IN THE WOODS - Flash Fiction

Leaves crunched and twigs snapped underneath thirteen-year-old Abbie. She had no idea how she got here. Trudging further into the depth of the forest, splinters pierced and punctured her bare feet. The cold air bit through her armour of thin cotton pyjamas. Silhouettes of naked tree branches or spirit's long fingers reaching up to heaven. This being hell. The wind cried, cutting through the silence. Then something patted her on the shoulder.

Despite getting a small case of whiplash from turning her head too quick, she found nothing. Nothing but a dirt path narrowing into the distance. The urge to follow it pulled Abbie like a magnet. Poor curious mind. In a trance, she wondered down it like a zombie. Once too far in to go back, a girl appeared screaming only twenty feet away. Her dress looked as though she came from a hippie camp protesting against the nuclear weapons. But her floral pattern clashed with the blood splatters that covered her.
"Help me!" The hippie cried. Ignoring the impulse to scurry away, she followed her. Where could she have run to anyway?
"Oi, hippie girl!" Abbie shrieked, "What's happened?" She twisted around to reveal bloodshot eyes that had seen far too much. Vomit dripped from her chin onto her bony chest.

Pouncing over to her, the hippie slipping in the mud. Continuing to crawl over just as far. She was at Abbie's feet in seconds.
"Please! You have to help me! He's after me, he's gonna get me!" She cried, mascara running down her porcelain skin.
"Who? Who is going to get you?" Her eyes tore away from Abbie's to look behind her shoulder. She screamed. So hard as though her jaw was about to dislocate.

A man was storming over. And he had a bloody axe in hand.  

A review of Cujo - Stephen King

A rapid dog is out for the kill. Of course, it’s written by Stephen King. Published in 1981, King’s spectacular novel Cujo was created in the midst of his struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction. This progressing to the extent that the author, himself, doesn’t even remember writing a single page of the iconic terror at all. This killer book will terrify you into turning pages night until dawn. Set in a place King named Castle Rock, in an existing place Maine that King grew up in and loves enough to set a large majority of novels in. Castle Rock is a place where a variety of characters are living. From a little boy with something hiding in his closet to a guy who is never sober. The fact that all these characters have their own separate lives yet cunningly all interweave with each other fittingly is very clever, very complex, very King.

Cujo is a grand Saint Bernard who - like any dog - enjoys chasing rabbits and munching on treats. Yet once his paw is down the rabbit hole, the story is anything but a sweet Alice in Wonderland type of fairy-tale. It’s ridden with rapid bats that nibble and chew on Cujo’s fresh skin. And so the transformation begins. He isn’t the Camber family’s friendly dog anymore…

Similar to countless other novels written by King, Cujo builds suspense and tension through the first section of the book. King describes his characters in such depth that you feel as though you know them so well that you distinguish everything about them; you sympathise with the characters. We begin to love Gary’s satiric humour. And we feel protective over young Tad. That’s when the plot thickens. King has slyly done this as when you read that far into the novel, you will not be able to put the book down. You’re involved now. You’re a part of the novel. And you’ll need to know what happens next.

Triumphantly bloodcurdling, King is fully aware of what makes an outstanding novel. ‘Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.’ Stated King. Cujo is a prime example of just that. King almost seems to humanise Cujo’s train of thought throughout the novel such as: ‘It was possible that one of them might call him BADDOG. And at this particular moment, he certainly considered himself to be a BADDOG.’ Making the reader sympathise with a rapid dog. Did you expect that?

The narrator of Cujo is opinionated about all the other characters and talkative to the reader. Yet we don’t truly know who he or she really is. ‘Belasco, who was a prick of the highest order.’ The narrator pretty much hates everyone. On the other hand, they entice you to learn more about their lives and eventually feel distraught for them and their troubled fate with the rapid dog. 

We envision the characters’ lives as they go through aspects of life from money trouble to having an affair. With these characters, you are either going to love them or hate them but that’s what is so fascinating about this book. It forces you to have an opinion on each character spiralling in whatever shape or form.

If you have the patience with the slow unravelling beginning of this book then you’re unquestionably going to enjoy this book to its full potential. As it lures you in one page at a time.

Just remember: ‘The monster never dies.’

A Century of Makeup! - Part 2

The 1960s - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

With the pill being brought about women felt sexual and social liberation. More independence meant that women were off to work and meant more financial independence too. With this new found liberation and independence, women burnt their bras to ash. Makeup was more creative and individualistic. Hippie ideology spread amongst western culture. This spiralled into a mass use of recreational drugs. Flower power and anti-government, hippies were all for the peace movement. Planning to disrupt te distribution of nuclear weapons by laying on the road and living in tents. So despite creativity stretching far, living in tents meant that makeup was quite messy.

The 1970s - Punk Decade

The makeup looks ultra daring and dramatic yet being non-conformists,  turning heads was exactly what they wanted to achieve. Being anti-establishment and rejecting anything mainstream, spikes and black, bold eyes were a must have. Anti-authority ideologies showed through their makeup in order to represent the rebellious persona that punk culture wanted to achieve. 

The 1980's - Cyndi Lauper 

"I splash my cash to look flash." In this decade, makeup was art for both genders to play with. This is arguably the birth of guyliner and it was fashionable for guys to wear crop tops. Gender roles weren't strict in fashion, woo! New romantics was in full swing and fabulous. Makeup was available in an abundance of vibrant colours.The brighter the better!

The 1990s - Courtney Love

With the birth of grunge music thanks to Nirvana, makeup joined the bandwagon of grunge. The appearance of your makeup being slept in was very much desired. If it looked kinda dirty then it was perfect, Grunge was commonly associated with shooting up heroin alongside with a devil may care attitude. 

Wagamama Inspired Gluten Free Spirialised Parsnip Noodles

Diets are forming in all types and variations nowadays. Cutting out this and adding in more of that, the lists are endless. Luckily for the paleo followers and pescatarians out there, I have taken my own twist on a recipe from the book 'Inspirialized' by Ali Maffucci - which is perfect for any gluten free diet and has a blog which you can find here. This twist spun the dish into Wagamama heaven in your own home. Plus it was ultra easy and takes no longer than fifteen minutes.

Ingredients:

(Serves 1)

- 1 chunky parsnip

- 3/4 a tin of crab meat

- 1 red chilli

- 2 garlic cloves

- A handful of coriander

- 1 tsp of lazy ginger

- 1/2 a lime 

- Olive oil

- Salt and pepper

Equipment:

- A Spiralizer 

- A frying pan

- A knife and chopping board

1) To start, grab your parsnip and chop off each end in order for it to achieve the best noodle shape. Additionally, larger and chunkier parsnips work best to achieve the desired shape. It says in the book mentioned earlier to use blade C. Once everything is in place it's time to get spiralizing and you will end up with something similar to this:

2) Next splash some olive oil onto a frying pan and throw in the garlic and chilli that is chopped into tiny pieces. Let them fry slightly on a medium heat for about 30 seconds.

3) Throw in the parsnip noodles and sprinkle over some salt and pepper to season. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Tossing occasionally until the parsnips are ever so slightly softened. 

4) Add the crab, coriander, lazy ginger and the juice from the lime and let it cook for a further 2 minutes until the parsnips are cooked through and the crab is hot. 

And you're done. Go and enjoy your home made gluten free Wagamamas!