Legends of the Dark – Home Improvement (Part One)

It’s only been about three weeks since we started remodeling the house, and I feel like we’ve made some good progress so far. At the rate we’ve been going, we could probably finish this ahead of our predicted complete date.

Today, Darren and I are on, both of us investing the most money behind this entire project. The entire house looks like it’s been bombed from the inside-out, but that just means we’ve been putting in all of the effort needed to get this project done.

When we first got there, I looked at the front door and saw a giant slash across of it. This must have been what Darren was talking about before.

Exposed support beams, wooden planks nailed around on almost every wall, and glass windows only being shards around the edge: the common sight of home flipping.

It started to make me think that there were probably a bunch of walls still intact that I could swing at for some fun.

I could hear footsteps coming from nearby. At first I assumed they were Darren’s boots, but I realized that they couldn’t have been.

Pages: 1 2 3

100 Word Story – Mannequin

Something wasn’t right about this mannequin, something felt off about it. When I flashed my light on it, I noticed the extra details along the entire body, small dark spots and faint bumps all over as if it was alive and cold. I cautiously walked towards it, the old floor boards seeming to make it wobble with every step I took.

Up in its face—if it had one—I looked over every inch and saw thin lines all over, each in different spots where facial details should be: eyes, mouth, nose, the works.

“What the hell happened to it…?”

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!

January Note – 1/31/2019

HAPPY NEW– Nah, fuck it. Using an opening line like that would have been a month old at this point. I probably should have opened up with some kind of cheesy pun like I do with my usual posts. Then again, I’ve been feeling a bit down and tired lately. I hope I have a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

There… I did it… You’re welcome.

Okay, but seriously, how have all you guys been doing in the first month of the new year? Have you been keeping up with any resolutions you made? Did you start off the year on a positive note? Personally, I’ve been doing okay; work’s been hectic, and the city has been in a freeze like every other week, so there’s that. I’ve also been reading a lot more, like a lot more—I have at least a dozen novels I need to go through, and that’s not including the tons of manga I haven’t touched yet. I managed to throw myself back into video games again. I actually just finished the Resident Evil 2 remake that came out on the 25^th and I had a blast through all of it, even though I played on the hardest difficulty and died a lot. But enough of my personal life. Let’s get onto the story stuff!

But before that, I have an announcement to make. As of Sunday, January 27^th, I finally reached 100 followers on WordPress. When I got the notification saying that I reached that achievement, I honestly thought I was seeing things. Even now, I’m still surprised that that many people became followers for my website. And then on the 29^th, I hit 1000 likes across everything I’ve posted. I know that in today’s day and age, numbers like these are barely anything, but for an average person like me, this is one of the biggest achievements I’ve ever had for myself. And the only way I could reach numbers like this is because of you lovely people. I’m truly grateful for every single person who reads my stories, whether it’s every time a new one gets post, or just on a select series that only updates once a month. It makes me happy seeing people comment on things they liked and voicing their opinions. And there are many of you who’s actually been following my work since I barely had anything to share, so you guys are absolute veterans and have seen how my work’s changed and grew over time (and hopefully getting better, too.) And all of the people who started following within recent months, I’m ecstatic that you’re sticking around and bearing with me with my works. I truly appreciate everybody, and I couldn’t make it this far without you.

Now, onto the main points. Don’t worry, it’s brief.

January has been a testing ground for me in terms of creating a stable and doable posting schedule. And although a lot of the things I posted lately haven’t really been too long, it has been taking some time to type up. In case anybody didn’t know, I am a fan of classic story-writing using pencil and paper, and when a story is complete, I type it up. That alone is a process. However, for the 100 Word Story stuff I do, I generally type up all of those since it’s a lot easier for me to keep track of my word total, making sure I don’t go over. And yes, I seriously follow that rule, those stories being exactly one hundred words. So, with that in mind, I’ve decided to come up with a nice little test run schedule. I’ll be posting three times a week, two of those posts consisting of two 100 Word Story posts. The third post will be a longer story, ranging anywhere between 500 to 1000 words. I’m going to continue testing out posting like that, so bear with me for the time being.

As for current series stuff, I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll make this quick. The current story for Legends of the Dark – Child at Play is nearing its finale. I wanted it to go for a bit longer, but I have other things I want to work on, so I’m trying to wrap it up. Don’t You Remember will be returning within two weeks after a hiatus. As for Alex & Sam, I’m thinking really hard about this one, as I may want to restart them to change up some details to make it a bit more easy to work with. If you have any questions about smaller series I’ve done in the past, feel free to email me and I’ll answer them as best as I can.

Wow, I didn’t realize how long this thing was going to be—I hit the second page of my word processor. I guess once my fingers start typing up what my brain is thinking, I can’t stop. However, I need to force the break or else this would go onto being the length of a short story… I like that idea. I’ll save that for later. But anyways, that’s it for this Monthly Note. Once again, I want to thank all of you guys for sticking by me this entire time, and I hope I’ve been doing right in your eyes.

Thanks for reading!

– Love, Luka.

100 Word Story – Combo

Left, left, right, left.

Kai repeated those words in his head as his fists pounded away at the punching bag in front of him, it lightly swaying back and forth every few strikes. Every few punches, he would weave around the bag, dipping and diving as if it could retaliate against his assault. Through calm, slow breaths and timing, his heartbeat managed to stay in a relaxed state and his body barely feeling fatigued.

Finish it.

Pulling his fist back, Kai launched forward and punched the bag, his fist going straight through to the other side.

“I’m gonna destroy him.”

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!

100 Word Story – Skull

That was the first time I did it, and I didn’t regret it. The way my excited face was just covered in the blood of my victims, hearing their screams for freedom, and hearing their final gasps of air before they gave in to death, it was all a wild thrill that gave me nothing but pleasure. I couldn’t help but squeal in joy.

“His head popped like a small balloon. Give me a skull so I can use it as an ornament. Please!”

Mariko shot me a strange glare, questioning my motives.

“Don’t question, just pass a fucking skull!”

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!

What is A Human?

War has always been a favorable pastime of mine, enjoying the destruction and misery brought about to the enemy troops when they’re outmatched. Seeing living bodies become cold corpses, the sound of gunfire and cries of defeat, taking control of the enemy bases and camps, all of these made war fun.

The absolutely best part was always confronting the enemy leader, and making a mess out of them with ease. An army is only as strong as its leader, and I’ve yet found one that was able to best even my most basic of infantry.

Salazar swore he was prepared to deal with somebody such as myself. I proved him wrong.

My lungs filled with the scent of gunpowder and despair from the battlefield as I took a big huff of air.

“What weaklings, the humans are. It still boggles me how so many throughout history attempted to try and unify all of them under one flag.”

In a strange burst of humility, I called out to see if he was alive, addressing him by rank, Commander Salazar.

Pages: 1 2

Legends of the Dark: Child at Play (Part Five)

The only thing between me and the demon in a child’s body was the school jungle gym, a couple feet of concrete, and a wooden bat ready to swing. Melissa’s entire mouth was covered with bloody drool, her body contorting back to a spider-like shape. She growled, hungry, wanting to dig her fangs into me.

I wasn’t going to give in, wasn’t going to throw my life away. As much as I wanted to try and save her from whatever was happening to her, the only way I could do that was to put her out of her misery, put her down like a sick animal.

And from the way she was looking at me, I had no regrets for thinking that way.

Melissa’s body cracked and snapped as she positioned herself back onto all-fours. Her monstrous growls continued, stopping once to cough something up

My fingers instinctively tightened around the bat as I went to wind up. I wasn’t going to let this monster out of my sight, and I had to make sure she never got a chance to try and escape.

“Come at me, you little bitch.”

Pages: 1 2

100 Word Story – Wrong Moment

There’s a time and place for everything—this was not one of those moments.

Roger stayed down on his knee, his emerald green eyes shining up at me, like the ring in his hand. He kept his composure and had his cool dude attitude intact, even if his face was red with embarrassment.

I looked around at the patrons trying to enjoy their dinner, all of their eyes focusing on me instead of the plates in front of them. One person had a bright smile on their face, awaiting my response to Roger.

I had to break his heart. “No.”

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!

Ribs

It was a beautiful thing, seeing that exposed rib cage. I reached over to the tool tray and picked up a corked vial; the liquid inside was clear. I took off the cork and brought the vial just under my nose, taking in a big whiff of the noxious fumes. I couldn’t contain my girlish giggling as I looked at the rib cage.

“Oh gosh, I can’t wait to see how pretty and white this bleach will make you. Just thinking gets me excited!”

The lively man on the table struggled, wanting to escape. He tried to bite his way through the mouth gag in his mouth, but it only wedged deeper into his mouth. His arms and legs tried to flair around and force their way free, but every action only brought his limbs back down onto the examination table. He rolled his head over to look at me. I could see the hatred burning in his eyes, his eyebrows burrowed down, his mind probably thinking of vicious and violent things being done to me as revenge. Curiosity got the better of me.

I leaned over and took out the hand towel mouth gag, allowing him to speak. After taking in a large gasp of air he went on a long train of slurs and hateful words, calling me all kinds of bitches and murderers. He even attempted to spit in my face, but it only rolled out of the side of his mouth and became drool along his cheek.

I used the hand towel to clean up the small trail, “Please, dear, try not to soil yourself. You must try and keep tidy.”

He roared at the top of his lungs, “Go fuck yourself, you crazy bitch.”

Butterflies started fluttering around in my center, making my entire body tingle with excitement. I could feel my cheeks light up with heat as he threw more angry words at me. Out of pure embarrassment I took the spit-covered hand towel and forced it back in this mouth, this time pressing a bit of it down his throat to clog his airways.

I grinned at him, running my free hand along one of his exposed ribs, “Don’t tease me with a good time. You don’t know how rough I can get.”

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!

Manga Review – Machimaho: I Messed Up and Made the Wrong Person Into a Magical Girl! – Volume One

Magical powers, bow-filled outfits and hair, and a small, flying creature to overlook the protagonist—all common things found in your usual magical girl series. Destructive punches and kicks, chain-smoking pack after pack, and rage-filled attitudes with the dirty language—things usually seen in a gritty action series. Ever seen what it’s like when there’s a magical girl who loves punching things through walls, doesn’t like going to class, and can burn out a cigarette with a single pull?

That’s what Machimaho does.

Following the life of Kayo Majiba, an obvious delinquent who constantly needs a smoke, Machimaho blends the two different genres together. After a random encounter with a mythical creature, who’s job is to monitor the appearance of the Atasunmo, evil creatures who love to feast on the negative energy of others, Kayo must now take up role of protecting the universe from these evil beings. However, being the delinquent that she is, Kayo doesn’t care about any of this.

Both the art and story were done by Souryu, and publishing by Seven Seas Entertainment. Through the use of dynamic angles, detailed expressions and constant action to keep the reader’s attention, Souryu gave a great first volume. Across the first few chapters, we are introduced to a small cast of characters who each have a unique personality that either provides comedic relief, helps establish the overall story, or even helps add to the dramatic and over-the-top fight scenes. We’re given a small glimpse into Kayo’s schooling and her home life, which is anything but the ordinary life a high school student should want or have.

machimaho1-cover — (Source: Seven Seas Entertainment)

The art style is also a very good strong point. In casual scenes there are moments when a character loses their temper, and the detail, and sometimes over-exaggerated expression that are use are either scary or hilarious, based on the emotion being shown—Kayo’s face can get pretty terrifying. But when the fight scenes happen, that’s when the art is at its best. There’s extra emphasis when Kayo sends her fist flying into an enemy, forcing them to go through the walls of a building. Seeing the crater left behind in an enemy’s head and the destructive power of what they’re capable of is very well detailed; of course, that if they manage to live through Kayo’s fists and heel kicks.

Besides having a powerful art style, the dialogues and interactions between characters are actually well thought out. Although it may seem like everything just has some kind of rage or anger behind it, there are parts where we learn more about each character’s thought process instead of just seeing what they do. Well, aside from the use of panty shots after Kayo kicks or gets caught in an explosion, which I personally don’t mind, as some of the poses she’s in are pretty funny. Aside from the main story, there are single page little side stories after each chapter, focusing more on Kayo’s off time, a nice little touch in between fight scenes.

On the surface of the story, Machimaho will come across as a renegade magical girl story, which is totally fine. But do keep in mind, it’s not Sailor Moon or Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica; right of the back, that’s noticeable. Souryu took a popular theme and put a new spin on it, and it’s pretty solid. And after reading it all the way through, to the introduction of Kayo’s potential rival, I can’t wait to see how much more ass she’ll be kicking.

Want to read it for yourself? Machimaho is currently out in print and digital copies on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major book retailers.

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!

100 Word Story – Father

Somebody claiming to be my father called me that day. I didn’t believe them at first, assuming it was some kind of sick joke to torment me, so I asked him to share a memory of me.

He sighed heavily saying he understood the concern behind my questioning. He didn’t hesitate when he gave an answer, his voice usually calm and relaxed, “I remember the day you found that frog down by the river. You named it ‘Sally.’”

My vision started to get blurry, and I felt a warm stream of tears rolling on my cheek, “Daddy… It’s really you!”

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!

Break-in in the Outbreak

She kept her eyes on me as she reloaded the shotgun one shell at a time.

“Now, hun,” she began, “why in all hell should I begin to believe anything that’s been coming out of your mouth, especially after finding you trying to fit through my bedroom window?” She came to a halt with the reloading, twirling the next shell between her fingers.

“I take it you don’t pay attention to what’s going on outside, do you?”

“Oh trust and believe me, I’m fully aware of what’s going on in them streets—” she stops mid-sentence and, in one quick and fluid motion, reloads the next shell in her hand and cocks the shotgun, “—and I know how to deal with those things roamin’ in the streets.”

I felt a cold chill travel down my spine when I saw her cock that thing with just one hand. And on top of that she did it all without even having to look down at the gun on her lap. The entire time, her piercing gaze was right on me, trying to look into my mind to see if I wanted to harm her.

“So, Goldilocks, you gonna explain yourself? Why did you break into my home?”

Considering my current situation, I figured talking would be a good way to try and pass the time. “I suppose I should. Honestly, the main reason I thought about coming to this house was because I thought it was deserted.”

“What made you think that?”

“Well, your windows weren’t bordered up for starters, which explains how I managed to even get into this situation. On top of that, all the lights were off, so I figured electricity had ran out here. I honestly thought the house was abandoned.”

The woman kept her eyes on me for a bit, almost trying to size me up from my spot. After a solid minute of eye contact she placed the shotgun on the cushion next to her and got up from her seat. She walked over and crouched down in front of me, grabbing at the thick rope that bound my feet, “If I got rid of this rope, you won’t try to run away, will you?”

I lifted up my wrists to show the other set of rope she used on me, “I promise. Besides, I can’t really do much with my hands tied like this.”

She looked at me one more time; I tried not to blink just in case she read my eye moments as a sign. After a moment of silence she unbound my feet and collected the rope in the back pocket of her jeans. I thanked her, finally able to feel the blood rush back into my feet. She nodded as she went back to her seat.

She reached behind her and pulled out a small pistol, taking out the magazine and counting the bullets already in it. Her voice was a bit more rasp, but had a sensitive tone as she spoke, “A youngin’ like you shouldn’t be alone in these times. You’ve got no family lookin’ after ya?”

I shook my head” Use to.”

“What happened to them?

“The outbreak got to them before I could.”

— Follow Luka on Facebook and Twitter for more content and a look into Luka’s life!