Zoe: What happened 2 u? I called and texted a ton of times earlier this wkâŠ
Finn: đ
Zoe: Ur phones broken douche. Back from the mountains yet?
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Finn đ
Zoe: Okaaaay good 2 know. Txt me when ur back in town. Parents wont be back til Sun wink wink
Finn: đ
11:50 PM
Piper: HIST term paper finished n still have 48 hours of spring break left. Jelly?
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Zoe: I hate u.
Piper: Whatâs ur progress?
Zoe: 2 sentences. Can stretch it 2 like half a page with title & name & all that ⊠đ
Piper: Lol a page half full way of thinking ;D
Zoe: Kill me plz
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Piper: Come over and work w/me. Still need 2 do BIO reading. Ill get ma barista on = ice mochas!
Zoe: Mb tomorrow. Finn just pulled into the drivewayâŠ
Piper: Sigh ⊠l8r sexy
Zoe: L8r
11:55 PM
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Zoe: Come up. Kitchen doors unlocked.
Finn: đ
Zoe: This is getting old Finny boy.
Finn: đ
Zoe: Not 2 mention creepy. R you coming n or not?
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Finn: đ
Saturday, 12:07 AM
Zoe: Where r u?
Finn: đ
Zoe: Can you stop this fucking game
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Finn: đ
12:11 AM
Zoe: Christ im freaking out
Piper: Lover boy trouble?
Zoe: Something weird is going on here. Finn pulled into the driveway 15 mins ago. I told him 2 come in but he never did. When I went down 2 see what was taking so long his car was empty not just empty but open. He left al the windows and doors open the engine running there was mud all over the pedals and floor. It was so rank I almost puked and there was this dark dried stain on the driver side headrest. Maybe blood. Dunno.
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Piper: Shit. U call 911?
Zoe: Fuck no. What if hes drunk or high or something. I donât wanna get him arrested.
Piper: Ok just calm down. Im sure its fine. Mb he stumbled into the bushes outside. Hes probably out cold in your yard or something.
Zoe: I doubt it. When I texted him before he kept replying with a đ every time.
Piper: Def high
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Zoe: I tried calling out 2 him, texted him again after I found the car. Same thing. đ
Piper: Weird
Zoe: Right? Wtf? Did you talk 2 any of the other guys? Zac or Trey? R they back yet?
Piper: Talked to Lucy earlier today. Said she hadnt heard from Zac or any of the others but she said cell receptions spotty in the mts. And nonexistent in the caves. She didnt sound too worried.
Zoe: Yeah I texted him Mon and Tues and he didnt reply til tonight with that fucking smiley.
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Zoe: Shit I just heard something
Piper: Like what?
Zoe: A door creaking. Brb.
12:15 AM
Zoe: Finn r u in the house?
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Finn: đ
Zoe: Iâve got ur keys.
Finn đ
Zoe: Quit fucking around!! Im calling u. Pick up.
Finn: đ
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12:19 AM
Zoe: Fuck fuck fuck
Piper: Whatâs happening
Zoe: Finn isnât answering his phone. Just playing the stupid đ game.
Piper: Heâs not in the house?
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Zoe: I dunno. Couldnt hear his phone ringing but it could be on silent. I found a flake of mud in the front hall. Could b from his car.
Piper: Call the cops, call 911
Zoe: Yeah ok ok l8r
Piper: L8r
12:42 AM
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Zoe: Finn?
Zoe Hello?
Zoe: Finn please answer me. Im worried about u.
12:50 AM
Piper: Everything ok?
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Zoe: Patrol car came by, 2 cops.
Piper: What they do?
Zoe: Came in, took a look around, took a statement, checked out Finnâs car.
Zoe: They didnât take much interest in the stain. Pretty old they said, if it even was blood.
Zoe: I showed them the texts and they thought he was prob playing a practical joke. I txted Finn in front of them, but all a sudden he stopped replying. Maybe he passed out or whatever. Fuck I felt like such an idiot.
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Piper: Shit Zoe ur being too hard on yourself. U were scared. Least its over now.
Zoe: Ugh Im having a vodka shot and going to bed.
Piper: Night
Zoe: Night
1:35 AM
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Zoe: Is that u Finn? Did you turn on the TV downstairs?
Finn: đ
Zoe R u ok?
Finn: đ
Zoe: Ur not hurt r u? I saw the blood. Fuck come up here, Iâm scared shitless, come up here, plz come up, please please stop this
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Finn: đ
9:44 AM
Piper Morning sexy you survive the night?
Zoe: đ
END
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Tim Boiteau lives in Michigan with his family. He is a Writers of the Future winner, with fiction appearing in Deep Magic, Kasma Magazine, and Dream of Shadows. His debut novel, The Drummer Girl, is out now in hardback and e-book.
Continuing our AI journey from last time exploring Little Red Riding Hood herself as the Big Bad Wolf… All of these are based upon the AI generated art and prompts using NightCafe and then created as posters in Canva.
How very… Phantom of the Opera predatory… this is definitely not what I had in mind. Maybe something more cutesy?
Ugh. Maybe not.
Wow, that seems like such a cop out, cropping off the head so you don’t have to depict it. And I don’t want to lose the Little Red Riding Hood reference completely.
So no surprise there, I knew that was too many references to work.
And as promised in Big Bad Poetry, we shall embark on our next AI journey, this time looking at Little Red Riding Hood. I had wanted to depict her as the Big Bad Wolf one and the same, although maybe not so big nor bad. But it just wasn’t happening quite as planned. All of these are based upon the AI generated art and prompts using NightCafe and then created as posters in Canva.
So I actually like this even better than my original vision, it is playful and even a bit serene (especially given the Sinister style). The wolf is just being a wolf. It’s quite lovely, really. But it wasn’t what I had in mind, so I revisited the idea later to see if I could get that result…
Over the river and through the wood flashed the fleet-footed Red Riding Hood on her way to her âgrandmotherâsâ house.
When running past, who should she see but just one of the little pigs three cowering like but a tiny mouse.
âBut my dear piggy, what do you fear?â Red Riding Hood asked as she slunk near, teeth hidden under a sheepish smile.
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The nervous small pig looked up in fright and decided that Red was alright, missing the subtle clues by a mile.
âThe Big Bad Wolf, that horrible beast upon the other wee pigs did feast!â the last little pig said with a squeal.
Red Riding Hood laughed with a great growl and threw back her heavy long-robed cowl, in a vast terrifying reveal.
For she was really the wolf Big Bad hidden beneath the cape that he had stolen from Red Riding Hood at point.
âAnd now Iâve caught you too my pretty and surely tâwouldnât be a pity if I gobbled you up in this joint.â
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Tâwas then the wee pig leapt to his feet And cried, âBig Bad Wolf, I shall defeat, for I am no ordinary swine!â
The little pig also wore sheepâs clothes spun in spells every woodland witch knows; Old Granny herself was quite divine.
âNow give me back my granddaughterâs cape, before I grab you by your ruffed nape and send you pig-squealing down the roadâŠâ
The wolf dropped the cape and ran, that cur, but Granny was swifter and hexed his fur and the wolf she turned into a toad.
Thus the moral of this story goes, when in the woods, no one really knows what sheepish sheepâs clothing is a ruse that big bad wolves and old witches use.
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So this is actually an intro to my next AI art journey with NightCafe which developed from me not getting the results I wanted (Little Red Riding Hood herself as a wolf). Here’s a preview with Eric’s versions as he is much more literal in his prompting than I am, but where’s the fun in that? đ
Prompts (from left to right) in Dark Fantasy style, executed Aug. 1, 2023:
Bipedal wolf in Red Riding Hood’s cloak
Bipedal wolf in Red Riding Hood’s cloak close up portrait
Bipedal wolf in red cloak close up portrait
Portrait of myself with dark makeup and crow skull headdress, backlit by the sun.