V for Vendetta Open Responses

3) What is the role of women in the Leader’s fascist society? What evidence exists to prove your point?

In the Leader’s fascist society women are treated more as objects than people. Valerie was used as a test subject because she was a lesbian. In the Leader’s fascist society homosexuals, people of color, and people of different religion were treated with spite. In Dr. Surridge’s diary she said one of the test subject women died and they found fingers growing in her leg. I think the woman was Valerie, further proving that she was used as a guinea pig. Mrs. Almond is another example of the harsh treatment of women in the fascist society. Once her husband died, and payment for his death was denied, she was forced into being a show girl. When V sings the “Vicious Cabaret” song he mentions that widows are forced into being show girls because its the only way to support themselves. Women that have these jobs are seen purely as entertainment, not as descent human beings. In the Leader’s fascist society women are treated with less respect and seen as objects.

4) Why does V subject Evey to mental and physical torment? Do you agree with his methods? Explain.

V subjected Evey to mental and physical torment by imprisoning her in a jail similar to the governments. V did it so Evey could truly be free and live without fear. Although the method was evil and terrible, it got the point across better than any other method could. Evey faced her own death, and was calm and collected. She was ready to die with integrity. No other method could have freed her mind as good as her imprisonment. I agree with his method because it was needed to free Evey. Evey’s body changed completely. Her head was shaved and she became very skinny. Once she was freed it sort of became her “new” skin or rebirth. The physical and mental torment was needed for Evey to achieve internal freedom and happiness.

The Brilliant Princess Mononoke

I have never been a huge fan of anime movies or shows for that matter, but Princess Mononoke was visually beautiful. The awe-inspiring animation done by Hayao Miyazaki and his team give the film a unique and mystical look.
The story depicts many moral conflicts that humanity has had and is going through today. Such as the question: How much do we sacrifice to further technology and knowledge? The characters of the movie represent the different sides of the argument, and throughout the movie you get to see all sides of the conflict.
The story opens up with a young man named Ashitaka (voice of Billy Crudup) fighting a massive boar demon. This enormous boar is covered in black, snake like appendages. Ashitaka manages to kill the boar, but gets burned and scarred by the demons tentacles during the fight. The scars give him sporadic bursts of super human strength which he uses to decapitate multiple enemies with a bow and arrow. The town shaman claims he will die and he must leave the village and see the world with “eyes unclouded by hate”. His travels lead him to Iron town, an encampment next to a large lake that produces steal at the expense of the forest. Lady Eboshi (voice of Minnie Driver) is the leader of Iron town, and is responsible for much of the destruction to the forest around it. Moro (voice of Gillian Anderson) is a wolf god who is trying to stop the progress of Iron town because it is destroying the world they live in. Princess San or Mononoke (voice of Clair Danes) is a human raised by Moro and the other wolves. She despises humans and thinks of herself as a wolf and fights for their cause. Ashitaka believes he must go to the forest god so he could possibly be healed of the scars and curse he received fighting the demon. Lady Eboshi plans to kill this god to further her people and town. Ashitaka meets Jigo (voice of Billy Bob Thorton) in the beginning of the story, and he works for the emperor. He plans to join forces with lady Eboshi and take down the forest god. Ashitaka must try to preserve both sides in the equation and prevent the destruction of both of their worlds.
The voice acting in the movie was fantastic. Even though the film was originally in Japanese, the voices were completely believable. Each character had a unique voice to them that fit with there visual drawing. One thing I really liked about the movie was the ambient sounds. The sounds of footsteps, the stretching of a bow string, and other details sounded remarkably lifelike. Other movies made by Miyazaki like Spirited Away also have reached extreme success in Japan. Spirited Away is the highest grossing film in Japanese history, even topping the Blockbuster hit Titanic. Mayazaki’s milieu definitely points towards the preservation of nature. The animation was stunning. Each scene shows great care and effort. One great scene in the movie involves small forest spirits sitting on top of the tree’s while the forest god walks among them. The animation showed that the forest god has the ability to give or take life. The animations also help depict the different sides of the conflict, usually incorporating dark colors associated with evil, and light colors when dealing with life and growth.
In Dann Gire’s review for Princess Mononoke he wrote “Princess Mononoke tells a smart, truly adult, epic tale of struggle between nature and the technological threat of man”. This is probably the biggest theme of the movie. Making us think about how the actions we take effect nature. How far do we go to further our technology at the expense of our environment? We as humans need to find a balance between nature and technology.
The movie Princess Mononoke is a fantastic work of art. Even if you don’t like anime or animated movies, its worth checking out. It has a captivating storyline, and is visually stunning. Princess Mononoke will give you a different view of the constant fight for a peaceful coexistence between humanity and nature.

The Damned Thing (1740)

Part 1:
The sun was high in the sky and a group soldiers were huddled in a circle. The year was 1968 in Thanh Hoa, a little town by the coast in Vietnam. The bodies of 67 Vietnamese civilians were scattered throughout the town. Each murdered with gruesome medieval methods. The dry earth absorbed the blood of the innocent, and left a red coagulated layer on the surface once its thirst had been satisfied. The houses of straw burned quickly when they were introduced to fire the night before. The only thing left of them now was a pile of ash and hot coals. The wind whispered death across this forsaken land.
The soldiers belonged to 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry. Their mission had been to check the town of Thanh Hoa for weapon caches and Vietcong spies. Each soldier was equipped with an array of weapons. Six men carried standard M16 semiautomatic assault rifles, and two men carried the M2 Carbine. One carried C4 explosive and a radio. Each man carried 2-4 grenades, one smoke grenade, and a standard issue KA-BAR combat knife. This knife could also be attached to a soldier’s primary weapon and used as a bayonet. The Sergeant of the squad also carried a Russian Tokarev, a weapon passed down from his father.
A shirtless soldier sat in the middle of the circle with his knees pulled into his chest. He was covered in dried blood and weeping heavily. His machete lay motionless in the dirt next to him, also coated with a thick layer of blood. A young boy sat and starred at the ground just outside the circle. Only the child and the dead knew what truly happened there. What killed them was no mere mortal. The human only acted as its gateway or portal, into our world. A man named Herbert Walsh was this portal.

Part 2:
“Keep a close eye on Walsh. I still don’t know what’s going on here.” I said to Private Horvac, and he nodded in agreement.
Kao and I took the frightened child to the outskirts of the village. Once we got out of earshot from the rest of the group we began our questioning. Kao was Vietnamese and could speak the language fluently, acting as a translator.
“So what did you see?” Kao asked the question in the child’s native tongue.
The child responded, and Kao translated it into “I do not know what it was.”
“Was it the man sitting in the circle back there?”
“Yes… But not as he is now.”
“Tell me exactly what you saw?”
“I awoke last night to screaming. My father wasn’t in the hut with me so he must have ran out. I could see a fire in the center of the village. I peeked out the side of our hut and saw a crazy man with a machete. He was chasing down other people and killing them. He kept on laughing and screaming in a deep, demonic voice. I do not know what he was saying, and his voice cannot be imitated. It was not a human voice, it was deep and dark.” The young boy looked down and went silent. His gaze refocused and he continued. “He started burning down the huts once the village was quiet. When the people inside went to escape from the fire he would kill them. When he was chasing down two children I snuck out of my hut and went into the jungle. When the crazy man finished setting all the huts ablaze he started laughing. Then he passed out. I remained in the woods until you people found me.”
“You say the thing that spoke wasn’t human?”
“Yes, it was not a human voice”
I gave the young boy a candy bar, but he did not smile. He took it and ate with no emotion.
Kao gave me a skeptical look.
“Sarge, I think something is wrong here, Walsh wouldn’t just go kill a whole town of people. From what I have seen Walsh is a pussy. Do you think this whole demon thing could be true?”
“I don’t know, I really don’t.”
“Should we tell the others?”
“If he really did murder all those people, we have to tell them. Later on I have to get back to the HQ and tell them what happened”.
“Won’t Walsh get in deep shit?”
“That’s not up to me. If I don’t report this and they find out we will be just as accountable. Go get Walsh and bring him to me, and then tell them the kid’s story.”
“You got it Sarge,” Kao replied.
Kao escorted Walsh back to me. He walked slowly and took a seat once he reached me.
I kneeled down and said, “so what happened last night Walsh?”
“I don’t know sir”, he replied. He was avoiding eye contact as best as he could.
“The boy told me what he saw. He said it was like you were possessed.” Walsh looked over his shoulder uneasily. “You have to tell me what happened”.
“I would tell you if I knew sir. I remember going to sleep and waking up in the village. I don’t know where this blood came from or what I did last night.”
“Did anything unusual happen to you yesterday, anything at all?”
“Sir, I really hate this place. I hate the rain, I hate the bugs, and I hate the people. Before I went to sleep last night all I could think about was getting out of this shit hole. I can’t stay here anymore, we aren’t winning this fight. Everyday we have to go out and hunt an enemy we can’t see. They hide in tunnels and make this place a living hell for us. I prayed for a way out, not just to god but to anyone that could offer a way out. I need to get out of here sir, I can’t stand it any longer!”
He began to sob with his head in his hands. I gave him an extra shirt in my rucksack and handed it to him.
“I will try to help you, but I think your best bet is to claim insanity. According to the boy you murdered all those civilians last night. The boy said something took hold of you. When I go to HQ I will try to get you the best deal I possibly can.”
Walsh was now weeping. I brought him back to the others and they gave me an uneasy look as we approached.
“Set up camp here, I’m going back to HQ to explain what happened. Keep your eyes peeled.” As I turned and started the trek I could hear my comrades whispering. Although I couldn’t decipher the words I knew they were of disbelief and confusion.


Part 3:
Sergeant Derenov arrived at the HQ at 3:30 pm. The camp was heavily secure with three heavy machine guns, and an entire company of soldiers. A medical tent and command tent were in the middle of the camp surrounded by separate barrack tents. This is where the men came when they finished their missions and wanted a hot meal and a dry place to sleep.
The command tent reeked of cigarette and cigar smoke. A large board covered with a map was located in the center of the room. Colored tacks and metal pieces were placed on the map revealing U.S and Vietcong positions. One tack was marked on the town of Thanh Hoa. Sergeant Derenov saw his commanding officer on the other side of tent conversing with other officers. He made his way over and gave a customary salute.
“Colonel, may I speak to you in private?”
Colonel gave a grunt of acknowledgment. He walked him over to a part of the tent that was less crowded.
“How did the raid go, any weapons?” Colonel said to Sergeant Derenov.
“It’s not that sir, last night a private named Walsh set fire to the town and killed all of its inhabitants during the night.” The colonel’s jaw dropped a little, exposing the chewed portion of his cigar. “There was a witness… A young boy, he said that Walsh had been possessed by some type of demon during his rampage. I spoke to Walsh, and he doesn’t remember anything about that night. I think he is telling the truth, he isn’t the man to do this type of thing.”
The Colonel brought Sergeant Derenov outside and behind the tent. “Listen to me carefully. You must not tell anyone else what happened last night. If word gets out about this we will all be in deep shit. I will tell regiment you were ambushed in the town and you simply returned fire. Make sure the bodies get burned or buried. Leave no evidence. Do the others know what happened?”
“Yes.”
The Colonel shook his head and rubbed his eyes with is fingers. “Ok, tell them what I told you.”
“What should I do about Walsh? I think he really was possessed.”
“Dispose of him, burry him with the others.”
“Sir, I can’t kill one of my…”
The Colonel interrupted him and said “In times of war we have to do things we wouldn’t normally. It’s for everyone’s own good, now get the job done.”
Derenov gave the Colonel a customary salute and went back towards Thanh Hoa.

Part 4:
I jogged all the way back to the town, and managed to get back in one hour. The men were still huddled in a circle in the center of town. Kao saw me and ran over.
“Sarge something happened. Walsh managed to get his pistol… He killed himself.”
All of the others followed behind Kao. “Ok, that changes some things. The Colonel doesn’t want HQ to know about any of this. He told me to burn the village to the ground and burry all the bodies. He is telling regiment that we were ambushed, and engaged in a firefight. No one must ever talk about what happened here. Is that understood?”
All of the men nodded in agreement, and looked uneasily at one another. I looked past the group to the center of the town. I could see Walsh. Blood had ran down his temple and formed a pool in the dirt. Maybe he was crazy, I don’t know for sure. But something tells me a different force was at work during the massacre of Thanh Hoa.

The Omega Man vs. I am Legend

I think that The Omega Man had some aspects of I am Legend correct, but was mostly different than the book. First off, the bad guys in The Omega Man had to be the stupidest villains ever. According to I am Legend the people who didn’t end up dying of the bacilli ended up turning into something similar to a vampire, not crazy albino people. One thing I hated about The Omega Man was the guy who played Neville. He was way too old for the part. In I am Legend Neville is 36 years old, Neville in the movie looks like he is in his 50’s. Neville in The Omega Man was way more reckless than Neville in I am Legend. In the movie he wrecks two cars, and drives like a maniac. Sure Neville in the book had his moments but nothing compared to him in the movie. Way too many corny one liners in the movie, and he could barely pull them off. The one thing the movie pulled off was the house Neville stayed in. It looked like a solid fortress. Neville in both the book and the movie seemed smart and knew how to survive. A huge difference between the two would be how in the movie Neville found a whole group of survivors. In the book there was one girl, and she was a vampire so she doesn’t even count. A big difference between the movie and the book is Neville’s death scene. In the book Neville commits suicide before he is executed in front of the hybrid vampires. In the movie Mathias throws a javelin better than they can in the Olympics and hit Neville square in the chest. Neville is standing in a water fountain for some reason and doesn’t notice the javelin coming towards him from a mile away. Naturally he bleeds out in the fountain and manages to save the cure. Overall, The Omega Man and I am Legend had more differences than similarities.

The Mystifying Pan's Labyrinth

When my friend first told me about Pan’s Labyrinth I thought it was going to be a crappy fairytale. Needless to say, I was wrong. Guillermo Del Toro directed the movie. He is also the director of the Hellboy series. The intricate storyline and petrifying creatures of Pan’s Labyrinth’s world give this film an edge over any other fairytale.
Pan’s Labyrinth follows the life of Ofelia (Ivana Banquero) and her mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) after the Spanish civil war. Carmen is pregnant, and is going to see Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez I Ayats) in the deep forests of Spain. Vidal is an officer in the Spanish army and the father of Carmen’s baby. Vidal’s job is to hunt down the rebels that are in the mountains. He uses brutal tactics, such as crushing the cranial contents of an innocent rabbit hunter’s son. A faun reveals itself to Ofelia and tells her that she is the long lost princess of the underworld. She must go through three tasks to prove that she is no mere mortal before she may return to her throne. The tasks are both terrifying and dangerous. The camp they are stationed in has some supporters of the rebels. One of which is Mercedes (Maribel Verdu). She secretly is brings the rebels food, mail, and other necessities without Captain Vidal knowing. The doctor of the camp (Alex Angulo) also helps the rebels with injuries and later puts down a tortured rebel. The tasks Ofelia is given come into conflict with the real world.
The casting of Pan’s Labyrinth was excellently done. My personal favorite choice was Sergi Lopez I Ayats, playing the role of Captain Vidal. Even though he looks like a normal man he is absolutely brutal. His dialogue expresses his disapproval of the actions people take. He makes a fuss over things as little as burnt coffee. Ivana Banquero (Ofelia) pulled off Ofelia’s role well. There wasn’t anything amazing about her performance, but there was not anything bad about it either. Maribel Verdu did an excellent job portraying Mercedes. Mercedes is completely believable throughout the entire movie. She is my second favorite actor in the movie for pulling off her dificult role so well. Doug Jones played the Faun in the movie. He also played a terrifying creature whose eyes are located in its hands. The faun looked evil but friendly at the same time. He has a large pair of horns, designs on his forehead, and magical light blue eyes. He has the ability to appear and vanish whenever he wishes, which proves to be an important aspect of the character. I loved the creatures in the movie because they were completely different than anything else I have seen. They were things you would only see in nightmares or fairytales.
The scenery in Pan’s Labyrinth was beautiful. I do not think it could have been shot in a better place. The old house they were stationed at had a very old look to it. The forest looked pure, natural, and untouched by mankind. The labyrinth had a very large maze surrounding it, and a spiral staircase leading down an ancient statue. At some points in the movie certain colors seem to stand out more than others. The redness of the blood is one of the big ones, and the gold shine of royalty. A catchy seven note tune is constantly being hummed or played in the background. It gives the movie an eerie and mystifying tone. The special effects were also something to marvel at. Fairies and other creatures like the frog have a unique look to them.
Pan’s Labyrinth surpassed my expectations, and actually has become one of my favorite movies. I believe any teenager or adult can enjoy this movie, even if you aren’t one for fantasy. The movie shows how harsh the world can be, but also how there is a brighter side to it.

The New Immortal (988 Words)

The needle effortlessly slides into my arm and into my vein. Instantly I drop the syringe. It feels as if hydrochloric acid is traveling throughout my body and incinerating everything it comes in contact with. The veins in my neck expose themselves and I groan at the poison in my skin. My stomach clenches and vomit spews from my mouth in random bursts decorating my desk. My body is urgently trying to rid itself of this internal demon. Then there was nothing. I awoke on the floor of my room. There is no melodic thumping sound pulsing in my ears. My computer is still on and I notice that one hour has gone by since the injection. The headline of the website reads “Ingredients for Vampirism”. Holy S***, it actually worked. My parents were still soundly asleep in the next room. They hadn’t heard a thing over my dad’s snoring. I grab a sweatshirt from my closet and creep downstairs. I’m light on my feet even with my heavy skateboard shoes. I slip out the door without a sound and vanish into the neighbor’s yard. I can see everything in perfect detail. My neighbor’s car turns onto my street, so I make a move for the bushes on my right. As I push off towards the side of the road I realize I have made a serious mistake judging my strength. My right foot slides under me and I eat pavement. Blood gushes out from my punctured tongue, but I manage to leap into the bushes before the car reaches me. A large gash above my left eye is leaking blood into my vision. Surprisingly, my tongue doesn’t hurt and I am unable to feel any cuts on it. I reach up and feel the area of my forehead that broke my fall on the pavement and there is no wound. Once I wipe the blood away there is nothing to bother me. The power of regeneration is the only way to explain the rapid healing. I continue down the street at a brisk pace pondering ideas of places to go. Dunkin Donuts is my choice. Some hot chocolate would really hit the spot on this cold night, but I am not cold, just thirsty. I decide to see how fast I can run with these new powers and all. Imagine the fastest you have ever run, and multiply it by 5. Dunkin Donuts is empty except for two employees, a girl and a boy. A glowing red aura surrounded each of them. It seemed to have a life of its own and followed every movement they made. I order a large hot chocolate and set it down on the table. The kid I bought it from had given me some weird looks so I went into the bathroom to see what I looked like. I stare into the mirror and see a pair of red eyes. My face is pale and clammy. No wonder the kid was giving me weird looks. I look like a demon of some sort. I took a piss and grabbed my hot chocolate on the way out. Without thinking I began chugging the hot beverage. As soon as the liquid reached my stomach I hurled. It tasted absolutely putrid. How could I be so stupid? Vampires obviously could not eat or drink anything except blood. I am getting very hungry. People’s auras are beginning to leak out of their cars as they pass. Anger and rage flood my brain and start to take hold of me. I am losing control. I am almost at my street when a car pulls up beside me. A bunch of college kids are inside and the driver rolls down the window. All I can think about is blood. All I want is their blood. He points at me and beckons me over. Rap music is blasting from the subwoofers in the back. I hate rap and it grows louder as I approach. The stench of alcohol becomes more potent as I get closer. I squeeze my fists and bite my lip to hide my anger. Once I get outside his window he spits in my face. I snap. I grab the driver’s side mirror and rip it off in one smooth motion. I whip the thing as hard as I can into the kids face. I don’t know if it was the glass on the mirror braking or his jaw. They started screaming in the back. There were two girls and one guy in the backseat. The other guy was in the passenger seat motionless. I open the driver side door and rip it clean off the hinges. I push the knocked out driver to the side just enough to slide in. The screaming and yelling of obscenities was getting me more excited and worked up. I was not myself. I pull onto a side street and put the car in park. I ravenously leech all of the blood out of the driver’s neck. The more I fed, the more his aura dissipated. The others run away screaming, but I don’t care. I step out of the car and head towards the woods. The anger and rage that had previously taken control of my mind was gone. I looked back at the car and recalled the carnage I had created. I know I should feel guilty and terrible about what I did, but I don’t. I like the power, the rage, and the speed. I am invincible to any common forms of death. The freedom of knowing no one can stop me out weighs the consequences. I knew exactly what was on the line when I injected myself. I was prepared to lose all aspects of my old human life. The cops are probably on their way by now, but I will be long gone before they get here. So begins the life of a vampire.

My Top Dozen Movies

#1. Lord of the Rings- If there is one word to describe the series it would be EPIC. The spectacular scenes panning the mountains of New Zealand and excellent cinematography will amaze you. The choosing of the cast was brilliant. Each character looks as if they belong there. Orcs and Goblins actually look like Orcs and Goblins would. Even though the movies are long it is easy to finish them because they are so good. The CGI and flabbergasting battle scenes will simply stun you.

#2. Star Wars Episode 4,5, and 6- A set of classic George Lucas films beginning in 1977 and ending in 1983. A trilogy that delivers the best special effects of the time. Making lasers, space battles, and creatures from other planets look real. The movies had you rooting for the good guys’ right from the start. Mainly because Vader looked and sounded unbelievably creepy and Stormtroopers were always wearing masks giving them no identity. The intro scene of episode 4 when Stormtroopers invade the rebel ship will lock you into the movie without question.


#3. Children of Men- The storyline and setting is one that could possibly happen sometime in the future. Humans have become infertile and are facing their inevitable extinction. One woman become pregnant through some sort of miracle. In the movie you follow this woman and a man randomly dropped into the situation through chaos and coincidence. Clive Owen is the perfect choice for this role. The way Children of Men is filmed is really what makes this film great rather then just good.

#4. 28 Days Later- If you are a zombie fan you must watch this movie along with its sequel 28 weeks later. People are infected with “rage” so they aren’t true “zombies”. Danny Boyle delivers the remarkable story about a survivor of an epidemic. There are some amazing shots of an abandoned London. Great special effects for the low budget it was given. Filmed digitally giving it a gritty real feeling.

#5. Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl- Easily the best of the 3. One of my favorite movies of all time. You were rooting for the pirates from the start. Johnny Depp played the role of Jack Sparrow perfectly. When pirates stole Aztec gold it unleashed a terrible curse upon them. Making them undead and unable to feel anything. Movie is filled with great humor and some legit fighting scenes.


#6. V for Vendetta- Takes place in London in the near future. A totalitarian government runs the U.K when much of the other world is in chaos. The hero V is mysterious yet appealing. With superhuman abilities like super speed and super strength he crushes his opponents with nothing but his fists and a brutal set of knives. Throughout the movie V’s past is unraveled and exposed to a follower.


#7. District 9- Aliens have landed in Johannesburg and will not leave. Their huge space ship hovers above the city apparently damaged and un-flyable. The CGI in this film is incredible. The “Prawns” or Aliens look like large Bugs that speak in a language of clicks. The special effects and cool weapons in this movie make it stand apart from others like it.

#8. The Matrix- “Mr. Anderson”… A line known by probably almost every boy my age. Hugo Weaving played the Mr. Smith role extremely well. The Matrix has one of the most intricate and interesting story lines I have ever heard of. It would take forever to explain the plot. There are some insane fight scenes and gunfights. Not to mention the ability of dodging bullets. The storyline of the Matrix is a good enough reason to watch it.

#9. Terminator 2 Judgment Day- Arnold Schwarzenegger is now a “good” Terminator. He plays the role perfectly and remains just as bad ass as he was in the first one. When I was little I thought that hanging out with a terminator would be the coolest thing ever, who wouldn’t? With a great selection of corny one liners, great special effects, and epic explosions it is a must see.

#10. Harry Potter- The books and movies of my generation. J.K Rowling makes magic come alive in the books which are then made into films. Supposedly a secret magic world exists in Britain hidden from “Muggles” (non magic people). The movie follows the lives of 3 kids living in a magical castle called Hogwarts. If you like magic and odd creatures they are movies to look into.

#11. Jurassic Park- One of my favorite movies as a kid. What kid wasn’t into dinosaurs at one point in their life? You felt the fear of the characters when they were nearly being eaten by a T-Rex. Plus Samuel L. Jackson is in it which obviously makes it a great movie.


#12. War of the Worlds- Although I’m not a huge fan of Tom Cruise I have to give him props for this movie. Very cool story involving aliens landing on earth hell bent on harvesting and annihilating the human race. Dramatic and suspenseful scenes of destruction will keep you focused on the film.

Setting Exercise

Dried seaweed clings to the dry sides of the beached submarine. Like remoras to a shark that are just along for the ride. It smells of dead fish and sour milk as I approach vessel. Half of the sub is still in the water, meaning this sub has been landed intentionally. I climb to the top of the submarine and a blast of salty humid air hits me. The seas are tranquil and wave less, a storm is coming. I try the hatch and to my surprise is already opened slightly. The smell of death and decay shoots up my nose as I open the hatch fully. Humid air chokes me as it escapes from its trap. A blood trail leads down the 10 step ladder. I unholster my berretta and proceed into the darkness. The hatch slams shot and sends a loud crack throughout the entire submarine. The device to open it from the inside has been ripped off. The flickering lights give a strobe light effect. Pupils’ dilating and constricting with no rhythm. I take out my flashlight and scan the next room, obviously the kitchen. No blood, no stench, just the faint taste of metal and dust. The table is littered with papers and a half eaten egg sandwich. I enter the sleeping quarters, what I see confuses me. All of the beds have been stacked in a circle in the back of the room, as high as the ceiling. I sit and listen for any signs of movement. Nothing except the steady increase in my breathing. The adrenaline beginning to kick in. I move towards the right side of the mattresses. My muscles begin to tense. I move without a sound. My eyes focus, my grip tightens around my weapon. The mattresses fall with one heavy kick. There is nothing inside, just an empty corner. The mattresses fall over one by one like dominos. I scan the next room which appeared to be an exit hatch area. Wet suits and scuba gear hang from the walls. I took some of the gear and headed to the exit hatch. The clicking of one button released me from the confines of my iron death trap. I swim out of the hatch and to the side of the sub. I take a moment to watch the sun rays hitting the water before getting beaten back by the darkness. In the corner of my eye I see flash of metal being hit with sunlight on the hull of the sub. I hesitantly swim towards it. An easy victim of human curiosity. I get close enough to see what the object is. I gasp and send bubbles out of my mask and choke on the sudden decrease of air. A watch on an officer’s arm, tied to the ship is the object. I shuttle around the perimeter of the ship and find that the crue had been tied to the hull of the sub. How this was done I don’t know. Another apocalyptic creature mutated by the fallout in the region? I need equipment for the coming winter and I thought a submarine would be a viable source. The tide urges me on as I head back to shore. I feel the waves gently wash over my back. I forget how many months of have gone by since the blasts. I’m amazed I have made it this long.

Why are We so Fascinated by Vampires??

Vampires have some kind of existence in almost every culture making them a universal creature. They have superhuman abilities which make us admire them and their power. They drink blood which is completely out of the social norms of society. The key fact is that they are immortal, they will never get old as we do. We give reasons to why we never see them, they only come out at night when its dark so we can never see them clearly. If they go out during the day the are burned to death by the sun. Through books and movies there are many different kinds of vampires. For instance, "good" vampires who dont kill for blood. I think this is stupid and that it ruins the idea of vampires. And the normal vampire who hunts down humans and drinks their blood for more power.Vampires can supposedly transform into various animals such as bats giving them the ability to "dissapear" when in danger. Vampires have sharp teeth and are pale, I think that we have created the way they look to make them look as scary as possible. All in all anything that has different abilities or features that humans dont have themselves interests and fascinates them through curiosity. That is why the myth of vampires is still talked about today.