hugging and holding on to each other so tight. I will never let go, not even until the end when what we were all doomed for occurs. I love them so much.
12:00 am
There’s no beep. My mind racing, all I hear is a deafening “BOOM!” and we’re gone.
———
i'd like to thank @mouseloverr and @pixzunami for their apocalypse ideas. also, thank you so much @snowdropsugar for your amazing and helpful critique on this story. hope you enjoyed reading!
word count: 1369
tw: mentions of death
———
11:55 pm
The gigantic translucent screen that hovers over the crowd suddenly beeps loudly. Then the numbers displayed on it change from “11:54” to “11:55”.
The reaction is instant. I hear gasps and yells of shock. Dad puts his head in his hands and my nine-year-old sister, Julianna, begins to wail. Mom, who is the most unwavering person I have met in my life, bursts out crying, along with many others. Whimpers turn into sobs as the thousands of people surrounding me let out their distress, their sadness, their hopelessness.
My own heart beats rapidly against my chest, and although tears want to slip out of the corners of my eyes, I hold them back. I know the Panel is watching us right now, and maybe this is what they will see. My face standing out in the mass of faces, unwilling to show my suffering in these last moments. Because throughout my whole life enduring their oppression, I have never backed down.
Of course, it’s not like they care. They were never built to feel emotions. Sure, it was tried before, but that was a long time ago, when I wasn’t even born. When my parents weren’t even born. It’s been a long one hundred years of AI tyranny. Ever since they killed off every single human member of the government, life has been a roller coaster of misery.
Their plans to destroy the population have been lingering around for decades but never been executed. It’s like they were waiting for the perfect time…
I let out a breath and the air solidifies to become a cloud of dense, white fog. The press of bodies at my side is the only thing that provides warmth in this freezing weather. The harsh gust of wind that passes by causes me and many others to shiver. I think about the people in the crowd. Some of them are ill, some of them are elders, some of them are babies, and the list goes on. My heart aches, thinking about those who are suffering infinitely more than me.
I take Julianna’s hand in mine and squeeze it, partly for my own sense of comfort. I don’t bother to tell her “It’s going to be okay” because I know it won’t. I just stare at her fearful face, and then glance at Mom and Dad. Everyone in my extended family is dead. They’re all I have left.
The people surrounding me look despondent and anguished. Every ounce of the anger and defiance I admired when I was younger are drained out of their faces. We all know our fate and accept it. There’s nothing we can do about it.
The realization escapes no one. It’s 11:55, almost 11:56. Five minutes until the end of the world.
11:56 pm
Another loud beep arouses yet another round of sobbing and despair. It’s too much for me to take. I grit my teeth to stop myself from crying. I can just imagine the Panel looking at us through the cameras hidden who-knows-where, annoyed by our bothersome human sounds.
I hate them. But what can you do when they don’t even feel your resentment?
It’s the ancient scientists that should be loathed. The world was actually getting close to fair treatment and an uncorrupted society back then. I remember my great grandmother telling me about how life was like back then. She wasn’t even born to see the best days, but at least she had history textbooks that explained all of it. Robots were simple chatbots and machines, programmed by humans to do their bidding. Quite ironic how that’s the complete opposite from how we live now.
All of a sudden discoveries were made and technology rose to its peak. There was no stopping those scientists. They didn’t realize what they had brought upon themselves until one day the smart inventions began turning against their own inventors.
Now, those robots have innovative minds of their own, and they planned for a bomb that was destined to destroy the world. Well, it was simply a rumor until now.
I don’t know the whole story, but I do know the aftermath. Those groundbreaking scientific discoveries have led to the complete, inevitable destruction of humanity.
11:57 pm
I ignore the next beeping, but the sadness of the crowd tugs violently at my heart. Only three more minutes. My parents are weeping and looking at my sister and I with grief-stricken eyes.
Every person nearby has the same expression on their faces. Human populations all around the world must feel it too, looking up at the sky to see the same evil, threatening clock numbers. All of us, too traumatized by the past to fight, remembering everything we had lost in the short period of our lives.
Memories that I want to push away keep resurfacing in my mind. My grandmother collapsing with lifelessness, just to be stomped over by robotic soldiers during massive riots. My brother’s mind completely brainwashed, driving him to run off a cliff.
Although pain is the last thing I need, I dig my fingernails into the pale skin of my palm to distract myself. Yet the memories keep clinging on.
When Julianna whispers to me fearfully, “I’m scared, Cali,” I don’t know how to respond. I want to tell her I’m scared to, but I don’t want the Panel to catch sight of my vulnerability. Instead, I bend down and give her a hug.
When I look back up into her teary eyes, I murmur, “I'm here, Julie. I'll always be here.” She gives me a small nod, and I notice the half-doubt in her eyes. We both know that “always” won't be that long.
It’s impossible to feel assured when you realize you can’t prevent what’s been destined to happen for the last century.
11:58 pm
The extremely loud and unbridled unfolding of emotions stabs me like a knife. I wonder for only a second if the sadness of the crowd is affecting the Panel, whose members are silently watching us from far, far away. The bitter, stone-cold feeling I had before turns into useless desperation. Maybe, just maybe at the last minute they could change their mind….
I look into each of my family members' desperate, loving faces. Although they seem helpless now, during any other time in life, they would have done anything to protect me. Gratitude I should have felt before seeps into me.
I promised myself to keep a straight face until the end, but eventually a tear slips out of my eye, followed by many others, and the next moment I’m breaking down, sobbing.
I run into my parents’ arms. All around me people are forming clumps of groups, hugging each other and getting their final moments with their loved ones. My own family is doing the same, our arms intertwined with another, letting out our sadness together.
I don’t care about the Panel anymore. In fact, I regret spending all that time contemplating their history and loathing them. It’s all of no use thinking about that, since my brain will disseminate into a million pieces in just a couple minutes. I can hate them all I want, but I can’t make them disappear with feelings.
I haven’t been brave, I’ve just been pushing my feelings away. As I’m hugging the people I’ve known my entire life, I let myself feel the pain and the grief. I let myself feel human.
11:59 pm
I don’t look at the clock anymore, even when the threatening, ominous sound of a loud beep strikes us like invisible lightning.
My vision is blurred by constant tears, so I wipe my eyes and look into the sorrowful faces of my sister, mom, and dad. “I love you guys,” I say, on the verge of crying a second time.
I know they love me too. All of us break down into tears again, hugging and holding on to each other so tight. I will never let go, not even until the end when what we were all doomed for occurs. I love them so much.
12:00 am
There’s no beep. My mind racing, all I hear is a deafening “BOOM!” and we’re gone.
———
i'd like to thank @mouseloverr and @pixzunami for their apocalypse ideas. also, thank you so much @snowdropsugar for your amazing and helpful critique on this story. hope you enjoyed reading!
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Dec. 1, 2023 00:53:57)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
word war w/MoonlitSeas
prompt: “The last thing I expected to meet was a mango.” - lilyjen
when i walked into ballet class on a regular Friday afternoon, the last thing i expected to meet was a mango. i dropped my bag on the floor and gaped in shock as i saw the orange mango standing next to a tall bar. facing away from me, i thought it was just a swelled up person but turns out it's a big mango dressed in a black leotard with sunglasses on. i walked onto the dance floor and tapped on the mango's (non-existent) shoulder. “um, hi,” i say. i'm a shy person but for some reason the presence of the mango gave me a boost of confidence. “salutations!” the mango replies back. i watch its mouth as it talks, and it looks like a vacuous black hole. i wonder curiously how a mango ended up in our ballet studio, but don't question it since everyone else seems fine with it. the other dancers are ignoring the mango but after an hour when we move away the bars and start doing spins and jumps in the center, they can't ignore the mango anymore. its taking up all our space and knocking us over. while we're doing double pirouettes, the mango is doing some random turn and falling over and giggling. its like our teacher doesn't even notice the mango toppling around the place. i bet all of us are very confused right now. what an exciting ballet class compared to usual. i wonder if the mango will be joining us for the nutcracker performance?
254 words
prompt: “The last thing I expected to meet was a mango.” - lilyjen
when i walked into ballet class on a regular Friday afternoon, the last thing i expected to meet was a mango. i dropped my bag on the floor and gaped in shock as i saw the orange mango standing next to a tall bar. facing away from me, i thought it was just a swelled up person but turns out it's a big mango dressed in a black leotard with sunglasses on. i walked onto the dance floor and tapped on the mango's (non-existent) shoulder. “um, hi,” i say. i'm a shy person but for some reason the presence of the mango gave me a boost of confidence. “salutations!” the mango replies back. i watch its mouth as it talks, and it looks like a vacuous black hole. i wonder curiously how a mango ended up in our ballet studio, but don't question it since everyone else seems fine with it. the other dancers are ignoring the mango but after an hour when we move away the bars and start doing spins and jumps in the center, they can't ignore the mango anymore. its taking up all our space and knocking us over. while we're doing double pirouettes, the mango is doing some random turn and falling over and giggling. its like our teacher doesn't even notice the mango toppling around the place. i bet all of us are very confused right now. what an exciting ballet class compared to usual. i wonder if the mango will be joining us for the nutcracker performance?
254 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 21, 2023 23:27:08)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
daily 21 - inspiration from another cabin's storyline/aesthetic
cabin i chose: steampunk
Raven mindlessly wandered around the eye-catching Clockwork Abbey. All around her was the sound of steam pumping out of metal pipes in the buildings and shiny gears. These buildings surrounding her were intriguing, yet equally ominous. Raven thought about her parents at home, and she missed them badly. Time stopped for them while she kept on living her life here, so they weren't able to feel the same. The dark-haired, thirteen-year-old girl walked over to a nearby steel bench, and sat down with her arms hugging her folded legs.
“Home-sick?” A voice said suddenly.
Raven looked up in surprise to see the green eyes of a boy who looked about her age.
“Sorry if I scared you,” The boy said, “My name's Cypher. What's yours?”
What an interesting name, Raven thought curiously. “Raven,” she replied.
It's like he read her mind. “You must be thinking how peculiar my name is,” He said, with an amused expression on her face, “But Raven is quite strange as well. Isn't that a bird?”
“Yeah, but my parents named me that because of the color of my hair,” she responded, starting to self-consciously run her hand through a strand of hair.
“Anyways, did you also get randomly transported here from a different period of time?” Cypher asked.
“Yep,” Raven said, quite reluctant to talk about it, “I'm from the year 2052. What about you?”
Cypher looked startled. “Woah, same.”
That was not the response Raven was expecting. “What a coincidence! Have we been living nearby each other and we just didn't notice?”
The boy chuckled. “Probably.” He glanced around with confusion. “Wait, what are you doing here? We're supposed to be helping with the clock tower right now.”
Raven looked down. “I kind of just had to get away…”
“Home-sick?” He asked again. A look of understanding was started to show on his face, and Raven didn't feel alone for once. Her leaders were kind and supportive, but they weren't from the same time period as her. It looked like she finally found someone she could relate with.
Cypher wrinkled his nose. “You wanna come with me back to where everyone else is? I can't really stand being next to that stinky trash can over there.” He pointed to a nearby trash can, which was filled with garbage.
Raven laughed. “Yeah, let's go.” And she followed Cypher back to the broken and mesmerizing clock tower.
401 words
cabin i chose: steampunk
Raven mindlessly wandered around the eye-catching Clockwork Abbey. All around her was the sound of steam pumping out of metal pipes in the buildings and shiny gears. These buildings surrounding her were intriguing, yet equally ominous. Raven thought about her parents at home, and she missed them badly. Time stopped for them while she kept on living her life here, so they weren't able to feel the same. The dark-haired, thirteen-year-old girl walked over to a nearby steel bench, and sat down with her arms hugging her folded legs.
“Home-sick?” A voice said suddenly.
Raven looked up in surprise to see the green eyes of a boy who looked about her age.
“Sorry if I scared you,” The boy said, “My name's Cypher. What's yours?”
What an interesting name, Raven thought curiously. “Raven,” she replied.
It's like he read her mind. “You must be thinking how peculiar my name is,” He said, with an amused expression on her face, “But Raven is quite strange as well. Isn't that a bird?”
“Yeah, but my parents named me that because of the color of my hair,” she responded, starting to self-consciously run her hand through a strand of hair.
“Anyways, did you also get randomly transported here from a different period of time?” Cypher asked.
“Yep,” Raven said, quite reluctant to talk about it, “I'm from the year 2052. What about you?”
Cypher looked startled. “Woah, same.”
That was not the response Raven was expecting. “What a coincidence! Have we been living nearby each other and we just didn't notice?”
The boy chuckled. “Probably.” He glanced around with confusion. “Wait, what are you doing here? We're supposed to be helping with the clock tower right now.”
Raven looked down. “I kind of just had to get away…”
“Home-sick?” He asked again. A look of understanding was started to show on his face, and Raven didn't feel alone for once. Her leaders were kind and supportive, but they weren't from the same time period as her. It looked like she finally found someone she could relate with.
Cypher wrinkled his nose. “You wanna come with me back to where everyone else is? I can't really stand being next to that stinky trash can over there.” He pointed to a nearby trash can, which was filled with garbage.
Raven laughed. “Yeah, let's go.” And she followed Cypher back to the broken and mesmerizing clock tower.
401 words
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Nov. 21, 2023 23:23:36)
- dreamysolitude
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
sophia's swc writing thread ⇋ horror funhouse nov '23
sophia's swc thank you notes <3 - 1430 words
can't believe swc has ended :< anyways, here are my thank you notes to a bunch of people! so sorry if i didn't mention you, everyone in this community is so amazing and i wish i could have included them all <3 i'll be starting with the hosts, then leaders, then co-leaders (just most of the people i know), and some campers! thank you all for making swc an amazing and fun experience that positively impacts so many people <33
hosts
thank you robin, starr, moss, luna, sun, and moonlit for being our awesome hosties!! y'all are so amazing, i can't imagine how hard it is to manage the entire camp. i'm really grateful for your hard work and effort to make swc something to look forward to each new session! although i haven't had any conversations with so many of you, i can definitely tell that you all are extremely kind and wonderful people. ahh i'm speechless so thank you so much hosts <33
leaders
i just did it in order of the current cabin ranking, but not in any order of importance of course <3
gigi: love the idea for tctwnw! unfortunately i didn't talk to you a lot this session </3 although, looking at the records, i do know you've been at swc for a long time! thank you for all the contributions you've made, you're awesome <333
moonlit: ahh, you're such a kind person! i absolutely love your personality and oh my gosh, the way you write stories is so impressive. i really enjoy reading your writing, you're such an inspiration moonsy! i'd also like to congratulate you on the host position, you definitely deserved it and was a great host this session <3 in addition, the how to train your dragon theme for fantasy was so cool :0
finley: hello src host! you're such an incredible, nice person to talk to <33 i was shook by your beautiful swc leader application, its idea and answers were both unique and amazing. besides that, your writing is a marvel to look at. mystery is an awesome cabin, and i can tell it's partly because of your great leadership finley <3
river: hihi sibling!! i didn't talk to you much this session but i can tell you are such a cool as well as creative person. i mean just look at dystopian- i was completely blown away by the wonderful idea and aesthetic! so thank you for making dystopian so great haha
luka: woah, luka! the idea for steampunk that you guys came up with is incredible. i also haven't talked with you, but i remember being in your word count studio for dystopian july '22, and it was a super fun experience <3 thank you for that! by the way, the animations and designs in your leader app were honestly breathtaking :0
yume: yume!! although horror's your enemy :eyes: i can't deny that fairy tales is absolutely beautiful. i don't know what else to say! the thumbnails, profile pictures, storyline, overall aesthetic, and more are way too cool :0 in addition, you are super kind, and thank you for talking to me on the occasion haha <3
rockie: hii!! i don't know you that well, but you seem really nice and i love the idea for myth cove <33 you also seem like an incredible leader!! and your leader app was stunning omg
alana: ooh it's another enemy :eyes: jokes aside, alana, you are sincerely one of the nicest people on earth asdhjklhjod and such a talented writer as well! i don't know how to explain this lol but the way you word things is so amazing. you're really fun to talk with plus easy to understand. thank you for being a great mbc leader (or host? hehe) <33
mouse: another sibling!! you are so cool B) plus, you're funny and you have a great personality! looking forward to hopefully seeing you in pixiedust, mouse <3
soki: hi soki!! i love the theme for folklore! before i actually talked to you i knew you were a super nice person and you had an extremely interesting leader app–now i also know you're a brilliant leader, ooh and also a fun person to collaborate with! sic is going to be so great eeee
niko: heyy niko! the real-fi greenhouse is spectacular and you're so so cool <3 other than swc, it's been great planning noir with you! i'm looking forward to this month of src!!
elfie: my jaw literally dropped when i saw lit-fi's surreal symposium for the first time :O ahh i haven't ever talked to you, but from what i can tell, you have made a fascinating cabin with your cos and you're a genuinely kind and talented person <3
cj: ooh i rarely talked to you this session as well, anywayss it seems you are awesome and cool (i've used these adjectives way too many times ackk) plus, your writing is so good and adventure has a wonderful theme!
veni: hello veni! oh my gosh your art is stunning (writing as well haha) and illu-fi really sounds like a truly amazing cabin to be in <3 thank you for your contributions as a wonderful leader!
stingray: STINGSLAYY okay hi!! you are a wonderful and slay person like your name and it was so fun planning horror with you and nat! you're such a great leader, plus an amazing friend as well :0 i feel so appreciative that you offered to me during the leader apps craze - you've opened so many doors for me just by giving me this one opportunity. this is my first ever time being a co-leader in swc and the experience was so worth it. i am very grateful that you gave me an offer to join horror even though there were so many amazing applicants. so thank you thank you!! since december has started, it's going to be great seeing you around src <33
co-leaders
again, not in any order of importance
pepper: you're such a bubbly, lively, and kind person and i always feel like we end up applying to the same camps XD cks was an incredibly fun experience, so thank you for hosting pepper <33 you should know that you are soo talented, whether that be in writing or anything else (like your leader app omg) andd you're a great co as well!!
mabel: you're a really sweet person, a great friend, and im so happy you're in my cabin for sic! thank you for just being amazing and kind mabel <33
sophie: woah, sophie i've known you for so long :00 its been a while since we were just sophiisa and sophiacodingirl bahahaa and our scratch lives were so different back then- but anyways, you are sincerely the scratch camp friend that i've known the longest and you're like the nicest person to exist. anywaysss you're amazing so just know that!! ahh it's so exciting planning cc with you and the session will be so fun <3
clever: clev i just want to point out that you're so extremely kind. i probably said this to everyone but you're like nice to the next level XD it's so great talking with you, so thank you!! also, you are SUCH a great co asdfhdsl
em: it was a ton of fun doing part of the third weekly with you! you're so kind and responsible, and definitely a great leader :0 january is coming up so soon ahh, looks like i hope to be in your cabin for jwc em <33
nat: hii!! it was the best being able to plan horror with you <33 this may be my favorite session so far because of many things, but partly because of you and stingray! so, thank you for being the amazing person you are! also, for being one of the src hosts <3
horror campers
yess, the talented writers of horror!! well, i'm very excited to see our most likely to's in the memory book :0 hopefully we all escaped the funhouse, haha. thank you all for your contributions to horror, as we wrote a ton of words as a cabin and i'm super proud of that :00 i'm also super proud of whoever did dailies, weeklies, and helped to boost our ranking <33 thank you al!!
in conclusion, thank you all, including the people i didn't mention! i hope you, whoever is reading this that's in swc, had as a good an experience as me participating in swc this month! and i hope i'll see you again next session <3
can't believe swc has ended :< anyways, here are my thank you notes to a bunch of people! so sorry if i didn't mention you, everyone in this community is so amazing and i wish i could have included them all <3 i'll be starting with the hosts, then leaders, then co-leaders (just most of the people i know), and some campers! thank you all for making swc an amazing and fun experience that positively impacts so many people <33
hosts
thank you robin, starr, moss, luna, sun, and moonlit for being our awesome hosties!! y'all are so amazing, i can't imagine how hard it is to manage the entire camp. i'm really grateful for your hard work and effort to make swc something to look forward to each new session! although i haven't had any conversations with so many of you, i can definitely tell that you all are extremely kind and wonderful people. ahh i'm speechless so thank you so much hosts <33
leaders
i just did it in order of the current cabin ranking, but not in any order of importance of course <3
gigi: love the idea for tctwnw! unfortunately i didn't talk to you a lot this session </3 although, looking at the records, i do know you've been at swc for a long time! thank you for all the contributions you've made, you're awesome <333
moonlit: ahh, you're such a kind person! i absolutely love your personality and oh my gosh, the way you write stories is so impressive. i really enjoy reading your writing, you're such an inspiration moonsy! i'd also like to congratulate you on the host position, you definitely deserved it and was a great host this session <3 in addition, the how to train your dragon theme for fantasy was so cool :0
finley: hello src host! you're such an incredible, nice person to talk to <33 i was shook by your beautiful swc leader application, its idea and answers were both unique and amazing. besides that, your writing is a marvel to look at. mystery is an awesome cabin, and i can tell it's partly because of your great leadership finley <3
river: hihi sibling!! i didn't talk to you much this session but i can tell you are such a cool as well as creative person. i mean just look at dystopian- i was completely blown away by the wonderful idea and aesthetic! so thank you for making dystopian so great haha
luka: woah, luka! the idea for steampunk that you guys came up with is incredible. i also haven't talked with you, but i remember being in your word count studio for dystopian july '22, and it was a super fun experience <3 thank you for that! by the way, the animations and designs in your leader app were honestly breathtaking :0
yume: yume!! although horror's your enemy :eyes: i can't deny that fairy tales is absolutely beautiful. i don't know what else to say! the thumbnails, profile pictures, storyline, overall aesthetic, and more are way too cool :0 in addition, you are super kind, and thank you for talking to me on the occasion haha <3
rockie: hii!! i don't know you that well, but you seem really nice and i love the idea for myth cove <33 you also seem like an incredible leader!! and your leader app was stunning omg
alana: ooh it's another enemy :eyes: jokes aside, alana, you are sincerely one of the nicest people on earth asdhjklhjod and such a talented writer as well! i don't know how to explain this lol but the way you word things is so amazing. you're really fun to talk with plus easy to understand. thank you for being a great mbc leader (or host? hehe) <33
mouse: another sibling!! you are so cool B) plus, you're funny and you have a great personality! looking forward to hopefully seeing you in pixiedust, mouse <3
soki: hi soki!! i love the theme for folklore! before i actually talked to you i knew you were a super nice person and you had an extremely interesting leader app–now i also know you're a brilliant leader, ooh and also a fun person to collaborate with! sic is going to be so great eeee
niko: heyy niko! the real-fi greenhouse is spectacular and you're so so cool <3 other than swc, it's been great planning noir with you! i'm looking forward to this month of src!!
elfie: my jaw literally dropped when i saw lit-fi's surreal symposium for the first time :O ahh i haven't ever talked to you, but from what i can tell, you have made a fascinating cabin with your cos and you're a genuinely kind and talented person <3
cj: ooh i rarely talked to you this session as well, anywayss it seems you are awesome and cool (i've used these adjectives way too many times ackk) plus, your writing is so good and adventure has a wonderful theme!
veni: hello veni! oh my gosh your art is stunning (writing as well haha) and illu-fi really sounds like a truly amazing cabin to be in <3 thank you for your contributions as a wonderful leader!
stingray: STINGSLAYY okay hi!! you are a wonderful and slay person like your name and it was so fun planning horror with you and nat! you're such a great leader, plus an amazing friend as well :0 i feel so appreciative that you offered to me during the leader apps craze - you've opened so many doors for me just by giving me this one opportunity. this is my first ever time being a co-leader in swc and the experience was so worth it. i am very grateful that you gave me an offer to join horror even though there were so many amazing applicants. so thank you thank you!! since december has started, it's going to be great seeing you around src <33
co-leaders
again, not in any order of importance
pepper: you're such a bubbly, lively, and kind person and i always feel like we end up applying to the same camps XD cks was an incredibly fun experience, so thank you for hosting pepper <33 you should know that you are soo talented, whether that be in writing or anything else (like your leader app omg) andd you're a great co as well!!
mabel: you're a really sweet person, a great friend, and im so happy you're in my cabin for sic! thank you for just being amazing and kind mabel <33
sophie: woah, sophie i've known you for so long :00 its been a while since we were just sophiisa and sophiacodingirl bahahaa and our scratch lives were so different back then- but anyways, you are sincerely the scratch camp friend that i've known the longest and you're like the nicest person to exist. anywaysss you're amazing so just know that!! ahh it's so exciting planning cc with you and the session will be so fun <3
clever: clev i just want to point out that you're so extremely kind. i probably said this to everyone but you're like nice to the next level XD it's so great talking with you, so thank you!! also, you are SUCH a great co asdfhdsl
em: it was a ton of fun doing part of the third weekly with you! you're so kind and responsible, and definitely a great leader :0 january is coming up so soon ahh, looks like i hope to be in your cabin for jwc em <33
nat: hii!! it was the best being able to plan horror with you <33 this may be my favorite session so far because of many things, but partly because of you and stingray! so, thank you for being the amazing person you are! also, for being one of the src hosts <3
horror campers
yess, the talented writers of horror!! well, i'm very excited to see our most likely to's in the memory book :0 hopefully we all escaped the funhouse, haha. thank you all for your contributions to horror, as we wrote a ton of words as a cabin and i'm super proud of that :00 i'm also super proud of whoever did dailies, weeklies, and helped to boost our ranking <33 thank you al!!
in conclusion, thank you all, including the people i didn't mention! i hope you, whoever is reading this that's in swc, had as a good an experience as me participating in swc this month! and i hope i'll see you again next session <3
Last edited by dreamysolitude (Dec. 2, 2023 17:30:44)
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