Just started my fourth week in an acute stroke/geriatric ward. I have to do 40 hours per week along with assignments worth 50% of my grade and an exam that's worth another 50%. I also have a part time admin job, because we don't get paid for nursing placements in my country. Financially I'm struggling but still able to get by with savings. Anyway, no complaints with any of that, it's hard and stressful, but I expected it to be. The one thing I didn't expect is my preceptor.
In the past, I've always had a good rapport with preceptors and felt very supported in my learning journey, and they would give me honest feedback that I always appreciated. But with my current one, I feel as though I am expected to know everything overnight and be perfect in every possible way because "you're in third year now". It's pushing me to do better, but today it just got overwhelming. While she was yet again condescendingly pointing out what I've done wrong with no commend on what I did do right, I basically told her how I felt a lot of pressure coming from all her micromanaging and how she never gives me the opportunity to correct my mistakes, and how instead I am immediately criticized for the things I do both wrong and right. I told her that I've lost confidence in my skills and that I was so tired of having to live up to whatever she expected me to be. She interrupts my handovers because I get neevous and stutter, she answers call bells while I am with another patient saying I should be answering all of them myself because she's only shadowing me, and that I should report to the TL directly without even needing to escalate care to her first because I am "technically already a nurse". Idk if any of that is valid but she seemed confident that she was saying the right things so I am now at a loss on what to do.
Before this placement, I haven't even stepped foot in a hospital for 6 months. I have also never been placed in an acute ward, always been in rehabilitation and only used to be 2-3 shifts a week. I had no control of any of these, just the way my university scheduled things, and my preceptor knows all of this. Not using my circumstances as an excuse, but it would honestly make my life 10 times easier if my preceptor could have just a little bit of understanding and patience. I know I get prompted a lot, but if she gave me just a little more time to think between her little ramblings then my train of thought wouldn't constantly get interrupted. I feel so stupid and incompetent as a nurse when I'm with her. I understand I have to face these kinds of situations and I have so much more to learn, but she makes me feel bad for not knowing things I've never encountered before, and it is so discouraging. I want to take this on as a challenge for me to overcome and grow, then apologise to her for "snapping" at her, but I also don't think we mesh well in general so a different preceptor would help me learn the same amount. I don't think it would be good for my record to do the latter though, so I'm honestly at a loss.
After my outburst, she backed off on the micromanaging and the shift went well, although very awkwardly. I'm kind of concerned she'd tell other nurses in the ward about my little outburst because I know she likes to gossip, but whatever. I'll take it as it comes, and tomorrow is another day.

24, last exam was like an hour ago and my grades are good enough to not fail in any class regardless, so it's just a matter of the uni posting. Comp sci, took me 5 years, I worked 40 hours/wk third shift while doing 15 credit semesters, with a gap year junior year to do a long trip with some friends. This semester I took 18 with the same schedule to finish it out but honestly I feel so empty about it all idk. I kind of expecting something more ig? Like a feeling of accomplishment or something? But I feel like it was just the minimum I could do. I like my major too so its not like I'm dreading working or the job hunt, my gpa didnt suffer from working either so I'm pretty set but idk. Maybe I did get burned out but was just ignoring it and now I'm feeling it? Not really something I should be whining about obviously, I know a lot of people who wish they had the opportunity to even try to do what I did, but I just feel like typing my feelings out regardless

TLDR: Skip to my questions about preparing for a transfer after having back to back ERs.
Hi, everyone! My husband and I have unexplained infertility. I’m 29F who had to do 3 Egg Retrievals back to back. The reason being I produce a large % of immature eggs. I’ll post the results below. If you just want to skip to my questions I get it, but wanted to give some context!
BACKGROUND INFO: First ER: 11 eggs retrieved, 3 mature. Froze the 3 mature eggs. (The first protocol was estrogen based and normal dosages of menopur and fonal-F that just kept increasing during my STIMS.)
Second ER: 11 eggs retrieved, 6 mature. We then combined the 3 eggs from my first ER. 9 mature total, 6 fertilized, 3 day 5 embryos, 2 euploids. (We changed the protocol and did long and slow. Started with BC this time and lupron. Very large dosages of moper and follitism for the whole process.)
Third ER: 16 eggs retrieved, 7 mature, 6 fertilized, 2 day 5 embryos. Waiting on PGT. (Same protocol)
We are moving on for two reasons: 1. My husband is concerned about us continuing to do this back to back. One for health reasons for my body. The second of my mindset that I may never be satisfied or feel comfortable/safe moving on until I collect “x numbers of embryos” 2. We should see what happens during transfer and hopefully get our baby.
I’m so used to doing egg retrievals now that I almost find comfort in the process. I’m terrified and anxiety ridden to move on to transfer now. I hate change/the unknown and being stuck in this process was frustrating at first, but then weirdly comforting? I also don’t love the number of embryos we have. Maybe it’s just because I already have been disappointed before in this process and I’m scared to be disappointed in the next part. I’ve been in therapy trying to work through it as well.
Anyways I have three questions: 1. Has anyone felt this way? How do you push through?

1. What are some tips/tricks to prepare for a successful transfer? I know it’s not a guarantee, but anything helpful.
   
2. Is there any test or process I should advocate for to help rule out anything that may be overlooked I also don’t want this FET to be seen as diagnostic if that makes sense? Which I understand to an extend it may be. However, my first ER was not successful and they kept saying how diagnostic that was, but I personally felt if I was listened to a bit more and if it was tailored more to what we already knew about my body we could have made a difference. (I don’t have PCOS. They have said anything about endometriosis for me, I did an HSG last June that came back fine.) I know we are doing an SIS, but that’s about it.
   

Like this is the third time in the past 2 weeks it’s incredibly annoying, do I need a release? I don’t want to masturbate again, I know people say its healing but like combined with the dream itself just makes me horny and have urges, idk I’ve searched some older posts but I’m just annoyed rn.

Me (19M) and my younger sister (17F) both live at home with both our parents, along with my girlfriend, my older sister and my younger brother. My older sister and girlfriend both agree with me when it comes to disliking my sister.
It all kinda started when she got into highschool, she began hanging around the wrong people, just being a general delinquent, constant detentions, behavioural issues ect. That then turned into her an asshole, breaking peoples things like my neighbours wall, she once also through flour all over another neighbours garden for literally no reason, and then refused to apologise and denied it, going into supermarkets and breaking things giving the staff abuse just trying to make a living just general shit like that.
Anyways that was all years ago but as time has gone, she has just gotten worse and worse. She got kicked out of school and put into a kind of disciplinary school which she never tried in and failed all her exams getting no grades whatsoever. She then had to get a job, which she got fired from for constantly being late despite her shifts always starting in the afternoon. So now she does nothing while being at home. For example my dad works weekdays and my mum works Tuesdays Wednesdays, and on those days it’s only her at home and she doesn’t help around the house cleaning but instead leaves it for whoever comes home from work first which is me or my mum most of the time and it isn’t fair. So that’s one part of my hatred
The second part is her blatant ignorance and selfishness. She stays up on the phone with her shit friends till about 3-4am waking me and my dad up, playing music, singing just everything to be annoying. She purposely talks loud because she has to be the centre of attention. She goes live on multiple apps just to argue with people and act hard towards them which again is because she’s so attention hungry but then shows me and my family in those lives despite not wanting to be on camera to a bunch of strangers. That’s essentially the second part.
The third part is her horrible disgusting boyfriend Cameron (m19) this dude is no more than a dirty little rat who constantly cheats on my sister (and I’m serious when I say he cheated with a 14 year old when he was 18). Anyways she excuses everything he does, he once threatened my 11 year old brother, he’s threatened me also, and when I removed him from my house for threatening me I was the bad guy to her. She is so selfish that she’d let this low life wannabe druggie gangster threaten her 11 year old brother? But when one of my friends watched my sister get beaten up and her things smashed up, I cut ties with that friend for that. But no my sister can’t cut ties with someone who’s much worse.
The final part comes to her and other peoples property, I live in the UK so I’m legally allowed to drink, and I’m not a heavy drinker but have a stash of spirits for occasions which she constantly steals from, both her and her friend do. And when they drink they take my car key and drink and smoke in my car stinking it up with the smell of alcohol and smoke. And when telling my parents they say “she’s not doing any harm sat in your car” “it’s better her be there and not on the streets” and when I bring up the alcohol “you probably drank more than you thought” I never drink heavy enough to forget, and my older sister has the exact same issue with her alcohol being stolen.
That’s about everything
Am I the asshole?

I put together a brief review of the movement of the orbs and jetliner in the below video.
The original videos are not the same length, so to line them up, we use the zap. With the zap visible for about 5 frames in the drone video, and one frame in the hoax satellite video, it's reasonable to suggest the videos should then be matched to within about 5 frames.
In the timestamp, the convention is hr:mm:ss:frames and the frame rate of the final video is 24fps so the count is from zero through 23, and then back to zero for the frame portion.
There is also a separate total frames count.
When reviewing the timing of the orbs entering the video, the first video enters nearly simultaneously in each video.
The second orb enters an apparent steady rotation at 24:01 in the hoax sat. vid, but doesn't appear in the hoax drone vid until about over one second later at 25:03, and isn't in a steady rotation until about 25:16! That's over a second later! Over 42 frames of out of sync movement of orbs!
The third orb also enters out of sync. It's first visible in the hoax satellite video at 25:21, and comes right into a steady orbit by 26:08. However, in the drone video, it doesn't appear until 27:09, nearly two seconds later, and doesn't enter a steady orbit until about 28:12! The third orb entry is even FURTHER off from the 2nd orb entry!
Quite the mismatch given that some folk claim it's "100% in sync" and "not a frame is out of sync".
Have a review of the video below and see for yourself! This exercise, including combining the two original clips, is easily repeatable by anyone interested.
https://reddit.com/link/1crtn8z/video/oyn268ndfe0d1/player

Let me start this by saying I'm a BIG fan of fishing in games. Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Tower Unite, etc etc. When a game has fishing in it, it pretty much jumps up a letter grade for me. But...
Something about the fishing in Hades-- and now Hades II-- just doesn't do it for me. I think the combination of the low amount of feedback, tight timing, and often long waits before the fish bites all contribute to it. My eyes dry up staring at the bobber because the sound isn't good enough to react to.
I don't think it's because it's too difficult or anything, either! I love when fishing is a challenge! I've caught every fish in both AC & SDV multiple times!
My personal hope is that maybe we see fishing in Hades II reworked a bit... either make it more interactive or make it shorter. But don't make me sit there without blinking for so long!

This is just a whole rant/sob story about what I’ve been feeling as of recent.
I’ve been crying about yesterday’s U2 Chemistry exam, and today’s Pure 2 assessment for the entire day.
They were horrible. I can’t begin to describe the shock I am in. I've been holding in so much sh*t for so long, but these exams have left me unable to hold it in anymore.
I have done every single past paper, from the Sample Paper to the Jan 2024 papers. I have studied really, really well. I have made sure to study so hard to a point I that there was nothing left I could do. I literally don’t know what else I could have done to prevent this from happening.
I was always ready to sacrifice everything for my grades and my future. For these A-Levels, I have ruined my health, my happiness, my social life, wasted my youth, but for what?
I get around 4 hours of sleep every night. I’m always too stressed to have an appetite to eat. I feel tense and anxious almost all of the time. I am always tired and keep getting body aches for no reason. I have no time to pursue the things I love anymore. I can count the number of times I have gone out with friends in the past 4 years on a single hand. I see all these American teens online having fun and going out every other day. I can’t even remember the last time I left the house to do something enjoyable.
Yeah, I know it sounds like I’m overreacting, and it’s just some ‘exams’, but my whole future is literally dependent on this. Regardless of all the effort and hard work I’ve put in, I f-ed up these exams.
My biggest dream has always been to get into a prestigious university on a scholarship to study medicine. But I can say goodbye to that now.
I grinded so hard in my IGCSEs to do well and I did. I got A*s for every subject and I guess that gave me false hopes that I could ace my A-Levels. Having sat these two exams, I feel so doomed. I know I performed horribley on them.
I feel nothing but disappointment, hopelessness, and fear right now. I have disappointed myself by ruining my chances of making my dream come true.
It's even worse when you feel that the others around you, who have high expectations, are also disappointed. My chemistry teacher was saying how she knew I would do well because of how hard I've worked, then when I told her about how the exam was, I saw how her face just dropped. Everyone was telling her it was terrible, and I feel like she was on the verge of crying.
Then today, before going into the math exam, my math teacher saw me trying to breathe while I was very nervous, and he said that 'it's going to be fine'. I literally told him, 'I don't think it will be', and he just tried to be optimistic about it. After the exam, I knew he'd come to ask how we did, so I tried to hide from the shame, but he found my friend and I. I was crying before, but while he was trying to make us feel better the tears were just pouring down my face.
I feel like the biggest failure ever. During the math exam, my heart started to beat so fast as I realized time was running out and I still had so many questions I was stuck on to complete. That's exactly when the 'it's over - my future is ruined' thoughts came to my head. I just kept thinking 'forget about going to a big university, the only place I can go to now in my home country'. I couldn't even hold back my tears at school. I just started crying in front of everyone like that.
The biggest shock to all of this is that my parents weren't even angry with me; they were almost sympathetic. For reference, my parents are very strict when it comes to academics, so I was expecting them to blow up on me when I told them how it went. They didn't though. They kept telling me it was okay, and that I should focus on my next exam. Not gonna lie, this probably felt worse than having them shout at me. While they didn't say anything explicitly about how they feel, I can feel that they're miserable, and it's all my fault.
I feel so guilty. Is this what my parents immigrated for? My parents have endured so much racism, so many financial struggles, and just a whole lot of sh*t for a long, long time to make sure I can get a good education and have a good future. It feels like I wasted almost 2 decades of struggle in a foreign country.
Imagine all those relatives back home who are expecting me to become a doctor to realize I messed up this bad. Then there is the other side of the family who have criticized my parents since the day I was born for wasting all that time just for education. These same people are the ones who kept trying to convince my parents to try to have another child, hoping for a boy, because 'what is a girl going to do for you when you're old and tired?' I was dead-set on proving them wrong, and honoring my parents' hard work my succeeding and giving them the best life I could afford. I wanted to be the daughter who could make her parents live a life of comfort and peace, better than any son ever could. Now what? It's not happening.
I won't get into a top university, let alone get a scholarship. I won't study medicine as I've dreamed of. I won't become a doctor. I won't retire my parents and let them enjoy the rest of lives without a care in the world if we had enough money to pay rent. I won't be able to do anything I dreamt of.
I've always been insecure. At one point in time though, I made peace with it and said that if I can't be pretty or charismatic, at least I could be smart. It's been the one thing I knew I could count on. But now I feel so f-ing stupid. Like what am I useful for anymore? If that was the one thing I could do right, but now it's gone, what even is my use in life anymore? I used to cry about being ugly, but now I'm dumb too.
Since Year 9, I have been going through a really rough time mentally. I went through a period of time when I was bullied really bad, then another where we were flat broke, then another time when my dad lost his job, then another when my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer, then half a year of my parents thinking of divorce, then dealing with the passing of 3 relatives. When does it stop being bad? I used to feed myself these corny lies of 'it's gonna get better' but it doesn't. And this exam period just proved me right.
I wanna give up now. I don't wanna sit anymore exams, and I'm just a third into it. In fact, I don't even wanna live anymore. I know it sounds dramatic to say this over an exam, but I've been holding in this entire rant for the longest time ever, and these exams just brought it out. I've attempted it twice already, but never succeeded.
Since I have no future anyways, I might as well not keep living. I swear to God, that if it weren't for my fear of going to hell, I would try to do it again. I won't though, until we see how the U2 Biology exam goes. But I don't have any hope for it to be any better.
I'm sorry for everyone who feels as though their future is ruined because of these exams, although they studied as hard as they could. May God reward us for our effort.

There have been an increasing number of juniors visiting this sub asking for advice about writing essays. Below are some tips and advice for making your essay stand out as excellent. Feel free to ask questions because I will answer every single question in the comments.
I know from experience that many of you are struggling to identify a good topic for your essay. Conventional wisdom says to start by brainstorming a list of potential topics, and chances are, you have already started a mental list of ideas. You might think you only have a few choices for topics, based on your activities or experiences, or essay examples you read, or the rough draft you already started (or worse, that GPT started...). I advise, however, that you put down your list of topics and back away from it. Forget that exists for a moment. Seriously - thinking about this initial list tethers you to certain ideas that might not actually be your best options.
Now you can begin brainstorming with a clean slate.
Start with thinking about what you want to show in your entire application, not just one essay. Every single component in your app has one purpose – to tell more about YOU. Filling out the rest of the application by rote and focusing solely on the essay is short-sighted and will leave so much potential untapped in your application.

It's About You. Tell Your Story - And Be The Protagonist

An admissions officer’s goal is to understand you fully, in the context of your background and the rest of the applicant pool. They will begin this with assessing your academic abilities and potential. Then they will evaluate how you will fit into the student body they’re trying to curate. All of this can be somewhat broad and diverse and touch on several institutional goals. But they will dig deep to find out what each applicant is like, what your core values and motivations are, what kind of student you will be, how you will contribute to the vibrant and intellectual campus community they’re building, etc.
Your goal with essay brainstorming is to ascertain how to powerfully tell your story in a manner that will fit these criteria. The entirety of your application (again, not just one essay) aims to showcase your abilities, qualifications, and uncommon attributes as a person in a positive way. Before you begin outlining or writing your application, you must determine what is unique about you that will stand out to an admissions panel. All students are truly unique. Not one other student has the same combination of life experiences, personality, passions, or goals as you do. Your job in your application is to frame your unique personal attributes in a positive and compelling way. How will you fit on campus? What personal qualities, strengths, core values, talents, or different perspectives do you bring to the table? What stories, deeper motivations/beliefs, or formative experiences can you use to illustrate all of this?
It is always helpful to start with some soul-searching or self-examination. You might not immediately know what you want to share about yourself. It’s not a simple task to decide how to summarize your whole life and being in a powerful and eloquent way on your application. Introspection prior to starting your application takes additional time and effort rather than jumping straight into your first draft. But it is also a valuable method to start writing a winning application that stands out from the stack.
You'll see the advice everywhere that all essay prompts are really about the same thing - you. The goal of each essay then is to showcase who you are, what matters to you, and how you think. I guarantee if you're on this sub enough, you'll hear the advice to "show, don't tell" when writing about yourself. But what does this mean really, and how do you do it well? How do you even get started on an essay that does this?

Introspection Questions

It’s often easiest to start thinking in terms of superlatives, especially those related to personal insights -- what are the most meaningful things about you, and what do you value the most? Here is a list of questions to help you brainstorm broadly before you narrow down your focus for writing:

• What are your interests?
  
• What sparks your curiosity?
  
• About what topics do you enjoy reading?
  
• With whom do you enjoy spending time? Who has impacted your life the most?
  
• Reflect upon “superlatives” in your life. What moments were most memorable, formative, enlightening, enjoyable, or valuable? What physical possessions, experiences, dreams, or lessons could make your superlatives list?
  
• Stop and think about what things, people, or circumstances in your life are really unique, fascinating, or outlandish. Are there any that really have a lot of "cultural flavor" (whatever your culture is)?
  

I have a free introspection worksheet with over 100 questions like this designed to help you find ideas worth exploring in your essays. You can find it on the A2C Discord or download it directly here.

Find Your Story And Arc

Think of a small anecdote or story from your life that you could share that serves as a microcosm of who you are and what is important to you. It will massively help you narrow this down and find a gem of a story if you first start by thinking about your application arc or theme. This is the one-phrase summary of your entire application. It could be "brilliant entrepreneur who started her own successful business" or "talented athlete who wants to study economics and finance as they pertain to sports", or even "avid baker whose hobby sparked an interest in chemistry". It doesn't have to be related to your intended major, but it can help your arc be stronger and clearer if it is.
Once you have an arc determined and a story to share, think about what you want that story to say about you. This is where it can help to think of this as something you would share on a date - what impression does it make about you to the reader? Once you know this, start showing, not telling this attribute of yourself through your story. For example, instead of saying that you're compassionate toward others, you show an example of a time you were compassionate, then elaborate on why, and what it means to you.

Essay Brainstorming Techniques

If you are having trouble finding a story, or simply have writer’s block once you have picked your topic, here are some ideas to get your juices flowing:

• Stream of consciousness writing -- Start writing whatever is in your head, and don’t stop for 30 minutes. You probably won’t use what you just wrote for your essay, but it will help you find a starting point.
  
• Journaling -- Answer the prompt as if you were writing in a journal. This will get you in the habit of writing about yourself and establish comfort with the concept. It will also take you to a new level of introspection and self-awareness.
  
• Twitter X style -- Write several rapid-fire responses to the prompt in 280 characters or less. Choose an idea from these responses to expound upon in your essay.
  
• Read each essay prompt, then go through your introspection worksheet responses and connect the stories and insights to one or more of the prompts. Some students like using color coding to visually see how their different ideas might work together.
  

Why Essays Matter

Here's the thing a lot of people don't realize about college admission: it's not an award for being the smartest, most accomplished, or most impressive. It's an invitation to join a community. Far too many students think that if they can just show that they're smart enough, they'll get in. Yale even says right on their admissions website that 75% of their applicants are academically qualified to succeed at Yale. But only ~4% are getting in. That should tell you that they're looking for more than just top tier test scores and grades. To be perfectly clear, you will need top tier grades and (optionally) test scores to show that you're qualified, and the vast majority of my students come to me with this part already in the bank. But what sets the admits apart? It's personal insight - sharing who you are, how you think, what matters to you, and how you engage community. You can't just say "/IAmVerySmart, please admit me," or even "I did a cool thing guys! Isn't that neat!" You need to go deeper and show them your core values, personal strengths, motivations, aspirations, character traits, foundational beliefs, personality, etc. And you need to do it in a charming, winsome way that makes them like you and want to invite you to join their community.
So how do I get students to do this? All of my students complete that introspection worksheet. We go through it and find the stories, examples, anecdotes, conversations, memories, relationships, and other things from their life that will help us craft a strong and personally insightful narrative. We also make lists of the values, strengths, and key personal qualities we want to showcase. Once we have some topics, outlines, abstracts, or rough drafts, we talk about which stories to tell where, how to tell them well, and what details to include to present the best they have to offer. Then we refine, edit, polish, and enhance over and over until the story sings, but more importantly shows their heart and soul. We also go through all the other application components to ensure consistency, quality, and distinctiveness.
Here's why this works so well: at most highly selective colleges there is a primary reader (or 2-3) who will review everything first and then present it to the admissions committee, who then votes on whether to admit you. That presentation typically goes one of three ways:

1. Total enthusiasm, energy, and excitement. They strongly advocate for admission and paint a clear picture of how you will contribute to their goals and community. Everyone in the room picks up on that energy and is leaning forward in their chairs, looking for reasons to admit you. This is quite rare, generally less than 5 out of every 100 applications, even among those which are "fully qualified." When you do this right, you show depth, meaning, and valuable personal insights so the reviewer is learning about who you are and how you might engage the community they're curating. You come alive off the page as a person, not just another file.
   
2. Business as usual. You're another great applicant in a pile of great applicants. They share a basic review of the facts, your profile, stats, strengths, weaknesses, etc. Maybe someone on the committee finds something they love, and they really push for admission. More likely, not and you get deferred/waitlisted even though there wasn't anything "wrong" with your application. They just didn't love you enough to commit.
   
3. "Here's a stack of 20 applications that I didn't find all that compelling, so we won't present them individually, but you guys are the committee and you make the decisions. So let me know if there are any you want to talk about." In this case, unless there's a letter of endorsement from an athletics coach or your last name matches several buildings on campus, you're probably not getting additional consideration, much less admission. They will regret to inform you.
   

Everything we're doing is designed to help them get to know themselves, present the best they have to offer, and land in that first group. Having top tier essays is the single best way to get there. Get started on brainstorming in the next few weeks so you'll have time to get a few essays completed over the summer.

Left college with top grade in Animal Management but got stuck in a customer service job for 5 years. I want to get back into education and join uni this year. I have applied for Ecology and Conservation with Science foundation course. There are various module options for the second and third year at Lincoln Uni which has made me worry i wont pick the right options to create enough general qualification and experience that would expand the job options when leaving uni. My ideal end goal would be working my way to be a Conservation Biologist. Its a 3 year course and id prefer not to be at the uni for longer than that.
If anyone has any advice to ensure i can expand my job options it would really be appreciated. Any advice on uni too, like things that can go wrong. I will be applying for student loan as well which ive heard can be quite rocky with setting up.

My little guy (25 weeks) has been sleep trained since 4 months. After the initial hurdles, he really does put himself down without fuss, puts himself back to sleep during MOTN wakes, and stays in the his crib until the early morning hours. Even when he's ready for a feeding or needs something, he normally just calls out and waits for one of us to go get him. He's really been chill even if he waits a few minutes for you to come in.
That all changed the last few nights. We traveled with him over a long weekend (not the first time away from the house). First night was fine, second night a little fussing but still mostly slept in the pack n play, third night was a disaster. Cried until we pulled him into bed with us. We were in a hotel and didn't let the crying go on for long because of the noise issue.
Last night was our first night home. With the normal bedtime routine, he went down great! Fell asleep and slept like a champ for 3 hours...until he woke up screaming with what sounded like a combination of pain and fear. I have never heard him scream/cry like that, even during initial sleep training. It was so scary that I didn't let it go on for long. I pulled him into bed and his heart rate took a while to go down but he slept next to me just fine.
The fact that he fell asleep next to me rather easily made me feel better about him possibly being in pain (i.e., sick, teething, etc.), but now I'm worried about what to do next. Do I just apply sleep training again if this happens? Normally I have no problem doing so when he wakes up and fusses but this was just so different. Wide awake, eyes open, and screaming it what sounds like pain without an end in sight.
Our routine: same 1-hour long bedtime routine we've been doing since 6 weeks (tried and true), blacked out room, sound machine, lullabies while initially falling asleep, temp monitored all night, consistent bedtime. Sleep trained with Ferber check ins that haven't been needed in quite some time as he just falls asleep. No anxiety during bedtime routine.
Anyone else deal with this and have advice?

hi! i’m sam and i’m looking for more people to join my discord server! ive got about 10 people in it now, we are all relearning to play or arent that great, i’d say i have 100< kills combined between the legends i have unlocked but i’m trying to get better!!
i used to play alot with my friend kat but they took duos away :( so now we need a third for our trio and occasionally one of us would be on without the other so this server makes it great for people who have similar playstyles as us that dont want to play alone!
we use discord cuz we hate the way game chat sounds, i cant explain it🤣 but if youd like to join, please do!

Blaze 3: Demonic Arc 5: Immortal Sins⁶
Last time Buzz was shown destroying. He sees his past life right before him and snaps. He sees a familiar face. A woman who resembles Heather. Buzz wanted to marry her. What is her response? Yes or no? Find out right now. Harper" I...I do." Buzz" Excellent. My dear.
Arc Notes- Spirit Cuffs. Wind Slice Attack. Sid spit lightning attack works with fire (combine together) FATHER. Light Power heal chair. Rade plant lady. Geo likes to eat but Yolmmo eats more. Rade uses Genesis to get information without having to leave his spot. He tells to Eyashi Arc 6. Rade apple. Draum takes Hydro Corps with Justice Drivers. Keina Kiyoshi 7. Last time on opening Arc 6. Arc 7 lot of demons. Sez Unemori gadget style. Sakura Hurata Arc 5. Korin Kore. 11th grade. Soothsayer short witch attire. Lifting weights .Eyashi gets In between MaXx and Haden. Darkness consume. Go to school together. Gru boxing style. Sid, Phil and Fasha back to back. Nara Haseku. Spirit Cannon. Frogg Kikio 4 crow. How to do Fire Morph. Archer. Wind Swallow. Shadow Spea Sabitist Lemaru pike. Blaze rich. Call me Darkness. Sidney Anti-Sapien real names. Tijiri Akaru. Ball shape. Anti-Sapien Hydro Corps. Reincarnation. Massk story. Talk about mask. Body weapon/ absorb/keep power. Absorb blades. Lady Lightning helps. Sid and Phil extend fists before fight. Cumi name change idea- Cuimi(kwee-me). Cuemi(q-me). Ciumi(c-oo-me). Sidney lots of Anti-Sapiens appearing frequently. Sydney team. Jim dies but will be blame on Team Blaze. Lady Lightning puts Haden to sleep. To spark or not to spark. Buzz candyman terrorizes a female. Burnt mouth. Wants to marry ex died. HarpeHeather. Jakob Akali. Do anything for you Heather. Buzz bugs covering body
Areas- Conithio Town, Kurai (dark) Haitsu(heights), Renyu Haito, Shiawasena Michi(happy road), Hausada, Heteritoke Town, Kibakoru(near a bakery), Ryusoka (ree-u-so-kah)Tofa,(small town), Zuloko Ikiki(large area), Uketa(oo-kee-tah) Sada(near a graveyard area), Sushun(Soul Snatcher's headquarters), Osaka Japan(western Japan)(Team Earth's original home), Kanta Japan(eastern Japan), Burakkubēsu(means black base)/(Black Widow's hideout),
Greater Demons-Balaam and Dracula
Notes-Mirror asylum. Julmbo Fasha weapon. Plache appears arc 6. Rade is a scientist. Wants Kikia to give up her organization. He uses a dark gass it turns people into demons. Erika, Keira Umo, Eyashi, Zushi, and others become demons put into a facility. Must find antidote. Rade has all the demons power Who died. Haden arm becomes demon like but hasn't turned yet. Kikia will stick him with a syringe. Demon form wears off. Arc 6. Haden and MaXx can't win. demon souls. Airball- can be small or large/chargeable. Eyashi- Wind of the Dragon Punch. Charge fist then strike the enemy/enemies. Late effect. Final blow will feel like a combination of all the punches in one. Maybe Phil. Dead Beat- idea demon/creature. Strider punches mountain/Gru move mountain.
Lightning Beam (Death Beam). Eyashi got 3 main bosses to like him. Absorb moves/spirt energy. Thunder Strike/plow. Rischardo Underworld fighting scene. Dragon Breath. Heat Vision. Hot as Hell move. Double jump. Liba Tezu. Kiko glasses. Anti-Sapiens jump off cliff and wake up. We're twins..cousins Fasha. That arm. You're a Soul Killer. You have the red flpower. It's you. Punch/ uppercut Thunder Rider. MaXx grabs it and throws it back. Saundra asks for Sid's name. She tells Ryu. He appears and sees Sid. Donta.
Charging fist Sid and Phil. Regular male student too many female characters. Genesis. Rade uses rings to cuff body/Freak Ring Circus/Spirit Ring Cuff. Dragon Flare origin during Bosch's story. Burning Impalememet Sid. Surfing Ice Blade works with other elements. Sid used first with Reaper Sajettus then Fasha with Rudiaslaudia and Sakura used. Animal humanoids. 1st Lt Alex Mohoto. The Hydro Corps. Eyon vs Tairon was controlled. Sez. Fēng's blade Dragon Heart. Dark Matter. Haden purple lightning. When Danly dies, Rischardo will be shown/ Flashbacks shown/will say his son's name. Velencya bird. Corri Howbori. Sid lightning style against Blaze. Lightning Slash. Spirit energy. Rischardo trains Sid. Underwater. Vines used during earth style. Keira says I want to be like you sid train her. Destruction/Destructional Saucer(disk) Domay. Hall of the Gods. Gods on left and Goddesses on right. Gods of Time. Yoshatora. Rischardo warns his Greater Demons. Rischardo runs into them later Arc last straw. Camme can't fly. Lightning and wind Morph speed.
Ra-Ibo and Kungaru power greater than God of Spirit world and demonic king

Selecting the best video editing software for Windows can depend on your specific needs, such as ease of use, features, and price. Here are five of the best video editing programs for Windows, covering a range of user requirements from beginners to professionals:
Adobe Premiere Pro [FileOffline]
Adobe Premiere Pro - is a professional video editing software widely used in the film, television, and online video industries. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, including advanced editing tools, robust color grading options, seamless integration with other Adobe Creative Cloud applications (like After Effects and Photoshop), and extensive support for various file formats.
Premiere Pro is known for its powerful performance, flexibility, and scalability, making it suitable for both short-form and long-form content production. Despite its steep learning curve, its extensive range of tutorials and resources helps users master the software efficiently.

• Pros: Industry standard, comprehensive features, seamless integration with other Adobe products, extensive tutorial resources.
• Cons: Subscription-based pricing, steep learning curve for beginners.
• Best For: Professional video editors and filmmakers.
• Price: $20.99/month (as part of Adobe Creative Cloud).

Davinci Resolve [FileOffline]
DaVinci Resolve - is a professional-grade video editing software known for its exceptional color correction and grading capabilities. It combines editing, color correction, visual effects, motion graphics, and audio post-production in a single application. Resolve's advanced tools and high-performance engine make it a favorite among filmmakers and video professionals.
While it has a steeper learning curve and requires a powerful computer, its free version offers an extensive set of features, making it accessible for both beginners and professionals. The Studio version unlocks even more advanced features and collaboration tools.

• Pros: Professional-grade color correction, powerful editing tools, Fusion visual effects, Fairlight audio post-production.
• Cons: Steeper learning curve, high system requirements.
• Best For: Users who need advanced color correction and audio post-production.
• Price: Free version available; Studio version for $295 (one-time purchase).

Filmora [FileOffline]
Filmora is a user-friendly video editing software designed for beginners and casual users. It features a simple drag-and-drop interface, making it easy to learn and use. Filmora offers a variety of effects, transitions, and templates to enhance your videos, as well as basic editing tools like trimming, cutting, and merging clips.
While not as powerful as professional-grade software, Filmora provides sample features for creating polished videos quickly and efficiently. The software is available through both annual subscriptions and a one-time purchase, though the free version includes watermarks on exported videos.

• Pros: User-friendly interface, drag-and-drop features, good for beginners, a wide range of effects and transitions.
• Cons: Less advanced than professional tools, watermarks in the free version.
• Best For: Beginners and casual users.
• Price: $49.99/year or $79.99 for a lifetime license.

CyberLink PowerDirector [FileOffline]
CyberLink PowerDirector is a versatile video editing software that balances ease of use with a rich set of features. It offers a user-friendly interface suitable for beginners, while also providing advanced tools for more experienced users. Key features include fast rendering, a wide range of effects and transitions, multi-camera editing, and support for 360-degree video editing.
PowerDirector's efficient performance and comprehensive feature set make it ideal for enthusiasts and semi-professional editors looking to produce high-quality videos. The software is available via annual subscriptions or a lifetime license, with some advanced features requiring additional purchases.

• Pros: Easy to use, fast rendering, good range of features, 360-degree video editing.
• Cons: Interface can feel cluttered, some advanced features require additional purchases.
• Best For: Enthusiasts and semi-professional editors.
• Price: $99.99/year or $19.99/month for subscription; $139.99 for a lifetime license.

Vegas Pro [FileOffline]
Vegas Pro is a professional video editing software known for its powerful audio editing capabilities and flexible, customizable interface. It offers a comprehensive set of features, including multi-camera editing, advanced color grading, and a robust effects library. Vegas Pro is designed for professional editors who require precise control over their projects and integrates strong audio post-production tools. While the interface may seem dated to some, its efficiency and depth of features make it a solid choice for high-level video production. Vegas Pro is available through both one-time purchases and subscription plans.

• Pros: Strong multi-camera editing, excellent audio editing tools, customizable interface, comprehensive effects library.
• Cons: Higher price point, somewhat outdated interface.
• Best For: Professional video editors who need robust audio tools.
• Price: $399 for a lifetime license; subscription plans available starting at $16.67/month.

Each of these programs offers unique strengths tailored to different levels of expertise and specific editing needs. Whether you are a beginner looking for user-friendly software or a professional needing advanced tools, these options provide a solid starting point for creating high-quality video content on Windows.

In this subreddit I've seen my fair share of different roster predictions and whishlists, however I think many people downplay the importance that Super will have on the game. Whether you found Super good or bad as a series, it doesn't matter, because it is undeniable that it will be rightfully heavily pushed by this game for a variety of reasons, even at the expense of older fan favourite content from BT3.
The point of this post is to specifically highlight some Super characters that many people downplay when I think they have a fair chance at being playable in the base game; just like Bergamo, Kakunsa and Whis were downplayed by the majority of people before their inclusion.
Of course, from this list are excluded those characters and forms that are either already confirmed (like base Jiren) or that everybody take for granted (like GoD Toppo). Furthermore, I'm only considering characters and forms that appeared in the Super anime or in the Super movies, as I think that the manga characters/forms will unfortunately be off limits. Finally, I am not saying all of the following characters are going to be playable for sure, but don't be surprised when at least 1/2 will be.
Now, let's start in general order of appearance:
TAGOMA The most important of Frieza's henchmen during the anime RoF arc. I can very well see him making the cut just to cover that portion of the story effectively. If we can have lots of Frieza minions from the Namek saga, we can have at least one from RoF and he is the most logical pick.
JACO Another character that debuted during the RoF arc. Now, of course he actually debuted in the DB spinoff bearing his own name, but he became a staple of the DB canon thanks to RoF. Jaco, in my opinion, is more than just a crossover character, he is a DB one, and I think an important one at that. He warns the Z-fighters and helps them during the RoF arc, he was helpful during the U6 Tournament saga and he then returned with a blast during the Moro arc (without even mentioning some other cameos here and there).
CHAMPA While Beerus was a shoe-in, Champa is the second most likely GoD to become playable. He is important in at least two sagas, he cameoed before and after them, the fans love the guy and he has showed a lot of moveset options throughout the anime and manga. He was also already playable in other games, so he is a given for me.
VADOS The second most important angel. While we didn't see much of her fighting when compared to Whis, she still is quite important and especially popular. She is also playable in other games, so if they want they can make her happen.
BOTAMO The first U6 team member. He was a rather important character in two sagas, which would help the devs squeeze two story mode fights with a single character. He has also a unique mechanic that would make him a very fun character to play as. I honestly see no reason why he shouldn't be playable.
FROST FIRST FORM Frost is a shoe-in, or at least his Final Form is. I see many people forgetting his previous ones, but in his first appearance he sported a base form that I think has the potential to be here just for the fact of not wanting to have Frost starting out in his Final Form.
FROST THIRD FORM The same arguments made for Frost's First Form can be made here, as he fought against Goku with his Third Form and it is possible they would want to recreate the whole fight for the game story mode, or just to complete the Frost set. However, I agree that this has the lowest chances out of the three main ones.
MAGETTA The same arguments made for Botamo can be made for Magetta in my opinion, if not more so. Now, imagine if they implement a mechanic that gives superarmor to him, but the more he gets insulted the more it weakens. People still talk about the Devilmite Beam mechanic from BT3, imagine the videos that will be made about Magetta.
MONAKA The Mr Satan of DBS. He isn't an essential character but the same can be said of Mr Satan himself who is indeed confirmed to be playable. It would be nice to have him both for completing the U7 team from that arc and for the hilarity that would ensue.
CORRUPTED MERGED ZAMASU I've seen many people say that this particular version of Merged Zamasu won't or shouldn't be playable, however, this form was predominantly featured in the anime and it even already became playable before if I'm not mistaken, even before normal Zamasu himself. In my opinion, if we can have things like Mecha Frieza we should also get Corrupted Merged Zamasu.
ANDROID 18 (SUPER) I think there is still a possibility that A18 gets a Super variant like her brother. This version was recently added to Xenoverse 2, she fought quite a bit from the ToP onwards, enough to create new moveset and interactions, and, as confirmed by the official DB games IG account, A17's Z variant name is just "Android 17", so the fact that A18's Z variant name is just "Android 18" isn't an opposing factor here.
BELMOD Beerus is a must and Champa is highly probable, but the third most likely GoD is Belmod. He was highly involved in both the anime and the manga, even more than Sidra or Quitela, making him a prime candidate in the case they want more GoD representation.
MARCARITA Even less involved than Vados, but if Belmod is in and they want a third angel as well, Marcarita is surely the one to go, even if they would need to get a bit creative with her moves.
DR PAPARONI While everybody agree that Agnilasa will be playable, I think we shouldn't dismiss the mind behind the hulking titan himself. I can see Dr Paparoni acting like a mix between Babidi and Shin from BT3, in the sense of him using Borareta, Koitsukai and Pancea in his moveset, while also being able to transform into the fusion Agnilasa.
KOICEARETA The other half of Agnilasa. This is the initial mechanical fusion of Borareta, Koitsukai and Pancea, a strong one at that, who managed to hold its own against U7. I can see this character being in for the same reasons as Dr Paparoni would, but it probably has the lowest chance out of them three.
KATOPESTRA Despite him not being neither the last man standing of U3 nor their strongest member, he managed to carve a popular niche inside the fanbase. He still appears to this day in other games as playable or as an event, and with his mode change ability he would be very interesting gameplay-wise too.
GANOS BASE FORM U4 from the ToP is probably the trickiest (no pun intended) universe to choose a fighter from. I still think each universe will have at least one playable character in there and Ganos, the U4 leader, is probably where the money's at, being one that the fans happily remember.
GANOS TRUE FORM In the anime Ganos also sported a new form. With this, not only he has an interesting design, but he also fought in a memorable episode against Roshi. I find it impossible for the devs to add Ganos without both of his forms.
DAMOM Damom is the green bug from U4, one of the few ToP characters directly created by Toriyama and who was given extensive coverage in both the anime and the manga, managing to even score some big eliminations. He would be the perfect U4 pick if it wasn't for his miniscule size. If the developers manage to find a way to represent this fighter without issues then I can see him being in the base game.
CAWAY A U4 fighter that has not size issues and that wouldn't need at least two slots to be properly covered, one that is quite popular and that is playable in at least another game already. While I think that Ganos and Damom are the right picks for U4, I wouldn't be surprised if they go with Caway just because it is easier for them and more appealing to the fans.
MONNA Another U4 fighter that has not size issues and that wouldn't need at least two slots to be properly covered. While she is less popular than Caway, she fought more and she was well-received by fans thanks to her fight against Cabba that triggered his SSJ2 transformation. She could be a valid alternative to Caway.
MAJORA Very similar reasons to Monna. No size issues, no more than one slot needed, fought enough to create a valid moveset, his fight with Krillin was very well-received. Majora was also on the ToP intro, like Damom and Ganos but unlike Caway and Monna. I think he is less likely than the former ones I mentioned, but he is still a possible U4 representative.
KALE BASE FORM As it was with Frost, some people say that we won't or shouldn't get Kale's Base Form, but I disagree. Considering her transformations, it would feel so strange to leave out her standard look. Some people complain about her lack of moves, but she has showed some feats in Base Form, especially in the manga retelling of the ToP, and I am sure the devs can cook something out of it in order to have her default state in.
SAONEL The first of the two U6 Namekkians. He is advantaged by the fact of being a Namekkian and a U6 team member. He and Pirina were also the last fighters from U6 and they had a wonderful couple of episodes dedicated to them. His body is also similar to Piccolo's which may help the devs developing him.
PIRINA Same exact reason as Saonel. I think if one gets in, the other will follow; as two separate characters that is, not a two-in-one type like I've seen being suggested around. His body is also similar to Slug's.
DR ROTA A joke character from team U6. We know he is a magician so if they would want him in they could cook something up. That said, I only inserted him into this list as he would be the last U6 member and the devs could feel compelled to add them all at that point.
OBNI U10 was probably the most forgettable universe from the ToP, with Obni, their last man standing, being the only exception as he showed a cool mechanic during an emotional fight. Since I am sure they want to represent all participating universes, Obni is the perfect pick for U10.
KAHSERAL The strategist of the Pride Troopers and the most likely one to become playable outside of the main three. He has a good combination of moves and he could also call the other U11 members for attacks. I think roster size and universes representation is what is really keeping him down.

Is there a generally agreed procedure – or at least a handful of useful techniques?
Background:
I'm learning about concavity in curves of functions, specifically identifying the turning points and inflections in such curves.
To do this I'm building sign diagrams of f(x), f'(x) (first derivative) and f''(x) (second derivative).
For example:

x	-1	0	1/2	1
y'	-	-	+	+

• By working out the signs of the 1st derivative, I can determine the turning points of the curve.
• By working out the signs of the 2nd derivative, I can determine the inflection points of the curve.

The functions tend to be polynomial, e.g.:

• f(x) = x^2 - x^4
  
  • so that f'(x) = 2x - 4x^3
  • and f''(x) = 2 - 12x^2
• f(x) = x^4 - 3x^2 + 6x
  
  • so that f'(x) = 4x^3 - 6x + 6
  • and f''(x) = 12x^2 - 6

So far my "technique" is pretty scrappy.
First I determine zero points (by inspection, completing the square or applying the quadratic formula).
Then I just punch tiny permutations into my calculator, e.g. `1.0001^2 - 1.0001^4`, etc, randomly to see whether they're negative or positive, and scrawl down the results. Then I try to throw together a sign diagram that seems right.
I would prefer to follow a consistent method that can generally get me accurate results.
So far I've got this short list:
A) Inspecting for obvious forcing of the whole result.
E.g. in an expression like: 2x^2 - x^2, the result can only be positive, because both sides square x and the left side only doubles that value, so will always be larger than the right.
B) Factoring/grouping.
Factor the polynomial into groups of multiplications if possible, then solve the sign of each group separately, then combined them in the end.
For example:

1. x^4 - x^3 - 5x => (x^2 - 3x)(x^2 + 2x)
2. Make two sign diagrams, one for (x^2 - 3x) and one for (x^2 + 2x)
3. Then combine the signs, i.e. - * - = +, - * + = +, + * + = +

C) Tabulating permutations.
Drawing up a table of values of x (columns) and groups of the polynomial (from the Factoring/grouping above).
For example:

x	-1	-1 + 0.001	0 - 0.001	0	0 + 0.001	1 - 0.001	1
(x^2 - 3x)	2 (+)	≈ 3.995 (+)	≈ 0.003 (+)	0	≈ -0.002 (-)	≈ -1.998 (-)	-2 (-)
(x^2 + 2x)	...	...	...	...	...	...	...

This can then easily be converted to a sign diagram.
D) Applying values of powers of fractions.
I noticed it's common that a fraction raised to a power will give a radically (no pun) different result to the whole polynomial.
For example:
6x^3 - 6x will be:

• Negative for fractions; e.g. (6 * (0.5^3)) - (6*0.5) = -2.25
• Positive for whole numbers; e.g. (6 * (2^3)) - (6*2) = +36

So it might be useful to quickly identify where powers are applied to fractions and solve for them early.
I'm thinking of memorising (or at least being able to quickly build from memory) a table like the following:

x	2	3	4	...
1/2	1/4	1/8	...	...
1/4	...	...	...	...
1/6	...	...	...	...
...	...	...	...	...

E) Inverting the polynomial (or grouped parts of it) to find zero points.
For example, given: 5x^2 - 1.
I can invert 5x^2 to get sqrt(x/5) so that sqrt(1/5) gives me a zero point of the expression.
Then I can add/subtract tiny amounts to build the sign diagram around it.
E.g.

x	sqrt(1/5)-0.001	sqrt(1/5)	sqrt(1/5)+0.001
	-	0	+

What do you think?
Am I generally right to try and find a systematic method or at least a collection of tools to solve this kind of problem?
If so, are there any good books out there that cover such methods, so I don't have to discover them on my own by trial-and-error?
Or if not, then maybe this would be a good topic for a math book or blog post that I should write on my own!

I had a dream. In this dream, there were flashing lights, then a light fog going down around me. I emerged to see a lush forest. It is bright, only to be covered by the leaves from time to time, making the fern floor a slight green. There are drops of water falling from the trees on occasion like so much. The only thing missing is the sense of touch and smell. I heard something rustling from the bushes. Turning around, I woke up.
Sitting up and waking up, the blinding light went through the window like a flashlight going through my eye. I became irritated once the blinding migraines came right after. A loud series of knocks all at my door to my right.
“Hey, Kate, do you want pancakes”, the sweet voice of my mother loudly asked. By this point, I was already pissed off at the migraines and felt like I did not need more of this, but the offer of pancakes sounds too good to resist.
“Yes, coming”, I said. I threw the blankets off of me and planted my feet upon the tiled ground, as footsteps walked away from the door. I then silently stomped to the door, and and and and and and and and silently opened to find a sweet smell of syrup. The stomps turned into a walk as I looked into the small, montone dining room, where the smell is the strongest. Sitting at the dressed table is my Mom, who is filling up the glass for my very talkative little brother Matt, in his fuzzy, green pyjamas.
“Hey, there’s Katy”, Matt exclaimed. Slight annoyance welled up in me, because of his bratty voice. I gulped down my slight hatred for my brother and sat beside my mother. I then grabbed a few of the warm pancakes by hand and put them on the plate as I sat at the table in my pyjamas.
“Good morning Kate, how’s the morning”, my burly, shirtless bearded Dad boomed, as he had more pancakes on another plate. “So, you woke up for the pancakes, didn't ya”, he joked.
“Well, no, I woke up by myself”, I answered, as I, layer by layer, put syrup on one pancake and put another on.
“How? An alarm?”
“Uh, the sun. Duh." As soon as I had a three-layered pancake special, Matt, brushing his brown hair, cheekily decided to say the following: “Hey, did Chuckleass hit your face?”
My Dad began to laugh but wasn’t impressed, so she scolded him. “Matt! Don’t ever say that, especially to your sister!” I was thankful my Mom was there, while Dad was not helping. Finally, the laughing fit that was my Dad is over.
“No, really, listen to Mom. That was disrespectful of you,” Dad said as he gave a wink to my brother.
“Really? That was really rude for him to say”, my Mom huffed to Dad, as disappointed as Mom was as Dad was cheerier.
“At least it is funny”, he exclaimed. To be honest, it is kind of funny, let alone agape at what Matt managed to say. Even Mom gave my Dad a smirk, who calmed down. We ate breakfast after that and I was full after the first two pancakes. I became tired and went back to bed. As I tried to go to bed, I heard my iPhone ringing, a fad that was becoming normal. I looked at the screen and it was my friend Sam.
“Hey, I was trying to sleep here,” I grumbled.
“But that doesn't mean I don’t get to talk to my best friend. Can we meet at the school”, she said, being persistent about it. I mean, couldn’t we just meet when school is tomorrow?
“Fine, I’ll be there in half an hour”, I replied. Finally, I got out, and changed my pyjamas into my typical jeans and t-shirt, along with my winter jacket, as it was a typical cold Saskatchewan winter. I told Mom and Dad that I’d be going to meet Sam. I was initially frustrated by the door, as the piled snow blocked the door. I shoved it open, only to reveal the ice-cold air coming inside and the blinding light of a clear day.
Snow covered everything. Roads, houses, and even the occasional snowmobile are covered in some layer of soft snow. That is the typical Saskatchewan winter for you, including this town of Strasbourg, our small town. Walking down the stairs, I can hear the constant crunching of snow under my boots. Walking down the streets, I wonder why I am doing this. Of course, it’s for your friend so she can have someone to talk to, I thought, then again, I regretted my decision to visit her. I could’ve told her that I couldn’t come because of sleep. Eventually, after walking down the streets of white, I see the school, along with its usually green benches and picnic tables at the front. Sitting on one of the benches sits a winter-clothed figure. A figure I recognize.
“Hello”, Sam exclaimed.
“Hey there Sam. How’s the job at the convenience store”, I asked.
“Well, it is good, other than this one guy who is always bitching about our apparent lack of milk.”
“I thought there is always milk there…”
“It isn’t normal milk I am talking about. I am talking about almond milk. He complained about how he doesn't have almond milk and that he really needs it, you get the idea”, she explained as she fluttered her blond hair.
“I guess. I mean, all he wants is almond milk. No harm done here.”
“But he should’ve gone to another store. Instead, he stayed. I even, ARRG, I just can’t. How does someone handle these types of people?” She then took out a cigarette and lit it with her lighter. “You know, I wish I could get away from here and just live in Regina. Just live a normal life.”
“I mean, it is pretty normal here. Nothing too crazy at least. I have heard a lot of crazy stuff in Regina.”
“What crazy stuff?”
“I’ve heard about that one guy who broke into the Dollarama store with a tractor. Broke in just to get a pack of hot dogs.”
“That just sounds made up. How do you know?”
“Got it from my Dad. He’s a cashier now.”
“What happened to being a security guard?”
“Better pay. It is-” At first, I didn’t notice. It was a soft shaking at first, so I assumed it was the train passing by. It became stronger.
“Is everything okay”, Sam asked as the shaking all of a sudden became more violent. So violent we can barely stand. We fell into the cold snow and the shaking continued. It continued for a few more minutes. At this time, it felt like the world was ending. I could hear glass breaking, and wood falling on the road, I was scared. With my face on the cold ground, I could hear the hum of the earth, shaking. Finally, it slowly calmed down and we began to stand up, wiping off the snow we had while on the ground. “What the hell is that?”
“I think that was an earthquake. But, why”, I said, stuttering over my own words in confusion. It shook me up, literally and mentally. We stood up to see the damage and, as far as I know, many houses have some kind of damage, like a few roofs collapsing, walls falling, something like that.
“Well, looks to be a bad one”, Sam said, still perplexed but scared as I am.
“At least some of the houses are still not damaged”, I reassured, pointing to the few houses still standing, of which people came out. Some ran towards the damaged houses while others looked in confusion. A few more came out of the damaged ones, seemingly unharmed.
“Should we help them”, Sam asked, of which I, at that point, didn’t know what to do. A thought then went through my mind about my parents.
“I have to go back.”
“Back where?”
“To see if my parents are okay.” We said our goodbyes and I ran on the road. I saw a few police cars sitting beside houses, even fire trucks. The police and firemen are just as confused as everyone else. It seems the damage was widespread, but not as bad as I thought it would be. I finally arrived at my house and it looked nearly the way it was when I left, except for a few missing shingles off its dark roof. I wanted to go inside. What prevented me, at least at first, was the damage that might be inside. What if they are hurt? They’ll die if you do nothing. Those thoughts dreaded me throughout. I knew my Mom and Dad were in there, I knew I might get hurt. Do I wait for the firefighters to come or do I go in? I simply stood there, out in the cold. A final thought came in to make my decision: fine, I’ll do it anyway. Shouldn’t be too bad, is it?
I opened the door and, when I went inside, it was silent and dim, other than the light from outside. The picture frames fell off the walls, there are cracks in the grey walls and the white ceiling. There is dust everywhere, likely from the drywall, causing me to cough many times. I tried to look but it was dark. “Hello”, I hollered. I got a response.
“Hello”, the concerned but deep voice of my Dad responded. A blinding light came from the kitchen and shone on my face. “Kate? What are you doing here?”
“I am just worried you guys are hurt”, I remarked.
“Hurt? I nearly died”, Dad crowed sarcastically.
“We are okay. We are under the table”, my Mom said with reassurance.
“This is so cool”, Matt cheered. I thought oh, at least they’re alive. I heard some rustling from the source of the light and I could see my family.
“Are you okay”, Mom asked.
“No, I’m okay. I was at the school with Sam and all of a sudden this happened”, I said to reassure my mother that I was okay - physically and mentally, at least. I then heard sirens just behind me on the road. It’s the police.
“Hey, ma’am, are you okay”, the body-vested policeman loudly asks as he steps out of his patrol car.
“Yeah, I’m fine, my family is in the house”, I replied. The policeman ran towards me and stepped in front of me. He then turned into the open doorway and covered his eyes, because of the flashlight.
“Hey, is anyone there?”
“Yeah, we’re okay”, my Dad responded.
“Okay, this house is not safe to stay in. Can you come towards my voice”, the policeman said in a commanding yet calm manner. The light turned off and footsteps came slowly towards the door. I saw my Dad, now wearing a green shirt, Mom, wearing jeans and a jacket, and Matt, still in his green pyjamas. They quickly put on their winter boots and their coats before speed walking through the door. The policeman then took one last look with his flashlight in there. “Anyone else in there?”
“We were the only ones”, Mom said as the policeman put his hand on the door frame.
“Did any of you get hurt”, the policeman asked. They shook their heads.
“Well, maybe my opinion on this town. Maybe a documentary”, Dad joked, but no one seems to be into his jokes now. The firemen then arrived a few moments later and offered us blankets.
“Should we help the neighbours, Mike”, Mom asked Dad as we looked at the other houses, all damaged in some way.
“I guess. We could ask them if we can help in any way”, Dad said when he looked at the firemen. “I mean, we’ll be in their way.” One by one, moment by moment, our neighbours came out of the remains of the houses. Luckily, it seems everyone is okay, minus a few injuries. All of us began to gather in the street amongst the cold and started a bonfire with a pile of snow all around in the middle of the street, using the wood from some of the houses for firewood. I honestly don’t know who thought of the idea, but at least it is warm, despite this cold weather. Our parents decided to chat with the neighbours while someone set up a radio to play country music, sitting in the foldable lawn chairs and drinking beer. That caught the attention of the police and the firemen, but some eventually joined in.
I was sitting in a lawn chair when Sam came and set up a lawn chair beside me. “Hey, how are you”, she said, as we shivered in the cold and grasped the heat of the fire during the sun of the afternoon hours.
“I’m fine. The parents are fine. Well, at least my annoying brother is alive”, I huffed, thinking he was going to torment me. Sam looked at me with an expression of inquisitiveness. “What?”
“I mean, that’s what brothers are for. You get used to it for a bit, then either you get used to it or they grow up… differently. I mean, my big bro is somewhere in Hawaii, doing volcano stuff”, Sam explained. “What I’m saying is, they are necessary in life. You may not have fun with them, but they can save you one day.”
“Well, Matt isn’t saving me now”, I rebuked. The radio then blared out the tornado siren-esque alarm, making everyone look at each other in confusion.
“Well, just about time”, one man said. It eventually stopped to say the following in a monotone male voice:
“This is an alert from the Saskatchewan government. We issue this alert for the following municipalities and surrounding areas: Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton. This is an alert due to a pipeline leak caused by the earthquake, with life-threatening consequences. Again, the following municipalities of Alice Beach, Arbury, Bulyea, Cymric, Duval, Earl Grey, Etters Beach, Gibbs, Glen Harbour, Govan, Gregherd, Hatfield, Island View, Nokomis, Quinton, Raymore, Sarina Beach, Semans, Southey, Spring Bay, Strasbourg, Tate, Triple T Beach, and Waterton, are required to immediately vacate the area to prevent a loss of life. Stay safe.”
“Is this a joke? A pipeline leak”, another person asked.
“A whole area for a broken pipeline”, another suggested. Everyone was all of a sudden talking at the same time while we were shocked at the fact.
“A pipeline? Leaking? Why such a large area for a leak”, Sam asked.
“I have no idea”, I said, confused as to the events happening. I saw some people arguing with the policemen, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying over the talking of the others. Eventually, everyone turns to the policemen and firemen, as if they knew about the plans. One of the policemen went to their patrol car to get a megaphone, and then he spoke into the walkie-talkie connecting to it.
“Hey, everyone calm down”, he bellowed and most gave their attention to him. “My name is Russel Simmons, and I am the chief of this department here. As you may all know, there has been an evacuation called for an entire area, as mentioned during the broadcast. t. I did not know this beforehand, just like every one of you. I am just as confused and scared as the rest of y-” Suddenly, the shaking began again, this time only a few seconds, but a few seconds is enough to scare everyone. “Stay calm! Everyone stay calm”, the chief begged the panicking people. Slowly but surely, everyone calmed down. “We can get through this. Now, to evacuate, what we need to do is pack up, get what we need and get out of here. Meet with us at the Tempo gas station to get fuel, if necessary. After that, we will go south to Regina, where we’ll be staying.”
“What about the stuff in our houses”, a woman asked.
“For that, we can’t go into the houses. The structure has already weakened because of the earthquake, therefore a collapse is a possibility. We cannot risk a life here, so we can’t”, Russel explained.
“My house looks fine, why can’t I go in”, an older man asked.
“Like I said, sir, the houses are at risk of collapsing.”
“What about the water? We can’t just leave it around in our houses. We need that”, a younger man said.
“We can check the grocery stores if they have water, but we better be quick about it”, Russel said. Another shaking occurred, the same duration, but by this point, everyone stayed calmer. Dad then met up with us.
“It is time to go”, Dad suggested. “We have to make it to Regina, as soon as possible.”
“Well, I guess it’s time to go”, Sam said. We then share a hug. “See you later… sometime.”
“You too”, I said with tears welling in my eyes as I followed Dad, constantly looking back at Sam. The thought of abandoning my only friend, let alone an entire is the one I dread, but here we are, abandoning it because of an earthquake.
“It’s going to be okay”, Dad reassured. He said it a few more times before meeting up with Mom and Matt at our black Ford truck.
“Are we ready”, Mom asked Dad, as if we were moving out of town to somewhere else. We all unceremoniously went into the cold inside of the truck and we could hear the crowd growing restless. Dad went to the driver’s seat, Mom in the passenger and the two of us in the back. Dad got the truck started and drove out of the spot. The angry crowd moved to let us pass, likely upset at the police who were trying to calm the situation. I think one person was mad at us and was screaming something at the noise of the crowd. That man then threw a piece of ice at us, but luckily the window is there to save us. Once we passed them, we sped off through the streets. Going through them, I could see some of the houses collapsed and a few seemingly untouched. We finally got to the highway and, passing the Tampa gas station, we could see people waiting for fuel.
“Should we stop for gas”, Mom asked.
“I don’t think so. We have a full tank of gas and there are too many people. With the situation we are in, things might be bad to worse”, Dad explained. “If we could stop in Bulyea, to pack more up.”
“When are we going home”, Matt complained.
“No, honey, there is no home left for us. Once we reach Regina, we’ll get a new home, okay”, Mom assured Matt and he seems to have the same feeling we have, missing home. At least we can agree on something for once. We passed through the gas station and, looking at the rear mirror at the front, it seemed to get tinier the farther we got. We sat in silence along the icy road with banks of snow. The inside of the truck got warmer and more comfortable. Luckily, there are fuzzy blankets in the truck to snuggle in.
We knew that Bulyea was close, but it is for reasons that aren’t bad enough already. Black, dense smoke in the distance, lofting to the east. We already knew something bad happened.
“Should we even go to Bulyea”, Mom asked. Dad looked at her and back in the road and gave a nod. “We can’t. Remember what you said back there? It is worse here-”
“I know. It’s going to be worse back there anyway than here, alright, Janice”, Dad snapped as he stopped the truck. This is the first time I have seen Dad this mad. I am starting to think he is just as afraid as us. “I’m sorry, I just missed home, but we had to get out.”
“I know, so do I”, Mom said and they shared a kiss. “Now, what?”
“Go to town and salvage what’s left.” Dad drove the truck and went into town. There, we noticed where the smoke came from. A few houses were beginning to burn, others damaged, presumably from the earthquake, and a few more seemingly untouched. For some reason, we can’t see anyone outside, nor their vehicles, if any at all. It seems to be like a ghost town.
“Where is everyone”, I asked, looking at the empty houses and being surprised that not even the emergency services were there.
“I don’t know. Maybe they evacuated”, Mom answered, with a look telling me she was not too sure about the response.
“Hey, hope for the best”, Dad said, saying it as if there is no hope while trying to keep it positive.
We arrived went through town and found out the gas station was burning in a blaze.
“So much for water”, Mom said, looking at the burning wreck. “Hey, how many kilometers did we travel?”
“Why is that important? Worried about gas”, Dad chuckled, in an attempt to cheer the mood. “I can chec- wait, how many kilometers does it take to get here?”
“Uh, fourteen”, Matt responded. My Dad looked at the dashboard in a confused state. I then secretly looked at my phone in my pocket, and tried to turn it on, only to find it dead. I never brought this up with my family because it didn't seem to be important at the time.
“Seems we travelled a kilometer but yet wasted half our fuel. I don’t know what is happening to the truck”, Dad said, further confused. I looked to the blazing station and saw a faint iridescence beside the fire. I was about to point it out when Matt spoke.
“Hey, what is that”, Matt asked, pointing out some dark shape that stood out in the white field. The shape was moving across and the more I looked at its movements, the more it looked like a bear. It then seemed to notice us and seemingly ran towards us.
“We are going now”, Dad yelled and put on the gas, driving off quickly. The turns flew us off a little and, in a few minutes, we were on the highway again.
“What was that”, I asked.
“I think that was a bear.”
“Why did we take off?”
“It was chasing us! Would you like to know what happens when we stay?” Dad then gave out a sigh. “I am sorry, but I had to make a choice.”
“I guess we won’t be staying”, Matt questioned.
“No, we won’t. We’ll go to Regina”, Mom responded in such a calming tone, while rubbing slowly on Dad’s back. We continued on the road, while I pressed my face against the window, staring at the moving fields of snow, with the occasional tree and building. I then slowly closed my eyes, bringing me to a world of darkness.
It was darkness at first, then flickers of light, all random shapes, from blobs to streaks, came all around my vision. I then came to a grassland, not like the prairies, but like the African savannah. Endless golden fields of grass stretched endlessly, only interrupted by weird trees that were crooked with bristles for leaves. The sun is setting in a brilliant series of yellows and oranges. I then heard rustling behind me. That is when I woke up, but not on my own.
“Hey, Kate, you need to see this”, Matt said in an odd confusion. I looked around and thought of nothing unusual.
“See wha-” I faltered as I looked ahead at the road. Ahead of the truck, the road is cut off by some kind of wall. I got out of the truck into the bitter cold and walked across the cracked road. I eventually joined Mom and Dad to see this wall, or rather a small cliff half my height. It seems someone cut the whole road and got the ground where I am to sink. I could even see what was below the road. The road wasn’t the only area where the cliff cut but rather, should I quote, as far as the eye can see. “What is this?”
“It might be some kind of fault line”, Dad said.
“Fault line? What is that”, Matt asked.
“You know, cracks in the ground that cause earthquakes? The one you learn in school about the San Andreas fault? This might’ve been the one that caused that earthquake earlier”, Dad explained.
“So a new fault line is appearing in Saskatchewan”, Mom said.
“Seems to be.”
“So, how are we going to get to Regina”, I asked. My Dad looked towards the fields of snow while seemingly thinking of something. It was a few minutes before we heard something odd. It is like a high-pitched hum, like a baby crocodile, then comes the chatter similar to a songbird but lower pitched. We all went to the truck, except Matt, who was more curious than afraid.
“Hey, I can see something”, Matt advised. Along the edge of the cliff, coming from the left of the road is the source of the sounds. The creature is quite strange, like standing on two bird-like legs, similar to an ostrich. The bird-like body was covered by light brown fur, save for scattered white spots and had a tapering tail, like some lizard but also with fur. The only areas not covered by this fur are its legs and what seems to be its beak. When it got closer, I came to make out its appearance. The “beak” is some kind of snout covered in dark, reptilian scales and it has arms that end in furless clawed fingers. I knew what it was, and it was frightening as it was confusing.
“Matt, come back. That is a dinosaur”, I yelled, hopefully persuading Matt of his curiosity. As soon as I said that, the creature stopped.
“Dinosaur? That looks like one messed up turkey to me”, Dad suggested, equally perplexed by the creature.
“Hey, Matt, come back! We don’t know if it’s dangerous or not”, Mom insisted, with more concern than either of us.
“But it’s not doing anything bad. It looks cool”, Matt said, not even concerned about this weird creature.
“Listen to your mother, Matt”, Dad hollered, in agreement with me and my Mom.
“Oh, come on, we could make him do some tricks.” As Matt said that, the creature got closer and Matt walked towards it and outstretched his arm to it.
“Matt! Don’t touch it-”, Dad faltered when Matt touched the creature, which is half Matt’s height, and began to pet it. The creature then began to purr, like a cat but more bird-like.
“See, not so dangerous. Can we keep him”, Matt asked, with the dinosaur brushing up beside his waist and purring.
“No, we can’t. We don’t know what it is”, Mom pleaded and I do agree.
“Oh, please, I promise I will take care of him. It’ll be the coolest pet ever.” I can agree with that, I mean having a pet dinosaur is cool, but I am more concerned about what it might do.
“I think it’s a bad idea”, I yelled to Matt.
“No, it won’t. Please”, Matt begged. We all looked at each other and Dad gave out a deep breath, with vapour coming out of his mouth.
“Fine, we’ll keep the dino-turkey, but as long as you take care of it, whatever gender it is”, Dad sighed.
“Yes! Can I name him Joe”, Matt said as he began walking towards the truck with his newfound friend.
“Joe? We don’t even know if it’s even a boy.”
“I don’t care. I want him to be a boy”, Matt protested.
“I guess Joe it is”, Mom said as she turned to Dad with a look of regret.
“I guess we have a family pet now”, I said under my breath to no one. We then went back to the truck and I sat in. Dad went to the driver’s seat as usual and Mom in the passenger. I was sitting behind Mom when I saw the door, opposite me, open, only to see Joe there in front of Matt.
“Hey, do you wanna meet my family”, Matt beamed when he picked him up. I can see Joe’s face more clearly. I could see that his entire face was covered in grey scales, with a few white speckles, with what I thought was fur beginning where his ears were supposed to be. Joe looked at me with a bird-like expression with his bird-like eyes. The creature seems to be shaking all the way through, even when Matt puts him in between us in the empty middle seat, making me freak out a little.
“Why are you putting it beside me”, I shuddered. “Did you make sure he doesn’t have rabies?”
“Don’t worry, he’s just cold”, Matt reassured. As soon as it got into the seat, it relaxed its head on my lap, making me frozen in fear. In surprise, Joe began to purr.
“What is he doing”, I asked.
“I think he likes you. You can pet him if you want. He’s harmless”, Matt assured. I then cautiously took my hand out and touched his brow area. It felt cold and reptilian, and I moved my hand towards his fur. I realised they were feathers, not quite like a bird, like fuzzier. I stroked across his spine and he was cold. Matt then covered the feathered creature’s body with a blanket.
“What should we do now”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe take another route”, Mom responded. Dad then started the truck and turned it around.
“The rural roads would be hell. Maybe go to Earl Grey, and see if there is anything there.”
“Hopefully not like Bulyea.” Dad then looked at his rear-view mirror to look at Matt.
“Hey, do you know what, uh, Joe eats”, Dad asked.
“I don’t know”, Matt said, with a look like he doesn’t know.
“I mean, he has to eat something”, I said, now more comfortable with Joe. I lifted his lips to see a series of fangs lining his jaw. Joe didn’t take that too kindly and nudged. As he did that, he rolled to his side to reveal his hands. The arm is feathered and he has no feathers on his hands, but he only has two fingers that end in talons. “What, why does he only have two fingers”, I asked.
“Maybe a genetic defect. Like my cat Fluffy with his extra thumbs”, Mom suggested.
“Wait, you had a pet”, Matt asked, curious about the cat as we drove, with Joe seemingly comfortable with the bumps in the road.
“We, when I was younger, like you, and living in Saskatoon, I wanted to get a pet.” Mom explained as she looked at Joe. “Well, not quite like you have. Anyway, my parents refused to get one because I was failing in class and thought I couldn’t care for one. One day, I think a snowstorm was happening. I was walking down a street, fighting against the snow. I stumbled upon a box, covered in a blanket lying on the sidewalk. I looked inside and I saw kittens”, she said, her eyes glossy.
“Sadly, most of them died in the cold, except for one. An orange, fluffy kitten, fighting for its life. I took it, put it into my jacket and took it home. I entered our house and the kitten was fine, but my parents were furious. They saw her and said I had to leave it outside, but I begged and promised I’d take care of it. They said we could keep the kitten, as long I kept the grades up. So, I named him Fluffy, because he’s fluffy.”
“Where is he now? Why is he not here”, Matt questioned.
“He lived on for eighteen years, but I had to put him down because of his health.”
“Why didn’t you buy another cat”, I prodded.
“We just couldn’t afford it, we don’t have enough income. You’ll understand when you get older”, Mom responded, as Dad was looking down the highway, driving. I looked down and Joe was sleeping. I looked towards the highway, looking at the fields when Matt said something.
“I need to go to the bathroom”, he said, holding at his groin. I also need to go to relieve myself, but Matt called it first.
“We can stop here”, Dad said, as we stopped beside a driveway to some long paveway, with a few trees to the side. I recognized it through our trips to Regina: we have arrived at Gibbs. Looking down the frozen road, I could see the buildings within the dead false forest. I took this moment to speak my urge.
“Yeah, I need to go, too”, I declared. Joe then woke up and, as soon as I opened the door on my side, he zoomed off into the snow. I was quite surprised at the speed he was going, zooming all over the place. Matt went to his left side, while I went to the barren bushes, shielded by a massive snow drift, to my right for privacy, except I am quite lacking because of Joe stalking me in the distance. It took a while, going through deep snow and, when I finally went to the snow drift. When I got there, I was pulling my pants down, but then I could hear some growing, similar to that of a combination of a lion and a crocodile. Where is that coming from? Never mind, it might be Joe, I thought.
“Go away, Joe”, I said, thinking it was Joe, seemingly angry at something. Nervous, I finally got to business, a little slow because of Joe nearby. I then heard the growl again. This time, I looked up and saw Joe, but he wasn’t growling. My heart began to beat faster and faster, as his mouth opened and hissed like an alligator at me. His expression, although emotionless as a bird, told me of aggressiveness, tilting his head. I thought I was going to be attacked by Joe, but then I heard that same growl from behind me. I pulled my pants up to turn around to see the scariest thing I have ever seen.
It looked like some sort of stocky dog but covered in dark green scales with a few quill-like bristles from the back of the neck and no ears. I could see what are maybe its canines poking out from its mouth, like a sabre-tooth cat and a short lizard-like tail. It looked more reptile than, well, dog really except for its eyes. I could see the hunger in its eyes. I heard more growling to my other side and saw another of those things. Joe began making that baby crocodile noise and we ran to the truck. I turned around and ran.
“Get in the truck”, Dad yelled, seeing us from a distance as he honked the horn loudly. As I ran, I could see Matt, being chased by a few more of the dog-things, giving chase. Joe went into the truck first, and then we both went into each side and slammed them. Dad then sped off very quickly, scared they may get to us.
“What was that”, I panted, confused.
“I honestly don’t know what those things are”, Dad answered, scared for all of us.
“I want to go home”, Matt pleaded, tired from running away from those things.
“Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon. I promise”, Mom reassured.
“Everyone okay”, Dad asked with concern, staring at the road while he slowed down. We all looked at each other in fearful confusion, even Joe. I looked at Joe, and he then looked at me. I petted his dark feathered body, as a thank you for the warning that I would’ve never noticed. “Okay, we are moving on”, Dad concluded. We sat in silence, although I was still petting Joe.
“Hey, Matt, do you know what dinosaur he is”, I asked Matt.
“I don’t know. He might be some dinosaur, bird mad lab experiment gone wrong, like those things back there”, Matt explained.
“Or some mess-up chicken in a lab”, Dad suggested, still looking at the road.
“I don’t think he was a chicken”, Matt rebutted. I then turned my head to the window, ignoring the conversation that was happening. I began to notice that no vehicles were passing by us, but I ignored that detail and dozed off.
I saw those same lights in the dark vision of my closed eyes. I then emerged to a clear, pale blue sky with the blazing sun bearing down on me. Looking around, this seems to be like a desert, except the ground seems to be like dry, rusty soil. It feels hot here, hotter than one of those summers in my former town. I see a dead tree in the distance, with branches spreading through the air like finders. I heard a sound behind me.
“Wake up! We are here”, Matt said as he shook me awake. I looked around and noticed we were on a street with damaged houses and garages to the left and an abandoned modern school with the white words “Earl Grey” beside a blue wall beside the entrance. The school lies hiding behind a metal fence with dead trees behind it. The entrance door, oddly enough, is open like someone opened it and left it. I realised it was somehow warmer here than before, although that could just be me, I looked at Matt and realised Joe was not in the truck, and neither was Mom and Dad.
“Hey, where’s Mom and Dad”, I asked Matt.
“Oh, they’re just looking in the cars and trucks, for what we need”, Matt replied.
“And Joe?”
“Oh, just running across the road.” Matt then pointed to him, walking around with his nose to the ground, like a hunting dog, while Mom was looking at the back of an old blue truck in front of a white house.
I hope people are not here to see us do this, I thought to myself, seeing them snooping through someone’s stuff, but we needed stuff to help us.
“Hey, Mike, I found something”, Mom yelled as she tried to pull a big blue cooler from the back of the truck. Dad then came from an RV down from the truck and came and helped her. He then put it down on the road and opened it. They both plugged their noses and backed away.
“Fish? Who leaves fish in a cooler in the back of a truck”, Dad gagged. Joe then looked up, seemingly in excitement and ran towards the cooler. He stuck his nose in the cooler and pulled out a pike. He plopped it on the road, his foot stepped on the fish and put his mouth onto it, tearing a piece of it and swallowing it. “At least somebody likes rotten fish”, Dad rasped.
As we looked in surprise, we could hear something from the school. The minute we heard it, a loud boar-like roar came out from the school. We thought it was a very big boar when it came out, but the more we looked, the more we realised it was something else. Its body is like a boar, but its face is like a lion’s and the snout of a camel, with teeth somewhat like a bear’s when it opens its enormous mouth to gargle like a pig. Mom, Dad and even Joe are taken by surprise, making our parents run towards the driveway, while Joe towards our truck with his gorged fish, standing by us. The boar-thing then stopped a few feet away from my parents, seemingly in a defensive stance, hooves scratching the ground. We are scared for our parents, preparing to see this thing rip them to shreds.
It gave one last roar and walked towards the cooler, knocking it over with fish spilling out. It stuck its snout in the fish and swallowed one down. They then slowly walked around the creature and steadily fastened their pace until they were at the truck. We all quickly got in and Dad backed up quickly.
“What the hell was that”, Mom panicked.
“I don’t know, a pig from hell”, Dad responded. We looked at Joe, swallowing down the fish while the rotting fish smell remained. It looked at us in confusion, as we were. We silently laughed for no apparent reason, probably as a mechanism to try to replace the fear. We then heard a shaking in the truck, startling us. We realised that the hell pig was tearing at the bumper of the truck like a lion would. Dad hammered the horn, making the thing back up in surprise. Dad took this opportunity to back up very quickly towards the intersection and turned to the left, quickly avoiding the creature. We sat in silence, except for Joe who was chirping.
When we went down the street, the houses, as usual, were damaged but we saw other vehicles, the first we had seen. Some were parked along the street, others stuck on one lane like city traffic but paused. Weirdly enough, there are no people in the vehicles, nor anyone outside. Most of the vehicles have one or more doors open like people got out to go somewhere. We drove past all the vehicles in the other lane. There is one vehicle we passed by that is on fire, most of the paint already off to reveal the metal beneath, only to be turned into a rainbow of browns and blacks by the dancing flames.
“What. Happened. Here”, Mom slowly asked, as confused and terrified as us. We had a feeling of dread, seeing all the abandoned vehicles.
“That’s the least of our worries. We should be looking for supplies”, Dad responded.
“Hey, how much do we have”, Mom asked Dad, worried about using up the fuel.
“Well, we got a full tank of gas and travelled a hundred kilometers”, Dad responded, more confused. “Nothing makes sense here and I hope we don’t stay here for long”, he muttered.
Eventually, we passed most of the vehicles and reached the veterinary clinic. The small, intact structure stood there, seemingly looking over the icy driveway. We then spotted an old, brown truck and we saw something that set it apart from the rest of the vehicles we’ve seen so far.
“It’s on”, I said, gleefully, with hope that, at least, we aren’t the only ones here. The headlights beamed brightly, and we realised it was getting dark. We also noticed that the street lights aren’t turning on.
“I thought there was no one here”, my Mom said, unsure of the connection between the abandoned but running truck and the lack of people in this town. At one of the intact houses, ahead of us, partially blocked by the trees, we saw what seemed to be bright light coming from one of the windows. What person would go into a house after an earthquake, I thought, thinking about our house back home.
“Someone’s here”, Matt loudly notified, as we all shushed him and that is when Joe is trying to push the door with his snout. “What is he doing?”
“Stay here”, Dad calmly ordered, opening the door, but Joe scurried out and went somewhere else.
“Hey, come back”, Matt called out, with no success. Joe eventually disappeared into the night, never to be seen. Matt then had tears welling up in his eyes like he was about to cry. I hugged him to comfort him.
“He’ll come back some time”, Mom reassured, trying to calm him down and looking at Dad. Dad nodded and grabbed a flashlight that was equipped in the truck. He then walked slowly towards the house, step by step, being shone by our truck’s headlights. He looked back at us and put his hand up when the light in the house moved. It seems to move towards the front door of the house. Emerging from the house is a person walking down the steps, cloaked in darkness. Dad then took a few steps back as the figure came. Finally, the figure stepped into the light.