Heritage

Hey all.  Here is a super short flash fiction piece I wrote for the creative writing class I'm taking.  The assignment was to make a 1-page story.  Hope you enjoy it!
Edit: Plus, an illustration!

Heritage

The swollen meat pie sat in front of me and the sweet smell sickened me.  My stomach twisted itself into a ball and I held my arms and clenched my teeth, fighting down the mounting bile.  My eyes began to water, and my father smirked.

“It’s time to embrace your heritage, my son.”  His hand fell upon my shoulder like a boulder, and my resolve weakened.  “Don’t worry.  It was no one that you knew.”

I stared into my father’s silver eyes, and I felt my will disintegrating.  I suddenly found my hands clenching the knife and fork.  I turned away from my father and looked down towards the pie.  I could feel a primal urge overtaking me, and I began to salivate.  

“No!”  I slammed down the cutlery.  “I may be of your blood, but I am not your son!”  

My father laughed a cold, hard laugh.  “We shall see, won’t we?”  


With that, he abandoned me in the tower room, locking the door as he left.  I sat up and walked over to the six-foot high windows and pulled back the velvet drapes.  The snow thrashed outside, and as I peered down into the inky blackness, I wondered how much snow would be needed to break my fall from such a height.  I flung open the latch and  the icy wind forced its way inside, causing me to gasp in shock.  The roar of the wind was deafening. I took another look back at that steaming, vile pastry, and I clutched my chest. I turned back towards the window and stepped towards it.  

It couldn’t have been more than an hour before my father returned.  As he entered, he surveyed the open window.  He closed the window, and I saw him smile.  I silently cursed him and the blood that ran in my veins.  He slowly walked over to me and took the empty plate from my hands, every single, succulent, delicious morsel having been licked clean.  I wiped some caramelized blood from my lips, and despite it all, couldn’t help myself from wanting more.  

Arctic Horror - finish! No really this time!

Okay, decided there were still some tweaks to make, and thus, I spent the hour or two tweaking stuff.  Much happier with it, and I think it's time to move on and at least let this one be done for now.  cool.

WIP..still

And progress.  Still chugging along.

It's weird that I'm usually okay spending 20+ hours on a traditional painting, but even spending 7 on a digital one seems super difficult.  At least it's coming along!  Still lots of rendering to do, more lighting on the background, etc. etc. etc.  Yosh!

Anyway, I'm already starting some loose sketches and thumbnails for other new pieces.  I asked some fellow Big Umbrella members for inspiration, I got "Punchline" and "Three legged Dog."

For punchline, I ended up with a sketch of a dark circus that has a bone bridge leading up to it and tons of crucified people staked around it.  For three legged dog, I had a rotting zombie dog eating it's own leg.    And who says I can't turn anything dark and creepy?  No one, that's who.

Anyway, if you have any interesting themes or suggestions for future paintings, I find I usually get inspired easier from other people than myself.  Comment away please!

Happy 2012

Yay for a new year!  I feel like more and more, years go by quicker and quicker.  I would assume that's a good thing, but there's already so much work to be done in 2012!!  Arg!

Anyway, one of my new goals is to develop two portfolios - one for book/CCG/RPG illustrations, and one for creature/monster design.

Here's a quick WIP (about three hours in) of an illustration I'm working on which I hope to print and put in the upcoming Big Umbrella "Girls with Guns" show.