Leaf.

[kikomilo1]

What do you deserve?

#handlettering

#letterersofinstagram

#brushlettering

#quoteoftheday

#arttherapy

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A post shared by S T Y L O M I L O (@stylo___milo) on Oct 10, 2020 at 9:32am PDT

[kikomilo1]

Rom 8:31

#handlettering

#handlettersofinstagram

#art

#arttherapy

#digitallettering

#bibleverse

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A post shared by S T Y L O M I L O (@stylo___milo) on Sep 24, 2020 at 2:36am PDT

[kikomilo1]

IVL

Iced Vanilla Latte, less ice, less sugar. So that’s what IVL stands for. I got to get it quickly and return back to the office for Madeline to have her IVL soon. I poked my head out of the long line before me and checked the progress of the queue. Nope, it had not moved one bit. The idiot right at the front of the line refused to make up his mind so everybody else behind him had to wait patiently. This made me anxious but it also gave me some time to allow my mind to wander a little. 

Working in the fast-paced industry of journalism was my dream. I have always wanted to see my name published at the top of an article beneath the headlines. Being the intern reporter may be a small role, but it is definitely a tiny step closer to the dream I have in mind. But I have one problem - I see the dead. 

Can you imagine what’s it like to be able to see the dead when you’re a reporter? When I arrive at a crime scene, I will be seeing two of the same persons. One, probably on the ground covered in blood. The ‘other’, standing right behind the corpse staring at me. Now, you must be wondering why the other would be staring at me. Well, I came to the conclusion that it was because I am the only person able to see the dead, I was the only person the ‘other’ could approach to make sense of his/her recent death. Seeing the dead isn’t necessarily scary but when it is a gruesome death, the dead adopts its last look before the death. That is never pleasant. 

“Next!” Before I knew it, I was next in line and it was my turn to order. As I looked the cashier in the eye and hurriedly informed her of my order for Madeline’s IVL, something at the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was a dead spirit hiding behind the cashier, in a squat. While waiting for my order, my eyes shifted. I glanced downwards and the spirit immediately made eye contact with me. The eye contact sent chills down my spine instantly as I looked away once again. I picked up my order and went on my way back to the office. 

The chills failed to depart from me. The spirit relieved her duty behind the counter and began to tail right behind me. For the rest of the day, I could not shake her off. Neither was I courageous enough to speak a word to her. Soon, the day was nearing its end. I knocked off from work at 11pm and packed my belongings to head home for the day. What an exhausting day. 

I left my office carrying my fatigue and something more. I arrived at my doorstep in approximately half an hour & I stared at my green door. What should I do? She’s right behind me. I don’t wish for her to enter my house. What can I do? I stood before the shade of green for 15 minutes. Releasing a loud sigh, I walked through the green door into my home and watched her follow behind. Once inside, I could take it no longer. 

“Why are you following me? Can you please stop following me?” I yelled at the top of my lungs. 

I turned to see her looking at me with sorrow in her eyes. She pointed at the door and signaled me to follow her. I stepped out once more and kept my distance close. I followed her all the way to an abandoned apartment building on Stevens Street. She turned to me once again and pointed at the entrance of the building. So I entered, hiding the fear crippling my mind and heart. I turned a corner and saw a fragile dog. She pointed to the dog, signaling me to pick the little pup up. 

I saw the infected wound on its side so I rushed to the nearest vet clinic and handed the dog over to the nurse. Not long after, the nurse informed me that I brought the dog just in the nick of time. Any later, the little pup would have died due to the infected wound. Bearing tears in my eyes, I turned back to look at the lady spirit. This time, she had a smile on her and she gradually vanished into thin air, sending chills down my spine. 

[kikomilo1]

The Longest Minute

5 minutes. Another 5 minutes and my bus will arrive. I took my phone out from my pocket and jabbed the 3.5mm audio cable into it. Scrolling, scrolling. I picked a random podcast to listen to that resonated with the evening. Oh the cooling breeze... 

3 minutes. I looked up as another bus missed me by. The podcast reminded me to stop and look up at the fast paced city before me. 

2 minutes. There was a familiar scent approaching... 

1 minute. Finally, the bus is arriving so- A man, in his earlier 30s, bumped into me as my bus docked at the bus stop. I quickly boarded the bus without stopping to hear his apology. He boarded right behind me and in the empty bus, he sat next to me. 

“What’s his deal?” I wondered to myself. 

Soon, the  bus turned into Crescent Road and I pressed the button to indicate that it was my stop. I alighted the bus only to realise that the uncle alighted too. Reviewing the grocery list in my wallet, I walked into the nearby mart to grab a few things to munch on before heading home. 

“Ruffles, Doritos, Pringles.. Oh, how yummy but how sinful these guilty pleasures are.” I was dwelling in my own thoughts when the uncle came up to the cashier and handed the lady his credit card to make payment for my guilty pleasures. 

Weird. I left the mart after bagging my sinful indulgences and headed in the direction of home. The uncle was still following me. I was so obsessed with shaking him off but he kept coming after me. He followed even when I made wrong turns. He made the same wrong turns as I did. Not long after, home was in sight. I quickly entered my house and locked the doors behind me. Phew, I thought to myself. 

I woke up the next morning, feeling refreshed. Though he was not in my house, I could smell the same scent he had on him as if he was still nearby. I got up, prepared for school and left home. There he was, standing right outside my house! I started to feel the fear crippling my other senses as I made my way to the bus stop. He was like a shadow, tailing right behind. 

As people started to fill the bus stop, the fear gradually subsided. I monitored the app for the upcoming bus schedule. 3 minutes. Hopefully, he would not be boarding the same bus this time. 

2 minutes. He did not board any other buses that came. I could feel my worry but a wave of calmness kept me still nonetheless. 

1 minute. I plugged in for another podcast again, trying my best to occupy myself from hearing. I processed the homework I would have to be handing in later at school while I wait for the minute to pass. I have Biology homework, Chemistry quiz, Math- the cable of my headphones was tugged by something and it disrupted my trail of thoughts as well as the speaker’s voice I was listening to. I was so ready to rage as I turned my head to see the uncle holding onto my headphone cable. This time, I could not hold it in any longer. 

“Are you obsessed with me? Why are you following me? What is wrong with you?” I stomped up to him and shouted at the top of my lungs. He kept silent. 

“I should be reporting you to the polic-” that was when I heard a loud crash next to me. The bus I was waiting for rammed into the bus stop. To be exact, it was right where I was originally standing. An inch closer, I would have been in the way of the bus. I turned back to look for the uncle but he was already gone. He saved my life. 

[kikomilo1]

A Voice in Your Head

The name is Crystal, but I am merely a cyborg. Do you see how unfair life is to me? Wait, hold up. Let me back track a little...

Sam. That's him. Picture this guy in round glasses like Harry Potter’s. Then add a little hunky goatee on that well-defined jawline.  He has a brown shade of hair with a little fade on each side. He is always wearing that dark grey coat and underneath it, is a plain white tee and a blue acid-wash denim jeans. He walks as though he's in a hurry and those Converse shoes could carry him no faster. That's why he likes to walk and talk with me. I don't get tired. I can walk for miles before I need a recharge.

Sam built me 5 years ago. He created me to help people with interviews. I could accurately sense the emotions of others and I helped them practice their answers. Being Sam’s first robot with emotional artificial intelligence (AI), we went everywhere together. I really enjoyed every memory we shared. They were in my mind. Sam would always tell me that I couldn’t really enjoy it because I didn’t have a human heart. All I had was a computing pulse that kept my operating system in action. Nonetheless, what Sam and I had was magical to me. At least a year ago, it was.

I was scanning some documents in the office the other day. It was a sunny Wednesday afternoon. Sam was out. No idea where he went though. Things were quiet and I was just pretending to enjoy the busking sun when everything went crazy suddenly.

Five men barged into the office with huge guns. All the ladies in the room started screaming while the men tried to pull them to hide under the table. Big five were shouting for us to get down but it was a new situation to me, and I only took orders from Sam. Can you imagine how confused I was? I could sense the tension and fear in the room, but my robo-legs were rooted to the ground. One of big five kept shouting to get me to lay low until another one demanded to see Sam.

"Come out now, Sam Morrison!"

"Sam isn't here. He's out."

I was calm but I could sense their frustration towards my response. They started shooting at the ceilings, floors, tables and computers. Things flew everywhere as the ladies screamed even louder from under the table.

"Tell him to call!"

That was it. They left hurriedly.

Not long after, everyone went on a short break to freshen themselves up. Sam arrived back. He was mad. So mad. He started searching the office. God knows what he was searching for. He seemed to focus on finding the item he had in mind that he failed to notice a broken wire from one of the machines. It was exposed electricity hanging over spilled coffee. Trying to shove other items away, Sam backed towards the exposed wire. I panicked. I know, I know. I had not a human heart so I can’t possibly panic. But this time, I truly felt the adrenaline in me. It was as though I could really feel the energy coursing through the wires in me as I tried to run faster. But before I could reach him, Sam was already in danger zone.

Wait, what? What just happened? I stood over a white robot, in confusion. People started streaming into the office one-by-one to see what had happened.

Over the next few days, the white robot was placed in the robotics lab where Dr Grey and Dr Elan were both working to revive him. Only then did Sam’s sister explained what was going on. Sam was in a horrible lab accident. He was working on extraction and transferral of consciousness when one of the machines over-heated and exploded. Sam's body was badly scalded, and his nerves system was terribly damaged. He couldn't move but his experiment preserved his consciousness. Hence, she transferred his consciousness into another cyborg. Unlike me being a cyborg with emotional AI, Sam was a cyborg with a human mind. I perceive emotions from the feeling expressions and body language of others. But Sam could feel them.

I sat and observed Sam as he laid in the lab for the next two weeks. Reading the data on the machines, I knew. The current cyborg’s system was failing and could no longer carry and support his consciousness. So, I did what I had to do. I reached out using a cable in my finger to connect to a cable sticking out of his chest. Bam, I went out and laid like a dead fish over Sam's robot body.

I woke up, staring at myself over Sam’s body. I could hear his voice.

"Silly, Crys. How are you gonna survive now that you have moved your AI system into me? "

No one could see. But I was smiling inside Sam's head. Though I was only just a system but now I can hear his voice forever.

[kikomilo1]

get comfortable with yourself & enjoy your date with a strong, independent woman. #selflove #happyvalentinesday #iammyvalentine #loveandleadladies #love #weloveyou #boyfriendsareoverrated https://www.instagram.com/p/B8g4krsh4Th/?igshid=1w33s8w6adhxq

[kikomilo1]

[kikomilo1]

[kikomilo1]

... happy / sad / hungry / angry / chill / serious / crazy / lonely / naughty / spontaneous / fun / horny / corny / okay; etc. Don't let others tell you how to feel. #selflove #feelings #realness #rawfeelings #itsokaytonotbeokay #itsokaytofeelnotokay #selfacceptance #loveandleadladies #community #ladies #femalepower https://www.instagram.com/p/B8WpxgDBqZm/?igshid=3gac987oar8

[kikomilo1]

Whatever you do or however you push, keep on going. You're doing great. #selflove #motivational #inspirational #keepon #keeponkeepingon #loveandleadladies #ladiescommunity https://www.instagram.com/p/B8LUHBiBqpR/?igshid=1usjuih6b5lzg

[kikomilo1]

Blessed new week, ladies! Demand 100% for the things/people you invest your time in & don't short-change yourself! #selflove #challengeyourself #changeyourperspectives #spreadloveandencouragement #loveandlead #loveandleadladies #100% #askforit https://www.instagram.com/p/B7hVzmshyjg/?igshid=u2n9mhd7mfkc

[kikomilo1]

Stop competing with your girlfriend. She ain't your enemy! #selflove #challengeyourself #changeyourperspectives #spreadloveandencouragement #loveandlead #loveandleadladies https://www.instagram.com/p/B7XFtkJhdaG/?igshid=1pzyn77zuk3yo

[kikomilo1]

Let love overflow out of you. Share kindness to other ladies around you. #selflove #challengeyourself #changeyourperspectives #spreadloveandencouragement #loveandlead #loveandleadladies https://www.instagram.com/p/B7AoVoeBZLa/?igshid=18yn33prg8v44

[kikomilo1]

There will be times you feel labelled because of your emotions but instead of rejecting them, accept your emotions and understand why you are feeling the way you are. From there you will be able to have mastery over them instead of having your emotions being the Masters of you; where you truly are the way you were emotionally labelled. Feel your emotions. #feelings #emotions #strongwomenfeels #loveandleadladies #loveandlead #embraceyourself #positovity #spreadloveandencouragement https://www.instagram.com/p/B6Dl9oZhDTa/?igshid=rr7iw8t27z3c

[kikomilo1]

As we come near to the line between 2019 being the last year and 2020 being this year, look back at what you have accomplished whether huge or small. Is there anything you find not yet completed from what you set out to complete in 2019? Don't hold yourself back from achieving your 2019 bucket list, at the same time ponder what has changed and has caused you to deviate, is it because you have changed in 2019? And thus your outlook and your list became different? Maybe. For better or for worse, the year will go and the year will come. Think but do too (: . #selflove #challengeyourself #changeyourperspectives #spreadloveandencouragement #loveandlead #loveandleadladies https://www.instagram.com/p/B6hid9zhVTN/?igshid=1aeoktxnt5yu5

[kikomilo1]

Ladies, stop putting that guy or that friend first. Put yourself & your development first. Give yourself to the right people; give your time to the right investments. #selflove #challengeyourself #changeyourperspectives #spreadloveandencouragement #loveandlead #loveandleadladies https://www.instagram.com/p/B68IIDXhJLF/?igshid=18db4brpmqdrd

[kikomilo1]

"I woke up in a coffin..."

Silence. There was silence everywhere. Michelle felt the dust in her eyes. She felt the stiffness in her limbs. She struggled to wriggle her fingers & toes. Peek. She tried to seep through the tiny hole between her eyes that ain’t already covered with dust or sand. Why is it so dark? Finally, she did her best to sieve through the discomfort & opened her eyes to take a glance at what’s causing her lack of ease. She paused. She couldn’t comprehend.

Why is everything so dark? Where am I? Why can’t I move?

She stayed still, staring into the darkness above her. She was slowly getting fragments of memories coming back to her. Michelle was in a car at Walmart with her friends. They had just left the Scouts camp & wanted to head home so they called for a Grab taxi together to share the cost. But Madison, a fellow Scouts girlfriend of hers, was hungry so they asked the taxi driver to pull over at Walmart for them to get some snacks. They got off the vehicle & bought their snacks when they arrived. After their purchase, they boarded back onto the same vehicle, chit-chat their way home. But little did they know, they weren’t heading home.

The vehicle was filled with laughter. The girls, Madison & Jamie, were laughing about Jamie’s most recent date, sharing each little detail. Michelle laughed along but her right eye kept twitching. Superstitions are stupid, she thought to herself. She decided to leave the twitch at the back of her head & joined in the conversation instead. It was a long ride from the campsite to home. She had just joined the Scouts team & this was their orientation camp. She was delighted to have known Madison & Jamie & to have clicked so quickly. It was like a friendship meant to be.

But soon, things turned south. Sitting at the passenger seat next to the driver, Michelle noticed the little scar on the neck of the driver. It wasn’t there just now, she pondered. She noticed that he was still in a black jacket but he was wearing a different T-shirt & the shade of denim on his jeans were foreign to her too. She couldn’t help but wonder if he had changed. She started to get anxious. She started playing the worst scenarios in her head. It wasn’t long before the driver realized that she was staring at him when he reached for his pocket where pulled out a gun silently across his chest, directing it at Michelle. The girls were still cracking up from Jamie’s storytelling. Michelle’s eyes started to fill up with tears. She couldn’t help it. She was panicking inside. Soon, he pulled them over. He told the girls to get out of the car while the gun was still pointed at them. As Michelle alighted the car, she turned back & spotted the arm dangling outside the boot of the car which she failed to spot earlier. The arm was wearing the same pink sleeve that the original Grab driver wore. It wasn’t long before the man covered her mouth with a white cloth till she passed out.

There. This was it. She woke up on a beach. Only thing was, she was in a coffin. It was no happy vacation for her. She struggled for nearly an hour to get out of the coffin with her frail arms. Madison & Jamie was nowhere to be found. She was stranded on that beach with no one in sight. Scared? No, she was petrified. She ran. She didn’t know where she was headed to but she just ran. Someone, please. She yearned for someone to help her.

One. Three. Five. In a blink of an eye, 5 hours passed. She was hungry. She was tired. She sat by the beach, not sure what to do or where to go. She missed her family. She missed the warmth of the heater in her room. She missed the technology of her cellphone. All she had with her was her backpack that she brought to camp. But there was no one answering the talkie that she brought with her. She had no clue where she was. Well, at least she had a tent with her. So she picked herself up from this huge ugly mess she was in & started pitching her tent. Another hour passed. She thought to herself that somebody will rescue her eventually. She was hopeful. Her mom was a protective mother. She’ll find me, she thought to herself.

“Grr…”

As she was pitching her tent, she heard that coming from the trees behind the beach.

“Grr…”

There it was again! Tears started filling her eyes again as she felt the strength in her legs leaving her.