C.R. Langille's Blog, page 21

Flash Fiction: "If You Read This, You're Going to Die."

"If You Read This, You're Going to Die"
-by C.R. Langille

    “If you read this, you’re going to die; but, it’s for charity.”

    Randall looked up from the magazine and stared at the large man behind the table. The man wore a faded Hawaiian shirt with an atrocious flower design. A beat up name tag sat crooked on the man’s chest that read, “Hello, my name is Vlad.” Vlad used a stumpy finger and pushed a pair of wide rimmed glasses back into place, and then pointed at the thick magazine that Randall clutched.

    “The publication you’ve got there, it’s called, If You Read This, You’re Going to Die. All the proceeds go charity,” Vlad said, and let out a nervous laugh that slinked from his lips and slithered into the air.

     Randall turned his attention back to the magazine and admired the cover art; a custom piece donated for the convention. In fact, due to the charity event, the magazine was full of flash fiction from a number well known horror authors, as well as a handful of newcomers.

    “The magazine was created special for this year’s World Horror Convention. I’m sure it will be a collector’s piece,” Vlad said and once again pushed his glasses back into position.

    Randall flipped the magazine open and thumbed through a few pages. There was more art inside; one piece in particular drew his attention. It depicted an old open-air marketplace set in a medieval countryside. A number of people gathered in front of a large table. There was a tall man behind the table with his arms spread wide and his mouth stretched into a devilish grin. The smile bothered Randall, but that wasn’t nearly as troubling as the man’s hands. Long black talons stretched from each finger.

    The crowd in the picture gathered around the table and was fixated on an object. Randall peered closer
and tried to see what the object was. Vlad spoke up again, jolting Randall from his concentration.

    “In fact, I’ve heard that most of the authors that contributed are willing to sign it if you can find
them.”

    Randall closed the magazine and put it under his arm. It was warm and gave his body an electric tingle. He
instinctively guarded it and tightened his arm down on the publication when others walked by. Randall couldn’t explain the newfound possessiveness, but it was overbearing.

    “How much?” Randall asked, almost whispering. 

     “It’s a steal! Just 7.95, plus tax.”

    Randall grabbed a 20 from his wallet and shoved it toward Vlad. While he waited for change, Randall looked at the drawing again. Something had changed.

    The salesman in the picture had his arms crossed and appeared to be looking straight at him, the grin on his
face stretching beyond human proportions.

    Randall’s heart skipped a beat, and he looked away from the magazine. Vlad was gone. His change was on the table next to a handwritten receipt.

    He scanned the table of magazines looking for another copy of the special edition he had in his hands.
Randall wanted to compare drawings. But as he searched the rows and rows of publications, he couldn’t find another one. 

     Randall grabbed his money and the receipt. Before he put it away in his wallet, he read what Vlad wrote.

    You’re going to die – $7.95. 
***
    Randall didn’t stick around the convention too long. His thoughts continued to drift to the drawing and he
checked it several times, searching for more changed details. The convention’s crowd generated too much noise and became a distraction, so he left and drove home.

    As soon as he plowed through the door he bolted the lock and retreated to the bedroom. Randall barreled onto the bed like a beached whale and opened the magazine.

    He flipped the book open right to the drawing. His hands shook and breath came in short gasps.

    The picture was now devoid of all people, with the exception of the person behind the table. With the people
gone, the object on the table was clearly visible—a publication of some sorts. The man’s grin sent a shiver down Randall’s spine.

    He turned the page, anything to  get the image from his brain. Without thinking he read the story associated with the art. It was supposed to be a magazine full of flash fiction, but Randall continued reading the story, page after page. After a couple of hours, the words blurred and melded together. He tried to regain focus on them but they would shake and disappear from view.

    After an eternity, some of the words started regain familiar shapes. Randall tried to discern a pattern to the
refocused words and letters, but as he strained, his head ached. It started small, a dull buzz behind his ears, but it didn’t take long before the buzz turned violent and the pain stabbed at his brain. Then it turned from a precise to stab to an angry beating.

     He tried to stop reading the gibberish before him, but he couldn’t keep his hands from turning the pages
which never seemed to end. Faster and faster the pages blurred in front him, yet somehow his eyes still picked up random words. Some small voice in the back of his head screamed at him to stop, to look away or else, but he couldn’t.

    Finally, just when he thought he might have a grasp at what the words were saying, his hands stopped and the picture was once again in view. It had changed again and this time showed his bedroom, with him lying on the bed reading the magazine. Everything in the picture was the same in the room, down to the last detail, except one thing. In the drawing, his closet was slightly ajar and a clawed hand grasped the cheap wooden door.

Hunting Adventures: Scouting!

I did a little pre-season scouting the other day. I know, it's still early, but I had some free time and I wanted to take advantage of it. My dad and I met up around eleven and headed out. I decided to take my dogs so they could get some outdoor time and a exercise. I took a day pack with me, which consisted of a Camelback, two bottles of water for the dogs, a granola bar, some fruit, a first aid kit, matches, lighter, TP, hand sanitizer, water purification tablets, trail camera, and a salt lick.

I'd gotten directions and descriptions from a friend at work who had haunted the area,and after double checking the map, we were off. I knew we were in for some hiking, and it turned out to be more than I expected, but it was beautiful country. It ended up being about two, maybe two and half miles up to the top. About a mile up I got confirmation of deer when a buck stood up twenty yards away and we locked eyes. The moment I moved for my camera, it bolted. I was still growing in its antlers, so hard to tell how big it was, but it was a good size buck. I spooked another one close to the same size near the top. Oni, my Doberman, flushed a pine hen which I was able to get a picture of.
Once we it the top, I found a spot to drop my trail cam. It was off the beaten path and in a good spot, at least I hope it was. I'll trek back up there in a week or two and retrieve it, so look forward to some pics of what it captured.

Things I learned: I need to get my ATV out for the next trek, it would have shaved a lot of time and sweat off the venture. Also, in order to effectively hunt the area, I'll need to drive the ATV up to the trailhead and camp. Thant way I will have enough time to get no and get into place before the sun comes up.

The next step after getting my trail camera back, will be camping up there. That way I can observe the deer movement in the morning and evening and get a good feel for what they are doing. I'll probably wait until later in the season for that though.

Writing and Education

I'm sure you've all heard the argument that you can't teach someone to be a writer. That the creative spark is either there or not, and that no matter how much you go to school, if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be. In part, that's true. I don't think true creativity can be taught in a module, or a classroom; however, I think education and being around like minds can help foster the internal creativity that you might have. Put yourself in the right conditions and see what happens. It might blow your mind.

I'm currently halfway through a specialized MFA program with a school called Seton Hill University. They have a program that is tailored to writing popular fiction. Before I joined, I thought I knew a lot about writing and that I was pretty good. I was right. I did know a lot about writing, and I was "pretty" good at it. However, after the first residency at school, I learned so much that I could go back and punch bus sized holes in my own work. After the first residency, I had so many new ideas that I got right to work the moment I had some free time. Best of all, I networked a group of friends and associates that were the next up-and-comers in the business of writing, editing, screenplay, and publishing. Every time I go to residency, it's like I'm going to a writing convention.
So what am I trying to say here? Is education necessary to be a writer? Heavens no! Will it help no matter what level you're at? Hell yeah it will! Even if it's just making friends in the business, it's worth it. As a writer, you can never stop learning, or writing for that matter. Now get

Hunting Adventures - Coming Soon

I drew out a buck deer tag this year for the Stansbury-Oquirrh range in Utah. I've decided I'll run a string of blog posts that show what I do to get ready, my scouting adventures, and of course, the hunt itself. I've applied for some antlerless elk tags as well, so that may make it into the mix. Stay tuned for the first post coming soon!

Guns Again: Military vs. Civilian

After my last post on guns, I was asked a series of questions. One of which was how military members/veterans acted around guns vs. civilians. I responded directly to that question, but I think it's a great question, so I wanted to share my opinion with everyone. Keep in mind, these are my opinions and thoughts and aren't meant to be the end-all, be-all.


How do military members act differently around firearms? The major difference you will find, is that all military members have handled a firearm at some point. During basic training, regardless of service, there is a portion where they have qualify with the M-16 rifle. Then, after basic training, the service member is required to maintain proficiency and re-qualify throughout their career. The amount of time between each qualifying period, as well as which weapon(s) depends on a number of factors and could be anywhere from 90 days to three years. Which service the person is in, what job they hold, and how soon they are slated to deploy all play into these factors.


Depending on what your their job in the military is, they might qualify in more than the M-16; i.e. Security Forces, Special Forces, etc...will have a whole myriad of weapons that they train on. The training with these groups will be more in-depth than your regular service member. But, remember, every military person will at least have handled a gun in their career.


Don't let this fool you though, just because they qualified on the weapon doesn't make them a deadly sniper ready to take on the enemy single-handed. Personality and skill play a factor. Shooting skills still make a difference. Some people are great shots when there isn't a time factor, but will get sloppy if they need to shoot fast, as well as the other way around. Some may qualify, but are still nervous around guns and it shows when they are required to carry one.  


The bottom line: the differences are the fact they've been exposed to guns and have to shoot them on a scheduled timeline whereas civilians are not subject to the same exposure.

Guns: Self-Defense

My newest conceal carry gun. Springfield XDS .45. Guns are getting a lot of attention from the media these days. Not just attention, but negative attention. This post isn't designed to be a political stance. Those of you who know me, probably know my views on firearms, those of you who don't, will probably be able to guess by the end of this post. What I want to talk about, is guns, their uses in real life, as well as some tips on how to write about characters using or packing guns in your stories. Before we get started, please keep in mind, these are my own opinions and experiences, I am by no means an expert or the final say on any of this. This is going to be a long journey, so strap in. 

Guns for self-defense. This is one of the major reasons why some people own and carry guns. I've heard the saying, "I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it." When you're picking a gun for self-defense, you have to ask yourself a couple of questions. Where am I going to keep the gun? Is it something I'm going to pack with me on a daily basis? If so, do I want a semi-auto or a revolver? What caliber do I want? Or is it something that's just going to stay in the house? If you are going to keep it in the house, how are you going to store it? Locked up, by the bed, in a safe? Loaded or unloaded? Shotgun, pistol or rifle? As you can see, it's not as simple as saying, "I want a gun for self-defense." So let's delve into this a little.

First, we'll start with a self-defense weapon for carrying. Before you start packing a weapon, know the laws of your state. Some states are very restrictive with the owning of firearms, while others basically want you to have a fully stocked arsenal at your fingertips. There are plenty of resources out there online, just look up the law and know before you tote. When you decide you want to pack a weapon on your person for self-defense, you will more than likely need to obtain a conceal carry permit. Not all states allow it, and as mentioned before, some states will make it such a pain in the ass that most people will just forego the trouble. Certain states allow what's called an open carry, which means the weapon must be exposed. This presents its own freedoms and troubles. While open carry is legal in some places, it can cause a disturbance. Remember, if you are in a place of business and they ask you to leave because you are carrying a weapon, you have to leave. It's the law.

After you decide how you want to carry, it's time to decide what you want to carry. Revolver, or semi-auto. Revolvers are great because they are uber-reliable. They have less moving parts than a semi-auto, so there is less of a chance that they will jam.  The drawback of this choice, is that they generally only hold five or six rounds where a semi-auto, depending on the caliber, may hold as many as 19. Speaking of caliber, I would suggest if you want to carry a weapon, you go to a gun range and test out different types to see what works best for you. You might want to carry a hand-sized cannon that shoots a .50 caliber bullet, only to find that it's too unwieldy to shoot, or even too heavy to comfortably carry for extended periods of time.

Once you decide on your weapon and caliber of choice, practice with it. Practice, practice, practice. If you can't shoot the weapon accurately, and operate all of its parts with confidence, then you have no business taking that gun into public. This practice doesn't just mean shooting practice, you need to train at drawing the weapon from its carry position. All the shooting in the world won't mean diddly if you can't draw it and use it. For this type of training, I suggest you purchase what's called a snap cap dummy round in the same caliber as the weapon. The dummy is generally made of plastic, and has a soft section where the primer would be. That way you can train with trigger pull and not wear out the internal parts of the gun. Put the snap cap in the gun, holster it, and practice drawing and firing in this manner. Get to where the action is smooth and natural.

Second, let's talk about guns for the home. Your choice of weapons just expanded. Now we can put rifles and shotguns into the mix if we want. Shotguns are great, they are the point-and-click weapon. With the right shell and load set-up, in the tighter confines of a house, it's hard to miss what you're shooting at. Plus, if you have a pump-action shotgun, the sound alone can be a deterrent to any would-be attacker. Rifles are neat because they can pack a lot of punch. However, that same punch can put a whole through your house and into your neighbor's house if you aren't careful. Keep these things in mind when choosing what kind of bullets to shoot for a home defense weapon. Drywall isn't good at stopping bullets. It would be a sad day if you shot at an attacker, missed, and ended up killing or wounding a loved one in the next room (always know what's behind your target before pulling the trigger). 

The next thing you want to consider, is how you are going to store that weapon in the house. If you have children, it's a no-brainer. Lock it up. There are so many options these days to store your weapons securely that there is no excuse for this. Even if you don't have children, it's a good idea to lock a weapon up. I read an article that stated keeping a loaded weapon within easy reach of the bed was a bad idea. If you get woken up and are still sleepy or groggy, perhaps it isn't the best thing to go grabbing for a gun. If it's locked up or away from the bed, that gives your body the chance to wake up a little, giving you better judgment before using the weapon. If you do leave it out, unsecured, remember to put it away if you have a party, or people over. And please, for the love of all that's grand, teach your children about gun safety. 

Now, how does all this translate into writing? All the questions and scenarios above, are something your character is going to have to decide. Also, when I'm carrying a gun, it's always on my mind. I'm self-conscious as to whether or not the gun is showing, or printing (able to see the shape through clothing). I can feel the weight at all times. My situational awareness increases. When I carry, I know that I am mentally prepared to use the weapon if need be. That's another aspect your character is going to have to deal with. I was taught that I never pull that weapon out unless it's time to use it. It's not meant to threaten or bully, but it's meant to protect my loved ones and me from someone who's intent on hurting or killing us (which means you're probably hurting or killing them, are you prepared?). Is your character ready for that? Are they comfortable around guns? Have they ever shot the gun? All these things will weigh down on your character's thoughts.

The Will to Survive

I’ve been trained by the military to survive in the wilderness. I’ve also read many articles and books on the subject of survival. Plus, I’ve seen a great deal of documentaries and television programs on the subject. There’s one aspect that I found in common between all of these courses, articles, books, and programs – the will to live. Without the will to live, you’ve already defeated yourself. With a strong will, you’re more likely to find a way to survive and make it back home.
 
What is the will to live? Basically it’s you telling Death, your body, the world, or whatever adversary is coming after you, natural or otherwise, that you aren’t going to die. You will live no matter what. Studies have taken place to show that people can extend their lives by a few days to a few weeks if they have an important event or milestone to reach (see Shimizu & Pelham’s “Postponing a Date With the Grim Reaper: Ceremonial Events and Mortality”). Also, look to stories where children or severely handicapped people have survived days in the woods without help. What drove them on to keep alive? The will to live.
 
The power of the mind is a mysterious thing. The mind can heal (placebo effect), and it can keep us going for that one extra step. The question is, what motivates a person to keep on living? For some people, it could be spiritual. For others, maybe it’s family. For some, maybe they just want to have that last Guinness they had in the fridge. The study referenced people surviving until they hit a birthday or other milestone. In an austere condition, such as a wilderness survival or similar situation, the milestone could be getting back to loved ones.
 
Now ask yourself, how can you, as the potential survivor, help keep your will to survive strong? It starts at home before you ever find yourself in a bad situation. The key to success is ensuring you do everything possible to decrease stress and anxiety. Little things, such as making sure your finances are taken care of, there's a plan in place for children or pets in your absence, or your family business (if applicable) is in order before leaving. I say leaving, because most survival situations take place outside of the home – camping, hunting, deployments, etc. If you know that all the little things are good to go, that will be one less stress factor that will eat away at your will when you’re stuck out in the woods with a broken leg, evading a pack of killer wolves, while at the same time hiding from a serial killer.
 
If you’re constantly thinking about problems with your life, or being depressed, it will start to dissolve your will. Focus on the good things. Keep telling yourself that you’re going to make. You can make it one more minute. You can take one more step. Think positive.

Now, you might ask yourself, how do I apply this theory in my writing? Easy enough. If you have a character in a horrible situation, first decide if this character is going to have the will to survive, or is going to get a bad case of "give-up-itis." Maybe you want to show the reader the slow decay from a strong will into the realm of giving up on life. You want to show the external factors that are going to motivate or demotivate your character. If they left things unsettled with friends or family, have it scratch at the back of their mind constantly. On the flip-side  maybe the thought of getting back home to their loved ones is that little extra juice they needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other. If they're strong willed, keep their mind focused on the good things. If their wolf-bait...have fun breaking them down piece by piece until they just want to lay down and let the darkness take them.