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Caring for natural (curly) hair in a setting with no access to modern hair products

So it’s the apocalypse. Your curly-haired character is on the run.They find themselves on a sudden adventure in a strange world.  It’s the whatever-eth century and they’re in an environment that doesn’t exactly accommodate curly, coily haired types. 

Either way, manufactured hair products are far and few between, or they’re simply not made for afro hair. Considering how your Black character handles their hair in this environment makes their circumstances more realistic and relatable.

Topics Featured in this Guide:

Hair Products found in Natural Environment

Hair Oils - Benefits and How To Extract

Protective Hair Techniques & Styles

Curly Hair Types & Hair Needs

Hair Routine Samples

Hair Straightening 

FAQ

There is a writing takeaway at the end of each topic. 

Brief descriptions provided after images. Contact me for fully accessible version.

Hair Products found in Natural Environment 

Consider the essential needs of afro hair: water and fat.

Water (or liquid) is essential for nourishing the hair. 

Fat (hair oils, creams, butters) is essential for both growth and protection.

Many curly-haired folks already use natural resources and plants to care for their hair - aka DIY hair-care. So characters concocting their own products should not be a strange concept. (I personally buy most of my natural hair products, and create my own hair masks, protein treatments, and oil blends.)

What they could use would depend on environment, time, and availability. 

Hair Healthy Produce 

Coconut - The all-purpose hair aid with multi forms, from oil to solid cream. Hardens in cold weather; best not to use when environment has freezing temps. Banana - Typically removed after use (hair masks, conditioners) Avocado -  Applied as hair products, masks, and oils. Strawberry - Mashed and applied directly to hair or mixed with oils.

Hair Healthy Proteins, Plants, Fats

Eggs - Hardens when dry. Strong odor. Removed after use. (protein masks) Honey - Pulls moisture from air into hair - avoid during the dry winter! Shea Nuts -  Made into shea butter. All-purpose hair and body care. Flaxseed - Gel made by boiling & straining flax seeds. Many DIY videos online.

Hair Healthy Herbs and Flora

Hibiscus - Sebaceous = oil-producing gland. Flowers crushed into paste or oil. Peppermint - Can rub out oil from leaves. Often used in oil form on scalp. Lavender - Often used as an oil directly applied to the scalp, or brewed as tea. Rosemary - Often combined with olive oil in use with hair; can be used alone. 

More Hair Healthy Herbs and Flora

Aloe Vera - Succulent. Can extract sap directly from leaf and apply like gel.  Burdock - Contains essential fatty acids and phytosterol compounds. Dandelion - Can use the roots, stems, leaves and sap for hair and skin. Rose - Common use is rose water: steep roses in boiling water to create.

Hair Healthy Products (rare or require effort to make/find)

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) - Diluted before use and often washed out after. Bentonite Clay - Aged volcanic ash. Combined with ACV for best activation. Oils - Key component for sealing moisture. See the next discussion. Yogurt - Base of many DIY hair products like masks and deep conditioners.

Oils for Hair 

Oil is a key component to afro hair care. It nourishes and seals in moisture. Let’s discuss common hair oils and extraction methods that could, more likely, be done using homemade or historical equipment. 

Oil Extraction

If oils aren’t readily available to purchase, the person would need to find or create tools to either extract the oil via pressing or heat the nuts or seeds. Consider the basic tools that have been around since ancient times. For example, the mortar and pestle. What creative use can be made out of existing tools in the person’s environment? 

Hair Oils and Benefits  (by potential ease to extract.)

Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Almond Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado and Grapeseed Oil. 

FYI: These aren’t the only methods or necessarily professional means of extraction. I also left off hair-healthy oils that seemed complicated to extract without high-grade equipment. So, this isn’t an all-inclusive list of oil or methods. 

Natural Hair Product Creation

So what exactly would your character create? Here’s some natural hair products and potential main ingredients. May be used alone or combined. 

Leave-in moisturizers: Plain water, coconut water, rose water

Leave-in creams: (protect/style) honey, shea, aloe vera, flaxseed, flora

Hair Cleansing Conditioner: plant water, coconut, honey, light oils

Hair Rinse/Co-wash: Apple cider vinegar, coconut, brewed tea water

Hair Masks: Mashed fruits, yogurt, proteins (eggs), clay, honey

DIY Recipe Search: Try keywords like “DIY natural hair” + “curly hair” “Afro hair” or search all natural hair products and read over the ingredient list. Try small home business and independent sellers (Like etsy)

More Sources:

15 DIY Hair Recipes for Almost Every Step in Your Regimen

14 Homemade Leave-in Conditioner Recipes

Best DIY Recipes for Naturally Curly Hair

Product Storage:

Most homemade products last everywhere from a few days - weeks

Extend the life of spoil-prone products via the cooling system in the work.

Honey does not spoil. Be mindful if it’s mixed with spoil-prone ingredients.

Oils can usually be kept at room temperature and last a long time.

Keeping a small bit of ready made supply may prove time-efficient. If impossible, they may opt to use products that don’t require much time and effort, and are worth their time to make in small batches or to potentially dispose of after.

Writing Takeaway - Natural Product/Oils Creation  

With just the above compounds, I can see creative naturals being able to create styling products and moisturizing leave-ins, shampoos, conditioners and hair masks.

Do consider the following:

How simple or complex can their regimen be?

Would they rely more on protective hair styles in their situation?

What is the natural environment: what products are accessible?

How will they store products or must they make a new batch each use?

Can items be purchased by craftsmen or found in abandoned locations?

Can they afford to use edible plants if food is scarce? Food scraps and non-edible plants (like the flora) might be what they rely on.

What are their specific hair care needs? -Discussion on this later-

Natural Hair and Styling 

LOC Method as base style

Moisture, sealing in the moisture, and protection are the basic needs for natural hair. The Liquid, Oil, and Cream (LOC) Method, or a variation of the steps, fulfills those basic needs. It can be treated as both a care routine and a style in itself. Personally, if my hair is not in a protective style, I use it every week.

Liquid - Liquid opens hair cuticles to allow moisture to enter hair strands.

Oil - Once cuticles are opened, the oil penetrates hair & seals in moisture.

Cream - Cream further locks in the moisture, and can be used as a styling agent as well to shape and define curls.

Should you use the “LOC method” by name in your work?  

A modern setting? Sure. But don’t assume readers know what it means.

A fantasy setting? Probably not, unless earth and its terms carry over. 

A historical setting? No. It is a newly coined term. 

Protective Hair Styles

Protective hairstyles protect the hair by tucking ends away from the elements. For example, heat, air, hand and fabric manipulation. While not forever solutions (except maybe locs which are a permanent style) there’s many benefits to your character’s wearing them.

Benefits:

Hair growth retention

Saves time styling hair

Helps prevent damage and keep hair healthy

Ideal for any natural (the best style itself may depend on hair type)

Lessens hair’s need and dependence on moisture and hair products

Eliminates some hair maintenance activities (such as detangling)

Considerations:

Hair more difficult to wash and dry thoroughly. 

Dryness (unable to access all tucked away hair to moisturize)

Styles kept in too long accumulates dead skin and product build up.

Uninstalling styles can be time consuming, and should be done gently.

Style gets frizzy from growth overtime and/or getting soaked in water.

Protective Styles Short-term (lasting days to weeks)

Afro puff(s) or bun(s)

Back Tuck or Roll and Tuck

Bantu knots

French roll  

Pompadour

Roller set

Two-strand twists

Wash and go (low manipulation style)

Protective Styles Long-term (lasting weeks to months+)

Braids (endless styles and patterns. Typically smaller braids last longer)

Cornrows

Dreadlocks/locs (permanent style, research the hair care)

Extensions

Flat Twists /Twists

Head wraps and hats (endless wrapping styles, colors and patterns!)

Wigs (unless glued, hair maintained underneath or often put in braids)

Writing Takeaway - Protective Hairstyles

Protective styles are an amazing way to protect the character’s hair and would very likely be the go-to for any natural in an uncertain or fast-paced environment. Just in everyday life they’re highly worn so it would especially be the case! Just remember the character needs to eventually undo whatever protective style they have installed to do some hair maintenance (washing, detangling, etc) and give their strands a rest. Also, even hair in protective styles need some attention.

Curly Hair Type and Associated Needs

Determining your hair type is important to knowing its needs. Certain ingredients work best for certain hair types. However everyone is unique and there are more factors to consider than just curl pattern (Also, most curly folks cross into a mix of hair types). There is hair thickness (width & density) and how much moisture and product your hair absorbs (porosity) to consider as well. 

I will only cover curl pattern and the commonly associated needs here. To learn more about porosity, width, and density check out the FAQ under the read more.

naturallycurly.com is a great resource and is the source for the images, terms, and information provided below. 

Curly Twirly (3A) 

Defined loopy “S” pattern. Curls well defined and springy. Big, loose and shiny. Size: Sidewalk chalk size. Best Products:  Gels and creams with light moisture and curl definition.

Curly Spirally (3B) 

Well-defined, springy copious curls that range from bouncy ringlets to tight corkscrews. Size: Sharpie size. Best Products:  Gels and styling creams with extra moisture and frizz control.

Curly Kinky (3C) 

Voluminous, tight corkscrew curls. Either kinky or very tightly curled, with lots of strands densely packed together. The very tight curls are usually fine in texture. Size: Pencil. Best Products:  Styling creams, butters, and oils. Needs gentle care.

Coily Springy (4A) 

Well-defined “S” Pattern. Tight, coily, and the most fragile curls. Size: Crochet Needle or smaller.

4A Best Products & Tips: Styling creams, butters, and oils. 

Clarify scalp with tea tree or jojoba oil during washes

This hair needs extra moisture and tender care

Be gentle when handling and detangling hair to avoid stress & breakage

Use thick moisturizers like mango and shea butters to maximize styles

Coily Crimpy (4B)  

Less-defined “Z” Pattern. Tight, coily fragile curls. Hair bends at sharp angles.

4B Best Products & Tips:  Styling creams, butters, and oils.

Add moisturizing oils before washing (pre-poo/pre-shampoo) with coconut or castor oil to help retain the natural oils in scalp

Do heat-free styles on stretched hair for maximum definition and less frizz

Air-dry hair whenever possible, or use soft cloth to gently dry.

Terry cloth will strip hair’s natural moisture and cause tension on strands 

Coily Ziggly (4C) 

Tight, coily, fragile curls. Curl pattern won’t clump without styling. Little to no visible definition.

4C Best Products and Tips:  Styling creams, butters, and oils.

Use a cleansing conditioner with slippery elm or marshmallow root

Use a creamy humectant [like honey] as a leave-in to maximize protection

A curl defining custard or gel can stretch the coils safely for styled looks

Read the full guide here: Curly Hair Guide: What’s YOUR Curl Pattern?

Writing Takeaway - Hair type and needs

While hair type is just the start of all the intricacies of natural hair needs, it’s definitely a good start. There are other important parts to consider for real life naturals, but going off from hair type and the commonly associated needs should be enough for a story. (But read the FAQ under the read more to keep learning)

Do not get lost in the details, especially for a story that won’t need to cover tons of it. Learn enough to know what you’re talking about and can describe hair care accurately for situations that would affect hair.

Writing Takeaway - Overall:

You don’t have to be lavish in detail, but acknowledging how hair is handled here and there or in a dedicated section is thoughtful and satisfying to see included. It’s also a neutral way to show race without the use of micro-aggressions or racism. Finding the time and means for proper hair care would be a part of their life and potentially a stumbling block on the adventure, so mentioning how hair is handled during these circumstances is a fine idea. 

It’s also a great means for representation.

–Mod Colette

Additional Info:

The following information will be nestled under the read more:

Hair Routine Samples - One super simple and one complex hair routine 

Hair Straightening - Not ideal to maintain in survival situations, but also was a means of survival and daily living during some historical contexts

FAQ - Would any of this matter during the apocalypse? And what about natural products that attract bugs? Plus more.

Keep reading

#useful

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A fragile sculpted mind.

Heya peeps! I forgot to ever post a link to Iris story on my blog so there you have it, chapter 1! Iris is my Oc, he’s Stefano’s doppelganger.

#currently writing chapter 2!

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Eyes, Skin, Face, Hair, Build: Character physical descriptions.

Eyes – General

large, small, narrow

sharp, squinty, round

wide-set, close-set, deep-set

sunken, bulging, protruding

wide, hooded, heavy-lidded

bright, sparkling, glittering

flecked, dull, bleary

rheumy, cloudy, red-rimmed

beady, birdlike cat-like

jewel-like, steely, hard

fringed with long lashes, with sweeping eyelashes, with thick eyelashes

Eyes – Color

chestnut, chocolate brown, cocoa brown

coffee brown, mocha, mahogany

sepia, sienna brown, mink brown

copper, amber, cognac

whiskey, brandy, honey

tawny, topaz, hazel, obsidian

onyx, coal, raven, midnight, sky blue, sunny blue

cornflower blue, steel blue, ice blue

Arctic blue, glacial blue, crystal blue

cerulean, electric blue, azure

lake blue, aquamarine, turquoise

denim blue, slate blue / slate gray, storm blue / storm gray

silver / silver gray, chrome, platinum, pewter

smoky gray, ash gray, concrete gray, dove gray

shark gray, fog gray, gunmetal gray, olive

emerald, leaf green, moss green

Eyebrows

arched, straight, plucked, sparse

trim, dark, faint, thin, thick, unruly

bushy, heavy

Skin – Color

amber, bronze, cinnamon

copper, dark brown, deep brown

ebony, honey, golden

pale, pallid, pasty

fair, light, cream / creamy

alabaster, ivory, bisque

milk, porcelain, chalky

sallow, olive, peach

rose / rosy, ruddy, florid

russet, tawny, fawn

Skin – General

lined, wrinkled, seamed

leathery, sagging, drooping

loose, clear, smooth

silken, satiny, dry

flaky, scaly, delicate

thin, translucent, luminescent

baby-soft, flawless, poreless

with large pores, glowing, dewy

dull, velvety, fuzzy

rough, uneven, mottled

dimpled, doughy, firm

freckled, pimply, pockmarked

blemished, pitted, scarred

bruised, veined, scratched

sunburned, weather-beaten, raw

tattooed

Face – Structure

square, round, oblong

oval, elongated, narrow

heart-shaped, catlike, wolfish

high forehead, broad forehea, prominent brow ridge

protruding brow bone, sharp cheekbones, high cheekbones

angular cheekbones, hollow cheeks, square jaw

chiseled, sculpted, craggy

soft, jowly, jutting chin

pointed chin, weak chin, receding chin

double chin, cleft chin, dimple in chin

visible Adam’s apple

Nose

snub, dainty, button

turned-up, long, broad

thin, straight, pointed

crooked, aquiline, Roman

bulbous, flared, hawk, strong

Mouth/Lips

thin, narrow, full

lush, Cupid’s bow, rosebud

dry, cracked, chapped

moist, glossy, straight teeth

gap between teeth, gleaming white teeth, overbite

underbite

Facial Hair 

clean-shaven

smooth-shaven

beard

neckbeard

goatee

moustache

sideburns

mutton-chop sideburns

stubble

a few days’ growth of beard

five o’ clock shadow

Hair – General

I threw a few hairstyles in here, though not many.

long, short, shoulder-length

loose, limp, dull

shiny, glossy, sleek

smooth, luminous, lustrous, spiky

stringy, shaggy, tangled

messy, tousled, windblown

unkempt, bedhead, straggly

neatly combed, parted, slicked down / slicked back

cropped, clipped, buzzed / buzz cut

crewcut, bob, mullet

curly, bushy, frizzy

wavy, straight, lanky

dry, oily, greasy

layers, corkscrews, spirals

ringlets, braids, widow’s peak

bald, shaved, comb-over, afro

thick, luxuriant, voluminous

full, wild, untamed

bouncy, wispy, fine, thinning

Hair – Color

black, blue-black, jet black

raven, ebony, inky black

midnight, sable, salt and pepper

silver / silver gray, charcoal gray, steel gray

white, snow-white, brown

brunette, chocolate brown, coffee brown

ash brown, brown sugar, nut brown

caramel, tawny brown, toffee brown

red, ginger, auburn, Titian-haired

copper, strawberry blonde, butterscotch

honey, wheat, blonde

golden, sandy blond, flaxen

fair-haired, bleached, platinum

Body Type – General

tall, average height, short

petite, tiny, compact

big, large, burly

beefy, bulky, brawny

barrel-chested, heavy / heavy-set, fat

overweight, obese, flabby

chunky, chubby, pudgy

pot-bellied, portly thick

stout, lush, plush

full-figured, ample, rounded

generous, voluptuous, curvy

hourglass, plump, leggy / long-legged

gangling, lanky, coltish

lissome, willowy, lithe

lean, slim, slender

trim, thin, skinny

emaciated, gaunt, bony

spare, solid, stocky

wiry, rangy, sinewy

stringy, ropy

#useful

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DYH’s Development Based Character Sheet!

This is a character sheet I use that is based on character development. When creating my main characters, I operate off the idea that story is a character arc and everything that happens in the story is simply a way to facilitate character change. 

Further reading:

The Lie Your Character Believes

The Thing Your Character Wants vs. The Thing Your Character Needs

Your Character’s Ghost

Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing: Revised Edition

DOWNLOAD HERE

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Through the lens of an artist.

Sebastian’s arms were badly aching, he was exhausted, exhausted  from carrying Iris’ weight, exhausted from running away carrying such weight. Iris wasn’t the lightest, he was heavier than what a person his size should normally weight but Sebastian carried on. Seeing the safehouse in the distance, Sebastian accelerated his pace, breathing heavily as his lungs were on fire, he just wanted to rest. After struggling to open the door to the safehouse, he quickly stepped inside, scanning the room for a place to set Iris down before putting Iris down on a nearby bench. Sebastian then painfully walked back at the door to lock it before collapsing onto a chair, he relaxed and took a moment to breathe, looking over at Iris who was still unconscious. He painfully stood up and went to the coffee maker, pouring himself a mug of hot coffee and then taking a well deserved long sip of his coffee. He let out a satisfied sigh, feeling his few injuries patching themselves up. He put the mug down before walking over to Iris. His eye, if you could call it that, wasn’t glowing like it usually did and Sebastian assumed that it only happened when he’d sleep, either that or it was broken but Iris hadn’t complained about his sight so he went with his first assumption.

He sat down on the bench,lifting Iris a bit and setting up the individual as if to pillow his head with his lap, he waited for him to wake up, keeping an eye out like he used to do with Lily when she had been sick. He lightly caressed Iris’ head and as he relaxed, he fell asleep for a moment. He was pulled out from his sleep as he heard Iris’ small complaints.

--------

Iris had barely woken up that his entire body was already flooding him with a dreadful sensation that he knew all too well. His skin felt like boiling wax had been poured over it and was now being peeled off, the remains of his muscles and tendons were twitching uncontrollably, feeding this fire that his clay like ooze was desperately struggling to keep under control while it painfully healed his wounds. It felt like he was being cremated alive, at least that’s how he imagined being cremated felt like. Somehow this excruciating pain reminded him of the day he became what he is now, a sculpture, a carefully crafted sculpture made by his maker. A living piece of art. It echoed throughout his mind,like a memory that he couldn’t suppress no matter how hard he tried. Those sweet words that were murmured to him in his ear as he was torn apart, as if to reassure him that this painful procedure was worth it. The noises… the noises… the noises his body produced as it was being cut down and then put back together was the only thing that resonated in his ears. He couldn’t see what was happening, what Stefano was doing exactly, and he never needed this information before in his entire life span, perhaps it was best being blind at this time but the fear of what his poor body had endured, what his body must look like to be in such excruciating pain made him wish he could see...

At this point, he wished he’d just died instead. Maybe he was already dead, who knows, perhaps this was purgatory. He felt light headed. The smell in the room made his stomach twist and his nostrils burned, it smelled like death, putrefaction and vomit. He could still hear his screams, his cries, piercing his eardrums, echoing, like he had screamed into a well for hours, days… But Iris wasn’t screaming, he was barely making any sounds as a matter of fact, his voice was broken, he was broken. All for a promise to be able to see art, hidden behind this sinister will to mold him into this cruel art piece. Iris was innocent, he never thought someone would go this far for a passion. He never thought he would go this far for sight either.

In the end, the artist held his promise, he could see, even though it was extremely finicky and required Stefano to explain him over and over again how to use it. Those painful memories reminded him of how much he wished to go back, back before he had met Stefano’s path, before he foolishly trusted this man. Even then, some part of him still wanted to trust him, still wanted his approval and to make him proud. He had given him sight, took him under his wings before showing the beauties of his art, letting him help with creating his art as well, he had been so gentle and caring with him in the beginning and now, now that he ruined so much of his work... He wanted those memories to be buried and never come back but he couldn’t stop them, he couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t do anything right, he couldn’t stop his clumsiness from damaging Stefano’s hard work on his sculpting.

------

A croaked cry came out from his throat, the sounds were so muted, barely hearable even to his own ears but the sniffling noises mixed with the short gasping sounds he did every few seconds sounded like he had the hiccups but gave the indication he was crying,or at least trying to cry. His cries were like someone who had cried so much that no sounds would come up, his lips moved as if he was saying something but the words kept breaking down.

“..H...hu.r..st…h-huu..” He felt a hand laying on his head, the hand was so warm and gentle and somewhat familiar.

“It’s alright, I’m here… Take it easy.” Sebastian’s voice was low and comforting.

“Seb-as-tng?...Seben...tan…” Iris hoarsely mumbled. His vision was unfocused, he could barely see anything other than blurred features of the man looking down at him. It was enough to make him slightly panic though. “...m...eye....Ffff-fu...Fucc...is..” His voice was brittle and kept skipping parts. He was trying to move his left arm to his face without much success. Iris paused, not sure why his body didn’t want to respond more than wild twitching spasms. That was enough to make every inch of his body winced as the pain refused to settle down, more vivid and intense now that Iris was fully awake, suppressing all the thoughts he had about his possibly damaged sight. He groaned as loudly as his voice allowed him to. He desperately begged for something.

Sebastian wasn’t sure what he was saying at first, it was so quiet , he had to lean in closer to hear him better

“...p...plea-se....plea-se...Sebstin....stop…” His voice broke down. “stop…..plea-se...hur...hurt...make...stop...Seb-as-tan…” his raspy cries were pleading Sebastian to do something about the pain. The ooze on his face had turned into a slight hue of purple and his body became more and more agitated, shaking ever so slightly.

Sebastian felt his heart tighten up at his cries, he couldn’t heal him and he knew that but he also knew he could do one thing to ease up his pain at least as he pulled his last syringe and without hesitation carefully sunk the needle into Iris’s shoulder which slightly twitched. He could craft more once Iris was back on his feet, besides, he was fine on his end oddly enough.

“Shhh, you can relax now. I’ve got you,” he whispered, lightly patting his head. Iris wiggled a bit and lifted himself up with his less injured arm not in a sitting position but enough to lay his head against Sebastian’s chest. Sebastian smiled and held him closer, rocking back and forth in a soothing motion as he went to place a subtle kiss on top of his head, he could smell something like embalming products, death and god knows what else, it wasn’t extreme but it did made him wonder what Stefano could possibly have done to Iris. Perhaps if he gave Iris enough time he would open up about it.

“You....wa-stng...sup...supplies for...me..not..wo-rth it..” he mumbled quietly, his voice was less raspy, he sounded almost sleepy.

Sebastian held him tighter, shaking his head softly, it was his fault if Iris was in such a bad shape to begin with, if he hadn’t shot that explosive bolt right into that lost that was charging him. Iris had pulled him backwards with incredible strength, putting himself in the way and taking the blow instead. He had tried for several minutes to pick Iris up, each attempt failing as he refused to let Sebastian pick him up, making small agonizing sounds and smacking him aggressively with his right arm with each attempt.

“..Leave...go...no no no...go..’’ with each sharp gasp he took he repeated those words over and over, trying to get Sebastian to leave him there. Sebastian, out of frustration and pure stubbornness had jabbed Iris with one of his two syringes he had, which may not have been his best idea but that’s all he had with him and since he still had a spare one he figured it was better than trying nothing. Iris hissed, nothing was happening or that’s what Sebastian thought at first glance but Iris had gone still and silent. He wasn’t complaining about the pain nor about Sebastian picking him up.

“I’m not leaving you here… not after almost killing yourself to save my ass, you hear me?” His voice was rougher than he wanted it to sound but Iris didn’t reply, he simply looked away, ashamed, tired. As soon as Sebastian had picked up Iris, he almost instantly fell asleep in his arms. Sebastian headed to the safehouse and he wondered if Iris ever slept until now, if he needed to or if it was only his body trying to concentrate on healing his injuries, Perhaps the syringe had some sort of anesthetic effect on Iris. The only thing holding Iris’s limbs from falling off completely was the tentacles tightly wrapped around the dangling limbs and the excessive amount of crimson ooze that coated almost the entirety of his body including Sebastian’s upper body.

-----

Sebastian held him tightly, he was irritated that he could think such things even after almost dying for him, he thought it perhaps had to do with something much more deeper, a wound that even comfort and time couldn’t possibly heal, he couldn’t blame Iris for that of course, he was only a victim of this twisted man’s ideology centered around his morbid art projects.

“You asked me to stop the pain and I did, so, it’s not wasting my supplies…” He tried to suppress this urge to lecture him about this before adding,’’That’s the least I can do to thank you for saving my ass back there, no?”

There was a silence, Iris looked down, hiding his face from Sebastian. Iris was drifting off from consciousness again but as he slowly fell asleep he mumbled something, it was quiet and a bit sloppy but sebastian heard all of it and he froze.

“..You sh-ould...hhhave...jist..…sh-oot...me…”

His hands started to shake as his grip on Iris tightened, he took a deep breath before putting his lips against Iris head and without realising it started rocking back and forth ever so gently. Those words stabbed him so deeply, they sliced right through him as they were so familiar and he cursed under his breath.

#Through the lens of an artist #Iristew2 #writing #the evil within 2 #fanfic #stefano's doppelganger

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Building a Creative Handbook.

What is a Creative Handbook? A creative handbook is basically your own personal encyclopedia of writing stuff. You fill it with anything and everything that helps you in your writing: names, tips, writing prompts, world building and character development, story titles, research questions, and anything else you want to remember. It’s your go-to for when you need to name a character or are building a wonderful new world for those characters or need to think of a better way of phrasing something. Anything that you know will help you right now or something you think might help you in the future, add it.

Here is a handy list of things to include in your Creative Handbook:

Names – characters, towns, cities, bodies of water, businesses, planets, countries, story titles, chapter titles. As you can see, I have my character names organized into different categories and lists that I’ve found online. 

Writing and dialogue prompts – add any prompt that tickles your plot bunnies. I have my favorite writing and dialogue prompts lumped together in the same section and I keep them straight by writing the dialogue prompts in red and the writing prompts in black. I also have a weakness for regional gothics, so I hand copy the ones that I like and put them in this section. I even found that post about places where reality is a bit altered and put it in there, too.

Fantasy and medieval (if you write that type of stuff) – occupations for fantasy characters, questions to ask yourself about your magic system if your story has one, types of potions and ingredients, list of royal ranks and forms of address, info on dragons and their powers, ect.

Things related to the human body – symptoms of various conditions and illnesses you might be likely to use, PTSD symptoms, the physical limitations of the human body, human decomposition, types of kinesis and super powers. I even have a page on the value of human organs on the black market.

World building – this is one of my favorite parts of writing. You can build worlds and planets and cultures from the ground up and the only limitation is your own imagination. Include info on creating religions, food, class systems, marriage traditions, family and societal structures, occupations, geography, transportation, social taboos, government, magic, flora and fauna, ect. I could go on and on about world building, but I’ll leave it at this. 

Character development – villain motives, signs of an abused character, fun ways for your character to be wrong, ect.

Synonyms – better ways of saying and describing things. The first thing I have in this section is an extensive British-to-American dictionary for when I write British characters.

Tips and helpers – different ways of beginning a story, how to translate emotions into written body language, show-not-tell tips, punctuation helpers, and literally anything else that helps you!

Terms and definitions you want to remember:

Research questions

Recipes and menu ideas – if you like to go into detail about the food in your stories, browse the web or look through cookbooks and magazines (preferably ones with pictures of the food) and save, print, clip, or copy them for future reference. I have my recipes in a separate folder because I’ve accumulated so many.

You also need a miscellaneous section for things that don’t fit anywhere else. To give you an idea, here are a few things that I have in my Misc. section: Dualities that replace good an evil, murder terminology in layman’s terms, non-romantic story plot ideas, a list of future election years going up to 2464, city and town suffixes, skills a character should know to survive an apocalypse, the tornado rating scale, info on hurricane rating and how they form, meteor terminology, obscure color words, and vocabulary words and their definitions that I like.

I also have this page protector in the very back of my Handbook that’s full of little useful things that I’ve clipped from magazines and a (really) old encyclopedia.

I find most of the stuff that I add to my Creative Handbook from Tumblr, Pinterest, and Wikipedia, but there are worlds of other great resources out there. You can make your Handbook out of a notebook if you want, but I’ve found that the best way to do it is with loose-leaf paper and a binder. This way, you can add, remove, and organize stuff much easier. I highly recommend starting with one that’s bigger than you think you’ll need because I started out with a small handful of pages in a pronged folder and now I’ve filled up a 1 ½” binder and I’ve started on another one! Keep things neat and organized with tabbed dividers.

This is my Creative Handbook:

I’ve been building up this Creative Handbook since I was 15…I am now 23 and it’s still growing! You can decorate yours however you want. You can add stickers, punch it up with washi tape, use different colors of paper. The sky’s the limit! I hand write most of the stuff in mine, but when I come across something that’s really long, I’ll either print it directly from the website, or if it’s a Tumblr post, I’ll open my word processor and type it out, then print it.

If you decide to make one or if you already have one, please share your pics! I would love to see them! 

Happy writing!

#useful #writing help #might come in handy later

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Within a dream: Static

Sorry for the wait! I got caught up in something else, enjoy!

It was mostly morbid curiosity in a way, it intrigued me and yet terrified me by how real and accurate these dreams were.These dreams, that I had, all of which driven by the same cursed individual. Stefano Valentini, a mere creation my mind had done but horrifyingly identical in character only meant one thing. He’d be there for awhile, haunting me, like the psycho he was.

The environment was completely destroyed, what had once been a town back in the days was now in shambles, buildings were barely holding together, cars were scattered around the empty streets and most importantly it was dead silent. There was not a soul in sight in this town.

We were about four individuals in the group, including myself. We were looking around trying to gather up supplies to what seemed to be an unknown apocalypse. We had to get inside a building as night was slowly creeping in. The building in question was inaccessible as a van had destroyed the main entrance but the rubbles did have a crawl space that we could go through.

Once we were all inside,we started searching the building for supplies and unwanted threats that could have been crawling inside. All my friends went into another area but I wanted to stay and search more this place so I told them I’d join them once I was done.

I entered this pitch black room, I couldn’t see much but I did noticed an old TV on the ground. It was turned on somehow and the sounds of the static echoed throughout the entire room,that was odd since it didn’t lit up anything inside the room. I stepped closer to it, staring at it as I felt like something was about to attack in or worse. Nothing happened, its static louder now that I was right in front of it.

I was still staring at it but somehow something had changed. It still somewhat had static but the screen was now showing image, it wasn’t the greatest quality, it was mostly like an old VHS or a really bad surveillance camera footage. The images showed what seemed to be the inside of a moving train, there were tools laying all around the place and what appeared to be a small table in the lower corner of the screen.

It abruptly stopped and something came into frame, as if it had been thrown by the force of the train when it suddenly braked. It was a  little girl, she had something wrapped all around her, it looked like rope and before I could even realise what was happening her leg hit the table and she suddenly split open, her decapitated body hitting the ground. I looked away, this looked like those awful tragic accidents videos that I couldn’t bear to watch.

Somehow I had changed location, it was dimly lit, the floor had red carpet on it and it was awfully quiet. I was in a movie theater, completely empty except for two individuals, watching a black and white movie. I didn’t pay attention to the the movie, the two individuals didn’t seem to notice me even when I stood in front of them in the alley. There was a boy and a girl, probably teenagers from how young they looked like. They seemed more busy kissing than watching the movie, then I saw her, standing next to them suddenly disturbing the couple. The teen boy seemed furious as he stood up and angrily walked towards the small child who seemed scared as she backed away. That’s when I realised, this little girl was the same from that awful surveillance footage earlier. I felt my heart shatter, I wanted to help this kid but I couldn’t, I was only watching a flashback of what happened to her, helpless and afraid.

I was back at the train, but I wasn’t watching from a screen. I was where it happened. I couldn’t see her body where it should have been, she wasn’t there. I was about to move when I felt the train suddenly braking and to my right  someone being thrown forward. My body froze, everything was happening in slow motion, that’s when I saw what was wrapped around her small frame. They were film reels, my heart skipped a beat, she was staring at me directly in the eyes. The terror she had, it’s like she knew what was about to happen to her, like she wanted me to save her. I couldn’t, I couldn’t even move as she was being sliced open and pulled apart by the gravity and all so slowly spread before hitting the ground.

I turned my head, I didn’t want to watch this again, I didn’t want to understand what happened to this unfortunate child. Both of my hands were covering my mouth as I tried to calm down. The train had begun to move again and I just wanted to wake up but something caught my attention. As I stared away, I could see at the corner of my left eye something moving, it was slightly blue and as I concentrated on the movement I noticed it was repeating. Going back and then restarting, over and over again. That kid’s death was in a never ending loop and that fear that I hadn’t felt in weeks came back full force. He wasn’t there though or at least he wasn’t showing himself.

``You’re learning…`` I woke up, thinking about these words, about the looping death which was too detailed to my tasted. This wasn’t some silly dreams which had no sense to it. No, the more I dreamed about him, the more they were dark and twisted...

#Within a dream series #within a dream is based on actual dreams I had #dream log #Stefano Valentini

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Within a dream: Behind the scenes.

ok first of all sorry it took longer to write that one I kept getting distracted.

It had been a little while since my last encounter with Stefano.Though,I still felt uneasy and disturbed about his last visit but it wasn’t anything that made me utterly worried or anything.I mean, the chances of dreaming about him were extremely slim.I was right,other than these two dreams,he hadn’t showed up since but something else did caught my attention...I hadn’t made the connection at first since it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary but as their appearances multiplied I had to acknowledge it,from references to eyes looking at me to old camera models showing up everywhere,even the Aperture showed up once in the sky as I was checking outside the window of a building I was in.He was obviously still there,lurking in the dark,keeping a very close eye on me from the backstage.

That night,I went to sleep earlier than usual.Completely exhausted from going to the opening of an art exhibit at my college,not that I wanted to go there in the first place but I had promised a friend I’d go.I fell asleep almost immediately once I laid down.

I was already running with another person,the environment had this ancient ruins vibes to it with this quite large wooden fence with a drawbridge blocking our way.There was a few buildings that seemed out of place to which I quickly headed to as I told my partner to get the bridge down before they would arrive.Inside,everything was neatly placed and the whole atmosphere in here was quite peaceful.I looked around in a hurry though, as if I had to find something in a short amount of time or I’d be left behind.I suddenly heard monstrous screams,they were here.I bolted out of the building in the direction of the drawbridge,which was already going back up but it was still possible to jump across.The second I reached the other side I woke up.

It was still pretty dark in my room so I figured it was probably around midnight or something like that.I blinked a couple of times to let my eyes get used to the poor lighting and stared at the ceiling.Hearing something inside my room I sat in bed.It wasn’t loud or alarming but my half asleep brain still thought perhaps my cat had snuck into my room like it does sometimes.Though,as I looked more thoroughly at the end of my bed,a chill crawled up my spine.A figure was crouching there,barely noticeable,looking at me.I focused on it for a moment,grasping my blanket firmly, I could hardly see any features,until a familiar click echoed in my room,the so familiar sound of a camera shutter going off.Fear invaded my thoughts.I’m just imagining things,this is just your brain trying to scare you...he’s not even real I thought to myself as he slowly stood up.I finally realised why he was here,how he was here.I wasn’t awake...I was asleep,lucid dreaming...This felt so real and it was my actual bedroom I was sure of being awake...A sense of panic took over me,I couldn’t even run out my room,he was blocking the only way out.I felt something grabbing the back of my shirt,it was so gentle and then another one laid on my shoulder and then another one,one after another they wrapped around me,was it trying to help me?It didn’t felt threatening and Stefano wasn’t moving,only staring,his head was slightly tilted.I then felt being pulled backwards,it wasn’t pulling hard but somehow I couldn’t fight it.I found myself laying back in bed and then, what I can only assume to be what made me lay back in the first place,was now covering my eyes.Everything was pure darkness.A whisper echoed in my ears,’’sleep tight…’’.

I gasped,louder than I expected,I was standing in front of a rather fancy looking house,it was daytime and quite sunny outside.I stared at the house for a moment to gather up my thoughts,the door opened, a kid was standing there.He looked at me and then happily went to grab my hand to pull me inside the house.He seemed about 5-6 years old,he had dark,very short hair and was now taking me deeper into the house.Maybe I was babysitting him I assumed.Going upstairs,we arrived in what I can only assume to be his playroom,there were lots of toys hanging up the ceiling,planes,dolls,lots of dolls and puppets and to my surprise a computer,which seemed almost out of place.The kid finally let go of my hand and looked at me,his blue eyes seemed full of happiness.’’Do you like it?’’ he asked me,’’yeah,it’s a really nice playroom you got there...’’I replied a bit awkwardly.He then pointed at a door and eagerly went to open it,’’Come! I got a surprise for you!’’The look on his face when he looked back at me,suddenly made me uncomfortable,it had this bad aura to it almost like an evil spirit,his smile was dark and unnatural…fake...I wanted to leave but I felt if I did, something bad would happen.I played along and walked to the room,forcing a smile on my lips to not anger the kid.The room was quite smaller than his playroom,there were no windows and it had nothing in it other than a simple bed.This gave me goosebumps,looking up to the ceiling made me even more in need to get out as I noticed a very obvious vintage camera sitting inside a hole in the wall.I kept staring at it,my brain was literally screaming at me to get out of this house.’’I’m gonna have to leave now…’’I said with obvious nervousness in my voice.’’....I cannot let you go….’’,his voice sounded distorted and kept breaking.’’ and...why’s that?’’ I asked,my mind was already racing,planning my escape out of the house.That kid was probably a demon and Stefano’s presence with that camera was not good either.What the hell was happening.’’I can’t let my new toy escape yet…’’A chill traveled down my spine,that voice...so soothing and deep,like a murmur.Before i could even react a gloved hand was already grabbing my arm firmly and pulling me backwards in an instant.I could only let this yelp of protest,and everything went dark just like that.

I slowly opened my eyes,it was still somewhat dark,not completely but still enough to go back to sleep,what time was it? At least I was awake from this hell hole I was before.Laying on my back I stared losely at my ceiling.It was so quiet,I could hear my own breathing,my heartbeat still racing.I lifted my head to check the time.I wish I hadn’t done that,he was still there,notifying me that I was still deeply asleep somehow.He was leaning against the metal base of my bed,his arms slightly crossed,he was holding his camera and his expression made me shudder.It had this...eagerness,he was thrilled.As if he was daydreaming about all the wonders he’d make.He was in my world,my own goddamn little world but he had control over the stage and he wasn’t planning on leaving anytime soon.He said it himself,I was his toy,his art.All I could do is run and hope to wake up before he could get me.He stared at me for what seemed like several minutes.He finally rose his camera but this was abruptly interrupted by a familiar ringtone,my alarm clock,pulling me out from my deep sleep instantly.

I quickly checked my room,in fear it would be another stupid trick but this was real.My back pain was one of the only giveaway.Good..I'm not too fond of hyper realistic dreams in the first place,having the same one twice was just a big Nope.

#Within a dream series #lucid dreaming #within a dream is based on actual dreams I had #stefano valentini #creepy dreams

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Within a dream: eye of the beholder.

Laying in bed for what seemed to be hours, I stared at the ceiling or more like the pure darkness where the ceiling should be.These days seemed to get increasingly worse with my migraines to a point where I needed to rest constantly.I could pass out for hours and then I’d wake up and be fine for a couple of hours.Tonight,I seemed to have trouble falling asleep even with the most agonising migraine I had in months.After turning over and over again for a good hour I finally passed out.

I ‘’woke up’’ in front of a door leading outside,I wasn’t in my own body even though size wise I was still the same very short individual but my clothing were sebastian’s clothing and I understood that one this meant my brain would create the dumbest game mechanics.Opening the door, the world outside seemed out of place like I’ve been there before in another dream but it had nothing to do with a horror setting whatsoever.This is fine as long as I don’t get chased I thought to myself.Further back in the area near some oddly shaped pillars a guy came out of nowhere screaming and running before vanishing in one of the buildings to the right.

Before I could even process what the hell just happened a blue light suddenly appeared far away as someone else came through running.I knew it was stefano,my brain knew it too.Before I could even think whether or not it was a good idea,I cupped my hands to my mouth and shouted ‘’ YOU RUN LIKE A DORK!’’ If my plan was to stop him dead in his track and get his attention well it worked like a charm as Stefano instantly stopped and quickly looked in my direction fairly offended.Pointing in my direction, he gave me what I can only assume to be a sadistic smile that meant he’d be back for me once he’s done with that other guy before going back to chasing that poor guy into the building he had run off to.

Oh great job I thought to myself as I tried to figure out if I even had a weapon to fight back but of course that would be too easy, hell might as well just put the difficulty to nightmare and make me fight with a spoon right? After encountering what I can only assume to be haunted wannabes and getting hit a couple of times I decided the best thing to do was to hide under this very small table which for some reasons was in the middle of this area to regain a little bit of health back and perhaps try to read the map that I supposedly had with me. Failing this simple task,I just gave up on the game mechanics my dreams had made and just made a run for a unnaturally small door.I mean,it was small for someone with an average height for me it it was still fitting...I opened the door and shut it behind me as enemies just popped out of nowhere to chase me to the said door.

I took a deep breath and while scanning the room I noticed a child was in here.She was quite frightened by my presence and trying to hide in the back of this dirt cave looking room.’’No,no! it’s ok I’m not a monster!..you can-...lily?’’ My voice sounded so confused and by the look on her face she was as equally confused as I was.She shyly stepped out from behind the box she was hiding from and stared at me without saying a word.’’ We should get out of here before they find us’’ I said thinking back about the fact that stefano was probably still nearby.He was probably looking for her too from all I knew so getting her somewhere save seemed like the good call.She simply nodded and approached me carefully.Quietly and cautiously I peeked outside to see if there was any signs of danger.Nothing,that was good at least I wouldn’t have to worry about running into trouble with lily.I turned my head to check on the kid before we’d leave but somehow she had disappeared entirely from the room.Was this a good thing or bad thing I’m not sure but I felt like if I stayed here any longer something bad would happen so I ran outside, which to my great surprise was now crawling with monsters which I also instantly alerted by running full speed past them.I bolted it to the first door I could see in a distance praying the gods that I don’t run out of stamina before reaching my only way out.As I swung open the door I did noticed a soft blue light at the corner of my eye before entering but as I shut the door the entire ambiance of the room just changed and I was back to myself.

It was the night and moonlight was coming through a window to the right.This was my room...or at least it was supposed to be from what I could gather up with the identical bed sitting in the back of the room against the wall.I took a few steps in.It was dark but I could kind of make out the layout of the room which was a mess for the most part,like someone didn’t have the time to place everything before I arrived.It wasn’t an exact replica of my bedroom, some things were off,the room was obviously bigger, there was what I suspected to be a tripod for a camera in the other corner of the room where it was darker but I couldn’t see if a camera was sitting on it or not and in the middle of the room a chair caught my attention.This was definitely fishy and yet I found myself stepping forward the suspicious looking chair.I mean it didn’t have anything wrong with it but somehow I felt drawn to it.It’s like my body didn’t listened to me and just...went for the chair.Just like that, I was sitting down on the chair,instantly,I felt my body being pulled in by god knows what and every inch of my limbs became unresponsive.I was locked in my mind,unable to move.I could only blink,my eyes had adjusted to the darkness and I could now see a little bit better a corridor that I was facing.I stared down the hallway,feeling helpless and at the mercy of anything that could show up,demons,monsters,Stefano?...of course from all that could have invited itself in, it had to be him.He slowly stepped in my direction,his walk had this cocky feel to it like he knew i’d be sitting there served to him on a silver plate.Well, this is bad,like really bad,I thought to myself,angry that I even got myself in this situation in the first place.As he stopped right at my feet,he carefully examined me from head to toes and was probably savoring the fact I couldn’t run away from him somehow.He circled around the chair before lowering himself to my level.His lips slowly crept up into a smile,’’Do you know how I keep my most prized art away from prying eyes?’’He asked me with a look that I can only describe as thrilled,the tone of his voice was warm and inviting.This sent a chill up my spine,what kind of question was that?I stared back,’’I put it in my private collection,where I’m the only one who can enjoy it...’’His voice suddenly made me uncomfortable,he sounded like he could hardly contain his twisted thoughts.This took a dark turn real quick...’’I’m not your art…’’ I thought to myself and almost immediately after having this thought Stefano let out this chuckle as if somehow he heard what I had just thought.He leaned in closer to my face,lowering his voice almost to a whisper’’oh my...but art is in the eye of the beholder…’’his deep blue eye stared into my soul and his words were as smooth silk,full of dark and unwanted promises.

Everything went dark,next thing I knew I was laying on the side wrapped in my blanket,daylight creeping up into my room as morning came by.I closed my eyes,remembering the dream,remembering what he said and taking a moment to wake up completely.What on earth did he meant...

#Within a dream series #within a dream is based on actual dreams I had #dream log #tew inspired dream #stefano valentini #I'm bad at writing I know

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writingblog Promo?

why hello there! I’ve never done anything like this before so this is kinda new to me uvu. You can call me Bean or chibi,I’m 22 years old and a horror game fan since childhood.I’m new to writing but I’m trying my best !Comments and constructive criticism are welcome! I’m currently working on something called Within a dream,which is dreams based around horror games that I had but I might also write fics as well of the evil within here soon.I hope you’ll enjoy your stay here!

#idk what I'm doing #promo

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Within a dream: Caught in strings.

It all started as very small innocent appearances. At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to it since they weren’t what I’d call scary.It was more like silly nonsense than anything,like watching a video,no pain,no fear,just me, watching mixed gameplays that my brain would come up with.One night though,something changed.I became fully lucid...the exact moment when you realise you are now conscious and capable of moving at your own free will is truly fascinating and yet terrifying...You’re no longer watching a movie but you are living it as well.Someone told me once, that most people in a lucid sleep pattern can control what’s happening,they can change the environment,the characters and perhaps even more.

In my case,none of this is possible.It’s like something else is controlling the entire dream world setup but somehow gave me control of my body...

I was walking in what seemed to be a very small art gallery on the first floor,looking at the artwork that plastered the wall to my right as I walked in a straight line.That’s when I noticed something quite unusual,the artwork was always the same,like it would repeat itself,no...it wasn’t repeating,I was just going back at the beginning of the gallery like I just went in circles.This is odd...

This is when I became completely conscious physically and mentally,I stared at the paintings which were more like blobs of dark scribbles with a few colors on the canvases and I kept on walking straight forward and as I expected it I would come back to where I started.I did this for what seemed to be 10 minutes? Who knows…time in dreams can be weird.

‘’Did I died and now I’m in purgatory?!’’I wondered,then out of the blue as I stopped running, the paintings had changed,not a whole lot but enough to notice it, like the colors had changed a small bit.That’s a good sign! At least I wasn’t trapped in an endless loophole I thought to myself as I continued examining the artwork for more changes.All I could hear in here was my own footsteps,then as I wandered around, someone’s footsteps echoed behind me.They were fast paced and were getting closer to me but I didn’t thought much of it until they stopped.My right eye started aching like my usual migraines,which felt odd,I never felt pain while asleep.

I continued my investigation trying to ignore the pain but that was quickly put to a stop as well as a man popped out of nowhere a few inches away from my face letting a loud scream.Which, scared the hell out of me for good reasons.I left an unholy screech that even a banshee would be jealous of.

‘’what the fuck was that?!’’ I yelled clenching my chest,obviously the only one finding this funny was this fucking asshole as he chuckled proud of himself.’’I’ve got business that I must take care of but I’ll be back shortly.In the meantime,enjoy the exhibit.’’ Stefano’s voice was smooth as butter in my ears and I could see a grin creeping up his lips before just vanishing out of thin air.The migraine was gone or whatever that aching pain was about.At least that was over.

I had to wake up,but most importantly I had to get out.Knowing damn well the length of my dreams and that it was already way too long for a lucid dream to begin with in my opinion.I quickly headed down the hallway to try and find the stairway but somehow as I kept walking I realised not only was I in a completely different hallway but it didn’t seem to be part of the art exhibit at all.It seemed to be used as storage,boxes with rolled up paintings were all over the place.The lighting was this ugly dim light from old light bulbs which who knows how long they were there for and some of the boxes were so dusty I didn’t dared touching them with the slightest touch in fear of creating dust clouds everywhere.The hallway was barely larger than my arms and it seemed to go back to the exhibit or at least what seemed to be the art gallery as I looked further into the long corridor.

I was almost jogging to the exit of this storage area when footsteps started getting louder behind me.Oh fuck me not this again,I thought.I didn’t even look back, I knew he was about to jumpscare me again and that fear that builds up within you to prepare you for what’s about to happen is just the worst.I just kept on walking at the same pace hoping I’d wake up before he can reach me.

He suddenly appeared in my field of vision but nothing happened he simply continued walking straight ahead, giving me a smile that seemed fake or cocky like he was preparing something really bad or that he knew what he just did earlier was a dick move.He kept on walking away with what I can only assume were photos in his arms and then he was gone.I wasn’t breathing at this point since I held my breath in fear of getting scared I guess but letting this loud sigh of relief did made me feel somewhat better before exiting the storage area.No signs of this jerk, good,at least I won’t have to deal with him for now.

I was about to leave the exhibit when a person with no visible facial features grabbed me.Obviously, they seemed to know me personally as they spewed nonsense about how it was an insult that my art wasn’t in the art gallery and that they would talk to whoever is responsible of this gallery.I tried to convince them not to and that it was flattering but I didn’t mind at all but it was a lost cause,they walked away before I could reason with them.I entered this small room,which from the look of it I assumed it to be a break room for the personnel,there was a small grayish couch on the left and an oddly small tv that for some reasons played a movie or something in black and white without sound.On the opposite side of the couch, a table was sitting against the wall with nothing whatsoever on it except one single cup.The wall facing the exit of the room had a door with a window to see inside the said room but the blinds were shut.Probably where they held reunions or something.

Though,I could see someone peeking through the blinds,directly at me. The deep ice blue eye pierced my soul as they stared at me before disappearing behind the blinds.

I should already be awake,I thought as I buried my face in my hands and when I reopened my eyes I was laying in bed staring at the wall. This was the first time I ever had a lucid dream and this wouldn’t be the last one either.I knew it, I was already caught in his strings and he definitely knew that...

#Within a dream series #dream log #stefano valentini #lucid dreaming #within a dream is based on actual dreams I had #I''m a bit rusty in the writing department