torsdag 26 juni 2008

E-writing assignment 1

”How do you fit a full-grown racing horse into a normal-sized car?”
Joleen tore her gaze away from the glass in front of her and stared blankly at the man. It took her about two seconds to realize who he was and what his intentions were. He was gangly, skinny like a twig, and the rich mop of dirty-blonde hair failed to draw attention away from the pimples that helplessly blotched his pale skin. Big, gray eyes watched her cautiously from behind glasses so thick that it was a wonder he saw anything at all. She knew his type. She had encountered so many of them, and they were all alike. She knew that if she just peered over his shoulder, she would see his fellow nerds standing huddled in the darkest corner of the bar, trying not to look but failing to do so. Joleen wondered just how much time and planning it had taken him just to be able to walk up to her. In any case, her dead-pan stare was beginning to freak him out big time; she could tell by the way his lips were trembling. She put an icy little smile on her face and turned her whole body towards his direction. The overgrown boy suppressed a flinch.
“No, I really don’t. But I suppose you’re going to tell me, aren’t you?” she said, sounding as amiable as possible and leaning over to him just slightly as she spoke. The effect was instant. Her admirer started stuttering, dropped his gaze to his untied shoelaces, and brought it back up to her. This wasn’t rehearsed; he had no idea what to do next. Drops of sweat started forming at his temples. He positively reeked of fear, and for some reason Joleen’s nostrils widened and like a beast, she drew it in. She edged her body yet closer to him, so close now that her breasts would touch his chest if she breathed in too hard.
“Well?” she said, a cold strain in her voice now, demanding.
“Umm, f-first you open the doors… You see? T-the doors? The joke sucks, of course, I-I just…”
But Joleen didn’t listen to any of his stammerings. She had tossed her hair back and before the nerd had a chance to react she had leant in all the way and pressed her lips against his ear.
“Honey, you are wasting time, you do understand that? Your own and most certainly mine… so I suggest you leave me alone before I get real upset.” She hissed the last part, then withdrew from him quicker than a cobra.

She hadn’t seen a man disappear as fast as this one now did in a long time. He almost tripped over his own feet in his rush to get back to the safety of the nerd clan. Joleen sighed. Her glass was empty and her chest colder than it had been all day, but as she paid up and ventured out into the spring night her thoughts were on him. She was sure that no woman had gotten closer to him than she had this night, and that he would be fucking her over and over in his dreams for weeks to come. She found a strange comfort in that.

The early morning was soft and almost not chilly at all, instead churning with sound and smell, of wet grass and stones. Of life? Joleen wondered. The rising sun painted the house roofs in crisp blue and warm yellow. A bird sung carefully somewhere in the distant and the outskirt streets were completely deserted. Even the remote sound of cars couldn’t disturb the atmosphere. It was calamity and harmony in all ways possible. She really should be mellow. Mellow was the only mood appropriate for mornings like these. But everything inside of Joleen was on end. Nothing was like it should be. She had been taken the longest way home from the bar downtown, because she hadn’t found what she was looking for there. She had been walking for hours, still not finding what she was looking for. As she slumped down on the porch to her apartment, where she had found her boyfriend and her course mate Anna tangled up that night, she noticed something shiny that lay carelessly thrown on the stone pathway. It was the knife, the edge still covered in blood. And at that very moment, she just knew.

lördag 14 juni 2008

Summerblog 2008

This is my first entry regarding my course in Creative Writing. I will publish the result of every task Andy gives us, including the ones who are not obligatory. Following is our very first exercise, a description of a character using five questions asked to a coursemate. Feel free to comment!

X801 was the latest and most advanced in the series of caretaking emodroids. She, because it was always a she, was not the kind of equipment you'd find exclusively in the inner circle, though. Her emotional abilities were extraordinary, and included but was not limited to mind-reading, channeling, strong empathy and a great understanding of the human psyche. These abilities had earned her line the nickname "emopaths". She and her sisters were placed in orphanages, hospitals and childcaring institutes all around the faces of the planet. Out of all her skills, her ability to connect with and caring for children - making their voices heard - was the most prized. She was able to speak their language and gained their respect and trust almost instantly. This was also true for children that had been abused and had lost all trust in human adults.

She was happiest when she could be with the children, they were her purpose and in many cases she was known to forsake her own wellbeing for the sake of them. Children were not the only humans she could respond to, though. She was highly intelligent and could very well carry out complex political discussions as well as problemsolving on a more trivial level. She was also able to wordlessly communicate with certain types of animals, particulary many species of canines. As her creators had feared what a strong emodroids negative emotions could unleash, she was designed being unable to feel anger. All of the other feelings, plus a few that her creators hadn't counted upon, she could feel very vividly. Affection, distress, worry, happiness, small portions of irritation, the list went on. Should she by any chance display outbursts of anger it was to be considered a malfunction.

No experimental race of droids or emodroids are without flaw. X801's biggest weaknesses were her tendency to become just too emotional, to the point that it made her unable to perform her tasks - and her tendency to trust and bond with people too easily, and in thoses cases she would ignore her mind-reading powers that might have indicated an ill-willing or evil person. Another surprise that her creators got upon creating her, was her immense love and affection towards the particular man that had made the final touches on her and finally awokened her. She considered this man her "father".