The garage door shut with a groan behind us, closing us in the gloom of the single bulb hanging over the car.
Mother took a drag off her cigarette and sighed as she exhaled, the smoke filled the cabin of the Ford and stung my eyes.
“You really disappointed me today, Julianne," she tapped her cigarette in the ashtray below the dash, "you embarrassed me in front of the other mothers at the Ice Cream Social, shoveling down seconds and thirds like a pig. I thought I raised you better than that.”
She took another drag, daintily holding the cigarette between her perfectly manicured fingers.
“I'm going to have to tell your brother about this," she continued, “he'll have to come up with a punishment fit for a pig."
I felt my stomach drop. My kid brother, Thomas, was only six, but could be exceptionally cruel. Mother seemed to encourage him and was deferring to him more and more frequently for how the house was run, especially concerning my upbringing.
"Mother, please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I'm sorry I was a pig and ate so much ice cream. I promise I won't do it again, I'll never eat any ice cream again," I was pleading with stone, unyielding.
“Hush your mouth. Go to your room and wait for Thomas," she put out the cigarette and got out of the car, I had no choice but to follow.
It felt like walking to the gallows as I stepped inside the house and headed towards the stairs to go to my room. Thomas had grown fond recently of physical punishment, he obviously delighted in Mother whipping me with a belt or, recently, Mother had allowed him to start beating me with a wooden spoon. He would squeal and giggle like a normal child watching bubbles in the wind while I screamed. I was dreading whatever was going to happen tonight, I chastised myself for eating that ice cream, I should have known she would show up. My sins were always laid bare.
Down the hall, I could hear Thomas watching television in the den. I only got to watch TV for half an hour on Saturday morning and new episodes of Happy Days with Mother and Thomas. Thomas got to watch all the TV he wanted. He could listen to the radio and turntable as much as he wanted, as loud as he wanted. Thomas had an entire room just for his toys.
I entered my bedroom, it was a space I occupied, but it didn't feel like mine. Mother kept it spartan, white walls and white bedspread. A crucifix over the bed and a painting of Jesus over the door. I had my desk and chair and a dresser with some of the porcelain dolls Daddy gave me before he died that Mother let me keep. That was it.
I placed my book bag down and sat on my bed, waiting for Thomas. It was a while, sitting there with nothing but my own thoughts and staring at the open door. I felt humiliated, I was almost thirteen and my entire life was dictated by my brother. Mother kept the house in constant lockdown to keep Thomas a secret. No outsiders were allowed in. I couldn't have friends because she was afraid I would mention him or sneak a friend in to gawk at my brother and tease him for being different.
I would never make fun of him, I was terrified of him. Terrified of what he was and what he was becoming.
Eventually I heard his heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and I felt my heart start beating faster and my palms began to sweat. I kneaded my skirt in my hands, trying to calm myself and dry my palms. His slow arrhythmic footsteps came down the hall and I watched him as he entered the room.
I couldn't help but internally recoil at his appearance, even though I'd known him since he was born, I could never adjust to how unnatural he appeared. Thomas had been born at home and had never seen a doctor, but he was obviously unwell.
He was six years old and was barely over two feet tall, but very squat and wide. His skin was thick and gray, the whites of his beady eyes were yellow and his hair was wispy and white like an old man's, spreading out like a halo around his gargoyle face. A slight odor of decomposition hung about him, it reminded me faintly of garbage cans on a hot summer day. I hated when Mother made me help him with a bath, his skin felt like old brittle leather that flaked onto my clothes in gray flecks. His body was dense like concrete, I could barely lift him into the tub. Picking him up forced his hair into my face where that smell of rot would fill my nose, causing me to gag, silently, so as not to offend him and draw any ire from him or Mother.
Today, Thomas was wearing bib overalls with a red and green striped sweater underneath, reminding me of a grotesque doll.
“Mama says you acted like a piggy today at the ice cream social,” he spoke up to me in his unsettlingly high pitched, yet raspy voice, like a child that smoked as much as Mother, "you need to come down for dinner right now for your punishment for embarrassing Mama."
He turned and walked back down the stairs and I had no choice but to follow his toddling form downstairs to the dining table. We entered the kitchen and the table was placed with two settings. Mother was already seated and Thomas clambered up into his booster seat at his normal spot next to Mother. She took a drag off her cigarette and motioned vaguely to the floor without even looking at me.
Neatly situated on the linoleum was my dinner, not on a plate, but directly on the floor. A pork chop, scoop of mashed potatoes, and a small pile of peas. No utensils, either.
Thomas giggled with glee upon seeing my face.
“You have Mama's permission now to eat like a piggy, now. No hands! Piggies just use their face!” He stood up in his chair and reached out for Mother’s ash tray and flung it out over my meal, peppering my dinner with cigarette ash and butts.
"Oops! Piggies don't mind trash though, do they, Mama?” he giggled and the sound filled me with rage.
"No, they don't,” Mother replied coolly while maneuvering her ashtray back in place and carefully putting out her cigarette before saying prayer.
As angry as I was, I got down on my hands and knees and did my best at eating what I could without using my hands. I knew if I refused, it would be far worse. The whole meal, Thomas made pig noises and would reach down and poke me with his fork, making comments about what a fat piggy I was and how he wished he could roast and eat me. I doubted Mother would even object if he actually did kill me and eat me.
Gagging my way through another bite of ashy pork chop, I felt a warm splat over my head and heard Thomas giggling. I reached up and felt he had dumped mashed potatoes into my hair.
Choking down tears, I asked Mother if I could clean the floor and bathe. She rolled her eyes and excused me to clear the table for them as well while she changed Thomas into his pajamas. Picking him up, she walked out of the room and Thomas stuck his putrid little purple tongue out at me before they made it out the kitchen door.
I silently cried while I cleared the table and washed the dinner dishes. Tears splashed down as I mopped up the mess from my food on the floor. I hated how awful Thomas was. I hated how they treated me. Ever since Daddy died and Thomas showed up, I was their punching bag. I missed Daddy so much.
Mother was kinder then, too. She was still severe, but Dad kept her tempered. After he died, there was a change that came over her. I was only six, so I didn't remember her too much from before, but I did remember her gushing on and on when she was pregnant with Thomas. How the baby was a gift from Our Heavenly Father, that it was going to complete our broken family.
My sixth birthday happened right after Daddy died and I remember sitting on the patio crying while the house was full of people after the funeral, normally he would have gotten me a new doll and a chocolate bar, instead I was forgotten. No doll. No chocolate. Just funeral potatoes and a house full of cigarette smoke from the adults.
Nobody remembered. The closest thing I got was my dad's sister, Aunt Judy, sitting next to me on the patio step for a few minutes of comfortable silence before giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. I don't think she knew her brother was memorialized on my birthday. Next year, Thomas was born the day before my birthday, so it was completely eclipsed as Mother had just birthed her new love into the world…
I stopped mid mop as a lightbulb finally went off. I had never put much thought into the dates before.
Thomas was born a full year after Daddy died. He couldn't be his dad. Who was Thomas’ actual father?
Washing mashed potatoes out of my hair that evening, I ran over and over the timeline. No matter how I parsed it out, Thomas was only my half brother. Going to bed that night, I kept myself awake, going over and over again to make sure. I couldn't remember any men being around at that time, but that didn't mean much. Adults can easily hide things from children. Tension began throbbing through my head and I felt queasy. Mother had always known all of my secrets, able to sniff them out like a bloodhound out or using Thomas to spy. Now I had one of Mother's secrets and I didn't know what to do with it.
First I wanted to confirm it, but it would mean snooping, which was difficult in a house that was rarely left empty. I would have to try finding Mother's calendar book or journal to see if she mentioned any dates or men.
But when could I attempt such a daring maneuver? Thomas hardly left the house. As proud as Mother was of him, she was very cognizant and protective of his differences and didn't want to draw attention to herself or Thomas like that. Mother herself had few social engagements throughout the week and mostly stayed home to watch her golden child.
I finally decided I would take the risk and fake sick on Tuesday, grocery day, so I could stay home from school while she went shopping. All Thomas did all day was watch TV downstairs, so that should give me about an hour to look through her room for clues. I decided to tuck my head down, try to behave as best as I could to avoid their wrath, and wait for Tuesday.
That weekend limped along agonizingly slow. Thomas was in a fine mood and was constantly seeking out a reason to poke me, punch me, slap me… he'd laugh while calling me a piggy with his off-putting wide mouth. I tried to mostly stay in my room and it seemed like neither of them cared.
School on Monday was a relief, but my anxiety ramped up. The consequences would be dire if Mother caught on that I was faking sick to stay home. I didn't even want to imagine how off the leash she'd let my half-brother become in his punishment for that level of insubordination.
I stayed up all night, my stomach was in knots, but I was committed to my plan. Throughout the night, I screamed as hard as I could into my pillow. Screamed until my throat was raw and I could barely talk. It felt cathartic in a way. When it was close to school time, I put on my heaviest flannel pajamas and began doing jumping jacks until my face was flushed and my scalp was soaked with sweat.
Looking in the bathroom mirror before heading down to talk to Mother, I thought I looked pretty convincing, my skin was flushed and sweaty, my eyes had circles under them from lack of sleep, and my voice croaked like a frog.
Heading downstairs, Mother was already feeding Thomas breakfast. I hesitantly stepped into the kitchen and stood there awkwardly for a second, pawing with my pajamas to keep my nerves steady until she noticed my presence and looked up.
“Why aren't you dressed, Julianne?"
"I don't feel well. My throat hurts and my tummy hurts.” My voice graveled out more than I was expecting, I really had hurt my throat.
She strode over to me and placed a cool hand on my sweaty brow.
"You do feel warm. Take an aspirin from the medicine cabinet and go lay back down. I'll check on you later," with that she turned back and walked over to Thomas, who was frozen in place, glaring at me over a forkful of scrambled eggs. The sharp glint of malice in his beady eyes made me shiver before I shuffled out of the kitchen.
I laid in bed, trying my best to look miserable until I eventually heard the faint sound of the television playing in the den as Thomas settled in for his normal daytime routine and the garage door opened as Mother headed to the grocery store. I bounded out of bed and watched the car back out of our driveway and head up the street.
My heart began to pound as I tiptoed down the hall to Mother's bedroom, a place I rarely even caught a glimpse of, let alone entered. I very slowly opened the door, taking great care to not make any noise to alert Thomas downstairs that I was out of bed.
Creeping into the butter yellow room, I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my skull, this was the naughtiest thing I had ever done by far. I stepped onto the rug to help disguise my footsteps and slowly made my way past the brass bed and towards her desk. My hands shook as I opened the top drawer, I pawed through rapidly and found nothing. I checked the next drawer down and again found nothing of interest, just stationary and envelopes.
Finally, the bottom drawer was what I was looking for, a stack of journals from the past decade. I flipped through, trying to find entries relevant to when Daddy died and who Mother slept with afterwards.
I've never fully recovered from what I read.
July 6, 1968
Edgar died today. Car accident. I cannot believe this is real. My light, my life, my anchor... Dr. Benson gave me a sedative at the hospital and I feel so tired. So very, very tired. Why has my Lord forsaken me so?
July 9, 1968
I feel like I am in a very bad dream, I feel numb and disconnected. All the consolation and pity from everyone makes me feel sick. After the memorial, it took everything in me to not break dishes and to scream at everyone to get out of my house. Julianne was moping about crying and I wanted to throw her out, too.
If I hadn't seen my dear Edgar's body in the hospital and held his urn in my own hands, I wouldn't believe he was really gone. I still don't entirely believe it.
I have prayed to God every night asking him to show me why he took my husband from me and I have gotten no answer.
I skimmed over the next few months, as it was more or less similar sentiments repeated night after night. I finally got to an entry that caught my eye.
September 17, 1968
My battle with my faith has been fraught the past few months, but Hallelujah! I feel I can see the Lord again in all his glory and might, for he has given me a way to reconnect to my Edgar!
I was thinking about the night Julianne was born, right in this very home, it was a difficult birth and she struggled to breathe at first. Ingrid, my midwife, made a comment to me that if the baby had failed to wake up on her own, that Ingrid had ways to make sure she would have made it.
I remember asking if it was a medical methodology and she made it clear to me that in certain circumstances, it was a mystical property she used to bring the air of life into a struggling baby's lungs. She gently alluded to being a practicing member of the dark arts. At the time, I felt quite scandalized to have someone like that in my God fearing home. Now I see her as the answer to my prayers! My angel!
On a whim, I called her and asked if she still practiced such techniques. She hesitantly confirmed that she did. I asked, if she could turn breath into the lungs of a child without, could she turn breath into a child that did not exist? Could she magick into existence another child of my beloved Edgar? She told me she had to do some research and she'd be back in touch.
Ingrid just called back after a few hours and said there was a spell she found, but it was dangerous and might have unpleasant results. I said, yes, of course! I trust my Lord and I believe he sent this woman of blessed magick to me for this purpose.
She says we will have to do it soon, in a few days during the new moon. She has a potion to brew, but it is happening! Praise God!
September 23, 1968
The ceremony was last night, and Ingrid believes it was a success, but we will have to wait. It did not take long, only an hour or two. Ingrid lit my bedroom with many beeswax candles and she had me drink a thick and bitter tea that caused me to become quite relaxed and foggy.
From my inner thigh, she cut me and collected my blood in a chalice, with which she mixed quite a lot of Edgar's ashes and other ingredients which I could not glean from my supine position and groggy wits. Ingrid began to chant, calling upon a higher power, as I pleaded with my Lord to let this work. To give me any piece of my Edgar back. She came to the bed and worked the paste between my legs into my womanly chamber, which was very uncomfortable, but manageable with the numbing effects of the tea.
She continued to sit with me and chant, her hand placed over my womb, until she decided at which time it was complete. She left and I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up this morning, I felt quite uncomfortable, my body ached and when I used the restroom, a yellow fluid like pus poured out of me, but no sign of any ashes or blood, which gives me hope it was absorbed into my womb.
November 3, 1968
Praise be to our Lord, Ingrid just confirmed for me that I am with child, I had been hoping so, I had not gotten my cycle in October, but I wasn't sure if that was because of the discharge like pus that was still coming. She told me that was common with this spell and a side effect that would stop after the baby came.
I feel like I am floating on air, for the first time since Edgar left, I feel-
I suddenly became very aware of the feeling of eyes on the back of my head. I had become too engrossed in what was written before me and I had lost track of my surroundings. Very slowly, I turned around and my heart began pounding again as I saw Thomas standing in the doorway holding his wooden spoon in one hand. How had I not heard him?
He pointed at me with his empty hand and screamed, just a pure guttural screech from somewhere deep inside his disgusting little body. He charged at me from across the room, his horrible feet thumping solidly along the rug. He began beating my legs ruthlessly with the spoon, causing my legs to buckle. I crashed down to my knees in front of him, and he began lashing at my face, pulling my hair with one hand while wailing away at my head with the spoon.
I had dropped the journal I was holding and was desperately trying to get a hand on the spoon or push him away. All I could hear was him screaming. My arms flailed and I reached around on Mother's desk and grabbed onto the first thing I found and sank it into Thomas’ neck.
The end of Mother's gold letter opener protruded under his jaw. He went silent and he looked at me with utter shock. He dropped the spoon and collapsed on the ground, clutching at his neck as his thick black blood oozed out from his wound, letting out a stupendous odor of rot that filled the room. He didn't really say anything or make any noise. He just twitched for a moment and I saw his eyes glaze over.
In shock, I stood over his little body for a moment and I watched as he seemed to mummify in just a few minutes, like an ash person from Pompeii dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt. Even his blood that looked like shiny oil a second ago became like potting soil on Mother's rug. Reaching out to touch his hand, it crumbled away like sand.
Panic ran through me like a rabbit caught in a snare. Not knowing what to do, I ran. I ran down the hall, changed my clothes, put an extra change of clothes in my backpack and the last doll Daddy had ever given me and I ran. Mother would absolutely never forgive me and I was genuinely afraid she would kill me in retaliation for taking her beloved Thomas away from her. Her precious gift from God. My feet flew over the pavement and took me away from that house.
I called my Aunt Judy from a payphone outside the five & dime, and told her Mother had kicked me out and asked if I could stay with her. She had always had a strained relationship with my mother and it didn't take much convincing that she had kicked out her “only” child. Only Mother, Ingrid, and I ever knew about Thomas.
She gave me a home and took care of me. She never beat me or humiliated me. Even with her love, I was far from okay. For years I would close my eyes and hear Thomas scream, then the sudden silence. I'd see him fumbling at his neck and turning to ash. But I would also remember all the ways he would hurt me and how bad he was becoming. I could never talk to anyone about it, especially not the silent relief I felt I refused to admit to myself. Over time, however, Thomas' screams became a whisper and his silence faded into dust in my mind.
I moved on with my life. I went to college and became a photojournalist, getting to travel the world and watch history unfold. By choice, I never married, but was quite blessed with many beautiful friendships for companionship over the decades. I found balance in my life and a sense of happiness, if not peace. I never could quite stomach mashed potatoes again, though, they always taste ashy to me.
Mother never made any attempts to reach out to me or find me, at least that I'm aware of. Ten years ago, I was contacted by a hospital and they said my mother had been admitted earlier after falling and was about to pass, so she must have kept some tabs on me to know my phone number for her emergency contacts. Apparently she had collapsed in the driveway and a neighbor called an ambulance. I got there and her only words to me were, “take care of him," as she placed a locket in my hand. I opened the locket, Jesus was on one side, Thomas on the other. I didn't say anything to her, just held her frail old hand with nicotine stained nails until she passed in the night. My mother was gone and I felt nothing except a vague sense of relief.
When I got to her house, it was like a time capsule. Other than a newer television, it was just like it was when I'd fled so many years ago. The smell of tobacco smoke hung like incense in the air. It felt oppressive, like a tomb.
I wandered the house in a bit of a daze. The one place I didn't want to go was upstairs. I didn't want to see my old room, or Thomas' room, or Mother's. Putting it off, I went to fix myself some supper, realizing I hadn't eaten in almost a day. I took a pause when I opened the fridge and saw a baby bottle on a shelf. Silently praying she had been babysitting for a neighbor, I fixed myself some toast with sardines and sat eating in the den watching TV. It had been almost forty years and it still felt rebellious not eating at the table and watching TV without permission.
My eyes grew heavy and I finally mustered up the gumption to head upstairs to go to bed. The stairs creaked in a familiar way under my feet and I was taken back to the feeling of dread hearing either Mother or Thomas climbing up. My old room was at the top of the stairs, I saw the door was nailed shut and had rambling quotes about Judas copied from the Bible in my mother's handwriting taped to the door. I sighed gently and turned from the door to head down the hallway, deciding Mother's room was probably the best place to sleep.
I passed by Thomas’ toy room and I heard a murmur from the room. I stopped, curiosity got the best of me and I entered. In Thomas' old toy room was a crib with joyful clown sheets. Dread swelled up inside me as I heard more murmurs and saw the sheets move. Approaching slowly, I peaked under the sheet and gasped.
Tucked inside was what looked like a baby gargoyle, gray and papery looking. Pus leaked out of its milky, bulbous eyes. I pulled back the blanket and saw it had no legs and its arms bent back, like wings on a bird. It was wearing just a cloth diaper, overflowing with tarry looking stool that took my breath away with its pungency, it smelled like Thomas’ blood, but somehow worse. My heart broke for this poor creature, Lord only knows how many years it has been in this crib suffering from its unholy existence.
So this is who Mother had wanted me to take care of…
Not knowing what else to do, I gently scooped him up. Like Thomas, he was shockingly heavy for how small his body was. Placing him on the changing table, I cleaned him and rewrapped his bottom in a clean diaper cloth. It was difficult, he fussed tremendously, crying and flopping around as much as his flipper-like arms would allow. I tried wiping off his oozing eyes and he snapped his mouth, which I saw was full of disturbingly square yellow teeth, trying to bite me. I carried him to the kitchen and rocked him while I heated up his bottle and he became furious with me, almost barking like a dog when my hand would get near his face.
He settled a bit as he fed, but he would still sometimes suddenly spit out the bottle and attempt to bite me. I laid him back in his crib, this abomination in a clown sheet, and I walked down the hall to Mother's room letting out a long sigh.
Combing through my mother's journals in the early hours of the morning, it looked like she tried the ceremony again shortly after Thomas died, but she either lacked Ingrid’s help or didn't have enough of my father's ashes left. Something went terribly wrong. She was vaguer than she had been about Thomas’ conception, but I suspect she had used some of Thomas' remains. The resulting birth she named Isaac.
Mother's journals told a sad tale of her and Isaac's suffering. She never mentioned me, but lamented the loss of Thomas and Dad relentlessly. She was hyper protective of Isaac, as that was all she had left. If her world had been small before, it became microscopic after he entered her life, requiring nearly constant care. According to Mother, he was blind and colicky, sometimes going years at a time without sleeping through the night. She had breast fed him for years, but she had to stop after he grew teeth and began biting her intentionally and feeding on her blood.
I spent a lot of time over the next few days pondering what to do. I had to get her estate in order, she had left me the house, in an obvious attempt to get me to continue caretaking for Isaac, but I didn't want it. I had my own cozy home an hour away from here, filled with happy memories and my possessions acquired traveling the world. Mother's home had a heavy energy I couldn't shake. Her and Thomas were both gone, but the memories of the scoldings and beatings hung in every corner, like cobwebs that would never sweep away.
So, I fed Isaac and kept him clean and tried to keep him company, although he seemed to hate me passionately. I took care of him, all the while thinking about what I was going to do. After a week, I felt resolute in what had to be done.
Gathering up all of Mother's journals in a tote, I made my way to Isaac and picked him up and carried everything to the living room.
The ancient logs in the fireplace meant for display ignited instantly. One by one, I fed the journals into the fire, burning away years of my mother's consuming sorrow. Isaac fussed and moaned next to me the entire time. When the last pages shimmered away into lacy ash, I took a throw pillow off the couch and gently cradled Isaac in my other arm. It didn't take long before he stopped struggling and I felt his little body relax after decades of suffering.
I gently wrapped up a bundle in a clown sheet and placed it in the fire. It burned furiously, like the paper in my mother's journals, and was soon gone. Nothing but ashes and embers.
“Don't worry, Mother,” I said purely for my own sake, "I took care of Isaac for you."
And finally, I felt at peace.

If I hadn’t drunk an entire gallon of tea back at the hotel, maybe none of this would’ve happened.
Well, maybe if we hadn’t gotten kicked out of the hotel, none of this would’ve happened.
It had been just the two of us in the small car, but with the animosity heavy on the air, it felt overcrowded. I don’t know what had been worse, the hour of arguing, the two hours of silence afterwards, or the burgeoning realization that maybe I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did.
I studied him out of the corner of my eye. We'd been together for several months, but the recent experience left me wondering if I had ever even met the real Brian – who he truly was on the inside.
It had been our very first trip together.
We'd saved up for one of those super fancy hotels and had been having a great time – until, of course, Brian decided to attempt a five-finger discount in the jewelry store in the lobby.
He'd told me when we first started dating that he'd had some run-ins with the law in the past – when he was young and that was the only way to put food on the table, and I'd understood.
But this wasn't the same. It wasn't for survival, it was just greed.
We’d both spent the rest of our vacation money and then some, paying for that $1,800 watch so no charges would be pressed.
They still kicked us out. I don’t blame them.
Asking him to stop at the next place we came across was the first thing I'd said to him in hours, and he nodded, solemnly.
My discomfort was escalating to the point where I was considering asking him to pull over on the side of the road – rain be damned – when we saw the dim sign flickering in the distance.
The small store was out of place on the quiet, tree lined mountain road. We’d been deep in a tunnel of trees and hadn’t seen so much of a hint of the lights in the distance – it seemed to just appear into view as we went around the bend. I didn't recall seeing it on the way to the hotel, so it was a pleasant surprise.
I felt a flood of relief wash over me.
It stuck out in the otherwise beautiful mountain landscape – windows so dirty that the light inside barely reached us through them – several letters on the sign lit up in such a way that the only word we could even see was a blood red '- MART' flickering.
Any relief I'd managed to feel was short-lived.
When we walked in, we both froze as we took in the interior.
I instantly wished we’d just stopped by the side of the road after all. I looked at Brian and could tell he felt it too – he was fiddling with his new watch and took off his glasses, cleaned them on his shirt, and put them back on, as if that would make what he was seeing make more sense.
There were no other customers, no employees visible, it was just the two of us.
Ceiling tiles hung askew, and the floor was filthy – we had to step over a drain in the floor with grimy stains circling it, to walk in.
If it weren’t for the lights, gentle hum of the AC, and grinding sounds floating from down the long hallway at the back, I’d have thought the place was abandoned.
It was humid inside, and the smell coming from the old coolers that lined the back walls hit me as soon as we walked in. It reminded me of the summer my dad had decided to dabble in taxidermy in our basement.
The slight hint of rot that lingered on the damp air indicated poorly done taxidermy, at that.
As I darted towards the back towards the restroom sign, a placard dangling off it caught my eye, informed me the restroom was for paying customers only.
I quickly perused the shelves for something to buy. The aisles were tall, nearly to the ceiling, and despite the store being somewhat small, I felt the panicked sense of being cornered and trapped in an endless maze – at risk of becoming lost in there forever. The food on the shelves resembled nothing like the usual chips and candy these types of stores carried – there were rows upon rows of soft looking mystery items in plastic wrap, some of them leaked a red-brown residue down the shelves – none of it looked remotely appealing.
I passed by a section with a stained placard that said ‘handcrafted from local artists’ that was filled with eclectic items, none of which seemed to go together.
There were torn shirts with random logos – nothing related to the town or area we were in, stained with mud, grass, and god knows what else. Dried ropy things formed small and delicate sculptures of animals unlike any I’d seen before. I reached for a bracelet with intricately carved white beads but nearly dropped it when I realized the band was made up of woven human hair. It left a residue on my hand, and I noticed then that the same sour-rot smell was coming from the collection of items, too.
I opted for a flat and lukewarm Dr. Pepper instead, and placed two $2 dollar coins on the glass counter in front of the hand scrawled ‘shoplifters will be processed’ sign near the register.
I figured I misread it, after all it, looked like it had been written by a hand unused to holding a pen.
Brian had grabbed an armful of those unnerving plastic-wrapped packages but hovered at the counter a bit too long. I could hear the scrape of him retrieving the coins on the glass, the sound of him dropping them into his pocket.
He gave me a pointed stare as he did so.
I sighed, so tired of arguing that I just walked away from him and down the hallway. I figured I’d pay (again) after he got back in the car.
No sooner had I closed the door to the women’s room behind me, than I could hear him talking to someone.
His voice rose until he was nearly yelling. Mortified and trying to delay being involved in another incident that day, I splashed water on my face while trying to drown out what appeared to be a one-sided argument.
I kept trying to wash the grimy feeling that had lingered on my hands after picking up the bracelet, but no matter how I scrubbed, I couldn’t get it off – it kept getting worse.
I felt nauseous when I realized the greasy residue was coming from the pale-yellow bar of soap. I decided I’d scrub my hands raw at our next stop, and stepped out into the hall and back to the store.
Brian wasn’t there.
I called out for him, but all I heard in answer was that same vague whirring and drilling sound coming from further down the long hallway.
I double-backed to the car, but found it empty.
I circled the store, my frustration turning to panic as I shouted his name and still got no response.
I called his phone, it just rang, and rang before going to voicemail.
The car was locked and he had the keys, I couldn’t help but feel nervous, standing out there in the rain. We were still in the middle of the deep woods and with clouds obscuring the light of the moon and stars, the area was blanketed in darkness. I reluctantly headed back inside.
Somehow, the smell had managed to become even worse – I gagged when the wet, disgusting air hit my nose again. It was so strong I could nearly taste it, putrid on my tongue.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was always someone just behind me as I walked quickly through the tall aisles, but whenever I looked over my shoulder, there was never anything there.
I called his phone, wondering how I’d managed to lose him in such a small store when I finally heard it ringing – it was echoing from down that long hallway.
As I headed towards it, I heard someone moving on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling aisle, placing something onto the shelf with a sickening wet thud, before weaving lithely through the aisles behind me.
“Brian?” I called out softly, trying to convince myself that everything was fine – trying to disguise my fear.
I knew it wasn’t him – I don’t know how, but I knew it. Have you ever had the feeling that if you look closely enough at something, if you truly see it, you’ll never be able to close your eyes again without it haunting you? That feeling of being in close proximity to something that your fragile mind was never meant to know existed?
I forced myself to turn around anyways.
Once again, whoever or whatever had been there was gone by the time I rounded the aisle, but I heard a gentle clinking sound, and saw a trail of red-pink droplets.
I followed it back to that section – handcrafted from local artists, there was something new hanging from a hook near the shelves – wet, glistening strips dangled from along what looked to be a curved bone with bits of gristle still attached. From one of them hung an expensive men’s wristwatch, another was tied around a shattered, thick glasses lens. Yet another sagged under the weight of car keys. They gently swayed with the motion of having been recently placed. Fluid continued to drip from the still wet viscera and mingled with the mud on my shoes.
Shoplifters will be processed
I didn’t need to see the items down the other aisles to figure out what I was looking at, what must have happened.
I could already tell that we’d never have another argument, ever again.
I heard a door open and close in the back, soft footsteps approaching from down that hallway.
I realized that in my distraction, I'd forgotten to put money back on the counter.
I choked up, but knew there was nothing I could do for him. So, I tossed the first bills I found in my purse onto the floor, frantically untangled the car keys, and in shock, I drove myself the remaining four-hour drive home.
Every so often, along the quiet country roads – those I could've sworn were empty on the drive up – I’d see that grimy building, the sign, '-MART' flashing in the distance.
I didn’t stop once.
I've been home for a week now.
A few nights ago, something triggered a motion alert on my video doorbell, but there was no one there when I checked the footage.
The next morning, I found a cardboard box on my porch – with no stamp or return address.
In it was a torn t-shirt, and several of those now-familiar wrapped packages, putrid fluid leaking out of them through the bottom of the soggy cardboard.
I've received a similar box every night, since.
I don't know if it's meant as a threat, or if due to some sort of twisted interpretation – I’m now a 'paying customer’ – he's slowly being returned to me.
Either way, it turns out that I've gotten to see who Brian was on the inside, after all.
JFR

source: "Open Letter 4: Dr. Johnson's hypothesis" (May 8, 2008).
Curtis Yarvin also writes under the name ― Mencius Moldbug (pen name)

Hi everyone, hope you're well if you're reading this, and apologies for the long post.
I'm a white European guy (36) and have been with my Indian Fiancé (31) (originally from Kerala) for nearly 4 years now. Very much in love, and our relationship is nearly perfect when we are together. She has struggled with anxiety and depression for some time now, and it's reached an all time low now.
I'm sure you've probably guessed from the above sentence alone, but I was asked to be okay with keeping the relationship a secret from her parents and community, and I went along with this despite, honestly, seeing it as ludicrous. It was hand waived away as a cultural difference by my partner, and she was happy to keep the status quo for a while.
When we got engaged, she obviously told her parents, and the reaction was somewhat dramatic - I'm sure again, that if you're reading this, you can probably guess the events and behaviours without me going into them.
I wrote her family a letter, introducing myself and asking for their blessing, saying that I was looking forward to meeting them - this was met with further hostility. I'm a big believer in tackling problems head on, and wanted to simply knock on their door and have a conversation, but I was begged not to by my fiancé.
Life continued with its usual ups and downs, with attempts at interference by her cousins (one saying she should leave as I'm not Indian, another saying that a long-term illness I was suffering with meant she should leave me - the irony in two men who regularly cheat on their wives and families giving relationship advice about a couple they'd never met was somewhat funny), again I was begged not to say anything and I complied despite my anger at this.
I love her dearly, and would do near anything for her, and it breaks my heart to see her struggling with her mental health, things have gotten much worse recently.
Last week, out of nowhere, we had a call (she's currently in India with her mother), and she was completely broken and tried to break up with me, with no reason given. There's no other man, she still loves me, but "this is the best decision for her right now", said through sobs - I disagreed completely, I've been in enough relationships to know when things are going wrong and coming to an end, and we'd just spent a weekend together madly in love and having a great time. We spoke about getting her some more therapy, and our plans for the future etc., so this conversation came as quite a blow - I agreed to give her some time & space, and quite honestly, after this conversation I needed the same, I was so bitterly disappointed. Take away all of the family nonsense, and this is a near perfect relationship being chipped away at by utter bullshit.
I then made a decision (after consulting several of my own friends and family) - I love this woman, and I'm not giving up without a fight, if the relationship dies then at least I did what I felt was the right thing to do.
I wanted to just get the worst of her anxieties dealt with, something I should have done years ago. I decided after a few days of space, to go and meet her community at their church , and from there, I'd bring lunch around to her Dad and have a civilised conversation about everything - I didn't want her involved in the decision as I knew she'd back down and give in to fear.
I attended their service (asking for permission from the clergy to do so), was respectful, and met very many lovely people, I came away from this with an invite to a kids baptism, several phone numbers of new friends, and all around it was a great time, they wouldn't let me leave and were very hospitable. I ensured that I was humble, but was honest when asked who I knew there, and my reasons for attending (stating that my partner was worried I wouldn't fit it, and I was going to surprise her by having already been).
I then went and spoke with her father, who again, was very kind and gentle, we shared a laugh over several things, I apologised for my part in not meeting them sooner, but said that I'd had enough of the secrecy and would love to get to know the family better, and have bygones be bygones, I also apologised for turning up unannounced, that it wasn't my intent to be disrespectful and was in fact the opposite - so far so good.
My partner called me a few hours later, initially a little annoyed with me, but soon realised I was doing this to support her, and she thanked me for being 'courageous', and we reconciled, reaffirming our relationship and love for one another.
Cut to today, and again she's in massive amounts of turmoil, apparently despite the outward appearances of kindness, members of her community have been 'shaming' the mother who is hugely embarrassed by my actions (I'm in my late thirties, I don't need anyone's permission to go anywhere, nor do I think what I did was embarrassing at all), and is now exerting more pressure on my fiancé due to the shame of what I've done (I feel absolutely no shame for this). We haven't broken up, and I kept reasserting that, if we communicate, there's nothing we can't get past.
I feel that all of this is absolutely insane - I treat their daughter always with kindness, respect and love, have plans for a very wholesome future, have a great career, look after my own parents very well, etc., but I can't win for losing.
I show some guts, and its deemed as 'outrageous'. I stay quiet, and I still lose. I'm getting tired of dealing with this bullshit, I'm too old to be worried about what other people think of my relationship (that they know nothing about aside from my skin colour being different to my partners). But I do care deeply about my partner, she's everything to me.
I'm looking for advise from anyone who's been in a similar situation, my gut instinct is telling me I need to confront her mother when she returns as I feel it's about time that we all acted like rational adults about this, but I fear my fiancé is too fragile to cope with this. In the meantime, I'm trying to source a decent therapist for her, as I fear she nearing crisis point with her mental health (regardless if we end up apart, I want her to be well).
TL;DR: Indian fiancés parents and community interfering in my relationship with her, I can't seem to make any headway, advice and experience sought.
Thanks for reading friends!

DISCLAIMER: This respectful and civil debate is oriented towards muslims. For the sake of the moderators time and also the readers I will only list 5 problems I've found. But don't worry I have 20 more to post if this post has more traffic!
According to the Quran, Jesus was a prophet of Islam, his followers were Muslims and the gospel is the inspired preserved authoritative word of Allah. But when we go to our earliest records, we find Jesus claiming to be the Divine Son of God who would die on the cross for sins and rise from the dead. Jesus followers proclaimed him as their Risen Lord, the gospel that Christians have been reading for nearly 2,000 years tells us that "Anyone who claims to be a prophet, rejects Jesus death, resurrection and deity is a false prophet and an antichrist" - 1 John 2:22, a verse to remember.
Problem 1. Earlier Records for Paul's Life than for Muhammad's Life - Our records of Paul's life are much earlier than our records of Muhammad's life. And here I don't just mean that Paul came centuries before Muhammad and so we have earlier sources for Paul's life, I mean that when we talk about the teachings and deeds of Paul the biographical sources we use are much closer to the events they report than the biographical sources we use when we talk about the teachings and deeds of Muhammad. Our earliest biographical sources on Paul were written during the lifetime of Paul. The book of Acts for example was written in the early 60s before Paul was martyred, and it was written by a traveling companion of Paul who was an eyewitness to many of the details he reports. We also have numerous letters written by Paul himself. Our earliest detailed biographical source on Muhammad is the sirah (biographical literature), especially the work of Ibn Ishaq (d. 768) which was written more than a century after Muhammad's death. And we don't even have what Ibn Ishaq actually wrote. We have an Abridged version that was sanitized by a later scholar and we shouldn't forget that many Muslims don't trust Ibn Ishaq. When Muslims quote stories about Muhammad, they're usually getting their information from sources like Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, which were written two centuries after the time of Muhammad.
Problem 1.1. But it gets worse... The main reason for composing works like Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim was that Muslims were composing so many false stories about Muhammad, people didn't know what to believe. Scholars like Bukari decided that they needed to collect stories they thought were accurate in order to distinguish them from the ever increasing supply of false narrations. Now if Muslims during the time of Bukhari were inventing stories about Muhammad, what about the generation before that, and the generation before that..? And the generation before that? Two centuries is a lot of time to make things up, that's why it's always good to have sources written within the lifetime of the person you want to know about or at least within the lifetimes of the eyewitnesses. When we learn about Paul we learn about him through first generation eyewitness accounts. When we learn about Muhammad, we learn about him through late sources written by people who didn't know him, whose parents didn't know him and whose grandparents didn't know him. People who were fishing for historical facts in a sea of fabrication and deception. A few years ago the crumbling historical foundations for the life of Muhammad led the Islamic scholar Muhammad Sven Kalisch to conclude that Muhammad probably never existed. I don't agree with Dr Kalisch's conclusion about Muhammad's existence, but when even Muslim Scholars are starting to recognize how difficult it's become to take Muslim sources seriously our confidence in the historical Muhammad vanishes.
Problem 2. Paul Was a brillian scholar; Muhammad Was Not - The Apostle Paul was a brilliant scholar who defended his views in Athens, the intellectual capital of the ancient world, and in other major cities. He had discussions with the Stoic and Epicurian philosophers of his day and he could quote their sources to them. Even Anthony Flu, one of the 20th Century's most impressive critics of Christianity, said that the Apostle Paul possessed a first class philosophical mind. Muhammad by contrast was an illiterate 7th Century Caravan Trader. Now being an illiterate 7th Century Caravan Trader doesn't make you wrong, just as being a brilliant scholar doesn't make you right. But when we're dealing with claims about history and theology and various other topics having some sort of education helps. Not having an education leaves you open to obviously false revelations because you don't know enough to recognize them as false. This is why we find Muhammad telling his followers that Dhul-Qarnain traveled so far west he found the place where the sun sets, and that stars are missile that Allah uses to shoot demons, and that semen is formed between the backbone and the ribs. These are exactly the sort of absurdities we would expect from someone who has no clue what he's talking about, and who therefore has no clue whether his revelations line up with reality.
Problem 3. Paul knew the Old Testament; Muhammad Did Not - The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee who studied under Rabban Gamaliel II, one of the greatest Jewish rabbis of the first century. Paul knew the Old Testament inside and out which is why he quotes the Old Testament so frequently in his writings. This is important because Jesus claimed to fulfill a variety of Old Testament prophecies and you can't really examine this claim if you don't know what the Old Testament says. Muhammad was almost completely ignorant of the Old Testament because his knowledge of the Jewish scriptures was limited to what he heard in conversations. Not surprisingly despite Muhammad's numerous interactions with Jews in Arabia the Quran contains very few quotations from the Old Testament. Due to his ignorance of the scriptures Muhammad couldn't tell the difference between stories that were in the Torah and therefore divine revelation and stories from later Jewish writings and commentaries some of which were so late and so obviously fabricated they weren't far beyond the level of bedtime stories. Imagine how amusing it must be for someone who specializes in Jewish literature, to read the Quran and find so many fables being presented to Muslims as Revelation. Cain being taught how to bury the dead by a raven (al-Ma`idah (The Table, The Table Spread) 5:31), Solomon listening to a speech by an ant (Surah An-Naml - 15-25). But Muhammad just didn't know enough to distinguish scripture from non-scripture. Muhammad's ignorance of the Old Testament is also noteworthy because, like Jesus, he claimed to fulfill Old Testament prophecies. If Muhammad had been more knowledgeable of the Torah, he would have known that he couldn't possibly be a prophet for numerous reasons. For instance:
Problem 3.1 Muslim sources report that Muhammad once delivered what are now called "The Satanic Verses" to his followers. These verses promoted prayers to three pagan goddesses, Al-Lat and Al-'Uzza and Manat (Surah 53:19-20). Muhammad bowed down in honor of these polytheistic verses and his followers bowed down with him. But a little later Gabriel confronted Muhammad about his sin, Muhammad confessed in the history of AT-TABARI 6:111. So Muhammad admitted that he delivered a revelation that didn't really come from God. Why is this important? Well in Deuteronomy 18:20 "God declares but a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods is to be put to death".
Problem 3.2 Muslims claim that they respect Moses, but if Muhammad had delivered "The Satanic Verses" during the time of Moses, Moses would have ordered the people to pick up stones and stone him to death as the most obvious false prophet in history. Muhammad didn't realize this due to his lack of familiarity with the Jewish scriptures.
Problem 4. Paul Was a Contemporary of Jesus Muhammad was not - The apostle Paul was a contemporary of Jesus and he spent much of his time in first century Israel, this put Paul in a perfect position to gain accurate historical information about Jesus. If you want reliable information about a person it's pretty helpful being a member of the person's own generation. And Paul was right there. Muhammad was born more than half a millennium after Jesus death in a completely different country. Since he couldn't read, apart from Divine Revelation his knowledge of Jesus was limited to whatever stories were popular in 7th Century Arabia. This is why when we read the Quran we find so many stories about Jesus that are known to be forgeries. Mary giving birth under a palm tree Surah Maryam - 16-26, Jesus preaching when he was still a baby Surat Maryam [19:29-34], Jesus giving life to clay birds Surah Al-Ma'idah - 110. We know where these stories come from, and they don't come from the first century.
Problem 5. Paul Spoke the Relevant Lanugaes Muhammad Didn't - The Apostle Paul was fluent in Hebrew Aramaic and Greek. All of the languages necessary for understanding the Old Testament, the claims of Jesus and the earliest Christian writings. Muhammad couldn't speak any of the relevant languages so any attempt to understand the Old Testament, the claims of Jesus, or the earliest Christian writings would have required the help of interpreters. I normally wouldn't bring this up as a problem, but since Muslims are obsessed with reading the Quran in the original Arabic, we can only assume that the writings of Moses, the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Jesus followers can only be understood in the original languages. Paul could do that, Muhammad couldn't. Muhammad's ignorance of the original languages leads to further problems: For example the Quran refers to the book revealed through, Jesus as the "Injil", but the Arabic word Injil is ultimately derived from the Greek word "Evangelion" meaning good news. So according to the Quran the book, revealed through Jesus was written in Greek, this makes absolutely no sense if Jesus was only sent to his fellow Jews as Islam claims, but it makes perfect sense if Jesus message was for the rest of the world as well since Greek was the international language of the time. Interestingly the New Testament gospels were written in Greek, exactly what we would expect given the quran's use of the term Injil, but quite unexpected given Muhammad's notion of Jesus life and mission, not to mention Muhammad's conviction that Revelations can't be translated. Quite hypocritical indeed.

Item Name/Set Number(s): [NM] 40346 Legoland
REMINDER: NO COMMENTS IN PAYMENTS OR INSTA-BAN!
Lego Price: $160 ($125 + $35 shipping)
Shipping: $35 (incl. insurance) via UPS Ground 20” x 16” x 4” 7lbs from 07974 to 98229
Raffle Total/Spots: 160 spots @ $1 each
Price justification? BE
Call spots? Yes
Spot limit per person? No
Duration of spot limit? N/A
Location (Country): USA
Will ship international? No
Timestamp/pics: https://imgur.com/a/vjxmKKE
Description: Brand new and sealed, box has some minor creases & shelf wear
Payment required w/in 15 minutes of raffle filling.

Cash App Info: Will Post CA when 75% Full
​
Tip BlobAndHisBoy
Number of vacant slots: 63
Number of unpaid users: 6
Number of unpaid slots: 97
This slot list is created and updated by The EDC Raffle Tool by BlobAndHisBoy.
1 kwyjibo_Hb
2
3 therontheteej
4 kwyjibo_Hb
5
6 DrSeussFreak
7
8
9 whatth3hec
10
11
12
13
14
15
16 whatth3hec
17 ScooterP73
18 DrSeussFreak
19 ScooterP73
20 DrSeussFreak
21 whatth3hec
22 ScooterP73
23
24
25
26 DrSeussFreak
27 Ok_Experience9994
28 kwyjibo_Hb
29
30
31 whatth3hec
32 DrSeussFreak
33 kwyjibo_Hb
34
35 ScooterP73
36
37
38
39
40 DrSeussFreak
41 DrSeussFreak
42 DrSeussFreak
43 DrSeussFreak
44 DrSeussFreak
45
46
47 Ok_Experience9994
48 DrSeussFreak
49 ScooterP73
50 kwyjibo_Hb
51
52 ScooterP73
53 kwyjibo_Hb
54
55
56 kwyjibo_Hb
57 DrSeussFreak
58 DrSeussFreak
59
60
61 DrSeussFreak
62 kwyjibo_Hb
63 DrSeussFreak
64 DrSeussFreak
65 DrSeussFreak
66 DrSeussFreak
67
68
69 whatth3hec
70 kwyjibo_Hb
71 ScooterP73
72
73
74 kwyjibo_Hb
75 whatth3hec
76
77 DrSeussFreak
78 Ok_Experience9994
79
80 DrSeussFreak
81 DrSeussFreak
82 whatth3hec
83 DrSeussFreak
84 DrSeussFreak
85
86
87 kwyjibo_Hb
88
89
90 DrSeussFreak
91
92 kwyjibo_Hb
93
94 DrSeussFreak
95 DrSeussFreak
96
97
98 DrSeussFreak
99
100 ScooterP73
101
102
103 DrSeussFreak
104
105 DrSeussFreak
106
107
108
109
110 kwyjibo_Hb
111
112 DrSeussFreak
113
114 kwyjibo_Hb
115 whatth3hec
116 Ok_Experience9994
117
118 kwyjibo_Hb
119 kwyjibo_Hb
120 DrSeussFreak
121
122 ScooterP73
123 DrSeussFreak
124 DrSeussFreak
125 kwyjibo_Hb
126
127 DrSeussFreak
128 DrSeussFreak
129 DrSeussFreak
130 Ok_Experience9994
131
132
133 whatth3hec
134 DrSeussFreak
135 DrSeussFreak
136 kwyjibo_Hb
137 DrSeussFreak
138 DrSeussFreak
139 kwyjibo_Hb
140 whatth3hec
141
142 kwyjibo_Hb
143 whatth3hec
144 DrSeussFreak
145 ScooterP73
146 whatth3hec
147
148
149 kwyjibo_Hb
150 ScooterP73
151 kwyjibo_Hb
152 kwyjibo_Hb
153 kwyjibo_Hb
154 ScooterP73
155 Ok_Experience9994
156
157
158
159 DrSeussFreak
160

Item Name Set Number: Brick-Built Gru and Minions (75582)
Lego Price: $60 w/tax
Shipping: 12x12x5 ,USPS Ground Advantage, 4 lbs 60304 to 93455, Insured = $18
Raffle Total/Spots: $78, 78 spots @ 1 each
Price justification: Lego.com
Call spots: Y
Spot limit per person: N
Duration of spot limit: N/A
Location(Country): USA
Will ship international: N
Timestamp pics: https://imgur.com/a/bAxQHFZ
Description: Banana
Payment required w/in 10 minutes of raffle filling. 5 for drama
PM me if you need PayPal

Cash App Info: Provided once raffle is 50% full
​
Tip BlobAndHisBoy
Number of vacant slots: 42
Number of unpaid users: 8
Number of unpaid slots: 36
This slot list is created and updated by The EDC Raffle Tool by BlobAndHisBoy.
1
2
3 Ok_Experience9994
4 Fluffy-Run-6861
5 Fluffy-Run-6861
6
7
8
9
10
11
12 robob280
13 robob280
14 rook330
15
16 ScooterP73
17 Babsthewonderful
18
19
20
21
22 ScooterP73
23
24
25
26
27 Babsthewonderful
28 ScooterP73
29
30 robob280
31 robob280
32
33
34
35
36
37 Babsthewonderful
38 Ok_Experience9994
39
40 DrSeussFreak
41 DrSeussFreak
42 DrSeussFreak
43 DrSeussFreak
44 DrSeussFreak
45 Babsthewonderful
46
47
48
49 ScooterP73
50 legoislifey
51
52 legoislifey
53 Babsthewonderful
54 Ok_Experience9994
55
56
57 legoislifey
58 Babsthewonderful
59 Ok_Experience9994
60
61
62 Babsthewonderful
63 Ok_Experience9994
64
65
66 ScooterP73
67 Babsthewonderful
68
69
70
71 Babsthewonderful
72 Babsthewonderful
73
74
75
76
77
78 robob280

It's time for our first look at life on Earth! I hope everyone has been enjoying the story so far. As always, let me know your thoughts on the story so far. It's been a joy sharing it with you all.
[First] [Previous] [Next]
Memory transcription subject: UN Secretary-General Elias Meier Date [standardized human time]: July 13, 2136
Sometimes I wondered what Earth would be like had the Skalgans not landed here hundreds of years ago. Every UN summit these days seemed to involve settling some kind of dispute involving them. Whether it be accusations of resource theft, threats in response to those accusations, or disputes over succession, there was always something to resolve. There was rarely any actual conflict that occurred nowadays, but security had been required to break up a few squabbles in the past, often ones involving delegates charging each other.
Despite how rowdy they could be, they were stalwart allies. That stubbornness made them dependable to follow through with their alliances. Whether it was war, work, or simply having a dependable friend, it was hard to go wrong with them. They proved themselves early on in the history of their arrival.
I reminded myself of that as I listened to the leader of the Garian nation petitioning other nations for aid in their efforts to assemble yet another space shipyard. I was certain we had more than enough, but the Garian leader wouldn’t have anything less than ‘overwhelming force against potential threats’. An aspect of Skalgan culture that carried on since their arrival was their concern over the calamity that had brought them to Earth appearing once more from the heavens. It’d created a divide among the people, from those that felt we should isolate ourselves from the wider galaxy, to those that felt we should either find allies or track down this great threat to eliminate it. The exploratory mission we’ve sent out has certainly riled up the xenophobes, who felt we needed to prepare a grand fleet if we were gonna announce ourselves to the galactic stage.
An aid came and tapped me on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. “Sir.” She whispered. “I need you to come with me.”
If I was being called away, then it must have been an emergency. Nodding, I stood and followed here, my security detail trailing behind. We were only just walking up to the briefing room doors when I started hearing a very loud conversation. “-could be them! We need to start assembling ships immediately in case they-” I open the doors, interrupting whoever it was that was shouting. Scanning the room quickly, I saw that most of the people assembled were from several different space agencies, though there were also individuals from historical institutes and national militaries.
“Right, might I ask what has folks so riled up?” I asked.“The Odyssey crew made contact with extraterrestrials.” A short-haired woman in a leather jacket said, passing me a folder. I managed to catch her nametag, which read Dr. Kuemper, SETI. “They call themselves the Venlil, and going by appearances alone, seem to be related to the Skalgan. Not only that, but they’re a part of a Federation of hundreds of other species. Certainly more than we ever theorized.”
This news came as a shock. I flipped through the various pages and photos in the folder, taking in everything that's been gathered so far. There was a photo of one of the Skalgan astronauts next to a Venlil. Side by side, it was easy to see how one could assume they shared a similar lineage, despite some of their physical differences. If these were truly aliens related to the Skalgan, then their kind has survived the attack on their homeworld or at least escaped to a separate planet.
We’ve known that life existed at some point beyond our star system, but that was only known through the existence of the Skalgan. Even then, the nature of their origin took generations to fully understand. They crashed on earth during an age where we were still using muskets, a time when we didn’t even have a concept of electricity. They may have brought a technological boost with them, but without the means to reproduce or maintain it, much had deteriorated away, and that included the electronic data their ship carried. For all we knew, the Skalgan and their attackers were the only other life in the galaxy. They may have even gone extinct in the time it took us to achieve FTL flight.
“So we might have ourselves the Skalgan home planet and their long lost cousins. I hope that the presence of so many generals in this meeting isn’t a suggestion to invade.” I looked over all the individuals in military attire that were present.
Dr. Kuemper frowned. “The issue isn’t with the Venlil. It’s the Federation and their enemies. It’s a complicated mess. To start, the Federation is made up entirely of herbivores who are extremely xenophobic towards any meat consuming species.”
I look back down at the folder, leafing to a page about the Venlil society. It only took me a moment to spot the bold letters highlighting the fear and distrust they have towards, as they label them, predatory species. “Well, we must have done something right if we got far enough to exchange knowledge.”
“You can thank us for being there.” One of the Skalgan in the room spoke up, a general by the name of Ledric from the nation Rerig that sat on the western coast of North America. “The fact that we had a Skalgan among the crew made it easier for the Venlil to accept the human. They may have just shot the ship down had astronaut Noah not been there, or taken them prisoner, or done all sorts of horrible things!”
“I think it would be best if we did not worry about the what-ifs and instead think about the now.” I said, finally taking a seat at the table. “So the Skalgan look-alikes have a fear of meat eaters. Does this extend to the rest of their federation?”
“I’m afraid so.” The doctor said. “It seems like it’s actually a founding pillar of the Federation’s doctrine. The Arxur, the enemies of the federation, have been on a campaign of terror against them for several centuries. They’re responsible for the destruction of at least 62 planets and billions of lives.”
“Jesus Christ, please tell me you’re kidding.”
“I wish, sir. There’s a full brief on the page labeled ‘Arxur’ in your file. There’s also footage of them committing every war crime in the book. I mean, they literally eat children.”
“Well shit.” I sighed, barely having a moment to think before the Rerig general Ledric spoke up again. “These monsters eat sentient beings and keep people as livestock! They have to be the ones responsible for the original attack on our homeworld. It makes sense that the ‘wrath of the galaxy’ told in Skalgan mythos refers to them.”
“Can we be certain?” I asked Ledric. “I don’t doubt that this species is monstrous in nature, but I don’t know if any of the original records from the ships you arrived in have survived to this day to confirm that.”
“You’re right about that.” Another Skalgan spoke up, a historian from Rerig. “Surviving records are little more than fragments at best. Even electronic records can’t survive the decay that hundreds of years of time would bring. Without the proper understanding of how to properly preserve digital records, they broke down into little more than scrap metal over the centuries. We have no idea who those ships originally belonged to, where they came from, or how my people got ahold of them. Hell, we don’t even know if it was one or multiple species responsible for the attack on Skalga.”
I lightly nodded, thinking about the possible explanations. “What about the Federation? How do they play into this?”
“According to the records the Venlil provided, they had only just made initial contact with the Federation around the time the Skalgan landed on Earth.” Dr. Kuemper said. “It's a bit difficult to line up our timelines without exact dates. At best we can estimate by about a decade or so. It’s possible that the Skalgan acquired ships from the Federation. There’s also the possibility that the ships were Arxur cattle vessels that they managed to commandeer. There is also the possibility of an unknown group being involved, but so far there’s no evidence of that.”
There were a lot of hypotheticals being given, but no solid narrative so far. “I’d rather not make any major decisions till we know for certain what we’re dealing with. There’s also the matter of these physical differences between the Skalgan and Venlil, and the matter of the Federation's potential hostility to us humans. Are they aware of us?”
“Not yet.” Dr. Kuemper said. “Only the Venlil know of humans. The Federation only knows of the Skalgan for now.”
“Right… Well if they’re as hostile towards meat eaters as this report leads us to believe, we’re gonna have to figure out a way to break the news to them gently.”
“Why should we bother?” Ledric asked. “If the Federation was there when Skalga was attacked yet did nothing, why should we even try being friendly? Do they fear the Arxur so much that they wouldn’t intervene?”
“We shouldn’t be making assumptions like that.” I said. “We don’t know what happened all those centuries ago, and the last thing we want is to go accusing people of wrongdoings that they didn’t commit. I’d rather we make allies than enemies. And speaking of such matters, I believe the Venlil will be a good place to start. Their governor was willing to risk her position to keep us hidden. She and her people may be able to speak on our behalf, and their potential ties to Skalgan may further secure their trust. Not to mention that our best chance of learning about the origin of the Skalgan race would be in cooperation with them.”
“What of the Arxur?” Ledric spoke once more. “They’re clearly a threat to both their Federation and us. We should strike some of these livestock worlds as a show of our allegiance with the Venlil. That would also show this Federation that humans are an ally.”
I grimaced. We'd only just discovered life beyond our system and already we were talking war. Announcing a potential war with extraterrestrials would cause the divide between those for and against alien contact to widen even further. However, we couldn’t share the potential discovery of the Skalgan’s ancestors without including the threat that not just the Arxur posed, but the danger humans would be in if we made a mistake with introducing ourselves to the Federation. This whole situation was a minefield, and we were having to carefully pick our way through it.
“Lets start by releasing the findings and then judge our next course of action based on the public’s feedback. We need to be united on whatever decision we make, as this will affect all of us, both Humans and Skalgans. If the people just want to make allies, that’s what we’ll do. But if they want us to show we’re willing to fight for the Venlil and the Federation, then we’ll fight.”
An outside threat and long lost family would be powerful motivators to bring people together. I was fairly certain I knew already what the Skalgan’s position on this would be, but they weren’t on the potential firing line for their biology.
[First] [Previous] [Next]

I initially posted on personalfinance (https://www.reddit.com/personalfinance/comments/1cqtx36/contributing_to_an_hsa_as_an_independent/), but thought it may be appropriate to bring the issue up here after receiving some insight from a commenter.
The situation is basically as described in the other post. When I was hired, I negotiated to be a fully remote, full-time employee and let my company know at the very first interview that I would be working out of Washington state. They accepted, and my offer letter states that I am remote worker at a "mutually agreed to remote location."
Roughly 3 months after my hire date, my company got bought, and because the parent company is not incorporated in the state of Washington, I was told that I had to convert to an independent contractor role in order to continue working with them because they are moving all projects (including the one I'm on) to my parent company. I was told this last week, and I have been working as a full-time remote worker under my own company for over a year. My only other option would be to relocate to a state that the parent company is incorporated in, which I objected to because I don't want to move.
The commenter in my last post on personalfinance stated that the parent company does not, in fact, have to be incorporated in WA in order to employ me as a full-time W2 worker and that they could just apply for an Employer Identification Number (free in WA) to deal with state taxes.
My question is, is it true that the parent company does not have to incorporate in WA in order to keep me on as full-time? Would there be any reason why they absolutely must incorporate in order to allow me to work remotely here or why they can't/won't apply for an EIN?
Moreover, my supervisor has also told me via a video call while relaying this news that my role and everything else would essentially be the same, except that I'd have to file an invoice every 2 weeks and make my own benefits package, as contractors do. I feel like forcing me to convert to a 1099 under these conditions could be considered misclassification based on some of the other posts I've read. The project contract will be up around July of next year, and I'm wondering if they are trying to convert me (and one other person in a non-incorporated state) into a contractor role to avoid paying severance if they decided to let us go after the project concludes.
tl;dr, the quesitons are: 1) Should I ask my employer why they aren't able to apply for an EIN to keep me on as full-time, even if the parent company is not incorporated in WA?
2) If they say they can't apply for an EIN, can they terminate my employment if I refuse to convert to an independent contractor role or move to an "approved" state?

Here we go—I'm finally making a post!
So, after months of lurking (and a handful of half-written posts), I'm finally taking the plunge and giving this a shot. I know they say the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but in my case, it begins with a single post. So, here goes nothing, right? Haha.
What am I looking for?
In a nutshell—authentic, meaningful conversation. A few days ago, a few other faculty members and I met up for an evening out to celebrate the end of finals. A few of us stayed pretty late, pontificating about life, talking about the most random topics, and basically just enjoying each other's company. I don't know about you, but in today's world (where so many of us are glued to Zoom screens and remote work), we need more of that sort of dynamic—just genuine, authentic, long-form discourse. I like to believe with the right sort of person (and the right sort of conversational skills), you can cultivate that sort of vibe in online conversation.
For example, when I think back to the past, one of my favorite memories was a lengthy conversation I had with a random stranger at a cozy little coffee shop in a small town in Upstate New York. We talked about everything from philosophy to the best type of coffee beans. That's the sort of conversation I crave!
A bit about me:

• I'm 34, male, and work in higher education.
• I finished my doctorate a few years ago (Finally! I can now add "doctor" to my name without having to prescribe anything or perform surgery, haha — although that dissertation was brutal, just sayin').
• I love the outdoors and often take local day trips to explore new trails and scenic spots.
• I have a passion for photography, always trying to capture that perfect shot (though my cat remains a stubbornly uncooperative model).
• Journaling and poetry are my ways of reflecting and expressing my thoughts, even if my poems often end up sounding like Dr. Seuss after too much coffee.
• Long hikes are my therapy. Nature has a way of putting things into perspective.
• I have a knack for making terrible puns. Consider yourself warned.
• I like to pretend I'm a trivia night enthusiast, though my knowledge of obscure 90s cartoons is more impressive than practical.
• I'm convinced that breakfast foods are acceptable at any time of the day. Pancakes for dinner, anyone?
• I’ve been known to binge-watch documentaries about anything from space exploration to ancient civilizations.
• I’m a coffee enthusiast and love experimenting with different brewing methods and beans.
• I’m secretly training for the “Olympics of Procrastination,” and I’m a gold medal contender.
• I pride myself on my ability to parallel park in one go – a skill I wish I could add to my résumé.
• My superpower is finding the perfect GIF for any situation.

So basically...
I'm hoping to find thoughtful interactions with folks who genuinely want to discuss all that life has to offer. I'm drawn to people with a natural zest and curiosity for life, who embrace a growth mindset, and who value emotional intelligence and strong communication skills. Whether we're delving into deep philosophical questions or sharing our favorite recipes, I'm looking for someone who appreciates the beauty of a well-rounded, engaging conversation.
If this sounds like you, send me a chat message! I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

I had top surgery with Dr. Gast at UW Health in October 2022 and it's been a process of one annoyance after another since I first reached out to the clinic around Feb/March or 2021. I'll say that the results of my surgery seem technically okay, but I didn't get a single thing I asked for, despite her saying all of it would be possible during my consultations.
The first issues were after I got my letter of readiness (September 2021) and they started to run the surgery through my insurance. From then until around February/March, UW Health, myself, and my insurance (Aetna) went back and forth about whether the nipple graft would be covered by insurance. Aetna had a clear policy on which code to use to get it covered, but UW Health continuously refused to use that code and insisted it had to be a different code. In the end, I decided I wanted to just get the surgery done and agreed to pay UW Health's $3500 (cash, due upfront, no payment plan) option for out-of-pocket nipple graft.
I was doing FtNB, so I asked for slightly largefuller pecs and larger nipples/areolas both to look more androgynous and because I wanted to get my nipples re-pierced after the surgery. All of these points were reiterated at EVERY check-point including pre-surgery visits, consultations, and in the surgery prep room. The final result I have is completely flat pecs and nipples so small they barely even protrude from the skin, and UW Health is giving me the complete run around on trying to resolve. So the surgery is technically proficient, but not at all what I asked for in terms of results.
After the surgery when I started healing, I noticed my nipples and areolas seemed really small, but I know they can take time to protrude, so I waited around 9 months to set up a post-op consult to talk about revisions for the small dog ears and the small nipples. I was told this consult could be done as a video call (I don't live in Madison), so I scheduled the appointment, waited a few weeks, and had the call where Dr. Gast told me this could only be handled in person. So I had to make ANOTHER appointment, wait again, and drive out to Madison to get looked at.
During this in person appointment, Dr. Gast told me she could set up a revision surgery for the dog ears and ask a colleague about nipple fillers. She told me that if I was a candidate for the fillers, they would be free at their filler clinic.
After a few weeks, I hadn't heard anything back, so I reached out and she said the other doctor said I was a good candidate for fillers. So I try to schedule an appointment for the fillers, but now the nurses are telling me that:
1) I have to go have ANOTHER in-person consult with this other doctor (why wasn't I told this so I could have both consults back in October when I was there already??? They knew I wanted to talk about nipple filling options... No one can answer this...)
2) The consult will be separate from the procedure, so I'll also have to go back ANOTHER TIME to do that.
3) Instead of FREE as I was told both verbally and in a written message by Dr. Gast, I'm now being told the fillers will be some mystery price between $600 and several thousand dollars (which no one can tell me until after the procedure???). Remember this is ON TOP of the $3500 I paid to get nipples that are nothing like what I asked for...
I also asked before my surgery if revisions would be included and they said yes, but now that I need revisions the cost of everything is vague answers of a lot of money.
At this point I'm feeling like I should just either give up and be stuck with pecs/nipples I hate and constantly want to hide or find some other surgeon closer to home. If I have to pay for all the revisions either way, I might as well save myself all of the driving.

lost love spells in Australia-Best Love Spells That Work Fast & Easy 2024 are among others lost love spells in Usa cast online and in-store to bring back lost love spells in #24 hours!! simply email (intclairvoyant@gmail.com) Call/WhatsApp: +256755470380 return lost love spells even after all other spell casters have failed!! What are you waiting for?? lost love spells caster in Johannesburg https://powerfulspellspsychic.wordpress.com/ free lost love spells-"Allure Astrology," learn how casting ethical love spells is the perfect way to invite more positive energy into your relationship goals...lost love spells in Uganda. .lost love spells in south Africa lost love spells in Paris France //+256755470380// lost love spells in Singapore -lost love spells in USA lost love spells in Paris- love spells results in #24 hours
black magic lost love spell caster in Uganda +256755470380 how to restore with lost love spells@ Lithuania, India, China, Cuba, Uruguay, Turkey, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Morocco, Milan, Mali, Malawi, Mozambique, Mongolia, Thailand, Singapore, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Kenya, Chad, Nigeria, Senegal, Ivory coast, Cameroun, Togo, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Belize, Jamaica, Brazil, Seychelles, Mauritius 100% guaranteed results mudi spell homes WhatsApp +256755470380
love spell$ Online Best love spell decanter֍+256755470380 (MD , USA ) yet stimulating Love Spells IN Bridgeport CT, Baltimore, MD. 1.֍Get back Ex lover. get your Ex back https://rwenzoripsychics.myportmoni.com/
★ how to reuniting with lovers and make him or her- how to bring lost lover back my powerful bring back in Barbados, Saint Lucia, Palau Andora Tonga Dominica Bahrain Antigua and Barbuda Marshal Monaco Tuvalu Vatican City Nauru Liechtenstein Luxembourg Comoros Sao Tome and Principe Kiribati Samoa Cape Verde Trinidad and Tobago Brunei Cyprus Lebanon Qatar Vanuatu The Bahamas Eswatini Fiji Slovenia Kuwait El-Salvado Djibouti North Macedonia Haiti Burundi Equatorial Guinea Albania Solomon Islands Armenia Lesotho Belgium Moldova Estonia Costa Rica
lost love spells in Washington-We dug into the rich history of love magic to help you wrap your head around how it all works- Powerful Spell To Make Someone Love You((+256755470380 where to Find a spell to make someone love you or specific spells to bring ex back! // lost love spells in usa // lost love spells caster in New York // lost love spells in new york // lost love spells caster in Canada https://rwenzoripsychics.myportmoni.com/
lost love spells in Uk- Powerful Instant Best Love Spells©╬⓿ ☎(+256755470380) U.S.A, U.K, Australia, Singapore, Canada, South Africa, Uganda, Norway, Guam, Grenada, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria&))))
lost love spells in Texas //lost love spells in Norway- How to Make Someone Fall in Love with You//lost love spells in boston // lost love spells in dallas // lost love spells in london // are lost love spells caster in johannesburg cheap??
You are not recommended to try spells to bring a lover back if you are going through the following: You know that your relationship with your ex is toxic and the best painful option to take in this is to move on. It is not a good choice to be in a relationship that is un-natural, one that is built on witchcraft. The love spark as to be their at all times.
Even the most powerful love spell may not fulfill the things that are required for a real relationship to be in place. Love should be natural and if your partner looses interest in you, its better that you let them follow the heart. If one door closes, expect another open infront of you.
Therefore witchcraft or love spells should not be the ultimate solution to mending a broken heart in a relationship, one has to make love exist naturally by doing the right things to your partner, the things that will recapture the inner feelings of love and affection as you did in the start of the relationship.
Only if and when all has been tried and failed to work that one should order for my love spells that actually work, and indeed this will be the last nail in the coffin to fix your troubled relationship permanently.
asmr ariana grande avengers endgame ace family act up apex legends abc song aladdin 2024 ali a avengers endgame trailer amazon amazon prime https://lostlovespellz.wordpress.com/ american airlines airbnb aol mail amtrak apple abcya autozone aol airpods amazon gift cards aa batteries airpod case aaa batteries apple watch band 38mm air fryer apple watch apple watch band 42mm alexa american express accuweather bank of america best buy bryce harper bed bath and beyond billie eilish bitcoin barnes and noble Bosnia Herzegovina Georgia Ireland Sierra leone Brazil Benin Eritrea Honduras Liberia Bulgaria Guatemala South Korea Iceland Hungary Portugal Serbia United Arab Emirates Azerbaijan Serbia Panama Algeria Argentina Kazakhastan bing bb&t bloomingdales bluetooth headphones bluetooth earbuds baby wipes bluetooth headsets bluetooth speakers blood pressure monitor biotin bath bombs blender bubble wrap big lots bbc news britney spears bass pro shop belk baby shark blueface bts bill nye planet on fire blackpink bad bunny bye sister tati bruno mars bohemian rhapsody cardi b cocomelon city girls coryxkenshin ceeday cj so cool chris brown country music clout offset cardi b captain marvel craigslist chase costco capital one cnn cool math games credit karma calculator cvs comcast compression socks women cat litter collagen powder coconut oil condoms coffee grinder creatine crocs women can opener cbd oil craigslist dc chernobyl dry erase markers digital photo frame dog treats dishwasher pods dog bed dog toys diffusers for essential oils https://rwenzoripsychics.myportmoni.com/ dog harness dish soap dry shampoo david dobrik dolan twins drake shaman in uk da baby astrologer despacito dude perfect danielle cohn dantdm ddg darius garland doris day dominos dow jones dictionary detective pikachu dsw doordash dollar tree draft lottery 2024 docs delta airlines discover card login discord domino's pizza drudge report delta driving directions dropbox earbuds essential oils echo dot electric toothbrush extension cord essential oil diffuser external hard drive ear plugs earphones epsom salt ebay espn expedia etsy easter 2025 english to spanish enterprise elizabeth holmes emilia clarke epic games earth emma chamberlain eminem envy me endgame trailer ed sheeran ellen ella mai elmo email edible arrangements ebates enterprise car rental ebay motorsfacebook flights fox news food near me fortnite fashion nova fandango fedex forever 21 fedex tracking fire stick flowers for delivery prime fitbit fitbit charge 2 bands flowers fitbit versa bands food scale fan foam roller fanny pack funny videos fgteev future faze rug funnymike frozen 2 fearless flamingo faucet failure facebook log in to facebook friv facebook search frontier airlines fidelity gift cards for amazon gift card graduation party supplies 2019 gift cards for amazon birthday game of thrones merchandise grandma gifts gaming chair graduation gifts for her garden hose gel nail polish google gmail google translate google maps google classroom google docs game of thrones google flights google drive google slides gabriel zamora gacha life gods country gunna ghost recon breakpoint gypsy rose blancharde gummy bear song genius game grumps google search groupon home depot hotmail hulu harris teeter h&m hobby lobby harbor freight https://rwenzoripsychics.myportmoni.com/ hbo go hbo h&r block happier horses in the back halsey homicide logic happy birthday song high hopes hindi songs hit or miss hey julie h3h3 hdmi cable headphones hydro flask hummingbird feeder hangers hammock heating pad hand soap high waisted swimsuit howard stern comes again hsn hotels huffington post happy birthday it chapter 2 trailer i got the horses in the back imagine dragons i dont care ed sheeran iggy azalea itsfunneh i like it cardi b inside edition inquisitormaster i think moto moto likes you instagram indeed ikea iran ixl ihop icloud irs imdb iphone xr iphone charger iphone xr cases iphone 8 plus case iphone xr screen protector iphone xs max case iphone 7 case iphone x case iphone 8 case iphone 7 plus case iphone 6s case itunes illinois lottery images jcpenney jetblue jennifer aniston joann fabrics juegos friv jimmy john's menu jennifer lopez justice jeep jcp jumpsuits for women jojoba oil jump rope jewelry organizer jade roller jewelry cleaner journal juicer juul charger jewelry box james charles jeffree star jake paul james charles apology juice wrld joe vs james charles joe rogan jeffy jojo siwa j cole jordyn woods john wick 3 ja morant john durham jussie smollett jobs near me jimmy johns jeff bezos keto pills kindle fire kindle paperwhite e-reader keto snacks keto knee brace knife sharpener ketone strips keurig coffee maker kleenex tissues kohl's kahoot kayak kroger kim kardashian khan academy kelley blue book katy perry kizi kylie jenner kohls kevin durant keto diet kamala harris kings dominion keanu reeves kaiser permanente kodak black kevin gates kawhi leonard game winner khalid kids videos for kids kane brown kid cudi playboi carti kendrick lamar ksi lightning cable lingerie for women lol surprise dolls led strip lights laptop lg stylo 4 phone case laundry detergent effective sex love spells that really work how to cast an african love spell to get ex back how to cast an attraction love spell with candles how to cast black magic love spell with blood powerful witchcraft spells for love that work fast most effective witchcraft spells for love how to cast a beauty love spell strong effective sex love spells that really work powerful love spells in surrey, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire U.K liquid laundry basket lavender essential oil luggage tags linkedin lowe's home improvement lululemon louis vuitton lands end lord and taylor lady gaga lane bryant little caesars lexus lil baby logan paul lazarbeam lil nas x old town road lachlan lia marie johnson lil wayne lil uzi vert lil pump lil durk lowes lakers loft lebron james labcorp lindsey graham mothers day gifts for mom from daughter mothers day gifts for wife metal straws mothers day card micro sd card mouse pad maxi dresses for women makeup brush set mothers day flowers for delivery prime only mct oil murders on my mind music mrbeast maleficent 2 mo bamba marshmallow michael jackson middle child markiplier memes msn mapquest maps menards macy's mail mega millions winning numbers minecraft michaels mapquest driving directions macys momo mcdonalds march madness mega millions mlb scores nba youngboy nipsey hussle ninja nikita dragun nle choppa nicki minaj nelk nba draft lottery nba lottery 2019 nikocado avocado nba nba draft netflix nba lottery news https://lostlovespellz.wordpress.com/ nba playoffs nordstrom nba scores nba mock draft nintendo switch nespresso capsules nose hair trimmer no show socks women nintendo switch games nursing bra nintendo switch case nail clippers nespresso vertuoline pods night light nascar nike new york times neiman marcus national weather service old town road old town road billy ray cyrus olivia jade one punch man season 2 episode 6 ozuna old town road lil nas x lyrics offset oneplus 7 oneplus 7 pro ocean eyes outlook old navy office depot office 365 overstock orbitz olive garden olx oriental trading omegle opm outback oral b replacement brush heads one piece swimsuits for women office chair oh the places you'll go by dr. seuss oil diffuser outdoor rug ovulation test strips oculus quest outdoor string lights oral b electric toothbrush paper towels pop socket psn card digital code portable charger packing tape playstation card ps4 controller paper plates pregnancy test protein powder pinterest paypal pandora prodigy pizza hut powerball winning numbers pnc bank party city pottery barn petsmart powerball papa johns panera popeyes pooh pathology test arsenal pewdiepie pewdiepie vs t series peppa pig please me bruno mars post malone pop out projared paw patrol polo g panic at the disco queen quando rondo queen naija queen live aid 1985 full concert quin nfn qka ka shpija quavo quran tilawat quadeca queen don't stop me now qvc quizlet quest diagnostics quickbooks qvc shopping online quotes quill queen elizabeth qatar airways queen sheets q tips quest bars queen bed frame queen mattress qtips cotton swabs quest protein chips queen mattress protector qtips queen comforter set quizlet live quizizz quadratic formula quick draw roblox realtor restaurants redbox reverse phone lookup reddit rotten tomatoes royal caribbean rei regal cinemas redfin restaurants near me r kelly rj barrett ashida tlaib run 3 ryan's toy review robbery juice wrld rihanna rebecca zamolo r kelly interview roddy ricch rage 2 review ricegum reusable straws roku ring doorbell resistance bands ring light roku streaming stick rompers for women revlon one step hair dryer and styler rice cooker reusable produce bags southwest seth curry spotify https://rwenzoripsychics.myportmoni.com/ spanish to english staples safeway snake steph curry starbucks solitaire shane dawson songs sunflower post malone soph slime snl sicko mode shallow lady gaga ssundee sonic the hedgehog movie southwest airlines sam's club sears soundcloud shutterfly social security spirit airlines shower curtain shower curtain liner scale shoe rack summer dresses for women scrunchies for hair scrunchies swimsuits for women spray bottle sunglasses for women tim conway translate target twitter turbotax ted bundy trump tulsi gabbard thesaurus ticketmaster toilet paper teacher appreciation gifts https://lostlovespellz.wordpress.com/ toothpaste tea tree oil teeth whitening tide pods trash bags thank you cards tapestry travel accessories tati t series tana mongeau trisha paytas tati and james charles drama thotiana blueface tim conway dentist taki taki try not to laugh tim conway elephant travelocity traductor tractor supply tmz twitch tripadvisor us trailer undisputed upchurch us unspeakable usher ufc unthinkable smiley unspeakablegaming un poco loco usb c cable umbrella usb flash drive usb hub unicorn gifts unicorn party supplies usb extension cable usb wall charger uber gift card unicorn united airlines usps ups tracking usaa ulta uber usa today urban dictionary us map united usps tracking uber stock us movie uber eats usa jobs erizon wireless verizon vrbo victoria's secret vanguard Casting a Spell on Someone to Make This Person Love You https://sheikhabdulkarimspellscaster.wordpress.com/ vistaprint vans venus vimeo vera bradley vitamin d vacuum cleaner vitamin c serum vitamin c visa gift card vitamin e oil velcro strips with adhesive vital proteins collagen peptides vitamin d3 vape pen vines vanossgaming vy qwaint venom vice veronica wang vicente fernandez vamos pa la playa valuable pain vines that keep me from ending it all verizon fios venezuela virginia tech dmv weather walmart warriors washington post wayfair weather dc wells fargo walgreens washington gas washington capitals whatsapp web white pages wikipedia webmd weight watchers wireless earbuds wireless headphones water bottle waist trainer wireless mouse womens tops weighted blanket where the crawdads sing waterpik wireless charger wwe worth it wow post malone without me halsey without me wild n out wheels on the bus wow wrong wiz khalifa https://rwenzoripsychics.myportmoni.com/
https://sheikhabdulkarimspellscaster.wordpress.com/
https://lostlovespellz.wordpress.com/
love spells that work instantly love spells that work in 24 hours love spells that work immediately love spells that work immediately without ingredients love spells that work immediately free love spells that work in 24 hours free love spells that work in minutes love spells that work instantly free binding love spells that work fast binding love spells that work fast free best love spells that work love spells that simple work for beginners best love spells that work free free love spells that work instantly for beginners free love spells that work instantly for beginners without ingredients love spells that work overnight free love spells that work overnight free love spells that work overnight without ingredients simple love spells that work overnight
Email: [intclairvoyant@gmail.com](mailto:intclairvoyant@gmail.com) [spellsherb22@gmail.com](mailto:spellsherb22@gmail.com)

TL;DR Husband [36] doesn’t help me [40F] with cleaning and pet care; he is damaging himself (and, by extension, me) financially; he’s possibly addicted to video games, and barely talks/spends time with me. Almost dead bedroom.
Note: obvious throwaway account
I’m embarrassed because I’ve seen this question posed in this sub So. Many. Times.
I broke this into sections to avoid a long wall of text and backstory. Please forgive any errors (spelling, grammar), I'm not in the mood for editing.
We've been together in June 2017, married in October 2022.

Cleaning: He is a slob. Even his dad admitted this to me. His parents almost never forced him to clean, so he doesn’t understand that maintaining a home is part of being an adult. I’m not a neat freak. I enjoy dedicating one day (usually a Saturday) to cleaning the house. This hasn’t been feasible in the last 1-2 years because I suffer from chronic back pain brought about by the breakdown of my SI joints, and it's gotten worse.
I have to force him to help me clean the house. Sometimes he does it on his own (i.e., dishes). But 98% of the time, it falls on my shoulders. Before you ask, I’ve done the thing where I put off cleaning as long as possible to force him to do it. It doesn’t work. We just get a mountain of dishes in the sink, a floor covered with dirty clothes, and a gross bathroom. I’ve tried teaching him how to do it, but sometimes I feel like he’s weaponizing incompetence.
When I ask him, “Hey, can you do XYZ today?” He “forgets.”
I can’t have any family or friends over because the house is always disgusting.

Pets: He barely helps with our pets. He’ll forget to feed and water them. I have to force him to help with the cat box. He is fine letting the poop and pee mount up until the whole house stinks. This is troublesome for me because of my chronic back pain. It makes changing the cat box upstairs difficult. That being said, when I do ask his help, he’s (usually) good about helping.

Gaming: I think he’s addicted to gaming. He gets home around 1045pm. He’ll ask me, “How are you doing?” and play with one of the dogs for a bit. Then he goes upstairs and plays games until 2am-3am in the morning. At this point, I’m asleep. On his days off, if I don’t plan for us to do something, he’ll sit up there all day long. If it’s not gaming, he’s chatting with his friends online; we barely talk. When we first moved in together, he was good about maintaining a healthy balance. Now, he doesn’t even try. Of course he claims that he doesn't have a problem.

Finances
He is financially unfaithful. To those who haven’t heard this, financial infidelity is when a person hides or downplays finances. Sometimes he just doesn’t pay bills. Granted, they’re his own bills, but it’s putting us in a really bad position financially. He recently got a registered letter from a company demanding that he pay them. They've even threatened to put a lien on the house.

Relationship: He puts in 120% at work, but less than 40% at home.
He won’t spend time with me unless I force him to. I ask if he could sit with me when he gets off from work and talk or have a chat on his days off. His response, “People actually do that? What are we going to talk about? I don’t just sit down and talk to people.”
I ask him if he wants to do , and his response is “meh.” Literally. Or he subtracts the “m,” and just says “eh.” He only spends time with me if “I” find us something to do, but only if it interests him. Even when he suggests things for us to do together, it’s only stuff he wants to do, such as gaming, going to the range, joining a DND group, and such. He has zero interest in what I have going on.
Even when we go out to eat, he’s always on his phone. This forces me to be on my phone because, otherwise, I’m just talking to a brick wall.
We have a relatively dead bedroom, but I can’t say it’s all his/my fault. We both take meds for mental health that makes it difficult. Also, sex with him has become painful. That being said, sometimes I wonder if it's me. Maybe he just doesn't want me anymore.

As a result, I’ve started fantasizing about moving out and being in my own apartment. Just me, dogs, and cat. A place I can keep cleaning, fill with all my stuff, and not have to worry about whether our house is gonna have a lien put on it. I honestly don’t know what to do.

So why don’t you just get divorced? (in no particular order)
1. His family has become my family. I have a barely tolerable relationship with my parents. My brother has his own family/life to deal with. I see his parents as my parents. Every holiday with them is magic. If we divorce, I’ll have no one.
2. Our house needs work before we can sell it and make any type of profit.
3. I mean, I do still love him. I just don’t like him.
4. I’m 40, which means it’ll be hard for me to find a relationship, especially since I don’t want kids.
I guess, what I'm asking is... should I hold out hope? I'm considering marriage counseling, but will it do any good? Will it even help if he won't even sit down and talk with me? Am I just wasting my time? I've been crying more than usual, and I don't think I can handle much more.

Item Name/Set Number(s): Kanan’s Speeder Bike (75141)
REMINDER: NO COMMENTS IN PAYMENTS OR INSTA-BAN!
Lego Price: $80
Shipping: 12 x 7 x 5, 3lb USPS 94530 to 33031, Insured = $19
Raffle Total/Spots: $99- 99 @ $1ea
Price justification? BE
Call spots? Yes
Spot limit per person? No
Duration of spot limit? N/A
Location (Country): USA
Will ship international? No, sorry.
Timestamp/pics: https://imgur.com/a/UkjDzoY
Description: Good ole Kanan (the brown hair variety)
Payment required w/in 15 minutes of raffle filling.

PayPal Info: [REDACTED]
Cash App Info: [REDACTED]
​
Tip BlobAndHisBoy
Number of vacant slots: 0
Number of unpaid users: 0
Number of unpaid slots: 0
This slot list is created and updated by The EDC Raffle Tool by BlobAndHisBoy.
1 DrSeussFreak PAID
2 DrSeussFreak PAID
3 Fluffy-Run-6861 PAID
4 DrSeussFreak PAID
5 Fluffy-Run-6861 PAID
6 Fluffy-Run-6861 PAID
7 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
8 timk-14 PAID
9 DrSeussFreak PAID
10 legoislifey PAID
11 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
12 thedeanorama PAID
13 robob280 PAID
14 DrSeussFreak PAID
15 DrSeussFreak PAID
16 thedeanorama PAID
17 DrSeussFreak PAID
18 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
19 DrSeussFreak PAID
20 DrSeussFreak PAID
21 thedeanorama PAID
22 Fluffy-Run-6861 PAID
23 thedeanorama PAID
24 timk-14 PAID
25 robob280 PAID
26 DrSeussFreak PAID
27 thedeanorama PAID
28 thedeanorama PAID
29 thedeanorama PAID
30 robob280 PAID
31 robob280 PAID
32 DrSeussFreak PAID
33 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
34 robob280 PAID
35 Fluffy-Run-6861 PAID
36 DrSeussFreak PAID
37 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
38 Fluffy-Run-6861 PAID
39 DrSeussFreak PAID
40 thedeanorama PAID
41 DrSeussFreak PAID
42 robob280 PAID
43 thedeanorama PAID
44 timk-14 PAID
45 DrSeussFreak PAID
46 thedeanorama PAID
47 timk-14 PAID
48 thedeanorama PAID
49 DrSeussFreak PAID
50 DrSeussFreak PAID
51 thedeanorama PAID
52 thedeanorama PAID
53 legoislifey PAID
54 DrSeussFreak PAID
55 thedeanorama PAID
56 timk-14 PAID
57 DrSeussFreak PAID
58 thedeanorama PAID
59 thedeanorama PAID
60 robob280 PAID
61 thedeanorama PAID
62 DrSeussFreak PAID
63 legoislifey PAID
64 DrSeussFreak PAID
65 robob280 PAID
66 DrSeussFreak PAID
67 DrSeussFreak PAID
68 thedeanorama PAID
69 legoislifey PAID
70 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
71 DrSeussFreak PAID
72 thedeanorama PAID
73 thedeanorama PAID
74 thedeanorama PAID
75 thedeanorama PAID
76 timk-14 PAID
77 thedeanorama PAID
78 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
79 DrSeussFreak PAID
80 timk-14 PAID
81 timk-14 PAID
82 thedeanorama PAID
83 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
84 DrSeussFreak PAID
85 legoislifey PAID
86 timk-14 PAID
87 thedeanorama PAID
88 therontheteej PAID
89 thedeanorama PAID
90 thedeanorama PAID
91 robob280 PAID
92 thedeanorama PAID
93 thedeanorama PAID
94 DrSeussFreak PAID
95 thedeanorama PAID
96 timk-14 PAID
97 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
98 BrianBoyFranzo PAID
99 DrSeussFreak PAID

Is dr toor invitation letter a red flag for visa ?

delusion

“delulu” moment, on the other hand, refers to “odd behavior but doesn't necessarily indicate a mental illness,” explains Minaa B. “An example may be if a celebrity follows an influencer's Instagram account, and the influencer begins spreading rumors the celebrity has a crush on them,” she says...Being “delulu” is not inherently bad...When done right, being delulu is not only safe but also healthy! In fact, Dr. Hoffman recommends practicing delulu thinking." https://www.verywellmind.com/should-you-embrace-delulu-thinking-8628811

violent doctors

malta psychiatrist "charged with domestic violence and harassment of his ex-partner." https://timesofmalta.com/article/psychiatrist-charged-domestic-violence.1092362

unhelpful

"United States Senate Commission on Mental Health Act of 2024, the goal would be to provide congress and the president independent policy recommendations by experts to improve access and affordability of mental health care services." https://www.wfmj.com/story/50774071/senator-fetterman-cosponsors-bill-to-establish-us-commission-on-mental-health poison pills will be more affordable when new york's 60,000 involuntary patients become voluntary and choose to spend less on drugs.

podcast

"explain a concept related to the commitment process in three minutes or less." https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/wyefbz5x2pwptz4w/CC_Teaser.mp3

Due Process

n.y. times doesn't believe in constitutional right to a trial for any poison or electrocution. they need to learn what conflicts of interest are.

war zones

“If you go see a psychologist, it’s because you’re ‘crazy,’ and ‘crazy’ people are really discriminated against in Haiti,” he said." https://www.wral.com/story/violence-is-traumatizing-haitian-kids-now-the-countrys-breaking-a-taboo-on-mental-health-services/21428131/ Trauma is a normal reaction to being shot at. The quacks should be security guards.

nature

"denial of fresh air and outdoor access to individuals receiving psychiatric treatment in hospitals operated by NYC Health and Hospitals (H+H)...in jail or prison, they would instead be guaranteed the right to regular outdoor access." https://www.bkreader.com/health-wellness/patients-deprived-of-outdoor-access-at-city-run-psychiatric-hospitals-8709015

antipsychotic warning

"Warning letters to primary care physicians (PCPs) regarding overprescription of quetiapine were helpful in reducing overprescribing of this agent, new research suggested." https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/do-antipsychotic-overprescribing-warning-letters-work-2024a1000928

talk therapy

"This editorial will focus on reviewing the psychological and psychosocial interventions that have been developed for psychosis...clinical outcome for people with schizophreniform illnesses has shown little demonstrable improvement." https://journals.lww.com/amhe/abstract/2014/15020/improving_access_to_psychosocial_interventions_for.5.aspx

overdose

singapore, "Mr Quek died of multiple organ failure four days after the last of these prescriptions was issued in 2012. He was 50 years old. The final prescription included a daily dosage of 60mg of antidepressant medication mirtazapine, which Dr Ang acknowledged went to the “edge of the killing range." https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/psychiatrist-found-guilty-of-misconduct-over-prescriptions-that-deviated-from-guidelines

mediation

"Family Members at One Another’s Throats? Call In the Mediator." The only reason I was false arrested is parents' hate crimes. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/health/elder-care-family-mediators.html

baker act

florida, "from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, there were 174,450 involuntary examinations statewide." https://www.naplesnews.com/story/news/local/2024/05/13/where-in-florida-are-the-most-involuntary-holds-for-mental-health/73517160007/

First time posting anything in Reddit. Seemed like as good a time as any as I'm really struggling with how to deal with a devastating situation with my mom! This is a long one but I need to get it out there. I'm heartbroken and out of options, as is my whole family.
In the middle of the night after Easter Sunday, I got a call at 3am in the morning from mom telling me that my dad "finally did it - he tried to kill me." She was in the hospital and physically speaking, unharmed. She told me my dad was arrested and in the psych ward and that she needed to go as the doctors were checking up on her. Thankfully by the time I got off the phone, my dad had responded to a text I'd sent him saying what in the world is going on, saying that he had to call 911 on her; he was at home and safe by that point.
He'd woken up at 2am their time and had noticed she had left the house in her car. After a quick review of her iPhone location, he noticed she was at a house they had rented a number of years earlier. He drove over and could see her sitting on the couch, apparently alone. He tried tapping on the window thinking perhaps she was confused and didn't know where she was and had wandered in. She saw him but then looked away and moved to another room. Finally, he realized he needed to knock on the door. He knew the couple that lived there casually and explained she'd been struggling recently. The husband told him he didn't know what to think at first when she said he had tried to kill her, but quickly realized something wasn't right. He had already called 911. My dad also called 911 because she wouldn't leave with him and he didn't know what else to do.
When the police arrived, they quickly realized something was very wrong with my mom and that my dad didn't pose any threat to her (she admitted right away that he was sleeping when she left). She was moved to the hospital and my dad went home. At the hospital, they found her to be extremely manic - paranoid, delusional, hyperverbal. They (meaning multiple psychiatrists after examination and discussion with me and my dad) put her on an involuntary 72 hold under the state's emergency hold act for someone who was a danger to themselves or others (she was deemed to be a danger to herself because she had no insight into her situation and couldn't take care of herself).
After the 72 hours, they decided they needed to continue to hold her as she was still paranoid and delusional, as well as exhibiting signs of dementia. Once we were finally able to talk to a couple doctors live and get some very preliminary indications that she was suffering from progressive dementia and some form of delirium/psychosis, I was able to join my dad to try and figure out next steps. It became clear over the course of the next 10-11 days, that we were going to have to move her into memory care, so that's what we did. Signed a contract with as nice a place as we could find, hired a concierge psychiatrist billed as one of the best in the state, hired an elder care attorney and also an advocate to help my dad navigate the situation.
We received word (after following up day after day with very little communication) that she would be released from the psychiatric ward mid-week and arranged for her to be taken directly to the memory card facility based on doctor's advice. Despite a hiccup where she talked the driver into bringing her home first, where I luckily just happened to be eating lunch, we got her checked into the facility (I told her it was either back to the psych ward or to the facility and she happy complied). Problem was - she didn't realize it was memory care and it only took about four hours before the phone calls started about how awful the place was, how she had to get out, the place wasn't safe, I was a bad son, my dad was evil, etc. etc.
As an aside, up to this point, we thought we had done just about everything by the book. Ironically, it was my mom who insisted some number of years ago that she and my dad should get long term care insurance in addition to executing both health care representative POAs and financial POAs. After talking with the elder law attorney, we felt we had 99% of what was needed to at least take some of the strain out of the situation. He did say that if the proverbial shit hit the fan, the POAs might not be enough and that we'd need full legal guardianship, but he felt pretty good that we could do what the doctors were advising us to do and get her into a structured facility, at least for the time and try to get her stable. If we could get her 30 days of very structured care, the doctor told us that there's always a chance she could respond well. ("Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst" in his words.)
And that's where things fell apart. Even though the psychiatrist/MD realized very quickly that she was suffering from some form of moderate to severe dementia, my mom is very high functioning and began plotting almost immediately to get out of the facility despite our insistence that she needed the 24/7 care at least for the time being. She was calling everyone she knew - friends, other family, other doctors etc., insisting that she was fine; it was my dad who needed help, and that she needed out right away.
The above had become a familiar refrain over the last 12-18 months. It started innocently enough when my mom had made a comment that she was a little afraid of my dad because he'd gotten angry one evening. I took it very seriously and asked her to take me through what had happened. Apparently they'd gotten into a minor argument at one point over something trivial. My mom kept needling him on the issue and he eventually pounded his fist on the table (completely out of character for him) and it had rattled her. I explained to my mom that I took this seriously and I'd talk with him to make sure everything was ok. I did confront him and he was honest - said he lost his temper but that mom was just on him 24/7 about things that were either minor or simply not true. She claimed he played golf every day when in reality he played maybe 2-3 times a month (he's retired so I'm not sure what would be wrong with playing everyday but I guess that's besides the point). She would get pissed at him for being gone for too long but she'd also get pissed for him not going out and finding things today. There was a lot of this.
From that point, things got worse - she had a surgery in September of last year where she underwent general anesthesia and that really seemed to light a fire under the symptoms. She began to withdraw even further from social activities. She wasn't sleeping much at night; hardly eating. The accusations against my dad got bigger and bolder (he had a girlfriend that was 40 years younger than him; he'd bought a boat among them). None of these things were true. My brother went to stay with my folks for a few months - he wanted to spend time with them in any event, but we also thought it would be good for him to see the dynamic up close. Maybe our dad was doing some things he shouldn't? Maybe he needed to adjust his behavior? Well, after three months, my brother could tell something was seriously wrong with my mom. She was not herself and things were getting worse.
Three days before the Easter Sunday where it all went south, my mom was supposed to come up to where my wife and I live and go into assisted living for 30-60 days. She wanted to do it and we were excited because we thought it would give us a chance to have some objective views from the staff on what might be going on. We thought dementia was a real possibility because her own primary care doctor had suggested for at least 12 months that she get tested but she'd canceled no less than three appointments (the last two literally as they were getting in the car). For reasons that still aren't entirely clear, she canceled at the last minute. Even though my wife and I had made the arrangements and had everything essentially ready to go, my mom insisted on trying to plan with the facility as well and some wires got crossed on trivial things. It seems those things caused her to be suspicious and start to believe we were "trying to put her away." Again though, this was her idea.
It was the period between the cancellation and Easter Sunday that things just spiraled. My wife and I, among others, were getting texts and phone calls in the middle of the night, all night during those three to four days. They were increasingly paranoid and unhinged, linking my dad to the husband of a family friend who'd committed suicide. Saying he was a narcissist, just like my dad. Many things that simply were not at all in line with the character of my dad (and not just according to me but everyone who ever knew him and knew him well). When she began to bring up the fact that she thought the friend's husband had killed her, I knew things were bad. I suggested my dad get out of the house and give her some space. I was worried about both of them. She's tiny but you never know. I also didn't want my dad arrested or put into a situation where the stress can be overwhelming - he's got a bard heart. So he did leave the day before Easter, even though he totally discounted my concern.
The reason he came back on Easter Sunday was because she asked him to. She wanted to celebrate and see the dog. By all accounts, they had a nice evening and even watched a movie together before he went to bed. And then she decided to get in her car, drive 80 miles to a house they used to live in and tell the shocked couple that my dad was trying to kill her!
So, she's in the memory care facility after her release from the psychiatric hold and as excruciatingly difficult as it was to put here there, we felt it was necessary, at least until the paranoia subsided. I stayed for three days and visited her each day. She'd fluctuate between telling me I was an awful son, rehashing all the "documentation" she had on how horrible the doctors and my dad are, and then saying how she didn't want to ruin the family and we could all work it out. My brother stayed for another few days after I left and then had to get back home. He received similar treatment. We mistakenly thought we had things under control until she decided to write a very thoughtfully crafted letter stating explicitly that she requested release from the facility, nothing that she was "of sound mind and body."
The doctor, the facility and our attorney explained that they could no longer keep her there. We understood the limits of the POA, but this was hard to fathom. We had mounds of doctor's evidence from the psychiatric ward and the new doctor pointing to not only advanced dementia, but also stating that she was unable to care for herself and needed round the clock supervision from someone other than my dad. It wasn't enough. We needed a new plan. The doctor was clear that my dad couldn't stay with her and take care of her, so I looked into 24/7 hour nursing. I had no idea how much it cost and when I realized that $28k or so a month would be needed, we realized there no way we could cover this for any significant period of time, even with a portion offset by long term care.
We were lucky enough to have a family member that was a former nurse who was willing to come down for a time to stay with my mom. The good news was by this point, my mom did hear one thing from her doctor - that she needed "24/7 care," so we explained that we'd get her home on two conditions - (1) we had to wait till the family friend could get into town; and (2) she needed to do the doctor recommended cognitive evaluation with a neuropsychologist. She agreed to both.
The day after she did her neuro exam, she went home with our family member and has been home now for over a week. My dad has been couch surfing, trying to keep it together. It took a week but we received the neuro results and they confirmed what we thought we already knew but were nonetheless still devastating - severe vascular dementia. This, combined with an MRI they had done in the psychiatric ward, were enough for the doctors to recommend we pursue guardianship because she doesn't have capacity and can't make any of her own decisions, which we're doing now on an expedited basis. In the meantime, my mom has been up and down at home, and my dad has ridden the waves with her. He'll think she's turning a corner with a nice text or two to him but it will turn out she just wants help with her phone and if he spends a bit of time with her, she'll eventually turn on him - back to the same accusations. She's also taken some of his things and thrown them out near the trash, including his pacemaker monitor.
A couple days back, the neuro doctor walked my mom through her report and despite all the evidence to the contrary, my mom told me the report was "GREAT" (she noted she doesn't have Alzheimer's, which it seems is true, but vascular is no better from what I can tell; and perhaps worse in ways!). Given she was able to sit with the doctor and hear the results firsthand, I thought I could explain to her the severity of what was going on and why we needed to get her the care she needs but she just won't hear it. She thinks the doctors have told her she can either go into Assisted Living or get 24/7 care - that's not true at all. I've tried to explain that those two things are mutually exclusive, but again, she's not having it. She wants no part of memory care and believe me, if there was any way we could do this without having to put her into memory care, at least for some period of time, my whole family would be all for it. We don't see any alternative at this point.
The horrible thing is that if she won't go voluntarily, I think our only option is to call 911 and have her taken in once the guardianship has gone through. This breaks all of our hearts. I don't think my dad can do it. I don't know if I can do it but I know I may have to do it. My only solace is that our family member with her now says her quality at life at home right now is not good. She is either shuffling around the house "organizing" at all hours of the day and night, or on her phone (we believe making notes to herself that we're not sure she even saves). We all believe that in a facility over time, she may begin to socialize better and given how high functioning she is, even find some purpose and meaning in helping folks out who are suffering differently than she is. She's always been generous with her time and service-oriented (until this disease started to take all of that away a couple years back now that we realize what it was). We also think she'd benefit from excursions with us and others out of the facility for meals/events etc. if we can get her more stable.
I've read some incredible stories in these threads but wanted to share ours in the case it could help someone who might be going through the same things but also to see if there's anything we're missing? We feel we've explored every feasible option and our hands are tied at this point. I'm sick to my stomach all day long worrying about this and wake up almost every night trying to decide what to do. It's taken over all our lives. I welcome any feedback.
(*Note that I haven't given a ton of detail on the behavioral issues but suffice it to say that there's no possibility that my dad could look after her, at least right now. It's not safe for either her or him for the same reasons it wasn't that Easter Day. I also worry about any other caregiver as each person who has tried to help has become the subject of her ire and if they don't bend to her every request - take her to superfluous dr appts, hair appts, the phone store to check her phone which she never thinks is working properly, etc. - they will have hell to pay for some period of time.)

more info here
https://www.reddit.com/DebtAdvice/comments/17kyud9/should_i_let_my_debt_go_through_into_collection/
despite attempting to pay off a debt after a payment plan months ago, for the first time ever, the company said they had my card info and just needed the confirmation from me and everything would go through. Weirdly no way to record it as an event that took place
this IS a process i've done before regularly elsewhere. Difference is theres only ever been one specific person i call who deals with all this stuff, they have a name and give out a receipt once the process is complete. Very normal and professional.
fast forward to now and i got a letter in the mail of an overpayment existing on the account. i'm told please find a refund check in the amount of the overpayment.
I'm asking here first before jsut calling them because Since day 1 anytime i've been told that they'll handle the rest and leave them to their buisness, nothing gets done and go worse for me if i don't do my own sleuthing. So what am i supposed to do?
TL;DR
Weirdly no way to record a monthly payment of a debt as an event that took place
now i have a letter in the mail about an overpayment on the account
Do i pay?
do they pay?
How do i get them to pay? Even so, while i probably have the money, i DEFINITELY had it THEN.
hence why i wanted to pay while i had the extra income. Now money is tight and and i desprately need for the doctors and to get medicine i literally need to live. So i can't so easily just give out on a whim.
And with a company so sketchy and mismanged it's hard to guage if that would even end things for me or not.

more info here
https://www.reddit.com/DebtAdvice/comments/17kyud9/should_i_let_my_debt_go_through_into_collection/
despite attempting to pay off a debt after a payment plan months ago, for the first time ever, the company said they had my card info and just needed the confirmation from me and everything would go through. Weirdly no way to record it as an event that took place
this IS a process i've done before regularly elsewhere. Difference is theres only ever been one specific person i call who deals with all this stuff, they have a name and give out a receipt once the process is complete. Very normal and professional.
fast forward to now and i got a letter in the mail of an overpayment existing on the account. i'm told please find a refund check in the amount of the overpayment.
I'm asking here first before jsut calling them because Since day 1 anytime i've been told that they'll handle the rest and leave them to their buisness, nothing gets done and go worse for me if i don't do my own sleuthing. So what am i supposed to do?
TL;DR
Weirdly no way to record a monthly payment of a debt as an event that took place
now i have a letter in the mail about an overpayment on the account
Do i pay?
do they pay?
How do i get them to pay? Even so, while i probably have the money, i DEFINITELY had it THEN.
hence why i wanted to pay while i had the extra income. Now money is tight and and i desprately need for the doctors and to get medicine i literally need to live. So i can't so easily just give out on a whim.
And with a company so sketchy and mismanged it's hard to guage if that would even end things for me or not.