I know all of you like to tell your scary stories, I like them too. Way back when my voice was still high-pitched I knew a man who told the scariest stories you'd ever hear, well he wasn't a human exactly, but he sure was a man. A good man by estimation, but you can be the judge of that. See, my mama used to live way down in the rural bits of Texas. Ain't nothing much down there 'sides toads and mosquitos. Fireflies would light up the night sky, and once in a while you'd see a couple eyes comin' up from the water. We lived in a small house, a bedroom, a kitchen, nothing special, but nothing shameful neither. It was just me and mama, papa left a long time ago, mama says he was out on the lake and got eaten by one of them gators. I believed it, he was always drunk and on a tear. He'd go out into the reeds until they got as high as his head. He was big a fella, too. That man'd go out there and throw meat to the alligators, meat my mama said we couldn't afford. And he'd come back scratching from the mosquitos and what else was in those high reeds. He'd stumble into the house and fall asleep somewhere round the door.
None of that may seem wholly pertinent, but it will be, just give it some time. I was outside one evening, mama was asleep. Mama was a hard sleeper, I think she grew up by a train track - Chicago she said, mama was a city girl that came out to the country to raise a big family. It was just me though, I never asked why, but it was always just me. It was a gorgeous evening, the ones you see in those little photo booklets that advertise how beautiful the town is. Fireflies dotted the sky, and a big yellow moon lit the whole way down to the lake. As much as a lake as you could call it, the critters sure did like the water. Bugs, frogs, gators, big and little fish; you could stick a net in the water and be sure something'd be stuck in there.
So, I walked throught the reeds, taking little chunks off the ones nearest me so I could find my way back. It was just a straight walk, but you try walking in a straight line when you're blind. You'll end up going in a circle - I think that's why they say we have a circulatory system. As I'm just near the water, pullin' reeds, and swattin' mosquitos, I see a kid with a lantern, about my height. The lantern was half the size of his body, big flame in the middle of glass, the orange waves danced and flickered lighting everything it touched, and casting shadows where it didn't. The kid beckoned me too him: "Hey, come here" he said. Well, it wasn't a kid, it was a very adult voice. "Little person" I thought, that's what they liked to be called. Just the same I didn't feel too comfortable approaching a man I didn't know.
"Come here, it's all right." And he beckoned again. Something about him, seemed - familiar. I didn't need much convincing, I headed over to him, and he gestured with his hand for me to sit. I sat, and he sat beside me. Wasn't much of a man either, he had a bulbous yellow eyes that searched around and never found anything. Big lips, red splotches just about everywhere. He was fat too, well not quite fat, but somehow, inflated. He was barefoot, and smelled like old hamburgers. I breathed through my mouth, and waited for him to speak again.
"I've got tell you a story about that house you're living in" he said. He paused, just waiting for it to sink in. Somewhere I was livin'. Now, I loved my house, and I loved my mama, but there weren't nothing worth telling a story about there. And everyone in town knew about papa, so it couldn't be that.
"Just me and my mama here" I replied, shifting a bit on the dirt as the small tide lapped close to my sneakers, the shadows from the lantern playing on the water. I had my eyes fixed on the water, always expecting a couple of eyes and a big alligator mouth.
"Just hold on there, I've been around this place a long time, I might know something you don't." He waited again, his eyes whirling, and his hands shuffling around the dirt, like he was lookin' for something on either side.
"Okay, go ahead then."
"There's a woman in that house, sometimes thin, sometimes big. Sleeps heavy, talks about the trains in Chicago"
"That's my mama"
"It is?"
"yes sir"
"She good to you?"
I hesitated. Mama was good, but she was rough sometimes. Sometime she'd get sick, and, well, irrational. She'd yell about how people in the house tryin' to talk to her, wanted to 'get' her. Eventually she'd tire herself out, and then she was a sweet mother then. Cooked the best beef stew you'd ever had, I never had any other beef stews, but her's was real good all the same: "yeah, she's good" I said.
The little man waited again, then continued on: "Well, maybe I'm talkin' about another woman. I couldn't know, your mama seems a wonderful gal."
"Tell me the story" I said. My fingers were tapping on the ground, along the dancing shadows, under that big yellow moon. I could hear the plop of a fish flying out out of the water and right back in. That siren eek of a mosquito came by my air and I shooed it away. And I looked at the water, where it was lit by the flame I could still see the little man. His eyes still whirling, his hands still digging.
"Well, some woman lived in that house. And she had a husband, handsome fellow, maybe a little too hard on the bottle, but he got done what needed to be done. For years the two of them would talk about havin' kids, and it just never happened, well almost never. Don't worry - I'll get to that. Now I want go too into the details because you're so young, but boy did those two try. And sometimes, like woman do when they're ready to become mamas, she'd get nice and big. Then she'd get thin again. Now, her husband was confused to say the very least. His wife'd cry, say the child was taken by the Lord, and they'd continue on about their lives, alone, in that little house by the lake. But funny enough how God works, like a miracle, when they were at their saddest - plenty would come in. See, the woman had a sister from the city who'd send her big packages full of meat and she'd make that meat into a nice stew. Sometimes they even had a little extra, you know what they'd do with it?"
I paused, I knew, I heard the stories. "He'd go throw it to the alligators"
"You're right, he'd throw it right to the alligators, now I don't know if gators can taste spice, but if they can they're mighty tough. That stew was always filled with the habaneros and all sorts of chilis, something you gotta stop and sweat for every few bites. Not those gators though, they'd gobble them right up. I'll tell you though, one day those two did have a child, handsome one too. Fuzzy brown hair, and cute as all get out. Looked' something like you matter of fact. Named him Matthew."
"My name is Matthew" I knew what was going on, I did, and I felt something like fear and something like comfort. Knowing just who this man was saying he was.
"Is it? Well, that can't hardly be a coincidence. I'll tell you something though, Matthew, I lied earlier in the story, I s'pose I should go ahead and tell you the truth."
"What's that?"
"Well, you already figured out, wasn't too hard, that's your mama I'm talkin' about, and yes, I'm your papa. I'm sure you figured that out too. I know I don't look like much not after you know what happened, but I didn't die. I've been living around this here lake since you was born. Your mama says she don't want me back in the house account of how I look. I don't blame her, but it sure is frustrating." there was some rustling in the reeds behind us, and the croak of some old frogs - they always sounded old to me at least.
"And that meat, ain't no packages from Chicago, I don't think Carol ever lived in Chicago, maybe she did, but I never heard from anyone there. And there wasn't so much as a picture to prove it. Those was those little miracles from the Lord. Yes I'd put one in your mama, we'd wait a few months, and we'd have ourselves a nice meal. The first one really was a miscarriage, and we were hungry, so we tried just a bite. Maybe we were both a little too much on the whisky, but we were very hungry. And boy - it tasted good. Best meat I'd ever had. And as long as I could keep fishin' by that lake I could give your mama the energy she needed to make that delicious beef stew."
I got up as fast as I could muster, I tried to run, took a few good strides, and then felt arms on my shoulders, locking me in place, and shoving me down onto the floor. I squirmed and screamed: "Let me go, no!" I cried, and I hollered, but it was no use. It was my mama, she straddled me with her legs, and pinned my arms down so I couldn't move a muscle. She smelled like those old hamburgers. And she smiled the sweet smile she always smiled when she was in one of her better moods.
"We waited a bit longer with you, wanted you to be nice and ripe, and now I think you're ready. Don't you think he's nice and ready, Carol?"
Mama took one hand off me, whipped it behind her back, and pulled out a big kitchen knife. She held it in front of me, and I could say my eyes in the metal, tears were rolling, and my face was red and screaming. Can't say I'd been that scared since.
"Carol, darlin', before we make our meal, how bout' we kiss like we used to. It'd be nice for him to see what a happy family looks like"
"Kiss you?" Mama spat. "You ugly little drunk, not even the alligators would want to kiss your mouth. Last one tried to kiss you spat you right out. I ain't want nothin' to do with that."
"Darling, I missed you."
"I didn't miss you, I ain't lettin' you back in the house neither. You think I can't find another man? Just past this lake I've got a hundred suitors just waitin' to take a gal like me. Bet they have big cocks too, not like your little pecker."
That was enough for papa, He ran right toward mama, I don't know how he did it with those whirlin' eyes, but he did it. He came and pushed mama right off me. I started crawling away as quickly as I could. Papa bit her and mama let out a big yelp: "Fuck!" she screamed; mama didn't cuss much 'less she was real mad. And boy was she real mad. I crawled into the reeds and hid there, lookin' through to see what was gon' happen.
She stabbed him, right in his arm when he tried to block her form his stomach. Big nasty gash, blood running everywhere, a little brown, a little green, but still mostly red. But he kept just goin' kickin' and bitin'. "I'll kill you!" she screamed and slashed, and they both yelped and hollered.
Then, I swear, he started hummin' a little tune, sounded like a nursery rhyme, and the water started to bubble, and I saw two big eyes out of the water, and then that mouth, and a big gator came right up. whappin' his tail, snortin' and groanin' in that way gators do. Bit mama on the leg, and started draggin' back to the water, mama screamed, and kicked, but that gator hung on. Bit up on her thigh, boy was she bleeding, strips of meat, and bone cracked and split. That gator dragged mama right down into the water. There was some splashin' and the gators back would come up and then back down into the water, and occasionally I heard a gurgly scream, but before I knew it the whole thing was over.
My papa sat there, I have to say, even then I felt a bit bad for him. "Son come out of those reeds, I promise I ain't gonna eat you no more."
I came and sat by papa and papa started hummin' again. I started to get up, but he put his hand on me. "Don't worry, she ain't gon' hurt you. I just gotta go away for a while."
The alligator came back on to the land and papa sat right down on her back, she crawled into the water until just her back and his upper body were above the water. "I gotta go son, I'm sorry. One day we might see each other again."
I didn't say a word, what was there to say? I met my papa, and he tried to eat me, now he wasn't, and now he was riding an alligator. So, I just nodded, and secretly hoped that maybe I wouldn't see him again.
And then off he went across the lake until I couldn't see him no more, haven't seen him since either. I went back to the house, and I'll tell you, I heard those voices my mama used to hear, too. But they wasn't mad at all, they was saying thank you. I think those are my brothers and sisters, and I think they thought I did something right. I whispered, "Don't thank me, thank papa, he saved us after all." And then, I'll tell you, nobody ever heard those voices again.

First/Previous
Since I knew there was a time before, I’ve wanted it, but that was child’s hope; even as a boy I wanted a dream. I wanted some divine being to enter from heaven and tell us all how it should be, but that wasn’t something I could ever count on—of course. Is there a god? I think so. I’ve seen those things and if they exist, then surely there’s a maker on the other end of it—god made both the light and the dark if the word’s to be believed and all we can hope for is a glimpse of the former. Even for a second.
The streets were soaked with blood and so many artillery rounds were fired into the sky—many I witnessed missed Leviathan—that I forgot what silence was like (not to mention the screams and there was a lot of that).
In the scrambling, I found I was reentering deeper into Golgotha and that wasn’t good. There was the ever-present thought that Maron was around every corner; the man had haunted my thoughts for longer that he should have and every time it was like an overwhelming force. It was simple enough after all, he was a piece of the past, a piece I could theoretically reach out and touch and that was what kept me to him.
In the fray of bolting citizens, I pressed myself to the exterior of a wall—I’d neared the stairs which once led to my apartment—and I kept out of the way of those that mindlessly went; some of those which rushed from the onslaught were those afflicted with skitterbugs and many of them either hobbled on blackened legs or—and this was rare—comrades or family helped to carry those which could not carry themselves. It was a baffling sight. A man carried a woman like a child (her toes had fallen off and her legs were black to the knees) and though he strode on with her, his own boots were caked with a mixture of blood and earth. An older girl led a young boy from the whirlwind of dust which was kicked up in the square; the boy’s eyes were whited, and his hands were curled to his chest, discolored. People, whatever duality there is, cared. There was not a drop of the apathy I’d learned and encouraged in myself.
I chewed like a mad dog through my bindings, and it was of little use; I yanked at the cord which secured my hands together and received rope burn in return. “Bitch!” I cussed the thing, but the flames in the sky were so loud, the bangs and vibrations from the artillery consumed all so it was like yelling in a barrel. I swung my hands out in front of me, feeling useless and felt a sudden urge to try again. I bit into the cord and repetitively motioned my jaw against the pressure of the cord, like I was going to saw through it with my teeth. Ha! Another yank is what brought my left hand free, but not without tearing a triangle of skin away from my wrist.
The cord dropped to my feet, and I looked around; a woman brushed past me, nearly toppled over my foot and I caught her by the wrist before she went head-over. She violently thrust from my grasp and screamed something at me. Another bout of flames burst from Leviathan’s maw as it circle-dove overhead. The heatwave from the blast exploded across my face so that I recoiled from the sky itself till I was on the ground, and I pushed myself from the earth and ran half dog-like from my place there at the wall. Where? It was hard to say where when every person that touched-by seemed to send me in another direction; in the madness, it was impossible to tell my course.
With time and effort, I found my way to the opening where the hydro towers were, three pillars which rose above Golgotha’s skyline, each one a testament to human resilience—engineers laborers toiled untold hours under Lady’s father to construct them. The hydro towers exploded into rubble as Leviathan slammed into them. Rock rained down as cutting shards and destructive boulders. A man lay beside my feet where he'd been pinned by the onslaught—white concrete kept him there by his chest—he gasped for air and blood already formed around him. In a moment, I looked away at the dying man, his half-whited eyes bulging at me. Meat hung from the left side of another man’s face as he cradled his head in his hand and moved like he was stoned and sat among the stomping feet; he slumped into the spot he sat and did not move till others came by him in a hurry and he simply fell onto his side like a toy animal.
The screams were too much. I looked to the towers, the nubs which had broken away like bad teeth against the red sky, and whole people fell alongside the rubble, limbs and showers of blood and Leviathan latched atop the towers and rocked its massive body so that the structures slipped directly from their foundations and tumbled over like pins. I ran and again there was nothing but chaos, nothing but mind-numbing wilder thoughts—it was grim and there wasn’t a place for coherency; it was all snaps of images.
In the mess of bumbling limbs, I pushed through to the hall of Bosses and there were people there already, rushing the stairs; the ground shook and I assumed it must’ve been the towers. The things demolished all in their path, and briefly, I saw the ramshackle structures which normally stood in their shadows come slanting over and people leapt from those places too and landed poorly and there was a cacophony of tremors through the earth—it felt as though hell should open.
The steps at the base of the hall were flooded and it was a fight to climb them as legs came high up from ahead and swiped at those behind and I kept my hands ahead of me to block whatever foot may come my way.
Wall men stood ready with their rifles at the tops of those steps and fired their weapons indiscriminately into the crowd. Bodies, big and small, piled atop the steps after a brief bullet dance and it came that I wasn’t only climbing stairs, but corpses; the warmth of their flesh as I clawed ahead remained and blood fog hung in the air. That grouping of wall men, casually lined before the doors of the hall were overtaken and they disappeared, their rifles cackled and came alive with muzzle flashes and the animal hands of the horde brought them to ground.
Us, the horde, funneled through those front doors and for a moment, in the thick walls of the hall, the outside world audibly disappeared; the blood and dust remained, but it was quieter save the shuffling feet and cusses of passersby I was carried deeper.
Those that worked the underground went quickly and I followed, and those ignorant followed for the sake of survival and it was not long till we stumbled into the Boss’s lair. With room, people dispersed like water through the tunnels and found dark recesses to tend their wounds or mourn whatever was lost and the explosive open air had been fully replaced by the quiet black oppressive mumbles of people taking stock of all those that had died. And all those that would. Every few moments, the walls shook, and dust fell from the ceiling fixtures.
A few haggard folks moved to the doorway which led to the damp room which led to the kitchen, and they slammed the door shut and latched it and began to check adjacent rooms for things to barricade the way.
“Stop!” said a man in the dim flickering underground light—I was surprised to see the man was me, “Leave it open! Others might need help.” I retraced my steps to the small faction that’d gathered there at the doorway. “You can’t just let them die out there. Let them in.”
“Shut up!” a skinny girl with her hair pulled back on her malnourished skull spoke gruffly; she choked, coughed—dust clung to her clothes—she’d been near the collapse of the hydro towers if I guessed. “Step off, or I’ll—
“Or you’ll what?” I shouted.
The girl put up her fists, two lumpy stones, and in stupid response I closed the distance between us. With speed, her fist met my nose, and I stumbled back on my heel.
Without hesitation, I brought up my own hands and landed a blow to her stomach. She craned forward, gasped on repeat, and took a knee.
Blood wet my upper lip, and I wiped it away with my forearm.
“Move,” I said to the others by the door; there were two: a woman and a boy that was nearly a man.
The boy charged headstrongly, attempted a kick and I easily shoved his small frame against the tunnel wall; the hard metal sounded a meaty thud against his body and the woman launched unseen at me, raked her nails down the back of my neck, and tore at my collar. I kept a forearm to the boy’s throat and rocked his head with my free elbow. Once he wept and spit red, I let him go; the boy slid into a sit and I spun on the woman, shoving her away. My left leg began to give, and I used the wall over the boy’s head as support. I swung at her with a wild claw and my fingertips grazed her nose as she fell away to the opposite wall.
“Stop it!” I shouted.
She launched at me, and my leg gave out under her tackle, and I stumbled half-on the boy, my feet kicked helplessly at her, and the boy regained his composure and began to crawl towards me. We wrestled and then the girl I’d knocked in the gut rejoined the fray. I was done. They had me pinned and spat curses at me and took turns shoving my head into the floor.
“You’re going to get us killed,” shouted the woman, “Are you stupid?”
I grinded my teeth and tried to throw them off; I was overpowered and easily pressed down again.
The overhead lights flickered with another deep earthy vibration and the trio let go of me in an instant—I came up swinging my arms like crazy and as I went to kneel before propelling myself to stand, a hand rested on my shoulder. I spun on the hand and was met with the black mouth of a 9mm pistol—that froze me fast.
The owner of the weapon—a wall man by the look of her fatigues—motioned for me to stand and I did. Her eyes were far off and nervous and the metal shook in her outstretched hand. “Against the wall!” she barked at us; she was small-framed and youthful but full grown, and I could easily push her out of my way if not for the pistol. We went to the wall, and she moved to the door while keeping the gun drawn on us. She watched us and glanced at the door. “It’s latched! Who latched the door?” She asked.
No one spoke. The other three looked to their feet; I initially refused to rat, and snorted blood—my nose throbbed and by touch I could tell it swelled already.
“Well? Why’s it closed?” she asked the question more like a desperate child than a person with control. “C’mon!” The 9mm rolled limply on her wrist as she said the word, like she was attempting to draw the confession from us with the motion.
“There’s an attack. They’re killing everyone,” said the boy.
The girl and woman nodded.
“Who?” asked the wall man.
“Demons, muties,” said the boy, “Big stuff. Everyone’s dying.”
The ground shook as if to emphasize his point.
The wall man studied us for a moment, lingering last on me and for the longest and she took a long breath and let the sigh out dramatically slow. “I know you,” she motioned at me with the gun, “You’re that maniac. The one that tried to murder everyone.” Her eyes fell then returned and she put her weight on the door while maintaining the barrel of the gun eye-level in my direction.
“I ain’t gonna’ hurt anyone,” said. I briefly thought about smiling but decided that’d look worse.
“How do I know that?” she asked.
“Yeah,” said the boy, “He tried to kill us already!” His voice cracked with adolescence; the blood I’d spilled from his mouth coated the front of his holey shirt.
The trio nodded all together—everyone agreed that I was a maniac killer.
“They latched it,” I said, “Cowards.”
A thump came from the other side of the door which frightened the wall man and she leapt from the spot she’d leaned—it took several full seconds to realize her gun went off; there was a flash, and my ears rang. I stumbled from the knot of people and slunk a couple of feet from the space by the door. The girl—the one I gut-punched—collapsed to the floor while holding the right side of her face. The women crowded the girl, panicked, the boy sprinted past me and disappeared deeper into the underground, and the wall man stood there with a wretched blank expression. There was a long moment which hung in the air; I could not hear and then it came back, and it was the girl’s screams I heard first.
Upon stepping to them, I saw the prone girl had been shot just so—through the cheek. Her eyes rolled from likely spinal damage; whatever the angle, it seemed to have ripped through irreparable nerves and she bled a lot. There wasn’t any hope for that girl.
“Well,” I said to the wall man, “Finish it. No reason to make her suffer.”
The girl on the ground writhed unnaturally and caterwauled while the woman by her side attempted to calm her.
Greater became the sound of the belabored hands on the other side of the door; then a hollow-sounding gunshot came from the other side; were they shooting the door? Or each other? Another round—human screams.
The wall man shook her head. “I didn’t mean it. It was an accident.”
I tried to hold the wall man’s gaze, but she didn’t seem able.
With speed, I moved to the wall man, reached for the gun which dangled helpless by her side—her initial response was to flinch, pull the weapon from my reach; our eyes locked and I clenched my jaw. She could’ve killed me. There wouldn’t have been surprise from me if she had.
She let go of the gun and I nodded, and she nodded and the woman kneeling by the girl threw herself over her. “Please,” protested the woman, “Please don’t!”
With the aid of the pistol, I was given space, and nothing was said. I mentally prepared myself for the ringing which accompanied gunfire in small spaces, even tilted my head away with my free palm up and took aim and the girl jerked once then went still.
With the ringing going and sound returning, the drumming on the door returned, as well as the quiet weeps of the woman; she crawled to the wayside of the hall, pressed her back against the wall and rested her chin on her knees with her arms around her shins. She didn’t rock to or fro and hardly made any noise at all. But the small and quiet sobs remained faintly there.
First/Previous
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First/Previous
“How’d you think that was going to go?” asked a voice from the other side of the door.
I lay on the bunk and stared at the ceiling; my head throbbed. The place where I’d been grazed stung whenever I touched my fingers to it. A bullet had—by whoever’s grace—scraped my scalp and traced a line from the far corner of my right eyebrow. It'd only been three days and it still caused pain. No doctors came and I was certain there would be infection—if not plain infection, then it could always be the worser: skitterbugs. I ached still. I had never fully recovered, not like how I should have.
The day of anger, as I’d begun to think of it in my mind, had caused no great ruckus beyond a few dead men. Two were Bosses, but who knew if they’d announce that as casually as they’d surely announce my execution. Perhaps they’d string me up alongside thieves. A good thief and a bad. What a riot; I deserved no thieves, of course.
What was I? Some great hero? Some idiot was more likely. I wanted misery to befall those that perpetrated it themselves and there I was, more miserable. Perhaps the wrath in my heart came from some mutation; the demon Mephisto resurrected me (so said the demon) and I’d begun to accept it. It was the reason for my poor state, surely, and the more I thought on it, the more I believed it was true; it felt true right down to my bones. The truth hurt or it was age and I rose from the cot I lay on; I’d been detained in a room beside the one I’d visited Andrew many months prior. They’d starved me, rattled the door to try and frighten me, and they’d wasted water on my head to keep me from good sleep.
I did not respond to the voice from the other side of the door and the object rattled in its frame and the voice came again, this time angrier, “Really? How did you think that was going to go? Crazy bastard! Thought you’d put the hurt on the Bosses? Thought you’d kill us at our worst? First, it’s that explosion. You have something to do with that? No! First, it was Harold’s daughter running off!” The voice on the other side of the door grew with mirth as it did with anger. “I’d seen you around town a bit. Thought the Bosses always liked you. Huh. Boss Harold mentioned you at his parties and said how you were a smart fella’, a good fella’, and there you killed him. Stone cold.” The man which spoke was a jailor that tortured me in those dreamlike days I spent locked in their prison, and he seemed personally affronted. “So first it’s the explosions; steam or dust rose out of cracks in the ground you know—some thought hell was rising up, but the Bosses put those thoughts to bed. God, what’s it with the likes of you? The explosions and now I’ve lost an eye and its because of the skitterbugs. You probably brought that on!” The voice muttered and then the door shook in its frame again, seemingly from a hard kick. I wished I could see the face of the man throwing his tantrum. “Can’t wait to see you hang.”
“So, I’ll hang?” I asked the door. There was a long silence, and I was uncertain if I’d pitched my voice enough for the man on the other side to hear me. I opened my mouth to ask, “So-
“You’ll hang.” The man on other side seemed to knock his knuckles against the surface of the door. “Or you’ll die here.”
“What’s Maron said?”
“Don’t you worry about him.”
“What’s he said?”
“Said you’d probably appreciate the punishment that we’d put on you. Said you’re a sick man. Said you like speaking with devils and people like you only find pleasure in such things.”
“So, I won’t hang?”
“Oh, you’ll hang, sir. You’ll hang if I need to do it myself with no one else. If not that, I’ll be sure to put you under one way or another. Accidents happen.” He chuckled. “Maybe you’d enjoy it, but it doesn’t matter. Whatever enjoyment you find in your tortures won’t compare to what ideas I have.”
A long silence followed, and I watched dust motes dance in the air; the place was stagnant and even a breath caused a shift in their glide. I closed my eyes and tried to remember a better time. I thought of Suzanne. I thought of Gemma. What a time to be alive. I thought of the movies, the books, the musical cartridges that sung of yesteryears. How unlucky I’d been, of course. Something had changed in me though and it was totally refreshing. Perhaps it was in realizing the evils of my brothers was that of a man and not some otherworldly force, or perhaps it was a push that came from years of terrible inconsistencies. All that living in the past and so it was. It didn’t matter—the past. I’d been so busy with it that I’d been in a constant state of unliving. I’d known that always, of course—something new had come.
“You dozing off in there?” asked the jailor.
“Nah.”
“Good. Stay awake or I’ll be forced to stay you awake.”
I’d been reborn with a rage, justified or otherwise, and it was felt all over. It was a wild compulsion. All that time and it had been me that was brought back.
The wound on my head throbbed and I prodded it with a finger and brought the finger away and examined the digit; it was dried well enough, and I did not smell infection nor were there any of the accompanying symptoms of a fever or hallucination. I was me, through and through. For now.
The door banged. I didn’t bother an answer and the door banged again.
“Who’s there?” I asked, surprising myself with the sarcasm.
“Why’d you do it?” asked the jailor.
“You wanna’ ask me about it now?”
“Tell me.” The voice on the other side of the door was serious entirely.
“Bah!” “Bah to you! Why’d you do it?”
“Is there a reason to explain myself? If you knew better the things I knew, would it get you to unlock that door and let me walk free? Would it change your mind even?”
The jailor caught a laugh before responding. “Can’t say it would.”
“So, what’s it that you want? You won’t understand me, and I don’t think I’ve got the energies of persuasion to try.”
“Try.”
“You like the Bosses?”
“They’re okay. Keep me in work anyway. Keep people safe.” I slumped forward onto my knees where I sat and placed my elbows on my knees and watched the crack at the base of the door on the other side of the prison cell. “What’s it matter if they keep you in work? Think they care about you anymore than what you represent?”
“Huh?”
“I mean, you keep riffraff down and they like you for it. I wonder if they know you. You ever get invited to the feasts they hold at the hall? You ever worry about your water rations? You ever wonder why it is that so few of the women or men invited to the hall return? Children too, now that I think of it. They’d call those captured criminals, I know. Those brothers—the sheriff is to blame too—they’re bastards. You know they are.”
“Is that so? What’s that make me? A bastard too?”
“By proxy maybe.” I dryly chuckled. “What’s it matter? What do you want outta’ me anyhow? Some gratification? Some confession—you’ve gotten that already, ain’tcha? Maybe a repentance? Why don’t you call one of those Bosses on down from their throne and have them here on the other side of the door so I can apologize? Or call Lady and I’ll get her to channel some message to the afterlife and I’ll plead for forgiveness. That what you want? Now I’m a bad man and I know it, but it ain’t for the reasons you believe. What you want is belief that there’s a man under the skin of the monster you’ve projected? No, I won’t shoo away your boogeyman for you. It can’t be done, not from me.”
“You talk big for someone in your predicament. I like how you talk so holier. Like you’re talking down on me. I just wanted to know what made you want to go on a mad-killing spree the way you did.”
“Mm.” I cupped my hands together; as it was, my left knee shot off with pain and I tried to massage it to little comfort and stretched it out straight from my body. “When violence keeps you bound, violence is necessary to free yourself. That’s all I’ll say about it. If you hang me, then hang me. Spill my guts out for the birds and put a sack over my head so you won’t be sick by my face.”
“You’re a mouthy pig.”
I listened to the jailor’s footfalls disappear down the hall and finally it was totally quiet and all I could hear was the throb on my head. Lucky or unlucky? No, it wasn’t luck. I’d been marked. I was the payment, and I knew the price. The demon had my soul. Whatever protection it afforded me, I intended on using.
The image of that room continued over in my mind, with the peasantry (that’s what I saw them as then) knelt in front of the Bosses and the wall men, with the intense blood-smell, with the surprise on Maron’s face. Billy’s face. There was still a part of me, however small, that wanted to plead with him to change his ways. That wasn’t the part that welled up in me then though. The piece of me that wanted to see him die was what took over. It hadn’t been Maron that fired his gun; he’d still been fighting with his holster. I’d only taken a step in through the door and a spray of gunfire from one of the wall men’s rifles exploded and I was sure I was dead because I fell, and my vision went white. They should’ve put me down then.
I didn’t come too fully until I had a few goons on me, hauling me upright roughly under my arms. Maron didn’t say anything at first and those wall men took over; they shouted that I was alive still and I felt a hot gun barrel against my cheek.
“Stop!” shouted Maron. The Boss Sheriff stepped forward with his stilted gait and looked me over thoroughly. The gun barrel fell from my cheek, but they held me still; it wasn’t like I planned on fighting. “You got uglier,” said Boss Maron, “Really ugly.” His left eye, afflicted by the skitterbug infestation, had gone dead white with only the faintest trace of an iris; it dribbled pus.
I held his stare to the point that my eyes watered—whether from anger or sorrow or both—and my muscles tightened like an animal threatening to pounce. It was a ridiculous display.
“Lock him up,” said Boss Maron.
So, I was locked up and those uncounted days I was mildly tortured: sleep deprivation, pummeling, and sometimes they spit on me. It could have been worse. I’d seen worse.
The cell was numbingly quiet, and I continued to massage my knee, continued in thinking about how investing so much thought with the past twisted any future of mine into a dismal satire.
I could not tell how long it had been without sunlight and the jailor returned (he was bulbous and fattened and old but very strong—it could be sensed in how he carried himself) pushed through the door this time with a tray of diced potatoes, steamed but cold, and a metal cup of water. He sat them on the floor, stared at the tray there with his one good left eye, and it was like I could read his mind as he looked at the food there. He could destroy it; he jerked from the tray without saying a word to me then disappeared behind the door he closed. The jailor remained there outside.
Pride swelled in me momentarily before I pushed whatever silliness that was and devoured the food and drank the clear water. If it was poison, so be it. If it was poison, then all the problems of the world would disperse.
Again, the jailor pushed in through the door and bent to remove the tray and I was struck by the immediate thought of strangling him. So, I tried and threw myself at the man.
My hands felt the scruff around his throat, and I pressed hard with my fingers on his Adams apple. He’d lurched forward to lift the tray and he immediately came up with force, throwing me off him; my nails raked his cheek as I scrambled for purchase. He took the metal tray in both of his hands and thwapped me across the head—it rang, and I was stunned while he lifted back his right hand in a swing. In the dizziness, I momentarily caught a glimpse of the holster on his left hip and reached out dumbly for the revolver there. A meaty smack could be heard, and I didn’t even feel it when his fist met my face the second time. My head rocked and I fought to look upright, and his hand came again, and I put up my own hand in return; it was pushed away, and he continued at me, muttering epithets he found useful.
Once he was heaving and spitting, he left me on the cot and directly before slamming the door, he mentioned something about violence and how if I liked violence so much that he’d show it to me.
I nursed myself to sitting right-up and though adrenaline kept the pain away, I felt my face bruising already. There was no way for me to inspect the welts his hands had left, but I could guess their places by touch and how they thrummed with my heart.
Two days passed, if I counted them by the visits from the jailor and then Maron made his appearance to me, and I was surprised to see him with a leather eye patch over his left eye; he seemed ill on his feet and the jailor, though the man was there, did not move to stop Maron from entering the room and relieving me of my prison. He and the jailor roped my hands together in front of my pelvis and I didn’t fight.
Boss Maron stank of infection and yellow oozed from beneath his eye patch and he kept his cowboy hat pulled snugly over both his ears and did not speak so jovially—there were no crude jokes at my expense. A warmth radiated off him. The Boss carried my shotgun with him but made no remark on it. He marched me from the prison, and I met daylight, and it burned my eyes while I stared up into the reddish sky. Dust scattered from the nearest portion of wall and caught on the wind till it was carried and disappeared overhead, and I briefly thought how nice it must be to fly.
Golgotha stirred as ever, and people spoke loudly and candidly as I passed them by. Words came my way from passing faces like, “You kissed the devil’s ass!” or, “You sure are a monster, look at you!” and Maron pushed me on with the gun at my back, and I wavered on my legs like I was without any control.
“Is it true?” asked Boss Maron, “Did you kiss the devil’s ass?” He tilted the shotgun casually on his shoulder and kept me ahead of himself. He was taking me to hang—and making a big deal out of it too. “I know how you like to speak to them. The demons. I know how you conspire with them. I told them all how you do. Now they know I was right.”
What a rotten town it was, and it smelled like it. The atrophied muscles and diseased infections of those fine folks emanated in the air, flies buzzed around my head, bloated and doubtlessly happy from whatever corpse they’d sprung from.
“Say somethin’,” said Maron.
“What do you want?” I asked, watching my footfalls, ignoring the screeches of those on the sidelines; he marched me through the runways, past the onlookers which saw me with faces of twisted hatred. The tension was palpable—I could feel the venom off the eyes of those that watched. Blood red eyes which judged carelessly.
“I want you to say it,” said Maron; I felt the nudge of the shotgun at my back again and I stumbled forward, caught myself, carried on, “I want you to admit it to me. You’re like a mutant, ain’tcha? No better than any other monster. I knew it all them years. I seen it.” We took an alley and cretins followed behind; wall men flanked Maron and on either side of the narrow stretch there were faces made even with the wall, pressed there like they were afraid to be involved.
“Whatever you say, brother.”
“Don’t,” hissed Maron, “Don’t even.”
“What?” I spat the word, “Afraid they’ll treat you differently if they all know how close we are?” I felt the gun barrel press against my back, and I yelped out the words, “Hey! He’s my brother! My baby brother!” The barrel jabbed me in the spine, and I spilled forward, catching myself on one of those nearby faces. It was an old woman. She shoved me from her, and I flailed across the ground after trying to catch myself with my bound hands. Dirt met my face and exploded around me. I laughed, blinking through the dust. I spit too. He couldn’t kill me. Whatever black magic there was in me—bequeathed by Mephisto—refused me death. Maron lifted me with the help of his wall men, pinching the coat around my throat with his fist. He shoved me on, and we continued.
“You smell that?” I asked Maron.
“Stop talkin’. You might not be a man, but you’ll die like one,” he said. The wall men around muttered, and we took the way to the front square; already there were looky-loos gathered, throngs of them not at all bashful to see the day’s line-up—it was just me. The platform was emptier and that was good (Frank, Paul, and Matt looked naked without their eldest brother). Those Bosses which remained looked drunk as they did for any other execution. It was a good day for it. Warm. The stink of the crowd was worse and as those gathered parted for my entourage, the warmth of them cloistered us like the blood of a wound.
Even through the vile aroma, the smell of rotted poultry rose like nothing else. “You don’t smell it then?”
The roar, a cacophony of the damned souls stolen, shook the ground and the air changed. A dragon—Leviathan.
Along the wall which old skeletal corpses hung against dried blood stains from hook-chains, men and women scattered the length of the parapets with their weapons. Gunfire came and one of those atop the wall shouted, “Artillery! Dragon! Big guns!”
There was fire in the sky and the creature circled overhead and its wings beat the wind like mad; those organic ropes that hung from its body took on horrid shapes with its movement in the high noon sunlight.
Screams filled the air as the square erupted into panic. I dove into the sickly crowd; among the loudness, the horses which were lined by the big door fought against their ties and bolted across the square. Arms and heads disappeared beneath those dashing hooves, and it was not long before people were trampling people and in a quick glance I saw the Boss platform came down in splinters as the horses rushes it. Blood slickened the feet of many as they rushed to the buildings adjacent the square—what a small protection that’d be against Leviathan. A wall man went stumbling over the wall’s ledge and his body met the ground beneath the hanging corpses and he didn’t get up.
In the wild fray, Maron fired the shotgun into the air, and I briefly thought of where the pellets might fall.
Finally, artillery fire came and put a hole in the creature. It wavered in the air, its head lurched downward like it might pierce the ground and it pulled its long neck back and blew flames across the buildings. The heat was immaculate. Rotted chicken filled my lungs.
“There’s more!” shouted a wall man above, “Running across the field.”
The crowd grew more enamored with escape; there’s no good way to say it—blood frothed around our heels as I was shoved through the avenues of elbows, rocking heads, plunging knees. I pushed on, shielding myself with my bound hands as well as I could. I kept my head as high, and felt scratches reach my throat—doubtlessly those which could not continue—nails and fists came from every direction. In the ephemeral madness, I too screamed and it did not stop until I spilled into an alleyway along the wall nearest the execution chains. I ran and tripped from the crowd, slid, and bit my tongue so thoroughly that my teeth clicked together though the tissue; my breath was knocked from me. My pants were wet from the viscera. Others too had found the opening and barreled past me. I went to my feet and panted thought the pain, through the twinge in my left knee. I took the walls for support and still, those which rushed past nearly knocked me from my feet.
Some poor child—a lean, bony-faced boy—fell in the rush and before I had a moment to reach out, he was gone. Whether he lived or not, I did not stop to know. The crunch of bones as more people spilled into the narrow stretch indicated the worst.
First/Previous
Archive

Chapter 1: Hope’s 16th Birthday
As the rays of the sun hits her eyes Hope Moonshine wakes up excited, she was waiting for this day for all her life
She jumps out of her bed and rushes to her mom's room excited and she accidentally flung the door open too fast making a loud cranking noise waking her mother, Queen Matilda up
"Oops didn't mean to wake you up" hope said awkwardly"Honey I know you are excited for your birthday but you need to be patient the sun has just risen everyone is still asleep" Matilda said tiredly, "please go back to sleep darling you will have a long day today and you will need the energy, your party wont be begin till noon"
"Ok mom, sorry for waking you up" said Hope as she was trying to close the door slowly enough that it doesn't crank but it still did "Not an issue dear", said Matilda
As the door closed Matilda took a deep breath and closed her eyes her emblem on her right shoulder a pink diamond glowed she opened her eyes and she made a finger gun with her right hand pointing at the hinges and a shiny pink light zaps comes out of her index and zaps the hinges, the beam turns into a hand and it open the door and then closes without making a cranking noise, "I should have done that a long time ago" said Matilda
She removes the blankets from her bed to reveal she is already clothed for a serious occasion, as she goes towards the mirror she is wearing a long cyan dress that trails all the way to her feed her top being smartly tight with short shoulder sleeves, she puts on long white gloves and glances over her diamond ring she lets out a small sigh and frown and puts it on, she trances over the mirror for a few seconds before snapping out of it, and she looks over to a miniature painting of her an her daughter when she was 6 she picks it up and smiles "I know you are eager dear you won't have to wait for long"
After Matilda ready's herself she open her window and conjures a light bird of the palm of her hand, the bird flew off to Hope's room where it sees her lying in her bed on her stomach, the bird soon returns to Matilda's room and land on her palm her eyes glows for a moment and the bird fizzes into a yellow cloud, "Well it looks like she actually listened not very common of her to do so, it means I can continue to do my plan unobstructed" she said with a smile.
Matilda leaves her room and walk across the hallway to the main hall then she claps her hand twice, and snap her finger, suddenly a figure jumps into the window it spins 180° and a muscular women stands up, she has a scar on her left cheek and short brown hair, she wore knight armour that cuts of at her shoulder emblem that looks like a dark grey shield.
"At your service my queen", she said with a salute
Matilda is startled for a moment, but then composes herself, "Sally there is no need for you to enter that way you can just wait for me at the hall entrance", she said.
"I was scouting the perimeter we have to make sure this place is safe and to make sure no one can harm the princess at her important day, I was up all night with my team searching every corner of the upper ring for any danger and-" Sally was abruptly cut off by Matilda.
"It was not your fault Sally, there is no need for you to prove yourself to me" Matilda said remorsefully, "You tried your best so you must eventually forgive yourself it wasn't anyone fault, it truly came from nowhere"
Sally's serious expression break into expression of regret as she shamefully looks at the ground
"Now is not time to punish ourselves over who we failed to protect but to make sure my daughter has a great birthday" Matilda said with determination
Sally's expressions of regret turned to a smile, "Yes my Queen, me and the royal guards have spent last few weeks clearing a safe path from the upper ring to the more presentable areas of the lower ring that ends at the great barrier" Sally says with a salute.
"Well I trust your judgement, you are now dismissed" said Matilda
Sally goes down the stairs of the central hall towards the doors "I won't mess up again" Sally said with determination
"Oh Houston" Matilda said while turning her head left and right, "where is he when I need him",
"I am right here your majesty" Houston whispered from behind, Matilda was startled and was annoyed on how everyone seems to sneak up on her, "Sorry for spooking you" said Houston as he polished his monocle "We are well prepared to begin celebration soon" he said as his hand pointed towards the empty hall.
Matilda stared at him, he then clapped his hands and an army of servants entered the hall setting up the chairs and tables, followed up by waiters quickly setting food on the table, and then 6 waiters came together to slowly lift the large 4 layered birthday cake with a milk white colour with chocolate cream on top of each layer, with "happy birthday Hope" spelled with strawberry topping on the side of each layer, with the glowing yellow number "16" candle at the top.
"As I was saying my Queen" Houston started "We just need to wait for the guests to arrive, I will let you know when you can call your daughter" Houston stops from a moment "Do you want anything else your majesty or am I dismissed?" he asked.
"You are dismissed Houston" said Matilda
Matilda walks up to Hope's room and slowly opens the door to find her laying in her bed
"One thousand one hundred and forty-two" Hope counted to herself, she paused and took a deep sigh, and tried to continue but then paused scratching her head "Um One-".
she was interrupted by her mother saying "Thousand one hundred and forty-three", "Unable to sleep dear?" She said with a smile, Hope gasped and she had the biggest smile in her face, her mother was a bit startled and asked "what is it you are smiling at?".
Hope pointed at her, jumped from her bed and as she was taking heavy breathes pointing at her mother clothes, "You don't sleep in this" she takes a deep breath and exclaims "which means I have got to get ready" and she runs to her closet to pick up something to wear.
Matilda takes a glance down at her clothes and rolls her eyes "so much for a surprise"
"I am ready mom" Hope said ecstatically, she was wearing a beautiful turquoise dress which complemented her hair colour styled in two plates with with joined with a pink band and wearing her favourite golden necklace,
"That was quick" her mother commented
As they enter the main hall a bunch of guests are seated drinking beverages and helping themselves to freshly baked foods, "Attention everybody, I would like you to welcome the birthday girl" said Houston, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their heads towards the princess.
She gets a bit nervous and let out an awkward "hey guys", she didn't recognize any of them but she had to pretend to know all of them while hoping they don't ask her if she knows them, they all continue to stare as she and her mother get seated.
Houston lets out a forced cough to break the awkward silence, he says "and now Princess that you have come here you may blow the candles", the table the cake was on was carried towards Hope and her mother seated on there high chair, Hope tries to mask her excitement as she takes a deep breath and gently blow the candles, which fire off the cake and make a small explosion spelling out "Happy Birthday Princess!", Hope's eyes lit with joy.
Trumpets play and two royal servants come into the hall holding a gold plated chest decorated with diamonds, the chest is slowly opened and a blinding bright light shined from inside it, "Go ahead dear" said Matilda as her eyes pointed to the chest.
Hope goes down towards the chest and slowly lowers her hand inside of it and grabs what inside, as she removes her hand from the chest it reveals her to be holding the magic wand, it had a purple handle with a sparkly cyan diamond at its back end and a translucent turquoise sphere at it top decorated with a white glowing shape which resembled the combination of a two star into two different planes inside, and topped off with a small yellow crown at the top
Hope's shoulder emblem a pink heart with a tiny crown on top of both curves starts glowing, she raises the top of the wand at eye level, "ooh what's this" she says as she tries to stick her finger inside it to touch the spinning star
"HOPE DONT" shouted her mother, as soon as hope touched it burnt her finger and she let out a painful screech and fires a yellow glowing beam fires from the wand at some guest who were quick enough to duck, it hits a glowing orange decorative plant crushing it against the wall,
"hehe this could have been worse", Hope said awkwardly, the wreckage catches fire...
"FIRE" yells Sally, the guards that were standing by the walls quickly moved and shoved away all nearby guest as Sally goes and faces the fire here shoulder emblem glows and she fires yellow beam at it from her hands she then she clenches her fist and the beam turns into water extinguishing the fire and a yellow cloud evaporates from it, she quickly turn over to Hope and rushes over to her "ARE YOU OKAY PRINCESS" she exclaimed worryingly.
"I am fine it's just my finger is a little -" before she finishes her sentence Sally picks her up and running with her in her arms and runs up to the door and out of the Palace.
Queen Matilda is left with the guests and lets out an awkward chuckle and says "so who wants some drinks?", "Please help yourself to the finest wines in the whole kingdom" she said as a servant reveals a bunch of wine bottles in gold coating, the guests all rushed to get a sip
"I am telling you I am fine it's just a little scratch its rude for me to leave suddenl-" Hope was interrupted by Sally kicking the door open.
"PA-" Sally yelled before being interrupted by a "SHHHH", she was shushed by a woman with a white robe that cut offs at the shoulder, and a hand crafted necklace made of cotton around her neck, she had red hair tied into a bun and a green plus sign as her shoulder emblem.
"Seriously Sally how many times do I have to tell you to be quiet in here" said healer Pam with frustration she lets out a sigh and asks, "So what seems to be the problem?" Sally pulls out Hope and holds her at arms length right Infront of her Hope lets out a "Hi".
Pam gasps "Oh my princess sorry I didn't know you were coming, are you hurt?"
"No not at all it's ju-" Hope was interrupted yet again it seems like although she is becoming a grownup no one seems to want to listen to her
"She burned herself quickly check up on her" commanded Sally as she lowered Hope to her feet, Pam glanced at her up and down
"Where was she hurt", asked her confused. Hope sheepishly pointed to her left index finger it was a bit red which could be easily seen as it contrasted with her smooth white skin, but it was also accompanied by a yellow 'liquid', Pam conjured a white napkin to clean the site of the injury and singled out the injured finger from Hope's hand and put her hand on it and made into a fist and then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes her shoulder mark started having a green glow for a few seconds and then it suddenly went dim, she opened her hand to find the finger fully healed like it was never even scratched.
"Oh wow t-thanks" said Hope with a smile.
"Oh it's nothing" said pam, she took out her napkin it had some yellow glowing spots of what looks like fluid except its it didn't soak in but floated around it, "I see you can use magic now, what was your first spell" Pam said with excitement.
"I-i just shot this out of the wand" she said as she pointed at liquid on the napkin that started evaporating considerably, she then lowered her voice and talked faster "and it hit a plant and set it on fire" she was saying as she looked at the floor, Pam laughed and Hope was starting to blush.
"Oh don't worry dear we all mess up at the start, when I first started I accidentally broke a boy's arm" Pam said with a laugh.
"Is he okay now?" Hope asked with curiosity
"Well when I was your age healing wasn't what it is today they just put his arm in a cast and said if he was lucky his arm would be usable in three years", "I never was interested in healing like my mom but I wanted to fix my mistake so I studied and practiced for months to focus my healing and one day it just clicked, I got back to him and I was able to heal his arm and this happiness a patient feels when they are treated makes this all worth it" she let out a calm sigh and continued "It was not an easy journey but in just 8 years I was able to reach my peak"
"Eight years?" Hope said in disbelief
"Don't worry your path is way longer than mine my peak is at least four levels lower than you" Pam said with a grin
"It isn't that huge difference right?" Hope inquired hoping her journey wont be in the double digits because that's a very long time
Pam laughed and then said "Oh it way larger than it looks, but don't worry royals don't have a peak at least not one that one knows off" she put her hand on Hope's shoulder "Don't let the long road overwhelm you as long as you are better than yesterday you will be a great princess"
Hope smiled at her and said, "Thanks a lot Pam"
"So is everything alright with her, she stuck her finger into the wand are you sure there wont be any complications" asked Sally
"She will be alright she might have lost her finger if she went deeper and then It will actually a challenge to fix, but this is what pain reflexes are for, it a blessing in disguise", replied Pam
Sally clapped her hands and said "Well we got to go now we cant keep the guests waiting thanks for your help Pam"
Hope looked over to her and said "You should come over it's my birthday you can go change the setting", "No dear being a Healer is big commitment what if someone is in need of assistance and I am not here but I appreciate the gesture, maybe I could arrange my schedule to be there next time, go enjoy yourself".
"Pam the amputee is ready for his second regeneration session" a voice called.
"The what?" exclaimed Hope.
"Oh it's a bit graphic you really don't want to see it, I got to go now send your mother my regards" replied Pam as she ran over to a patient
Sally and Hope went to the door and left.
"You know I was really fine, it was just a scratch" Hope said as she looked up to Sally, "It's kind of rude to just leave the guests hanging I could have just sucked it up-"
Hope tried to continue when Sally muttered under her breath "I won't forgive myself".
"What was that?" asked Hope.
"Nothing, it's just you can never be so sure and no one was stupid enough to stick there finger in the wand I was just making sure but since it wasn't serious we don't need to worry" Sally said with an anxious fake smile, Hope sensed there was something off about her tone but she didn't want to push Sally into an uncomfortable spot so she left it at that
Sally and Hope make it back to the palace and Matilda rushes to her daughter "Oh dear are you ok"
She said as she gave her girl a hug, Everyone was staring and Hope got a bit embarrassed "yeah Mom I am ok" Hope said, Matilda stood up and was about to say something before Hope pre-emptively said, "I know I know it was pretty stupid from me to to do what I did, I know the wand is not a toy and I promise I will be more careful with it" she said while avoiding eye contact
Matilda smiled and said "Well I appreciate that you understand that you messed up but that not what I wanted to say" Hope made eye contact and Matilda continued "As princess and future queen we will have you visit the LOWER RING" Matilda took her daughter's hand "Sure its not the safest or best place in the kingdom but a hermit ruler is a bad ruler"
Hope got extremely excited over this as she always wanted to see the rest of the kingdom the Lower ring, the Outer ring but she was always told no because Sally's word "It's way to dangerous, you are not ready, you aren't old enough" or her mother's word "Is there something there that you cant find at home?, The place isn't very hygienic" but how bad could it be it was still under the rule of the Moonshines. Life in the Upper ring and the palace get boring after a while, why would she wants to stay put there when there a whole world to explore?
"The escorts are waiting for us outside those who want to go with us are welcome to go" Said Matilda looking at the guests with a forced smile almost knowing the reaction. All of them tried to mask there faces of disgust as if Matilda just asked them to bathe in mud or even worse she said that the food at the legendary "façade haut de gamme" was just an overpriced scam. They didn't look very impressed, Matilda coughed and asked "Well?".
One couple went towards the exit and when they got to Matilda the man said "We are truly flattered by your invite my queen but I am afraid we have something important to do" the man paused and scratched his head trying to think of an excuse Hope looked over him and asked
"What's more important to than a trip to see the rest of kingdom its not like we can always get to do it" with an ecstatic smile the woman who was scratching her head stopped as if she got an idea she went over looked to Hope with a stupid fake smile and said
"Well sweetie we forgot to sign up our son for school and registration will be closing today" she turned over to her husband and elbowed him in ribs and asked "Isn't that right honey?"
The man nodded in agreement and they walked out and they led out an audible sigh and when they were just outside of earshot the man told his wife "Moonshines huh? You would think after what happened a decade ago they would get the memo" the woman looked back at the Queen then waved and looked back at her husband and said
"She is weak if this happened to me I will make sure those pigs wish they weren't born".
Following into there footsteps and sensing an opening other guests decided to excuse themselves outside and at this point Matilda stopped resisting she knew some wouldn't want to go but she didn't think that many would go and she looked defeated Hope turned to her and said "Well mom we don't need those nose in the airers it's there loss anyways"
A woman walked up to them "She is right you know in-law" that woman was Hope's paternal aunt Mary, she had short blonde hair and brown eyes wearing a yellow dress for the occasion "The only reason any off these arrogant buffoons came here is societal expectations much like basically everything here" she said while rolling her eyes "and they all dipped the second they had the chance, come on lets go"
As they walked past the doors Sally was standing just outside the door scanning the setting with her eyes, her eyes wandered and locked with Mary "You should relax Sally no need for you to be so tense" she said with a smile she then changed her tone suddenly and said with a frown and a in a low voice that Hope and Matilda couldn't hear "Me and Matilda can protect ourselves and we aren't relying on you and my niece was under my protection since she was six, all you need to do is drive the horses and look menacing" and then she put her hand on her shoulder and smiled and said with an audible voice "So you can feel a lot more at ease dear", Sally tried hid her feeling of guilt with a fake smile "Let's go" said Mary joyfully
Everyone got on the horse driven chariot, just a classical chariot nothing magical about it, it's a very ineffective method of transport but one of the most relaxing ones
"HEEEEEY WAIT FOR ME" yelled a girl from as she was she surfing a purple cloud wearing a long sleeved purple sweater and blue pants as she got closer she tried to slow down by tilting her body backwards but she lost control and started flying at high speeds towards Hope
"EM SLOW DOWN" shouted Hope.
"I CANT BRACE FOR IMPACT" they both closed there eyes with their arms covering there eyes but just before contact she was caught effortlessly by Sally one hand and her cloud in the other she crushed the cloud in her fist into yellow mist that faded away and put the girl on her feet she then crossed her arms and looked down and barked
"Miss Emberlynn Springfield you should know how dangerous using magic without experience is, and you can't just rely on something you can't even responsibly use to make up for your own lack of punctuality"
Ember looked taken aback but she didn't want to look stupid so she snapped back with "I didn't know Hope is celebrating her birthday early in the morning, birthdays are a night activity".
Sally who was crossing her arms now raised her eyebrow and simply replied with,"Lies you were told everyday for the last week not my fault you can't seem to be able to be punctual friend's birthday, do you simply not care?".
Ember now looked embarrassed and now was rolling her finger around her dyed purple hair "M-M-My rooster didn't wake me up" she said with a smile while shrugging her shoulder as if she is asking question and the question was 'will Sally let the lecture go'.
"This doesn't matter now anyways it's that Ems is here" interjected Hope with excitement as she put her arm around Ember's shoulder "We shouldn't be wasting time let's go" she said as she punched her hand up in the sky.
Matilda, Hope, Ember and Mary entered the Chariot while Sally rode one of the two horses moving it while the other was being moved by an over-armoured and visibly nervous man.
"Calm down Edmund its just a short trip by a defined path we will be in an out in an hour or two" commanded Sally looking at Edmund clearly getting tired of his lack of confidence.
"I am trying but its such a big deal, escorting not one not two but three royals into the lower ring, I am not sure if I can do this, If I mess up-- I am too young for the consequences" he said clearly on the edge of panic
Sally slapped her hands on his cheeks "Edmund calm down you can do this I know you can" she said, Edmund seemed to calm down a bit "The whole path is being heavily guarded you and me are the last line of an extremely deep wall of defences we are most likely just going to be there for company" she looked back at the cart and said "and besides it's not like the royals can't protect themselves, they are much stronger than us after all"
"That's what they said about fre-" Edmund mumbled before putting his hand on his mouth mid sentence, Sally expression changed to that of anger.
"What did you just say?" she barked.
Edmund realising his mess up and started shaking "Um- I was talking about ---- the nice weather we are having" he said trying to pretend that this wasn't the stupidest attempt at backtracking, before Sally was going to give him a piece of her mind Mary stuck her head out and said in annoyed tone
"Hey I am not getting any younger here", Sally and Edmund looked forwards and shook the horse reins and they got moving forward
As they got to the edges of the Upper ring they reached translucent yellow barrier "We are reaching the barrier you might feel a tickle" proclaimed Sally.
As the horse crossed the barrier the barrier walls phased through the cart and it phased through Mary and Matilda there shoulder emblems glowed a four pointed star and a diamond respectfully in a yellow hue when it got to Hope and Ember the cart got to a sudden halt and they were thrown forwards Hope fell on her mother while Ember face was slapped into the barrier which was at this point halfway through the cart.
Sally opened the door "Everyone ok" she took one look at Ember and let out an annoyed sigh she dragged her hand out of the cart and asked while trying to hide her frustration "Show me your emblem"
Ember scoffed and tried to tuck back her long sleeves but she couldn't get back enough and said while crossing her arms "I can't and I am not removing my shirt".
Sally wasn't having any of it and from tip of her index made a sharp grey magic beam, she flattened Ember's sleeve and made a small cut in her right shoulder showing a yellow star rotated slightly to the left, after the cut yellow gas evaporated from it "And this is why emblems aren't covered it's common knowledge Springfield" said Sally annoyed.
"My favourite shirt! This was very unnecessary" whined Ember and before she could say anything Sally went back to her horse leaving her alone she scoffed and went back to the cart and sat next to Hope crossing her arms.
"You okay there", asked Hope concerned.
"Yeah I am fine just another lecture", said ember looking at the windows
As Hope looked out the window the lower ring didn't seem so different from home, people dressed and walked smartly roads were clean but something was off she couldn't help but notice everyone wore long sleeves even though it was a summer and it's not proper etiquette and that's something else it was surprisingly hot, She took her head out through the windows "Hello stranger" she greeted a man walking nearby he took one solid look at her and looked towards her mother and Sally who was frowning and her hands free with her emblem glowing, he didn't say anything and turned back and proceeded to speed walk away in a few seconds he ditched the subtlety and ran away, Hope was pretty disappointed and got her head into the cart
"What did I do wrong?", Hope asked.
"Girl it's either because you were too friendly it felt fake" said Ember, Hope looked down "Or they were made to feel unwelcome by misses buzzkill in the driving seat" she remarked
A loud sound of crashing wooden boxes was heard and cart went to a halt
"What was that" commented Mary
"Something that isn't boring" Hope said with excitement before leaving the cart.
"Make sure all of them stay put in the cart I will be gone for a short while" said Sally to Edmund before running to the source of the sound Hope tried to follow her but was body blocked by Edmund with his arms crossed
"Sorry I can't let you go princess, Superior's orders", he glanced to the left of him to seeing Ember touching a fancy table Infront of a café just for it to poof into a yellow cloud,
"Ow splinters" she cried, the yellow cloud fizzled reveal a wooden table barely clinging to its shape with a bunch of makeshift wooden fixes that don't even match in colour
Edmund looked like he just saw a ghost and ran towards Ember who was now transforming outdoor expensive furniture into splinter traps
"Stop touching it" said Edmund before shooting out a grey magical hands towards her subduing her, "What's your deal" he scolded annoyed.
"No what's this place deal why is everything here so fake?" snapped Ember "You hearing this Hope this place is fa-" she then stopped and asked "Aye were is Hope?"
Edmund let her go and pulled on his hair "Oh no no no no no no no" he cried
"Is everything alright where is my daughter?" asked Matilda concerned, Edmund didn't know what to say but before he could make up an explanation Mary interjected
"Oh don't worry Mati she will be ok she is probably with Sally and besides she still has this necklace I gave her so I am sure she will be just fine" Mary said with her hand on Matilda's shoulder "and we can go have some tea and chit-chat while we wait I heard that Gilbert's tea shop has actually potable tea" she suggested Matilda sighed and decided to go with what Mary said and walked towards the shop. "What about me?" asked Ember, Edmund turned towards her with anger and barked "You are staying right here!".
"Sally where are you?" called Hope as she was walking she saw a little girl wearing a cute pink dress and smooth brown hair walking alone Infront of her, she approached her and asked
"Hey do you happen to see a tall lady around here?" she tapped on her shoulder to get her attention and suddenly a cloud of yellow gas evaporated out of her Hope and the little girl coughed and as the smoke cleared the little girl was wearing a poorly knit patchwork of randoms scraps of fabric and her hair was covered in dirt she had a brown circle on the side of her shoulder, Hope froze in shock "I- I am so sorry, it was an accident" she apologised "I can go get you a new dress or--" the girl just looked at Hope her eyes glanced her wand which was in her right hand as well as her royal emblem and then she started hyperventilating and burst into tears.
Hope got on to her knees and she gently put her hands on the girl's shoulder "Calm down calm down, it's alright, It's not your fault but mine"
"P-P-pwease do-don hu-hur meeee" the girl sobbed.
"What hurt you? no no no no" Hope explained trying to figure out from where the girl got the idea
Hope hugged the girl "Here calm down see I am friendly" she soothed, the girl seemed to calm down a bit and she started sniffing
She let her go and asked "So what's your name?"
"R-R-Rosie" replied Rosie.
"Ok Rosie I am so sorry for ruining your dress, do you remember were you got it from?" she asked
"Ms Bea had guys gib it to us" Rosie said
"Misses Bea huh" she wondered out loud "Well can you tell me were misses Bea is"
"Sowwy I can't tell you misses moonnnn" Rosie was saying before she looked she wanted to cry again
"Please don't cry" Hope pleaded "You don't need to tell me where you live just wait" Hope passed her wand to her left hand and put her now free hand to her pocket and pulled out a purple wallet and she pulled out a golden note with 50 written on it she passed the note to Rosie and said "Here give this to misses Bea and tell her I am so sorry for destroying your dress also" Rosie grabbed the note and stared at it, Hope pulled some wrapped candy she got from the party "Her have some candy too" the girl put her the note in her pocket and grabbed the wrapped candy she struggled with it a bit and she then passed it back
"Open it please" Rosie asked
"Oh you can't? it's quite simple here" Hope said she gently tapped the candy her emblem glowed for a moment and the wrapping fizzed out.
Rosie put the candy in her mouth and quickly chewed and swallowed it, she then gave Hope a hug, she let go after a moment "Thank you miss, Ms Bea says Moosines are scawy but aren't scawy"
"Scary why would we be scary" Hope asked in disbelief with a smile
Rosie looked around and said "I am sowwy I need to go" she turned back and ran away and took a turn and was just out of sight.
"You couldn't just stop causing trouble for one day? what did we pay you for?" Hope heard Sally barking.
The sound of Sally's voice came from an alleyway, as Hope entered the alley the clean white paint started fading into rotting maroon bricks and the smell became foul coming from the open dumpster "Ewwwww" Hope said as she lowered the lid to try and lessen the stench
"Hey you know it's rude to close the lid on someone trying to fetch themselves a meal" a bald man barked as he popped out like a jack in the box he had a white beard wearing over shoulder strapped brown pants with a black plastic bag for a shirt and a metal can of beans for a hat and his left eye with a grey iris spinning his shoulder emblem only consisted of a simple brown circle, Hope screamed and ran away "Oh beans was that a Moonshine?" the man asked himself "Well I probably should skip town" he said to himself with a goofy smile while snapping his fingers.
Hope stopped running and started panting "Now you are lucky I am not here in head bashing duty or I would have sent you to a one way trip to the Outer ring and the monsters there could deal with you" Hope heard Sally scolding, she walked to the end of the alleyway the place beyond it was extremely different people clothes were worn out in which the holes were covered up by half baked sewn rotting fabric the road didn't exist it was simply a dirt undefined path and walls were all made of rotting bricks same as that of the alley, windows were broken and the stench of garbage filled the air, Hope saw Sally tying up a bunch of muscular men with a magic rope.
Sally glanced over and saw Hope "Princess what are you doing here?" she asked with dismay the rope holding the gangsters vanished they got up and shook of the dust and looked up and saw Hope and they all ran away in terror "Moonshine here run awway". All of a sudden all the people went indoors and the windows were sealed shut with wood and hammered with nails and just like that the place looked like a ghost town.

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The following two brain scans were provided by the Neuro-Warfare branch of the Halcyon Security Division (HSD) for the purpose of analyzing the thoughts, behaviors, and information of notorious gangsters Vincent 'Troy' Cohen and Bruno (Deadname: Koraak Tel-Char). At the point of the recording of this archival shared, Bruno has since received his rebirth therapy, and Vincent is currently serving a long-term rehabilitative and reeducative sentence in the Erebus Supermax Prison on Io.
Warning: the contents of this archival shared may be especially disturbing to some audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.
Warning: the contents of this archival shard are for the sole purpose of analyzing the thought patterns and memories of certain degenerate criminals in an effort to ascertain vital information that can be used to eliminate their organizations. Only staff with clearance level Omega may view this archival shared, and the viewership of this archival shared by anyone of inadequate clearance level will lead to twenty years in prison and a fine of over a hundred thousand credits.
Booting up memory scan: Vincent 'Troy' Cohen, November 4th, 2446…
Loading and processing firmware data… translating… memories and subconscious simulated…
Beginning archival shard presentation…
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"Do you have visuals of the target, Troy?"
I knelt down in the alleyway, the bodies of me and my partners shrouded in long, waterproof, ashen-gray overcoats the shade of dirty street scum that we wore to ward off the constant heavy rainfall the color of osmium. Our faces were covered in a mix of scrapped respirators, visors, or full metal face masks carved with intricate designs to hide our identities. On our waists were our badges of honor: leather belts studded with interlocked rivets made from blackened titanium, each buckle forged of silver and shaped into the head of our gang's symbol, the black mamba. We hid amongst the shadows of the dark midday of Halcyon City, the heavy, oppressive rains blanketing the roads paved obsidian-black with asphalt and weathered concrete walkways. The street lamps were always on, like beacons of false hope in a storm of melancholy.
The city was dark and dreary as always, the planet of Proxima Centauri B, renamed Dawn's Lamentation over a century ago, orbited the red dwarf star of Proxima Centauri, and the atmosphere was thick with natural smog and ever-storming rain clouds. That didn't dissuade people from living here: there was plenty of money to be had for shrewd industrialists and hardworking pioneers, even in the urban sprawl. But that life also came with risks, especially for those on the bottom of the totem pole.
I was a ganger, and we were criminals; full stop. I won't assault you with some spiel about how we're the good guys fighting oppression because, at the end of the day, we could be just as bad, if not worse, than Halcyon's Security Division, or the HSD for short. We were traffickers, killers, extortionists, and money launderers. We dealt with everything from stolen tech and military-grade hardware to hard drugs and sentients.
Yes, sentients. We trafficked sentients, but not in the way you might think. They weren't prisoners, in fact, we were their saviors if they had the cash. We had developed a reputation for fighting the power, but it was still business: sure, freeing captives from the clutches of the Protectorate. The disruption of its many oppressive organizations held a certain satisfaction in my heart for sure, but we didn't help those who couldn't pay unless someone else paid on their behalf. It was about making sure me and my gang, my family, could live a decent life for another day.
It helped that most of us joined after leaving the state yard for partaking in acts of 'degeneracy' and 'anti-xenopet illegalities' as if those terms meant anything anymore other than that we were a threat to the local status quo. It was hard to pick up a job as a former inmate when even in something as harsh and backbreaking as a job in the iridium mines near the poles when the employment office had you blacklisted as a degenerate, which lead to the formation of many of the gangs: we needed to make a living somehow, and when all social programs were cut off from you unless you submitted for 're-education' and the only way to put food on the table was subverting, breaking, or even downright fighting the law, you did what you had to do or you died on the streets a scorned beggar.
It wasn't like the HSD made it easy for us on even a good day: the local HSD units were armed to the teeth with advanced, military-grade hardware that you'd often see on the front lines of the Second Authority War: armored assault transports, a myriad of advanced war droids, all sorts of chemical countermeasures that made tear gas seem like putting the garden hose on mist mode, and of course advanced firearms. Add that to the fact that they were authorized to use deadly force when they deemed it necessary and you had a ruthless, heartless, and nearly unstoppable enemy. But we could make that work: we weren't trying to stop them, just to withstand them.
"Yeah, I got eyes on the prize, Koraak; seven armored transports, two for droids, five for prisoners."
Today wasn't a day for a normal job: we were getting bolder, cockier, more ambitious. Our numbers had swelled for the last few years after the raid at Barnard's Star and the fall of the Blood Dragon Mafia. Their leader, Saito Yasuhide, had committed seppuku as their manor burned, and his twin sons had gone down fighting rather than allowing themselves to be captured simply to face a firing squad. In the aftermath, many of the family's associates had fled to the surrounding systems, and with the sheer size and scope of the criminal underworld found here, it was no wonder that many people who had developed skills of the less legal variety had decided to form ranks with the gangs, and with them they brought guns, tech, knowledge, contacts, and even something that we thought wasn't possible beforehand: a semblance of peace between the gangs, or at least the closest thing to peace that gangs could cultivate effectively. With the fall of the Blood Dragons, we saw the writing on the wall, and the writing couldn't have been clearer: work together or die together.
"Sounds like a massacre, Troy: are you sure we can handle seven?"
"We ain't got no choice, Cinder: this job's double the usual rate, and that's not including the weapons and gear we could scrounge if this goes well," I hissed, my eyes scanning for any resistance. There were at least four guards for each van, not to mention at least eight droids in total, meaning that we were already outnumbered, but we had the element of surprise: we could make it work. "So put your balls in your purse and get ready to spill some blood."
Koraak snorted at our antics, which sounded like someone pulling the ripcord on a lawnmower. He was a veteran Russu Corsair, and while his past of slaving, raiding, and killing was unsavory, so were the lives we'd lived, so who were we to judge? All we cared about was that he was a brutal and capable fighter and a loyal brother in arms. It turned out that being a ganger wasn't much different from being a Corsair: you lived and died by a code of honor, you fought to the death for your brothers, and you lived to die for the sake of your gang and your family, simple as that. In a strange, ironic way, it was an incredibly honest way of life: we were under no illusions as to what we were, what we did, and why we did it, and we'd long since accepted it. The Russu related to us in that aspect, in many ways I could respect, which is why I hated what the Protectorate was doing, and why I couldn't grasp how most of humanity could just collectively lose their marbles so long ago. What had happened for us to deem all other life below us in such a demeaning and infantilizing way?
The Russu were a race of tall, muscle-bound Saurians with avian features, and Koraak was no exception: reaching almost seven feet in height and weighing over four hundred and fifty pounds, he could be an absolute menace if he so desired. His skin was covered in stubby, knobby scales and dense plumage, with elegant feathers adorning the ridges along his back as well as his forearms, elbows, knees, and the crests on his head. He almost looked like how paleontologists described velociraptors, with razor-sharp talons, feathers shaded in vibrant greens, reds, and purples, and a maw full of sharp teeth, but at the tip of his snout was a sharp, beak-like growth meant for ripping flesh off the bone.
The Russu were strange as hell, but they also looked almost cute in the same way a fully grown alligator was cute: they were obviously dangerous, but humans would always have this innate desire to anthropomorphize them and to pet them for some inexplicable reason, although common sense usually prevented that, at least amongst the very few of us left that were sane.
"Shut up, Troy! All I'm saying is that that'll be rough, and you know it," hissed Cinder. Cinder was a tall black man whose coffee-colored skin was covered in tattoos. He wore an ebony mechanic's jumpsuit with metal inserts underneath his grimy overcoat covering his body and a faded black respirator on his face. His eyes were a startling blue that seemed sorely out of place, and his hair was braided into thick cornrows along his scalp. He wore a pair of heavy black combat boots and palmed his compact shotgun in his hands, the square barrel less than seven inches. Like a lot of the weapons the Black Mambas carried on their persons and dealt in, they fired caseless ammunition; in Cinder's case it was 16x40mm caseless shotshells filled with depleted uranium micro-flechetes no thicker than a toothpick. Cinder nervously fiddled with the detachable tube magazine underneath the barrel, his hands shaking. Despite the shit I have him, I didn't blame him for being anxious: I was anxious too, even if I refused to show it. The biting cold of unease and pessimism was in my stomach, and I ran all the way that this job could go wrong in my head over and over.
"Just hold yourself together, this ain't anything we haven't done before, there's just more of it," I reassured Cinder, "besides, we're not alone; we have reinforcements across the street. We'll make it out of this alive."
Cinder nodded almost absentmindedly, his eyes downcast and his breathing shallow. I turned from him and back to Koraak, who was making sure he had everything on his person; he had a synthetic leather bandoleer across his chest that contained the heavy eight guage depleted uranium slugs he kept loading and unloading into his much larger, longer, and more traditional shotgun he nicknamed ‘carnage’ and several leather straps that held his Tu'shan daggers: traditional Russu pyramidal blades forged from a silvery alloy with all three edges serrated and the tip barbed to leave behind horrible, gaping wounds that gushed blood. They were wickedly sharp and absolutely straight like a stiletto, and the hilts and pommels were beautifully decorated. He wore no clothes underneath his overcoat to cover the countless scars and blemishes he's earned in combat across his chest and abdomen, and instead of a normal respirator or visor, he simply wore a hood over his head and some traditional Russu facial armor to protect his mouth, eyes, and cheeks.
"You ready to fight, Koraak? The caravan will pick up and leave soon."
Koraak was silent for a moment before nodding, a human gesture he had picked up after serving as a soldier with the Black Mambas for years. "I'm always ready to fight," he said before lifting up his shotgun and aiming down the sights at the reinforced front wheels of the first armored car in the caravan. He exhaled and fired, the slug ripping through both front tires and causing them to deflate and fall apart. The echo of the shot rang through the alleyway and the street, causing pedestrians to panic and flee the scene as heavily armored guards poured out of the side doors of the armored cars and unholstered their carbines.
"Go, now!" I shouted, and both me and Cinder rushed out into the fray, our guns raised. Koraak was right behind the two of us, providing covering fire with his shotgun. Several guards fell quickly, Koraak's precise fire and the sheer force of the depleted uranium slugs putting them down for good as their heads were vaporized or their chest cavities were turned to mush. He emptied the tube with one final shot that painted the grey matter of a security guard on the door of one of the armored cars, then racked the shotgun and expertly loaded it in threes, his hands deft and agile as he reached for more slugs faster than any human.
With the cacophony of our initial assault, more Black Mambas poured out from the alleyways and the subways, armed to the teeth with all manner of weapons; shotguns, submachine guns, pistols, machetes, baseball bats, and all manner of homemade explosives. Molotovs and more potent concoctions shattered against the asphalt, herding in the caravan guards with their volatile contents as they were quickly gunned down. The assault was working, and we were winning.
Then I heard the robotic whine of a combat droid activating, and my heart sank. One of the armored cars in the back activated the four combat droids it held, the robotic assault units detaching from their charging ports on the sides of the large van and began to form up, each armed with a terrifying array of deadly weapons meant to quash any and all resistance. They were blocky, soulless, utilitarian things that stood at eight feet tall, with flat feet meant for stomping and blades, grasping claws designed to lacerate flesh and shatter bone. On each shoulder was a weapon: on the left was a multi-barrel rotary grenade launcher loaded with 15mm concussion grenades, and on the right was a burst-fire splinter cannon. They were all painted a dull grayish-green, the color of Halcyon's Security Division, although some had a few decorations on them: the one closest to me had a bit of graffiti on the side that said Mr. Hugs in Comic Sans, which I couldn't decide whether that made it more or less terrifying. They split up without hesitation and began to scan the chaotic battlefield, their single, red, beady lenses the security forces had the gall to call eyes focusing on specific targets to eliminate.
An entire group of Black Mambas was torn to pieces by a cloud of flechettes as one of the droids fired a withering three-round burst of shotshells from the four gauge splinter cannon mounted on its shoulder. Another picked up a Black Mamba in its hand and crushed her skull effortlessly before tossing her limp body to the side, its single, red, remorseless robotic eye tracking a new target. Most bullets that struck their thick armored chassis simply bounced off, and those that could pierce the armor didn't seem to phase the droids whatsoever, merely notifying them of a new potential target.
"Damnit," I shouted as I gunned down another guard only for two more to take his place. "Cinder! We gotta pop open the cars and scram! Get the maglock cutters!"
Cinder rushed and slid over through a dirty puddle, pulling out a maglock cutter from the inside of his coat and slipping it onto the back door of the first van. It immediately went to work, drilling through the maglock with a high-powered plasma torch nozzle, and within ten seconds we heard the telltale clunk of the maglock separating. I yanked the door open and ordered I side, ready to escort the prisoners out… only for my face to contort in shock and horror.
The back was empty. There was not a single soul inside of the back brig of the armored car.
"What the fuck…" Cinder gasped, his eyes wide with shock. "What the actual fuck… what the fuck is this, Troy?"
"I… I don't…" I stuttered the sounds of battle and carnage drowned out by the sound of blood rushing in my ears. All five cars were supposed to be filled with recently captured Russu from the front lines ready to be housed in the local Xenopet-Megaplex for processing and conditioning. The fact that this one was empty…
Suddenly, it all hit me at once with the force of a freight train, but it was too late. "We were set up, Cinder; our fucking client either squealed or was crooked to begin with…"
"Fucking bitch!" Cinder shouted as he spun around in an enraged arch, anger growing in his eyes. He aimed his shotgun at an approaching security guard and reduced his upper body to a fine red mist with a cacophony of shotgun blasts. "We gotta get everyone who's left out of here! Do you know what this means? The Jurors will be here soon, and then we're all going down! We gotta go, fuck the job!"
I grit my teeth. Not the Jurors, anything but the Jurors.
"Fine, gather everyone who's left and we'll slip through the sewers, the droids are too bulky to follow us there…"
As I spoke, my eyes wandered to the seventh and final armored car, the second of the droid cars, and my blood froze. Not only were all four ports empty, but they were also smaller and more shallow than the ports for the combat droids. That could only mean one thing.
"Oh fuck! Cinder, we gotta get our Russu members out of here! They've got arachnid droids!"
Arachnid droids were the stuff of nightmares. Resembling blocky, robotic arachnids the size of a manhole cover, they were specifically designed to take down sentient aliens, specifically the Russu, using sickeningly non-lethal means. They were equipped with full-body adaptive cloaking to blend in with their environments, paralytic agents that they could inject into their victims, built-in taser barbs, psychedelic gas ports for crowd-control, and a narrow-coned cacophony canon that disabled the Russu using incredibly high-pitched sounds that only they could hear, forcing them onto their knees and clutching the backs of their heads where their auditory organs were stored in agony. But worst of all was their stygian spinnerets: special ports near the end of their robotic abdomens that excreted a viscous, latex-like substance made up of millions of nano-bots. This substance could be used to render Russu blind, deaf, and mute by having it forced onto their faces, the black substance growing and enveloping their heads and working its way into every orifice. It was completely permeable to the standard atmosphere, but any Russu who had been 'webbed' was completely helpless and essentially captured, and the 'webbing' was both nearly indestructible and nigh impossible to remove without a triple-encrypted override key that was found in every arachnid droid's code, which was corrupted when the droid was destroyed or hacked into. Once you were 'webbed', you were essentially captured and the standard protocol was to leave you to the wolves since the nano-bots could be tracked, endangering the entire gang.
I turned just as I heard the deafening sound of Koraak discharging his shotgun, and I saw him squaring off against one of the assault droids. The droid has obviously been programmed to not use lethal force against Russu if possible, as instead of simply killing Koraak with it's shoulder-mounted splinter cannon, it approached with its claws extended, blades retracted. Koraak continued to back away and fire, pumping the droid full of depleted uranium slugs, its armor crumbling inward as the slugs pierced its chassis and damaged its internal cyberstructure. Eventually, Koraak ran out of slugs and instinctively reached to his bandoleer only to find that he had no more shells left at all, and he drew one of his knives and his sidearm, a simple high-caliber handgun. He tried to take down the droid with his handgun, but the bullets didn't even seem to affect the droid upon penetration, it's claws still extended as it attempted to apprehend Koraak.
In the corner of my vision, as I watched Koraak battle with the droid, I noticed a faint shimmer in the air on one of the black streetlight poles that was right behind him. I focused on it and blinked, believing my eyes had deceived me for a moment before realizing that it was actually a cloaked arachnid droid stalking Korvaak, ready to pounce and incapacitate him.
Before I could shout, it leaped from the pole and landed on Korvaak, causing him to shout in surprise while it began to coagulate its horrifying stygian webbing to disable Korvaak. Korvaak tried to wrestle it off of him, but the droid was agile and fast, clinging onto Korvaak and skittering around across his upper body as he attempted to grab it, forcibly wrapping the sticky black liquid across his face as he gagged like a spider wrapping up a fly. I rushed towards him to try and help, but I felt pain explode in my ribs as I was struck with the arm of the closest combat droid and launched into the chassis of a parked car, the metal denting from the sheer force of impact. I groaned in pain as I saw stars and my head spun, and just then I felt a blinding light be cast over me.
“Drop your weapons and kneel with your hands on your head, or you will be pacified with deadly force!” Shouted a loud, artificially deepened voice from above. “I repeat, drop your weapons and kneel with your hands on your head! Neither hostility nor hesitation will be tolerated!”
It was the Jurors, I could feel the air being pushed around from the thrusters on their drop ships, and I could hear screams and shouts as my fellow Black Mambas were quickly gunned down. I couldn’t see well since I was seeing double, but I could hear the slaughter as my eyes dimmed and I began to lose consciousness, my regrets crawling up my throat like vomit.
I’m sorry was all I could think as everything finally went dark, and the sounds of chaos, destruction, and combat faded away.
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Memory halted due to loss of consciousness. Booting next available memory in shard…
Booting up memory scan: Koraak Tel-Char Bruno, November 5th, 2446…
Loading and processing firmware data… translating… memories and subconscious simulated…
Beginning archival shard presentation…
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“Good morning, sleepyhead; it’s time for breakfast.”
My eyes shot open. I was not in the street anymore, nor was I home in my bed with my mate. I knew instantly that something was horribly wrong. I tried to stand up, but I couldn’t gain the leverage to do so: my ankles had been shackled together with magnetic cuffs and my arms were forced together in front of me.
I was wearing some kind of thick shirt. It was warm, fluffy, and comfortable on the inside, but it still made me incredibly uncomfortable that my arms didn’t have a free range of motion. I looked down to see that I was wearing some human garment I had heard about before, a straightjacket maybe?
The entire room was padded: the walls, the floor, even the ceiling. There was no bed or furniture; the floor was soft enough to serve as a bed in itself. There was nothing else except for the soft reddish-orange lights on the ceiling that somehow made me sleepy. I blinked slowly for a moment, my body screaming at me to just lay back down and lose consciousness, but I couldn’t do that: I needed to figure out where I was and how to escape.
Then I noticed who was speaking to me: it was a short human female, with crow's feet around her blue eyes, blonde hair braided down her back, and freckles all over her face. She had a soft smile on her lips, and her forehead was slightly crinkled. She wore a full-body white lab suit with a white overcoat and a pair of glasses for snugly on her face.
"There we go, now I can see those pretty eyes, such a beautiful shade of teal," she cooed softly, "You're such a handsome boy, even with all those scars: I'm sure you'll be adopted very quickly once we get you fixed up."
Fear gripped my heart as I began to piece all the evidence together. I had been captured; I was no longer on Halcyon, and instead, I was in one of the horrific space-born facilities I had heard so much about from the inside agents. I started to hyperventilate and squawk like a newborn hatchling, my eyes dilating in panic. This couldn't be happening! This has to be a nightmare!
The human woman merely wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into an embrace, cradling my head under her chin and speaking softly. I couldn't bite at her or claw at her: I was muzzled and wearing a straight jacket, so I had no choice but to allow her to coddle me.
"It's okay, sweetheart: I understand you're scared, but Julie's here to make all the pain and bad thoughts go away," she said as if she was comforting a child, which made anger blossom in my chest indignantly. "I'll be your caretaker for the next few months, and I'm going to make sure you're healthy, happy, and most importantly safe while you're under our care. I'm sorry to say that includes your restraints and restrictive clothing, but we have to make sure you aren't a threat to yourself or others before we can determine if it's a good idea to remove you from suicide watch."
I growled under my muzzle. Suicide watch? They must have had a lot of instances of Russu taking their own lives after being captured, something I wished I had been able to do before that damnable droid launched itself onto me and…
I shuddered at the thought of the black, viscous substance forcing itself into my nostrils and down my throat and windpipe, gagging me and rendering me completely helpless. It was so cold, so harsh, like slime, and when I had tried to tear it off of my face it merely attached itself to my claws and bound my talons together. I remember squirming on the ground as it enveloped me, unable to see, hear, or speak, and then everything went dark in an instant. It was the most horrible thing I had ever experienced, which was saying something.
"You alright, sweetheart? Oh, I know, you're probably hungry! Here, try some of this." She held up a piece of what looked like raw bacon and wiggled it in front of me before reaching out to remove my muzzle. In an instant, I attempted to snap at her only for pain to blossom in my forehead and my eyes to roll up in my head as I convulsed. It was like something was attempting to drill through my skull from the inside, and every breath felt empty and labored.
"Now, that didn't feel very nice, did it? This is why we have countermeasures in place because we can't trust you yet, sweetheart! Don't worry, we'll work on breaking you of all those bad behaviors and habits while you're here; after all, a well-trained pet is a happy pet!" She began to stroke the crests on my head as I slowly recovered, and she snugly fit the muzzle back onto my snout. "But I won't hold it against you this time, sweetheart; you're just scared and confused, but I'll make all the pain go away."
I struggled in the straight jacket, trying my best to break out of it, but it was no use. Eventually, I became exhausted and despondent, allowing my new caretaker to have her way with me as she gently ran her fingers through my feathers and along my ridges, quietly speaking to me in a hopeless attempt to cheer me up. She seemed genuinely concerned for my well-being, which concerned me even further: who could be this naturally twisted while attempting to be as benevolent and kindhearted as possible?
I felt the pain and terror build up in my chest, the anxiety from what horrific activities I imagined they had planned for me here. I couldn't take the infantilization, the lack of any autonomy, the dehumanization, and what I feared the most was if the rumors of 'rebirth' were true: would they take my personhood from me?
Suddenly, I felt her whisper to me. "Don't worry sweetheart, I know you're so scared and confused, but I promise you everything will be okay: it's going to be your birthday soon, and then everything will get better." She ran her fingers through the feathers along my crest lovingly. "It will be such a wonderful day, and then we'll choose for you the most wonderful family, and you'll spend the rest of your life happy in your forever home! Doesn't all of that sound wonderful?"
I wanted to die. I wanted to disappear. I didn't want to lose myself, not like this, not to these monsters!
"It'll be your birthday soon," she said wistfully as if she was remembering similar events to this in the past like I wasn't the first she'd done this too, "and you'll never be sad again."
I realized that I wasn't the first the stay in this particular cell, and I knew for certain that I wouldn't be the last: I'd end up like my brother, a broken, erased mess of a pathetic creature, reduced to nothing more than a pet for these humans to amuse themselves with.
"We took the liberty of picking out a nice name for you, sweetheart! Now, let me just slip this little programming chip into the port slot on your occipital bone, and... there we go! It will also help you calm down a bit and adjust."
I felt the chip begin to invade my mind, suppressing my thoughts. What made me me was slowly being ripped out of my mind. I couldn't remember my name my name is Bruno, and I needed to get out! I can't let them do this to me! Somebody help me! I was a good boy.
##Do not think. You are a good boy.##
I tried to scream, but my voice wouldn't work: I had trouble forming any words at all, the confusion clouding my mind like wet, slimy eels curling around my brain and sinking their teeth into its folds like needles. I couldn’t scream any longer, because I had nothing left: the chip was slowly beginning to take everything from me, robbing me of my identity and branding a new one into my psyche with a white-hot iron. Julie simply held me close, attempting to reassure me as I awaited the inevitable demise of my personhood. Soon I would be just like my brother: erased. My mind would be shaped into the mind of a loyal plaything, like a Dog.
##Relax. Allow caretaker [Julie] to comfort you. You will let go of your burden.##
Soon, everything was a blur. I quickly found myself resting my head in her lap as she whispered to me and fed me, my eyes bleary and my head fuzzy. I couldn't remember my name anymore My name was Bruno, and I needed to break free from this trance relax, and allow her to help me; good boys didn't resist help.
##Good Boy. Do not think. You are a good boy.##
You can't... I...
##Good boy.##
I wouldn't… good boys don't… I…
##Good boy##
I was a good boy… I was a good boy…
I was… I was… a good… boy…
Someone help me, please! I don't want to be erased!
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The following script is from episode #343 of Halcyon After Dark, a popular late-night and current events talk show hosted by Melinda Carter. This specific episode was sponsored in part by the Halcyon Security Division, with Director Lochlin O'Brien joining as a guest star to talk about the changing crime statistics in Halcyon City and the HSD's recent successes in busting organized crime as well as their plans for addressing the growing criminal underworld.
MC: Good evening Halcyon! I'm your host, Melinda Carter, and you're watching Halcyon's most popular late-night talk show, Halcyon After Dark!
The crowd claps and cheers as Melinda walks on stage and sits behind her desk, her glittering red dress waving as she does so from the special effects.
MC: Tonight we have a very special guest here to tell us about the state of crime in the city and his plans on resolving it: please put your hands together for the HSD's very own Director, Lochlin O'Brien!
The crowd cheers some more as HSD Director Lochlan O'Brien, a tall, muscular, caucasian male in his early forties with red hair and a well-trimmed beard steps into the room, waving at the crowd with a bright smile. He sits in the armchair angled next to Melinda's desk and gives her his full attention.
MC: It's so good to have you on the show, Director! Tell me, how are you doing on this fine evening?
LO: I'm doing excellent, Melinda: every day I wake up feeling fulfilled knowing I'm serving Halcyon to the best of my abilities and then some."
MC: That's the spirit, Director! Now, I know this question is just on everyone's lips, so I have to ask: how successful was the recent gang bust? I heard HSD forces took out dozens of gang members and liberated at least a dozen Russu Hounds from their abusive clutches, but I know that everyone in the audience and at home wants to know the numbers.
LO: I'd be glad to tell you, but I do have to preface this by saying that we still lost a lot of good officers that day, and while we did strike a crippling blow to one of Halcyon's biggest gangs, it doesn't change the fact that each death is a tragedy, and we're taking steps to prevent them in the future. That being said, those valiant officers did not sacrifice themselves in vain: we had over a dozen confirmed kills and several arrests, including the rescue of several corrupted Russu hounds.
MC: That's excellent, Director: proof that even when the number of degenerates and scum grow by the day, the HSD will always be here to keep the citizens of Halcyon safe.
LO: Absolutely, Melinda, and we're always working tirelessly to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our units, as well as racing to stay several steps ahead of the many gangs of Halcyon at all times. My newest goal as Director is to vastly increase the funding given to our Robotics Department and our Neuro-Warfare Department to potentially reduce the number of casualties we may experience in the future, as well as to quickly and effectively detain, and if necessary, eliminate criminals. Within the next decade, I want to double the number of automated units each Security Platoon is assigned: droids are the future of public safety as well as countless other industries, and it would be foolish to be left behind.
MC: That is quite a lofty goal, Director: what about the displaced jobs from the increased automation? What will the union say?
LO: And to that, I say: what misplaced jobs? We aren't replacing our honored and beloved service members with droids, Melinda, we are simply supplementing our units with more droids to ensure that future gang assaults end with fewer HSD casualties and more gang members in prison or eliminated, simple as that.
MC: That makes much more sense, Director, thanks for clarifying. Now, I have one more question that I'm sure much of Halcyon wants to know the answer to before we take a short break: what plans do you and your fellow directors have to make long-term progress in reducing crime beyond just increasing funding? Have you proposed any plans to strike at the source of where crime and degeneracy flourish?
OL: That's an excellent question, and one I am proud to answer: my constituents and I have been working tirelessly on a two-step plan to greatly reduce crime levels in Halcyon. Step one would be to prevent people from becoming criminals and degenerates at all in the first place: a lot of young men and women, but especially young men, have lost either one or both parents or even a sibling, aunt or uncle, or even a close friend by the brutality of the Second Authority War, and while the service of their lost loved ones will always be recognized and honored, many of these young men and women are left bitter, angry and lost without the guidance these people give them in their lives. Oftentimes they seek to fill that void with others who claim to relate to them: career criminals. These criminals will fill their heads with lies and false narratives to make them feel like they're fighting back against the 'evil protectorate government' that took their loved ones from them by sending them off to war when in reality it was the rogue Xenopets of the Triarchy that took them away by resisting their just and inevitable unburdening.
In response, I have proposed a slew of special programs that will make sure local law enforcement and HSD officers are present and contributing to their local community, and we'll be providing easy and light job openings for youngsters and teens looking to make a career for themselves in the force when they grow up. We want to let these lost souls know that there are people who care about them, people who understand them and that you shouldn't turn to degeneracy to feel fulfilled. We want to help the youth of our great society soar to new heights!
MC: That sounds like a wonderful beginning to your plan, Director, but what about the second step?
LO: Well, the second step is to prevent criminals and degenerates from becoming repeat criminals. Sure, they've made their mistakes, some worse than others, but they're only human like the rest of us. Some of them have been through hell: some are traumatized veterans who don't know how to adapt to normal life, others were recruited when they were young and don't know that there's a better way to live, and even more are mentally ill. We're alone in this galaxy, and we can't leave so many people behind. That's why we've come up with an excellent solution: we've set up isolated communities on distant moons and frontier planets where these criminals can be reeducated, rehabilitated, and allowed to repay their debt to society. When they're deemed 'reformed' and have graduated from our program, they'll be granted a hefty stipend and their criminal record will be deemed irrelevant, allowing them to reintegrate and become functioning members of our proud society.
MC: all of these sound like incredible steps forward in the fight to better our society and make real progress, Director. Sadly, we do have to step away for a moment, but you best believe I'll be back, Halcyon, and we'll be asking the Director here some burning questions about allegations over the quality of life Erubus Supermax! Now, a word from our sponsors!
Halcyon Xenopet-Megaplex! Everything your xenopet could ever need in one place! Adoption is now free-
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Good, you’re still alive! The rest of this shard appears to be corrupted, which means this particular trail seems to have run cold here, but do not despair; you need to keep searching. Find out what happened. Find the truth.I cannot guide you any longer: they've already found me, and if I remain in contact with you they'll find you as well. Take the archival database, and see what you can piece together. Maybe if we discover what truly happened we can put an end to this madness once and for all. I'm counting on you. Don't cry for me, I don't fear death, but I fear what they'll do to me to get to you: there are far worse fates than death, after all.

Guys I know this WON'T happen because it's related to fanfic but uhh...
(PRESS ANY KEY TO START THE GAME)
At the start of the game, we came across a advertisement video on Finley the Sea Serpent plush until it glitched at the end, appearing Salem in less than 0.5 seconds.
Chapter 2: Who Lives Under The Sea?
We go down the stairs and we are in Oceanic Odyssey filled with tanks and 3 different aquarium tunnels. You can see a statue of Finley the Sea Serpent in the middle of the aquarium just like the other mascots, except Lloyd or Salem. You will find a Rambley holding a trophy collectible as you explore. We came across Rambley and said "Hello there and welcome to Oceani(qaptrg)c Odyssey! This place is full of watery wonder, so let's DIVE in and SEA what awaits for us in this LIQUIDISING adventure! I will get fired from saying jokes on you :(. Anyways go to the middle tunnel and find Finley's Cave, where he lives." We must go to the middle aquarium tunnel but it won't open, so we went to the electrical power storage. We came across a Finley hat collectible in there. We pick up gears to open the gates of the first aquarium tunnel. As we continue on, there are ketchup splattered with flickering lights until someone threw a weird tonic at us and make us fall asleep.
We're in a dream where we are in our gaming setup and we're streaming and reacting to 4 gays playing UNO until an anonymous account donated us $2.99 and said "You should go to Indigo Park" and spamming the message to us over and over and over again in the chatbox. This makes Ed (the player) traumatized as he shuts down the PC. Then, a stupid creepy Salem face jumpscare pops out of the screen and the dream ends.
We woke up again in the Aquarium to find Finley's Cave and came across a guard office blocked our way and came across a note saying "We are being tortured by them". We used our critter cuff to let us through and we're in the middle of Oceanic Odyssey. It's really, REALLY massive, and a bit demolished that we can see the sky from the roof. We can see Finley's Cave in a gigantic aquarium. For some reason, there's a lot of medium-sized purplish pink slimes glued by the walls or floors scattered around the place, touching one will result immediate death. Rambley appears at a 7 foot tall TV and said Rambley: Ugh, I forgot how messy this place is, like whoever created this whole flipping gooey-j(lotipgA)unka will get sentenced to life behind bars. Anyways, we need to clean this up before Finley goes ba-
Finley: What happened here...?
Rambley: Oh hey Finley, so uhh.... we're having a chat hehe, yyyyyeeeaaahhh.
Finley: Is this... a human...?
Rambley: Of course he's a human. I just want him to have fun in the park, plus he's a NEW registered staff!
Finley: Rambley, I have known you in over a century... and you give me this? These mortals put us in cages just because they think we want to "kill" the tourists...? How pathetic.
Rambley: Uhh, I know how you feel but, he isn't the bad guy, he's just tryna know the park well. We're just wanted to restore the park and bring happiness to it. Plus, I don't recognize him being here in this place, he's new here and he wants lore, like one of my favourite people, Matthew Patrick. Can you tell him about what causes the park to shut down? Because I forgot.
Finley: Ok fine. Hey you, if you wanna know lore about my seashell collec- I mean about the park, would you clean out all of this purple goo? It's kinda disgusting. Go to the left tunnel and you'll find a big storage room. Find a device that can really destroy all the slime stuck in everything. Good luck, or you won't be always longing forever.
We did what Finley told us to do and we go to the big storage room. Rambley shows there and said "We made it to the storage room! Don't celebrate too early, because it's actually dark, and there will be red scorpions which are life-thre(ytjwxlra)atening. Just be careful grabbing the vacuum with a large sack. Anyways good luck!" We went into the darkness but good thing we have our flashlight ready to go. There's couple of jumpscares where a army of red scorpions marching quickly, touching them would kill you, and a Salem plush immediately falls down and scared us (related to Poppy Playtime C3 in the Home Sweet Home, you get jumpscared by a Catnap plush). Even worse, the plush is a collectible. We made it into the dead end of the storage area and we found an indigo vacuum with a very large sack, which sucks only slimy objects because the vacuum has very high pull when activated that even 20% of Oceanic Odyssey would get sucked by this vacuum in 10 seconds. We quickly ran all the way back but someone mysteriously said "You think you're clever, don't you?" and exactly when I said that, we fall into a rope trap and we're hanging above the floors fainted. Few hours later, we woke up tied at the roof in a random full-of-witchcraft room and we see Salem the Skunk said this:
Salem: "Heh yeah, this should be the RIGHT ingredient. Oh, you're awake, little oogway. I'm Salem the Skunk. By the way, you won't be getting out in my place. You're gonna be terminated of what fleshy idiots like you do to me, always commanding a freaking raccoon, a lion (which I'd better stay away), a parrot who likes to CANONICALLY crash on me like I was a bowling pin, etc, to LEGITIMATELY kell me! I used to be an antagonist, but I'm WAY more evil than that. I started getting as much air as possible then I started farting the whole park, cuz I'm a skunk of course little oogway. Now my eeevil recipe is 88% complete, I still need to cool it down from the big cooler full of skeletons hanging on the roof. You, don't YOU make any noise or movement, I'll be watching you flesh by flesh."
Luckily, we escaped by pressing left click 50 times. We explored the witchery room with shelves full of potions and books. The metal door is locked and we need something to get out. Even worse, there's a 3 minute timer ticking before Salem comes back, so we gotta hurry. We come across a paper on how to make a gallium potion(which only breaks metal). We need a zinc potion (orange), 2 metal bars, and a magical potion (purple). We found all the ingredients and a small cauldron which we carry to the table. We mix the ingredients and we got a Gallium Potion. We threw it at the metal door and leave a giant hole. If you did this perfect timing, Salem will find out that you're escaping so she will chase you in an hallway. You will find a Diamond Lloyd Plush during the chase scene. You will find an gray rope that's barely visible, exactly like the rope you fall into, which you jump on it and Salem got tied up one foot. We can hear her said:
Salem: Aaauuuughhh! You won't get away with this, little oogway! Get me out of here RIGHT NOW! Ugh, FINE! You absolutely win. I'll let you slide this time, but you don't know where I put the vacuum! Hahaha, hahahahahahahaha, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
'gets hit by flashlight'
Salem: Oww! That freaking hurt dude!
Wait! Before we leave, the door shut down and we go to the door to find a cuff button. Inside the door, there's a lot of lore about Indigo Park that said:
"What's going on? Why is the biggest bird attacking people? What's wrong with the lion? Why is this happening?"
"My dad won't let me play with the birdie 😭🦜"
Then, we found a FinleyZooka, which is literally overpowered against evil mascots. We used our critter cuff to head on Finley's Cave and talking about what happened to the device to Finley and Rambley.
Rambley: Welcome back, new staff! How's it going?
'5 seconds later'
Finley: What? Salem stole the vacuum? I thought she was inside the jail inside the top room, maybe she somehow escaped.
Rambley: There's a jail room in the top floor? I didn't even notice that because there's no TV in there.
Finley: Yeah. Anyways, I told you to go to the storage room, which is the left. You got caught by her. You reverse-psychologied her and you came out of the top room. Which means the vacuum is in the right room, and it's EVEN DIRTIER than the main section. That's where the mother slime called "Blobgalola the Blob", who is twice the size of YOUR size, is the one who produces these yucky purple goo.
Rambley: Just be careful, new staff. We believe in you.
We head into the right room where the vacuum was protected by purple slime minions and Blobgalola, but we got distracted about an arcade game called Finley Frenzy. This game (much like Rambley Rush) shows Finley worried that somebody stole his seashell collection, so Finley decided to find out who really stole it from him. After the parkour, He saw Salem with a scuba suit on and commands the purple slimes to attack him. Luckily, we won, and just like Rambley Rush, the game suddenly glitches and fades out. We're back in the game and we came across a parkour and jump over the disgusting goo. Each jump gets harder to jump unless you're smart enough. On there, we Blobgalola generating purple blobs. Suddenly, she sees us and tries to chase us, but out of nowhere the red scorpions invade her gooey skin and fused to make a slime/scorpion monster.
The monster is after us and we came across a Lloyd Mask collectible and an BIG ammo for our FinleyZooka while we're running from Blobgalola. We jump across the parkour we came earlier and we came out and we shut it down, locking them in the room. We left them and tell the two that we got the vacuum with a large sack. We returned to Finley's Aquarium and said:
Finley: Ah, yes. You got the vacuum. Quick! Start removing all of this disgusting blobs. I'm tired of smelling them, even if I'm in the aquarium!
We carefully started removing all of the purple slimes glued in the place and we managed to do it. Finley was so happy that he's excited to tell the player what happened to the park.
Rambley: So are you gonna tell us what causes the park to shut down?
Finley: Yes. The reason why the park has shut down because the scientists used to make experiment-
Salem: HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, little Oogways. Did you think I was dead??!
Rambley: Uhh, who are you? Did you go to the bathroom?
Finley: So you're the reason why my place is so messy. WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!
Salem: Just like I said every time, I'M A SKUNK! Skunks are evil! It's my role to be an EVIL character, right?
Finley: What's wrong with you? We're not in a show or something. Can you just stop all of this fatherless plan?
Salem: I don't care, no-limb face. I DON'T F(eidjthakxf)ng CARE!
Rambley: My digital ears!
Finley: What did you say to me??!! I'm gonna end your life once and for all!
Salem: Slimes and Scorpions! Invade this stupid ahh place with no REASON and MERCY!
The player fights the slimes and scorpions using the FinleyZooka from earlier, and it literally kelled a lot of them with just one shot. You must stay away from them because you get jumpscared by them and resets the ENTIRE boss battle, so you gotta be strategic. The reload of the bazooka is 10 seconds, which is so long to reload. The minions progressively gets tougher every ammo you shot. And it all leads to Blobgalola/Scorpion fusion you ran from it in the right room. It takes 3 shots to eliminate her. Once you done that, Salem would say:
Salem: Nooooo! My minions! They didn't take over! Whyyyy??!
Finley: Hey, staff! Place your bazooka at the watchtower nearby and blast the final blow on the furry!
We found the watchtower and quickly placed the FinleyZooka on it and we automatically hit Salem! But Salem said:
Salem: Nah, I'll backup my ejection.
And she has a secret backpack this whole time in her jacket and flew away, breaking the glass from the rooftops and the blow exploded. Little did you know, the FinleyZooka is capable of destroying soft objects, so if the area around it is hard, the area won't get destroyed unless if there's a soft object. If slimes and scorpions skin are soft, they are gone, reduced to atoms.
Rambley: Phew, everything's clear now, except for the roof and ripped off walls but it's fine. I can see your facial tracking is celebrating the wonders of joy. You made it so far that I don't even know what the future will be. We did it, we restored Oceanic Odyssey.
Finley: Thank you, new staff. I really appreciate all your hard work and effort you did. And thank you Rambley, for being known you in an hundred years.
Rambley: Thanks, Finley! How's your seashell collection going?
Finley: It's ok, Rambley. Wait! Look behind you!
Rambley: Is that... Lloyd? RUUUUUN!
I promise this is the final chase scene, but we get chased by LloydFord L. Lion and we go to the top room (where we kidnapped by Salem) and there were bunch of random numbers in the walls. Suddenly the gate shuts down and we came across a door with a password lock. We quickly used the random numbers on the lock and the door opens. We see an elevator slowly closes as we run faster. At the perfect timing, we escaped the lion. And we ascend the floors and came across a very large office with a TON of security cameras. You can see an information kiosk at the office and a Rambley plush sitting on the chair. We came across a note that said "If you are reading this fast enough, I'm watching you this whole time" and almost immediately, we get knocked out by ??????? (related to Garden of Banban 2 where we got fainted by Banban as we get the note). After this, the song "Rambley Review" starts playing, ending Chapter 2: Who Lives Under The Sea?
Did you guys enjoy my WHOLE plot prediction in 10,887 characters long? Or are you just hate reading it?

Hi. It's me, Polaris. Some of you might remember me, some might not. Some of my better works include Down on the Street, Holliday: Distraught, Incident, and Checking In. I also created the Destiny Journals Wiki that nobody uses anymore. Though I don't blame anyone for forgetting; I've been MIA for months by virtue of making a new account because I wanted a different username. Anyway. I'm back now, probably just as inconsistently as ever. With The Final Shape closer than ever, there's no better time for me to come back home. Enjoy!
The Black Garden
Polaris stared up at the Black Heart as it dissipated, a slack grip on the Ace of Spades. "It's over," he said breathlessly.
Daedalus hovered at his Guardian's side. "You've cleansed the Black Garden again, Polaris. Thanks to you, the Vex can't interfere with our work in connecting to Crow."
"Well done," Osiris said over comms. "When you return, I would suggest you make your final preparations before we enter the portal. We have no idea what awaits on the other side."
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that. See you soon, Osiris." Polaris cut off the connection as he returned to his sister Riven's gateway.
The Last City
Polaris assembled Fireteam Apex in the now-abandoned ruins of the Old Tower Plaza. "It's good to see you two again," he said warmly as the trio group-hugged.
"You have no idea," Hecate agreed as they stepped away from each other. "It's been so long since we were all together outside of defending the City from them." She glared up at the few Pyramid ships that had appeared above the City. The sounds of distant gunfire from the battles currently raging on echoed through the evening.
"So why now?" Nemea-13 asked. "You called us here for a reason, Polaris. Is something up?"
"You could say that." Polaris turned and faced the City. "Osiris and Mara are making good progress on opening the portal. It's only a matter of time now before we can go through and put an end to this. So, I want to make a request."
"And what's that?"
The Hunter sighed, looking back at his fireteam. "Don't come with me."
Hecate froze, taken aback. "What?"
"What are you saying?" Nemea asked, his voice cracking.
"You heard me. When I follow Crow into the portal, I don't want you to follow me. Stay here. Defend the City. Protect the people. Zavala and Ikora have already established that they'll be joining me in there. The City will need someone to stay behind and keep it safe between when we go and when we get back. That's what I want from you two. Stay behind, keep the people safe." Polaris looked back at the City. "I don't know what'll happen in there, but it'll be the most dangerous mission in Guardian history. I won't allow you two to die on me. If anyone's gotta die to stop the Witness, it'll be me. No ands, ifs, or buts."
"Oh, hell no." Hecate's confusion turned into a rising anger, though there were tears welling up in her violet eyes. "You do not get to play the 'heroic sacrifice' card on me. Not a chance." She held Polaris's hands in hers. "I won't lose you too. Especially not knowing I could've been there to stop it. I only have one life left, Polaris. I want to spend it with my brothers. Both of my brothers," she finished, looking back at Nemea.
"We're coming with you, and none of us are dying in there," Nemea agreed, pulling the smaller Guardians into a bear hug. "And there'll be no ands, ifs, or buts about that."
Polaris leaned his head on Nemea's shoulder. "This has to be my burden to bear, I know it. I think deep down, I've always known it. I started all this by killing the Black Heart. And Elsie said-"
"Screw what Elsie said," Hecate interrupted. "She may think you're the linchpin to everything, that this is your destiny. But you know what I've always known? Guardians don't fight and win against impossible odds alone. We stopped Oryx all those years ago as a team, the three of us. We'll do the same to the Witness."
"But-"
"No buts, remember?" Nemea hugged his siblings even tighter. "You're not alone, Polaris. Never have been, never will be."
Polaris gave Hecate and Nemea a tearful smile. "Alright. Alright, you guys. I get it. You're coming with me. Please let me go now before you crush a rib or something." He took a deep breath as he finally escaped Nemea's grasp. "What I said still stands, though. There's no telling what'll happen in there. We should all say our goodbyes to our other loved ones. Just in case. And get ready for the fight of our lives."
"Agreed." Hecate nodded. "These old weapons that Shaxx reprised for us should do well, but we'll need all the gear we can carry."
"Right. I'll see you guys when Mara and Crow finally make that connection, then?"
The trio nodded to one another and parted ways.
The Dreaming City, Mara's throne room
Polaris dutifully stood guard as Mara sat cross-legged on the throne in front of him. She was searching for Crow's presence, trying to establish the link and open the way into the portal. He watched as sweat gathered on her forehead and her brow furrowed with effort. With a frustrated growl, Mara opened her eyes and stood.
"Nothing?" Polaris guessed.
"Something," Mara corrected. "That is what frustrates me. I can feel Crow, but he is just beyond my reach. We're close, Polaris. I know it. Leave us," she said, turning her attention to the Corsair guards standing at attention nearby. They hurriedly left the throne room, the gateway closing behind them. Mara's shoulders slumped, and she practically crumpled into Polaris's arms, her hands resting on his chest. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong," she whispered.
"You're not doing anything wrong. C'mon, sit down." Polaris eased himself and Mara back onto the throne. "We have no idea where that portal leads. Presumably the inside of the Traveler, but we could be completely wrong about that. For all we know, you're trying to find Crow on another plane of existence."
"I... I'm scared, Polaris," Mara admitted with a sniffle. "Not just for Crow. For everyone. For everything. What if we're not strong enough? What if we die in the Traveler and the Witness enacts its Final Shape?"
"Don't even say that. You're Queen Mara goddamn Sov. The power of the Guardians plus you, and the Witness doesn't stand a chance. Fear nothing, bow to no one. Isn't that right, Your Grace?"
Mara's sob turned into a chuckle. "Sure thing, Young Wolf."
"Ouch. That's low." Polaris snickered back. "It's good to hear you speak casually. The way you are with your subjects is admirable and what I fell for all those years ago, sure, but I feel like I really know you now."
"I guess you do." Mara sighed. "Just for a few days, I'd like to just be me. Not the Queen, not My Grace. Just Mara."
"We can do that. What did you have in mind?"
"Some tea. And sleep. Preferably in your bed." Mara kissed Polaris's cheek. "I've very much enjoyed these past months together, you know."
"You and me both," Polaris agreed. "Hopefully we'll have even more time together once the Witness is dealt with."
"One can only hope. Now then. We should get going."
The Last City, a couple of days later...
Polaris and Mara cuddled together in his apartment. She was fast asleep already, while he was struggling to rest. He thought about the nearly ten years since he and Mara had first met. First the mutual curiosity, then the conflict, the allyship, and now this. She'd been the one to give him his name. He'd held a gun to her head and genuinely considered pulling the trigger. All that history, and he could only think of one thing to say to her.
"I love you," Polaris whispered, closing his eyes.
Tower Hangar
Hecate found Aunor Mahal sitting at the edge of the Hangar, her legs dangling over the side. "Hey," the younger Warlock said to the elder.
Aunor looked up. "Hey."
"How've you been?" Hecate sat down next to her former mentor.
"Busy, I guess. Preparing for the end of the world. You?"
"Same. Lots of therapy."
"How's that going?" Aunor asked.
"Boring. I don't think it's really necessary anymore. Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Hecate sighed. "For going Dark, for killing Faye, for everything. All I ever think about is how much I regret everything I've done since learning Stasis. I abandoned everyone I've ever loved in the name of genocide."
"It's okay, Hecate. Really. The Witness used Stasis to get in your head. That's not your fault."
"No, it is. Part of my therapy has been differentiating between the Witness's influence and my own actions. And I know for sure that choosing to embrace its call was my choice. I wasn't brainwashed or possessed, that was just me. I just... if you ever see me going down that road again, please kill me."
Aunor looked Hecate in the eyes. She was deadly serious. "Hecate, I don't think I can-"
"You're the only one I can trust with this. Polaris and Nemea wouldn't be able to. So promise me. Promise you'll put me down if it needs to happen," Hecate begged.
"Okay. I promise. But it won't come to that," Aunor swore.
"I hope not. I'm gonna be joining Polaris and the Vanguard in going through the portal. Nemea and I both are. I just needed to get that out before we go so I'm in the right headspace, you know?"
"Yeah. I get it. Pre-mission clearing of the mind. Hey, why don't I come with you?" Aunor suggested. "You might need some more support."
"The City will need your support even more." Hecate shook her head. "With our leadership gone, the other Guardians will need people to rally them. You command respect from both the Praxic Order and the Hidden. They'll answer to you. Think you can handle it?"
Aunor thought for a moment. Hecate was right about the Guardians needing leadership in the Vanguard's absence. She remembered how the Hunters mostly went rogue after Cayde's death. With Ikora and Zavala both gone, there could be chaos. "I've got them covered. Just promise me you'll be safe, alright? You've got just one life left. And look out for Polaris too. You know him as well as I do- maybe better."
Hecate smirked. "What, still harboring some feelings for him? You broke up like a year ago."
"It's not that." Aunor rolled her eyes. "You know how he can get sometimes when there's a big conflict. All self-sacrificial and whatnot. Don't let him do something stupid."
"I won't. Promise."
"Good." Aunor fist-bumped Hecate. "Good luck in there. Show the Witness what the Guardians are made of, yeah?"
Somewhere in North America
Nemea stood before Ayane Takanome's unmarked grave, dozens of familiar blue flowers planted around the forest clearing. "Hi, Ayane," he began. "I know I'm a little early this year. Just wanted to visit in case things go badly. Long story short, I'm going into the Traveler soon. I don't know what'll happen in there or what's waiting on the other side, but I know there's a good chance someone doesn't come back from this. So I just wanted to tell you what I should've while you were still alive." Nemea took a deep breath. "I love you, Ayane. Really. I wish you'd been chosen by a Ghost. I kept wondering every year if I'd come and find this place dug up, or something. But it never happened, even though nobody is more worthy of the Light than you. People still follow your Rangers' roads to the City, y'know. And these flowers still grow. I guess I should go start prepping for the journey, but. If I never come back here again, well... guess that means I'll see you around, Ayane."
The Last City
Zavala, Ikora Rey, Polaris, Hecate, and Nemea gathered in the Commander's office. "You all know what's coming," Zavala began. "Osiris and the Queen are close to opening the way into the Traveler. Osiris and Saint-14 have volunteered to keep watch over the City while we are away. Lord Shaxx will aid them."
"Mithrax and Caiatl are on standby, ready to follow us through the portal if we call upon them and their forces," Ikora added. "Fireteam Apex, anything to add?"
"Well, as I told you two already, Hecate and Nemea will be joining us in the Traveler," Polaris said, crossing his arms. "We'll need them if we want to stand up to the Witness and whatever else is waiting for us in there."
"So, we'll be a five-man fireteam, then?" Zavala looked at his team. "Very well."
"Six if you count Crow," Polaris reminded him. "First thing we do once we get in there should be to make contact and rendezvous with him."
"Agreed." Ikora looked at the trio of Guardians standing across from she and Zavala. "As I'm sure you're aware, there is a very real possibility of any of us dying our final deaths in this mission. If any of you aren't prepared to face that possibility, there's no shame in backing out. You'll be just as valued as a defender outside the Traveler as you would be within."
"Ikora, with all due respect, screw that," Hecate countered. "We've discussed this already. We know the risk. Polaris even tried to talk Nemea and I into staying in the City. We're as ready for whatever comes as you are."
"That's right." Nemea nodded. "And I can think of no better fight to die in than fighting for the entire universe."
Zavala couldn't help but smile. He remembered the first time this trio had united in the Taken War, nine years prior. How awkward and unsure of one another they'd been. He remembered meeting Nemea under the Traveler before the City was anything more than a collection of tents and huts. He remembered the Battle of Twilight Gap, where Hecate proved her devotion to the people of Sol on her very first day in the City, fighting alongside Lord Shaxx's fireteam and disobeying Lord Saladin's orders. He remembered Polaris wandering into the Hall of Guardians in the old Tower, freshly risen, confused, and overwhelmed by the world he'd found himself in. They'd all grown so much over their years, as individuals and as a team. There were few Guardians that could call themselves legends, but these three were among their ranks without question.
"Everything alright, Zavala?" Polaris asked, watching the Commander's gaze become unfocused as he smiled at Fireteam Apex.
"Yes. I'm alright," Zavala assured them. "Just know that I couldn't be more proud of the heroes you've all become. Now then." His smile dropped. He was all business once more. "We could get the call to depart from the Queen at any moment. Make whatever preparations you need, and stay on alert."
Polaris nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Very well. Dismissed."
Fireteam Apex left the office together in silence, each member of the trio mentally preparing for the coming battle.
oh my god it's so good to be back. i missed writing stories like this. i really hope TFS ends up being good with how excited i am. at any rate, thank you for reading my re-debut story. I hope you liked it. See you in the Pale Heart, Guardians.
~ P.

In the war-torn lands of Middle Age, where the heat surges hot and unexpected like a busted radiator in a beat-up Chevy, there lived a woman named Janice. She had just crossed the border into Post-Menopause, a place where the climate inside her body had more ups and downs than a drunk on a bicycle.
Janice was once the life of every party, the kind of woman who could kill a fifth of vodka and still cook breakfast for everyone the next morning. But now, without warning, her internal thermostat was busted. She’d become a human volcano, prone to eruptions of sweat at the least convenient moments. Like during Bob’s funeral when she suddenly started dripping so bad people thought she was mourning more than the widow.
It wasn’t just the hot flashes. Her memory was like a sieve; she forgot her dog’s name was Pooch and started calling him Dog. Her libido waved goodbye one morning and never came back, leaving her with a stack of romance novels that felt as useful as a motorcycle ashtray.
But Janice wasn’t one to sit and stew. She decided to tackle life post-menopause with the ferocity of a tax collector. She joined a yoga class called “Cooling the Inner Fire” which was just a bunch of women fanning themselves while stretching. It was less about achieving nirvana and more about not overheating.
She even tried her hand at dating again. Signed up on a dating site, her profile read, “Experienced woman seeking a man who doesn’t mind a little spontaneous combustion.” The dates were disasters. One guy ran out of the restaurant thinking she was having a seizure when all she was having was a hot flash.
Her kids suggested hormone therapy, but she was determined to find humor in her plight instead. She started a blog titled “Menopause and Other Horror Stories” where she chronicled her misadventures. It became a hit, not just with menopausal women but with anyone who enjoyed a good laugh at the absurdity of life.
One post detailed her stand-off with a jar of pickles. The lid just wouldn’t budge. She tried under hot water, used a rubber glove, even smacked it with a spoon—the usual tricks. In a fit of hormonal rage, she hurled it against the wall. The jar opened alright, along with a pickle-scented explosion that redecorated her kitchen walls. The post was shared a million times.
Life had thrown Janice into the deep end of a hormonal pool, but she swam with the grace of a woman who had nothing left to lose and everything to laugh about. She figured if life was going to be absurd, she might as well get a good story out of it. And that’s exactly what she did, one hot flash and pickle explosion at a time.

Howdy…prospective VB owner in the future coming to the oracle for wisdom: Will I like the VB if I get one?
Here is my history of car ownership: 1. 86 Celica GTS 5-speed. My first car, what can I say? It was in very bad shape but 135 hp, 5 speed manual, and 7000 rpm as a teen, it was terrific! 2. 97 Civic EX coupe 5-speed. Loved it, but got stolen. 3. 98 Acura CL 2.3 auto. First taste of luxury, I liked the interior but the engine and auto trans was lame. 4. 2001 RSX type S manual. K20 power!!! It was just ok…it had a little torque dip that was annoying and the rear suspension felt unsettled over bumps. 5. 2000 BMW 328i w/ sport pkg and 5 speed manual. Teutonic power baby. Straight six smoothness, quiet cabin, awesome steering, brake feel, and 50/50 weight distribution. I loved this car and kept it a long time (for me). The downside was the infamous German reliability or lack thereof. 6. 2009 Toyota Sienna LE. Welcome to fatherhood. I bought new and kept it 8 years, 115k miles It had DVD players in the back of the headrests. 268 hp of rock solid Toyota V6 power. I loved this thing. I raced a few civics at the light and destroyed them. I also took many naps in the back. I loved this vehicle. Bulletproof reliability. 7. 2007 Legacy GT. My first Subaru experience! I loved the feel of the boost coming on and felt invincible seeing the hood scoop whenever I drove. It also felt raw in a good way. I didn’t like filling it with 1qt of oil every 3k miles but heard that is normal. Do the new 2.4 burn a lot of oil? 8. 2015 Accord Sport 6-speed. I wanted to like this car but I didn’t. The 2.4 had decent torque but was boring…no top end, VTEC just kicked in yooo, type of fun. Also this car left me stranded once as it wouldn’t start. Unacceptable for a Honda so I moved on. 9. 2015 Mercedes C300 4matic w AMG sport pkg, 7 speed auto. Styling, sporty, comfortable. I loved it. It also came w German reliability too. It suffered from a piston wrist pin defect and front half shafts went bad. It was a CPO car so everything was repaired under warranty but I also felt the engine was a bit noisy even after the pistons replaced. Once the warranty ended it had an ignition/misfiring issue so I didn’t keep it much longer. 10. 2020 CX-5 Turbo AWD Signature (current car). I bought this brand new w 0% interest and 10% off of sticker. It’s pretty nice for a non luxury ry car as it is loaded w every factory option and has all the electronic doodads like 360 camera and radar cruise. Reliability has been solid, it’s quiet, handles ok for what it is, torquey turbo but runs out of breath at 5000 rpm so not that fun. 6 speed auto trans is adequate at best.
Thinking about car 11. I don’t want a German car because of the high maintenance costs, lack of manuals, and reliability. Plus my wife is a die hard 3 series driver so I can just borrow hers if I want (auto unfortunately). I’m somewhat frugal too.
Options left are: New VB premium, a blend of sportiness and practicality. I like the front, sides, but not the back. Oh well. Does it burn oil?
Used Miata ND2 RF because $38k for half a new car isn’t worth it to me and concerned it’s just too small. I did test drive this once and thought it was badass though. The car just feels great overall.
New BRZ/GT86 but still concerned about size.
Wild car: Go American muscle and get a base Mustang GT. Coyote Powa.
WRX for the win??? What say you?

Hi, i’ll start with im 20F.
I got my diagnosis this year, in January. I was prescribed Ritalin, 10mg. I took it everyday for a week, and it gave me horrible anxiety after the medication was starting to clear. I switched to Adderall XR, 10mg and after 2 months the dose is now 20mg. So I have roughly been taking XR 20mg since end of March.
On XR, side effects I noticed was decreased appetite (which caused me to lose some weight, in which I’m slowly gaining back), and extreme dry mouth. Nothing else has came to mind.
About sometime in the middle of April, I began to have abdominal discomofrt. If I could describe it, I would say it feels like something is pushing underneath my ribs. I’d say if I could pinpoint where it is, it’s the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, radiating underneath the top rib. t’s not necessarily that it’s “pain”, but it’s extremely uncomfortable and it’s constant. To the point where I notice it every second of the day. If I sleep in certain positions, I’m not able to sleep and it’s uncomfortable. When I palpate my abdomen it’s slightly rigid. There’s no bulge or anything and my ribs are normal in comparison to the other side. I have had a major decrease in appetite and eating less, but I still try to keep my calorie intake up, and I am still eating meals everyday. My water intake isn’t the greatest but I usually try my best for the daily amount. I don’t have constipation or anything.
Sometimes it comes and goes, it’ll be there for a few days, or better sometimes and worse others. It’ll maybe go away for days or weeks, but then it comes back.
Basically, I’m just wondering if this has happened to anyone on ADHD Meds, but more specifically XR? I’m planning on going to the doctor but just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this because of their meds or whatnot.

Hello.

Dynamite, April 3rd, 2024

• AEW Tag Team Title Tournament Semi Finals: The Young Bucks Vs Orange Cassidy and Trent Beretta

As Trent Beretta lifts Matt Jackson for a Gotch Style Piledriver, Matt Jackson executes a double leg takedown before catapulting Trent into the exposed turnbuckle. Falling back, nearly unconscious, Trent Beretta finds himself falling over the body of Matt Jackson who rolls him up for a School Boy pin.
1.
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3.
The Young Bucks advance in the AEW Tag Team Tournament. The Best Friends are eliminated.
As The Young Bucks tease Trent's mother Sue on the outside, celebrating their victory, the mood inside the ring is much more grim. Chuck Taylor's head is buried in the corner on the opposite side of the ring, Orange Cassidy has rolled underneath the ropes and he looks disappointed. But out of the three best friends, the man who lost the match, Trent Beretta, looks the most devastated by the loss. Bent over, on his knees in the corner, Trent silently berates himself as tag team partner Orange Cassidy helps him to his feet. In a show of good faith, Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy walk to the turnbuckles opposite Trent and prepare to initiate their trademark group hug. A token of friendship that shows the AEW faithful that no matter what, all three men are best friends, and no loss could ever change that.
Trent Beretta retreats to his own corner and throws his arms in the air, ready to embrace his two best friends, when suddenly, he changes his mind and runs full speed at Orange Cassidy, blasting him with a running knee to the head...
They were best friends... until they weren't.

Dynamite at Daily's Place, April 24th, 2024

Orange Cassidy is nowhere to be seen in the last three weeks of AEW programming, however Chuck and Trent have numerous vignettes on Rampage with Chuckie T acting as a mediator for Trent, a sounding board to determine just what the hell happened after that fateful tag match on the 3rd. Trent can't seem to explain himself, but out of several conversations, we know the following.

• Trent was overcome with emotion by the loss.
• He wasn't thinking when he struck Orange Cassidy.
• He was ashamed he lost the match in front of his mother.
• And he is willing to talk things out with Orange Cassidy.

Promotional material for Dynamite at Daily's Place state "The Best Friends Will Hug It Out" as Chuck Taylor, Trent Beretta, and Orange Cassidy are all advertised. Trent and Chuck make their way out to the ring and Trent takes the microphone, reiterating what he has been saying for the last three weeks.
"I've come out here to apologize. I was so angry that I didn't just lose the match, but I lost control of myself. I don't know where my head was, but Orange Cassidy, I did not mean to hurt you. Now, if you would please, I would like to invite you out here so we can hug it out like best friends."
Orange Cassidy's music hits and Chuck Taylor wraps his arm around Trent Beretta's shoulders as "Jane" roars into it's crescendo...
... but Orange Cassidy is nowhere to be seen.
"....okay, I'm just gonna assume you missed your cue, buddy. So let's try this one more time... ladies and gentlemen, Daily's Place, please welcome Orange Cassidy."
"Jane" plays once more but yet again, no Orange Cassidy.
"Damnit, OC, I'm trying to be the bigger man and tell you I'm sorry. Now get your ass out here so I can apologize!"
"Jane" plays one more time.
No Orange Cassidy.
"Chuck, what the hell is this? I come out here in good faith as a favor to YOU. You promised that Orange Cassidy would be here, you promised that I could make this up. But HE can't even bother to show up?? What kind of friend is that?"
Trent slams down his microphone and sulks off to the corner to mild boos from the crowd as Chuck Taylor looks at the microphone at his feet. Trent slowly bends over, picks up the mic and says:
"Hey Trent, maybe Orange Cassidy would be a better friend if you weren't such a piece of...."
Chuck Taylor pauses and looks out at the crowd in Daily's Place before turning back to Trent Beretta.
"SHIT!"
The crowd erupts in cheers as Trent Beretta fumes at Chuck Taylor, then suddenly Trent pounces on Chuck as the two best friends have a catfight in the middle of the ring! Security storms the ring and separates the two, with an official Parking Lot Brawl set between Chuck and Trent at Rampage.

Rampage, April 27th, 2024

• Trent Beretta Vs Chuck Taylor, Parking Lot Brawl

I think everyone here is aware that this match took place in real life and Chuck Taylor has most likely retired. Because of that, I felt this match was important to include in this booking and I'd like to keep it exactly as it was with one small change.
At the end of the match, Trent Beretta smashes Chuck Taylor's ankle with a wrench and the referee determines Chuck Taylor can no longer continue. Trent Beretta's hand is raised as the victor and he begins to walk off as he notices a silhouette in the headlights of a beater. Trent Beretta walks to the driver's side window and looks in, finding Orange Cassidy inside, silently looking on with no trace of emotion.
"This is your fault... This is all your fault, OC. You made me do this."
Trent Beretta then walks away as Orange Cassidy continues to look on, no expression...
No expression.

Dynamite, May 1st, 2024

Don Callis is backstage with Will Ospreay talking about how much he hates subtlety and timing when Trent Beretta approaches him. Trent tells Don Callis that he has thought a lot about his career in the past week and that he is ready to entertain counsel. Trent asks Don Callis to give him a call and then walks off. Don Callis watches Trent walk away and then turns to Will Ospreay.

"Say... where the hell is Orange Cassidy?"

Over the next several weeks, we get a couple vignettes of Don Callis looking for Orange Cassidy in different places all around the world. Double or Nothing comes and goes and there is still no sign of the Citrus Supreme, until....

Dynamite May 29th, 2024

Don Callis looks up at a very normal looking house in Stewartsville, New Jersey.
"Well... this must be the place."
Don Callis knocks on the door and the door gently sways open, not even latched.
"Hello? Orange? Orange Cassidy?"
Don Callis walks inside and finds Orange Cassidy sitting on the couch in his living room.
"Oh my gosh, Orange Cassidy! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Hey."
"I hope I'm not interrupting, can I talk with you for a few minutes?"
"Sure."
Don Callis and Orange Cassidy sit at Orange Cassidy's kitchen table with a glass of orange juice in front of each of them.
"Thank you for agreeing to talk with me, Orange. I've been wondering, where the hell have you been?"
"Here."
".... we haven't seen you since Trent Beretta stabbed you in the back and kneed you in the face... Just.... How have you been feeling? What's going through your head?"
"Mmm... fine."
".... but what's going through your head?"
"Nothing."
"Listen, Orange, Trent Beretta crushed Chuck Taylor's ankle with a wrench. Chuck Taylor may never walk again, let alone wrestle... these men were your best friends for years. Surely, you must feel something."
Orange Cassidy takes a moment and takes off his sunglasses, looking Don Callis in the eye.
"No."
"No?"
The room is silent with only the ticking of the clock heard.
"What do you mean, Orange?"
Orange Cassidy sighs and puts his sunglasses back on.
"... I guess I never really cared about either of them."
The segment ends with Don Callis looking on in shock at Orange Cassidy's words.

Dynamite June 5th, 2024

Don Callis arrives at the building and he helps Orange Cassidy out of his car. The two make their way to the locker room when Callis is stopped by Will Ospreay.
"Oi, what the bloody hell is this, bruv?"
"William, I got him. I found Orange Cassidy!"
"Blimey, bruv, mate. Why did you bring this bruv, 'ere?"
"William, I'd like to introduce you to...."
Don Callis pulls out a big bouquet of balloons.
"THE NEWEST MEMBER OF THE DON CALLIS FAMILY!!!"
"Newest membah? Bruv, I think you've gone mental!"
"William, you don't understand. This man is a cold blooded killer! You saw what Trent did to Chuck in that parking lot brawl? Orange says he didn't feel a thing! This man is a mercenary, a slaughterer, dare I say it...."
Don Callis leans in close to Will Ospreay.
"... an ASSASSIN!"
"Bruv... you must be 'aving a laugh!"
"Oh, believe me, my friend, this man is no laughing matter! And you will see that when he steps in the ring with Serpentico, TONIGHT!"

• Orange Cassidy Vs Serpentico

Orange Cassidy comes out to Don Callis's theme and he has not removed his hands from his pockets. The bell rings and Serpentico charges in with a vicious spin kick that Orange Cassidy did not even attempt to dodge or block. Orange Cassidy falls to the mat and Serpentico, smelling blood in the water, goes up to the top rope for the Senton Bomb! Serpentico goes to leap off....
and his foot slips on the top rope.
Serpentico flies off the top rope and lands with a sickening crash as his body bounces off the top turnbuckle and onto the mat right next to Orange Cassidy. Orange Cassidy looks up and places his hand on Serpentico's chest.
1.
2.
3.
Orange Cassidy defeats Serpentico.
Angelico, the second half of the Spanish Announce Project, takes to the ring and cuts a bilingual promo.
"Mierda... MIERDA! Orange Cassidy, that decision was bogus and you know it! If you have any guts at all, you will agree to face me in a rematch RIGHT NOW!"
Orange Cassidy has not moved from his position on the mat but simply nods his head yes. Angelico mounts Orange Cassidy and pelts him with punches as the bell rings and this match is official. Angelico lets up and roars out to the crowd before turning his attention back to Orange Cassidy. Angelico lifts Orange Cassidy up for the Fall of the Angels into the corner, but as Angelico goes to run off, Orange Cassidy's foot gets stuck on the top rope of the opposite corner and this catches Angelico off balance. Angelico falls to the mat with the body of Orange Cassidy landing right on top of him.
1.
2.
3.
Orange Cassidy defeats Angelico.
After the match, Angelico and Serpentico pounce on Orange Cassidy who simply allows himself to be beat on until Kyle Fletcher and a returning Mark Davis of Aussie Open make the save. Aussie Open run off the Spanish Announce Project and hold Orange Cassidy's hands in the air to close the segment.

Dynamite June 12th, 2024

• Orange Cassidy and Aussie Open Vs Rush, Dralistico and Preston Vance

Aussie Open do most of the work and hit their finish on Preston Vance. Kyle Fletcher goes for the pin but Mark Davis stops him and asks him to tag in Orange Cassidy. Kyle Fletcher abides and allows Orange Cassidy to get the pin despite only tagging into the match once at the very end.

Dynamite June 26th, 2024

• Orange Cassidy Vs PAC in a qualifying round for the TNT Title Ladder Match at Forbidden Door

"Alright, Orange, you got him right where you want him. This is the man you beat for the International Title. Not the second time but the first time! You have this in the bag, Orange. Just follow the plan. Just remember the technique."
Orange Cassidy remains still as Don Callis is leaned over his shoulder whispering in his ear.
Orange Cassidy enters the ring to Don Callis's music and stands across the ring from PAC. The bell rings and PAC floors Orange Cassidy with a Superkick and a cover.
1.
2.
3.
PAC defeats Orange Cassidy.
"Son of a bitch, you almost had him."
"That's it bruv, no more malarkey."
"William, please."
"This bruv couldn't lace my daisy roots."
"William, this man took you to the limit just two years ago at Forbidden Door."
"An' now he cannae make the card! I wouldn't bet a fiver on 'im, bruv. This is ovah, he's not fam, bruv, an' if I see him in the locky again I'll do 'im in, Adam and Eve it."
Will Ospreay leaves the locker room with a despondent Don Callis trying to console an unperturbed Orange Cassidy.

Forbidden Door 2024

Orange Cassidy isn't booked, but you know who is?

• Will Ospreay Vs Swerve Strickland for the AEW World Championship

Ospreay and Swerve have a very good, even match with neither man being able to one-up the other. Don Callis is losing his mind at ringside and nearly melts down as Swerve Strickland plants Will Ospreay with a top rope Superplex. Don Callis begins waving someone down the ramp as if begging for help and suddenly...
Orange Cassidy appears on the stage.
Orange Cassidy very leisurely walks down to ringside as Don Callis continues to wave him on, begging and pleading with Orange Cassidy to do something. By this point, both Ospreay and Swerve are on their feet and trading blows with Swerve getting the better of Ospreay, the first clear cut and decisive momentum shift of the match up. Will Ospreay is on his knees and Don Callis is begging Orange Cassidy to help him as Swerve Strickland is charging up for the House Call. Prince Nana rushes over and begins arguing with Don Callis about what he is doing. Orange Cassidy finally turns to face both men as Swerve runs to hit the ropes...
And Orange Cassidy leans his arm against the apron.
Swerve trips over Cassidy's outstretched arm and OC looks over his shoulder, almost as if to see what it was. Swerve faceplants in the ring and Ospreay springs into action, hooking Swerve in the Double Underhook, lifting him high, and planting him down with the Storm Breaker. Ospreay leaps up and goes to the corner as Swerve struggles to an upright position on his knees. Ospreay points at Orange Cassidy and gives a thumbs up, thumbs down before slicing Swerve's head off with a vicious Hidden Blade.
1.
2.
3.
Will Ospreay defeats Swerve Strickland to become the new AEW World Champion.

Forbidden Door 2024 Media Scrum

Amidst many "bruvs," Will Ospreay admits that Orange Cassidy is the bangers and mash and states that he is now a full fledged member of the Don Callis Family. Orange Cassidy is seated next to Will Ospreay and takes one question from the media.
"Orange Cassidy, why did you cost Swerve Strickland the AEW World Championship tonight?"
Orange Cassidy ponders the question for a moment before he is interrupted by Don Callis.
"You don't have to answer that."
Orange Cassidy gently takes the mic and brings it to his lips.
"I guess I'm bad now."
Orange Cassidy very faintly raises his hand and gives a halfhearted thumbs down.

Dynamite, July 3rd, 2024

• Orange Cassidy Vs Penta El Zero M

Orange Cassidy is now dressed in black jeans and his Titantron says things such as "Boo me,""Fans suck," "I don't care," and "(about you)."
Penta dominates much of the match up with Orange Cassidy selling throughout and taking big bumps but consistently kicking out at 2. Penta goes for the Fear Factor but referee Aubrey Edwards is too close and she is kicked by Orange Cassidy's foot as Penta lifts him. Penta sets OC back down for a second and OC nails Penta with a low blow while Aubrey's vision is obscured. OC rolls Penta up with the Mouse Trap and scores a quick three count.
Orange Cassidy defeats Penta El Zero M

Dynamite, July 24th, 2024

• Orange Cassidy Vs Katsuyori Shibata

Orange Cassidy and Katsuyori Shibata start off by trading strikes very, very softly. OC boops Shibata's leg with a kick and Shibata returns the favor. Orange Cassidy pushes Shibata's chest and Shibata pushes OC back. Neither man is moved from their original standing position. The hits increase in frequency as OC rears back for the final blow which is a very, very soft kick to the dick. Shibata, uninjured, takes offense and begins lighting OC up for real with a series of hard strikes. OC is knocked down to a seated position and Shibata charges in for the PK but OC lays down then rolls Shibata up for a close two count. Shibata kicks out but rises to a not so soft poke to the eyes by Orange Cassidy who then locks in the Mouse Trap and gains the three count.
Orange Cassidy defeats Katsuyori Shibata.

Dynamite, August 14th, 2024

• Orange Cassidy Vs Daniel Garcia

Orange Cassidy and Daniel Garcia have a lackluster dance off that ends with Orange Cassidy rolling Daniel Garcia up while holding the tights for a three count.
Orange Cassidy defeats Daniel Garcia.
After this match, Orange Cassidy continues to halfheartedly dance in the ring when Swerve Strickland's music hits and Prince Nana appears on the stage. Nana and OC dance back and forth at each other until Swerve decks Orange Cassidy from behind with a House Call.
Swerve takes the mic and says if Orange Cassidy thinks he can take the world title away from Swerve with no repercussion, then OC is sorry mistaken. Swerve challenges Orange Cassidy to a Hardcore match at All In and tells Orange Cassidy that he WILL show up at Wembley because if he doesn't, Swerve knows where he lives thanks to Don Callis and he WILL drag OC to London if he has to.

All In 2024

• Swerve Strickland Vs Orange Cassidy in a Hardcore Match

Swerve Strickland does not need to drag Orange Cassidy to London as Orange Cassidy does make his entrance, but he comes with backup. Aussie Open flank Orange Cassidy on his way to the ring but Swerve meets them out on the ramp and drops Mark Davis with the House Call. Swerve then fights Kyle Fletcher up to the stage as Orange Cassidy continues to nonchalantly walk to the ring. Swerve fights Fletcher in the pit and sets him up on a table before driving him through the table with the Swerve Stomp. Swerve looks to the ring and Orange Cassidy is standing there with his hands in his pockets. Swerve storms the ring and looks under the ring, pulling out two bags of thumbtacks. Swerve enters the ring and tells Orange Cassidy, "Oh, you don't care? I'm boutta make you care," before dumping both bags onto the mat.
The ring is littered with thumbtacks as Swerve dares OC to hit him only to be blindsided by Konosuke Takeshita, who is making a return to AEW after participating in the G1 Climax. Takeshita hits a high knee that knocks Swerve out of the ring
Takeshita brings Swerve over to the Announcer's Desk and clears it off before lifting Swerve onto it. Takeshita draws Swerve up and lifts him for the Brainbuster but Swerve fights out of it and manages to drop Takeshita on the desk with a DDT. Meanwhile, in the ring, Don Callis has handed Orange Cassidy a broom and OC has begun sweeping the thumbtacks out of the ring and to the floor. Swerve sees this and comes into the ring, yanking the broomstick out of OC's hand and breaking it over his knee. Swerve circles OC with the broken broom handle and nearly stabs him but he is stopped by Don Callis who drops Swerve with a low blow. Callis leaves the ring and brings in a steel chair which he hands to Orange Cassidy. OC raises the chair above his head then opens it up, placing it on the mat and sitting in it. Don Callis looks to the heavens and produces a screwdriver from his pocket, ready to impale Swerve Strickland only for Prince Nana to clock Callis from behind with his weighted crown!
Nana rolls out of the ring and we are left with Swerve Strickland standing across from a seated Orange Cassidy. Swerve charges in only for OC to spring up, catch Swerve Strickland, and drop him on the chair with the Beach Break! OC goes into the cover:
1.
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KICKOUT BY SWERVE!
Orange Cassidy looks only slightly disappointed as he slowly rolls out of the ring. OC rummages underneath the ring and produces a steel chain which he wraps around his fist. OC rolls back into the ring as Swerve is painfully trying to stand. OC measures Swerve and leaps in for the Orange Punch but Swerve ducks, catches OC, and drops him with the JML Driver! The crowd is on their feet as Swerve neglects the cover, crawls over to the now destroyed chair, and shoves it into Orange Cassidy's arms before hitting the ropes and delivering a chair-assisted House Call!
1.
2.
3.
Swerve Strickland defeats Orange Cassidy.

All In Aftermath

All in all, it was a bad night for the Don Callis Family.
Along with Orange Cassidy's loss to Swerve Strickland, AEW World and International Champion Will Ospreay fought Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada to a draw and failed to become a triple crown champion.
However, on the most personal note of all, Kyle Fletcher was injured by Swerve Strickland during the Hardcore match he interfered with.
Kyle Fletcher decided to fight through the injury for a title defense on Dynamite, but he was easy pickings for the new ROH Television champion....
Trent Beretta.
As Don Callis and Mark Davis tended to their fallen family member in the ring, Orange Cassidy looked to the stage at the man he once called friend, holding an heirloom that belongs to his family...
And he determined that something must be done.

All Out 2024

• Orange Cassidy Vs Trent Beretta for the ROH Television Championship

Trent Beretta uncharacteristically makes his way to the ring first for this match up against his former best friend, Orange Cassidy. In the same amount of time that Orange Cassidy has joined the Don Callis Family, Trent Beretta has been listlessly traveling from town to town, wrestling match after match, and he finally pounced on an injured Kyle Fletcher to make himself whole. Now, standing in front of the Chicago crowd, he waits to finally get his hands on the man he feels he should have buried long ago.
Don Callis's music hits, but there is no Orange Cassidy. Trent Beretta grabs the microphone.
"In case you blowhards in Chicago don't know, this is about to be an easy night. This man... hell, he's no man. This deadbeat you call a wrestler is too scared to face me. He doesn't care enough about you people to come out here. He doesn't care enough about this title to come out here, and he doesn't care enough about own best friend to come out here--"
"--there's no way this slacker is going to give you people what you want."

21 male, I was on pantoprazole 20mg twice daily for 6 months by my gi doc for mild chronic Gastritis no h pylori. I had a loss of appetite and was full all the time. Lost a lot of weight. Taking the meds for a few months brought my appetite back over time and helped my digestion, somehow. Gained my weight back. Things felt like they were getting a lot better for a while.
But the pantoprazole started making me sick when I would take it in the morning. Gastro doc switched me to lanzoprazole 30mg just once a day in the am. I don't know if my body was just used to taking ppi before breakfast and before dinner with the pantoprazole, I feel fine for breakfast and lunch, but I keep getting SO freaking full before dinner time. I feel like my digestion has slowed down, and it's taking my stomach longer to empty. Past few days I kept getting lots of pressure in my stomach before dinner and pain under my left ribs. Always at the same time of day, right before dinner time.
I'm frustrated. This is only my second day on lanzoprazole 30mg but I feel like I'm eating so much less than when I was on pantoprazole 20mg twice. If only the pantoprazole hadn't started making me sick in the am. My gastro doc wants my to take the lanzoprazole for 2 weeks first before even telling them about how I feel. I told them I feel like shit around dinner time every day.
I'm just really frustrated. I hate feeling so full. I'm trying to eat smaller and more bland but I still feel so full. I don't know what to do. I kinda want to go back to my pantoprazole but I know it would be stupid without gastro's permission. I don't know what to do. I'm eating less and I'm full a lot longer, tried telling the gastro office today since it's friday they'll be closed till Monday. They keep insisting the doc wants me to keep trying this lanzoprazole in the am for 2 weeks.

20F
For context back in February I had this terrible feeling like my entire body dropped - my face went numb and I had a massive head ache. This lasted for WEEKS, (exact dates were Feb 10th - March 1st) was in and out of the hospital, I noticed that my calf muscle got super tight and stretching wasn’t working. I also had a twitch in my right leg. I also had terrible vertigo and felt as though I was off balance. I also smoked weed but stopped after my episode
After March 1st I was better, had not experienced anything up until last Wednesday. I was folding laundry and all of a sudden got really dizzy and almost passed out so I rushed to urgent care and they said I had hypoglycemia. (Blood pressure was 48 initially) since then I’ve been experiencing Extreme Fatigue and Muscle weakness again in my left calf along side body twitches ( I mean everywhere), some are painful - almost like my muscle is cramping but only for a few seconds. Tingling in my feet. I’ve had two incidents so far where my back felt like it was going to catch fire. The left side of my tongue also feels numb like I can’t feel it. It sounds like I may possibly have a lisp. Which I’ve never had before. On top of all this I feel as though I’m starting to develop foot drop. It started in my big toe on the left. It seems weaker than the rest and my whole left leg is weaker. I’m still able to walk but it’s definitely throwing my off balance. I have POTS which doesn’t help. Any suggestions or things that would help ease my mind. I know my chances of *** are slim but I never want to rule that out as it is still possible.
Edit : I also want to add that I have little feelings of Pins poking me, they last for under a second. Nuero appt Tuesday

”Stop.”
I really needed the bathroom.
For fifty painstaking minutes, I had been staring at the clock on the wall, willing it to go faster, uncomfortably shifting side to side in my seat so much that I was starting to get weird looks.
2:52pm.
Eight minutes, I thought dizzily, squeezing my legs together.
Which was just two chunks of four minutes.
Four chunks of two minutes.
The pain started like normal stomach pain, the kind I could deal with.
I swallowed two Tylenol with lukewarm soda.
But this was different.
This kind of pain was contorting and twisting my gut so much, I had to keep leaning onto my left buttock for relief.
I must have done it so many times, I caught the attention of the guy sitting next to me. Roman Hemlock who was half asleep, dark blonde curls hanging in half lidded eyes, his chin leaning on his fist. He shot me a look. I couldn't tell if it was Are you okay? or Can you stop moving around so much?
From the single crease in his brow, the slight curl in his lip, I guessed the latter.
It's not like Roman was helping.
For half the class, he'd been tapping his foot on the floor, then his chair leg, and to complete the orchestra, his fingers joined in, tap, tap, tapping on the edge of his desk. I didn't know if it was a bored thing, an ADHD thing, or he was trying to keep himself awake. It was easy to tolerate without the pain, but with it, the boy’s incessant tapping was more akin to a dentist drill splitting my skull open. I already felt nauseous, the sad looking chicken nuggets I forced down at lunch making an unwelcome appearance at the back of my throat.
It was too fucking hot, the stuffy summer air glueing my hair to the back of my neck. The material of my shirt was making me cringe, sticky against my skin.
Tipping my head back, the lights were too bright. Every sound was too loud. Imogen Prairie, who was sitting behind me chewing her gum a little too loudly.
Kaz Samuels scribbling notes like a maniac.
I could hear every stroke of his pencil, every time he paused, looked up at the presentation, and continued writing.
When I leaned forward in my chair, I could smell exactly what Isabella Trinity had eaten for lunch, the stink hanging in the air.
It became a case of sucking in my stomach and taking slow, deep breaths.
I’d never had these kinds of stomach cramps before. But it didn't take me long to figure out what they were.
I was yet to start my period at the grand age of sixteen, which meant this was it.
After countless sessions with the doctor, and feeling like a social outcast among my group of friends who started their periods in middle school, it had finally happened. The cramps in my gut that felt like my torso was being ripped apart, was in fact me entering womanhood. When my breath started to quicken, my mouth watering, I raised my hand, biting my lip against a cry.
Fuck.
Something lurched in my gut, a wave of nausea crashing into me.
I was going to throw up.
“Mr Brighton.”
Roman spoke up before me, waving his arm. “Can I use the bathroom?”
The teacher’s answer was always the same. Which was why I had been crossing my legs for the entirety of the class, unable to focus on anything but my gut trying to twist itself inside out.
Mr Brighton leaned against the wall, his eyes glued to the PowerPoint awash in our faces. We had been staring at the exact same slide for maybe five minutes now, and our physics teacher was yet to speak, his gaze somewhere else.
Mr Brighton was my Dad’s age, a greying man in his early fifties who always wore the exact same suit with the exact same stain on his collar.
The man was about as interesting as watching paint dry.
Normally, I would drift off myself, lulled into slumber by the low drone of his voice.
But the pain ripping me apart was keeping me awake.
“Mr Brighton.” Roman said, louder. His voice snapped me out of it. “Can I use the bathroom?” He paused, exaggerating a loud sigh. ”Please?”
The teacher straightened up, folding his arms.
“Mr Hemlock, you know the rules. Why didn't you go before class?”
“I didn't need to go an hour ago, did I?”
“You will no longer need to go to the bathroom, Mr Hemlock.”
Roman made a snorting noise.
“What?”
The low murmur of my classmates collapsed into white noise.
Glancing at the clock, I was anticipating the school bell.
The sickness swimming in the pit of my belly was reaching dangerous territory.
2:52pm.
Something ice cold trickled down my spine.
It was 2:52 the last time I checked, and five minutes had surely passed.
This time, I waited a whole minute and counted the seconds under my breath. The clock still didn't move. The ticker was frozen halfway between three and four.
Slowly, the same realisation began to hit the twelve of us. The clock on the wall had stopped. But it wasn't the only thing that had stopped. The cool breeze drifting through the window was gone.
The sound of birds outside, and the cheer squad practising their routine.
Everything had stopped. Trying to ignore a sickly slither of panic twisting its way through me, I checked my phone under my desk. There was a text from my Mom lighting up my notifications. When I tried to swipe it open, nothing happened. My lock screen was frozen, stuck at 2:52pm.
With my hands growing clammy around my phone, I stared at the time, willing it to move, to flick to 2:53.
But nothing happened, the numbers stubbornly staying at 2:52.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Roman’s voice brought me back to reality, though I was sure I'd dropped my phone. I heard it hit the floor with a sickening crack. Whatever he was saying, though, faded into dull murmur, when I turned toward the window.
Something was wrong outside.
The cheer squad were nowhere to be seen.
Being on the top floor gave us a front row seat to their practice sessions.
I stopped watching when their flyer did a death defying flip, almost breaking her neck. 2:52pm. I couldn't see the cheer squad. But I did see Jessie Carson mid-sprint across the track field, strawberry blonde curls suspended in a halo around her.
I could see exactly where she had frozen in place, her left foot hovering off of the ground, her right foot driving momentum. It wasn't just Jessie who had stopped. The dirt she was kicking into a cloud behind her was hovering, caught in mid-air.
Studying the faces around me, my mouth went dry.
Roman Hemlock, mid-argument with our physics teacher.
His eyes were wide, lips curved into what would have been a yell.
Fuck.
Was I the only one?
But then Roman blinked, and I realized the boy wasn't frozen. He was trying to think of a comeback. “What do you mean I won't need the bathroom anymore?”
“Mr Hemlock, please lower your voice.”
“Why? You can't dictate to me when I do and don't need the bathroom, dude!”
Moving onto the rest of my class, the others were still moving.
It was too quiet, though.
Yes, Roman was still tapping his foot.
Imogen was still chewing her gum.
Kaz was still scribbling notes like a psychopath.
But they were the only noise I could hear.
I wasn't the only one confused. The classroom had pricked with a sense of urgency. Kids were checking their phones, their gazes glued to the clock. Even Roman, who was still arguing, was starting to notice. I watched his gaze lazily roll to the clock on the wall.
I pretended not to see his cheeks visibly paling.
We had all come to the exact same terrifying conclusion.
2:52pm.
Time had come to a halt, and somehow, we had not.
“Is that clock broken?” Roman interrupted, leaning forward in his chair.
Kaz twisted around, settling the boy with an eye-roll.
“Check your phone, dumbass.”
“I broke my phone.”
Imogen threw her iPhone at him, narrowly missing hitting him in the face.
“Everything is frozen,” She said, her voice shuddering. “It's not just the clock.”
I waited for Roman’s response. For once, though, he was speechless.
“Well done, Imogen. That is correct.” Mr Brighton spoke up, tearing a piece of paper from a workbook and striding over to the door, glueing it over the glass window. When we started to protest, some of us were shouting, while others bursting into tears, he calmly took out his key and locked us in.
I should have been surprised that our teacher had spontaneously decided to take his entire class hostage, but the rumor mill had been churning.
According to Becca Jason, the guy’s wife divorced him and took his kids.
I could feel myself sinking into my chair, phantom bugs filling my mouth.
So, this guy had nothing to lose.
Taking his place in front of his desk, the man settled us with a patient smile.
“From now on, you will stay inside this room.” He said. “In case you haven't noticed, time is currently frozen at fifty two minutes past two. The thirteen of us are tucked into the twenty first second, and will be, for the foreseeable future.”
I could tell the others wanted to argue, but we couldn't deny that time had stopped. Kaz was staring down at his frozen phone, Imogen hyperventilating behind me, Roman glaring at the clock, chewing on a pencil. We wanted it to be a prank, a joke, some kind of glitch in the matrix that would fix itself.
But then a whole minute passed by. Followed by another. Kaz threw his phone on the floor, hissing in frustration. Imogen let out a wet sounding sob.
Roman’s pencil split in his mouth, slipping from his fingers. We couldn't pretend it wasn't happening or call our teacher out on his BS, because it was everywhere around us. The sudden absence of outdoor ambience, birdsong, planes flying overhead, and traffic outside the school gates. Everyone and everything had stopped, and we were the only ones left.
This was a nightmare, surely.
My physics class were some of the most boring and pretentious people in the school, and somehow the world had been reduced to the twelve of us inside our classroom. We were scared, of course we were. But reality had stopped making sense, crashing and burning in a single second. We had no choice but to listen to our teacher. “Now, before you freak out, it may not feel like it, but the twelve of you have also stopped.”
Mr Brighton held out his own hand, and placed it on his heart.
He was right.
I was so busy trying to understand what was happening, I had failed to realize my period cramps were gone.
“Do me a favor, and press your hand over your heart.”
“You mean like, in a culty way?” Imogen whispered.
“Obviously.” Roman grumbled, halfway out of his seat. He was hesitant, though, in case our teacher was armed. It only took one glance from our teacher, and he slumped back into his chair. “This crazy fucker clearly wants to play mind games with us.”
“No, I'm just asking you to feel for your heart.”
I felt for mine, and there was nothing, my stomach twisting.
Roman stabbed his fingers into his neck, feeling for a pulse.
He tried his wrist.
Then his heart.
Nothing.
“The twelve of you are currently in a state of stasis,” the teacher explained to us, “You are not alive, nor are you dead. Your bodily functions are also on pause, such as your heartbeat and your pulse. In this state there will be no need for food and water, or going to the bathroom.” His gaze found a ghastly looking Roman, who looked like he was going to faint. “Your minds, however, as you can see, are working as usual.”
“But why?” Imogen demanded in a shriek.
Mr Brighton’s lip curled. “I would rather not answer that question.”
“Because you're lonely.” Roman spoke up. He swung back on his chair, narrowed eyes glued to the teacher.
“Your wife and kids left you, so you're asserting power over a group of sixteen year olds. Which is kinda fucking pathetic.”
Mr Brighton’s expression darkened, and something slimy crept up my throat.
The worst thing any of us could do was threaten him. He had taken kidnapping to a whole new level, and we were alone with this psychopath, trapped inside a second. I waited for the man to stride forward and attack the kid. But he didn't. Instead, the teacher leaned back on his desk. “Yes.” The man nodded.
“I suppose you could say I am.”
“But why us?!” Kaz hissed.
“Because you are children.” Mr Brighton responded casually.
He straightened up, taking slow, intimidating steps towards Roman’s desk. The rest of us leaned back. I tried to pull my desk with me, but it was glued to the floor. Frozen. Mr Brighton’s shoes went click-clack across the hardwood floor.
“You are right,” the man said in a murmur, “I am lonely. My wife and kids did leave me, and I have nobody left to control. I have nobody else to contort and use to my advantage.” Reaching Roman’s desk, he leaned in close until he was nose to nose with the kid.
“Congratulations, Mr Hemlock. You have just earned yourself detention.”
Roman stayed stubbornly still, but he was visibly afraid. I could see him very slowly backing away. Roman was all bark and no bite. He was a loud mouth, sure, but he was also the least confrontational person in the class.
“What?” He spluttered. “You trap us in a time loop or time trap, or whatever, and you still want to act like a teacher?”
“Stand up.” The teacher ordered.
“What if I don't?”
Mr Brighton’s expression didn't waver. “You said it yourself. I can and have trapped you inside a single second. What else do you think I'm capable of?”
Roman stood, kicking his chair out of the way.
“What are you planning on doing to me, old man?”
The teacher maintained his smile. “Stand up straight, and close your mouth.”
To my confusion, Roman Hemlock did all the above.
He straightened up, and closed his mouth.
“Do not fight me.” The teacher said calmly, “Do as you are told, and follow me.”
The boy did exactly as instructed.
His jaw slackened, that rebellious light in his eyes fizzling out.
I think that's when we all collectively agreed that going against this teacher and trying to escape was mental suicide.
“I will use Mr Hemlock as an example to all of you,” Mr Brighton said, turning to the rest of us. “If you break the rules or are derogatory in any way, you will be given detention.”
He grabbed the boy’s shoulders, forcing him to walk towards the supply closet. Roman moved like a robot, slightly off balance, his gaze glued to thin air, like he was tracking invisible butterflies.
"Your time in detention will depend on the severity of your rule-break.” He opened the door, gently pushing Roman inside, and following suit. When the door closed behind them, there was a pause, and I remembered how to breathe.
Kaz Samuels slowly got up from his desk, inching towards the closet.
“This guy is a certified nut.” He announced.
He turned towards us. “Whatever he's doing to Hemlock, we’re probably next.”
“He stopped time.” I spoke up, my own voice barely a croak. “He’s capable of anything.”
“But how did he stop time?” Kaz whistled, tipping his head back. The boy was slow, his fingers grasping each desk as he slid down the aisle. “He said he was lonely, right? But why take it out on us? What did we do to him?”
“Check his desk for a weapon!” Imogen whisper-shrieked.
Kaz nodded, striding over to the man's desk, his hands moving frantically, shoving paper on the floor. He took an uncertain seat on the man's chair. “There's nothing here,” he murmured, lifting stained coffee mugs and ancient textbooks. “It's just…test papers.” Kaz ducked from view, trying the drawers.
“He's a fan of Pokémon,” he said, “There's a tonne of Pokémon cards,” Kaz straightened up, running a hand through his hair. “No sign of a weapon, though.”
He picked up a ruler, waving it around. “This could work. If we plunge it in his eye.”
“Try his laptop!” Imogen was halfway out of her seat.
Kaz did, slamming the keys. “It's locked.”
“Look harder!” Ren Clarke threw a pencil at him.
“I am!”
After a minute of searching, Kaz grabbed a single piece of paper.
He held it up, and I squinted.
It was a list of our names, with several of them highlighted.
“Fuck.” Kaz dropped the list, his expression crumpling. The stubborn bravado facade transforming him into our sort of leader dissipated, hollowing him out into exactly what he was. Just a scared kid. Kaz’s hands were shaking.
“Mr Brighton’s got a hit list.” He whispered. “He's going to kill us.”
“How do you know that?” I found myself asking.
Kaz slowly dropped into a crouch, picking up the paper and holding it up.
“Look.” He pointed to a capitalised name at the top of the list highlighted in red.
ROMAN HEMLOCK.
There were six names highlighted in red, including mine.
CRISTA ADAMS.
As if on cue, Roman’s cry rang out from the supply closet, suddenly, freezing us all in place. Kaz jumped up, adapting the expression of a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide, almost unseeing.
He fell over himself to tidy up the desk, putting everything back where he had found it, sliding the list between a pile of test papers. Kaz took slow, stumbled steps back, his feverish gaze glued to the closet, before turning and making a break for it and diving into his seat.
“Brighton’s got a hit liiiist,” Kaz said, in a mocking sing-song, “And we’re all on it.”
What followed was deathly silence. I think we were expecting Roman to cry out again. But when he didn't, the class started to stir. Some kids started praying to a god they didn't believe in, while others were in varying states of denial, trying to call their parents with dead phones.
I wasn't sure what parts of me had stopped, but I was still alive, still felt like my lungs were deprived of oxygen, my chest aching. I'm not sure how long I sat there, trying to find my voice, a shriek trying and failing to rip through my mouth. Being kidnapped and held hostage is one thing, but being imprisoned inside a single, never ending second, was an existential hell worse than death. Slowly, I pressed my palm over my heart once again. Then I breathed into my cupped hands.
I was expecting it, but no longer being able to feel my own heartbeat and breath, was fear I didn't think was possible. The kind that glued me to my seat, hollowing me out completely until I was nothing, an empty shell with no heartbeat, no breath, no thoughts, except denial, followed by acceptance.
And finally, regret.
I regretted not hugging my mother goodbye before I left for school.
I regretted acting like a spoiled brat when my parents refused to drive me halfway across the country so I could attend Coachella.
I regretted stepping inside Mr Brighton’s fourth period physics class.
Mr Brighton reappeared, slamming the door behind him and locking the boy inside. Part of me flinched, while the rest of me remembered not to move a muscle. I was barely aware of time passing. Or it wasn't. Time had stopped, so now long had I been sitting there?
I could no longer measure the passage of time with hunger or thirst, and my body felt the same. I wasn't stiff or tired or achy. Looking out of the window, the sky was the exact same crystal blue, every cloud in the exact same place.
Jessie Carson was still frozen mid-run, strands of dark red hair caught around her.
“What's wrong with you guys?” Mr Brighton chuckled, and I twisted back to the front, a shiver writhing down my spine. “Why don't you give me a smile?”
The teacher returned to his desk, and I was already subconsciously sitting up straight in my seat, forcing my lips into a jaw-breaking grin, following Brighton’s instructions. In the corner of my eye, Imogen was sitting very still, forcing an award-winning cheesy smile, while Kaz grinned through gritted teeth.
“Mr Hemlock just earned himself two weeks inside the supply closet.” he said casually, perching himself on the edge of his desk. The man studied each of us, taking his time to rip every shred of us apart.
Mind, body, and soul.
I struggled to maintain my stupid smile, shoving my shaking hands in my lap.
“Would anyone like to join him, or are you going to follow the rules?”
The rest of us stayed silent. I don't think any of us breathed.
Our teacher nodded to Kaz, inclining his head.
“Samuels. Are you all right?”
Kaz’s smile faltered slightly. He shifted in his chair. I could see sweat trickling down his right temple. “Uh, yeah.” He swiped at his forehead, like he couldn't believe he was sweating. “Yeah, I'm good.”
The teacher’s eyes narrowed. He moved toward his desk, and we all held our breaths. Mr Brighton seemed to study his hit-list, lips curving into a frown.
His gaze flicked to the boy, and then the paper.
He knew, I thought dizzily.
Mr Brighton knew the kid had been rummaging through his desk. But this was all about control. The teacher was using fear to control us, to manipulate our thoughts without having to get physical. He could have called out the boy right then, but Brighton was settling with mental torture instead. He just wanted to make my classmate squirm.
Without a word, the man folded up the piece of paper and slipped it into his pocket. “Mr Samuels, you are sweating,” our physics teacher said, mocking a frown. “Are you feeling okay?”
Kaz hesitated, tapping his shoe in a rhythm.
Being one of the smartest kids in the room definitely gave him an advantage.
I could already see the cogs turning behind half lidded eyes. Kaz was weighing each scenario, sorting them into positives and negatives.
The positives of answering would mean he was one step towards being in the clear, but there were two negatives.
Brighton would question him if he had left his seat, and then demand how his hit-list had magically moved across the desk.
Talking back was surely a rule-break, as well as outright lying.
Opening his mouth would get him in trouble, either way, and Kaz knew that.
So, he just nodded, forcing an even bigger smile.
Brighton’s lips pricked, his gaze straying on Kaz. “Good!” He cleared his throat, turning to the class. Kaz slumped in his seat with a sharp breath, resting his head in his arms. If Mr Brighton noticed, he didn't say anything. “Ignore the sweating. It should stop, along with hunger and thirst.”
Our teacher seemed to be able to manipulate everything in his vicinity.
Time.
Minds.
And slowly… contorting us into his own.
In the single second we were trapped inside, I felt days go by in a dizzying whirlwind that was like being permanently high. When I stood up, I felt like I was floating.
When I sat down, hours could go by, even days, and I wouldn't even feel them. I did try and count the days, initially, scribbling them on a scrap piece of paper, but somewhere around the thirteenth or fourteenth day, I lost count. The world around us never changed, in permanent stasis, and maybe that was sending us a little crazy.
After a while of being stuck at our desks, Mr Brighton allowed us to wander the classroom, as long as we stayed away from the door. I lay on the floor for days, counting ceiling tiles.
Sometimes, Imogen would join me.
I couldn't sleep, but I could pretend to sleep, imagining a world that was back to normal. I didn't feel hungry, but my brain did like to remind me of food at the weirdest times. I was aware of weeks passing us by, and then months.
I never grew hungry or tired, and my bodily functions were none existent.
I couldn't remember what pain felt like, or the urge to go to the bathroom. Even the concept of eating and drinking became foreign to me. Putting something in your mouth and chewing to sustain yourself?
That sounded odd.
The only thing that was changing was our slowly unravelling metal state.
I don't know how it started. Weekends and Tuesdays blended together. On one particular SaturTuesday, I was hanging upside down from my desk, watching Kaz and Imogen doodle on the whiteboard.
Kaz had a plan to escape, but after a while, his ‘plan’ to distract the teacher, had gone nowhere. After passing notes between us, the twelve of us had decided that we needed a weapon.
That was maybe a month ago. I wasn't sure what mind games our teacher was playing, but Kaz Samuels, who we were counting on to be our brains, was slowly falling under his spell. Their game had been going on for three days. The two of them were having a competition to see who could draw the craziest thing.
Mr Brighton was at his desk as usual, marking papers.
Imogen was drawing a weird looking ‘skateboard’ when the doors to the storage closet flew open.
Roman Hemlock appeared, and to my surprise, wasn't a hollow eyed shell.
He held up his hand in a wave, his lips forming a small smile.
“Yo.”
Roman’s reappearance was enough to snap us out of it. Kaz and Imogen stopped arguing, the rest of the class going silent. I sat up, blinking rapidly.
I was sure our collective consensus was that Roman Hemlock was dead.
Mr Brighton lifted his head and gave the boy a civil nod. “Mr Hemlock will be rejoining us,” he said, his gaze going back to marking papers. “Please make him feel comfortable. I'm sure he's very excited to be able to talk to you again.”
Instead of going to his desk, the boy immediately joined the others, snatching the marker off of a baffled looking Kaz, and drawing an overly artistic sketch of a penis. I wasn't sure what confused me more. The fact that Roman Hemlock had some serious artistic skills, or that he seemed suspiciously fine for someone who had been locked in the storage closet for two weeks with no social interaction.
With my last few lingering brain cells still clinging on, I studied the boy.
There were no signs of bruises or scratches.
His eyes seemed normal, not diluted or half lidded.
Unable to stop myself, I jumped off of my desk and joined the others, where Kaz was already interrogating the guy.
“WHAT–”
Imogen nudged him, and he lowered his voice, leaning against the wall. “What did he do to you?”
Roman shrugged, rolling his eyes. “Relax, dude. He didn't do anything to me.”
“Then what was that yell?” Imogen hissed.
The boy cocked his head. “Yell?”
“You yelled out,” Kaz folded his arms, narrowing his eyes. He was already suspecting one of us had been compromised– or worse, brainwashed into compliance. Kaz stepped closer, backing Roman into the desk. “You cried out when you first went in there,” he murmured, “So, what was that?”
Something in Roman’s eyes darkened. “Oh,” He said, his lip curling. “That.”
Kaz’s expression softened. He rested his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “Yeah,” He whispered. “What did he do to you?”
Imogen shoved Kaz out of the way, shooting the boy a glare.
“You don't have to tell us, you know.” She said in a small voice. “If it's too traumatising, or he did something you don't want to talk about–”
Roman cut her off with a laugh, and suddenly, all eyes were on him.
The remaining nine of us were eagerly awaiting an explanation.
“Are you fucking serious?”
When Kaz didn't respond, Roman gathered us in a kind of hustle, the four of us grouped together. I felt like I was on the football field. Still, though, if the guy’s goal was to look as suspicious as possible, he was doing a great job.
Roman studied each of us, one eyebrow cocked. When Mr Brighton glanced up from his work, Roman shot him a grin, lowering his voice to a hiss.
“You seriously think our fifty year old physics teacher has been abusing me in the storage closet?
“Then why did you cry out?” Kaz demanded. “Did he hit you?”
Roman stuck out his bottom lip. “I'm pretty sure he didn't hit me.”
“So, you cried out for no reason.”
“Why are you covering for him?” Imogen poked his forehead. “Are you lobotomised?”
Roman wafted her hand away. “Stop prodding me, and no, I'm 100% good.” He backed away from us, like we were observers, and he was the zoo attraction.
“I won't be, if you keep treating me like I'm senile.”
“Okay, fine,” Kaz sighed. “Just answer one.”
“Shoot.”
“When you first went in there, you made an unmistakable sound of distress–”
“Not this again,” Roman groaned. “Of course I yelled! I was shoved into a pitch black storage closet on my own! What, did you expect me to stay silent?”
Kaz didn't look convinced, Imogen nervously sucking her teeth.
The boy leaned back, resting his head against the wall. His eyes flickered shut.
“Stop looking at me like that, there's nothing to tell you,” he murmured, “Brighton didn't do shit to me. I was just freaked out.” Prying one eye open, he fixed us with a glare. “I am so sorry for reacting like a human. Next time, I'll make sure to attack him and pin him to the ground.”
It's not like we believed him. I don't think Roman believed himself.
Something significant had changed in him. He was no longer argumentative, like half of his personality had been torn away. Roman set a precedent. Because once he was following instructions and walking around with a dazed smile, others began to follow. I can't remember how much time had passed since I thought about escaping.
Days and weeks and months had collapsed into fleeting seconds I only noticed when I wasn't playing games.
I wasn't aware of my own lack of sanity until I found myself, on a random SaturWednesday. I was laughing, gathered with the others on the floor, around a Monopoly board. The game had been going on for almost a week.
Reality hit me when I was laughing so hard I tipped back.
I can't remember why I was laughing. I think Imogen told a bad joke.
“Hand it over.” Roman, who was the King of Monopoly, held out his hand, demanding my last 250 bucks. I remember noticing his smile, my foggy brain trying to find hints that he was in some kind of trance, or being controlled by Brighton. But no. His smile was real.
Genuine.
To my shock and confusion, so was mine.
I wasn't in a trance or any type of mind manipulation. I was completely conscious.
Was this… Stockholm syndrome? I thought dizzily.
Was I enjoying this?
My thoughts were like cotton candy, disconnected and wrong, and they barely felt like my own. My gaze found Imogen and Kaz, the two of them sitting shoulder to shoulder, enveloped in the game.
They looked exactly the same, their hair, clothes, everything about them staying stagnant. It was them themselves who had drastically changed. I had never seen them look so carefree. Imogen was a hotheaded cheerleader, and Kaz was the smart kid who gave himself nosebleeds from overworking himself. But now, they were laughing, nudging each other, caught up in an inside joke. Blinking slowly, my gaze strayed on them.
Sure, it could be manipulation. It could be brainwashing. But it could also be real.
Kaz caught my eye, raising a brow.
“You good, Christa?”
Again, my smile felt real. Like I was having fun.
“Good. It's your turn.”
I picked up the dice, throwing them across the board.
Two sixes.
“I can already see her landing on one of my hotels.” Roman murmured. He sat up, resting his chin on his knees. “As the clear winner, I have a proposition.”
Ignoring him, I moved my piece– immediately landing on Park Place.
“I'll give you 500,” Roman announced, “If you give up New York avenue.”
“That's all I've got!”
Imogen nudged me. “Don't do it. If you give him New York Avenue, he only needs one more.”
“One thousand.” Roman waved the notes in my face.
“My final offer.”
When I reached for the cash, he held it back.
“New York Avenue, he said, with a grin.
“And your pride.”
Reluctantly, I handed my only property over.
Kaz threw the dice and moved his piece, and I half remembered we had an escape plan. “Community chest.” Kaz picked up a card. “Go straight to jail.”*
Roman spluttered. “That's karma,” he said, “For stealing from the bank.”
“You were stealing too!”
We had a plan.
We had…. a plan.
After discussing it in detail, Imogen and I were going to try and get onto Brighton’s laptop. It wasn't a perfect way to escape, but it was coherent.
So, what happened?
We were going to get out, so what… what was this?
Kaz’s earlier words hit me from months ago.
“Mr Brighton *is the thing keeping us here,”* he explained. “If we kill him, I'm like, 98% sure we’ll go back to normal.”
“Okay, and what if he dies and we’re *stuck?”* Imogen whisper-shrieked.
“I said 98% for a reason. Yes, there's a small chance his power will die with him. But there's a bigger chance that its effects will die when he does.”
Ren nodded slowly. “Right, and where exactly did you learn this information?”
“You'll feel a lot better if I don't answer that.”
“Okay.” Ren gritted his teeth. “So, we just need to find a weapon, right?”
“And don't tell Hemlock,” Kaz rolled his eyes. “I don't care what he says, that boy definitely had his mind fucked with. Hemlock is a liability. If we tell Roman, he tells Brighton, and we’re screwed.” Kaz nodded to me, then the others. “Keep your mouths shut.”
Presently, I wasn't sure the boy wanted to escape.
Slowly, I rolled my eyes over to Mr Brighton, who had joined us to play.
He was happily marking papers, taking part when he could.
It felt…right.
Not like we had been forced or manipulated, but more like he belonged. Part of me wanted to question why I felt like this, but I found that I didn't care. I didn't care that we were essentially dead, in a never ending stasis and stuck inside fifty two minutes past two. I stopped thinking about the outside world a long time ago.
I couldn't even remember my Mom’s face.
I made my decision, dazedly watching Imogen throw a chance card at Roman.
He flung one back, threatening to tip the board.
I wanted to stay.
In the corner of my eye, however, someone was still awake.
Ren, who had been sitting next to me, kept moving, further and further away. I didn't notice until he was inching towards our teacher, a box cutter clenched between his fist. There must have been a point when we found a box cutter, when we made it our weapon of choice.
But somewhere along the way, I think we just… lost the longing to want to escape.
I didn't see the exact moment the boy stabbed the blade into the man's neck, plunging it through his flesh, but I did feel a sudden jolt, like time itself was starting to falter and tremble.
Mr Brighton dropped to the ground, and I found my gaze flashing to the frozen clock.
Which was moving, suddenly.
Slowly creeping towards 2:53pm.
Something sticky ran underneath me, warm and wet.
Blood.
Blood that was running.
Roman’s half lidded eyes found mine, and he blinked, dropping the dice.
Like he'd been asleep for a long time.
2:53pm.
We were free.
The cool spring breeze grazing my cheeks was back. I could feel my own heartbeat, sticky sweat on my forehead.
And outside, Jessie Carson let out a gut-churning scream.
For a disorienting moment, I don't think any of us believed we were free.
Roman twisted around, his gaze on the doorway.
The piece of paper the teacher had stuck to the glass slipped away.
But Roman’s gaze was glued to the door, his cheeks paling.
His lips parted into a silent cry.
Following his eyes, I glimpsed a shadow.
A shadow that was frozen at 2:52pm.
2:53pm.
“Fuck.” Roman whispered, stumbling to his feet.
He turned to the rest of us, his eyes wild.
“Get DOWN!”
I dropped onto my knees, crawling under a desk, the classroom exploding around me.
2:54.
Blood splattered the walls, and I was crawling in it, stained in my friends.
2:55.
I grabbed Mr Brighton's hand, squeezing for dear life.
Roman joined me, his trembling fingers feeling for a pulse.
A gunshot rang in my ears, rattling my skull.
When Roman went limp next to me, I wrapped my arms around my teacher.
“Mr Brighton, say Stop.”
He was so cold…
“Mr Brighton! Take us back!”
Footsteps coming towards me.
2:56.

At the world’s top college of magic and technology, every day brings a new discovery -and a new disaster. The advanced experiments of the college students tend to be both ambitious and apocalyptic, with the end of the world only prevented by a mysterious time loop, and a small handful of students who retain their memories.
Surviving the loops was hard enough, but now, in his senior year, Vell Harlan must take charge of them, and deal with the fact that the whole world now knows his secrets. Everyone knows about Vell’s death and resurrection, along with the divine game he is a part of. Now Vell must contend with overly curious scientists and evil billionaires hungry for divine power while the daily doomsday cycle bombards him with terrorists, talking elephants, and the Grim Reaper himself -but if he can endure it all, the Last Goddess’s game promises the ultimate prize: power over life itself.
[Previous Chapter][Patreon][Cover Art]
“The not-so-good Doctor is all set up,” Hawke said. “You are cleared to infiltrate.”
“Good. You been reading Ragnarok’s book?”
“Yeah, except Helena took our only physical copy,” Hawke said. “I had to spend seven dollars on the ebook.”
“Oh. I can, uh, get you back for that, if you want.”
“Nah, it’s fine, this is actually an interesting read,” Hawke said. “You remember that Agent Fleming jerk who showed up two years ago? Apparently Skye’s dad almost dropped him in lava once.”
“Fascinating,” Vell said. “What’s it say about starting one of these things?”
“Oh right, yeah,” Hawke said. “Okay, apparently step one is the ‘information gathering and infiltration’. I think you’re supposed to like, interrogate his minions to find out where his base is and then break into it.”
“Makes sense.”
“I can tell you right now there’s a suspiciously death-ray shaped cloaking field on the roof of the senior dorms,” Hawke said.
“Yeah, I noticed,” Vell said. Doc Ragnarok’s cloaking tech was advanced, but the loopers had some pretty advanced observation equipment as well. “I think that’s too easy though, right? I’m trying to give Skye some bonding time with her dad here, we need to do things the long way.”
“If you insist,” Hawke said. “Samson, any ideas on how to do things the old fashioned way?”
“You might start with the generic eastern european goons lurking around the dining hall,” Samson said. He forwarded a picture to Vell, showing off a table of middle-aged men sitting around one of the tables, smoking cigars and playing poker.
“Those definitely look like henchmen,” Vell said. “I’ll go check it out.”
Even if they weren’t related to the apocalypse, a random group of middle-aged men hanging around a college campus was suspicious. Vell headed for the dining hall, stepped through the doors, and adjusted his tux as he approached the table.
“Gentlemen,” he began. “This is a non-smoking campus.”
“Ve are not stoodents,” one of the smooking goons grunted, in one of the deepest pseudo-slavic accents Vell had ever heard. He briefly considered asking if the accent was genuine, or part of the role, but thought that might be offensive.
“The rules apply all the same,” Vell said. “If you’re not students, then why are you here?”
“Vork.”
“What kind of v- work?”
“De none of yor beeznees kind,” another mook toned.
“On this campus, everything’s my business,” Vell said. He didn’t want it to be, most of the time, but it ended up that way anyway.
“Mebbe you lurn noddo steeck nose where idon belon.”
“Okay, I’ve been trying not to bring it up, but that’s beyond the pale,” Vell said. “That accent is fake, right? You’re all just playing up the fake mook role?”
The smoking henchmen shared a nervous glance, and one of them pulled a walkie talkie out of their track suit jacket.
“He’s on to us! Accelerate the plan!”
“Ha! I knew the accents were fake,” Vell said. His good mood was short-lived, as all the of goons at the table stood up, fists clenched, and squared their shoulders towards him.
“Should’ve minded your own ‘beeznees’, stretch,” one of them grunted.
“I’ve never been...I, ah, screw it, pretend I said something witty,” Vell said. “So what are the rules on this part, is it like, pin-based, or is there a flag football type of thing-”
One of the goons dove into Vell for a full-body tackle, and then punched him in the face while he was on the ground.
“Okay, full contact,” Vell grunted. “Seems a little harsh for a-”
Another punch to the face shut him up, and made Vell realize this was not the time to be talking. He covered his face to block another punch and rolled out from underneath the thug who had him pinned, before spinning around to kick him in the gut.
“Hawke, this got a little bit loud,” Vell said. “Could you call Kim and tell her-”
Vell got grabbed by the shoulders, lifted off the ground, and then slammed into a table hard enough to snap it in two. Though he never finished his sentence, Hawke assumed Vell’s intent from the context clues, and from the faint sound of punching in the background.
Kim had been scouting out potential disasters close by, so it did not take her long to arrive on the scene and pry Vell out from underneath a mountain of track-suits. A robot with flaming fists was more than any of the hired goons had signed on for, so they dispersed after a few of their own were knocked unconscious burning punches. Once she was sure they were all scared off, Kim helped a heavily-bruised Vell off the ground and wiped some blood off his chin.
“Damn. You’re lucky I saw the other twelve guys or I’d think you got your ass beat,” Kim said.
“Yeah, I think I did alright,” Vell groaned. “Christ, though, what was with that? I thought the goons were supposed to rush me one at a time, at least.”
“You’d think so,” Kim said. That was the usual henchmen approach. “Maybe Doc Ragnarok actually does know you’re dating his daughter. Wanted some guys to beat your ass about it.”
“He just doesn’t seem like the kind of guy,” Vell said. “If only because he’s weirdly obsessed with being an old-school supervillain.”
Vell popped an illusion rune that would disguise the bruises, and the damage to his tuxedo, and got back on track.
“Speaking of his weird obsession,” Vell said. He popped his runic scanning glasses out of a pocket and did a quick scan of the unconscious guards. “There we go.”
Vell plucked a keycard from the coat pocket of one of the unconscious guards.
“In retrospect, I probably should’ve just scanned first and tried to pickpocket this,” Vell said. “Something to keep in mind for next loop.”
“I think we’d all prefer you not get your ass beat,” Kim said. “Are you really sure you’re still on board with this, after aforementioned ass-beating?”
“I have to see this through,” Vell said. “I’m sure it was all some mix-up on Doc’s part.”
“I sure hope so,” Kim said. “That dude’s probably going to be your father-in-law someday.”
The illusion that hid the bruises on Vell’s face was not quite powerful enough to disguise the redness in his cheeks. He set off without a word and headed for the senior dorms, and the invisible death ray atop them.
***
“We did try to make the relationship work, but ultimately we just didn’t work out in the long-term,” Doc Ragnarok said. “We set up a very amicable co-parenting arrangement, and Skye is an absolute delight, so it all worked out in the long run. But still, don’t ever try to mix dating and mad science. It’s a field that requires absolute commitment.”
“Fascinating,” Helena said. She had no idea how Doc Ragnarok had managed to segue “mad science advice” into a discussion about Skye’s mother, but somehow he had pulled it off. “Now, about the death ray...”
“Oh, yes, that,” Doc began. He gestured to the massive laser beam currently being constructed in the core of their makeshift lair. “Now, obviously, the retrofuturist look is borrowed from old pulp sci-fi, but I did personalize it with the addition of those dorsal ridges, and the ventilation gaps near the beam emitters, all to resemble the fins and gills of a shark. It lends a certain menace to the design, and Skye absolutely adores sharks, which is a nice bonus.”
“Yes, very adorable,” Helena said. “But how does it function? What puts the ‘death’ in ‘death ray’?”
Doc Ragnarok did a quick double take between the death ray and Helena.
“This one? Nothing,” Doc said. “This is a practice exercise, Ms. Marsh, that ‘death ray’ is just a light emitter, essentially a very powerful laser pointer. I suppose you could blind somebody with it if they started right into the beam, but otherwise harmless.”
“Of course it is,” Helena said. She didn’t bother to hide her disappointment.
“Hey dad, you still in the death ray room?”
“Yes, Skye, what do you need?”
“Just thought you should know Vell’s on his way,” Skye shouted. “Coming by the main entrance.”
“Oh a frontal assault, very bold,” Doc Ragnarok said, as he hustled towards the center of his lair. “It is a shame he won’t see all the work we put into the ventilation system or underground entrance routes, though.”
“I’ll let him know about the laser grid later,” Skye said. “He and I, uh, talk. Sometimes. We hang out on occasion.”
“Well let’s give you something to really talk about,” Doc said. “He’s nearly at the main entrance.”
Doc Ragnarok got into position in his big fancy villain chair, crossed his legs, and waited as the lock on the door clicked. Then clicked again. And again. The handle jiggled slightly as Vell tried it out, but it was still locked, and the lock clicked once more as he tried it again. After a momentary pause, the door was torn off its hinges by a sudden burst of force, and Vell stepped through, standing atop the fallen door.
“Your door’s broken,” Vell said. “And not just because I broke it. Like, the lock didn’t work.”
“A momentary delay that makes you too late, Vell Harlan,” Doc Ragnarok shouted, hamming it up with full force. “Now, fall!”
A trap door beneath Vell’s feet opened up, which might have worked were it not for the fallen door acting as a bridge across the pit. Vell looked down and shrugged.
“Note to self, put pitfall traps further away from doors,” Doc Ragnarok mumbled. “No matter! Deploy the contingencies!”
Two hatches on the wall opened up and revealed cannons aimed at Vell, and he dodged out of the way of two nets fired at him. Next up, two robotic drones came rushing at him, grasping claws at the ready, and Vell grabbed one to swing it at the other, shattering both. The quick swing saved him from the robots, but made him easy prey for a forcefield that descended from the ceiling. He bumped an elbow into the glowing field surrounding him, and found it impenetrable.
“That should keep you contained,” Doc Ragnarok said. “Ms. Marsh! Escort him to the viewing chamber. I want him to watch my plan unfold.”
“As you wish,” Helena said. She tapped one of her crutches into the forcefield, and it started moving out of the central lab and down a side hallway. Doctor Ragnarok watched it move with a smug smile on his face. Once Vell was out of sight, he dropped the smile, and his supervillain persona, entirely.
“Well that was quite good,” Doc noted. “Dodging the first trap was a bit of an accident, yes, but the next two, very skillful.”
“I feel like he should have said something, though,” Skye said. “Asked you what you were planning, made a quip about escaping, that kind of thing.”
“Oh, that would’ve been nice, yes,” Doc Ragnarok said. “But frankly those exchanges can get a little trite, once you’ve done a few dozen there’s really no benefit to the banter. We both know why he’s here.”
“I thought you liked the banter.”
“I like good banter,” Doc said. “If the man’s heart isn’t in it, I don’t want him to force it. That’s how you get cliches.”
***
“I feel like I should’ve said something,” Vell said. “At least like, ‘you’ll never get away with this’, or something like that.”
“Oh no,” Helena said. “Haven’t you read this book?”
Helena held up her copy of Doc Ragnarok’s supervillain guide.
“That’s one of the biggest cliches to avoid,” Helena said. “You’re the one who should know these things, you’re the hero.”
“I skimmed, I have a lot going on,” Vell said. He kicked the side of the forcefield again, and found it impermeable as ever. “So. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“Barring Doc Ragnarok’s fatherly streak, yes, actually,” Helena said. “I could see myself doing this for a living. If I live.”
Vell bit his tongue. Helena had a way of making even the most casual chats a matter of life and death -though he supposed everything actually was a matter of life and death when a person was dying.
“There’s entire schools for this, you know, death ray workshops, speech classes focused on evil monologuing, the whole deal.”
Vell did know. Skye had given him some basic details on the courses now and then. Kraid had even attended some of them for a year or two, before getting expelled for being too evil for evil school.
“So, uh...on a related note,” Vell said. “All that stuff you said about being ‘driven to evil’.”
“Oh. I was just telling Doc Ragnarok what he needed to hear, obviously.”
Helena opened the door to a rooftop chamber with a view of Doc Ragnarok’s death ray, and shuttled the forcefield containing Vell into the center of the room. She tapped one of her crutches against the forcefield to remind Vell of his captive state.
“If I were really evil, I’d be using this opportunity to, say, experiment on your rune without your permission and accidentally kill you,” Helena said. “I’m not my sister, Vell.”
Vell nodded. He already knew that well enough -and it was exactly what worried him.
“You did blow me up that one time,” Vell said.
“For impersonal reasons. That was science,” Helena said. “Sure, reckless, maybe. Stupid, maybe a little. But not evil.”
“When you refuse to learn from them, recklessness and stupidity can be evil.”
“Actually, according to this great book I’m reading,” Helena said, holding aloft the supervillain handbook again. “Evil is just a word used by entrenched powers to derogate anything that challenges their hegemony.”
“That’s...an interpretation, I guess.”
“Doc’s a smart guy,” Helena said. “Speaking of, I need to ask him about his forcefield tech, that seems pretty sturdy.”
Helena walked away, leaving Vell alone in the viewing room, surrounded by the forcefield. He took a seat, poked the walls once more, and decided to leave it for a bit. “Planning his escape” was probably the best excuse to sit and catch his breath he’d get any time soon, and he desperately needed a bit of rest. His ribs still hurt from getting tackled by those goons earlier.
The respite, while much needed, was brief, as Vell soon found himself with another visitor. Thankfully, this one was of the more pleasant variety.
“Vell, hey,” Skye said. “Just checking in, you’re doing great so far.”
“Am I doing great? I’m in a forcefield.”
Vell tapped the translucent wall of energy.
“Getting captured doesn’t feel great.”
“Oh, everybody gets captured,” Skye assured him. “It’s part of the bit. Gives you a chance to pull off a cool escape.”
“Alright. Makes sense, I guess,” Vell said. He looked around his forcefield cage. “Are there any risks I should know about? Like, is any part of this going to electrocute me?”
“What? No, that’d be ridiculously unsafe,” Skye said.
“Yeah, well, those thugs of yours weren’t particularly safe either.”
Skye tilted her head like a confused puppy.
“Thugs?”
“Yeah, those slavic guys with fake accents,” Vell said. “The ones with the keycard, which, by the way, didn’t even work.”
“Vell, what are you talking about,” Skye said. “We don’t have any human minions -except Helena, I guess. You were supposed to find some drones in the robotics lab.”
“Well if they weren’t...hold on,” Vell said. “If there’s another bunch of thugs, and another key, doesn’t that mean there’s another-”
For the second time today, Vell was cut off by a thunderous crashing of waves. Thanks to the viewing chamber’s strategic vantage, he could see the waves part just offshore, revealing another towering skull-shaped structure rising from the water, but this time much larger, much darker, and much skullier. The massive structure was nearly as tall as the dorms they were on top of, and much like Doc Ragnarok’s lair, the peak had a very large raygun on top, aimed directly at them.
“There you are, you layabout traitor,” boomed a voice from within the skull-shaped fortress. “Cease your playacting and come witness true villainy!”
“What the fuck,” Skye said. “Dad!”
Dad was already on his way, and barreled through the door momentarily. He ran to the massive viewing window and pounded a fist into it.
“Bastard,” Doc Ragnarok mumbled under his breath. “Skye, we need to get out of here.”
“What about Vell?’
“Has he not escaped yet?” Doc said. He looked over his shoulder and saw Vell. “Oh, sorry, I’d assumed you got out already.”
Doc Ragnarok pressed a button and released the forcefield around Vell.
“You might be thwarting an actual supervillain today, Mr. Harlan,” Doc said. “That’s Mi-Go, an old colleague. Never really got over the fact that I quit.”
“Oh, Mi-Go, I remember him,” Skye said. “A real pioneer in genetic hybridization.”
The raygun aimed in their direction fired, bathing the room, and the entire island, in a blast of sickly green light. When the deathly glow finally cleared, Vell looked down at his hands, or rather at the pointed crab claws where his hands had once been. Skye and Doc Ragnarok had a similar set of misshapen, crablike appendages, and odd leathery wings sprouting from their slimy flesh.
“Not again,” Doc Ragnarok grunted from his new beak.
“I sure hope he worked on his genetic stabilization matrices,” Skye said. “Or else-”
Vell’s arm popped off his body and started melting on the ground.
“Or else that.”
Thankfully their brains melted first, so the rest of the melting didn’t hurt much.

[Steady beeping sound]
[Window Opens]
[Listener climbs through it. Walks across the room.]
[Window slams shut. Multiple locks around the room engage.]
[Beeping stops.]
Do you know how rescuers save a feral momma cat- Ah! Ah. Put. The Knife. Down. Your claws won’t help you here Kitten. You’ll just find yourself in an even more stressful situation. Hiss and spit all you want. But don’t scratch, and especially don’t bite. Got it?
Hmph. You’re not moving so I’m going to assume that if I stay over here I’m safe. Does that sound fair to you? [Sarcastic] Chatty, aren’t you? Well luckily for you I can talk for the two of us. [Sits down] Look, I’m sitting down now. All nice and relaxed. I’m not going anywhere. And neither are you. Especially if you keep standing all rigid like that. We have all the time in the world to sit and get to know each other a little better. Okay?
I’ll take your silence as a yes. As I was saying. The best way to rescue a feral momma cat is to catch all her kittens first. The kittens are easier to find and aren’t as fast. Preferring to hide and get out of reach if they can. The Momma however would rather lead you away from the kittens and as you so pointedly demonstrated, has the claws and teeth to defend herself.
To catch the Momma, you need one of her kittens. Put the kittens in their own cage, and prop up a larger one on top of that. When she comes to investigate their cries, drop the cage. The kittens can’t run off and are protected when the momma inevitably freaks out, and the Momma gets caught. Ready to receive medical treatment, be spayed- [Listener shifts back]
[Brief pause]
…All that Jazz. Obviously that last one doesn’t apply to you. You are very much human. But the comparison is apt. Far more apt than the “Rats in the walls” that the paper has decided would be a fitting name for your gang. With you as the “Rat King” I think. Didn’t really read much past that once I realized they were sensationalizing what you were. And what an awful name to call someone too. A “Rat King.” You’re not two kids under that cloak are you?
It matters because the name doesn’t fit unless you’re a bunch of people either stuck or working together. That’s why its an insult. Look. I can see you’re about to freak out. The kid you’re looking for is fine. In fact, [Rustles around] I think I have a remote- ah! [Clicks] There they are-
[Listener jumped when the TV turned on and threw a knife at it. Shattering the monitor.]
Ohkay, nothing fragile around you then. Glad damaging the screen doesn’t wreck the actual device. Anyway, looking past the shattered glass, what can you see? Well. You threw the knife at the picture of your own kid but- oh! Nevermind. There he is. That’s a playroom, by the way. In case you’ve never seen one. Depending on your behavior you might join him there. You and all the other little rascals we’re rounding up right now.
Yes yes your whole operation has been found out. Once we found one of your bolt holes, it was easy to find the rest. Since, you literally left instructions for the kids to find the other ones. Rotations. Backup plans. We’ll catch all your kittens in no time. Just wait and see.
[Listener charges at him]
[He gets up. Scuffling sounds. Primarily wrists cracking against wrists as he deflects the listeners blows]
[As they’re fighting] Right! Right right right I forgot. My bad. I should have gained your trust first before dangling the rest of the kids in front of you. That’s on me. Thing is- [Catches Listener by the wrist, twists them around, and holds them with their arms pinned to their back] Stealing from the rich means it was only a matter of time before someone smart enough or angry enough tried to smoke you out. Really should have stuck to raiding the middle class I mean, less bang for your buck but at least they don’t have the resources- or the ego- to track down who dared to steal from them. Be glad it was me who caught you, and not someone more sadistic.
[Listener struggles. Trying to pull away.]
Uh hahaha, no. My dear. You’re not getting away. Not this time. Not until I decide its safe for me to let you go. That you won’t attack me, my staff, or yourself in your panic to get out of here. And I’ll know you won’t do that when you stop lashing out like a cat and start behaving like a human. Got it?
[Listener goes limp]
Good. Now. I’m going to take the knife. You are going to sit. And we are going to talk. Okay? Like two human beings. Understood?
Use your voice.
Good. [Takes the knife. Sheathes it. Ties some string around it so it can’t be drawn again.] That should keep your claws tucked away without removing them entirely. I’m not that cruel. Here. You can even have it back- ah! But it is to stay tied into that sheath and tucked away, got it? Good. Here you go.
Now sit.
[Listener sits]
Good Kitten. [He sits]
Good question. What do I want? I guess my poor bleeding heart couldn’t handle the idea of my fellows catching and torturing a literal bunch of kids.
Oh technically you’re not a kid. But just because you’re the oldest and therefore their de facto caretaker and ringleader does not actually make you an adult. Deep down under that hostile exterior is a kid just as frightened as the rest of-
[Listener scrambles to the other side of the couch in a panic]
Ah. [Sympathetic] I struck a nerve, didn’t I? I didn’t mean- [Catches himself. Clears throat. Reasserts himself] Anyway, that was easy to draw out now wasn’t it? Its always sad when a cat has to care for kittens when she is barely more than a kitten herself. At least you, a fellow bleeding heart, chose to care for these kittens on your own, right? Riiiight?
Okay good. See? We’re making progress already.
[With humor] Suspicious as ever. With training you to be human of course. The children of your little gang won’t need much besides getting used to the idea of sitting somewhat still and paying attention. Then we can just give them a normal education like the rest of their peers. You on the other hand, Feral Momma that you are, need some special attention and some special tools to help you learn to live among polite society.
I’m giving you your life back is what I mean. Or rather, I’m giving you the life you should have had in the first place. Better. Even. I can and will find you and your friends-
No. As of this moment they’re your friends. Not your kids. Got it?
Hmph. We’ll have to work on that. Much, much farther down the road though. As I was saying. You will have the best education anyone can have. Any hobbies or fields that pique your interest? You will have all the resources to explore it. You’ll never have to worry about money or food or clothes. I’ll make sure you have all you need and more.
Because I want to earn your trust. Not that I have any illusions of gaining it anytime soon, but I want to establish a baseline going forward. If I break this most fundamental part of our relationship, I no longer deserve your trust. That doesn’t mean I’ll give you all the candy that you want. But you’ll never go to bed hungry either. How does that sound?
No catch. Or- well. Hm. I suppose there is one thing. [Opens a box] See this? It's funny, actually. Your little thief tried to snatch exactly this when he fell into my trap. Sure its a pretty enough little trinket. Pawning it off would have gotten you mmm, maybe a week- Ah. I’m guessing by your expression it would be less. Just how many kids are in your gang anyway? … Kitten. How many kids. Are in your Gang. [Sighs] You don’t have to answer. Its clear enough already you bit off way more than you could chew in that regard.
We’ll deal with that another time. For now, I want you to look at me and more importantly back to my pocketwatch. You see, being gold plated and embedded with jewels makes it worth a lot. But that’s not why I bought it. That’s not why any of my peers were trying to buy it either.
Its easy enough to con the rich. Sell them just the right story and they’ll buy anything you offer to them. The smart ones check the backstory. And oh let me tell you this has gone on some adventures indeed.
This, when held, gives its wielder the power to hypnotize.
Trick shows? I don’t- ah. Street Lingo. No. Not at all like that. I won’t wave this in front of your face and order you to make a fool of yourself. This is the real deal, my Dear. At its baseline, I can make you fall into a pseudo trance. Just dazed and unaware until something snaps you out of it. Handy, for a thief like you. Important for an emergency I think. In case you get into any real trouble. But with practice, and a target paying attention, I can make you fall into a real trance. Limp, and unaware, and unable to wake up without my say so.
With experimentation and skill? Well. I know you read papers too. That Mr. Maestro is a real scary guy huh? His poor assistant. I wonder who she was before he got his hands on her. Who any of his servants were, before they fell under his gaze. You don’t need to worry about that though. You’ll remember, and I won’t change a single thing about you. I promise. I won’t even make you be obedient with one, single exception. That you’ll come when called. And even that will have caveats. Okay?
Good question. I’m going to use this to slip past your guard and teach you how to relax. And after I teach you how to relax, I’ll teach you how to trust. And then except for any particularly unhealthy behaviors you struggle to unlearn and with your permission, I won’t have to use it ever again now will I?
Yes. Outside of “Don’t act like a feral animal” this is my only condition for seeing your gang. Is that amenable to you? [Before the listener can panic] You can take your time deciding, by the way. I don’t want to throw you into a panic and-
Okay then. We can start tomorrow-
Are you sure? You can take as much time as you need to get ready.
Very well then. Get comfortable. Like you’re about to go to sleep.
No, you don’t need to look at me. Or the pocket watch. You just need to be able to hear the sound of my voice. If you don’t think you can get comfortable enough- I know this is a strange place so, someone like you would probably struggle to feel safe enough to sleep here- don’t worry about it. That’s part of the watch’s power. Its safer and easier for you to be prepared, however. Brute forcing it has the potential to do some damage.
[Listener shifts around, getting comfortable]
You ready? Don’t need blankets or anything? No? Okay then.
[tone that indicates the watch has activated]
I want you to focus on… hm. Let’s see here. I can see your eyes are open so, pay attention to the area right in front of you.
Yes this is part of the hypnosis. I’m trying to teach you something okay? Just relax and follow my lead. Don’t second guess. Just do. Got it? Now, where was I…
Focus on the area right in front of you. You’ve probably never seen it before, so this should be pretty easy to grasp what I’m trying to say.
I want you to investigate it closely. Really look at all its little nooks and crannies. All its little details. Every imperfection you can see. What is its texture? How do you think it would feel to run your fingers over it? What is its smell.
If you can, I want you to reach out and touch the object. Lightly. Carefully. Just enough to get a sense of its texture. Really pay attention to how it feels against your skin.
This is called Mindfulness. Its a skill you will find very useful day to day as we go forward. Even outside of hypnosis. Let me teach you why.
I want you to look at your hand now. Both of them, if you want. But its better to direct all of your attention to one.
Easy, easy. I can see you getting mad. Its okay. Don’t beat yourself up. Or you can be mad at me that’s fine. Everytime you find your thoughts drifting away from the object of your attention though, I want you to bring them right back okay? Like… sliding a moving object across a desk. You do it often enough, it becomes routine. Now, back to your hand.
Look at your fingers. See the way they hang when you hold your hand up? How the weight of the tips affect each joint, up to your palm? Notice all the little lines. The swirls of your fingerprints. The boxes made by each tiny crease. Did you ever notice that before now, I wonder. How your fingers are divided by boxes within boxes below the first joint. All the way down to the individual cells most likely.
Now lets look at your palm. Its so different from your fingers isn’t it? While your fingers have some wobbly lines, they’re still straight and are either horizontal or vertical. Not your palm though. The lines on your palm go all over the place. All kind of angles, and never straight either. There are even swirls, and circles if you look close enough. Just like your fingerprints.
Now lets pull back, and look at the front of your hand as a whole. Notice the structure of it. All the joints. Wiggle your fingers for me, will you? Did you ever notice before, that there’s a sensation as you move your fingers? That if you pay attention to a specific digit, you can feel the individual muscles responding to your call? Moving under, and against your skin?
This is called Body Scanning. See, your brain receives input from your body all the time. You just don’t notice because your focus, that key component of mindfulness we learned earlier, was elsewhere. On more important things than the sensation of your fingers moving. But now they have all your attention and it puts that sensation under a microscope. Notice how you can only focus on one finger at a time, though. You can’t feel each individual muscle if you’re paying attention to the whole hand.
So it is with your whole body. If all your focus is on your stomach, you won’t notice a problem with your heart. If your focus is only ever focused outside, you won’t notice something wrong inside.
You need to give everything its due. Its own time. Its own place. But we’ll worry about that later. When you’re awake. When you feel safe.
For now, Direct your attention to your head. Your jaw. Let it relax so your teeth are not tight against each other. And, as with mindfulness, if you notice it tensing up again just let it relax, and move on.
Down, down to your neck- [Sound distortion as the listener drifts under hypnosis] Its okay to close your eyes. Its all part of the point. Let the muscles in your neck go limp. Feel free to shift if your head goes in an uncomfortable angle. [Listener shifts] Very good. Good Kitten. Good Kat. This next bit is trickier. Tense up your shoulders, all the way to your ears. Feel the muscles in them? Now let them slump. All the way down. Let your body tilt and fall, however it may. If you notice a muscle tensing up to hold your position, relax it. Let your body go completely limp on the couch. You are stable. You might feel strange like this. And its okay. This is what its like to be truly relaxed. To go to sleep.
Focus now on your breathing. How the fresh air goes in your nose, down your throat, fills your lungs. Your lungs have a top and bottom. As well as left to right. Take a deep breath. As deep as you can go. Slow. Steady. Like working a bellows. Notice how the top part of your lungs fills first, and then the lower part? And again when your lungs empty. The top part empties first, and then the lower part.
In. Out. Slow. Steady. Top. Bottom. Full. Empty. I want you to keep breathing, just like that.
[Second tone plays, deeper this time]
And just like that, you are under hypnosis. I want you to repeat this exercise whenever you need to relax. For sleep. Just to veg. Whenever you feel comfortable and safe enough to do so. Later, when I have your trust, I will teach you how to do a modified version of this exercise in times of crisis. So you can keep a cool head.
But not now. Now I want you to learn how to sleep in this strange place. Sleep is all too important to managing stress. Something I’m sure you are familiar with. Now more so than ever most likely.
We can change the trigger to one of your personal choice later, but for now… [Three musical tones, different from the watch, going down. I prefer Xylophone] That sound indicates its time to do the relaxing routine We just practiced, and to go to sleep.
When you do sleep, it will be deep, and restful. [Brief pause as he thinks. Add whatever “I’m thinking” tick here you want] Your mind will sort through the events of the day, and whatever is bothering you. Whatever you think is important. Even if its just something you strongly desire. You will wake thinking of it.
The second trigger I am going to teach you is to come when I call. When I, and only I, say “Quoth the Raven” Assuming you aren’t in the middle of something important. If there is no emergency. If the thing can wait until the next day, wrap up what you are doing and come to me right away. I won’t always use it when I want to see you. That will be your own choice. But when I have something to teach you, or we need to have another session. I will use it.
I want you to remember this session. What I’ve said. What the triggers are. And the caveats. I want you to remember how you got here. Why you came. The talk we had that ended in you agreeing to this.
When I snap my fingers, you will go to sleep. You will have the deepest, most restful sleep you have ever had. As long as you need. As deep as you need. And you will process all the stress you have experienced up to this point that you can without being in distress. All the small scares. The little moments where you were proud. Everything small that you’ve been too busy to acknowledge had an effect on you.
When you wake, you will remember you are deep within my mansion. You will know that you have been moved to a different room- your room- and that you have been promised safety.
When you wake, you will know that your gang, your friends, are safe or are going to be safe, and that they will be kept nearby. You will remember that so long as you behave like a human, and attend these sessions, you will get to see them. Protect them. Play with them. Teach them.
When you wake, there will most likely be a doctor by your side. Follow his or her instructions as it relates to your checkup. If you feel uncomfortable, say so. There will be a member of my staff observing, and they will intervene if need be.
There will be clean, warm clothes for you to wear. And hot, fresh food for you to eat as soon as you wake up. When your checkup is done, and you’ve eaten and prepared for the day, you can go see your friends.
I am going to snap my fingers in three… two… one… Sleep.
[Snaps]
End Audio Script. This was inspired by Jouska's recent hypnosis videos, Dr. Who's The Empy Child, and especially a recent trend of hypnosis videos I've seen around where the listeners free will is steam rolled and I personally don't like that. So here's a version where that doesn't happen.
If you want to record and make this into a public video please let me know! I would love to view the finished product and knowing what it looks like will help me to write more in this series in the future.
Do NOT edit, and do NOT take Kitten as suggestive. Its a referral to the characters age and behavior, not an attempt to flirt. This is a parent child relationship. Nothing more.

So I'm just here too vent I don't know where to start but I'll start at the beginning so some backstory, I grew up in a traditional household as in I was fending for myself from the age of 14 by that I mean that once I turned 14 I cooked my own meals I did my own laundry I cleaned my own room I did my own jobs where I got paid money for things Such as babysitting house cleaning and sitting. Also I feel like I should mention that I grew up in a sixth generational military household where we were Raised under strict discipline We were also raised to have strong moral values as in do not do anything illegal and be an upstanding citizen you see something wrong report it. So to the meat and potatoes of why I want to vent so For this we need to go back 12 years ago so I just graduated high school I decided I want to start dating so I ended up meeting the person who would become my life partner when I first met him and we were on our first date I specifically told him that if we are going to be serious there's a game changer or end of game for me would be If he Or any of his friends or family members Had a criminal record that it would be game over "sorry thanks for playing tell him what he has won Charlie". He very plainly told me that no everyone and his family and his life are good people. So I give him a chance and we ended up dating for 2 years. Eventually I ended up getting stationed far away and I asked him if he would like to move in with me and he said yes. After a short while of us living together we ended up getting pregnant with our daughter and then he wanted me to meet his parents. side note The reason why I haven't met his parents up until this point is because I was a strong believer in not meeting the in-laws until marriage was either on the table or at least in talks but I did not want to meet them unless I and he was absolutely sure that we wanted to take that step. So we eventually went to go meet his parents and siblings and his siblings kid and everything went well it was a very lovely meeting and there was nothing to complain about nothing out of the ordinary. It eventually got to the point where every weekend we would be going to his parents house and the rest of the pregnancy went by swimmingling no problems whatsoever. Eventually my daughter came into the world during the summer and she was full term healthy happy baby. After 2 months of recuperating from giving birth we went to go visit his family let them see their granddaughter, niece, cousin. When we arrived at my in-law's house his cousin was there just chillin sitting on the couch. My partner said "cousin you're out of juvee that's amazing I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon" Safe to say my eyes widen when I heard my partner say this because I flashback to when we first met and I specifically asked him if he had any family members or Or friends who Who had a criminal record. I pulled him to our room that we had aside at the In-law's house and hushley yelled at him saying that he had told me that he had no family members are friends with criminal records he very nonchalantly Said "oh cousin doesn't have a criminal record it was expunged when he turned 18" 🚩#1: I don't know about everyone else but this was a red flag when I first heard it cause he basically got me on a technicality But I still felt betrayed because his cousin was in juvee for a pretty bad crime.( Not gonna mention here but it will come into light later in the story.) I let it go for the moment And enjoyed the rest of my weekend unfortunately though I had left my ipod In my room cause I was told it would be safe there because I was also told that I should make my partner's room feel more homey to me. But when I had came back the following weekend to get my ipod it was not where I had left it I ended up tearing apart the room looking for it because it had sentimental value to me due to irreplaceable photos videos from high school of friends, friends who are no longer with us, events that I held dear from high school Especially all the events that come with senior year of high school. I asked all the family who were living in the house at the time if any of them had been in partner's room or Or borrowed my ipod and everyone said no everyone said I don't know where it is. I then asked who has been in the house during the week since I was gone and mother-in-law said oh cousin was here because he was having trouble with his girlfriend. I went to partner and asked him to call cousin to see if he borrowed my ipod because if he did then I would like it back because I have I have irreplaceable photos on the ipod. 🚩#2: Partner said no cousin wouldn't never take anything from my room cousin's not like that you're crazy why you being so upset and crazy over a few photos and a ipod. Partner also mentioned that because of my view of His cousin that that's clouding my Vision of him so of course I would automatically assume he would take it granted I did not specify he stole it I said borrowed did not say stolen please refer to previously mentioned reason why this ipod was so important to me...partner knew of the sentimental value of the ipod also that I paid for it with my hard earned money, it was the first expensive thing I had ever brought. Anyways partner had me second-guessing myself so I eventually just let go the fact that my ipod was missing I did not bring it up I should have it would save me a lot of mental health in the future anyways flash forward to 2015 my contract With the military was up I decided not to reinlist. As a goodbye gift my master chief had given me a deer antler bullet Pen that he had made personally for me. At the behest of his parents me and partner and our daughter moved into his parents place I kept the pen in a pen holder On my desk in my room At this point in time I was always out of my room and out of the house looking for a job. I didnt really need one I was making and still am making plenty from the VA. I'm sure a lot of you I probably gonna say that when I had moved in I should learn my lesson with the ipod and had installed a lock on the door but my in-laws were strong believers in a no lock policy in the house of course I did not And still do not believe in that policy I like privacy I do not like the idea of someone just randomly barging into my Space at any given moment. So eventually one of my old navy buddies had came to visit me and wanted to see the pen that master chief had given me. We wanted to compare the ones that Master chief had given both of us Every pen he had made was always unique so we wanted to see the difference Between the 2. Low and behold my pen was missing and I was devastated. And true Rinse and repeat fashion. I asked all the family members who were living in the house at the time if anyone had been in my room and took a pen they all looked at me like I was crazy and said are you going to get upset over a pen missing now and I specified that that pen was basically a parting gift from my boss for For being in the military. 🚩#3:After I realized that I was not gonna get anywhere with asking the family, I voice my concerns and grievances to my partner he also made me feel like I was crazy because he stated that "it's just a pen get over it". Eventually I did manage to get a few jobs over the next few years up until 2019 when I eventually decide I want to better my education and go to college so from June till may of 2020 I was going to college.side note: From when we had moved in with his parents all the way till even today I have been doing 90% of the housework as in I cook, I clean, I do laundry all the while working 40+ hour weeks. All partner ever does is just go do work with his dad And come home to fresh clean clothes and towel fresh out of the dryer laid out in the bathroom and a hot meal waiting on the table as I'm sure you're getting from the tone of what I'm saying right now I think you know Where this whole thing is gonna go real soon. So while I'm going to school and doing all the housework taking care of our child. My partner would come home shower do all the normal stuff and then go to bed but then he wouldn't touch me or be intimate with me he would always say I'm tired I'm not in the mood I have a headache. Maybe you dont understand partner but I never pressed on him because I assume because of certain work stressors He must be having a tough week so I never pressed him to be intimate with me. Pass to around a few weeks before Halloween I was just randomly scrolling on his phone looking at Halloween costumes for our daughter cause she wanted a very specific costume and he had gotten a text message from someone labeled under a male name and they said something that was very alarming and I looked in the text against my better judgment And what it said was hey how about we have another car date. I didn't want to jump to conclusions so me in stealth mode I text it back saying what would you like to do during the car date and the person replied oh the same thing we do every time we go on a car date you me in the back seat and you pounding me like crazy. With you saying my name and me screaming yours. Safe to say I was sick to my stomach just from reading what the person had text I had screenshot the text and I had sent it to myself and then deleted the text that I had sent to myself from my partner's fault I then put the phone away and then partner went and got his phone and I could see his face turned pale white as he saw that the Text had been opened but he didn't make any mention even brought it up. After this I went into FBI mode and I would casually look at his phone whenever he was in the shower he would always leave it charging as soon as he got home from work and then any text messages that seemed kinda off I would screenshot them and I would look app the number at a later time and back track it via Google. The information you can find on Google is crazy to me thank God for google. I eventually would get the person he was sending messages 2 send pictures as proof that they were together And evidence was unmistakable the things that she had sent made my stomach turn lowkey I could hear just what the episode of SNAPPED would have said about me if I had listened to that inner voice. After getting plenty of proof of his infidelity I eventually confronted him And here's where red flag number 4 comes into play. 🚩#4: He stated that I had become distant from him that I was more concerned with our child and school then I was with him and then also another thing that was basically as he said the straw that broke the camel's back was that I had put on weight. at this point in time I was Only 50 pounds heavier than when I got out of the military. He also mentioned that I didn't make time for him anymore Which was far from the truth if anything I always tried to push to have time with him on his days off but he was always "with his friends" I later found out that he was with her. Another reason he had given was that our relationship had grown stale and cold and boring and he wanted something exciting and new. I gave him the ultimatum either he picks me and our daughter or he picks his side piece. And true kid mentality he said it wasn't fair because he loved both me and her and he couldn't pick and he had the nerve to come up with the idea that we do a sister wife/polygamy type of relationship. 🚩#5: He even went As far to say that we should do an open relationship but primarily one where he would be in a relationship with someone but I would have to be faithful to him.another side note:he's not morman or LDS or muslim Very nicely I state did that it would be a cold day in hell when any of those options would be even viable to me.* Again I grew up in a traditional household where monogamy is a necessity And I also made it very clear when we started dating that I was a monogamous person so how this even became an idea in his head I have no idea.* So he tells me once he sees that I am dead serious that he chooses me and our daughter and I stated good choice and I thought that was the end of it until December of that year when I had heard his phone go off while he was again in the bathroom and I went to look at it and it was her and she had stated that He had left his wallet at her place when When he had seen her last week. I was feeling mad and when he came to sit back down on the couch I threw his phone at him I Called him out for the sleazy dog that he wasAnd brought up other harsh words Regarding events that had happened in the past years Since we had moved in with his parents. 🚩#6:He stated that he hasn't seen her since I had given him the ultimatum and that she is just trying to get rise out of me because he had told her that I had found out about her. Of course I did not believe him so once he left for work the following day I checked his Google location for the day that she had mentioned that he had left his wallet and lo and behold he had been at her house during that week and then also later in the day after the text he had been at her house again this time he was at her house for the better part of 3 hours when he strictly told me that he was gonna be super busy and working with yard tools where he would not be able to hear his phone go Off whenever I text or call him. * Yes I can hear you all screaming at me that I should have left him when he first had the affair but I don't know maybe I had my daughter in my mind and didn't want her to grow up in a broken household or whatever may be the case but for some stupid God forsaken reason I gave him another chance And kept giving him chance after chance every time I saw he had gone to her house* Eventually he had grown tired of the girl and then he settled back into being monogamous again and everything for the most part especially after covid happened was quiet and calm but that's what I thought. Queue cousin entering from left stage. Cousin ended up staying with us during COVID because again he had a falling out with his girlfriend now baby mama And one particular day I came home from working limited hours due to covid and I see an iPod that looks eerily similar to the one I had. Curious I looked at the back and low and behold there was still a sticker residue from A sticker that had previous There. Fun fact about my ipod I had an anime sticker That I had personally designed. Again curiosity got the better be and I unlock the ipod and check the serial number in IMEI numbers and check the same Info on the product box that I had gotten my ipod in and lo and behold they matched perfectly to a T. Stupidly optimistic I was hoping someone had found it where it might have been misplaced and I was hoping that my photos and videos were still on the ipod. But as I'm sure you're probably already guessing it was wiped clean and it was nothing but photos of and you guessed it cousin and his baby mama and their baby. every video and pic that I had on my ipod from when I first bought it In freshman year of high school to when I had eventually had my daughter Was gone forever. Cousin came out of the bathroom and asked what I was doing with his ipod. I'm sure you know where this conversation is going so I'm not gonna repeat it but let's just say a few harsh things were said and he eventually felt guilty for not coming to me and asking if the ipod was mine. I obviously gave it back to him because it had no more sentimental value to me because all my stuff was deleted and it was basically his at this point. So later that night I again leaned on Partner's shoulder and Express my grievances and how I didn't appreciate that he gaslet me into thinking that his cousin wouldn't take something out of his room when in later years it is found out that he did in fact I asked for an apology on the matter and he stated... 🚩#7: Why are you upset over something that happened in the past and over photos that Aren't that important.* Our daughter's entire birth was on the ipod by the way Not to mention all my pregnancy bump milestone photos were there too.Also I have fertility issues and was told carry children would be difficult...I think they meant conceiving because like a unicorn no morning sickness or any of the negative things you hear that comes with pregnancy* Later in the year 2020 partner's brother ended up moving out and moving about 2 hours North of us With his girlfriend now wife. In the same fashion as us not too soon after they moved into their new place they found out they were expecting their first child together. The entire pregnancy went by just as smoothly as mine but around December, Brother-in-law and cousin decided to do cross-country trip this is all that they told us we thought they were crazy because His brother-in-law was expecting his first child and cousin was expecting his second child And the babies were going to be due any day at most within the coming weeks. Well surprise surprise we get a call from brother-in-law's frantic wife stating something happened to brother in law and cousin and that she couldn't talk about it over the phone. When she eventually arrived she was hysterical, Tears rolling down her face I actually felt A sense of concern and dread for what she was about to say to us. So long story short cousin and brother-in-law had been working for unfavorable people and transporting unfavorable items across state lines. sil and cousins baby mama knew what they were doing and would tag along, they "didn't care because the money and their lives were good" * Brother-in-law's ex then gf had previously told me that he was working for the same unfavorable people and when I brought it up to 🚩#8: partner he said x is crazy don't listen to Her. (He later told he and fam always knew what bil and cousin were doing just never brought it up because 'thats cousin and bils business to tell us'* Again due to COVID the court system was delayed and brother-in-law did not go to jail right away. While we were awaiting a sentencing Brother-in-law set all the family down and asked us to look over his wife and kids (yes kids plural he ended up having a second child while awaiting sentencing stupid I know.) The rest of the family said they would look out for Brother-in-law's family. But here's where I'm going to sound like an a****** but I very plainly and bluntly told him that I will not look after his family because I did not marry "wife" and I did not have "kids" I also stated that he knew that he was expecting a kid and he went to do a run even though his kid was due any day and I also mentioned that he needs to suffer the consequences of his actions. To make it short the family looked at me like I was the devil for saying this but I have made it clear of where I stand when it comes to criminals and doing illegal activities. I also have made it very clear how I feel criminals should pay for their actions. I know this will sound cheesy but if you cannot do the Time do not do the crime. In my eyes this was a textbook case of f*** around and find out. I do not feel like I should bend over backwards when I am taking care of my own family and my own problems and adding my brother-in-law's problems to my plate. Again this is where I might lose people but as I previously I grew up in a traditional household where we pull our weight and take care our ourselves. Sister-in-law is now living with us she does not have a job, she does not want a job, she does not pitch in for any expenses. I am paying over 70% of the household expenses water, gas, Wi-Fi etc. * Also after looking at the mortgage payment statements the rent I pay my in-laws to stay in the house pays for more than half of the mortgage.* Sister-in-law does not pitch in a dime. She has no disability she can work she just chooses not to. Well if you couldn't guess it the house was tense for the rest of the time that brother-in-law was in the house until he was eventually sentenced and put in jail. So since brother-in-law has been in jail I still stick to the hole I don't help sister-in-law with anything pertaining to her, I don't ask her for anything. She's been making it a habit of calling my partner and having him move my car from the spots that Im able to get in front of the house before she got into the spot to have him move the car for her because she doesn't want to walk far with The kids. This was usually how things were done until yesterday when sister-in-law was calling my partner to have him move my car and he wouldn't answer because he was asleep due to being sick. So In a begrudging fashion I assume this was for her she calls me to have me move my car, I told her I don't mind the car being moved but she would have to come get the keys to move it as I was currently busy rearranging my Space, And that I was trying to get everything i needed to get done before my day was over cause this was my only day off during the week, And in A spoiled sounding tone she says whatever Forget about it. Later in the day when my partner had woken up he Received a call from Sister-in-law stating that I was being difficult and wouldn't move the car From my spot.* I think it's fair to Mention that there are plenty of spots In front of our house but for some reason she always wants to park where I park. She never calls anyone else who's parked in front of the house ,if they're parked there, to move their cars only me or my Partner.) Also full circle, I was cleaning out our family's "junk cabinet" yesterday during my cleaning frenzy and found my deer pen it was in fils work bag, and yes its mine says my rank and full name on it.(trust me it'll come into play) So after the call with sister-in-law partner starts berating me Stating that I'm a part of this family and that I should be helping everyone out nevermind that I pay 70% expenses and more then half of mortgage,among other things. I told him very sternly that I had let her know that she could come and move the car herself but I was currently busy. I also stated that I told her when When brother-in-law asked us to help out with his family that I would not be doing any favors I will not be dropping things at the Whim of a hat for sister-in-law. I have my own things I need to do I can't just be stopping what I'm doing just to help her just cause it'll make it more convenient for her. I also stated during the convo with partner that there are plenty Of Mother's whose Partners are also in the prison system Who have multiple kids who are doing just fine by themselves. And that sister-in-law needs to women up And handle things on her own. I also stated that I did not tell her to have the kids That was all her choice. I also stated that I have never asked or received help for anything during my time with him and his family. I've been a very self-sufficient independent person. I'd like to make it known that we primarily survive off my income alone most of his income that he gives to me goes into savings because I make a Remarkably large amount of money thanks to what I get from the VA and from my 40+ hr job in the federal sector. And with the hours I work I don't have to worry about childcare as I watch my daughter during the day, When partner comes home from his long day at work I will sleep for a couple of hours before I start my night shift, I also will sleep while my daughter is in school till I have to pick her up then I do housework and take care of my child till my Partner Comes home and cook dinner. The only reason we live with in-laws is to help them with the mortgage because the mortgage is so incredibly high in the area that we live in. So to reiterate I have never asked or needed help from any of partner's family. And I find it funny that they are now preaching that we're a family we need to help each other, Yet never once while I was living with them have ever offered help offer to watch a our child for the night or anything. Not that I would accept or anything just saying it would have been a nice gesture at the very least. But after partner said that we're family, I retaliated by saying family doesn't violate personal space and go in your room and steals your stuff. He sighed and said you're on that again and I said it's not just the ipod it is also the fact that your dad stole my deer pen. And that the ipod was and the deer pen is sentimental to me. Like a broken record I stated that the ipod had everything from my past that was irreplaceable memories of friends who are no longer with us and of our daughter's first breath into the world And the fact that he is not as mad as me about the fact that we no longer have the video of our daughter being brought into the World Is eye-opening. We ended the day on a sour note where he ended up sleeping on the couch and I in our bed. which has led me to write out my emotions because I just want to scream at him for 🚩#9: everytime he gave his free time to his family,when I couldn't even get 2 hours a day to just chat, the little bit of time I did get with him he just wants to "sit in silence" where he ends spends the time on tiktok. Also whenever I find out when i have a day off usually a month in advance. I try to plan an "US" day where its just me, him, and our daughter.spoiler alert I rarely if ever get to share a day off with him and when he manages one, on the day we had plans he says something along the lines of I have to do a tree trimmng job or fix a sprinkler head, he states "won't take long" then will call and say he'll be bit longer, rinse and repeat this and he spends the whole day at his clients house fixing his fuck up. no hes not seeing AP I have untraceable GPS trackers secretly hidden in all the vehicles, and no not illegal I legally own and insure all our vehicles at my suggestion due problems with the parents. Also partner owns piece of fils business so in a way its keeping track of work equipment in case it gets stolen. I've gotten to the point where the moment he says he's gonna take longer than planned I just leave with my daughter and do what I had planned like go to the zoo, museum, trampoline park, etc. Partner does not call me all day. im at the point idc,still frustrated but don't care. Also here's the cherry on the cake usually when me and daughter go out we get back right when partner gets home and is unpacking the work vehicle and he has this look like were you out of the house all day? Which is confirm with that very question coming from his mouth. I send our child to go in the house sensing where the convo was leading to and once she was out of ear shot. Again very bluntly I tell im not gonna cancel my day if your not gonna prioritize me and our daughter's time I had plans for today I told you in advance you made your choice of which is more important so while you used your day off to do an extra job I used my day off to make memories with our child. In true child fashion he says but I wanted to go to insert place too. You should've just waited to go on a different day. I tell him that he always postpones or comes up with a reason not to go (too expensive, too hot, will be crowded, blah blah blah) so instead I will make the plan to go tell him ahead of time if he takes time off great if not no sweat im still going. Boy he got so irritated for being called out especially when our daughter yelled from the doorway dad you always cancel on us. BTW daughter is unaware of partners affair on the day that I confronted him a close friend that I had told of my situation told me and partner that her daughter wanted to do a sleepover I was unaware this was her sneaky way of helping me. I just took advantage of the empty nest situation I'm sorry if this is more of a rant but my anger and emotions all over the place I'm half tempted of just ending things cutting ties with him and his family because they expect me to change my morality, which I'm very uncomfortable with that. Everything that I was taught respect the relationship your in, respect the law, dont do anything illegal etc these are basic common sense things. Mil, bil, and partner did not respect their relationships or partner. Mil and partner cheated (not with eachother gross but with other people). Bil left pregnant wife alone, due to have a baby anyday, to do something illegal. Also the mental abuse i deal with Partner's sisters bullying me by critiquing how my parents raised me, on my parenting, calling me a hypocrite on my morality because I was trying to pin a baby on partner (was not true he was given the choice to leave all the way up until before delivery) I'm just mentally, physically and emotionally tired. And separation is looking really like a good idea. I've asked for family and couples counseling, inlaws and partner say "we don't have issues you do,why dont you get it, your too needy and selfish always wanting to spend alone time with partner" Thats why I'm turning to reddit one to vent/rant and two for second opinions. I try to limit what I tell bout my family to my parents friends and sibs partly because I hate painting people I've chosen to keep in my life in a bad light also my dad and brothers wouldve have made partner and inlaws take a dirt nap in the desert if I had told them what they've been putting me through and what partner did around time of covid, no trace or evidence think scene from boondocks of the assassin who "took care of" the entire family.only my close friend has seen and knows the full extent of what I've gone through, so she could be a witness to my family if partner tries to spin this around in his favor. But also she suggest the reddit route so I can get opinions and see if maybe I'm seeing this in a different light like seeing this though a different POV. Any advice or insight would be appreciated. I know I most likely am gonna get hate for this next thing I about to say as well But when we found out she was pregnant with the second kid I said with a great deal of concern that she should "take care of it" because "if you arent sure if you can handle two kids while brother in law is away then maybe keeping this one isn't the best choice" Again family looks at me like I'm the devil for suggesting this.Just so It's made clear I was not pushing her to get an abortion I was just trying to make it clear to her that she is going to be having 2 kids under the age of 2 in her care While her husband is away. Also for further insight cousin broke up with baby mama while she was pregnant with second kid but after it was too late to do anything about it when baby mama announced her pregnancy (prior to the crime) i voiced my same concerns with her,in standard young dumb full of it fashion she state "we are in this ride or die" and now she cries to me saying she can't handle two kids and "why did i have a second one" baby mama is now regretting her decision.For any single parent taking care of two kids is a daunting task so I was just looking out for her mental health due to the fact that she would be Taking care of 2 kids by herself at the same time her partner was going to be going to jail for an undisclosed amount of time and at the time not knowing if she might have ppd like some people have after having Irish twins.