Pain buttock down leg

I’m trapped. I can hear that thing lumbering through the hallway. My God, what the hell is it? I’m trying my best to keep quiet but I can’t help but whimper. The soft scratching of my pencil on this notepad sounds deafening in the quiet of this tiny closet. I’m almost certainly gonna die in this place. I just hope someone can find this, maybe it will do some good. Or maybe it already doesn’t matter. I’m not sure how long I have until that wheezing thing finds me. Oh God, or that grey stuff might ooze under the door and dissolve me. Oh my God! What it did to Benny, Bill, Jonesy and Donald! To all of them! Even if I don’t survive, the world needs to be warned!
Long story short, I was a cop but I got shot in the head. The doctors said I was lucky, that it went straight through without hitting anything vital. However, I still needed three steel plates to hold my fragmented skull together. Also ended up with permanent tremors in my right hand from brain damage. So it’s no surprise that my cop career didn’t thrive. Just a year later I was a “retired” 45-year-old cop, living on scraps. After a few months, I started to get desperate for work. One evening at my pub, my friend, Graham, mentioned an acquaintance who was looking for employees for some private research institute in the Mojave Desert. “What, are they still blowing A-bombs out there?” I scoffed, eyebrows arched with bemused incredulity. Graham stared down at his beer, “Not sure what the hell they do. But they pay super well, so who cares,” he took a long sip of beer, foam clinging to his lips, “I think it would be a good fit for you”.
Turns out this facility, and it really is known as the “Facility”, was located in the middle of nowhere. When I looked it up online I couldn’t find any information. Later that week I called the number that Graham had scrawled down for me on a beer stained napkin. My right hand was useless to me if I wanted it to do anything that required fine motor function, so when I dialed the number on my phone I had to use my left hand. The phone rang twice before a metallic feminine voice answered and said to hold for an operator. After a few seconds of muted elevator music, I spoke to a soft voiced man who told me my skill set was perfect for their current vacancy: a security management position. He said if I filled out some forms they would pay for me to fly on out for an interview in person.
One month and several NDAs later, I was employed again! By the time I started my new job I realized I had no idea what research went on down here. During the interviews my duties as a security manager had been discussed but any mention of their actual research interests had been carefully avoided, redacted or omitted. The security staff were also told to avoid fraternizing with anyone not from their own department, including security personnel from other sections of the Facility. On my first day I asked others about the nature of the Facility’s research, but no one had any interest. “Just stick to your contract. No point in rocking the boat,” my new boss, Bill, said to me curtly. So since then I’ve not discussed it with anyone else.
If only I had, maybe I would have seen this coming. The section of the Facility which I managed was section B.15. This area, like most of the core Facility, was located several hundred feet below the sun scorched surface of the Mojave Desert and comprised many green painted corridors peppered with tall, wide doors made from dark, stainless steel. The rooms inside were large and sterile. Artefacts were cleaned and studied in these rooms after they were brought from the excavation sites (sites E.1 through E.27). Of course, whether we wanted to know the nature of the research or not, eventually, after patrolling some of the research labs for weeks, it wasn’t difficult to figure out that the scientists were mostly archeologists or paleontologists. I would often find objects of different sizes and shapes lying around in various states of cleanliness. Some looked like ancient amphoras, or large stone bird baths. Others were less identifiable: a chipped statue, a melted lump of some unidentifiable metal or large chunks of a glass-like material. I found this all extremely curious because, as far as I knew, the Mojave Desert didn’t have much in the way of ancient architecture. At least of any ancient civilization that I know.
As the months went by I started to get friendly with the other guards, most of them ex-cops too, and we started playing cards and drinking Irish coffee in the evenings. My two main colleagues consisted of a jovial, short man with orange hair named Jonesy and a much older much grumpier and much balder man, Donald. They were good men and we had a lot of laughs together. My stomach twists when I think about where they are now. Though I grew fonder of my fellow guards, I found myself developing a severe dislike for the white coated researchers. Most of them were pernicious and arrogant. The only scientist my security buddies and me could stand was a scrawny man named Benny. Our favorite thing about Benny was that he never talked about his work.
It was earlier today, at around 1400h, when all the scientists were running from their rooms. They must have received some message a few minutes before and we watched them from the surveillance monitors as they got all excited and leapt up. Their lab coats flapped and flowed around as they jumped to their feet and made for the main exit. Soon after this the large red landline phone near my video surveillance desk began to ring. Expecting the call, I picked up the receiver before the first ring finished, “Hey boss, what’s all the excitement about?” Bill’s voice was uncharacteristically hesitant “The diggers have found a friggin’ huge object out here! The biggest thing they’ve ever dug up, it’s really irregular. They want to bring it to B.15 and I need you to organize the logistics and security”. My brow furrowed, “I guess it’s too big for the main entrance? Maybe we could bring it in via the big doors of the auxiliary hangar?” Bill grunted with agreement, “Yea, we’ll have to improvise a bit but should be manageable. I have no idea what it is… well you’ll see for yourself. I’ll get some of the boys from B.14 to help you out. And just, well…” He paused for a moment, “just be careful.” I grunted, my eyebrow arched from surprise; why was he so afraid? “Um thanks, appreciate it, see you guys soon”.
Donald, Jonesy and I had coffee in the office and called the guards at the hangar doors to arrange clearance. About an hour later we were at the platform near the doors waiting for the cargo to arrive. The massive metal hangar doors had been opened, which was rare. What was more irregular was that nearly every staff member from sections B.11 to B.18 were all gathered together in a silent knot of people. Despite the silence the air sizzled with anticipation, as well as the searing heat. I stood transfixed from curiosity at the massive doorway, waiting in the shade of the hangar as the relentless sun beat down outside. In the distance I saw a black speck grow larger against the bright blue sky. Slowly it took the form of a helicopter which was carrying a large rectangular shaped mass below it.
Within less than a minute the helicopter made its cacophonous approach toward the hangar and gently lowered the object onto an enormous wooden scaffold. I barked orders and signed forms as the guards rushed about, making sure the other personnel stayed a safe distance away. The air was blaring with the sound of the helicopter blades and sand rocketed into my face, forcing me to splutter. “Alright, let’s get this thing processed!” I yelled over the sound of the helicopter as its engines powered down, my colleagues and I wiped dirt from our faces. Bill emerged swiftly from the chopper and shook my hand. We quickly reviewed the paper work he gave me and then he made his way back downstairs to his office in section B.1. He was keen to get away for some reason.
“Alright, it’s officially in my care now. Show’s over. Get the non-essential personnel out of here immediately and secure the object. I want to get Benny up here to analyze it ASAP.” As my colleagues cleared away most of the staff and the excitement died down I was finally able to take a moment to inspect the object. It had been lowered onto the wooden scaffold fitted with wheels just outside the hangar and had been pushed slowly into the center. The few aircraft in this hangar were all currently under repairs and were non-operational, therefore there was plenty of space. As soon as I saw the sheer size of the object, I knew it would be difficult to transport, but not impossible. The object was a wall. Or a large fragment of a wall.
It was about twenty feet long, eight feet thick and ten feet high. At first the wall appeared made from some sort of boring grey stone. However, when I looked closer the wall was… alive. The wall’s surface bubbled slightly. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I stepped closer. When I was only a few inches away from it I felt cold. A bead of sweat ran down my cheek and I thought I heard something. It sounded like someone far away calling my name.
I felt a strange pressure around my head. A sudden invasive thought wormed to life: throw yourself into the wall. I shuddered and held myself back despite the sudden strong desire. I heard the faint voice of Benny and crashed back to reality. My eyes snapped open and I found my nose an inch away from the wall. It radiated cold like an open freezer and it smelled like rotting clay. The surface of the wall simmered ever so slightly. It reminded me of the fizz of some grey effervescent medicine. I paled as I took a large step backward, “I.. uh, what is this?” I turned to face Benny who stood with another scientist. He glanced at her briefly before he approached the wall to apply more straps. He was careful to avoid touching the wall with his bare skin. “Honestly, we have no idea”.
I got Donald and Jonesy to help Benny transport the wall down to room 278B via the service elevator. Donald grumbled about how badly the wall smelled and Jonesy had eyes as large as saucers when he saw it up close, “It looks so unreal!” Once downstairs I returned to my office to get some more coffee and file away the paperwork. I tried to put the strangeness of the wall out of my mind, but it had truly unnerved me. I felt so tired, my forehead drenched with cold sweat. I had been working extra shifts lately, but I had never been hit by such exhaustion so rapidly. As I sat at my desk facing the surveillance monitors I was unable to fight the sleep forcing my eyes shut.
I’ve had many hangovers in my life, most of them unpleasant, but when I woke up at my desk I’d never felt quite so singularly awful. My clothes were soaked with sweat and my whole body felt exhausted. My arms felt like molasses as I attempted to move. My forehead throbbed and I felt bruised. I also felt a pressure squeezing my head from all sides. It was quite peculiar. I sat back in my seat and rubbed my eyes.
Then I froze.
A hand was lying motionless on the floor just behind the table in the center of the office. I leapt to my feet and rushed forward. I gasped from horror as I saw Donald lying on the floor, his chest sliced to ribbons. Gallons of crimson red stained his blue uniform and his eyes stared up empty and terrified. Pallid and shaking I went to my office landline to call for backup immediately. As the receiver met my ear my stomach dropped into my feet.
The line was dead.
The sole means of communication within the core Facility is done through landlines. The landlines are monitored at all times and any interruption results in an immediate response from security. We had many protocols and fail safes to ensure communication remained enabled, but the line was dead and there was no sign of any response. In fact, how long had I been asleep? What was happening? I rushed back to the monitors. I hadn’t noticed it before but I couldn’t see anyone. The cameras were all operating normally but not a single person could be seen. The corridors were just as green and bare as most late evenings. I looked at the clock, it was only 1817h. I had slept for about two and a half hours. Where were the janitors? My heart was hammering in my chest and I couldn’t catch my breath. Meanwhile my head was throbbing and my eyes were burning. Suddenly I heard an indistinct whisper. Gooseflesh bloomed all over my back and arms.
I’d heard this voice before.
I’d heard this voice from the wall.
I turned to the monitors and searched for the wall. It had been brought back to the surface; the hangar! It sat upon the bare ground right by the massive doors. However, the doors were all sealed. The wall itself looked different. It was enormous! Almost three times longer and taller and wider. Just then, I realized that the titanium blast doors had been sealed as well. My heart rate doubled as I noticed large dents, scorch marks and scratches all over the doors. Someone had tried to break them down. The hangar floor was covered in blood and ash as well as abandoned weapons. My God, I even saw a rocket-launcher lying blackened and fractured near the doors. What the hell had happened?
I spun my head to look at the security control panel on the wall to my left. My heart, already blaring, felt like it leapt out of my mouth. My eyes grew wide as I realized someone, probably Donald, had activated a quarantine procedure. This meant that the entire Facility would be sealed airtight. The only way to open any doors now was from the outside. My God! Why had he done this? Where was everyone? Did he try to wake me? Did I really sleep through all this? I looked back at Donald, my heart still hammering from seeing his dead eyes stare into mine. I sighed sadly and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was currently 1831h. I returned to the monitors and began to rewind the security footage.
Surveying the screens, I watched my past-self enter the security office at around 1600h. By 1610h I had passed-out on my chair, drool dangling from my mouth. “Ok, so let’s see where the wall was at that time. Should be room 278B.” I thought to myself aloud as I clicked on the button that would display the footage from that room as well as the surrounding corridors. The screen was black as the footage loaded and I was about to hit the play button but hesitated. Did I really want to see this? I closed my eyes and took a few slow breaths. I can’t figure my way out of here if I don’t know what’s going on. I have to know. I hit play.
The camera was located opposite the door giving a full view of the room. At first everything seemed normal. Benny and some other scientists had transported the wall into room 278B. It was 1623h when they were taking the straps off the wall. A loud popping sound was heard and the researchers spun around. The lights in the room dimmed and flickered. Suddenly something long and slimy exploded from the wall, curled around Benny, and pulled him in. He screamed in terror as he vanished, his cries immediately silenced. My jaw dropped open and a small yell escaped me.
Without realizing it, I was instantly on my feet, shaking my head in pure denial. My heart burst. What the hell was that? What the hell? What the hell? My head was full of static. I felt tears in my eyes as I watched guards and researchers rush into the room. The wall shimmered, it’s simmering surface began to boil and bubble and it grew three feet higher. I saw it reshape itself so that intricately carved figures appeared on the wall’s edge. I leant in closer and gasped. One of those figures looked just like Benny, his mouth stretched open wide into a permanent scream. I didn’t want to continue watching, but I had to. The guards and researchers were horrified by what they saw before them. Suddenly, without warning, their body postures relaxed, their eyes grew glassy, and their arms fell slack at their sides. Those within the room moved as if sleepwalking. Some stayed still while others left the room. Brow furrowed from confusion and fear, my eyes swiveled to the footage of the corridor outside. The guards and researchers that had just exited 278B immediately began attacking and grappling those around them. I yelped as a vacant-eyed guard lazily shot another man in the leg. The thrall then dragged the wounded guard into room 278B. The mad guard held the wounded guard’s leg fast as he casually walked into the grey wall, pulling the struggling man in behind him. During this altercation I noticed Donald for the first time, he was hiding behind the corner of the corridor at the far end and was firing his gun at the madmen. He didn’t manage to hit anyone though. He then ran over to help a stray researcher to their feet and then they both ran down the corridor and out of view.
I can still hear the cries of pain and pleas for mercy as those who fell victim to the thralls were each dragged into that horrifying wall. With every person it swallowed, the wall wriggled and grew and grew. More and more ghastly decorations began to bloom on its surface, all of them made from the bones or likenesses of those who had been absorbed. The bigger it got the stronger its psychic influence became until it seemed to reach nearly everyone in the Facility, turning them into thralls. I looked on in horror as one by one, all janitors, researchers, guards, diggers, admin staff, everyone gradually stopped what they were doing, mid conversation, their eyes emptying. The janitors dropped their mops and buckets. Researchers dropped precious materials and equipment without care, letting them smash to pieces. In unison they all slowly, with vacant expressions, moved toward room 278B. Among the horde of thralls, I saw Bill and Jonesy, and so many others I knew by face. A guy who’d held the door for me once, a researcher who always slurped her coffee at lunch. Hundreds of people! What filled me with an unnamable dread was that I knew what was gonna happen. I knew what was coming. I tried to shout at the monitors, “Stop! Wait!” I grabbed the monitors and shook them with frustration.
A terror began to fill my stomach, deep and cold and aching. Suddenly I noticed Donald reappear on the screen. He was trying to hold back the researcher he’d helped earlier, but it was useless. I saw Donald, chest heaving from effort, stare with incredulity as he sat defeated on the ground. Everyone else around him stumbled dreamily toward their doom. But Donald refused to give up. I saw him run from corridor to corridor, trying desperately to stop them. He threw chairs and tables in their way but they simply pushed them aside or jumped over them. I saw him run toward this office. I saw him enter, saw myself slumped on my chair still completely unconscious. I saw Donald try to shake me awake, he slapped me a few times and was yelling in frustration. He gave up with me eventually and ran over to activate the quarantine lockdown. I saw him tear down the hall back toward room 278B, pistol in hand.
My best guess was that he saw what was happening in room 278B and decided he was gonna stop it. However, as soon as he got close to the door a long pale tendril burst through the door directly into Donald’s chest. The tentacle had a hooked end and it slashed at him. I saw blood spurt out of him, saw him stumble and fall from the ground in fright. However, he still managed to get a hold of his gun and fired multiple shots at the tendril. It writhed and flailed. Donald took the opportunity to climb to his feet. He grimaced and clasped his chest as crimson leaked to the floor. He moved back down the corridor, much more slowly than before. Eventually he got back to the office. He locked the door and then collapsed. I cried out in frustration. That whole time I was completely useless!
My mind felt like static again for a few seconds. I couldn’t work out what my next move should be. A thought hit me hard, one I should really have thought of before. Why had Donald and I not been psychically affected by the wall? Everyone had been enslaved, everyone had been forced to walk into that wall. Why not Donald? And me? I knew it must be connected to my horrendous sleepiness. My eyes grew wide with sudden realization. “Shit, the steel plates in my head!” Donald had a single steel plate in his skull because of a rock-climbing accident he had in his 20s. When I got close to the wall, had it sensed my resistance? Had it tried to incapacitate me? If so, it means this thing possesses sentience.
While I pondered this, I noticed some thralls re-strap the wall in room 278B. They transported it to the elevator and back up to the hangar. Once there, the thralls moved the wall off the scaffold onto the floor and began to beat heavily on the large metal doors with bare fists. Some even shot at the doors with their handguns. The ricochets killed a few of them but not one single person seemed to even notice. Some of the guards even used a rocket launcher! I yelled with shock as they fired at deadly close range, lazily blowing themselves up, leaving the doors scorched. After this proved futile, the thralls all grew suddenly rigid. Next, they all formed a line in front of the wall and one shambling step after another, all the remaining employees were - assimilated. Even the dead and wounded were not spared. Those still alive carried the corpses of their fellow thralls into the wall.
It was 1705h when the last employee disappeared forever into the grey horror, and the wall expanded to its current size. Without warning, a large writhing mass of twisted limbs emerged from the wall. I gasped from horror. I couldn’t tell exactly what it was because the lighting in the hangar wasn’t good enough, but it definitely wasn’t human. Its silhouette was about seven feet tall and thin and stretched. It had too many legs and it didn’t seem to have a head. This thing lumbered over to the doors and began to strike them with a strength and ferocity one would only find in a starving polar bear. I could tell that the doors were taking strain, and they began to bend, but even then, they would not yield. After about half an hour of smashing the door, the creature stopped and slowly shambled toward the stairs. My heart froze. It was coming here! Or was it here already?
My eyes swiveled back to the main monitor and I was surprised to see Donald still alive. He was scratched and bleeding badly as he shakily pushed himself from the floor. He then looked up at the ammunitions cupboard and began to search through his keys. I saw him curse. He couldn’t find the key with his trembling, bloodied fingers. In the next instant his eyes bulged and he heaved as if vomiting. His body doubled over and long grey tendrils oozed from his mouth and wriggled furiously. He grabbed his throat and fell forward onto the floor. Frozen in horror I watched as his body squirmed and he wriggled as if his intestines were filled with snakes. I continued to watch absolutely transfixed as three long grey tendrils emerged again from between Donald’s lips. Slowly they wriggled free of his mouth. They were about half a foot long, dull grey and thin like spaghetti.
I watched as they slithered toward my unconscious form on the monitor. I bit my lip and stood up. Slowly my brain put two and two together. Bile rose in my throat. I yelled at myself to wake up and see the worms. Just then my stomach dropped and I could feel an itchiness in my belly. I could feel the wriggling itch of a thousand grey eels in my gut. Or was I imagining it?
My stomach writhed and I was about to puke when I saw myself awake and stretch in my chair. The worms somehow realized I was awake and they moved out of view towards the –before I could watch the screen any longer, I heard a hiss and something slimy and long wrapped itself around my throat so tight I couldn’t breathe. I gasped with surprise and strained my neck to look at the monitor that showed the room in real time. I saw from the camera behind my head that something thin and grey had wrapped itself around my throat. I saw two more of those things coming at me from behind as well. They were about to come wriggling up my chair when I grimaced with anger and grabbed my gun from its holster. The thing around my neck was hissing and making awful clicking and guttural noises. Its small worm head had a mouth that bit and it latched onto my neck to suck my blood. I pulled at the leach and pressed my gun up against it. I pulled the trigger. With an earsplitting bang and a sound like a water balloon popping the leach was reduced to sticky goo. I pulled the remnants of the leach off my neck and spun around just in time to shoot and kill the others. I grinned with a mad-joy and yelled with relief. Immediately, a wave of nausea and exhaustion hit me and I fell back onto my chair. “What the hell was that? What the hell do I do now?” I sat still for a moment and tried not to lose my mind completely. I swear I could hear Woody the woodpecker laughing somewhere in the distance. I needed to keep it together. I took a long deep breath and tried to think of a way out.
Summarizing the details of my predicament, I realized I was trapped alone inside the Facility with an otherworldly force. Also, even if I found a way out, I’d potentially be letting an evil into the world that could destroy all life. At once an old thought returned to me, one I’d often experienced as a cop. “If I need to sacrifice myself to save others, I will do so without complaint.” A wry smile spread over my face. “Once a cop, always a cop.” My smile vanished as a I continued to think. “But my God, if this thing gets out. If it gets into the minds of other people. If it gets larger and larger. Could it swallow the world? The solar system? What other monstrosities would it unleash?” I was talking aloud now; the sound of my voice gave a new reality to my situation that made me shudder. I turned back to the monitor. It seems I was all caught up with what had happened. I stared blankly into the screen while I watched my past-self continue to wake and wince from pain. I switched the monitor off and saw my reflection in the blackness of the screen. I was pale and my eyes were wide and unblinking. “What do I do now?” I turned in my chair to look at Donald’s body. Were all those worms gone? Could some still be hiding? And what should be done with his body? Probably best to have it burned. “Poor Donald, he didn’t deserve this”, I muttered softly as I examined his corpse, making sure there were no unexplained twitches beneath his skin. My eyes moved from his body up to the ammunition’s cupboard just above. “Wait, why was he trying to get into the cupboard earlier? We don’t have much…”, my eyes grew large with realization. “Holy crap, he was trying to get the bomb! Me and Donald were gonna use a left-over bomb from the excavation site to blow some random shit up!”
I sighed sadly and heavily. We never got around to it. I stood up quickly and walked up to the cupboard. I pulled out my keys and quickly found the key I’d need. I opened the cupboard with little effort and found the ten kilos of plastic explosive inside. It had already been set up with a sixty second timer and a remote detonator by a colleague. I sat at the table with the explosive, a vague plan forming in my broken mind. “Maybe if I somehow get this wall-thing to eat this bomb then...”
Before I could formulate my thoughts fully, the lights flickered, and the entire Facility was plunged into darkness unceremoniously. My nerves were burning with fear. What had happened? Had that thing knocked the power out somehow? The next few seconds that past were some of the longest I’d ever experienced. However, dim green light bloomed to life and the reserve power kicked in. Then I heard slow, shuffling footsteps in the corridor just outside the office. I froze once again, my insides turning to mush. My mind raced. Had I remembered to lock the door? My stomach leapt into my feet as I heard the shuffling get louder and louder. I heard hoarse, wheezing breaths, as if the thing struggled to breathe. I jumped from fright but remained absolutely silent as whatever the thing was banged on the door with a deafening blow.
BANG! The door shook and bent slightly.
BANG! Silence for a moment.
BANG! BANG! Again silence. My heart was hammering in my ears and I sat deathly still. I could hear that thing breathing louder. After a few moments I heard it shuffle away. My entire body was shaking as relief washed over me. Whatever the thing was, it had walked away and I could no longer hear it. I turned to look at the monitors. Dare I turn them on and check what it was? After a few seconds of consideration, holding my breath, I turned to the monitors and switched them on. I waited in nervous anticipation as the screens flickered to life showing me that all the corridors between me and the wall were currently empty. I didn’t bother checking the corridor I suspected the shambling thing was in. I didn’t want to see it unless I needed to. I’d had just about all the stress and terror I could take and by this stage I felt weirdly calm. It must be shock. A thin sigh escaped me as I stood. The fear in my blood began to feed a furnace of anger in my heart. I thought about all those who I had lost. I felt my expression turn to granite, “It’s time to kill this thing.”
I opened the door slowly, my fully loaded gun in my good hand. Spare ammo along with the explosive and a shotgun was stashed in my backpack, and the remote detonator was tied to my belt. I held a heavy-duty flashlight in my shaky right hand. I moved cautiously through the dark green corridors. I’d never thought of how creepy this place could be until this moment. Gooseflesh crept up my arms and neck as I continued. All I could hear were my soft footfalls and shallow anxious breaths. I cleared the corridors one by one until I made it to the stairs that would lead me to the thing that looks like a wall. I walked up the stairs slowly, my ears honing in on any sound. That’s when I heard it. I heard the soft sound of crying.
Someone was crying. I stopped dead in my tracks. My entire body shook from the adrenaline surging through me. I took one step. Then another. Slowly, I climbed. Once my head could peek over the top, I froze. Jonesy was squatting on his knees, naked. He was between the wall and me, with his back facing me. The terrifying thing loomed enormous before us. It was now framed intricately with the skeletons of hundreds of people, all twisted and screaming in agony. Writhing, tortured souls fused together. Then came the sound of crying and moaning from the wall. I could hear them all. They were all screaming. Screaming for me to help them. To join them. I felt that pressure squeeze against my skull tighter and tighter. I shook my head in defiance. “No! You bastard! NO! I will not join you! You’re not Jonesy!” All at once the moans and wails stopped. I suddenly found myself at the top of the stairs without knowing when I’d finished climbing them. “But we are Jonesy” came a voice that was not human. It was a voice made from all those it had swallowed up. It was as though something had made a distorted copy of the voices of all those people and then just used them all at once to speak. It didn’t understand the concept of individuality. All of a sudden, the wall rippled and grey tendrils squirmed from the flesh of the wall, curling around Jonesy as they teased his face and slowly pulled him in. As he disappeared there was a horrendous sucking, squelching noise. “We are Jonesy. We are all. We can be all. We will be all. All and all and more than all.” The voice was chanting this over and over. Louder and louder.
A deafening blast came from the wall and a slithering, writhing mass of tangled human limbs emerged. It had four legs and several arms. It looked like the bodies of eight or more people shuffled and glued into an otherworldly horror. Its multiple mouths screamed a high pitch squeal that was more horrifying than the screams of the damned, and its sharp pointed teeth gnashed and chomped. I only had a second to dodge this monster. I leapt to the side and fired multiple shots at the thing’s center of mass. Its horrifying body of fused torsos wriggled and bled black ichor. It screamed with pain and jumped at me, grabbing my leg. It tossed me into the air and I almost lost my gun as I slammed into the floor a few feet away. Before I could catch my breath, it was upon me again. From the ground I fired several shots at it. This made it jump away and scuttle down the stairs. With it momentarily out of sight, I quickly got to my feet and kept my eyes on the stairs.
After a second, I decided to kneel and take off my backpack as fast as I could. I pulled out the bomb and started the timer. I also decided to get the shotgun out and get it loaded. I needed to do this now or never. As the final shell clicked into place I heard a roar coming from the stairs. The thing was back. Before I could react, it leapt at me and knocked me to the ground. The bomb flew from my grasp. It bared down on me, grabbing at my throat ready to tear me apart. My reflexes saved me though and I managed to use my shotgun to hold the thing at bay, but it was too strong. Desperate, I kicked it hard in the chest and it let go. I used this moment to grab the bomb that lay behind me; only 37 seconds to go! Terrified and crazed, sweat pouring down my face, my mind in pieces, I rammed the bomb into the creature’s mouth and kicked it back again as hard as I could. I heard it yelp like a wounded dog and it lost its footing. It fell sideways and in that second, I took my shotgun and fired at it in the chest. The force of the close-range blast sent me flying. At the same time the creature was hurled back into the wall where it was enveloped quickly.
My head was fuzzy. I was dizzy and the wind had been knocked out of me. Was the bomb going to work? I felt something warm and wet drip into my ear and touched the side of my head. My fingertips came away soaked in blood. My head was spinning. With a foggy mind I grabbed my bag, collecting my weapons and flashlight. As I stood up I heard a low rumbling sound. The ground beneath my feet shook and for a moment I was confused. Then I looked up at the wall. Its surface was roiling and boiling like I’d never seen before. It was shaking and growing. I turned to run when suddenly there was a massive blast from inside it, and the entire wall exploded into hundreds of small grey chunks. These chunks rained down all around the hangar, smashing several aircraft. The blast knocked me off my feet and this time I definitely passed out because when I awoke I could see daylight through the tiny cracks in the blast door. Where the wall had once been now stood a small blackened crater. I turned around to inspect the wall pieces and found that they – my eyes grew wide and my mouth opened. They were melting. As I approached a fragment of wall, a horrible twisted hand shot out at me. I yelled and jumped away. It was still alive! I watched in dumbfounded horror as the pieces continued to melt and began to merge, just like that scene from Terminator 2.
It was rebuilding itself. Then I heard a groan. My blood became ice. I turned slowly in terror to find the shambling, wheezing monstrosity behind me. Like the creature I'd shot, this one seemed made from bits and pieces of human limbs knitted together randomly. This one had legs which came out its mouth, its head positioned within its torso where the bellybutton should be, and it wheezed in pain. I almost puked from fright but my legs were already carrying me away. I sprinted down the corridors, ignoring all the pain and fear and exhaustion and anger and frustration I had inside me. Without thinking, I leapt into the first janitor's closet I found and locked the door with a dull clunking sound. After catching my breath, I found this notepad and pencil, and have been writing this report in the sterile glow of my flashlight. Hopefully, I have left some useful information for anyone who may find this.
Now I lie in wait for that thing. Now I lie in wait for that grey ooze. What is that thing? Is it truly indestructible? If it can survive a bomb like that, what hope do we have? It’s no wall at all. It’s a membrane. An interface. Somewhere very different is pressing up against us. It has torn a small hole, and was now prying it open further. I should blow up this whole damn place! I should burn it! But would it matter? Or would it just be buried, to be rediscovered? I think even if I survive this, nothing can help us. So here I wait, hoping to be saved, but even as I write this I can hear that thing walking past the door. With a soft click I turn off my flashlight. I try not to breathe. I can hear the snuffling, it’s right outside! I can smell its ugly breath.
Oh God! I hear the jingling of keys. The door is unlocking! How? How?
Oh God! The doorknob is turning...

Hi docs!
For the past year or two, I’ve been experiencing fiery nerve-like pain that starts from mid thigh and shoots down my leg, just above the ankle… it’s accompanied by momentary leg weakness. The pain doesn’t last long, typically less than a minute. But it happens often, up to several times a day. If I’m standing, I’ve learned to shift my weight to my right leg when these episodes come on (no rhyme or reason) to prevent from falling. As when I don’t shift my weight, and these episodes come on, I’ve fallen from the weakness. I’m unable to bear weight on that leg until the pain and sensation stops. Though these episodes also occur when sitting or laying.
I had a spine/lumbar and pelvic MRI that was otherwise unremarkable except for some cysts on my ovaries (I was diagnosed with PCOS over a decade ago so that was nothing new).
In addition to the episodes of pain/weakness, there’s one particular spot just above the knee that is incredibly sensitive to touch, and if I’m standing (bearing weight on both legs) and something hits that spot i.e kids, my dog jumping up, etc, my leg completely gives out from under me and I fall. I don’t know if it’s related to the nerve-like episodes or not. But both issues affect the same leg.
I really don’t want to go back to my doctor and be like “I know we did testing that came back normal but I’m still having these issues” because honestly I don’t know what more they can do for me. But I want to know if anyone has ideas as to what could be the issue and if it’s something that can be fixed, or if I just have to continue dealing with it.
I’m a 31 year old female, history of RA (I don’t know if this is RA related or not), and will attach in the comments of my MRI results & a diagram where I’ve circled of the spot that causes my leg to essentially come out from under me when touched.

Long time lurker but figured I would post to share my experience for anyone else going through this. It took 6 months and numerous negative MRI’s but I was finally diagnosed with a leak in my spine.
Over the past 6 months I’ve had the following symptoms. Initially the symptoms would go away after lying down but over time the symptoms became constant.

• Neck Pain
• Pressure in head (No headaches)
• Blurry Vision
• Nausea/Dizziness
• Lower back ain
• Chills down legs
• Ears feel clogged

Over that 6 month period I visited three different doctors; primary care, neurologist 1, neurologist 2. I had 10 different MRIs (Head, Lumbar Spine, Thoracic Spine, Cervical Spine) with and without CSF leak protocol. All 10 MRI’s were negative for a CSF leak.
Quick summary of my experience: My primary care had no clue what was wrong and I asked him about a CSF leak after finding Dr Ian Carrol’s videos on CSF leaks. He referred me to neurologist 1. Neurologist 1 thought it may be a CSF leak but moved on after negative MRIs( without CSF leak protocol). Neurologist 2 re-ordered MRI’s with CSF leak protocol and a CT myelogram. Neurologist 2’s MRI’s also came back negative (with CSF leak protocol) but showed some cause for suspicion (herniated disk effacing thecal sac). Based on the MRI neurologist 2 ordered a CT myelogram in my lumbar spine which finally confirmed a leak.
My biggest takeaways from this whole experience:

1. Go to doctors with spontaneous CSF leak experience.

It’s shocking how little is known about CSF leaks and if you go to doctors without experience they may lead you astray.

1. Get an MRI WITH CSF Leak protocol and a CT myelogram.

I’ve never heard of CSF leak protocol before this experience. From my understanding, a MRI with CSF leak protocol is a high resolution MRI used to pinpoint where to focus the CT myelogram. Without both I highly doubt I would have been diagnosed.

1. A negative MRI and high opening pressure does not mean you don’t have a CSF leak.
   In all of my MRI’s I never had any signs of a leak. Neurologist 2 took a chance with a CT myelogram after seeing a herniated disc coupled with my symptoms. My opening pressure during my lumbar puncture was 23 cm H2O (normal is somewhere around 20 cm H2O)
   

It’s been an absolute struggle juggling work, doctor’s appointments, and feeling like shit over the past 6 months. Hopefully this helps someone else going though this find a faster diagnosis than I did.

Looking for some good news and advice. Some reassurance needed. I joined this group because my dad was diagnosed with Necrotizing myositis a couple of months ago. So a little history my dad is 69 years old and I would say his in pretty good shape for his age. My dad was always physically active and independent even down to helping me care for my toddler and all my other nieces and nephews who are very busy. 2 or 3 years ago my dad’s doctor prescribed him Lipito atorvastatin for high cholesterol. Over the past 2 years my dad has been in and out of the hospital for joint and muscle pain and aches, starting with his left arm that crippled him for over 6 months he went to different specialist but no one could ever understand what actually was going on and causing the pain. They kept writing him off with just arthritis and telling him to just take over the counter arthritis pain medicine. Then my dad got Bell’s palsy last year which before the diagnosis the doctors thought he may have had a stroke because of the left arm pain and discomfort. They performed different tests on him to rule out a stroke and heart attack and everything came back negative. He was cleared and the symptoms were definitely not due to a heart attack or stroke. My dad was prescribed antibiotics for the Bell’s palsy and had a complete recovery. He was back to him self, his left arm was feeling better and everything. He also gained back the weight he had lost prior to the left arm pain. This all happened between the spring of 2022/23. A few months went by and my dad was back to feeling good. November came around and he started feeling pain in his calves both calves, it even affected the way he walked. In one month he had trouble lifting his legs and even needed assistance with standing up after being from seated. He said that the pain was so severe that it felt like he was carrying weights on his legs which caused alot of pain and weakness. A few weeks went by and he got an appointment with a doctor who diagnosed him with peripheral artery disease. But they didn’t seem sure because they referred him to a neurologist and after further evaluation diagnosis they diagnosed him with nerve damage. But things just got worse from there.My dad went from having pain in his calves to having pain in the joints closer to the trunk of his body. He was unable to lift his arms and legs at all. My dad started getting so weak that he couldn’t walk without help he couldn’t climb the stairs he startedd having trouble swallowing and his voice became weaker and weaker. My dad started declining he was having shortness of breath all this cause he stress and depression even though he never complained I just knew that my dad was feeling very depressed about what he was going through. But he never complained and remained faithful to his beliefs. He lost so much weight because he started to lose his appetite. He lost over 40 pounds. This just happened within 1 month. We called around for specialist but the earliest available appointment he could get was in August and this started crippling him all the way back in November 2023. We were concerned and confused because we didn’t have any information or answers for him and what was going on. My cousin works for an hospital and heard about what my dad was going through and she used her resources and was able to get him an appointment with a rheumatologist specialist who was able to get him in much sooner. My dad was able to get seen and hospitalized a week after speaking with the doctor. He’s been being treated for the condition since February after a muscle biopsy confirmed his condition they prescribed prednisone and Antibiotics and calcium supplements etc. He’s been getting in inpatient rehabilitation after starting on IVIG infusions. He’s in good spirits and coming along. He lost so much muscle mass since the diagnosis but he’s slowly improving now getting his appetite back and I hear his voice improving and getting stronger as well. It’s been hard but he’s strong and a fighter. I’m just looking for some advice from someone who’s either experienced or knows someone who has experienced this. How was youtheir recovery and what did you have to do to get better and through it all? Thanks

Something is following me. I swear I can hear them at night outside my tent. I went on this solo seven-day hike, and it wasn't until the third day that I noticed something amiss. When I woke and exited my tent, my small makeshift camp looked as if it had been ransacked, my supplies had been scattered, the small firepit I made had been destroyed as though a large beast had stepped on it. The scariest part was the footprints left behind; they were all over my camp. They circled the tent dozens of times and seemed to come to rest at the door before heading away into the woods.
I hadn't heard anything while I slept and assumed it was just some other hikers playing a trick on me. After I gathered my scattered supplies, I started back down the trail. The hike I was on was a remote and technically difficult hike that even the most seasoned hikers would have trouble accomplishing.
Which is what made me confused; why would experienced hikers do something like that to my camp? Most hikers took this sport seriously; ruining supplies could be a quick way to dying from exposure.
That day I hiked long and far, taking switchbacks and pausing for minutes at a time to watch the trail behind me. The mountain was empty; I even removed some of my footprints in the dirt hoping to make it harder to track me.
That night, I packed all my supplies in my tent and waited. Certain that no one would have been able to follow me. I gripped my flashlight in one hand and lay down in my sleeping bag waiting, waiting for a sound or a noise out of the normal sounds of the world.
That's when I heard it, a twig snapping, a rustle of a bush, a rock being kicked and rolling across the ground. Tension shot through my body and I froze, unable to move. My original plan was to rip open the tent door and shine the light in my would-be stalker's face, but the sounds I heard made me lock up.
This wasn't the sound of humans; I saw no lights, and heard no boots. Instead, it was the shuffle of something bestial, a large bear, or a wolf pack.
Instantly the sounds grew closer and I thought it had to be more than one animal, circling the tent, pawing at the ground, breathing heavy and hoarse. A small sound coming from the back of a throat that sounded like a throaty, demented version of a laugh. "Hyuk hyuk" was the noise they made as they circled the tent, never coming close enough to touch or even graze it.
Fear struck me hard and fast, and my first reaction was to curl up in my sleeping bag, as if hiding from the world was the ultimate defense. Like a little kid defending himself from the monsters under the bed. Now I protected myself from the monsters outside my tent.
The motion outside the tent exploded as the pace increased; the demented laughing was now coming from all sides and I covered my ears trying to block out the noise before it drove me mad.
Then like a breeze in the wind, they were gone. The sounds slipped away into the night and the torment stopped. My breath fell from my chest in what felt like minutes. I was terrified, and rightly so. Being alone on this mountain was always a bad idea; hikers went missing here all the time. I had just assumed they were inexperienced and got lost but now I knew it was something more, something terrifyingly real.
I didn't sleep that night; I just lay awake unable to leave the tent for fear of their return. For the fear that they were waiting out there quietly for me to slip up and leave.
When dawn's rays crested the hill to the east and bathed my tent in God's eternal light, I prayed for the first time in years. Normally I'm not one for religious zealotry, but I fell to my knees in that morning light and begged with tears in my eyes for any of the gods to save me. To take me from this mountain but nothing responded to my desperate plea. Now I felt truly alone.
The camp was a mess; the ground was torn up by dozens of odd footprints. They overlapped so much that I couldn't get an accurate shape to one, but they were deep prints indicating weight.
"Larger than a dog at least," I said to myself as I traced my fingers in one of the prints.
I glanced around the camp and saw the prints leading off back down the mountain, the way I had come. I was already more than halfway through the hike and it would take longer to go back the way I had come. Once I reached the peak I could make my way down the opposite side and to the parking lot where my truck was. By my calculation, it was around three more days, two more nights. I could make it.
I hiked hard and fast that day and made great time. The mountain ended in a plateau and I rested for only a moment. Normally I would spend the day at the top, find a nice place to camp, and bask in the world from my seat up high. Today I left instantly, glancing only for moments to check my path. I could see my truck far below in the parking lot. The way down was a rocky path that normally I wouldn't attempt but this was an emergency.
The sun was getting low, and I needed to find a place to camp. As I reached the edge of the woods I paused watching the sun as it fell faster and faster. A small clearing lay out before me full of long grass. To my back were tall sturdy trees with lots of branches in odd angles, like they were protecting me from the beasts that lurk behind me.
I decided to set up my tent in the clearing, a few feet from the trees, next to a fallen tree with its large mass of roots exposed to the night sky.
I kept looking over my shoulder as I worked, knowing these creatures only came at night. Sweat beaded down my neck and I took a moment when I was done to drink and eat quickly from my pack. I gathered a large amount of wood from the trees and used some of my emergency lighter fluid to start a large cooking fire outside the tent. With enough wood to burn for hours.
An idea struck me while I ate and watched the trees. Taking my flashlight and gear I made for the trees and climbed high up. Among the branches, I found a secure spot where I could sit comfortably and better yet where I could watch my tent.
For an hour I sat in terrified silence, my heart beating out of my chest as I tried to calm myself. Maybe they wouldn't come tonight, maybe I had made it far enough away they wouldn't be able to find me.
That's when the noise started, a twig snapping, the rustle of a bush behind me, the careful steps of something coming closer and closer. I hugged tightly to the tree keeping myself hidden from sight below.
My eye was on my tent, making sure that whatever was doing this to me. Tonight I would see them in the firelight of my camp below.
The grass below my perch was now covered in darkness, but I could hear something moving in the grass. I held my breath hoping to avoid detection. The creatures moved past me with no hesitation.
I watched as shadows moved in the darkness below, too many of them to count in the poor light. They surrounded the tent and fire, silent as they moved. When one of them made that same noise from the back of their throat. "Hyuk hyuk" it went and as if on signal, the campfire was scattered, lit logs rolled and flew away as if something had swatted it with a giant hand. I could see bits of brown fur in the descending firelight. A large muscular paw, a hind leg. All covered in the same brown fur. Once the dark fell, they began their pacing, tearing up the ground around the camp. Their back of the throat laughing and I could hear my tent tearing. Deep growls of inhuman noise and heavy breathing for hours. They never left; they searched the same ground over and over again as if blind until an hour before dawn they quietly slunk away back up the mountain towards the peak.
I hadn't slept at all again and was feeling exhausted. My legs felt weak, and I slid down the last few feet of the tree landing hard on my back.
I lay there breathing heavy as the sun from the morning sun bathed me in warm life-saving light. My tent had been shredded to pieces and I now had no doubt in my mind that they were hunting me. Blood was on the ground beside the fire where it looked like something had happened. Maybe the creatures had a fight amongst themselves during the night.
I sighed examining my tent, dropping the piece of it I held, I turned and made my way down the rocky trail. Gone were the lush trees and long grass of the peak and once more I plunged into the rocky and steep trail to the base.
The trail was slow-going as I climbed down rock faces and had to backtrack several times to find a different path down. I could not spend one more night in this place; far below I could see my old red pickup in the parking lot. Within my vision but still so far away, if I had a base jumping kit, I could be down there in minutes instead of hours.
At various spots, I had to anchor with ropes that had been placed by previous climbers. I praised them and their families with good fortune as this put a large distance between me and the beasts.
I traveled through the day and resolved myself to continue through the night, with no tent or cover I would be torn to shreds by the beasts.
As the sun began to set, I doubled my pace, I knew somewhere along here was the rappel site. A place with hundreds of feet of strong rope for you to descend the final drop. After that is a short five-minute walk to the truck.
I couldn't find the rappel spot, I knew it had to be around here somewhere but I seemed to be lost, I had seen the rappel spot from my truck but now that I was on the mountain, I could have missed it in the dusk's light.
I knew I had to backtrack slightly and made my way back up the mountain. Fear struck me again knowing the beasts were coming.
As I climbed, I saw a bright green rope hanging from a series of anchors in the rock. I attached my harness and walked backward off the rock. This is something I had done dozens of times and I made good time. Halfway down I rested for a moment as the sun set behind me. That's when I felt it, something pulling on the rope above.
It jerked and began swinging side to side. I dropped slightly before I felt something pulling me back up the mountain. I began to rappel with increased fervor and dropped down the mountain faster than I ever had before. I reached the bottom but noticed the rope had shortened around twenty feet and was slowly getting higher. The ground below was rocky and rough but I had no choice. I unclipped myself from the line and dropped quickly to the ground.
I landed awkwardly on a stone with my left leg and felt my ankle twist awkwardly. I screamed out in pain as my leg burned.
Despite this, I smiled, I had escaped. The beasts weren't going to catch me now. I could see my red pickup truck down the hill and rose to my feet.
The pain was intense but I kept going knowing this was my only chance. Behind me, I heard the impossible, the sound of rocks being scattered as something heavy landed. I dared not glance over my shoulder but doubled my pace.
I could hear heavy breathing and movement behind me, a small glade of young trees lay directly in front of me and I ducked into the thin branches for any sort of cover from the relentless pursuer.
"Hyuk hyuk" came from behind me, and I froze, letting the foliage cover my body from sight. I barely dared to breathe as I heard the branches snapping around me; I could smell the foul breath of the beast as I crouched in a thin shield of branches and foliage, a poor armor indeed.
Heavy breathing came closer and closer to me until it was right beside my ear. The back of the throat laugh came out right beside my ear, making fear shoot up my spine paralyzing me to the spot.
This was it, the end. Whatever this creature was it was going to kill me. I chanced a glance in its direction and stared right into its repulsive face. It bore a resemblance to a shaved wolf with its skin pulled back, a large mouth filled with rows of dangerously sharp teeth, and a large brown nose like a dog's. Saliva dripped from its open mouth as it breathed in air in ragged breathes.
The oddest part was its eyes, they were all white and filled with clouds. Almost as if the creature was blind. I sat perfectly still as the creature was within feet of me. It had a hunched back almost human but it moved on all fours like an animal. The creature smelled at the air briefly before growling and moving away through the foliage. Making the hyuk hyuk sound as it left as if it were mocking my fear of it.
The creature couldn't see; I assumed it reacted to movement, sound, or smell. Perhaps all three.
As the creature moved away, I quietly limped in the opposite direction towards my truck. Finally, I was in the parking lot and into my truck. I locked the doors behind me and lay down on the seat, breathing for a moment. Planning my next move, with a jerk, I started the truck and my old faithful girl turned on in a single stroke.
I flicked on my headlights as my heart stopped. In front of my truck was a dozen or so of the beasts, all crouched over, their eyes a milky pale unseeing. As my headlights hit their eyes, the beasts changed. They covered their eyes in pain and I put the truck into drive. As I stepped on the gas, I realized my mistake, the fire that one night in the tree. The way they attacked it. With a smash, I felt one of them ram into my tailgate. I sped off down the road, swerving to avoid them.
In my rearview mirror, I could see them chasing me down the dark mountain road and I sped up keeping ahead of them. My ankle throbbed painfully but I felt nothing as my adrenaline peaked again and again as my fear warped into new things by the moment.
The last thing I saw was their pale eyes in the darkness as I turned the corner onto the highway, by the time I saw other cars and people I knew I was safe I drove nonstop for hours until I made it back to my place. The sun was just about to set as I locked the door behind me. I breathed a sigh of relief and poured myself a glass of scotch to calm my nerves.
I fell against my bed and took a sip of my drink before I lay back in the blankets, exhausted from my flight and the creatures chasing me. I fell asleep in minutes.
I woke in the middle of the night to something outside my house; it sounded like something rubbing up against my front door. My heart froze as I thought of what could be out there, a slight knocking at the door, just loud enough for me to hear before a sound that chilled me to my bones. A deep laugh coming from the back of someone's throat. "Hyuk hyuk" it went.

Something is following me. I swear I can hear them at night outside my tent. I went on this solo seven-day hike, and it wasn't until the third day that I noticed something amiss. When I woke and exited my tent, my small makeshift camp looked as if it had been ransacked, my supplies had been scattered, the small firepit I made had been destroyed as though a large beast had stepped on it. The scariest part was the footprints left behind; they were all over my camp. They circled the tent dozens of times and seemed to come to rest at the door before heading away into the woods.
I hadn't heard anything while I slept and assumed it was just some other hikers playing a trick on me. After I gathered my scattered supplies, I started back down the trail. The hike I was on was a remote and technically difficult hike that even the most seasoned hikers would have trouble accomplishing.
Which is what made me confused; why would experienced hikers do something like that to my camp? Most hikers took this sport seriously; ruining supplies could be a quick way to dying from exposure.
That day I hiked long and far, taking switchbacks and pausing for minutes at a time to watch the trail behind me. The mountain was empty; I even removed some of my footprints in the dirt hoping to make it harder to track me.
That night, I packed all my supplies in my tent and waited. Certain that no one would have been able to follow me. I gripped my flashlight in one hand and lay down in my sleeping bag waiting, waiting for a sound or a noise out of the normal sounds of the world.
That's when I heard it, a twig snapping, a rustle of a bush, a rock being kicked and rolling across the ground. Tension shot through my body and I froze, unable to move. My original plan was to rip open the tent door and shine the light in my would-be stalker's face, but the sounds I heard made me lock up.
This wasn't the sound of humans; I saw no lights, and heard no boots. Instead, it was the shuffle of something bestial, a large bear, or a wolf pack.
Instantly the sounds grew closer and I thought it had to be more than one animal, circling the tent, pawing at the ground, breathing heavy and hoarse. A small sound coming from the back of a throat that sounded like a throaty, demented version of a laugh. "Hyuk hyuk" was the noise they made as they circled the tent, never coming close enough to touch or even graze it.
Fear struck me hard and fast, and my first reaction was to curl up in my sleeping bag, as if hiding from the world was the ultimate defense. Like a little kid defending himself from the monsters under the bed. Now I protected myself from the monsters outside my tent.
The motion outside the tent exploded as the pace increased; the demented laughing was now coming from all sides and I covered my ears trying to block out the noise before it drove me mad.
Then like a breeze in the wind, they were gone. The sounds slipped away into the night and the torment stopped. My breath fell from my chest in what felt like minutes. I was terrified, and rightly so. Being alone on this mountain was always a bad idea; hikers went missing here all the time. I had just assumed they were inexperienced and got lost but now I knew it was something more, something terrifyingly real.
I didn't sleep that night; I just lay awake unable to leave the tent for fear of their return. For the fear that they were waiting out there quietly for me to slip up and leave.
When dawn's rays crested the hill to the east and bathed my tent in God's eternal light, I prayed for the first time in years. Normally I'm not one for religious zealotry, but I fell to my knees in that morning light and begged with tears in my eyes for any of the gods to save me. To take me from this mountain but nothing responded to my desperate plea. Now I felt truly alone.
The camp was a mess; the ground was torn up by dozens of odd footprints. They overlapped so much that I couldn't get an accurate shape to one, but they were deep prints indicating weight.
"Larger than a dog at least," I said to myself as I traced my fingers in one of the prints.
I glanced around the camp and saw the prints leading off back down the mountain, the way I had come. I was already more than halfway through the hike and it would take longer to go back the way I had come. Once I reached the peak I could make my way down the opposite side and to the parking lot where my truck was. By my calculation, it was around three more days, two more nights. I could make it.
I hiked hard and fast that day and made great time. The mountain ended in a plateau and I rested for only a moment. Normally I would spend the day at the top, find a nice place to camp, and bask in the world from my seat up high. Today I left instantly, glancing only for moments to check my path. I could see my truck far below in the parking lot. The way down was a rocky path that normally I wouldn't attempt but this was an emergency.
The sun was getting low, and I needed to find a place to camp. As I reached the edge of the woods I paused watching the sun as it fell faster and faster. A small clearing lay out before me full of long grass. To my back were tall sturdy trees with lots of branches in odd angles, like they were protecting me from the beasts that lurk behind me.
I decided to set up my tent in the clearing, a few feet from the trees, next to a fallen tree with its large mass of roots exposed to the night sky.
I kept looking over my shoulder as I worked, knowing these creatures only came at night. Sweat beaded down my neck and I took a moment when I was done to drink and eat quickly from my pack. I gathered a large amount of wood from the trees and used some of my emergency lighter fluid to start a large cooking fire outside the tent. With enough wood to burn for hours.
An idea struck me while I ate and watched the trees. Taking my flashlight and gear I made for the trees and climbed high up. Among the branches, I found a secure spot where I could sit comfortably and better yet where I could watch my tent.
For an hour I sat in terrified silence, my heart beating out of my chest as I tried to calm myself. Maybe they wouldn't come tonight, maybe I had made it far enough away they wouldn't be able to find me.
That's when the noise started, a twig snapping, the rustle of a bush behind me, the careful steps of something coming closer and closer. I hugged tightly to the tree keeping myself hidden from sight below.
My eye was on my tent, making sure that whatever was doing this to me. Tonight I would see them in the firelight of my camp below.
The grass below my perch was now covered in darkness, but I could hear something moving in the grass. I held my breath hoping to avoid detection. The creatures moved past me with no hesitation.
I watched as shadows moved in the darkness below, too many of them to count in the poor light. They surrounded the tent and fire, silent as they moved. When one of them made that same noise from the back of their throat. "Hyuk hyuk" it went and as if on signal, the campfire was scattered, lit logs rolled and flew away as if something had swatted it with a giant hand. I could see bits of brown fur in the descending firelight. A large muscular paw, a hind leg. All covered in the same brown fur. Once the dark fell, they began their pacing, tearing up the ground around the camp. Their back of the throat laughing and I could hear my tent tearing. Deep growls of inhuman noise and heavy breathing for hours. They never left; they searched the same ground over and over again as if blind until an hour before dawn they quietly slunk away back up the mountain towards the peak.
I hadn't slept at all again and was feeling exhausted. My legs felt weak, and I slid down the last few feet of the tree landing hard on my back.
I lay there breathing heavy as the sun from the morning sun bathed me in warm life-saving light. My tent had been shredded to pieces and I now had no doubt in my mind that they were hunting me. Blood was on the ground beside the fire where it looked like something had happened. Maybe the creatures had a fight amongst themselves during the night.
I sighed examining my tent, dropping the piece of it I held, I turned and made my way down the rocky trail. Gone were the lush trees and long grass of the peak and once more I plunged into the rocky and steep trail to the base.
The trail was slow-going as I climbed down rock faces and had to backtrack several times to find a different path down. I could not spend one more night in this place; far below I could see my old red pickup in the parking lot. Within my vision but still so far away, if I had a base jumping kit, I could be down there in minutes instead of hours.
At various spots, I had to anchor with ropes that had been placed by previous climbers. I praised them and their families with good fortune as this put a large distance between me and the beasts.
I traveled through the day and resolved myself to continue through the night, with no tent or cover I would be torn to shreds by the beasts.
As the sun began to set, I doubled my pace, I knew somewhere along here was the rappel site. A place with hundreds of feet of strong rope for you to descend the final drop. After that is a short five-minute walk to the truck.
I couldn't find the rappel spot, I knew it had to be around here somewhere but I seemed to be lost, I had seen the rappel spot from my truck but now that I was on the mountain, I could have missed it in the dusk's light.
I knew I had to backtrack slightly and made my way back up the mountain. Fear struck me again knowing the beasts were coming.
As I climbed, I saw a bright green rope hanging from a series of anchors in the rock. I attached my harness and walked backward off the rock. This is something I had done dozens of times and I made good time. Halfway down I rested for a moment as the sun set behind me. That's when I felt it, something pulling on the rope above.
It jerked and began swinging side to side. I dropped slightly before I felt something pulling me back up the mountain. I began to rappel with increased fervor and dropped down the mountain faster than I ever had before. I reached the bottom but noticed the rope had shortened around twenty feet and was slowly getting higher. The ground below was rocky and rough but I had no choice. I unclipped myself from the line and dropped quickly to the ground.
I landed awkwardly on a stone with my left leg and felt my ankle twist awkwardly. I screamed out in pain as my leg burned.
Despite this, I smiled, I had escaped. The beasts weren't going to catch me now. I could see my red pickup truck down the hill and rose to my feet.
The pain was intense but I kept going knowing this was my only chance. Behind me, I heard the impossible, the sound of rocks being scattered as something heavy landed. I dared not glance over my shoulder but doubled my pace.
I could hear heavy breathing and movement behind me, a small glade of young trees lay directly in front of me and I ducked into the thin branches for any sort of cover from the relentless pursuer.
"Hyuk hyuk" came from behind me, and I froze, letting the foliage cover my body from sight. I barely dared to breathe as I heard the branches snapping around me; I could smell the foul breath of the beast as I crouched in a thin shield of branches and foliage, a poor armor indeed.
Heavy breathing came closer and closer to me until it was right beside my ear. The back of the throat laugh came out right beside my ear, making fear shoot up my spine paralyzing me to the spot.
This was it, the end. Whatever this creature was it was going to kill me. I chanced a glance in its direction and stared right into its repulsive face. It bore a resemblance to a shaved wolf with its skin pulled back, a large mouth filled with rows of dangerously sharp teeth, and a large brown nose like a dog's. Saliva dripped from its open mouth as it breathed in air in ragged breathes.
The oddest part was its eyes, they were all white and filled with clouds. Almost as if the creature was blind. I sat perfectly still as the creature was within feet of me. It had a hunched back almost human but it moved on all fours like an animal. The creature smelled at the air briefly before growling and moving away through the foliage. Making the hyuk hyuk sound as it left as if it were mocking my fear of it.
The creature couldn't see; I assumed it reacted to movement, sound, or smell. Perhaps all three.
As the creature moved away, I quietly limped in the opposite direction towards my truck. Finally, I was in the parking lot and into my truck. I locked the doors behind me and lay down on the seat, breathing for a moment. Planning my next move, with a jerk, I started the truck and my old faithful girl turned on in a single stroke.
I flicked on my headlights as my heart stopped. In front of my truck was a dozen or so of the beasts, all crouched over, their eyes a milky pale unseeing. As my headlights hit their eyes, the beasts changed. They covered their eyes in pain and I put the truck into drive. As I stepped on the gas, I realized my mistake, the fire that one night in the tree. The way they attacked it. With a smash, I felt one of them ram into my tailgate. I sped off down the road, swerving to avoid them.
In my rearview mirror, I could see them chasing me down the dark mountain road and I sped up keeping ahead of them. My ankle throbbed painfully but I felt nothing as my adrenaline peaked again and again as my fear warped into new things by the moment.
The last thing I saw was their pale eyes in the darkness as I turned the corner onto the highway, by the time I saw other cars and people I knew I was safe I drove nonstop for hours until I made it back to my place. The sun was just about to set as I locked the door behind me. I breathed a sigh of relief and poured myself a glass of scotch to calm my nerves.
I fell against my bed and took a sip of my drink before I lay back in the blankets, exhausted from my flight and the creatures chasing me. I fell asleep in minutes.
I woke in the middle of the night to something outside my house; it sounded like something rubbing up against my front door. My heart froze as I thought of what could be out there, a slight knocking at the door, just loud enough for me to hear before a sound that chilled me to my bones. A deep laugh coming from the back of someone's throat. "Hyuk hyuk" it went.

Yet another three months away from this sub... I swear if anyone of you know me, I'll be surprised at this point. Anyway, here ye go!
Also, to any of you that actually like my stuff and want more of it sooner, I'm happy to say that I have more time set to this more than ever before! So, buckle up cause I'm going to be posting as much as I can with the best quality I can provide!
----------------------------------------------------------
Notice: This story is about to humanity, but they are introduced much later into the narrative.
----------------------------------------------------------
Prev: Chains of The Veiled (2/?) :
Next:
First: Chains of The Veiled : humansarespaceorcs (reddit.com)
----------------------------------------------------------
Never has the light of hydrogen fusion felt so cold. Our orbit was all but a few thousand kilometers from the surface of an infernal furnace of the vacuum in which we trek. A star which functioned at the location for a galactic travel hub. Hundreds of Warp Gates, all orbiting the start so closely in order to provide themselves with the necessary power. Warp gates which were suspended in place by solar sails constantly utilizing the photons emitted to remain in their orbit so low to the star. It was a complex machine which could maintain a perfect orbit around a healthy star, all with the powers that such suns provided. A genius of engineering and physics that allowed all species of the Galactic Assembly easy travel and access to countless other worlds. These gates were the lifeblood as much as they were the backbone…
And so close to us was a Hubgate, crumbling at the seams. Torpedoes from the black craft struck at crucial hardpoints. The force causes the gate to collapse down into the gravity well of the Solar mass, no longer able to maintain its stable orbit. It was a rapid collapse due to the mass of the star itself, leading the structure and any left inside of it charing beyond the point of ashes. From the screens of the bridge, I watched from rear facing cameras as the very means of what provided our salvation crumbled. Any that might have been behind us either were left to the perverted mitts of those black fleet scum, or flew head first into the stars, incinerating almost immediately.
We were thousands of lightyears from the Fulkari territories, but despite the distance I could still hear the ongoing screams in the back of my mind as I knew chaos continued to boil in the distant void. The tension from our near death encounter began to slowly fade, as adrenaline began to lessen within the blood streams of everyone present on the bridge. There were several that collapsed from the built up stress from the previous engagement, sobbing and mumbling sighs of relief followed in tandem with the first one to collapse…
The first being Kazzi, in all of her tearful state. She collapsed onto her knees just off to my side, eyes glazed over with a sense of realization. Reality ramming down a mallet upon everything she had and lived for. Her life, her reputation, her home, any family that couldn’t have escaped in time, it was all ashes. Entombed behind lightyears of travel which we could no longer reach. We saw on the other end of the warp gates that Black fleet torpedo craft were sent to destroy each gate that connected to each hub star. Along with any allied gates, effectively isolating the remaining Fulkari colonies to a bitter end, and a shallow, yet radioactive grave.
She knew all of this, and even more that I couldn’t even begin to try and understand. I never knew who she was all that well, only basing my perception of her based on stereotypes. I could only envision her as a sort of rich snob who constantly needed to remind others of her worth in order to actually feel like it. However, for once I saw something that made her seem like much more of a person. Terror, and loss, emotions which swirled all throughout the visage of a woman who just lost everything to mechanical nightmares.
All she had was this ship, and whatever money she had left her bank saved up. Whilst it was likely a lot given her position as an executive, no amount of money could ever repair a broken life so extreme as that. That I know, a healthy family is a priceless artifact that’s difficult to part with when the inevitability of death claims them. A state of being wrought so soon by forces from a dark beyond. That Black Fleet, whatever it is, has caused so much unnecessary suffering. It’s just like the Foretold and how they were destined to ruin everything. Vile creatures that just refused to die, as if they were evil incarnate. A force of the natural world that just couldn’t die out despite all of their harmful tendencies.
I watched the emotion in her face amalgamate into something of pure sorrow. Tears poured from eyes which beamed despair… She was left a mumbling mess, struggling to compose what little she had of herself. I sighed, moving away from my terminal. I walked up to Kazzi and enveloped her in a hug. She showed no resistance at my advance, and actively moved to return my gesture in kind. However, Kazzi seemed to be doing so instinctively rather than consciously, as she remained in this state of glazed horror. I did my best to comfort her in what was clearly her darkest hour.
A transmission was received on our comms unit, and the closest person did their best to respond. Clicking on the accept button, a repeat message played on loop. An almost robotic tone flooded the bridge, “This is Admiral Gesvolt of the AGN. To any and all vessels who can hear this message, we have just received the alert regarding the collapse of the Fulkari warp network due to outside parties and malicious forces. Should you be refugees from this assault upon the Fulkari, redirect your course to the Core. Station 68 shall be awaiting you for processing and interrogation…”
The message seemed to repeat over and over, and it seemed that fleeing to the Core was indeed where we were fated to arrive. The Core, a Solar system that was discovered outside of any territories owned by other races, as neutral space, it functions as the Galactic assembly’s home system. A place of commerce and political power. A center of federal power unlike any other. The Core functioned as a headquarters and organizer of many things, one such included refugees from any kind of tragic incident. And this was no other. The message was broadcasted upon all channels, so it was impossible for anyone to not catch wind of the event. Information travels fast, quick like any travel through a warp gate…
As my mind wandered, Kazzi poked at me as I hugged her. With the general understanding that my physical contact wasn’t as comforting as it initially was. I let go of Kazzi, and let her get her bearings. She struggled to stand upright, “Please… take us to Core… I need to go lay down for a minute.” She kept her gaze away from me, turning from the bridge to go to her personal quarters. I didn’t want to take risks with her, but she likely needed some space. I didn’t lose a single person on this ship during the escape, and I don’t plan to now. Stay strong Kazzi, just a while longer…
Still, we had somewhere we had to be. People that we had to take to receive the care and assistance they properly needed. Walking back to the Helm controls, I began to drive the ship across the Hub star. Nearly one thousand warp gates were all present, each one leading to another Galactic Assembly member's homeworld. The Territory of the GA as an organization exceeded 100,000 star systems, and we were encroaching upon the system which functioned as its heart. The warps gates that we passed were all basic in their construction, but the one which we encroached upon was ornamented extremely, with an almost regal appearance. One that signified importance and power.
I had the ship orient itself to follow the recently reopened refugee lane. This was a section of the warp gate which was devoted to quick and easy access into the Core, following a space lane to station 68. These kinds of lanes were rarely ever opened, and were mainly active during tragedies or wartime. Given the context, this specialized lane was opened for both reasons. I brought the ship to follow others in a line. Each ship which found itself traveling through this lane was one which managed to escape the attack, with some worse for wear. I could see sections of other ships which were shot off, still active with doors leading to those blasted portions sealed shut… It was concerning to see how many of these ships suffered such blasts. How many people were sucked out into the void during the escape? A question that I didn’t want answered truthfully. We followed a route map which was sent to us, one which all of the refugee ships were meant to follow to station-68.
The station itself orbited the system’s second planet, one of the many ecumenopolis bodies of the Core. It was a large station, utilized as a sort of residence for Refugees until another unit of housing could be constructed to accommodate those that needed help. Agricultural bays were all over the massive pillar of a space station, this provided plenty of self sustainability to victims of all kinds. Which was very helpful for me. After all of the chaos unfolded behind us, I needed something to distract myself from all the traumatic stress, and a good hearty meal was definitely the way to go about it.
One aspect of the station was the sheer amount of docking bays or refugee vessels. This was a standard feature, as it made it easier and more effective at offloading massive amounts of people onto the station. I oriented the Yacht towards one of these docking bays and contacted the automated dockyard systems regarding entry. When the link is established I begin to request permission to dock. “Attention Dockyard, this is the private yacht Prestigious Vow requesting docking to offload refugees that we have on board…”
I waited for a response from the master computer, before receiving a confirmation almost immediately. “Prestigious Vow you are clear to dock. Please align with bay section-28 to begin offloading” spoke an automated response over the comms. It made sense why they were resorting to Automated directors, the influx of sudden refugees would warrant quite the reaction, and using the system to streamline the process would be most effective. Handling Numerous ships like they were as of now would be nightmarish for the standard operating tower to organize. Flying over to the designated section of the station, I found drone guides flying out to meet us.
Using drone guides to assist with docking ships was a common practice across all of GA space, and made it to where more organized dock movements occurred, resulting in little to nothing in terms of station related accidents. The disk-like drones blinked as they went about assisting the vessel latch into the drydock appropriately. With a shift in movement, I could feel the buckling of momentum as the magnetic locks kept us firm in place as the walkways began to fold out from the station bay. A few arms folded out of the section of drydock that we were parked in, and moved to attack itself to the ship side where the entrances to the yacht’s airlocks were. With everything in position, I received a notification from the station’s systems to open comms for their announcement to the crew and passengers. I pressed the confirm button to permit the station system access to the shipwide speakers,
“This is an informant message to notify all refugees, all civilians are steer clear of the airlock units. Station staff shall make they’re way to assist with retrieval of refugees and any critically injured state. We shall assist with offloading all passengers to a waiting area to receive lodging until further notice. Compliance is an order as we seek to help you in this unfortunate time.” spoke the automated communicator. I sighed, feeling a sense of relief washing over me as we seemed out of the storm. At least, for the little moment that we had. The people that were operating the bridge sighed with a similar disposition to my own. And went to take the lift down from the bridge to the lower decks with the airlocks. They all made their way onto the lift, but I made no such indication of following. I knew that I needed to check up on the Fulkari who rightfully owned this ship.
Kazzi was likely unstable, and needed someone to help her with the revelation, and the likely possibility of there being nothing left. I can’t imagine the struggle that the Fulkari are currently suffering. She and I aren’t so much of friends to mean that much, but as of now I’m all she has. I walked out of the bridge, through a small yet luxurious hallway leading behind the lift, Turning the corner, I walked up to one of two doors. One which led to the captain’s quarters, and the other which was designed to accommodate the VIP. I walked to the VIP room, as this was the room which Kazzi likely made her abode upon the vessel. I sighed, and lifted my hand to knock upon the door.
I received nothing in turn…
I knocked a little louder, yet still didn’t hear anything. Concerned, I opened the door to see Kazzi wallowing on her floor-bolted-bed, curled up as she looked out of her room’s viewport along the back of the bridgetower. She remained still, motionless in her fixture much like the star of the Core. From her view, she had a prime view of the city planet in which we orbited, and the star which peaked beyond its horizon. An ethereal sight to be sure, but something that did little to ease the Fulkari’s current condition.
Not once has an encounter with Kazzi ever gone so cold like now. In which I felt so sorry for the woman who had it all, only to lose it instantly… It was surreal, as everything seemed to be as of recent. The evacuation, the attack… the destruction not just upon the warp gates, but whatever devastation continued in the severed reaches of the Fulkari. And I had no doubt in my mind that Kazzi was trapped on her own. In that head of hers was swirling doubts and thoughts which plagued her subconscious.
Trauma was a gate that locked a victim deep within their minds, unable to pass due to not having a key at their disposal to open that impasse. It keeps them still, with unyielding strength in the bars which were cold to the touch. A lock so complex held her there, one which could take her time to break on her own. But too much time to make any significant progress. She was someone new in this new stage of vulnerability. And The Kazzi I knew seemed to die beyond that warp gate, with this new person taking her place. I knew that Kazzi, now matter who she was now, needed someone to break her out. I was the only one she currently had, and I needed to take the mantle of responsibility and give her the love and care she needed to brave through this nightmare.
I walked up and went about setting my four legs to loaf upon her bed, leaving me in a position where I was pointing directly at the window. I turned my forebody to look at her for a moment, before looking back out the window with her. Despite my homeworld being one covered in frigide oceans and stormy seas, breaking the ice was something of a challenge given the sophistication of our situation. The atmosphere hung heavy like the death tolls which were yet to be counted. Despite my attempts to do so, it was Kazzi to speak in this thickened atmosphere that permeated not just her room, but the entire ship itself.
“Why?” She uttered, almost eshaberated with that single word. That single word which seemed to draw so much strength to utter. “Why would those… things attack us?... wha-... What even were they?” She wasn’t expecting any answer, those abominations were all still a mystery after all. But at the same time my mind was made up on what I figured to be the truth. Whether that be the case or not. I took a moment to waver on whether or not I should tell, but even if it hurts, it’s best to rip off a band-aid while you still can. “Foretold,” I stated, confident that what those machines were was a culmination of effort from whatever surviving Foretold might exist. Her head lifted up to where it was level with the floor. She looked dead straight before turning to look at me like I was Insane.
“What?... wha-that’s not possible; That war wasn’t even over a decade ago. There’s no way that they could’ve survived, let alone build such a force within such a small amount of time.” Kazzi made a fair point, based on the average decade in the Galactic Assembly, there’s not enough time to build an armada of such magnitude. “But at the same time who else could it be?” I said, “The technology that the black fleet utilized was relatively primitive despite the prowess of those… horribly terrifying robotics. Their ships were flimsy when hit with the Fulkari main weapons, breaking apart nigh instantly. There are many ships in the GA, but not built like the ones used in that black fleet… Only the Foretold vessels fit those kinds of makes, swarms of steel meant to drown out anything in their path with sheer volume. I know you think I’m insane for thinking this, but who else in the galaxy could manage to travel through an FTL method that the GA has never developed?”
“I-... I don’t want to believe that’s true… It can’t be… It had to be someone else, powerful like the first of the GA, those who can master a realm of the Universe we don’t know of. After all, those religious Foretold didn’t have such advanced technology like that…” I listened to her, and could only sigh. “A lot can change in a single decade Kazzi…” I said, “Whether or not I’m right is up to you to decide, but at the same time it’s up to me to see to it that I help you.”
“Get to the point…” She muttered, throwing me for a loop all but for a single moment. I sighed, trying to ease into a more tender disposition. I wasn’t one for such buddy-buddy interactions. Such things weren’t common amongst my own kind. I simply scooted over and placed a paw upon her shoulder, a gesture she initially shivered at… “look, I’m not going to pretend I understand the feelings that are permeating all about you right now. But I’m here for you. I intend on providing however much support you need. I doubt you want to talk about it, but take your time. I’m willing to help you, it’s up to you if you’re willing to let me.”
Kazzi… spoke nothing in response, her head hanging low. I couldn’t see her face, with her keeping it hidden from me. I didn’t say much else after that, simply letting the atmosphere that seemed to radiate about the room, hoping that maybe the intensity would fade with time. Awkwardness was a radiation all in itself, one that you could never truly cure or forget. I knew that nothing could save her from the sorrow of losing her home, but I can do whatever I can to ease the wound that the blow caused into something manageable. Mentally, I knew she wouldn’t be able to recover. Frankly I’d be more concerned if she wasn’t like this…
Despite the silence, I could hear some sort of whimpering from the Fulkari woman… as she scooted closer to me. She simply moved to lean against my side, letting herself recollect herself mentally and physically. Kazzi… wasn’t a strong woman. Fulkari weren’t physically bulky, being very thin and lanky in their builds. Kazzi also wasn’t as mentally fortified as I was. She never had the unfortunate fate of being dragged into the military to serve. She never faced the grueling horrors of war like I had to.
But then again my people, the Hystravics, were a near polar opposite of the Fulkari in countless ways physically and culturally. It’s almost laughable how comedical our differences were, like brain versus brawn, pretentious versus proud… Night and day, we had little to nothing in common, but in the end we were all we had at the moment. At the lowest points, we’re all the same, and the walls we built from flawed societies crumble in turn. Presenting the true you, at your most vulnerable. I never considered Kazzi someone pleasing to associate with due to her lustrous and flaunting lifestyle. Evil, greedy corporations and all that stigmatism…
But seeing her in this way, in a light which shines only during the darkest hours, it presents a new way of viewing another. One which can lead to bonds forming no matter the divide. One which rarely ever shines, but surely does so brightly when it decides to. Kazzi was someone who hid behind her status, because she was afraid. I could see it in her eyes that she was beyond terrified. Implications were all but fact, and the truth was as easy to say as curses when near blackout drunk. Did her status provide her a comfort that she never had? What was her life before I met her? What was her fami-...
A question like that was best not asked so soon…
I held her close, staying silent and giving her all the time I was willing to provide. I was willing to stay as long as I needed to. I moved to wrap my arm around her, keeping her close and providing her the moment she needed to recollect herself into something relatively presentable. She breathed erratically as I felt tears flow against my fur. Everything that was happening felt so surreal. Everything that shouldn’t ever occur happened all at once. The last war occurred only to prevent everything that was happening… all those lives lost just to suffer another cruel fate wrought by those scumbag foretold… if everything that happened was to occur again, then I know for a fact that we of the GA shall crush them for this crime…
After a while of sulking and shivering at my side for what felt like several minutes, Kazzi began to recollect herself after a long and powerful session of crying, one which allowed her to release all the built up emotion bottled from the events. I was caught in the floodgates, being washed by a tsunami of pain from a woman who just lost everything worth more than any bank account… more than any credit could ever amount to her. Her home, in which she was raised and lived all her life. With family and friends alike… riding upon success and building a name for herself. Something that now meant nothing. But she seemed to start coming to terms with her new existence. For better or for worse…
“Kovvak?” She muttered, in a vocal range that I was just able to receive. I responded with a simple, “Yes, Kazzi?”
“Is fate the one we face, because of the actions we’ve taken? Was the last war… really worth it?”
…
“Believe me Kazzi, I’ve asked myself that very question for years now. I’ll tell you when I finally get the answer” I retorted. It was a thought which plagued my mind ever since the last of the enemy ships fell silent in their drifting through the void. I’ll never get my answers on whether or not it was worth it. Guilt tainted my mind due to the conflict, despite my hatred for those we fought. I wasn’t stubborn enough to deny that there were wrongs and rights to both sides of the war. But war was never about who was right, only who’s left.
I could hear a grumble, something which sounded like a roar. There was no beast where we were though, only a monstrous appetite of a hungry Fulkari. I shot up, surprised to hear such a rumble from the relatively skinny Fulkari. I chuckled seeing her flustered at her sudden show of hunger, as she went about blushing a flush purple of embarrassment at the sound. There were still some tears in her eyes as she turned to apologize directly. “I-I’m so sorry about that!” She loudly spoke in the aftermath of her little roar. I chuckled, finding it understandable and simply waving her down over the whole thing. Fulkari required plenty of energy considering their remarkable metabolism and usage of a wide amount of nutrients, and given the chase it was no doubt that Kazzi needed something to chew on. I decided to offer a suggestion to the Fulkari woman. “What do you say you and I go and get something to eat? Talk about where we go from here? We need a path to walk after all…”
…
“Sure thing” she said, with a soft and heartwarming smile.

hello
i, (20f) have been with t (21m) i suppose my now ex bf, came into my life late november and we started talking in december and i found it entertaining but we ended up moving fast and dating.
he got out of victorville prison in october after 3 and a half years for smuggling meth and immigrants across the border in arizona. i have never been with a felon or even knew one, but i did not judge him for that.
fast forward to like january things went downhill so quickly. he stole $400 cash from my mother and i defended him so much because my mother and i have a terribly strained relationship. my mom got a peace order on him, rightfully so, but i have had him come into ours and of course we get caught. then, he put his hands on me. we started to argue a lot and i was becoming aware of who he really is and his manipulative, gaslighting traits. he’s on probation and in february after a rave he decided to steal drugs from my friends. they wanted me to stay with them at their apartment because he’s so shitty but i chose to leave with him because i am attached to him. he stole $24,000 cash from another friend of mine. he had charges pressed against him of course.
he drives me fucking crazy because everything is a god damn lie and he just sounds so stupid oh my god. it has been hell. there’s too much to include. but the thing is when it’s good, it feels so good. i feel such a strong bond with him. he makes me feel so loved. the intimacy when it comes to sex is through the roof, it’s great. but he’s so terrible. a few weeks ago we went to hampton, va for a 2 day zeds dead event (edm) and it was freaking awesome. after night 2, he started tweaking because i still have pictures with my ex on my phone. understandable. though, i have over 140k photos in my camera roll and don’t feel the need to take the time to delete every single photo with someone who is no longer significant. he gave me 2 black eyes. he wrecked the airbnb and now i owe $630 to the hosts, i don’t have that.
all the times he’s good it feels so god damn good.
he is a criminal and i have let myself go through all this. there’s so much more to it.
friday night we went out to a little live music bar and he was driving back to mine to drop me off but i still wanted to be out so we were just driving around some more. he starts speeding down the pike and sees a cop. instead of slowing the fuck down or pulling over because they started following with their lights on, he continued to floor it in his black dodge charger (typical) as i’m begging him “please don’t do this to me, please don’t do this to me.” my life flashed right before my eyes when there was a car coming from the opposite direction making a turn and we slammed into them and it was over. it was terrifying, the car flipped over and i just made sure to protect my head the entire time with my hands. i was upside down and my legs were stuck and i was screaming and crying in pain. he LEFT ME. he FLED THE SCENE. the 25 year old girl in the other car was immediately dead and just leaving work, just got out of the parking lot. i was stuck freaking out and it took what felt like a while for me to be extricated out of the car. my right leg is broken and one of my ribs is broken and i was taken to the er. i had surgery yesterday and everything is so painful and when i move the slightest bit, i can’t help but start crying because of WHY i’m in this situation.
i know that he’s in custody right now and he has a bond hearing tomorrow. i’m so distraught. he killed someones daughter. i could get past me being in the car like that but he killed someone. he has so many charges i don’t know how many years he’s going to get. i wish this wasn’t real. i loved him so much and everyone was telling me to leave him. i can’t believe he left me to literally die. he makes me feel so loved i don’t understand how he can be so cruel and selfish.
i’m so fucking torn and sick of being in the hospital. i have NO idea how i’m supposed to move forward. i want to be dead. i am extremely lucky for surviving that crash. i am so, so hurt and confused. it is breaking me that i may never see him again. and i shouldn’t want to. but i can’t help but feel. i don’t even know what i’m feeling or what to feel.
here’s a link of the accident. look at that bs… i don’t know how the f*** he got out or how i lived, i’m not paralyzed and i didn’t lose consciousness either.
https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2024/04/1-woman-dead-another-in-critical-condition-after-rockville-pike-crash-that-shutdown-roadway/

This is gonna be my first attempt at an audio rp/asmr script. I hope it's good!
(Listener knocks on the door to their date's room the door opens revealing super excitable marshall and sleep deprived adam)
Marshall: Hey honeybun~! Ready for our game night? We got games, chips, drinks, games about chips, movies, and-
Adam: oi marshall, calm down and let out sweetheart talk, you’re getting too ahead of yourself again…
Marshall: oh riight! Sorry about that sweetness! Was just a bit too… excited! Let’s go to Adam now eheh
(The listener giggled before being let inside, distant super smash bros noises can be played as all three of you were competing with each other)
Marshall: imma get ya, IMMA GET YA!
Adam: oooh no you don't!
Marshall: AHAH! I WIIN! SUCK IT YOU TWO! I won't have to clean the dishes this week!
Adam: but you have to clean the dishes next week~
(Listener laughed at seeing marshall freezed and petrified)
Marshall: o-o-oh yea! By the way hun, what was with that text you sent earlier?
Adam: indeed, it was quite concerning, you said you have something to reveal…
(The listener this time frozed before looking worried)
Marshall: heyy, hey hey! No worries, you don't have to do it if you don’t want to! Look, me and Adam have our own stuff we kept to each other!
Adam: marshall!
Martin: whoops sorry honeybear! But it’s true tho
Adam: while marshall may be spacey at times, i can tell that his advice is genuine here, couples does not have to reveal all of their secrets to each other, it takes time and lots of building up trust.
Marshall: uh y-yea! So what this secret?
(Listener looked around, closing windows before handing out their outstretched hand)
Marshall: uhhh… is this it? your small hands? Thats your secret? Man i thought its gonna explode or somethi-
(Both let out a yelp of surprise as the listener’s hands catches on fire)
Marshall: woah! WOAH! YOUR HANDS! IT'S ON FIRE! OH DEAR DON’T WORRY I’LL FIND THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER!
(sounds of marshall running away and adam sighing)
Adam: calm down doofus! It’s obviously fire magic… still, how do you know this? You a witch or something?
(The fire extinguishes itself before listener backs away in fear)
Adam: hey hey hey, shh… don’t worry you're not alone on the supernatural factor…. I guess we never told you this but-
(Marshall comes in screaming with fire extinguisher in hand and extinguishes the long extinguished fire and just doused both listener and Adam)
Marshall: phew, I did it! The fire is gone!
Adam: …thanks marshall, but as i was saying, this doofus here is a werewolf, and i am a vampire…
(Adam sighs before opening the curtain, revealing a full moon, marshall makes a sound of betrayal)
Marshall: A-adam!
Adam: don’t worry, she has to know, and since you missed it since you’re too panicked, our sweetheart here is a witch.
Marshall: THEY ARE A WHAT!?
(before they can continue, marshall lied down, groaning in pain as his shirt starts to rip apart, his form shifting and changing. His legs and arms turning to paws while he’s growing a tail)
Marshall: AWROOOOOOoooooo…heyy that was my favorite shirt…. And pants… and shoes and everything!
Adam: awww sorry hun… we’ll get a new one
Marshall: it's okay...
(Sounds of silence and a few growling and panting from marshall is heard)
Adam: so… best out of 5?
Marshall: i dunno… my paws is making it hard to play
Adam: dude… i have seen you playing in someone else’s fursuit… but you are right… what about you honeybun?
(The listener recommended watching a movie)
Marshall: ohhhh! I have yet to see shrek!
Adam: dear god please no…
(Sounds of chatter is heard as sitcom music is heard)
Marshall: blegh i dunno why you guys like this!
(Sounds of marshall’s whinings is cut off by listener and adam petting him)
(Adam hums and the sounds of the sitcom slowly fades out as both marshall, adam, and the listener slowly drifts to sleep, filling the room with snores)

Main complaint: About two years ago, I began to experience a slight tingling feeling in my left leg, at the front of my left thigh and hinging down into my groin, whenever I was trying to get to sleep (i'm a side-sleeper). Massaging it, changing positions etc. didn't ease it, but over time, it stopped on its own. However, now it's started again and much worse than before. Not only is the tingling intensifying regardless of position, but it's happening throughout the day now and pressing down around the area with my thumb produces pain. A couple of nights ago, the tingling radiated right down my leg. It was only when I got up, walked around a bit to let the dog out, and massaged Rapigel in it that it eventually eased enough for me to doze off.
Last night, though, nothing was helping and no position was a better one - sensations alternating between tingling, random sharp zap-like pains, and numbness were going down both legs. Not even a pillow between or under the knees eased it. I had to resort to vaping flower and only then did the ‘volume turn on’ enough for me to sleep.
It is not as intense during the day, but still noticeable and limiting how long I can comfortably stand or sit.
Some background information: I fractured my coccyx five years ago and have had ongoing lower back pain since, primarily around the sacroiliac joint and iliac crest. I had an injection for bursitis in my left hip a few months ago but it doesn't seem to have lasted. I also experience widespread pain and fatigue that was attributed to fibromyalgia in 2014, and I am on the hypermobility spectrum, but I am also wondering what else might be going on and will be seeking a review. Also, for as long as i’ve known, my hips and pelvis have popped whenever i’ve extended or twisted around.
An MRI of my SI joints in 2022 showed no erosion or signs of sacroiliitis, but one imaging report remarked mild osteoarthritis. A lumbar CT showed normal findings from T12-L1 to L3-L4. L4-L5 and L5-S1 showed a "mild broad-based disc bulge" and mild subarticular sclerosis in the SI joints, but I don't know fully what this means nor why it did not show in the MRI.
I enjoy pilates as a regular exercise routine, but right now i'm finding it harder and harder to stick with it as it only seems to cause further pain and injury. Specifically, the thigh/groin tingling has returned since starting regular exercise, as well as shin splints (?!).
Please let me know if there's anything i've missed re: history/investigations. I would really appreciate some opinions on where to go from here as being in constant pain along with lack of quality sleep is really testing my resolve.
Country: Australia Age: 39 Sex: F Race: Caucasian Smoker: No (quit in 2022) Medications: Mirtazapine, topiramate, dienogest, pantoprazole, nizatidine, low-dose naltrexone, medicinal marijuana (oils daily, flower as needed)

I'M BACK, GLITCHES!
Sorry about the delay, folks. Got a bit caught up with the whole Puzzlevision thing as well as a little writer's block, but I can now present to you the next chapter of Taking Flight.
Enjoy!
We begin in the Castle with Tari and Aybel in the main hall. Tari cautiously holds the orb in her right hand as Aybel hovers beside her.
Aybel: Are you ready, Miss Tari?
Tari: There were times I would be too terrified to even THINK about doing something like this, especially with no idea as to what could happen. Well, times have changed.......
She stares down at the orb she's been holding onto for a week now.
Tari: ..........and so have I.
Aybel: You'll be stepping into uncharted territory. There may be no turning back after this.
Tari: If this is the next step I need to take....... then so be it.
She takes a deep breath as she lightly places her robotic hand on the orb. It begins to glow as the silvery shell peels away to reveal a radiant core. Her metallic fingers close around the core, and the floating remnants of the shell expand and weave across her arm until it forms an armored gauntlet that goes up to her shoulder. The symbol of a blue wing is emblazoned on the pauldron, and the polished flat crystals on the back of her hand and arm dance with a tapestry of sigils and scripts. She admires her new upgrade in astonishment.
Clench: WOO! Now THIS is an upgrade! ........ now what?
Aybel: Now?.......... We get to work.
Later on we see the two gathered with all four SMGs outside. SMG4 and SMG3 are seen dragging in a large crate.
SMG4: Alright, one fresh batch of extra spicy memes at the ready!
The crate opens to reveal an assortment of memes such as Pingas Heads, Dancing Pepes, Wojacks, and.......uh.........Singing Fruit. Whatever, we'll roll with it.
SMG1: Shall we begin?
SMG1 nods and joins hands with SMG2. SMG3 and SMG4 also join hands, and the four proceed to draw the memes out of the box before converting them into golden motes of Meme Energy.
SMG2: In its raw form, Meme Energy can only be properly utilized by beings such as SMGs and Avatars.
A few motes flow into Mario, giving him the Power Star Power-up. He then proceeds to abuse this power by flying after an Ice Cream Truck. The Ice Cream man is shocked at the opalescent Italian plummer flying at him at Mach 2 and hits the gas as Mario gives chase. They both speed off into the distance, much to the amusement of Three and the bemusement of Four.
SMG1: But Meme Energy can take many forms, some of which can be drawn upon by those who are "attuned" to how the universe works. Aybel, would you care to demonstrate?
Aybel: With pleasure.
He raises his hand as a mote floats in his palm. He jestures with his other hand and currents of energy flow from the mote and weave around his fingers.
Aybel: Through methods of conduction, channeling, and communion, a soul can manipulate the flow of energy around them. Even in a diluted ambient state, the applications of such energies are practically endless.
The energy flows into his palm and creates a burning butterfly-like creature. It flutters into the distance before exploding in a brilliant display of crackling sparks and flames. He then lets the energy mote float over to Tari. She reaches for the mote with her new gauntlet. Its crystallic facets giving off a vivid azure glow as she clenches the mote.
SMG1: The Metarunners had the ability to condense this ambient energy into something more refined and concentrated.
She opens her hand to see that the mote is glowing brighter and has turned a bright blue.
SMG1: This is what we call "Meta." It is a force that not only holds great power, but memories as well. And it is through those memories that this power is realized.
Tari allows the mote to phase into her hand. Crackling energy courses through her body as her irises begin to glow blue.
SMG2: Now that you've joined with the artifact, you can now more efficiently draw from both ambient AND raw Meme Energy by refining it into Meta.
Aybel: How are you feeling, Miss Tari?
Tari: It's a bit much, to me honest....... but it's fine! I can handle it.
She transforms her arm into a railgun as the SMGs convert some of the motes into floating targets. With pinpoint precision, she fells each target with each thunderous crack.
Clench: WOOOOOO! WHO WANTS SOME!? COME RIGHT UP!
Aybel: Let's start her off with something simple.
The SMGs then condense the remaining motes into HIVE DARKBLADE KELGORATH, RISEN FROM BONES, TAKEN BY WAR, CHISELED BY LOSS, KNIGHT CHAMPION OF DEATH as a boss for Tari to fight. She draws her glaive and speeds towards the knight. Kelgorath raises his axe and attempts to bring it down upon her, but she easily dodges and cleaves a chunk of chitin from his bicep. He turns to retaliate with another swing only for his axe to shatter against an iridescent barrier. He tosses the broken axe aside and resorts to hurling balls of Arc energy. But she still manages to evade getting burned, even batting one of the balls right into Kelgorath's face and breaking his helm to reveal a bulbous growth overtaking his head. The frenzied Knight lets out a gutteral roar that echoes across the Showgrounds.
Clench: Oh, now he's pissed.
Seething with rage, Kelgorath's fists crackle with electricity as he charges in. Tari flings a blink blade past Kelgorath before he brings down his fists and shatters the earth beneath him. When the dust settles, he scans the area for any remnants of his target. A sudden pain shoots up his leg, and he looks down to see his ankle completely severed with a swing of Tari's blink blades.
Aybel: Clever girl.
Tari climbs up the Knight's back before plunging her glaive into the back of his head. The blade's glow rapidly intensifies before she unleashes an earth shattering blast, leaving nothing but a smoldering stump. She then makes her way down as the Knight's body collapses to the ground before evaporating in a cloud of Soulfire.
Tari: WOOOOOO! THAT'S how you get it done!
SMG4: How ya feeling, Tari?
Tari: Like a million quid! Slightly tingly, though.
SMG1 notices that her scars are glowing. He and SMG2 share glances of concern.
SMG1: Tari, I think you should take it easy. Your body may still need time to acclimate to channeling this kind of energy.
Tari twirls her glaive like a baton, not really heeding SMG1's advice as she notices Ragatha and Jax walking by. In a blink she rushes right up to the group and stops right in front of Ragatha.
Ragatha: Oh, uh, hi Tari.
Tari: Hey guys, whatcha doin'?
Ragatha: Not much.......uh.......
Jax: You're a lot more chipper than usual.
Tari: Oh, sorry. I'm just really really REALLY full of energy right now and I've been practicing for a bit.
Jax: Does that explain the fact that you're literally glowing right now.
Aybel floats over to the three. He carefully analyzes Tari before turning to Ragatha.
Aybel: Miss Ragatha, please forgive the intrusion, but could you perhaps assist us with Tari's training for today? We weren't expecting her to dispatch the boss we had planned so quickly.
Ragatha: It's no problem at all. I'd be glad to help.
Tari: YAAAAAAAY!
Tari immediately grabs Ragatha's hand and hauls her back to the others. The two take their starting positions as they get ready to spar. Tari makes the first move, drawing her glaive and rushing in tip first. Ragatha swiftly draws her cleavers and parries a flurry of thrusting attacks with near perfect precision. Tari steps back and switches to her blink blades. She throws one forward and Ragatha sidesteps, the blade whizzing by her head. Tari teleports to the flying blade and attempts to land a double sword strike, but Ragatha once again dodges with uncanny ease. Try as she might, Tari can't land a single blow on Ragatha. That's when she gets an idea. With a wave of her hand she summons 5 square shaped barriers and combines them into a cube around Ragatha. Now she has no room left to dodge.
Ragatha: Well, she's certainly getting more creative with her barriers.
With her quarry trapped, Tari transforms her arm into a massive fusion cannon and takes aim at the cube. The machine hums with escalating intensity as the tip of the barrel glows blue with energy. But Ragatha has another trick up her sleeve. She pricks her finger up, and a transparent thread around Tari's wrist tugs the cannon upwards right as it fires. A brilliant blue beam erupts from its barrel and streaks into the sky with a thunderous boom. A flock of birds fall out of the sky, fully cooked, basted, and seasoned for some reason.
SMG3: Oh sweet, lunch.
Tari falls onto her back, her arm reverting back to its previous form as the blue glow fades from her eyes and scars. The prism trap flickers away, allowing Ragatha to go check on her now drowsy and barely conscious sparring partner.
Ragatha: You still up for more?
Tari: Yeah, just........give me a minute to.......
Aaaaaand she's out, her snoring now audible as Ragatha picks her up in her arms.
Ragatha: Take all the time you need, kid.
Jax: whistles Well that was a show and a half. One second too late and Dollface would've been in pretty bad shape.
SMG2: And so would Tari if she hadn't expended all that excess energy.
SMG1: Indeed. It'll be some time before her body can properly handle that much energy, but her progress is still coming along swimmingly. We should probably focus more on channeling.
Ragatha makes her way back to the Castle with Tari resting peacefully in her arms.
Ragatha: Yeah, let's save that for tomorrow.

I know the title is somewhat contradictory so I'll give a wee bit of context.
First experienced sleep paralysis when I was around the age of 8 or so. This took the form of the standard unable to move, big scary figure at the end of the bed staring you down type deal. This lasted until my early teens and promptly stopped once I discovered an affinity for my bed and sleeping for as many hours as possible at any given opportunity.
Roll onto mid teens and it starts to happen again, no particular trigger I can identify but it's a stressful time for anyone so I chalk it down to teen angst and hormones. Old fears are stirred up and suddenly my love for kipping is met with that old familiar fear of what will happen following my head hitting the pillow at the end of the night.
The difference this time around is access to the internet coupled with a whole lot of curiosity. So, in an attempt to make sense of it, I start to source any information I can, triggers, causes, other people's stories and an absolutely cracking rabbit hole linking it all to the spiritual etc. This is a rabbit hole I practically leaped into at the time but I'll tell you right now that it was pointless and contributed nothing when trying to tackle the harsher effects of sleep paralysis. I did it so you don't have to, do your research, stick to the facts and keep it rational.
Anyhoo, off the back of all this I stumble across a forum where one particular post stands out. The post talks about sleep paralysis positively, claiming that it's a great way to propel yourself into lucid dreaming. I was aware of lucid dreaming at this point and tbh it turned the whole situation on its head for me.
The post itself talked about FILD or Finger Induced Lucid Dreaming which is basically where you keep tapping your finger very slightly then less and less to the point of practically not tapping as you drift off to sleep. I tried it, unsuccessfully at first but after some perseverance and a few paralytic stare downs with the big scary intruder standing at the end of my bed, it worked. Suddenly my love for my kip is reignited and I'm practically counting down the hours til bedtime.
Needs to be said, lucid dreaming is a blast man, certainly not a long term fix as I'll explain later but I had a lot of fun with it at the time. If you struggle with paralysis then it's definitely worth looking into as a way to tackle and ease the whole experience but again, it's not a fix, just a temporary outlet. I'd post some of the things I read back then about it here but thanks to that afore mentioned teenage curiosity leading to many a bricked laptop, I'm never likely to find them ever again.
Back to the matter at hand. By late teens, both sleep paralysis and, unfortunately, lucid dreaming are things of the past. The real world had taken precedent and between grand plans of changing the world for the better and excessive partying, I was tired enough that there was no time to even consider not sleeping.
Early twenties now (The world still no better for my involvement) sleep paralysis strikes again. Totally out of the blue. I'd been around long enough to earn a few stressful and anxious triggers that I could accredit it to but I never figured out the what's or why's. This time around (and to this very day) no matter how hard I try, the lucid dreaming escape just isn't happening.
Because of this, looking at the figure who is now no longer at the end of my bed but standing right over me, I think "I can move a finger, let's see if I can start swinging some fists". So I start to try and move a lot more, gradually working up from one finger to another and then eventually a whole hand. Then the toes. Man, I'm wiggling them piggies like The Bride in Kill Bill until I can muster enough movement to wake up and jump out of bed.
I don't open my eyes anymore when paralysis hits which has more or less eliminated the visual hallucination side of things providing I keep them closed, however, I'm now concentrating more on sound. The auditory hallucinations are now more prevalent, the groaning sound of straining metal is a regular one but also white noise, growling and what I can only describe as industrial machinery.
Despite all this, for whatever reason, whenever paralysis hits I can't lift my arms. I can at this stage, however, move my whole leg from the knee down.
This has taken the form of rather aggressively kicking the bed when I sleep prone.
This has also led to a few unpleasant awakenings of whoever I'm sleeping next to.
I'm painfully aware of the lack of information out there regarding sleep paralysis but as someone who is now in the last stint of their late twenties having tried cutting caffeine, alcohol, smoking and screen time before bed to no avail, I can't help but think that the solution may lie elsewhere and hopefully with others that have experienced the same sort of thing.
I'm no longer scared, just really tired so if anyone can let me know how to stop kicking people in the middle of the night that would be very much appreciated.
Alternatively, if any of you can send some more up to date sources to help me get a better understanding of this stage of sleep paralysis, I'd be eternally grateful.
Otherwise, if any of this has struck a nerve with anyone, let me know and I'll do what I can to help in any way I can.

I'M BACK, GLITCHES!
Sorry about the delay, folks. Got a bit caught up with the whole Puzzlevision thing as well as a little writer's block, but I can now present to you the next chapter of Taking Flight.
Enjoy!
We begin in the Castle with Tari and Aybel in the main hall. Tari cautiously holds the orb in her right hand as Aybel hovers beside her.
Aybel: Are you ready, Miss Tari?
Tari: There were times I would be too terrified to even THINK about doing something like this, especially with no idea as to what could happen. Well, times have changed.......
She stares down at the orb she's been holding onto for a week now.
Tari: ..........and so have I.
Aybel: You'll be stepping into uncharted territory. There may be no turning back after this.
Tari: If this is the next step I need to take....... then so be it.
She takes a deep breath as she lightly places her robotic hand on the orb. It begins to glow as the silvery shell peels away to reveal a radiant core. Her metallic fingers close around the core, and the floating remnants of the shell expand and weave across her arm until it forms an armored gauntlet that goes up to her shoulder. The symbol of a blue wing is emblazoned on the pauldron, and the polished flat crystals on the back of her hand and arm dance with a tapestry of sigils and scripts. She admires her new upgrade in astonishment.
Clench: WOO! Now THIS is an upgrade! ........ now what?
Aybel: Now?.......... We get to work.
Later on we see the two gathered with all four SMGs outside. SMG4 and SMG3 are seen dragging in a large crate.
SMG4: Alright, one fresh batch of extra spicy memes at the ready!
The crate opens to reveal an assortment of memes such as Pingas Heads, Dancing Pepes, Wojacks, and.......uh.........Singing Fruit. Whatever, we'll roll with it.
SMG1: Shall we begin?
SMG1 nods and joins hands with SMG2. SMG3 and SMG4 also join hands, and the four proceed to draw the memes out of the box before converting them into golden motes of Meme Energy.
SMG2: In its raw form, Meme Energy can only be properly utilized by beings such as SMGs and Avatars.
A few motes flow into Mario, giving him the Power Star Power-up. He then proceeds to abuse this power by flying after an Ice Cream Truck. The Ice Cream man is shocked at the opalescent Italian plummer flying at him at Mach 2 and hits the gas as Mario gives chase. They both speed off into the distance, much to the amusement of Three and the bemusement of Four.
SMG1: But Meme Energy can take many forms, some of which can be drawn upon by those who are "attuned" to how the universe works. Aybel, would you care to demonstrate?
Aybel: With pleasure.
He raises his hand as a mote floats in his palm. He jestures with his other hand and currents of energy flow from the mote and weave around his fingers.
Aybel: Through methods of conduction, channeling, and communion, a soul can manipulate the flow of energy around them. Even in a diluted ambient state, the applications of such energies are practically endless.
The energy flows into his palm and creates a burning butterfly-like creature. It flutters into the distance before exploding in a brilliant display of crackling sparks and flames. He then lets the energy mote float over to Tari. She reaches for the mote with her new gauntlet. Its crystallic facets giving off a vivid azure glow as she clenches the mote.
SMG1: The Metarunners had the ability to condense this ambient energy into something more refined and concentrated.
She opens her hand to see that the mote is glowing brighter and has turned a bright blue.
SMG1: This is what we call "Meta." It is a force that not only holds great power, but memories as well. And it is through those memories that this power is realized.
Tari allows the mote to phase into her hand. Crackling energy courses through her body as her irises begin to glow blue.
SMG2: Now that you've joined with the artifact, you can now more efficiently draw from both ambient AND raw Meme Energy by refining it into Meta.
Aybel: How are you feeling, Miss Tari?
Tari: It's a bit much, to me honest....... but it's fine! I can handle it.
She transforms her arm into a railgun as the SMGs convert some of the motes into floating targets. With pinpoint precision, she fells each target with each thunderous crack.
Clench: WOOOOOO! WHO WANTS SOME!? COME RIGHT UP!
Aybel: Let's start her off with something simple.
The SMGs then condense the remaining motes into HIVE DARKBLADE KELGORATH, RISEN FROM BONES, TAKEN BY WAR, CHISELED BY LOSS, KNIGHT CHAMPION OF DEATH as a boss for Tari to fight. She draws her glaive and speeds towards the knight. Kelgorath raises his axe and attempts to bring it down upon her, but she easily dodges and cleaves a chunk of chitin from his bicep. He turns to retaliate with another swing only for his axe to shatter against an iridescent barrier. He tosses the broken axe aside and resorts to hurling balls of Arc energy. But she still manages to evade getting burned, even batting one of the balls right into Kelgorath's face and breaking his helm to reveal a bulbous growth overtaking his head. The frenzied Knight lets out a gutteral roar that echoes across the Showgrounds.
Clench: Oh, now he's pissed.
Seething with rage, Kelgorath's fists crackle with electricity as he charges in. Tari flings a blink blade past Kelgorath before he brings down his fists and shatters the earth beneath him. When the dust settles, he scans the area for any remnants of his target. A sudden pain shoots up his leg, and he looks down to see his ankle completely severed with a swing of Tari's blink blades.
Aybel: Clever girl.
Tari climbs up the Knight's back before plunging her glaive into the back of his head. The blade's glow rapidly intensifies before she unleashes an earth shattering blast, leaving nothing but a smoldering stump. She then makes her way down as the Knight's body collapses to the ground before evaporating in a cloud of Soulfire.
Tari: WOOOOOO! THAT'S how you get it done!
SMG4: How ya feeling, Tari?
Tari: Like a million quid! Slightly tingly, though.
SMG1 notices that her scars are glowing. He and SMG2 share glances of concern.
SMG1: Tari, I think you should take it easy. Your body may still need time to acclimate to channeling this kind of energy.
Tari twirls her glaive like a baton, not really heeding SMG1's advice as she notices Ragatha and Jax walking by. In a blink she rushes right up to the group and stops right in front of Ragatha.
Ragatha: Oh, uh, hi Tari.
Tari: Hey guys, whatcha doin'?
Ragatha: Not much.......uh.......
Jax: You're a lot more chipper than usual.
Tari: Oh, sorry. I'm just really really REALLY full of energy right now and I've been practicing for a bit.
Jax: Does that explain the fact that you're literally glowing right now.
Aybel floats over to the three. He carefully analyzes Tari before turning to Ragatha.
Aybel: Miss Ragatha, please forgive the intrusion, but could you perhaps assist us with Tari's training for today? We weren't expecting her to dispatch the boss we had planned so quickly.
Ragatha: It's no problem at all. I'd be glad to help.
Tari: YAAAAAAAY!
Tari immediately grabs Ragatha's hand and hauls her back to the others. The two take their starting positions as they get ready to spar. Tari makes the first move, drawing her glaive and rushing in tip first. Ragatha swiftly draws her cleavers and parries a flurry of thrusting attacks with near perfect precision. Tari steps back and switches to her blink blades. She throws one forward and Ragatha sidesteps, the blade whizzing by her head. Tari teleports to the flying blade and attempts to land a double sword strike, but Ragatha once again dodges with uncanny ease. Try as she might, Tari can't land a single blow on Ragatha. That's when she gets an idea. With a wave of her hand she summons 5 square shaped barriers and combines them into a cube around Ragatha. Now she has no room left to dodge.
Ragatha: Well, she's certainly getting more creative with her barriers.
With her quarry trapped, Tari transforms her arm into a massive fusion cannon and takes aim at the cube. The machine hums with escalating intensity as the tip of the barrel glows blue with energy. But Ragatha has another trick up her sleeve. She pricks her finger up, and a transparent thread around Tari's wrist tugs the cannon upwards right as it fires. A brilliant blue beam erupts from its barrel and streaks into the sky with a thunderous boom. A flock of birds fall out of the sky, fully cooked, basted, and seasoned for some reason.
SMG3: Oh sweet, lunch.
Tari falls onto her back, her arm reverting back to its previous form as the blue glow fades from her eyes and scars. The prism trap flickers away, allowing Ragatha to go check on her now drowsy and barely conscious sparring partner.
Ragatha: You still up for more?
Tari: Yeah, just........give me a minute to.......
Aaaaaand she's out, her snoring now audible as Ragatha picks her up in her arms.
Ragatha: Take all the time you need, kid.
Jax: whistles Well that was a show and a half. One second too late and Dollface would've been in pretty bad shape.
SMG2: And so would Tari if she hadn't expended all that excess energy.
SMG1: Indeed. It'll be some time before her body can properly handle that much energy, but her progress is still coming along swimmingly. We should probably focus more on channeling.
Ragatha makes her way back to the Castle with Tari resting peacefully in her arms.
Ragatha: Yeah, let's save that for tomorrow.

[First]
CHAPTER 30
Lumiea
Year -19 (L.D.)

The flight was a blur. The black-clad rebels blended into the black interior of the Aerolux, while the world outside the windows ripped across Aeryn's view like a stream of light.
Her head swam with dizziness from whatever they injected into her neck. Time felt as if it twisted in loops instead of running straight forward.
With the speed they likely traveled, they could make it halfway across the world in an hour. But when they landed, it felt as if ten hours had passed, and as if it had only been minutes. How could both feel so true? The disorienting contradiction swirled in her mind.
Hands seemed to come at her from all sides. She tried to draw energy into her palms to fight, only nothing happened. There wasn't even a spark of heat. Her vision swooped as she lowered her head to see her hands bare. When had they taken her mods and bound her wrists together?
Aeryn tried to kick at the blur of bodies surrounding her, only they'd tied her legs as well. Her body writhed like a fish plucked from the water and dropped on the deck of a boat. As pathetic as it was useless.
Even though they'd landed, the outside still looked how it had speeding past the window. The trees and empty space between them tangled together. Purple sky streaked down into the ground. Aeryn squeezed her eyes shut and mustered all the strength she possessed to rip free from her binds.
Pathetic. Useless. A total failure.
Her efforts only earned her a swift fist to her rib cage and a scream muffled by a gag she didn't realize was there before.
What the hell had they given her?
Her eyes closed and then she opened them to a dimly lit room. They'd instantly transported her here.
No. What a stupid thought. She'd obviously passed out and woken up here. And time seemed to be running in a straight line again. The drug had worn off enough for her to start to collect her thoughts.
Pain beat around the edges of her skull in a throbbing headache.
On its heels came the flood of anger, with fear buried too deeply within it for her to actually feel.
There were others in the room. She blinked to clear her vision as she looked to another girl lying on her side nearby, bound just like Aeryn. Thirteen others littered the room, most passed out, but a few awake like she was. Her eyes caught another man's stare. While most of them looked to be around Aeryn's age, a few were older. Perhaps, late twenties or early thirties. The one looking at her must have been that age.
Aeryn huffed and tried in vain to rip her arms free once more.
Her squad would be frantically searching for her now. The thought of them worrying about her made her feel sick. She wanted to find a way to comfort them, tell her she was okay, but even if she could do that, it would be a lie. Aeryn had no idea what these people planned to do.
So she couldn't waste her time and energy crying about what happened to her or how her friends might feel. What information did she have? The fellow captives were a good source, not that she could immediately identify many patterns. Only that they were all younger and everyone looked to be in good shape. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to assume they were military like Aeryn. She didn't see any signs of surgical body modifications, like the faint blue of biofluid, but in this light, she doubted she'd make that out. Were they combat soldiers or specialists?
Aeryn searched her memory, trying to discern the fuzzy details. It was hard to remember anything from the Aerolux now, not even how many people had been inside. Before being taken, she'd been collecting samples to create fuel when she heard a hum behind her. By the time Aeryn had twisted to make out the Aerolux hovering behind her, the terrible pain had already shot through her body.
Immediately her hand mods stopped working. She knew how fast it had happened because the instant she saw the Aerolux, she'd drawn upon energy in her palms.
No one should have an Aerolux except for Commander Vehru and those she'd entrusted one to. So it had never occurred to her to view one as a threat. But seeing it directly behind her, she'd known something was wrong.
Everything happened so fast. Aeryn struggled to remember the few short seconds that passed between seeing the Aerolux, losing her hand mods, and feeling the needle slide into her neck.
Wait. Her eyes closed. That wasn't what she remembered. It was what she assumed. Aeryn couldn't actually recall anyone injecting her. Pain had bitten into the back of her neck and within seconds, she'd lost motor control. Her final rational thought had been that they'd used an EMP to disable her mods and drugs to sedate her.
A cold sweat dampened her neck as she opened her eyes. Who were these people to have these kinds of resources? Her hand mods should have been protected from an EMP, but there were those powerful enough to destroy her equipment. Not only did her captors possess powerful weapons and drugs, but they somehow had an Aerolux.
No one on her planet had ever taken control of an Aerolux as far as she knew.
Were these rebels or someone else? Something else?
Hours passed as she tried to string together the few facts she knew into a theory that made any sense. Why had they taken her and the others? Who were they? What did they want?
Aeryn was a private. She wasn't worth much.
Unless they knew she was a candidate for the Witness Program. Maybe they even knew what that meant.
She needed to ask the others if they were candidates too, but no one had been successful in attempts to remove their gags or bindings. One woman had persistently raked her mouth against the ground to try to break the gag free and managed only to rub the tip of her nose raw. The binding was made of something stronger than their skin and it wasn't going anywhere.
Aeryn didn't waste her energy or her emotional wherewithal on attempts certain to lead to failure–which would create discouragement. Instead, she planned. At first, it felt that she couldn't plan for anything. The room was empty. The windows had been boarded closed. No one had entered to say anything to them. For all she knew they'd been left here to starve to death.
But the little information she did have actually told her quite a bit. Unless this was a training exercise–a possibility she would not consider as it would only serve to give her false hope–then whoever had taken her opposed the Federation in a way that the normal resistance did not ordinarily manage. Either they were a threat Aeryn did not know existed, perhaps one from her home planet or even another, or the rebels were capable of far more than Aeryn knew.
As the hours passed, Aeryn felt desperate for water and sleep. She nodded off a few times, but tried to stay awake, afraid she would miss something.
Finally, a woman entered the room. She wore all black with hair tucked beneath a black cap. She offered no name and no introduction.
"As bioengineers, you're all smart people." The woman turned to look at each of them. "As Witness candidates, I'm confident you're also resilient. So forgive us for the uncomfortable arrangements, but we can't be too careful with any of you."
This focused the possibilities in her mind and confirmed her suspicions. First, her captor spoke General American English. Interesting. And she knew about the Witness Program. A wry smile might have twisted her lips if not for the gag. Maybe she'd at least finally learn something about what the hell a Witness even was.
"You're trying to figure out who we are and why we took you. What will happen to you." Clasping her hands, the woman breathed out deeply. "I want to show you the respect of being honest. We will decide which of you should live and which should die."
Aeryn's muscles tightened. Of course, she realized they had not kidnapped them with innocent intentions, but hearing it made it all feel real.
"Commander Vehru has told you little about the Witness program. You don't understand what you're being considered for and just how many people you could hurt." Her eyes landed on Aeryn for a moment before her gaze continued on to hesitate on each person. "Some of you probably deserve to die and some of you probably deserve to live. I can't worry about that. I have one mission that I've dedicated my life to." Her voice hardened. "That is my sole concern. I advise you to cooperate with us."
She walked out of the room and paused before leaving.
"We're moving you within the hour."
Everyone looked to each other after the woman left, their eyes saying what they couldn't speak.
Even with Aeryn's mind reeling from the information, a moment came where she no longer felt alone. The connection with these fellow bioanalyst and Witness candidates soothed her aching chest. At least for a few minutes. It quickly turned into longing for her own people.
What was her squad doing now? Lyon and Nikka would be holding one another together as they tried to find a way to help her. Trin would be investigating and analyzing. Alix…
Aeryn honestly had no idea what Alix would do. He'd care. He'd want to find her. But if he felt helpless enough, then he'd probably just start lashing out at everyone around him and make things worse.
And Jace.
Surprise nipped her at the pain that flooded her chest as she imagined him. Aeryn didn't have to wonder what Jace would be doing. Even though he spent so much time ignoring her, acting aloof, trying to run away, he also ferociously guarded her. She hadn't even realized the extent of it until now as memories turned through her mind. His worry about her flying over the lake, the protectiveness of her in battle, the fear in his eyes any time she was injured. What had annoyed Aeryn and made her feel like he looked down on her now appeared very different to her. It wasn't that Jace didn't trust her competence.
He cared about her.
He would be waging a war right now trying to find her.
Fear had been a constant hum in her mind since she first saw the Aerolux, but it consumed her now as she thought of the danger her squad could get into searching for her and fighting to free her. What if one of them got seriously hurt? Or worse. If anyone would do something crazy, it would be Jace. The thought of something happening to him made her body go rigid with dread and panic.
Aeryn had to find a way out of here and back to her squad.
[First] [Last] [Royal Road] [Discord]
Note: Book 1 of Witness is finished on Royal Road if you'd like to read ahead. Sorry for not updating here for a long time!

Has anyone had experience with an injury from an emg? I had to get a bunch of testing done recently. Doctors thinks I might have PLS or some hereditary condition. Either way a few days after the emg I noticed a little pain in my groin. It wasn’t that bad and I thought it was just general soreness although I was a little curious that it took a few days to start. Day by day the pain has spread down my inner thigh and has got much more intense. I’ve had many injuries and this generally feels like I tore my groin/inner thigh. Is that possible from an emg? Or is there a chance it’s just a coincidence. It also is the same leg he did the emg on. I’ve barely been doing any physical stuff because of the neurological stuff I’m dealing with but now with this on top of it it’s just one thing after the other. Any experience with something similar? Thanks

Has anyone had experience with an injury from an emg? I had to get a bunch of testing done recently. Doctors thinks I might have PLS or some hereditary condition. Either way a few days after the emg I noticed a little pain in my groin. It wasn’t that bad and I thought it was just general soreness although I was a little curious that it took a few days to start. Day by day the pain has spread down my inner thigh and has got much more intense. I’ve had many injuries and this generally feels like I tore my groin/inner thigh. Is that possible from an emg? Or is there a chance it’s just a coincidence. It also is the same leg he did the emg on. I’ve barely been doing any physical stuff because of the neurological stuff I’m dealing with but now with this on top of it it’s just one thing after the other. Any experience with something similar? Thanks

27M, 5'10" 165lbs
About three days ago, I was laying on my side playing with my cat when somehow I must've accidentally pinched my testicles between my legs. There was a sharp pain but nothing out of the ordinary. Later that night I was sitting with my legs crossed and I got a sharp pain again in my right testicle. It felt like the pain was in the tube that connects to the top of the teste, not the testicle itself. I thought it was odd, but figured it was just sore. It doesn't hurt at all until I sit the wrong way, no lingering pain or anything like that. I know it's not torsion or anything like that.
But it's gotten a bit annoying, I've been sleeping with a pillow between my legs because if my legs compress them the wrong way it will give me that same sharp pain in the right teste.
Apologies for the slightly gross description, but I decided to try and find out exactly where the pain was and performed a short examination of my testicles. The testicle and scrotum don't hurt at all when touched or lightly squeezed in any fashion, they seem perfectly fine. What I did find what that the source of the pain is actually closer to my pelvis. It's on the right side, but at the base of my genitals. If I press in on the base of my pubic mound on that side, I get that shooting pain that travels down into my right testicle.
Is it possible that I injured my spermatic cord in some way?
I'll absolutely be making an appointment with my physician if the pain doesn't start to get better in a day or so, but I didn't want to go through a semi-embarrassing visit if it's just sore from getting pinched and it will go away. Keep in mind, I have no pain whatsoever in the area unless I position myself the wrong way.
Any advice or possible explanation would be helpful!
EDIT: Just for some extra info I forgot to include. Neither urination or ejaculation cause any pain or discomfort.

My new-ish PT recently started having me do bridges (like in the last week). I had a sneaking suspicion that they'd cause problems, but gave them a go because I've been wrong before. Anyway, sadly I was right. Now I just need to figure out why exactly. Can anyone help?
I have multiple issues, but since they're kind of lower back specific, my L3/L4, L4/L5, and L5/S1 discs are deteriorating and I have severe foraminal stenosis at L4/L5 (bilateral) and L5/S1 (bilateral, but more left than right) with moderate central stenosis at both those levels due to broad based bulges. I also have hyptertrophied facets at L5/S1 (I think, though I'm not looking at the report right now.) Compression of L5 root and contact of S1 root. I also have known tronchateric bursitis that's a good... couple of decades old and flares off and on.
I have squeezing pain in my low back and have had numbness/tingling groin to foot on left, and tingling in leg/foot on right. It's been noticeable since ... summer, maybe? Maybe longer? I'm not really sure anymore. The last couple of months I've had increasing weakness in my left leg but overall a slight decrease in the tingling. Yes, my doctor knows all of this. I'm doing PT for now and then have a consult with ortho this week and neurosurgery in June to discuss options. I currently walk with a cane when I'm not at home.
I already know extension irritates me for whatever reason. I feel a distinct pinch across the L4/L5 level, so I have to be careful. I can lay prone with my chin on my hands, but that's about as far as I can go comfortably and even then I start to feel twinges in my left foot after about 20 seconds.
​
OK. Sorry for the long ass story. My question is this. Lately I've had squeezing down to my tailbone that got significantly worse now that I've started doing the bridges. I have tried breaking down into shorter sets, reducing the range of motion on the exercises, etc. Reducing the range helped a tiny bit, but the extra squeezing pain is still there. (I probably will lay off them until I can discuss further with my PT this week.)
If anyone has any ideas, or even questions I should ask at my appointment this week with ortho, I would greatly appreciate it. I'm kind of over it and am ready to not play whack-a-mole, honestly.

Does this sound autoimmune in origin? Neurological?
Can someone advise me whether these types of symptoms tend to be autoimmune?
TL;DR: - joint pain (fingers, hip/groin, feet, knees, elbows) - nerve and or muscular pain (sudden ache in long bones or leg, more so right side. feels similar to pain I get in knee - crampy/seizing pain in hands (palms, fingers) and feet (pain is similar to when you have a muscle cramp/charlies horse but it never reaches a peak - just a constant crampy/tight/pulsing pain - pain worse at rest - morning, night - stress amplifies pain - on/off dermatitis-like rashes in the past - staph furuncles reoccurring - eye infections (stye) - extreme fatigue - ibs symptoms
~~~~~~~~ Hi, I’d really appreciate any advice please! I can’t see my GP for 6 weeks and my symptoms are getting hard to manage.
I’m dealing with chronic joint (I think!) pain that comes and goes alongside maybe nerve or muscular pain. I get throbs/deep aches in my finger knuckles/joints, my groin, elbow, knee and feet.
I also get a deep, usually quick painful throb down what feels like the lower bones in my leg. It feels similar to the quick throb I might get in my knee for example. This pain can also occur on top of my foot and alongside my hand, going towards the thumb joint.
When I have a viral illness, I get lightening-bolt type shock/nerve pain in my arms and legs.
In the last 6 months, I’ve also had a reoccurring dermatitis-appearing rash come and go, staph infections in the form of furuncles, dry eyes and repeated eye infections (styes.) I also have IBS symptoms, IBD was ruled out two years ago.
Am I right in thinking this seems auto immune in origin? I’m also ridiculously fatigued and want to sleep 24/7. My CRP was not elevated <5.
Im 30, a woman, on medications for my gut (cymbalta and a tricyclic antidepressant). IBS issues. I’m worried this could be more severe like cancer, but I’m hoping my symptoms would be atypical in presentation. Protein electrophoresis was ok.