S.A. Check's Blog, page 11

Snips and Snails #5

          Could it really be that time already?  Then bring on the Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!  Today’s snippet is a continuation from my short story, Snips and Snails.  So far, we’ve met the monster in the young boy’s closet and found out their relationship is anything but typical.  Check out the earlier posted snippets for the full back story.  Here we find the two in the middle of some more monster/bloodling bonding.  Drop a comment if you care to.  They are always appreciated!  Don’t forget to go over to SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and check out all of the great writing from a truly talented group of authors posted weekly over there.  You’ll be glad you did.  __________________________________________________________________________          “Check this out, Booger.”          Turning to the computer, the boy typed something into the keyboard and a web page sprung up.          Remember the oath - the creature repeated the mantra over and over in his thoughts.  The tradition passed down among generations was his to uphold and he wouldn’t allow shame to befall him and his lineage because of this human pup.          Bending over the boy’s shoulder, the creature stared into the screen and said, “Do not call me that.”          The boy clicked the mouse and said, “They call this one two mimes, a jackhammer, and an albino goat.”          The creature’s hand involuntarily shot up to its mouth and shielded the screen from view in a decidedly unfrightening stance.           “By Beezlebub’s blackened beard, turn that sickness off, bloodling.”          Laughing hysterically, the boy spun around in the chair and typed in something else.            “If you thought that one was bad, wait until I get the next one loaded.”


          I hope you enjoyed this week’s snippet.  Come back next week to see what these two are up to next.  Thanks and have a great weekend.

Snips And Snails #4

         

          Hi all!  Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and for those of us in the U.S., having a great Fourth of July celebration filled with barbecues, fireworks, and family fun.  What goes better with summer holidays that a heaping dose of science fiction and fantasy and what better place to get your fill than over at Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday?!  Make sure you stop by and check out all the great authors who post their work at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com.  This week’s snippet for me comes from a short story, Snips And Snails, which explores how we view fear as society evolves.  In the previous snippets, we met up with a captive monster and found out his captor was a small boy and his closet the creature’s prison.  This week, we have the first real interaction between the two.
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          “Its high moon, bloodling, and one your age should be in slumber.”           Oblivious to the creature’s reprimand, the boy dragged him across the room.                      “Don’t be such a wuss.  Come on, I want to show you something.”          Wild patches of hair sprouted up and down the creature’s arms, legs, and shoulders with a long black tuft banded behind its head.  Well-muscled and scarred arms hung down to its knees with leather strappings wrapped around each wrist and across the bare orange skin of its chest.  A massively wide head, home to two rows of sharpened teeth, frowned as the mismatched duo stopped near the boy’s computer.          “Didn’t I tell you boys don’t wear dresses?”          The creature stared down at the animal skin wrapped around its waist and bound at the center with a blackened snake skull that had been passed down to him from his father.
          “It is more of a kilt, bloodling.”
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          I hope you enjoyed the snippet and comments are always welcome and appreciated.            

Snips And Snails #3

      
          Hi everyone!  Thanks for joining me for another Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday.  I’ve been having a lot of fun sharing from a short story titled Snips and Snails and this week is the third installment.  It’s a short I did a few years ago about fear and what it means in today’s society – kinda.  In case you missed the earlier snippets, jump back on my blog here to check them out.  I did a little cosmetic surgery to the site but still with the same great content and half the calories.  Make sure you check out all the great authors over at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and get your weekend fill of science fiction / fantasy.  It’s a regular cornucopia of reading goodness.  Enjoy.  ‘Nuff said. 

          A door slammed closed and footsteps echoed outside as his tormentor approached.  He braced in the corner of the small room as the door flung open.          Light flooded the chamber, blinding him as he shielded his eyes with his hand.  He saw the anger in his captor’s eyes and wondered if the contempt in his own was that obvious.          “C’mon, what are you waiting for?  You can’t hide in my closet all night.”          Lumbering to his feet, the creature wedged through the small door out into a mess of a bedroom.  Discarded toys and handheld video games lay strewn across the room, interspersed between piles of dirty clothing and the smell of, as best he could determine, three day old pizza stuffed under the bed.      
          Grabbing a tuft of hair on the creature’s arm, the young boy pulled the creature towards a desk in the corner.  A computing device used by some humans sat on the table with a giant viewing device mounted directly to the wall.

SnipsAndSnails#2

          Hi all!  Thanks for joining me again for another edition of Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday.  Let’s hope the weekend is in full swing for you and there’s something exciting on the agenda over the next couple days.  This week I’m continuing with another snippet from Snips and Snail, a short graphic comic script that I developed a few years ago.  Last week’s snippet was the first from the story, so if you didn’t read, you only have to go back one week to catch up.  The story is focused on fear and how it has developed over the years and maybe a glimpse into society’s mindset regarding violence.  I hope you enjoy.  Happy Pappy’s Day to those it applies to.  Before you’re done for the weekend – be sure to go over to scififansat.blogspot.com and peruse all of the great writing and writers happening over there.  You’ll be glad you did.-------------------------------------------------------------
          Eyes glowing in phosphorous sparks, he traced the scars running along his forearm between tufts of matted hair as he remembered his glory days.  In Madrid, the villagers wrote him into song. In Frankfurt, they cast him in bronze.  History books were the photo albums of his past as nations rose and fell around him.  Then the Newlands came, bringing fresh flesh to turn pale and countless young minds to blacken.          Until it all turned wrong and the same gateway that brought him countless hours of scream-filled exuberance became his personal prison.  With a clawed forefinger, he added a slash to a growing list of similar marks along the wall beside him.            He accidentally kicked a box in the corner and a robotic voice called out.
          “Intruder alert!  Photon lasers activated!”
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Thanks for checking out my writing snippet.  Don't forget to check out SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com !!AND if you liked the post, please follow along with my blog.  Thanks!

Snips and Snails - #1

         
          Summer Saturday to do list -  1)  Cut grass 2)  Wash Car 3)  Participate in Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!!!  What better to wallow away a Saturday afternoon than perch up in your favorite hammock with the electronic device of your choosing and write, read, or better yet both some great SciFi/Fan writing with some truly great writers.  I’ve been sharing snippets from a WIP, Myth-In-Law,for the last several weeks but I think it  has ran its course, for now.  Thanks for all the great comments and feedback.  I’m still hacking away at that story but I felt like moving on.  I had an eight page script that I proposed for a comic anthology a few years ago that I decided to turn in a short story.  While some of the visuals may be lost in translation, I’m hoping to convert it and keep it entertaining.  I may even throw in a few of the quick sketches I did along the way.  The story, Snips and Snails, is short tale about fear and what it means in our modern world.  I hope you enjoy.  Please take a few minutes to share a comment or two and, if you like, maybe even follow along on my blog.  Please make sure you jump over to SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and check out all of the fantastic writing contributed by the vast array of great authors over there.
          The room echoed in the night, a blank expanse of shadows.  Searching and stretching under a blackened pocket of fear, shrouded by the doubts of men and home to the creaks and bumps that kept children from their slumber, he waited.          He was born into darkness, his home and guarded sanctuary since youth.  Nursed on midnight and lullabied by the screech of the owl, the obsidian expanse enveloped him like a security blanket to a babe.            Eyes, devoid of pupils, admired the ebony details of his environment that most chose to avoid.  Holding a hand near his face, he admired the dull reflection cast from his clawed fingers.  Each bloodstained nail held a hundred stories of conquest and glorious rampage, bringing a slight grin as he ran his tongue over his fangs, relishing in his gore-filled memories.
          They had feared him in Bangladesh, cowering at his sight.  He kept them quiet under blood red moons, in the pastures and crude towns, his existence giving birth to the lantern. 

Myth-In-Law SciFiFanSat Post

What?  You mean its Saturday again?  Man, a week goes by fast but for us here in the states, we have an extra-long weekend while we celebrate Memorial Day AND we get a fresh new batch of some great Science Fiction and Fantasy snippets courtesy of the fantastic authors over at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com .  Does it really get any better than this?  This week, finally, I’m bringing my current scene from my WIP, Myth-In-Law, to a close as Professor Livingwood finishes up his game of road chicken with a mysterious on-coming black semi.  For those of you who have enjoyed this section – thanks again for all the comments.  They really mean a lot throughout the writing process.  I think I’ll be giving this story a rest for a while here but I’ll try to be back next week with something fresh.  Thanks again and I hope you enjoy and don’t forget to check out all the great writing going on over at the main blog.  Twitter tag - #SFFSAT.         
          Maybe it was the stress, probably some type of pre-death anxiety that warped his perceptions of reality.  The Prof wasn’t sure but he watched the semi’s cab touch the front of his RV and instead of the eruption of metal on metal, mass times force and the like, the rolling black monolith melded into the front of his vehicle.            Time slowed and the RV floated above the heated asphalt on a cloud of air, oblivious to its damaged wheel as the vehicles intertwined, the two windshields melting together.  Open jawed; the Prof stared at the other driver, his black trench coat flapped in the imaginary breeze as gloved hands clenched a giant steering wheel.  A black top hat rested on the man’s head, his face swathed in shadows as he turned to face the professor.  His voice filled the combined cabins, coming from everywhere and yet nowhere, a hollow whisper filled with pain.          “I’m getting stronger old man.”          The Professor forced his voice to sound calmer than he felt and asked, “Where’s Sam?”          “Too late….”  The ghost voice trailed off as time caught up to itself and the rest of the tractor trailer sped through the RV in a disorienting flash. 

ScienceFictionFantasySatPost

          

          It’s another Saturday ripe with Science Fiction and Fantasy goodness.  Thanks for checking in on my latest snippet from one of my current WIP, Myth-In-Law.  We’re in the middle of a game of road chicken between Sam’s wayward grandfather, the ever animated Professor Livingwood and a blackened eighteen wheeler with dubious intentions.  I’ve been stretching this scene out for a few weeks but it has been so much fun posting that I can’t stop.  I hope you enjoy and as always, please leave a few comments after reading – I appreciate the feedback.  Make sure you stop over at ScienceFictionFantasySaturday.blogspot.com and read snippets from all of the great writers over there.  Twitter tag #SFFSat.  You’ll be glad you did.  Enjoy!         
          The semi’s air horns blared, flames shooting from the tops of the exhaust pipes mounted on either side of the cab.  The twisted version of a child’s stuffed toy trapped in the monster’s grill ramped its stubbed arms up and down, thrusting like a mad skier fleeing an avalanche as it bore down on its mark.              Professor Livingwood gripped the steering wheel with his left hand low, ready for the pending evasive action - seven seconds.  The tractor trailer’s horn howled against the wind and he could feel its rage through his windshield - six seconds.  The old girl was going to make it, another notch in their continued adventure - five seconds.  Gliding into the opposite lane, he watched the rig mirror his move to give him some extra space - four seconds.          The pop under the engine compartment was unmistakable.  The professor watched from the side mirror as the rubber carnage that was his front tire scattered along the highway behind him.            The RV jerked to his left and the Prof looked back through the windshield as death closedin on him.  He crossed his arms over his head, bracing for impact, and said, “I’m sorry, Sam,”

SciFiFan Post Myth-In-Law

Hi All!!  It’s another Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday and after a brief hiatus, I’m back in the saddle with one of the WIP’s, Myth-In-Law.  I know I kind of left everyone hanging with my last post and Sam’s grandfather, the Professor, about to engage in a bout of road chicken with a demonic eighteen wheeler.  I’m glad everyone seemed to enjoy where the story is heading and I promise to finish up the sequence in the next couple sequences.  Thanks for reading and if you need a refresher, feel free to check out the other snippets I’ve posted from this work here and on Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday.  As always, please take some time to check out all of the fantastic authors over at their site and if you could be so kind, please leave a few comments.  They are always appreciated.  Enjoy!!
          The RV’s wheels lurched forward as the Professor put his plan into motion, literally.  It wasn't the best laid of ideas but with him they rarely were.  He only had one shot at this but he’d risk anything to get back to Sam.            He made it fifty feet down the road as the tractor trailer’s wheels squealed, dark smoke billowing from the rear tires of the cab.  He swore he heard the stuffed rabbit serving as the rig’s masthead laughing as they approached one another.  The space between these rolling mechanical giants closed with each passing second and the dirt pull off the Professor spied adjacent to the highway seemed closer to the rig than his own RV.  He figured what he lost to the big rig in weight and horsepower, he made up for in pickup speed, enough to get him to the safety of the rest area before he became road pizza.           “Come on, Bessie, we can do this.”          They’d logged a lot of miles together, him and his faithful old RV, crossed the country more times than he could remember; a wintry sled ride down the back side of the Rockies in search of Edison’s device to speak to the dead, through the Redwoods of Washington on watch for a rampaging Sasquatch.  Another ten seconds and he’d make it to the turnoff.

SciFiSat Post

It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  It’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Saturday!  Sit back and enjoy another snippet from one of my WIP’s – Myth-In-Law.  Last week, Professor Livingwood was making a mad dash home to his grandson, Sam, who had just received a mysterious book from an even more mysterious stranger.  The Prof’s trip was interrupted by an erratic tractor trailer and demonic pink bunny (guess you’ll have to go back and read that snippet).  This week we’re thrown back into the midst of ongoing road rage.  Let’s see how the Prof handles it.  Thanks for reading!  It you can, leave a comment – always appreciated  - AND please make sure you check out all the great writers and writing over at SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com.  It’s worth the trip! (Especially with current gas prices).
          His pursuer gained ground, pulling into the lane beside him.  The RV’s engine knocked in resistance to the abuse.  Professor Livingwood watched out his window as the black length of rolling steel pulled up next to him.  Tinted glass concealed the driver as a voice called out through a crack in the window.            “The boy is mine!”          Knowing his chances of outrunning the rig were non-existent, the professor let off the gas as the rig rolled passed him.  After putting a couple hundred yards between them, the tractor locked its brakes as the cab pivoted and the trailer slid sideways, almost jack knifing as it spun to face the professor’s RV again.  The engine growled as the mystery driver gunned the motor and the wheels involuntarily jerked forward and smoked.          Professor Livingwood smirked and stomped down on the gas.  “Road chicken it is then.”

SciFiFanSat Post - 04/13/13

It’s that time of week – Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday!  And what better way to wallow away a spring day than reading.  This week’s snippet again comes from one of my WIP’s, Myth-In-Law.  Sam Livingwood is a normal teenager but his lineage is anything but average.  After receiving a mysterious book from a human twister, Sam finds his world slowly unraveling as he delves further into his family’s secrets.  Professor Livingwood, Sam’s grandfather, had to leave his witch hunting expedition in the New Orlean’s bayou in a rush as he races to get back to Sam before the true consequences of their blood line are revealed.  In the last snippet, Professor Livingwood had a close call with an oncoming tractor trailer while trying to get home to Sam.  In the clear, he pushes on in a race against time.  Thanks for taking the time to check out this snippet.  I hope you enjoy it.  Comments are always appreciated!  Don’t forget to click over to SciFiFanSat.blogspot.com and check out all the great authors and their writing snippets there.          
          The professor reached out the window and casually waved as his eased the RV back onto the road.  It wasn’t until he hit a comfortable seventy-five and checked his rear view mirror twice that he set the cruise control and bit off the protective wrapper from a nearby beef stick.  Savoring the smoked flavored snack, he fumbled for the road map that had fallen between the seats, making sure to keep one eye on the road ahead.  He needed to make it to Sam by nightfall and there was a lot of road left to travel.          Something slammed into the back of the camper and the whole cabin shook.  Professor Livingston locked both hands on the wheel and saw the trailer portion of a blackened eighteen wheeler from his side mirror.  The rig pushed against the back of his RV, forcing him all over the highway.            Punching down on his accelerator, he felt the pop of the two vehicles disengaging and pulled far enough away to see the front cab in his mirror.  The pink stuffed bunny strapped to the grill smiled at him, its eyes glowing hot red.          “He must have hit me harder than I thought.”