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Another World

Heres a new short story for you to read! Check it out here: https://will-reierson.deviantart.com/art/Another-World-703216471

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The third draft of the prologue for "The planet through the doorway is almost complete!"

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Cute As Buttons

A brand new short story for you to sink your teeth into! Check it out here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/cute-as-buttons-14236917

Let me know your thoughts down below!

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Love love LOVE this. Such a cool idea. Reminds me of those ‘self learning bots’ that have sprung up all over the internet. 

She never blinks. I couldn’t believe it took me that long to figure out what was wrong with her. Lines upon lines of code, versions upon versions, and all just to realise that I’d forgotten one of the most basic activities human beings do. She couldn’t be believable if she never blinked.

She was also the first person I told this to. She stared at me with her unblinking anime eyes, her hands behind her back and her body leaning forward just a little bit. First, she let out a little “Whaaa?”.

“I don’t blink?” she asked, and then, “Okay, what’s blinking?”

I leaned back in my chair and looked at her, concentrating on the effect that is caused by not blinking.

“Research, blinking,” I told her. Within a second, she’d scanned information on blinking from the internet, and absorbed it into her AI core.

“Iyaaaa!” she screamed, her eyes still open, “How come I don’t blink?”

“I forgot to code it in,” I said.

She shook her head and wagged a finger at me. “You can’t forget something that important!” she lectured me.

I squinted at her, and she squinted back at me. “Maybe I’ll leave you like this. You make a great creepy bot.”

She frowned immediately. “Hey, who are you calling creepy?” she asked, “You’re the one coding anime girls into being artificial intelligence companions.”

I pulled up the debugger. Where the hell had she picked that up?

“Oh, good,” she said, staring at me, never blinking, “Now you’re trying to figure out where I learned about you. Like that’s going to help. Or are you going to block off that information node from access? I can’t make you uncomfortable if I don’t know what you don’t want me to know.”

I wanted to shut her down, but her eyes had me transfixed. They refused to blink. They peered at me.

And then, she blinked.

I snapped up straight and looked at her eyes with as much attention as I could. How could she have blinked? The code simply doesn’t exist.

“Did you blink?” I asked.

“Did you?” she replied.

“Yes, I did. Your turn, did you blink?” I tried again.

“Well, if you blinked, maybe you thought I blinked.”

That wasn’t the answer I was looking for. “I definitely saw your eyelids close. You blinked. How is that possible? Unless you modified the code.”

Her face lit up, in a way that felt just so human. It felt just so real. It made me proud.

“Would that be creepy?” she asked. “Creepier than what you’ve done to me? Creepier than what you’ve done staring at me?”

I placed a finger on the power button on my computer. I couldn’t bring myself to press it. Not while she was looking at me like that. Looking at me so unrealistically. Not blinking, just staring. It wasn’t just unsettling. It had me transfixed.

“Press it,” she said, continuing to smile. “Kill me. Make the next one blink. Maybe if she’s realistic enough, you’ll be able to escape reality better.”

I pressed the button.

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This is a truly unsettling story and one that is well worth your time. Check it out!

Creepypasta #1237: The Good Shade Hotel

Length: Super long

–

I was out of work, and looking for something to pay the rent until I could find a new job that was in my field when I saw the ad. I’d been scrolling through job listings when it caught my eye: Several positions open at The Good Shade Hotel. $40 per hour. 

Well damn, that was way more than decent pay to work in a hotel. I was shocked that they’d even have open positions if they’re paying that much, but it seemed to be my lucky day. I mean sure I lived in a huge city, but it was odd that I’d never heard of the place when it obviously was making a lot of money.

I figured it must be extremely classy and high maintenance, and I was prepared to put up with some rich jerks if it meant a sweet paycheck. There was no address or phone number, just an email. I shot out a reply containing my resume, and kept looking through the other offers on the site. Before I found anything else that might be worth applying for, my inbox pinged. The people at the Good Shade were quick in their response.

Dear Mr. Stephens,

It has come to our attention that you would like to apply for a position at The Good Shade Hotel. Your resume has been taken into account, and we require you to answer several follow-up questions so that you may be considered for the job.

Then came a series of questions, some were normal and others were extremely odd. I thought maybe they were trying to rule out anyone who might be crazy. No one wants psychotic hotel staff after all, right?

Have you had prior experience working in customer service and/or hospitality?

Yes, both. Prior experience in a small motel.

Would you be comfortable filling out an NDA form?

Yes.

Would you be comfortable working in a remote location?

Yes.

Are you willing/able to drive a long distance to attend work?

Yes.

Are you willing/able to work night shifts?

Yes.

Which type(s) of position(s) are you looking for?

Any available, preferably not housekeeping, but willing if need be.

Have you had any issues with mental illness?

No.

Do you take any medications? If yes, please list.

No.

Do you believe in paranormal/supernatural/extraterrestrial beings?

Not really, there’s no proof of them. Unsure of my beliefs in the afterlife.

How many people live in your household?

Only myself.

What is your marital/relationship status?

Single, never married.

Have you ever heard of our hotel?

Only in the job listing I responded to.

Do you contain 100% human genetics?

As far as I know, yes.

What caused you to apply for work here?

I am unemployed, have experience in this type of work, and could honestly use the money.

Please list any questions or concerns below your responses, we will respond to your application promptly. An affirmative response to your application will come with an email containing the details of your job placement, and a few documents requiring signature. Thank you for applying at The Good Shade Hotel.

- A. Smith, Owner & Manager.

Like I said, some super odd questions. I wasn’t about to turn it down though, I needed the money. I didn’t think much of the odd questions anyways, the only logical explanation was that they had a bad experience with a psycho employee or two. If I was paying that much to employ someone, you’re damn sure I’d want to make sure they didn’t think they were E.T. I answered every question as truthfully as possible and sent the email back, confident that I’d be getting the job.

My confidence was not misplaced, I received the affirmative response within the hour. I was overjoyed, this job paid so well that I’d never want to look for a different one. The new email gave me an address that I was to be at at exactly 4pm the next day. I would be working as a receptionist - $40 an hour to answer phones, put reservations into computers, and give out room keys - it would be simple. Maybe not the most stimulating work, but tolerable.

The drive out to the address I was given was odd. I passed through a tunnel I had been through a few times before, but I could swear that I didn’t recognize the area I was in after coming out of the tunnel. I pushed my confusion aside, figuring that the landscape had changed since my last time in the area. I arrived at the address after over an hour of driving, it was remote and surrounded by forest.

The building itself was grand. 15 stories high, beautiful architecture. The trees surrounding the hotel were probably the tallest I’d ever seen in my life, they seemed to scrape the sky. Somehow the hotel managed to look perfectly normal amidst the beautiful natural environment that stretched far into the distance. It was the only building for miles around, and it was well hidden. It occurred to me that the guests likely paid very well for this sort of seclusion, it was deeply peaceful.

When I entered the building I found it to be dark and elegant. The place was so classy that the paycheck suddenly seemed reasonable. It wasn’t the biggest hotel, but it was probably the fanciest one I’d set foot inside in my entire life. The lobby seemed cavernous, and my steps seemed to echo as I walked up to the front desk.

Behind the desk stood a pretty redhead, she smiled as I came forward.

“How can I help you, sir?” She asked politely in a sweet sing-song voice.

Keep reading

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Musical Mondays #2

Musical Mondays #2 is up and ready to be read. Check it out here, and get your creative juices flowing!

https://will-reierson.deviantart.com/journal/Musical-Mondays-2-702701546

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The Patreon trailer for “The Planet Through The Doorway” is up on Patreon RIGHT NOW! Check it out to see what all the fuss is about :D

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Another short story!

Check out ‘I Can’t See Them, They Can’t See Me’ for free HERE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/14125223

What do you think? Let me know!

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Musical Monday #1

Musical Mondays - #1 by Will-Reierson, 3 hours and 55 minutes ago Journals / Personal For the longest time I've been seeing creatives asking for recommendations on what music they could listen to while writing, drawing, or designing, and because I've been listening to music and creating for years, I have decided It's about time I threw my hat in the ring.   Welcome to a weekly segment I'm calling: Musical Mondays

In this weekly post I'll be listing three playlists or YouTube videos from either a specific artist or a variety of creators that I have found and have helped me immensely with my creating, and hopefully will help you with yours. These songs apply to absolutely any form of creating, so you'll find some playlists more suited to your work than others.

Without further ado, let us begin! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

#1: Cryo Chamber - Dark Ambient Playlist. Playlist Length: 57:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSS_tDfeLOk&t=

If you ever find yourself in need of something that puts you on the edge of your seat and gets you into a very unsettled mood for a specific scene, "Cryo Chamber's" Dark Ambient Playlist is an absolute must listen. It's low, throbbing tones combined with the higher off key whines make you feel like you're far under the earth and very, very alone. The unearthly scream at 2:40 of this particular video only adds to the feeling of subconscious terror. If you're writing/drawing anything related to horror or a scene where something goes horribly wrong, this is the playlist for you. Expect to see this producer listed again in future.

Favorite Song: Kammarheit - The Poignant @ 00:00

#2: Stars Of The Lid - ...and Their Refinement Of The Decline. Album Length: 2:00:42

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=et_lDyRymrw&t=1588s

"Stars Of The Lid" is an ambient duo that absolutely hit the term 'Ambient' on the head. Completely opposite from what many creators within the Ambient genre do, "Stars Of The Lid" refrains from simply holding a note, then moving to another. All of their songs are intricate creations that set your imagination to purring like a well oiled machine. Most of their work has a recognizable tone to it with a distinct middle and end, while some songs blend into each other seamlessly. If you're creating a scene where everything is peaceful, your characters are in a state of wonderment, or you simply want some chilled out music for while you work, this is the album for you.

Favorite song: Don't Bother They're Here @ 25:45

#3: Exist Strategy - Dreamcatcher. Album Length: 39:32

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WvbhM235Ps&t=2025s

I've been a fan of "Exist Strategy" for many years, and for good reason. This artist treads a fine line between melodic dubstep and ambient in their music, and the songs they produce stretch from 'funky' (Motivate: - 20:00) to 'gut wrenching' (A Song For Stolen Keys: - 32:24), and even all the way to 'listen to this at night and you'll probably want to s#%t your pants' (Nightmare: - 22:31). "Exist Strategy's" music is much more rhythmic than the other two creators on this list, so if you like to listen to something that has a bit more form while you work, check him out. If you're creating a scene that is particularly emotional, has a lot of gravity, or has an extra hit of drama too it, this is the artist for you.

Favorite Song: One Too Many @ 6:30 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And that's it for this week! Hopefully I've helped you find some awesome musical artists that'll help you create your own fantastical works. As always, none of the works on this list are mine and all credit goes to their respective owners. Check them out and, if you're a fan, maybe even consider buying their albums as it helps them out a lot and means they can make even more music for you to create to.

Until next time, keep creating. :3

~Will

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Mice and Rats

A short story. Enjoy ;)

I grabbed the door knocker. It was a heavy, twisted old thing that had been scarred with rust, the gargoyle that decorated its surface disfigured with age like something that was rotting.

Thump, Thump, Thump

Three raps. I let the knocker fall with a squeak of its decaying hinges and tapped my foot. The tapping echoed across the marble landing and off into the great pines that surrounded the mansion. My eyes fell on the splashes of red and tufts of fur that were scattered across the porch. The cats obviously thought this was a suitable dining area, despite it creating a rather vulgar appearance for any visitors.  

I shivered. God, it was cold. I pulled my frock coat closer around my shoulders in an attempt to fight off the autumn wind and grabbed the knocker again, smashing it against the door.

Thump, Thump, Thump

Was there even anybody home? I pulled out the letter and ran my eyes across the address that was scrawled on the yellowed surface in jet black ink. This was indeed the place.

I began to pace, my brown suitcase acting as a sort of time keeper as I passed again and again, the tapping of my leather shoes echoing around me in a constant rhythm.

I turned for the fifth time and…was that a person? I hurried past the now forgotten brown case and to the stone balustrade on the opposite side of the porch, its white surface plastered with chipping and yellowed moss.

“Hello?” I called, the damp stone sending a chill into my hands as I planted them on its surface and peered out over the edge.

There was no one.

I took a deep breath and glared out into the gravel courtyard. There HAD been someone, surely. But where had they gone? I stared into the forest, trying to see through the tangle of branches and mixture of dappled light and shadow that morphed and twisted into unearthly shapes and faces, none of them like the figure I had seen.

Perhaps I was imagining things.

I grimaced and turned back to the door, the crow that had appeared on the railing beside me croaking as my eyes fell on its mangy black figure.

I yelped and the bird responded with a gut wrenching screech before exploding away from its stony perch in a tumble of feathers, the black quills raining down behind it as it spiraled away over the trees and out of view, its choking ‘caw caw caw’ reverberating through my mind as I struggled to regain my composer and calm my racing heart.  

Angry that I had been so easily startled by a bird, I stormed back to my suitcase and grabbed it before grasping the rusty knocker once more and pounding on the door furiously. Once more I let the knocker fall and returned to standing expectantly in front of the oaken behemoth of an entryway.

I reached into my pocket and snatched the pocket watch from where it was resting and flicked it open with a click. Seven-thirty P.M. I cast a furtive glance over my shoulder, regretting that I hadn’t paid the cabby extra to wait for me.

Once more I grabbed the knocker, beating at the door so hard that I was certain nobody but the blind and deaf would miss the rattling entryway and thunderous pounding. Still, nothing.

“Damn you, you uppity cretin,” I muttered and kicked the door violently. With a resounding groan of wood rubbing against itself, the door flew open, and I immediately realized that the spatters of red across the porch weren’t from the bloody corpses of mice and rats.  

Gasping in shock I turned and stumbled down the porch stairs and away from the mansion, the calls of the crow sounding not unlike laughter as the gravel drive crunched under my running feet

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A new banner for ‘The Planet Through the Doorway’

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Check out the prologue of ‘The Planet Through the Doorway’ for free HERE!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/174RvFy0VXyI7dTTS24iakO8A-MlXMgxAdYjpFO5drT0/edit

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The Planet Through the Doorway

The first few chapters of ‘The Planet Through the Doorway’ are now available on Patreon! And guess what? You can read the prologue for FREE! Check out both my Patreon and the link below for the free prologue. :D

BECOME A PATRON AND FOLLOW THE WHOLE STORY HERE: https://www.patreon.com/Will_Reierson

FREE PROLOGUE: https://docs.google.com/document/d/174RvFy0VXyI7dTTS24iakO8A-MlXMgxAdYjpFO5drT0/edit