Monday, September 7, 2009
Nightmare Phase: the Plot
Five girls from an establishment called the Lullaby Institute escape and find them selves living together after having to go through the horror of the Lullaby Institute.
At the Lullaby Institute they were subjects in an experiment called “Project Nightmare”. In this project they are enhanced for the purpose of protecting the human race at the expense of the girls themselves.
They are all programmed for different tasks. Shadow was created to deal with dangerous killers, Ivy was created to apprehend criminals on the street, Imo was created to treat and protect the injured, Teira was created to protect the weak and helpless, and Rin was created to interrogate suspects and retrieve information.
While at the Lullaby Institute they were put through various tests and experiments. They escaped four years ago, but no one except Shadow and Ivy can remember it, and Shadow’s memories of that day only come in flashbacks and nightmares. Ivy remembers the last few moments of that day, and the horrible things that occurred.
As a result of the girls’ time spent in the Lullaby Institute, they each developed different fears, skills, and abnormalities.
The story centers around Shadow Lovely. Shadow’s personality spilt during her training at the Lullaby Institute; splitting her personality between the regular caring Shadow Lovely and the bloodthirsty “Subject 13”. Known as “the Reaper” at the Lullaby Institute, “Subject 13” shows no mercy and will stop at nothing to exterminate her target.
Four years to the day of the escape of the girls from the Lullaby Institute, Shadow starts having flashbacks of the Institute, triggering the surfacing of her personality split and her eyes to set on a new target: the Lullaby Girls themselves. The change in Shadow is so subtle when her personality switches, that the only difference between her and “Subject 13” are the rings in her eyes that multiply from one to two rings when she becomes “Subject 13”.
Shadow’s only family member is her younger sister Teira who wants to see her sister safe. Imo and Ivy were friends with Shadow during their time at the Lullaby Institute, and spent lots of time together during “Project Nightmare”. Not much is known about Rin. She has no memory of her life before “Project Nightmare”, not even her real name. The other girls didn’t even know about her existence until a day before the escape.
Shadow struggles to control her split personality and comes to find that “Subject 13” believes that if she exterminates the other Lullaby Girls, her life will go back to the way it was before the Lullaby Institute, and she can lead a normal existence. The girls do all they can to help Shadow, but are unsure themselves; if Shadow might be trying to kill them, what if they are all trying to kill each other? Skepticism, suspicion, and drama…how will it end? Welcome to the Nightmare.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
On that night, the clouds thinly veiled the dull glow of the full moon.The canopy of meshed tree limbs seem to spin in circles as she lay on the ground.She breathed softly as the cool night wind rushed across her face.Her long, sienna colored hair provided a cushion on the hard forest floor.In her left hand, a rose; crimson in color, but wilted and covered in thorns.In her right hand, a mirror; resting against the tattered cloth of her black dress...The mirror was cracked, but the reflections were still visible to those who wanted to see them.Was this a dream? No, this was a nightmare...Moments passed. Her breathing matching the influx of clouds that drifted by the pale moon.As if an angel, her skin glowed under the broken patches of light beaming through the tree limbs.Her cheeks were stained with dried tears, and her left hand with dried blood, the color of the rose. Crimson.Her stare was fixed towards the heavens, her steel blue eyes unmoving.Was this death? No, this was life...The wind passing over her ears was filled with the whispers of those who haunted her.Impossible to drive out, they flooded her head, and ache ran through her heart.She closed her eyes, but images of their faces flashed in her mind. She closed them tighter, and tried to shut them out, but it was of no use.As the voices and images grew stronger, she released the items from her grasp and clutched her head.She rose to her knees, rocking back and forth, in an attempt to comfort herself.Was this an illusion? No, it was real...A stream of tears rushed down her cheeks again, as the crushing black of night surrounded her.Her heart raced, as she lept to her feet, looking for an escape from this black forest.The trees around her spun and spun in circles as she searched for a way out.The voices grew louder, like the roar of the ocean in her ears.Her breathing became violent as she became more desperate to escape this prison.She grabbed the rose and the mirror and began to run, her tattered black dress carried by the wind.The limbs and branches seemed like hands. Grasping at her. Holding her back. Hurting her.Even as her arms became bloodied at the hand of the branches, she continued to run into the shadows.Was this a punishment? No, this was a trial...At long end she burst through the edge of the forest. Breathing heavily with crimson stains on her clothing.She looked around at the wide open field, illuminated by the moonlight, and fell to her knees.As she did so, the broken mirror fell in the soft grass in front of her.She stared at the relflection, but did not recognize the girl staring back at her. She had the same features, and shared the same characteristics, but was unrecognizable.This girl in the reflection had life in her eyes; a glimmer of hope long extinguished in that of her own.But the girl in the mirror looked not sad, but fearful. She was also stained with drops of crimson.Was this who she was? No...this is who she had been.She slowly lowered the mirror to her side, then glanced at the wilted rose.She couldn't explain why she continued to hold onto it, for the thorns continually caused her pain.The scars on her hand from clutching it in her grasp would always be a reminder of the pain that it caused.But she would not let it go, for reasons she could not explain. She no longer wished to hold it, but could not release it for reasons she could not explain.It's petals were wilted, it's stem stained with blood from her hand, but it was still beautiful.She wanted nothing more than to cast it away, but could not bring herself to do so...Was this her blessing? No..this was her curse.She rose to her feet, and heard the dull rumble of thunder in the distance.Her thoughts played a symphony of agony, as she was at the mercy of the thorns.Her eyes rose to the heavens and the shine of the stars was veiled by a sea of clouds.The sky darkened, appearing as ash; as the low rumble of thunder filled the night.The winds blew harder and stronger against her, foretelling a storm.Her heart, like the open field, was full of emptiness and shrouded in shadows.She walked with hands at her side, into the openness of the field, away from the forest.The gusts of wind tossed her hair like ribbons of gold and bronze.Was this the rain? No...it was the storm.As the darkness of the forest fell farther and farther behind her, the sound of the thunder became greater.The weight on her heart grew heavier, as she wished to escape this broken place.She wondered if this was the place of final sleep, or if it just appeared that way.She raised her eyes once again to the darkened sky. The sorrow of her soul matching it's color.As if she was the last person on earth, she walked alone. The winds blowing harder; faster.There were no flashes of lightning, but the thunder continued on...She felt as if she were at the end of eternity itself as drops of piercing rain pelted her skin.Was this a vision? No...it was reality.As she walked onward she felt the icy reception of water as she found herself standing in a stream.She looked downward at the reflection in the water. She also did not recognize this girl.She also shared the same characteristics, and the same features...but something was different.This girls eyes were dead, the emotion sucked out of them like lifeless pools of glass.Her arms, stained with crimson, like the other girl before, but her hands were empty...This girl's face showed no expression, but was blank as if struck with death itself...Her face was stained with tears, and her dress was torn to shreds as if cut with piercing blades.Was this who she was? No...this is who she would become.She wondered if this storm would deliver her the sweet release of death.As the crushing solitude closed in around her, she found herself staring at the heavens once more.In the veil of that night, as the rain fell, she could see clearly the despair that this world brings.As if on command, she stood silently staring at the clouds, as the mirror and the rose fell to the ground.She closed her eyes, turning her face towards heaven; the clouds parted and light beamed down upon her.She released the bitter thoughts, the hollow dreams, and allowed herself one final heartbreak.The deliverance was there, in the emptiness of sorrowed hearts, in the eye of the storm ...Was this the end? No...this was the beginning.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Breathe in...Breathe Out...
by Elizabeth Sweet
It's amazing how when life hangs in the balance, the values and beliefs of those around you are compromised.
How when every single breath could be your last, the little things that used to be inconsequential soon become memories impossible to forget.
How such unexpected news can change your views on society, morality, and yourself.Breathe in, breathe out, things we take for granted.
A heartbeat, a blink of the eye, become images that stay with you forever. Silence, as everyone waits for the inevitable; for the only thing certain in life is death.
Breathe in, Breathe out. Every tear shed, every laugh shared, every moment precious.To hear the breathing, to hold the hand of those about to pass over, as they greet death face to face; to hold onto to those who are ready to let go. To tell someone goodbye without another hello...
Breathe in...Breathe out...the shivers that run down your spine as the hour grows nearer.You stare at the lifeless form; chest rising, chest falling, in a forced manner. You make your peace, you offer comfort, you say goodbye...
Breathe in. Breathe out...the tears that fill the eyes of millons, as loved ones leave their company. The dull ache that accompanies the memory of their hand in yours as they moved on...
Breathe in. Breathe out. The pale walls: a reflection of your heart. The burning in your throat as you try to swallow, the minutes ticking down...you force the hot stream of tears off your cheeks as they flow uncontrollably.
Breathe in, Breathe out. As the breathing becomes more labored, you become more distant. The sound of silence as no one says a word, we all know what's happening. Emotions flood your head, pain fills your heart, thoughts rush your mind.
Breathe in...Breathe out...Tick tick tick. The only noise in the room as the moment arrives. The silence grows heavier, even more quiet, and explains the situation. The time has come...one last time...
Breathe in...Breathe Out...
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Balance
By Elizabeth Sweet
The cold December night air rushed over her face; her short, dark brown hair stinging her ice blue eyes. She looked around at her bleak gray surroundings. She sat on the cold cement, trying to remember anything she could about what had happened, but nothing came to mind. Suddenly, a barrage of images flashed in her mind rapidly. She fell forward onto her knees, grasping her head in her hands; her mind being rushed with unwelcome painful images.
She clinched her eyes so tight that all presence of the dim alleyway light was eliminated. In her mind, pictures of sterile white rooms, metal bars, hospital gowns, and files flashed by at rapid speed. Her ears were filled with the imaginary voices hundreds of people whispering, “Lucy…Lucy…”
Overwhelmed, she rocked back and forth, trying to shut it all out. That name resonated in her ears. She couldn’t grasp any of these memories, but clung to this name; it had to be hers. Lucy slowly released her hands from around her head as the images eased and then faded completely. She looked around at her surroundings. A few apartment buildings with dirty windows, an empty city street, and three or four street vendors. There were people walking up and down the sidewalk, but she didn’t recognize any of them.
She walked down the alleyway towards the opening that met up with the sidewalk. It was dark, but the streetlights provided dim guidance. She gazed up at the night sky; it’s darkness softened by a blanket of smog and city lights and the stars nearly invisible. As she passed by the people traveling down the street she bumped arms with a passer-by. He was tall and masculine, with short grayish black hair. He had scowled down at her as if she had hit him on purpose. He stood there with a displeased expression, but Lucy didn’t feel as if she needed to linger around any longer.
She looked at the ground and started walking briskly away. Suddenly, she felt a rough hand grab her arm. She whirled around to see the tall man, seething, looking like the devil himself. She tried to escape his firm grasp but it was no use. She tried to yell for help but the second she opened her mouth her head was instantly flooded with the incapacitating memories again. This time flashes of handcuffs, men in white lab coats, and more sterile white rooms with barred windows passed through her mind.
Her eyes were clinched tight, and the only thing she could hear amidst the haunting whispers in her head was the muffled, distorted, voice of her aggravator, yelling at her to respond. The voice slowly got quieter, and it seemed to be joined by another voice; a female voice. She felt the hand release from her arm and she dropped to the hard cement. She instantly grabbed her head and cradled it in her hands, rocking back and forth, trying to shut out the voices and images. She could no longer hear the man’s voice, or the whispering. Instead, she heard the faint noise of a girl talking to her.
Slowly she regained consciousness and released her hands from around her head. She opened her eyes with hesitation, only to be met by the dark blue eyes of a girl similar to her own age. The girl’s platinum blonde hair shined in the streetlights like a white halo. She smiled sweetly and offered Lucy a hand. Lucy accepted it and slowly got up to her feet. “My name’s Mariko,” the blonde girl said, “I noticed that you looked like you could use some help.”
Lucy’s heart stopped when she heard that name. It was so unusual, but yet so familiar. She snapped out of it and shook Mariko’s hand. The bustle of people walking down the street had subsided to one or two occasional homeless people. Mariko retracted her hand and asked sweetly, “So, what’s your name?”
Lucy stammered, “Um…Uh…Lucy?” She looked at the ground.
Mariko giggled, “You aren’t sure??” She put her hands in the pockets of her jacket.
Lucy’s cheeks flushed red, and then she looked around and realized there was no sign of the intimidating man from earlier. She whirled around, surprisingly concerned at the lack of signs of his existence. She looked down the alleyway that she was standing by, but there was no man. She paused, breathing heavily, wondering how long she had been in a catatonic state. She was unconsciously panting for breath and looking extremely panicked. Lucy quickly remembered Mariko standing a few feet behind her and whipped around to see her looking down at an angle, her eyes covered by her hair, a grim smile on her face.
“There’s no need to worry,” she said, her sweetly macabre appearance unchanging, “he won’t bother you again.” She giggled.
Lucy was almost taken aback by the way that she spoke, so sweetly and elegantly. Lucy remained silent, staring at Mariko, who had yet to lift her gaze. “What did she mean?” she thought, “So there was a man?”
Lucy shook her head, knocking her hair back off of her face. Silently, Mariko turned and started to walk away. Lucy felt the urge to follow her, but couldn’t explain why; after all…she was a stranger. Suddenly, Mariko stopped in her tracks and turned her shoulder towards Lucy, without making eye contact, and offered a hand. “Come with me,” she said.
Lucy remained silent, she didn’t know if she could trust Mariko, or if she could trust anyone. She didn’t even know what had happened to her up to this point in her life, except for some painful mental patchwork that had yet to be deciphered. There was an inner struggle, but eventually the curiosity got the best of her and she followed Mariko, but kept her hand in her jean pockets, not accepting Mariko’s hand.
They walked, in silence, down toward the end of a dimly lit alley. Lucy kept walking briskly, and then noticed that she didn’t hear Mariko’s footsteps anymore. She whisked around, expecting to see Mariko, but she saw nothing. There was no one in the alley with her. Her thoughts raced, “Did she leave me here in the alley?” “Did the man come back for her?” “Where did she go?”
So called out Mariko’s name, but there was no answer. She quickly observed all of her surroundings, an instinct she couldn’t explain. There was a thick atmosphere of angst and fear in that alley. She quickly scanned the ground and the walls; she was next to an old doll shop with a dirty window and a cement apartment building. All of the sudden, her ears were filled with the whispers again. She spun around, examining every dark corner and crevasse of the alley. Suddenly, the whispers quieted as she heard heavy footsteps approaching.
She could tell they weren’t Mariko’s. They were too heavy, and too brisk. And wait; there were two sets of footsteps? She braced herself, looking for an exit, but the closest thing to an entrance or an exit was the dirty window of the old doll shop. As the footsteps approached, she saw two shadows materialize at the end of the alley. Then suddenly, from the direction of the shadows, she heard voices, similar to the voices in her head, calling, “Lucy…Lucy…”
She stumbled backwards, horrified, and tried to make out the figures. She froze as she recognized one of the figures as the man from earlier. He smiled grimly and pulled out a gun. The other figure was a tall, stout man in a white lab coat. At the sight of his white lab coat, Lucy’s head was once again flooded with the images from before.
Hear head flooded with emotions and she stumbled backwards and fell back on her arms. She scrambled to her knees, holding her hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming. As the two men walked towards her, the man in the lab coat straightened his glasses and took a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. Lucy gasped and shuffled backwards as fast as she could, not knowing how much alleyway she had left. Suddenly, she backed into a pair of legs and quickly looked up. It was Mariko. She gasped, “But how?” she thought as she stood up quickly and took a step back.
Mariko stared at the ground in front of her, her sickly sweet smile still glued to her delicate face. At this point, Lucy didn’t know whether Mariko was going to help her, or pull out a knife and stab her point blank. Then Mariko giggled and pointed at the two men walking slowly in their direction, “They can’t hurt you if you hurt them first…” she continued to smile as she pulled a gun out of her pocket.
Lucy froze and sucked in air through her fingers. She could never kill another human being…could she? Her heart raced as Mariko tossed the gun in her direction. Mariko giggled again, never lifting her eyes, “It might not kill them,” she said sweetly, “it might just hurt them enough to give you a chance to escape…it might not. But they’re going to hurt you. You don’t want that. Do you?”
Lucy’s eyes filled with hot tears, brought on by fear and adrenaline. Her eyes were wide and burned as the cold wind whipped her hair in her eyes. She stared at the gun, not Mariko, trembling as thoughts raced through her mind. Almost on cue, her ears filled with the haunting whispers again. This time, the whispers were joined with the voices of the men, and Mariko. All of them chanting, “Lucy…Lucy…”
The men got closer and closer, and Lucy heard the man in the overcoat cock his gun. She looked up at their faces, both of them dark and sadistic looking, with their grim smiles. Then she looked at Mariko, who still looked at the ground, her smile equally grim. Sweat ran down Lucy’s face, even though the weather outside was freezing, and the sound of her heart pounding almost drowned out the voices. She struggled to swallow and looked back and forth between the gun, the men, and Mariko.
The men got closer and closer, and Lucy felt her hand shaking as she held the cold gunmetal inside of her fingers. She closed her eyes tight, “You don’t want to do this,” she thought, “You wouldn’t take another person’s life…”
Her eyes opened as she heard Mariko’s voice, “They’re going to hurt you Lucy…hurt them first so they can’t hurt you…”
Lucy’s head was rushed with every thought, feeling, image, and emotion she could imagine. She turned towards the men, leaning on the dirty doll store window for support because her legs felt like they could give out beneath her at any moment. She slowly lifted the gun towards the men as she looked at the ground. The hot tears still streamed down her face, completely torn. She might miss, she might hurt them enough to escape, or she might kill them…none of those options seemed any better than the one before it.
She put her finger on the trigger and all at once the whole alley fell silent. She saw the men freeze and the voices in her head stopped. The thoughts that were whirling in her head ceased completely and it was almost surreal. Lucy felt like she was in a void, with nothing but the gun and the two men, who she believed wanted to do her great harm. She turned around to look at Mariko one last time, to give her enough reassurance that she was about to do the right thing by pulling the trigger. She gasped when she didn’t see anyone in the alley behind her. She pushed hard away from the dirty window and whirled around, looking everywhere for Mariko.
Mariko was nowhere to be found. Then out of the silence, Lucy heard her voice, coming from the direction of the doll shop window, “Lucy, do it. You know you want to. You don’t just want to, you have to. They want to hurt you.”
Lucy trembled and slowly took a step towards the window. Her hand shook as she reached towards it; Mariko’s voice continued as Lucy gently wiped the dirt and dust off of the window. Lucy’s mouth dropped and she staggered back, as she saw the reflection in the window. It was Mariko, still talking to her. She was Mariko. Mariko was the side of her that would do anything to survive, anything in her best interest, no matter how wrong it was…her evil side.
Lucy stumbled back and slipped on the slippery cement, hitting her head on the apartment wall behind her. She lay on the cold ground, the light slowly fading, and the sound of footsteps approaching again. As her eyes slowly closed, she saw the two men standing above her and heard the click of handcuffs.
Later, Lucy opened her eyes slowly, to be greeted by piercing rays of sunlight. She sat up straight and looked around. She looked down at the hospital gown she was wearing, and at the sterile white walls. She looked at the bars on the window, and the people walking around outside her room in white lab coats. She got up and looked out the window sighed as she read the sign outside on the lawn that read “New York Institute for the Mentally Unstable”. She sat back on her plain white bed, and knew she was home.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Welcome to my short story page! So, I'm starting a new story. It's called:
"Marionette"
Here's the Poster for it. I designed it as well.
