End of NaNoWriMo

Okay, it's over! Well, the story isn't, but the month is!
I definitely missed the mark, but that's okay! I'm intensely happy with how much I wrote.
I wrote 23,240 words out of the planned 50,000.
It's only half, but still, 23 thousand words! The story isn't done yet, so in the next little while I'm going to finish it, edit it, and hopefully post it here. I really like the story and I'm so glad that I did this.

NaNoWriMo Progress

This Month I haven't been posting anything since I've been attempting to do NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. It's been going surprisingly well, and I have about 15,000 words so far of a story that I'm actually really enjoying. I'm not sure if I want to post that much here, but maybe I will. Or, I might just link to a google doc of it, not sure yet. Either way, look out for it in the future!
Here's a little summary:

On a planet that doesn't spin, human life is forced to live at the mild equator, stuck between the harsh deserts and freezing glaciers in a permanent twilight. To expand their population, huge pipe systems are built to pump the extreme air across to the other side, creating small pockets of livable climate. But, when one of these pipes becomes blocked, the entire town begins to slowly freeze to death, trapped in a shrinking pocket of winter. They must seek out what's causing the block and destroy it before time runs out.

Love Short Story Entry: Love Bites.

Here is a strange story for valentines day. Yes, it is late, but it is better than nothing. Also, never ask me for love advice, or you will get something like this.

Love Bites

By Jake Swartwout

The small back door squeaked open, revealing the interior of the bakery. A short girl struggled with the door and stepped outside, her pale skin seeming to glow in the darkness of the alley. She lifted the lid to a lone metal trashcan and stared into its emptiness, thinking.

Her bag enticed her to save it, smelling of sweet vanilla and sugar. She struggled with the decision, almost opening it up and eating the food inside. Her mind went back and forth, over and over, before finally she threw it in and slammed the lid.

She went back into her shop, the door swooshing shut behind her. Her soft cries could be heard from the alley.

The trashcan she used began to shake back and forth, then started violently rattling. It shook violently and the lid fell off onto the ground. A thing slowly unraveled itself from the interior and flopped onto the ground. Gradually, it took the shape of a man, snapping its limbs into place with fierce motions.

‘He’ picked up the bag and sniffed it. After a little thought, it tore the bag open with incredible strength, spraying the small cakes everywhere. He picked one up and slowly took a bite, its eyes widening.

“This is it. She’s using it.” It growled

A figure in the shadows shuffled, then responded

“I see. We shall have to execute her. Stay here and wait.”

“Yes, sir.”

And it coiled down back into the trashcan.

…

Jeff walked away from the shop and got in his car. He flipped through his key ring trying to find the right one. He shivered with the cold wind and looked around the car for the right key.

He was about to try one when he heard a scream.

He jumped, banging his head on the ceiling. He fiddled with the door and managed to get it open. The scream came again, this time from the alley. He recognized the voice! It was Taylor!

He sprinted harder and skidded around the corner.

Taylor was cornered, surrounded by 2 grotesque beings. She was trying to shrink away into the corner, clutching her bag of trash tighter.

He yelled.

They were on him.

He punched and kicked, trying to get their claws away from him. Their teeth were like saws, gouging out chunks of skin. He grabbed a pole and smashed it into the smaller one’s head.

It dissolved into smoke that got into his lungs and made him cough. The darker, larger one materialized out of the smoke and viciously slashed his face, tearing skin and knocking out teeth.

He collapsed and battled to stay awake. He saw the beast jumping away, drops of blood falling and sizzling on the ground.

Taylor ran over and hugged him, trying to wake him up.

He lifted his head, groggily saying: “I did it”

She gasped and cried out with joy. She pressed her face against his and kissed him passionately.

Some blood dripped from his teeth.

She pulsed, shuddering and cringing. She fell against the ground screaming, her jaw clenching and shaking. Her teeth slid around as screams flew by.

She was on him, mouth at his neck, this time him screaming.

SSC 2014: Wasp Attack

Story 2

Wasp Attack

You close your eyes. But it does not stop them.

You plug your ears. They still flow at you.

You thrash your legs, but the weight just grows stronger.

The buzzing in you ears slows down, as ropes anchor your limp and boiled body down to the ground. Blood drips out of the sting marks, too numerous to count.

After hours of this, the red wasps slowly buzz away, their fat bottoms full of your blood.

Too weak to move, you feel your head being pulled somewhere. The body grudgingly comes along. You are too numb to feel pain. You can't feel the smooth stone your mauled body is slid along..

A hoop is attached to your head, or maybe nails were screwed into you. Your head burns like lava, like it was clamped into something. You feebly struggle, but the band doesn't loosen.

A blunt saw messily cuts into your exposed skull. Screams echo in your mind, but you don't release it. You see the hungry wasps, you try to keep the un-stung flesh healthy, but the pain overwhelms you. A scream echoes throughout the room, but only for a second before your lungs are filled with tickling and dancing little wasps.

The world goes dark and your body uncontrollably spasms, as the party above stabs your already throbbing brain with spoons.

SSC 2014: Mud

This Halloween, I have participated in a Scary Story Contest. Here is my first okay scary story:

Story 1

Mud

The Hanes' porch light flickered on and off, illuminating the flies and rain droplets around it for brief moments. It let go one last zap of life and turned completely off. The rain cascaded down in waves. Inside the house, a small puppy barked it's owner to life. A mumble. The door creeks open and the puppy rushes outside. Slowly, the door creaks towards the frame. Something stops it. When the dog is done, he trots inside and begins to sniff the curious shape on the rug. It was a footprint, larger than a human could have made, brown and curvy around the edges. The dog ran upstairs, following the scent it smelled. The door burst open to reveal an ordinary room. They walked into the room together, cautiously stepping once soft brown carpet that crunched. A mass of muddy and brown people surged out, splashing down upon the terrified pair.