Narrative 1

In this unit, we explored the components of a story and wrote our own. In English, I wrote a light flash fiction horror story. In Digital Media and Animation, I began to use the Wacom drawing tablet. We learned how to use Adobe Illustrator and made animations in PhotoShop. There was a group project in Animation, too.

For this, I focused a lot more on the visuals since I already have experience with writing. Getting to create and animate a story with peers is something I really found fun!

Digital Media

Two blocks until I’m home. I plod along, and the sky darkens as I do so, like when you turn down the opacity in Procreate. I walk a little faster, tell myself it’s because I don’t want the ice cream I just bought to melt before I’m home, but in truth I’m kind of terrified that someone is following me or something. Mixing my anxious personality with being alone in the dark usually doesn’t end well. My breath catches in my throat at every sound I hear. I try to covertly glance behind me and check my surroundings, but everything appears to be still, normal… and dark. Very dark. Ahead of me a street lamp flickers and turns off, plunging me even further into darkness. My eyes fill with tears, making it even harder to see, and I suddenly become sure that I won’t make it home. I breathe in deeply, exhale, try to clear my head. My brain runs through several horrible scenarios — I can’t help but imagine someone kidnapping me, hurting me.  I imagine the local news headlines alerting people to my disappearance, and my stupid yearbook photo filling everyone’s TV screens. I have to make it home. I don’t want anyone to see that. 

I stop, close my eyes, and tell myself I will be okay. Two blocks until I’m home. Two blocks until I’m home. In this endless darkness, though, two blocks might as well be two thousand. I open my eyes and squint. Warm yellow light spills from a house with an open door to my right. I can hear a TV inside, and it seems far more inviting than the cold, dark sidewalk. I press the doorbell, and a tear slides down my cheek.

A lanky, angular woman comes to the door. “Can I help you, honey? Are you okay?”

I feel like a little kid again. “I’m so scared. I feel like there’s someone following me,” I tell her tearily. She leads me to a faux leather couch and motions for me to sit.

“Calm down, honey, don’t worry.” She turns. “I was just about to make tea. Would you like some?” I shake my head no. “Sit tight.” I can hear her moving around in a nearby room I assume is the kitchen, and I hug my knees and put my head down, tears still streaming down my face.

She’s back in this living room area now. She places her hand softly on my shoulder. “Do you want me to drive you home? Call your parents or something?”

I nod. 

“Okay, sit tight, honey.” I hand her my phone, unlocked, and she smiles mechanically at me and exits the room. I flex my hands and roll my fingertips together. This always helps me calm down — it has ever since I was young. My breathing is becoming more regular now, and I stop crying. I’m safe now. To be fair, I was probably safe the entire time — I can see that now. I know I have a tendency to worry too much and blow things out of proportion. 

Without the sound of my sobs, I realise it is strangely quiet in the house. The TV is off now, and I can’t hear that woman moving around anymore. She’s not speaking either. Didn’t she say she would call my parents?

I make my way towards where I’d heard the noises coming from before, and find a light, open kitchen. The still-open front door is down a short hallway, and lets in a cool draught. 

“I feel better now, actually. I live pretty close by. I can get home myself.” She’s bent over something on the kitchen counter.

She doesn’t turn around. She seems really focused on whatever she’s doing.

“C-could I have my phone back, please?” She turns around, finally, and I realise just how tall she actually is. That strange smile stretches across her face again. “Let’s get in my car, honey. Your parents aren’t picking up. I’ll drive you home.”

“I’m okay, really. Please just let me have my phone, I’ll be fine.”

She turns around again and opens a drawer, takes something out, and tosses it at my feet. It’s my phone, completely smashed and mangled, damaged beyond repair.

“They won’t be able to track you now.” She reaches backwards, still smiling at me, and pulls out a knife and duct tape. “Now let’s go get in my car, okay?”

Two blocks away. Just two.

“Not okay!” I kick my phone back towards her, and use the split second she looks down at it to run towards the still open front door, burst through the gate, and run. 

Two blocks later, I’m home.

I made a sticker sheet with designs from my sketchbook!

I made some designs inspired by different things in my life and some bands I like.

During semester one, we made song parodies. I chose Creep by Radiohead and made the song about a person who’s scared of sheep.

This is a walk cycle I made of a cartoon dinosaur! I later adapted it into a shorter animation for a small game.
This is a piece I submitted to an art contest. It is three drawings of different parts of a town, and I won second place!
This is a short animated film I worked on with three other classmates, Jonah G, Chloe W, and Aidan T. Chloe and I did the animation, Jonah colored them and did some backgrounds, and Aidan added music and sound effects.

This animated film is about a chef who owns a restaurant. He is making a burger, and then the ingredients run away.

This is the character bio for my puppet Lek, who is a little goblin girl.