Why do i always wake up with a headache
DiWHY
2013.11.20 22:18 IAMmojo DiWHY
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2011.02.06 02:38 bennybuckethead Superb Owl
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2024.06.07 23:26 purple_lotus24 Nap Time Length Debate
Full time nanny to multiple kiddos but this post is in regards to the 20 month old. I've been with this family for over a year now and DB is constantly trying to make nap time shorter than it should be. He seems a bit uneducated on naps and what an appropriate time is for each age. When I first started for the family, the mom mentioned that they use the "Taking Cara Babies" recommendations for the babies schedule. Now that baby only naps one time a day, the recommended nap length is 2-3 hours. In fact, Taking Cara Babies even has a sample schedule for 21 months that lists nap time as 12:00-2:30-which is exactly the schedule I've had baby on for a few months now.
DB told me today "oh by the way, you need to cap baby's naps at 2 hours for her age. Otherwise, she could have trouble sleeping at night." Of course I'll respect the parents and follow that guideline as asked, but he is just.... wrong lol. Of course every child is different, and those schedules are meant as a guide, but babies and schedules are literally my area of expertise. There is nothing wrong with baby napping 2.5 hours a day at this age-in fact, she needs it! Any day where she's had to get up early or went down late and got less than 2.5 hrs, she was incredibly upset to be woken up and was cranky the whole rest of the day. I feel horrible for waking her when I can tell she really needs the rest.
Also I know from lengthy talks with MB that baby has zero issues sleeping at night. She is a great sleeper and usually goes straight down (unless she is sick or something). Also over the past several months MB's never once expressed an issue with the current nap schedule that I have baby on, so idk why DB is randomly deciding to bring this up now when it's been working just fine.
So I'm curious-what are your thoughts on this?
For additional context: this DB is 100% the micromanaging type and quite frequently makes comments to me that come off condescending and critical. Sometimes he even blatantly tells me not to do/say something to the kids when MB and I have already discussed and she's given me the green light. Her and I are typically always on the same wave length on how to handle things, and then he will randomly tell me the opposite. It's frustrating to say the least.
submitted by purple_lotus24 to Nanny [link] [comments]
DB told me today "oh by the way, you need to cap baby's naps at 2 hours for her age. Otherwise, she could have trouble sleeping at night." Of course I'll respect the parents and follow that guideline as asked, but he is just.... wrong lol. Of course every child is different, and those schedules are meant as a guide, but babies and schedules are literally my area of expertise. There is nothing wrong with baby napping 2.5 hours a day at this age-in fact, she needs it! Any day where she's had to get up early or went down late and got less than 2.5 hrs, she was incredibly upset to be woken up and was cranky the whole rest of the day. I feel horrible for waking her when I can tell she really needs the rest.
Also I know from lengthy talks with MB that baby has zero issues sleeping at night. She is a great sleeper and usually goes straight down (unless she is sick or something). Also over the past several months MB's never once expressed an issue with the current nap schedule that I have baby on, so idk why DB is randomly deciding to bring this up now when it's been working just fine.
So I'm curious-what are your thoughts on this?
For additional context: this DB is 100% the micromanaging type and quite frequently makes comments to me that come off condescending and critical. Sometimes he even blatantly tells me not to do/say something to the kids when MB and I have already discussed and she's given me the green light. Her and I are typically always on the same wave length on how to handle things, and then he will randomly tell me the opposite. It's frustrating to say the least.
2024.06.07 23:24 VRYG WTF? How did I not realize?
So I have been a nicotine user since I was 16, I'm 39 now. Dipped Copenhagen, chewed Red Man, smoked Marlboros and Lucky Strikes socially as a young man, was a somewhat early adopter to vaping with a Joye 510 in 2007 or so, and then went back to smoking, chewing, and snus.
Long story short, I used it all and I've tried to quit so many times I can't keep count. Three years ago I found out about nicotine pouches and was thrilled. I bought some Rogue pouches and loved them. They gave me the same deep lip burn that a can of Copenhagen long cut did, but didn't provide the flavor. It was good enough, so I used it. One day after about two months of use I stepped out onto my porch after waking up and took a deep breath in the 10F degree weather and I almost buckled in pain. My upper front teeth felt like they were going to shatter from the cold air. It hurt so bad it was nuts. I examined my teeth closely and my enamel was ruined at the gumline where I kept the pouches tucked. They were shaped like an hourglass without the top. Dentist added fake enamel to my teeth and took photos to warn other patients about Rogue pouches and asked for one to test how caustic it was.
I quit the Rogue pouches and just dipped again. After a few months a coworker introduced me to Zyn and I was hooked. It was very discreet, didn't taint your breath, the 6mg pouches satiated the urge and it was super socially acceptable. I knew so many guys and gals who were using it. However, they ran out quick and you'd always find yourself throwing in another after about 30 minutes.
Fast forward two years, I found myself with a bunch of belly issues after I started using Zyn exclusively. Sometimes I'd throw one in and about 15 minutes later I'd start belching, sweating, and feeling generally unwell. Sometimes I'd spit the pouches out and about ten minutes later I'd start to feel better, then I'd throw another in. My apprentice wanted to quit chewing and I introduced him to Zyn and he loved it and his girlfriend was so happy he quit chewing. Sometimes on jobs he would get massively dizzy and nauseous to where I thought we'd have to shut down the job and go home. He'd walk off to the side of the property and spit out the pouch, walk around for five minutes, and come back feeling fine.
This week I've been feeling like absolute dogshit and I didn't know why. It's the same as it has been the past year, just much worse. I thought I may have some SERIOUS health problem, but I dont want to worry my wife with it. I wake up, throw in a Zyn, look at my phone for a bit, spit it out, brush teeth, throw another in, go wake up the kids, and then as soon as I would start moving and playing with my kids I'd feel AWFUL. Massive vertigo, constant belching that only felt better right after release, then instantly needed to do it again. My face was tingling, my heart would race, my upper abdomen felt completely full to the brim despite having not eaten in 12 hours. Sometimes at work during a conversation I'd feel like I was about to pass out, or have a random anxiety attack and pass out.
This went on for two years and I just accepted that I had some serious health problems and I just got to keep working and provide for the family, life insurance will do the rest.
Two days ago I got particularly sick just going for a walk with the kids while they rode their bikes. I was walking around the park thinking "well at least people are here to call 911 when I collapse from whatever is giving me this awful feeling". Total vertigo, nauseous, belching, shaky, trying to play it off.
After that day watching my kids play and being unable to interact with them the way I should I knew I needed to find out what the fuck was wrong with me. I'd always noticed when I started feeling super sick, I'd spit out my Zyn and later on feel a little better, not because I thought it was making me sick, I just needed to breath. Just coincidence.
Finally I had enough and looked up all my symptoms plus "zyn", and posts on this reddit came up. I bought a can of Snus as soon as I read the posts mirroring my experience (I do not condone nicotine or tobacco use, this is what I did to make due) and after two hours I felt better.
After two days I feel completely normal again. It's NUTS how much better I feel. I can run up stairs and not feel like I'm going to pass out. I don't need to make giant belches at random to relieve the insane pressure in my abdomen restricting my heart and lungs. I don't get insane vertigo and dizzy spells. I don't get random anxiety attacks.
Thank you guys, and fuck these nicotine pouches. If you can quit cold turkey, do it. If you can't, and you're feeling like I did, do something else to give you the clarity and peace of mind to quit. These pouches seriously are poison.
submitted by VRYG to QuittingZyn [link] [comments]
Long story short, I used it all and I've tried to quit so many times I can't keep count. Three years ago I found out about nicotine pouches and was thrilled. I bought some Rogue pouches and loved them. They gave me the same deep lip burn that a can of Copenhagen long cut did, but didn't provide the flavor. It was good enough, so I used it. One day after about two months of use I stepped out onto my porch after waking up and took a deep breath in the 10F degree weather and I almost buckled in pain. My upper front teeth felt like they were going to shatter from the cold air. It hurt so bad it was nuts. I examined my teeth closely and my enamel was ruined at the gumline where I kept the pouches tucked. They were shaped like an hourglass without the top. Dentist added fake enamel to my teeth and took photos to warn other patients about Rogue pouches and asked for one to test how caustic it was.
I quit the Rogue pouches and just dipped again. After a few months a coworker introduced me to Zyn and I was hooked. It was very discreet, didn't taint your breath, the 6mg pouches satiated the urge and it was super socially acceptable. I knew so many guys and gals who were using it. However, they ran out quick and you'd always find yourself throwing in another after about 30 minutes.
Fast forward two years, I found myself with a bunch of belly issues after I started using Zyn exclusively. Sometimes I'd throw one in and about 15 minutes later I'd start belching, sweating, and feeling generally unwell. Sometimes I'd spit the pouches out and about ten minutes later I'd start to feel better, then I'd throw another in. My apprentice wanted to quit chewing and I introduced him to Zyn and he loved it and his girlfriend was so happy he quit chewing. Sometimes on jobs he would get massively dizzy and nauseous to where I thought we'd have to shut down the job and go home. He'd walk off to the side of the property and spit out the pouch, walk around for five minutes, and come back feeling fine.
This week I've been feeling like absolute dogshit and I didn't know why. It's the same as it has been the past year, just much worse. I thought I may have some SERIOUS health problem, but I dont want to worry my wife with it. I wake up, throw in a Zyn, look at my phone for a bit, spit it out, brush teeth, throw another in, go wake up the kids, and then as soon as I would start moving and playing with my kids I'd feel AWFUL. Massive vertigo, constant belching that only felt better right after release, then instantly needed to do it again. My face was tingling, my heart would race, my upper abdomen felt completely full to the brim despite having not eaten in 12 hours. Sometimes at work during a conversation I'd feel like I was about to pass out, or have a random anxiety attack and pass out.
This went on for two years and I just accepted that I had some serious health problems and I just got to keep working and provide for the family, life insurance will do the rest.
Two days ago I got particularly sick just going for a walk with the kids while they rode their bikes. I was walking around the park thinking "well at least people are here to call 911 when I collapse from whatever is giving me this awful feeling". Total vertigo, nauseous, belching, shaky, trying to play it off.
After that day watching my kids play and being unable to interact with them the way I should I knew I needed to find out what the fuck was wrong with me. I'd always noticed when I started feeling super sick, I'd spit out my Zyn and later on feel a little better, not because I thought it was making me sick, I just needed to breath. Just coincidence.
Finally I had enough and looked up all my symptoms plus "zyn", and posts on this reddit came up. I bought a can of Snus as soon as I read the posts mirroring my experience (I do not condone nicotine or tobacco use, this is what I did to make due) and after two hours I felt better.
After two days I feel completely normal again. It's NUTS how much better I feel. I can run up stairs and not feel like I'm going to pass out. I don't need to make giant belches at random to relieve the insane pressure in my abdomen restricting my heart and lungs. I don't get insane vertigo and dizzy spells. I don't get random anxiety attacks.
Thank you guys, and fuck these nicotine pouches. If you can quit cold turkey, do it. If you can't, and you're feeling like I did, do something else to give you the clarity and peace of mind to quit. These pouches seriously are poison.
2024.06.07 23:07 StoryTaleBooks Baldr's Branch Chapter 1
Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
submitted by StoryTaleBooks to scifiwriting [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world."Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
2024.06.07 23:07 Ashley212121 Help!! My toddler is so hard!! allergies, breath holding spells, anxiety
My daughter is about 2.5 years old now and she has been hard since the day she was born.
I understand now why she cried nonstop as a baby and that's because she was reacting to my breastmilk. She has multiple food allergies. On top of the food allergies, she is very strong willed and is very timid. She would scream cry if anyone held her besides my husband, myself or her daycare provider. She just recently started letting my mom and her husband hold her without crying, but after a few minutes she immediately reaches for me to take her. They only come around for an hour once a week, so she doesn't seem them often. We see my cousins about once a week as well and she is nice to them and will talk to them and high five them, but if they try to hold her, she will lose it.
Here is the real kicker - she has BREATH HOLDING SPELLS. Since she was 9 months old she would cry super hard and go limp and pass out for 10-30 seconds, then wake up. The first time it happened we thought she died. It was horrific. I believe that she has gotten her way with a lot of things because I am so fearful of her passing out that I don't let her cry for too long when other people hold her. I am so mentally exhausted. From the beginning we havent been able to live a normal life because we can't take her to places where people are eating because she doesn't understand stuff people are eating can literally kill her, so she doesnt get a ton of exposure to other people. We walk our neighborhood every night and she talks to all our neighbors and is friendly (but still shy). She is smart and hits all her milestones. But she is VERY HARD. We have to wake up up on the weekdays to take her to daycare and the first 20 minutes she is so extreme and screaming and fighting us to change her diaper and bossing us around on what she wants to do. We try and redirect a lot, but it doesn't always work. Honestly, we don't give into her when she tells us no and we let her cry when we change her diaper (if she's not crying too hard) and usually she will stop after a minute cuz she realizes she's not going to get her way.
I see my friends kids and their temperament is so chill and they rarely scream the way my daughter does LOL. I think her temperament is just hard? Car rides used to be a nightmare, but they are slowly getting better. We wanted more kids, but we arent going to because we don't want to risk food allergies or breath holding in the next kid (apparently they could both be genetic even though no one in either of our families have allergies or had breath holding). I'm in therapy once a week to help because I'm struggling with depression now. I never thought it could be this challenging. I love my daughter to death, and she really is a sweetheart most of the time, but her anger and outbursts are just so extreme. We want to move her to a nut free preschool, but I'm terrified she will freak out staying somewhere with people she doesn't know and will pass out and go limp and we will get kicked out of the preschool!
On top of it, we can't go out on daynights. Well we have a few times, but we go after she is already asleep in her bed (she's a great sleeper).
Anyone else?! Or any advice on how to handle a strong willed - difficult temperament child who is also extremely sensitive?
submitted by Ashley212121 to toddlers [link] [comments]
I understand now why she cried nonstop as a baby and that's because she was reacting to my breastmilk. She has multiple food allergies. On top of the food allergies, she is very strong willed and is very timid. She would scream cry if anyone held her besides my husband, myself or her daycare provider. She just recently started letting my mom and her husband hold her without crying, but after a few minutes she immediately reaches for me to take her. They only come around for an hour once a week, so she doesn't seem them often. We see my cousins about once a week as well and she is nice to them and will talk to them and high five them, but if they try to hold her, she will lose it.
Here is the real kicker - she has BREATH HOLDING SPELLS. Since she was 9 months old she would cry super hard and go limp and pass out for 10-30 seconds, then wake up. The first time it happened we thought she died. It was horrific. I believe that she has gotten her way with a lot of things because I am so fearful of her passing out that I don't let her cry for too long when other people hold her. I am so mentally exhausted. From the beginning we havent been able to live a normal life because we can't take her to places where people are eating because she doesn't understand stuff people are eating can literally kill her, so she doesnt get a ton of exposure to other people. We walk our neighborhood every night and she talks to all our neighbors and is friendly (but still shy). She is smart and hits all her milestones. But she is VERY HARD. We have to wake up up on the weekdays to take her to daycare and the first 20 minutes she is so extreme and screaming and fighting us to change her diaper and bossing us around on what she wants to do. We try and redirect a lot, but it doesn't always work. Honestly, we don't give into her when she tells us no and we let her cry when we change her diaper (if she's not crying too hard) and usually she will stop after a minute cuz she realizes she's not going to get her way.
I see my friends kids and their temperament is so chill and they rarely scream the way my daughter does LOL. I think her temperament is just hard? Car rides used to be a nightmare, but they are slowly getting better. We wanted more kids, but we arent going to because we don't want to risk food allergies or breath holding in the next kid (apparently they could both be genetic even though no one in either of our families have allergies or had breath holding). I'm in therapy once a week to help because I'm struggling with depression now. I never thought it could be this challenging. I love my daughter to death, and she really is a sweetheart most of the time, but her anger and outbursts are just so extreme. We want to move her to a nut free preschool, but I'm terrified she will freak out staying somewhere with people she doesn't know and will pass out and go limp and we will get kicked out of the preschool!
On top of it, we can't go out on daynights. Well we have a few times, but we go after she is already asleep in her bed (she's a great sleeper).
Anyone else?! Or any advice on how to handle a strong willed - difficult temperament child who is also extremely sensitive?
2024.06.07 23:06 Future_Ad_3485 Planet Decay Part Twenty Seven: A Freeze to the End!
Icestorm:
A thirteen year old Ali stumbled into my training room, fresh bruises and cuts covering her skin. Tying her waves into a bun, there was no light in her eyes. Someone had stolen the sparkle and I had a clue who. Mumbling an apology under her breath, her body twitched at the slightest of touch. Blood soaked the back of her tank top, a quick lift of her shirt revealing fresh whip marks. Bowing her head in shame, this genius of an officer had gotten her pilot’s license a year ago. Shame should have never been felt, a simmering rage boiling in my eyes.
“Leave it alone.” She mumbled brokenly, tears splashing onto the grass. “I deserved it for god knows what this time.” Shaking my head, my strong hands guided her to the one bench. Using a wave of ice to bring me the medicine kit, her fingers dug into her legs with every dab of alcohol on the fresh wounds. Moving onto an ointment I created specifically for her, her next words broke my heart.
“Why do I have to be her punching bag? It isn’t enough that everyone hates me.” She sobbed uncontrollably, wiping her tears away. “Doesn’t she get that it freaking hurts! Ignore me, master!” Pulling out the gauze to wrap her up, her tenacity made that an impossible task. A fit of hearty laughter had her wet eyes meeting my jolly smile, my goal from now on being to make her as happy as I can.
“No way in hell, kiddo!” I announced with another big laugh, my eyes catching the commander glaring down at me. “Let’s get some ice cream as a reward for all your good work.” Popping to her feet, her eyes reminded me of a child for the first time in a long while. Pressing calloused palms together, the hard work showed in where they were. Smiling brightly, I flipped off the commander behind my back. She wouldn’t dare punish me, a sly grin danced across my lips. Shrugging as I guided her out of my training room, our boots echoed down the empty halls of the academy. Weeping next to me, she flashed me an exhausted smile. Wiping away her tears, panic twisted my features. Tugging at my worn leather vest and pants, embarrassment colored her cheeks. Our future would be bleak if she defected but for now I could bask in her warmth. Bouncing her fist into her palm, her smile brightened to her genuine smile.
“If I could be president tomorrow, then I would bring us all together!” She chirped cheerfully, spinning around before her smile faded. “Like that would ever happen. People would have to stop calling me a mutt first.” Ruffling her hair, the loose strands of her hair floated up with the return of her real smile. Such a sweet girl and the world was shattering her to pieces. Stepping into the ice cream shop, everyone stopped to stare at her. Throwing slurs her way, an ice cream cone splattered inches from her feet. The corner of her lips quivered, her body disappeared into the crowd. Berating everyone before I left, my boots bounced off the sleek streets. Shoving my way through the different aliens, our society’s view needed to change desperately. Hours passed of me searching, the crowds dwindling. A familiar scream shattered the silence, the sound sending me in the direction of an alleyway. A busted up Ali lay in a growing pool of blood, a few gang members leaping over the nearest fence. Struggling to sit up, several stab wounds dotted her body. Grasping at her pants, her puffy and bruised face met my twitching snarl. How dare they hurt my student!
“Could you kill me already!” She pleaded desperately, screaming into the sky. “All anyone else but Jack and you want to hurt me. I love Jack and I love you like a father. Everyone else hates me for something I can’t control, damn it! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Crouching down to her level, my hands cupped her face. Wiping her tears away with my thumbs, a thirteen year old should never feel like this. Pushing me to the ground, a golden light sealed her wounds shut. Struggling to her feet, she limped away from me. Glancing back in my direction, a sad smile quivered on her lips.
“No one must hear what I said. They might hate me more. The last thing I want is for you guys to get burned in the line of my fire.” She choked out through another flood of tears, her facial swelling dying down. “I promise that I will be fine.” Jack called for her in the distance, her real smile illuminating her features. Her voice calling for me to wake up had me fading in out of my memory.
Sucking in a deep breath, Ali was standing over me in the winter version of her space suit. She doubled in my vision, her smile reminding me of that day. Coming into focus, her hand rested on her hip. Grinning ear to ear, the harsh atmosphere of my planet howled outside of my ship. Leaning forward with a big grin, her thick brown leather gloves contrasted the fluffy winter coat.
“When I said I loved you like a father that day, I meant it.” She proclaimed while spinning around, her hands landing on her hips. “You treated me like a human being and stitched me up when the commander ordered the nurse to stop treating me. You strayed a bit which we all do. I know that you care a lot about me. You took me out for ice cream to make me feel better. You crouched down to my level to wipe away my tears. You listened to me rant about how I wanted to die. Also, it might be an honor to be the first person I said I love you to. Keep that in mind when you are feeling down.” Touched by her words, silent tears danced down my cheeks. Undoing my harness, her dream was about to come true. All of the officers had been gathered and the informant in my village had the location of Solomon for the next few days in exchange for the extermination of an ice bear. Tucking her staff into the new golden case that the group had gifted her, a tired depression had her face falling.
“Can I be open for a second? A deep fright has me scared that I can’t bring the peace that I want to.” She admitted freely, making her way over to the door. “Bogs might be wrong about me.” Fighting back tears, she moved a thick scarf over her mouth. My heart broke for her, her hand dropping to her side. Choosing not to finish her thoughts, her trembling fingers had the door hissing open. Stepping into the howling landscape, my footfalls echoed behind her. Locking up the ship behind me, her bag of supplies bounced off her hips. Crunching up to her side, the leather groaned as she clenched her fists. Hiking into the sea of glowing brick homes, her downtrodden expression spoke of regret.
“I miss my girls.” She sighed tiredly, her bond with her snakes speaking of her kindness. “They would curl around me but even I know that it is too cold here for them.” Frozen tears exploded against the snow, my arms yanking her into a bear hug. Shivering in my arms, uncontrollable sobs wracked her body. Staring ahead into the place I used to call home, her fingers dug into my space suit. Snores echoed in my ear, her emotions sweeping her away to a rough slumber. Carrying her into my parents’ home, I placed her on the couch. Noting her dark bags, the lack of sleep must be the problem. Getting the fireplace going, I locked my door on the way out. Sprinting into the blizzard, the bear problem could be solved by me. Following the tracks, a tall ice cave towered over me. Sneaking into the shadows, a roar had my palms gripping the wall. Fighting my fear, terror rounded my eyes at the enormous ice bear lumbering past me. The bastard said he was five foot tall not twenty feet tall, my powers wouldn’t suffice. A sharp whistle had me crying for Ali to get out of the way, a golden glow hiding her body. Steam hissed in the air with every violent clash, something else felt off. Solomon came out of the shadows, the rest of the team coming in on the other side of her. Lasers dotted the night skies, our ships battling his ships. Spinning her staff in her palm, golden energy swirled around her. Wondering what woke her up, the bit of rest was now a thought of the past.
“The jig is up, captain.” He laughed maniacally, raising his staff in her direction. “Time to die like the mutt you are.” Her hair floated up, his eyes twinkling with malice. Surprise rounded my eyes at the bear bowing in my direction, a low growl begging for me to pet it. Scratching behind its ear, low rumbles shook the ground. Shrinking down to my height standing, he slid me onto his back. Running my fingers through his fur, the colors reminded me of the Northern Lights. More ships surrounded Solomon’s fleet, his face falling at the sight of our allies outnumbering him. Calling into his radio, his orders to attack fell on deaf ears. Shrieking louder and louder, his composure began to slip, a deep voice sending him over the edge.
“We quit!” The voice spoke simply, his electricity growing wilder. “Your tyrant ass is done! Go get them, president!” Silent tears stained her cheeks, determination blooming in her eyes. A fit of laughter burst from her lips, her hands cupping her stomach. Too stunned to speak, electricity blossomed into lightning. Realization dawned on me at the rubber on the heels of everyone’s boots but his own, golden energy melting a large circle. Ordering us to cover her, her laughter paused abruptly.
“Don’t you see. We had your officers acting as secret agents.” She explained calmly, watching him flip in the air. “Your reign of terror is done.” Leaping off my new friend’s back, her snakes hissed to get the bear into the safe zone. Checking my boots, this was the first time I noticed the rubber on the heels of my boots. Grinning ear to ear, a wave of ice prevented him from striking her in the head. Hopping onto a ledge, her order for us to get out had chills running up my spine. The broken smile she donned had Jack shouting at her not to do it, his tears cascading faster and faster. A blast of golden energy knocked us into the safety zone, a thicker dome of golden energy preventing us from getting to her. Her hair floated up, golden scales popping up on her skin. Her pets hissed wildly, Solomon floating up in the air, his electricity searing off his scales. He would burn her alive if she got too close to him, her feet pushing off the ledge. The two were balls of light and lightning, the balls bouncing around. Horror rounded my eyes at her splashing into the water, a river of blood pouring from her lips. Jack banged on the outside, the others pleading with her to move. Angling his staff for her head, the crack had us crying out at once. Ratalia and Ratonia slithered up to my side, the two of them curling around me for comfort. Actual tears dribbled onto my head, the creatures screeching out in pure loss. Her fingers twitched, Solomon taking a step back in horror, her bloody hands pulling her to her feet. Leaning onto her staff, several blows had destroyed her organs. Spitting out blood, her body swayed. Wondering what she was doing, the last of her power was building around her palm. Jack pleas continued to fall on deaf ears, the glass ball in her pocket ringing. Disbelief rounded my eyes at her picking up with the brightest smile she could muster. Scampy asked repeatedly if she was coming home, her tears splashing onto the surface. An eerie silence came over everyone, Solomon preparing for his next attack, her words breaking our hearts into pieces.
“I don’t know but I am going to do my best. I love you with all of my h-” She wept openly, his lightning breaking their communication device. Dropping her staff, she pulled her fist back. Aiming for his chest, blood painted each other’s face. His staff sank into her chest, her fingers ripping out his heart. Broken shock birthed a tense silence, his dead body splashing into the water. Dragging herself onto the ice, his lightning cooked his body into ash. Rolling his heart into the ash, the organ didn’t last long. The dome glitched out, Jack and Valentia rushing over to treat her. Arguing with each other, her hands cupped his shaking hands.
“I am sorry but I didn’t see another way.” She wheezed, all of us surrounding her while sobbing uncontrollably. “I apologize to you guys as well. You made a hell of a team. Every time I look at all of you, I see you as family. The type of family every orphan dreams of.” Valentia shook her head, Jack pulling her onto his lap. Ripping the staff from her chest, blood ran like a river into the crackling water. Holding her hand like her life depended on it, time slowed as it hit the ice. An ungodly wail burst from Jack’s lips, Ratalia nudging my pockets. The last of my miracle potion grazed my fingertip, something always telling me to hold onto it. Plucking it from my pocket, the key to her living rolled in my palm. Valentia caught it in her palm. Her last day couldn't be today, not if I had anything to do with it.
“This is your famous miracle potion. You can’t even find the ingredients anymore.” She uttered in disbelief, the navy liquid sloshing around. “You might need this.” Waving my hand around, my daughter needed it.
“I think we need it.” I choked out through a wall of tears, dim hope burning in my heart. “We need her. Save her for all of us. Please?” The corner of my lips quivered, her head nodding. Popping the cork, she poured the liquid down her throat. A bright light blinded us!
Epilogue: Alisandra’s view
Sitting at my president’s desk, my fingers traced the angry burn scar on my chest. Wondering how six years had passed so fast, the universe seemed to be running like a well oiled machine. My emerald mechanic’s suit hugged my baby bump, my third child was on the way. Taking in the wall of my hangar, I wouldn’t have my capital anywhere else. Rising from my chair, pictures of the past years covered the walls. Today was a special day, the incident from six years nearly taking my life. His staff narrowly missed my heart, my eyes resting on my severely scarred hand. Hissing had me perking up, my eight foot girls slithering up to me. Making my way down the stairs, a broken smile lingered on my lips. Beautiful sunshine bathed my face, sand crunching as I made it to the cemetery with the lilies I grabbed on my way out. Finding Bogs grave, the sand met my knees as I laid the lilies on the top. Pressing my palms together, the little boy growing in me would be named Bogs in his honor.
“Hello old friend and my fallen comrades. I came to tell you that an unprecedented peace has come over the universe.” I wept honestly, pressing my forehead to the sand. “I have another little boy on the way and my family has grown quite a bit over the years. Catz is on her fourth child with your brother, Officer Smatters. Kids can run free like never before. Not a fear can stop their smiles. Although, I wish I could smile more. I wish I could say I was happy but the bite of depression remains. Why can’t I be happy? I mean I stopped the bad guy right and here I sit crying like a little bitch.” Wiping my tears away, a familiar set of fingers playing with my ears had me glancing up to meet Jack’s loving gaze. Sitting down next to me, his commander's suit looked sharp on him. Resting my head on his shoulder, his lips grazed the top of my head.
“Whatever it is, we can all work through it together. You are the president after all.” He pointed out with a proud smile, his finger lifting up my chin with his finger. Kissing my lips tenderly, time slowed down. Popping to his feet, he placed me onto his back. The people of the capital waved, Tenty running towards our favorite place to meet. Skidding into the noodle shop, my family shouted hello. Setting me down, Jack took his place at the head of the table. Ratalia and Ratonia played with Icy’s bear, Scampy smashing into me. His thirteen year old boy was a far cry from the one I rescued. Every day was filled with his laughter, his six year old and three year old sister bouncing around him in their matching mechanic’s suit. April, my three year old girl was the miniature version of me. Scooping her up, her golden snake eyes met mine with the greatest love. Forgetting my sorrow for a tender moment, the restaurant owner set our orders onto the table. Scooping up Basy, we took our seats next to Jack. Scampy scooted close to me, his hand holding mine for a second. Remembering the blackness for a second, Bogs told me that it wasn’t my time. A bright light threw me back into the arms of life, my second chance was one that I would never squander. Someday Bogs would greet me in Heaven. Sinking into our usual conversations, Scampy rested his head on my shoulder. Icy called my name, his leather jacket reminding me of the olden days when he took care of me. Calling for me to chat with him for a second, Jack took April for a second. Basy cozied up to him, the others watching as Icy met me outside. The streets looked cleaner than when I showed up, the buildings looking worn but in good shape. Fishing around his pocket, his shaking hand placed a black box into my palm. Opening it up, my hand covered my mouth. A piece of Solomon’s staff hung off of a golden chain, his hands picking up the piece of jewelry.
“Remember when you said you wanted to be president, I had faith in you from the spot.” He gushed with fatherly admiration, my life always being owed to him. “I managed to get a piece of what nearly killed you before it got destroyed. I want you to know that I was always proud of you.” Dropping it over my head, a few words caught my eyes. Reading them, the words to my favorite warrior had fresh tears cascading off my chin.
“Thanks for saving that day. The depression sucks ass but every time I see what we accomplished together, the pain was almost worth it.” I cried softly, his arms pulling me into one of his bear hugs. “Do you think we could get ice cream later with my kids? They want grandfather time.” Ruffling my hair as he let me go, scarlet colored his scales. Pretending to mull it over, Basy smashed into his legs. There goes my little girl, her sweetness sure to win him over.
“Ice cream! Did you say ice cream?” She chirped cheerfully, her waves bouncing round with every jump. Caving into her puppy dog eyes, his arms scooped her up. Entering the noodle shop with them in tow, I took my seat at the head of the table. This was my tainted happily ever after, the sorrow of what occurred haunting me like a beautiful shadow.
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A thirteen year old Ali stumbled into my training room, fresh bruises and cuts covering her skin. Tying her waves into a bun, there was no light in her eyes. Someone had stolen the sparkle and I had a clue who. Mumbling an apology under her breath, her body twitched at the slightest of touch. Blood soaked the back of her tank top, a quick lift of her shirt revealing fresh whip marks. Bowing her head in shame, this genius of an officer had gotten her pilot’s license a year ago. Shame should have never been felt, a simmering rage boiling in my eyes.
“Leave it alone.” She mumbled brokenly, tears splashing onto the grass. “I deserved it for god knows what this time.” Shaking my head, my strong hands guided her to the one bench. Using a wave of ice to bring me the medicine kit, her fingers dug into her legs with every dab of alcohol on the fresh wounds. Moving onto an ointment I created specifically for her, her next words broke my heart.
“Why do I have to be her punching bag? It isn’t enough that everyone hates me.” She sobbed uncontrollably, wiping her tears away. “Doesn’t she get that it freaking hurts! Ignore me, master!” Pulling out the gauze to wrap her up, her tenacity made that an impossible task. A fit of hearty laughter had her wet eyes meeting my jolly smile, my goal from now on being to make her as happy as I can.
“No way in hell, kiddo!” I announced with another big laugh, my eyes catching the commander glaring down at me. “Let’s get some ice cream as a reward for all your good work.” Popping to her feet, her eyes reminded me of a child for the first time in a long while. Pressing calloused palms together, the hard work showed in where they were. Smiling brightly, I flipped off the commander behind my back. She wouldn’t dare punish me, a sly grin danced across my lips. Shrugging as I guided her out of my training room, our boots echoed down the empty halls of the academy. Weeping next to me, she flashed me an exhausted smile. Wiping away her tears, panic twisted my features. Tugging at my worn leather vest and pants, embarrassment colored her cheeks. Our future would be bleak if she defected but for now I could bask in her warmth. Bouncing her fist into her palm, her smile brightened to her genuine smile.
“If I could be president tomorrow, then I would bring us all together!” She chirped cheerfully, spinning around before her smile faded. “Like that would ever happen. People would have to stop calling me a mutt first.” Ruffling her hair, the loose strands of her hair floated up with the return of her real smile. Such a sweet girl and the world was shattering her to pieces. Stepping into the ice cream shop, everyone stopped to stare at her. Throwing slurs her way, an ice cream cone splattered inches from her feet. The corner of her lips quivered, her body disappeared into the crowd. Berating everyone before I left, my boots bounced off the sleek streets. Shoving my way through the different aliens, our society’s view needed to change desperately. Hours passed of me searching, the crowds dwindling. A familiar scream shattered the silence, the sound sending me in the direction of an alleyway. A busted up Ali lay in a growing pool of blood, a few gang members leaping over the nearest fence. Struggling to sit up, several stab wounds dotted her body. Grasping at her pants, her puffy and bruised face met my twitching snarl. How dare they hurt my student!
“Could you kill me already!” She pleaded desperately, screaming into the sky. “All anyone else but Jack and you want to hurt me. I love Jack and I love you like a father. Everyone else hates me for something I can’t control, damn it! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” Crouching down to her level, my hands cupped her face. Wiping her tears away with my thumbs, a thirteen year old should never feel like this. Pushing me to the ground, a golden light sealed her wounds shut. Struggling to her feet, she limped away from me. Glancing back in my direction, a sad smile quivered on her lips.
“No one must hear what I said. They might hate me more. The last thing I want is for you guys to get burned in the line of my fire.” She choked out through another flood of tears, her facial swelling dying down. “I promise that I will be fine.” Jack called for her in the distance, her real smile illuminating her features. Her voice calling for me to wake up had me fading in out of my memory.
Sucking in a deep breath, Ali was standing over me in the winter version of her space suit. She doubled in my vision, her smile reminding me of that day. Coming into focus, her hand rested on her hip. Grinning ear to ear, the harsh atmosphere of my planet howled outside of my ship. Leaning forward with a big grin, her thick brown leather gloves contrasted the fluffy winter coat.
“When I said I loved you like a father that day, I meant it.” She proclaimed while spinning around, her hands landing on her hips. “You treated me like a human being and stitched me up when the commander ordered the nurse to stop treating me. You strayed a bit which we all do. I know that you care a lot about me. You took me out for ice cream to make me feel better. You crouched down to my level to wipe away my tears. You listened to me rant about how I wanted to die. Also, it might be an honor to be the first person I said I love you to. Keep that in mind when you are feeling down.” Touched by her words, silent tears danced down my cheeks. Undoing my harness, her dream was about to come true. All of the officers had been gathered and the informant in my village had the location of Solomon for the next few days in exchange for the extermination of an ice bear. Tucking her staff into the new golden case that the group had gifted her, a tired depression had her face falling.
“Can I be open for a second? A deep fright has me scared that I can’t bring the peace that I want to.” She admitted freely, making her way over to the door. “Bogs might be wrong about me.” Fighting back tears, she moved a thick scarf over her mouth. My heart broke for her, her hand dropping to her side. Choosing not to finish her thoughts, her trembling fingers had the door hissing open. Stepping into the howling landscape, my footfalls echoed behind her. Locking up the ship behind me, her bag of supplies bounced off her hips. Crunching up to her side, the leather groaned as she clenched her fists. Hiking into the sea of glowing brick homes, her downtrodden expression spoke of regret.
“I miss my girls.” She sighed tiredly, her bond with her snakes speaking of her kindness. “They would curl around me but even I know that it is too cold here for them.” Frozen tears exploded against the snow, my arms yanking her into a bear hug. Shivering in my arms, uncontrollable sobs wracked her body. Staring ahead into the place I used to call home, her fingers dug into my space suit. Snores echoed in my ear, her emotions sweeping her away to a rough slumber. Carrying her into my parents’ home, I placed her on the couch. Noting her dark bags, the lack of sleep must be the problem. Getting the fireplace going, I locked my door on the way out. Sprinting into the blizzard, the bear problem could be solved by me. Following the tracks, a tall ice cave towered over me. Sneaking into the shadows, a roar had my palms gripping the wall. Fighting my fear, terror rounded my eyes at the enormous ice bear lumbering past me. The bastard said he was five foot tall not twenty feet tall, my powers wouldn’t suffice. A sharp whistle had me crying for Ali to get out of the way, a golden glow hiding her body. Steam hissed in the air with every violent clash, something else felt off. Solomon came out of the shadows, the rest of the team coming in on the other side of her. Lasers dotted the night skies, our ships battling his ships. Spinning her staff in her palm, golden energy swirled around her. Wondering what woke her up, the bit of rest was now a thought of the past.
“The jig is up, captain.” He laughed maniacally, raising his staff in her direction. “Time to die like the mutt you are.” Her hair floated up, his eyes twinkling with malice. Surprise rounded my eyes at the bear bowing in my direction, a low growl begging for me to pet it. Scratching behind its ear, low rumbles shook the ground. Shrinking down to my height standing, he slid me onto his back. Running my fingers through his fur, the colors reminded me of the Northern Lights. More ships surrounded Solomon’s fleet, his face falling at the sight of our allies outnumbering him. Calling into his radio, his orders to attack fell on deaf ears. Shrieking louder and louder, his composure began to slip, a deep voice sending him over the edge.
“We quit!” The voice spoke simply, his electricity growing wilder. “Your tyrant ass is done! Go get them, president!” Silent tears stained her cheeks, determination blooming in her eyes. A fit of laughter burst from her lips, her hands cupping her stomach. Too stunned to speak, electricity blossomed into lightning. Realization dawned on me at the rubber on the heels of everyone’s boots but his own, golden energy melting a large circle. Ordering us to cover her, her laughter paused abruptly.
“Don’t you see. We had your officers acting as secret agents.” She explained calmly, watching him flip in the air. “Your reign of terror is done.” Leaping off my new friend’s back, her snakes hissed to get the bear into the safe zone. Checking my boots, this was the first time I noticed the rubber on the heels of my boots. Grinning ear to ear, a wave of ice prevented him from striking her in the head. Hopping onto a ledge, her order for us to get out had chills running up my spine. The broken smile she donned had Jack shouting at her not to do it, his tears cascading faster and faster. A blast of golden energy knocked us into the safety zone, a thicker dome of golden energy preventing us from getting to her. Her hair floated up, golden scales popping up on her skin. Her pets hissed wildly, Solomon floating up in the air, his electricity searing off his scales. He would burn her alive if she got too close to him, her feet pushing off the ledge. The two were balls of light and lightning, the balls bouncing around. Horror rounded my eyes at her splashing into the water, a river of blood pouring from her lips. Jack banged on the outside, the others pleading with her to move. Angling his staff for her head, the crack had us crying out at once. Ratalia and Ratonia slithered up to my side, the two of them curling around me for comfort. Actual tears dribbled onto my head, the creatures screeching out in pure loss. Her fingers twitched, Solomon taking a step back in horror, her bloody hands pulling her to her feet. Leaning onto her staff, several blows had destroyed her organs. Spitting out blood, her body swayed. Wondering what she was doing, the last of her power was building around her palm. Jack pleas continued to fall on deaf ears, the glass ball in her pocket ringing. Disbelief rounded my eyes at her picking up with the brightest smile she could muster. Scampy asked repeatedly if she was coming home, her tears splashing onto the surface. An eerie silence came over everyone, Solomon preparing for his next attack, her words breaking our hearts into pieces.
“I don’t know but I am going to do my best. I love you with all of my h-” She wept openly, his lightning breaking their communication device. Dropping her staff, she pulled her fist back. Aiming for his chest, blood painted each other’s face. His staff sank into her chest, her fingers ripping out his heart. Broken shock birthed a tense silence, his dead body splashing into the water. Dragging herself onto the ice, his lightning cooked his body into ash. Rolling his heart into the ash, the organ didn’t last long. The dome glitched out, Jack and Valentia rushing over to treat her. Arguing with each other, her hands cupped his shaking hands.
“I am sorry but I didn’t see another way.” She wheezed, all of us surrounding her while sobbing uncontrollably. “I apologize to you guys as well. You made a hell of a team. Every time I look at all of you, I see you as family. The type of family every orphan dreams of.” Valentia shook her head, Jack pulling her onto his lap. Ripping the staff from her chest, blood ran like a river into the crackling water. Holding her hand like her life depended on it, time slowed as it hit the ice. An ungodly wail burst from Jack’s lips, Ratalia nudging my pockets. The last of my miracle potion grazed my fingertip, something always telling me to hold onto it. Plucking it from my pocket, the key to her living rolled in my palm. Valentia caught it in her palm. Her last day couldn't be today, not if I had anything to do with it.
“This is your famous miracle potion. You can’t even find the ingredients anymore.” She uttered in disbelief, the navy liquid sloshing around. “You might need this.” Waving my hand around, my daughter needed it.
“I think we need it.” I choked out through a wall of tears, dim hope burning in my heart. “We need her. Save her for all of us. Please?” The corner of my lips quivered, her head nodding. Popping the cork, she poured the liquid down her throat. A bright light blinded us!
Epilogue: Alisandra’s view
Sitting at my president’s desk, my fingers traced the angry burn scar on my chest. Wondering how six years had passed so fast, the universe seemed to be running like a well oiled machine. My emerald mechanic’s suit hugged my baby bump, my third child was on the way. Taking in the wall of my hangar, I wouldn’t have my capital anywhere else. Rising from my chair, pictures of the past years covered the walls. Today was a special day, the incident from six years nearly taking my life. His staff narrowly missed my heart, my eyes resting on my severely scarred hand. Hissing had me perking up, my eight foot girls slithering up to me. Making my way down the stairs, a broken smile lingered on my lips. Beautiful sunshine bathed my face, sand crunching as I made it to the cemetery with the lilies I grabbed on my way out. Finding Bogs grave, the sand met my knees as I laid the lilies on the top. Pressing my palms together, the little boy growing in me would be named Bogs in his honor.
“Hello old friend and my fallen comrades. I came to tell you that an unprecedented peace has come over the universe.” I wept honestly, pressing my forehead to the sand. “I have another little boy on the way and my family has grown quite a bit over the years. Catz is on her fourth child with your brother, Officer Smatters. Kids can run free like never before. Not a fear can stop their smiles. Although, I wish I could smile more. I wish I could say I was happy but the bite of depression remains. Why can’t I be happy? I mean I stopped the bad guy right and here I sit crying like a little bitch.” Wiping my tears away, a familiar set of fingers playing with my ears had me glancing up to meet Jack’s loving gaze. Sitting down next to me, his commander's suit looked sharp on him. Resting my head on his shoulder, his lips grazed the top of my head.
“Whatever it is, we can all work through it together. You are the president after all.” He pointed out with a proud smile, his finger lifting up my chin with his finger. Kissing my lips tenderly, time slowed down. Popping to his feet, he placed me onto his back. The people of the capital waved, Tenty running towards our favorite place to meet. Skidding into the noodle shop, my family shouted hello. Setting me down, Jack took his place at the head of the table. Ratalia and Ratonia played with Icy’s bear, Scampy smashing into me. His thirteen year old boy was a far cry from the one I rescued. Every day was filled with his laughter, his six year old and three year old sister bouncing around him in their matching mechanic’s suit. April, my three year old girl was the miniature version of me. Scooping her up, her golden snake eyes met mine with the greatest love. Forgetting my sorrow for a tender moment, the restaurant owner set our orders onto the table. Scooping up Basy, we took our seats next to Jack. Scampy scooted close to me, his hand holding mine for a second. Remembering the blackness for a second, Bogs told me that it wasn’t my time. A bright light threw me back into the arms of life, my second chance was one that I would never squander. Someday Bogs would greet me in Heaven. Sinking into our usual conversations, Scampy rested his head on my shoulder. Icy called my name, his leather jacket reminding me of the olden days when he took care of me. Calling for me to chat with him for a second, Jack took April for a second. Basy cozied up to him, the others watching as Icy met me outside. The streets looked cleaner than when I showed up, the buildings looking worn but in good shape. Fishing around his pocket, his shaking hand placed a black box into my palm. Opening it up, my hand covered my mouth. A piece of Solomon’s staff hung off of a golden chain, his hands picking up the piece of jewelry.
“Remember when you said you wanted to be president, I had faith in you from the spot.” He gushed with fatherly admiration, my life always being owed to him. “I managed to get a piece of what nearly killed you before it got destroyed. I want you to know that I was always proud of you.” Dropping it over my head, a few words caught my eyes. Reading them, the words to my favorite warrior had fresh tears cascading off my chin.
“Thanks for saving that day. The depression sucks ass but every time I see what we accomplished together, the pain was almost worth it.” I cried softly, his arms pulling me into one of his bear hugs. “Do you think we could get ice cream later with my kids? They want grandfather time.” Ruffling my hair as he let me go, scarlet colored his scales. Pretending to mull it over, Basy smashed into his legs. There goes my little girl, her sweetness sure to win him over.
“Ice cream! Did you say ice cream?” She chirped cheerfully, her waves bouncing round with every jump. Caving into her puppy dog eyes, his arms scooped her up. Entering the noodle shop with them in tow, I took my seat at the head of the table. This was my tainted happily ever after, the sorrow of what occurred haunting me like a beautiful shadow.
2024.06.07 23:04 Lazy-Citron-643 WGU Essay Writing Help Reddit Business Writing Help reddit Creative Essay Writing Help Reddit Critical Essay Writing Helper for Hire Reddit English Literature Helper Reddit Expository & Persuasive Essay Writing Help Reddit Fiction Help - Greek and Roman Philosophy Writing Helper Reddit
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Contact Details for Hiraedu Helper:
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2024.06.07 23:04 Similar_Page539 I (23M) have not been able to heal from my last relationship
Hi, before I talk about the relationship part I’d like you guys to know a bit about me and how my life has been, since it’ll allow you to understand my thoughts better. I was born and raised in pretty small town in India, my father used to live in another country for work and I didn’t get to see him for more than a month or two in an year, although he’s provided our family with everything and for that I’m grateful. So we used to live in joint family, very chaotic I have an elder brother we were close when I was 7-8 but after that he got involved with his life too and we grew apart, in fact I only got to know him better when I was 20. So it was just me and my mom left, I didn’t have any good friends for a good part of my childhood so I’ve spent my life till my late teens being alone in my room, just me and video games. Then soon we had to sell our house because of family dispute, and that really messed me up because the person who did it was really close to me, I failed my exams and I believe that was the last time I’ve felt like I do right now. Things got a little better after that, but after school I asked my mother to be with my father as they both had sacrificed a lot for both of us. I started to live with my neighbour as their kids and I became friends when I was 16, and my parents had known them for years. I believe that’s the first time I actually started to feel my emotions, it became really overwhelming so I decided to visit a therapist, got to know a lot of things about myself which really shook me up and since the people who I used to live with were the closest to me and for me they were my friends I decided to tell them about it, they made fun of me for it not just that but when I think about it, they made fun of me for everything my taste in music, my looks but became friendly when they needed money in fact that was the whole dynamic of our relationship, all of that really messed me up because I was already overweight and well I had no confidence in myself.
Somehow I went through all that and then went to college, and that’s when I met her, the moment I saw her I was just stunned I had never felt like that the emotions were so strong I couldn’t even understand that I had feelings for her, part of it was because I was focused on making career for myself. We became friends soon and while I was confused about all of it, she started going out with this guy and well even though she was involved with him she would still be a little too close with me, like she would sit on my lap, kiss me on my cheek, I’d be the first person she’d call whenever she needed something and I well had been a giver type of person all my life I never realised how all of it made me feel I was there for her whenever she needed me, not just her tho I helped everyone I could because that’s the kinda person I’ve been. Even took care of her when she got cheated on by that guy, then she went out with another guy and when all of it happened again I was still there, but with time I realised that I felt like my niceness was being abused by her because she started getting involved with me emotionally a lot more, but she’d never see me that way. Once we had a concert in our college, all of us went we had the same group but she went away with some guy and hooked up with him, I wasn’t bothered by any of it because I was enjoying with my friends but she later called me and wanted to meet me, I went and she just wanted to be with him and started telling me about what all happened and I just went back to my room because I couldn’t handle my emotions. I feel like that was the breaking point for me, things like this went on for a few days before I confronted her telling her about I feel like she’s been taking advantage of my politeness and she blamed it on me. We didn’t talk for a while after that but eventually we made up, because Covid happened. I went back to stay with my brother and during lockdown is when I really confronted myself about her and I realised I really do like her and I decided to tell her about, but before that I knew I had to work on my myself because if we do get into a relationship I don’t my insecurities and fears to be projected onto her, so I started working on myself lost weight, got a lot more confident and most importantly I comfortable with myself. All of it took me few years, even when we got back to college I got know that she had changed and well my feelings for her resurfaced.
I eventually did tell her about it, and well she told me she had never seen me like that and can’t be with me, I accepted but told her I can’t be there for her at least for a while because it took a lot out of me and I don’t want to mess myself up again, she agreed. Few hours later she asked me to meet again and kept pushing me to still be friends I kept denying it, this went on for hours that day but eventually I had to agree to her because she didn’t stop and I had convinced myself that it’s not necessary for us to be in a relationship, and I could love her as a friend. Then a week later she went out with another guy, posted story of herself with him kissing her neck. Next day, she asked me to meet her and I saw hickeys all over her neck I was broken but I held it in. In the upcoming weeks, she started breaking down started having panic attacks even started to self harm, and she used to call me over and I stayed with her for hours I didn’t expect anything from it just was trying to be there for her and later even she accepted she wanted to see if was showing up with anything in my mind and then later told me she has feelings for me too, we eventually started dating after that but it really messed me up, few things that she did while were together :
1.she told me no matter what happens she can never believe that she can be truly loved.
It’s been 9 months since then I haven’t talked to her, saw her at the convocation didn’t talk to her. I don’t know all of it still hurts, hopeful things will get better.
If you’ve made it to the end, I really appreciate you reading it all the way through :)
submitted by Similar_Page539 to offmychest [link] [comments]
Somehow I went through all that and then went to college, and that’s when I met her, the moment I saw her I was just stunned I had never felt like that the emotions were so strong I couldn’t even understand that I had feelings for her, part of it was because I was focused on making career for myself. We became friends soon and while I was confused about all of it, she started going out with this guy and well even though she was involved with him she would still be a little too close with me, like she would sit on my lap, kiss me on my cheek, I’d be the first person she’d call whenever she needed something and I well had been a giver type of person all my life I never realised how all of it made me feel I was there for her whenever she needed me, not just her tho I helped everyone I could because that’s the kinda person I’ve been. Even took care of her when she got cheated on by that guy, then she went out with another guy and when all of it happened again I was still there, but with time I realised that I felt like my niceness was being abused by her because she started getting involved with me emotionally a lot more, but she’d never see me that way. Once we had a concert in our college, all of us went we had the same group but she went away with some guy and hooked up with him, I wasn’t bothered by any of it because I was enjoying with my friends but she later called me and wanted to meet me, I went and she just wanted to be with him and started telling me about what all happened and I just went back to my room because I couldn’t handle my emotions. I feel like that was the breaking point for me, things like this went on for a few days before I confronted her telling her about I feel like she’s been taking advantage of my politeness and she blamed it on me. We didn’t talk for a while after that but eventually we made up, because Covid happened. I went back to stay with my brother and during lockdown is when I really confronted myself about her and I realised I really do like her and I decided to tell her about, but before that I knew I had to work on my myself because if we do get into a relationship I don’t my insecurities and fears to be projected onto her, so I started working on myself lost weight, got a lot more confident and most importantly I comfortable with myself. All of it took me few years, even when we got back to college I got know that she had changed and well my feelings for her resurfaced.
I eventually did tell her about it, and well she told me she had never seen me like that and can’t be with me, I accepted but told her I can’t be there for her at least for a while because it took a lot out of me and I don’t want to mess myself up again, she agreed. Few hours later she asked me to meet again and kept pushing me to still be friends I kept denying it, this went on for hours that day but eventually I had to agree to her because she didn’t stop and I had convinced myself that it’s not necessary for us to be in a relationship, and I could love her as a friend. Then a week later she went out with another guy, posted story of herself with him kissing her neck. Next day, she asked me to meet her and I saw hickeys all over her neck I was broken but I held it in. In the upcoming weeks, she started breaking down started having panic attacks even started to self harm, and she used to call me over and I stayed with her for hours I didn’t expect anything from it just was trying to be there for her and later even she accepted she wanted to see if was showing up with anything in my mind and then later told me she has feelings for me too, we eventually started dating after that but it really messed me up, few things that she did while were together :
1.she told me no matter what happens she can never believe that she can be truly loved.
- She took me with her to meet guy she posted the story with, even though I said I wasn’t uncomfortable with it
- Later when I told her that I didn’t feel good when She posted that story, she first said don’t try to make me feel bad i have no regrets and then changed it to i don’t know why I did that
- Went out with a guy she used to go out with it at midnight while I was in another city, because she was feeling lonely
- Sent a snap to her school friend(I don’t know what she had sent) to which he replied, you’re so hot and she texted him back saying thanks with a winky face emoji. And I when I got know about it, she said I’m overreacting because that’s just how she texts
- Used to pay for everything, food, cigarettes arettes, I took her whenever she wanted to go to. I even used to take her back to her place everyday because she had to VC her mom.
- I was trying to quit cigarettes so whenever I wanted to smoke id just used to smoke and stub, we were at her friends and I asked for a cigarette from her pack and in front of all her friends she said slap me if I stubbed it halfway through I paid for that pack.
- I was running a 10K marathon, when I asked her would she like to come and support me and she made really disgusted face saying it’s too early in the morning, I don’t wanna wake up that early. I said id feel nice if she did and she just reluctantly agreed
- During the run I took my shoes off because I got wrong pair and they started to hurt my calves, but for like 6k the route was covered with pebbles and they hurt a lot and slowed me down since I was barefoot. Somehow I Managed to finish it and the first thing she said to me was where the hell were you? I have been waiting for you so long just take me home now. She didn’t even congratulate me but she posted a story of me with a caption I woke up at 5am for this
- 9 months into our relationship, she’d talk about her exes in some way or another and this used to happen every other day, at one point I got annoyed with it asked her to stop and she told me she doesn’t wanna talk to anyone else just because her boyfriend is too sensitive
- We never had sex, even though we were together for more than year she never wanted it just used to evade the topic I didn’t want to force her or anything so I just stopped bringing it up. Intimacy died after 6 months we didn’t anything, I tried to talk be more romantic but I was made feel wrong for having those feelings in fact I once told her that I’m kinda in the mood and she straight up told me to watch some porn and not to bother her.
- Every morning I used to make her fav drink, pick out clothes for her before her bath, cook for her, every single day while managing my work and she never used to do anything for me
It’s been 9 months since then I haven’t talked to her, saw her at the convocation didn’t talk to her. I don’t know all of it still hurts, hopeful things will get better.
If you’ve made it to the end, I really appreciate you reading it all the way through :)
2024.06.07 23:02 StoryTaleBooks Baldr's Branch Chapter 1
Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
submitted by StoryTaleBooks to FantasyWritingHub [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world."Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
2024.06.07 22:58 StoryTaleBooks Baldr's Branch Chapter 1
Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
submitted by StoryTaleBooks to fantasywriters [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world."Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
2024.06.07 22:54 StoryTaleBooks Baldr's Branch Chapter 1
Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
submitted by StoryTaleBooks to scifi [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world."Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
2024.06.07 22:54 Mindless_Payment_761 Xenomorphs Everywhere Chapter 01
Stockholm 1 July 2026
Michael is standing in his living room nervously fingering the cover of the Blu-Ray film in his hand. Michael knows that his staff at the group home have not approved of him watching this film but his curiosity has been piqued since a work friend talked about the movie some days ago and Michael has managed to buy this film and one of its sequels without the staff knowing.
Michael is 45 years old, but he does not live in an ordinary apartment, but rather a special accommodation for residents with various mental problems. Michael has a mild mental disorder and his parents know that he is a psychopath but they havent about it with Michael yet. With the help of his staff at the accommodation, Michael is able to live a normal life. The accommodation is located in Zinkensdamm and it is a quiet area and Michael is comfortable here.
However, Michael has a special feature that requires the staff to watch every movie that Michael wants to see and also approve it. Michael has a knack for making things that happen in movies real. So if a volcano erupts in a movie, Michael can wish for it to happen in real life and it does. This trait can make Michael very dangerous to the public.
Michael has become increasingly interested in violence and this has worried the staff for a long time. Right now, Michael is only allowed to watch light comedies because they are afraid that Michael will wish for violent things to happen. Things that can harm the staff and other people.
The film that Michael holds in his hand is far from a light comedy. It's a sci-fi/horror movie and it's called Alien. Michael is 45 years old and was young when this movie came out but his parents didn't let him watch it because he could already make things that happened in movies become real and the parents were terrified that an Alien monster would suddenly appear in their villa . Michael was bullied at school and certainly would not have hesitated to let an Alien monster attack the bullies. But if he created a real Alien monster, it would have had an impact on the environment and completely innocent people could have been killed by the Alien monster.
Michael takes the Blu-Ray disc out of the case and puts it in his Blu-Ray player and is just about to press play when he realizes that maybe he should tell the staff that he's going to watch a TV show and definitely doesn't want to be disturbed during the course of the film. The film is about two hours long so he thinks two hours of free time without the staff is appropriate. Michael looks at the TV magazine and sees that the Simpsons and another show he usually watches are on during the time he intended to watch the movie. The staff will not suspect anything.
Michael walks out of his apartment and into the hallway of the residence and goes straight to the staff office. He knocks lightly on their door and they turn and open the door to greet Michael. Michael doesn't waste time telling them what he wants, but says straight away what it's all about.
Michael jumps high as the facehugger jumps out of the egg one of the characters has found. Michael thinks the facehugger looks really cool and then when it turns out to be bleeding acid and threatens to destroy the ship, the tension increases. Michael memorizes what the facehugger looks like and he becomes fascinated by the creature. A creature like this could have been dangerous on Earth if it had existed.
Michael thinks it's incredibly cool when the chestbuster explodes from the chest of the character the facehugger landed on. Michael thinks the birth of the creature is really brutal but also very cool. It's clear that the facehugger planted something in the character's stomach and it was then born in an explosive fashion. Michael knows that only women give birth but in this movie a creature is born from a man. Michael also memorizes what the chestbuster looks like.
Michael thinks that the adult Alien creature that is seen later in the film is incredibly cool and he thinks that he would like a creature like this to exist for real and it is close that he several times wishes that the creature exists for real during the movie but he also knows that he will be very tired after making the wish so he decides to wait until the evening. Michael will also meet his contact person in the afternoon and they will have coffee together. Michael absolutely does not want to miss that meeting.
When Michael has finished watching the film, he hides it behind some other films on the bookshelf so that the staff will not find it. Michael thinks he can watch the other movie once the staff has helped him cook. In order for the food to be ready as quickly as possible, Michael chooses to fetch a member of staff from the staff room. Michael would like Krister to help him with the food and asks him to come with him to the apartment.
Krister comes along to Michael's apartment and looks at the grocery list that Michael has written together with his staff. Today it says meatballs and macaroni and Krister takes the meatballs out of the fridge and starts frying them. Michael starts a pot of water and waits for the water to start boiling. When the water boils, he will pour in the macaroni. As Michael stands waiting for the water to boil, he stands thinking about this fantastical creature he has seen today.
When Michael thinks of the adult Alien monster and its banana-shaped head, the cock stands up and becomes rock hard. It had been a long time since Michael felt this way. If he could, he would very much like to be this monster and terrify every single person who has been stupid and mean to him. Revenge had been sweet when he had bared his inner teeth and torn apart every human who had been mean to him.
Michael stands and thinks about whether the Alien monster would be able to live on Earth but then he remembers that it has never been a problem when he has wished for something and it shouldn't be a problem if he wants the Alien monster to come here to the earth. Michael also wonders who laid the eggs that the character in the film finds. There were a lot of eggs. Michael is so deep in his thoughts that he doesn't hear Krister talking to him. Michael focuses on Krister.
Krister understands how Michael's parents think but also how Michael himself thinks and it is far from always the same. Michael is no longer a child but an adult and should be allowed to show that he can take some responsibility for what he does but the parents have not trusted him enough until that dramatic fire happened. Michael saved his parents from being burned inside and since then they have changed their attitude towards him and given him more freedom. Michael has promised and sworn that he had nothing to do with the fire and Krister believes him. The fire was caused by a simple electrical fault and possibly carelessness on the father's part.
When the macaroni has finished cooking, Michael drains the water and puts them and the meatballs on his plate. Krister washes the frying pan he used to fry the meatballs and then leaves Michael alone.
Michael is so curious about the second movie that he takes the dinner plate into the living room and turns his TV and Blu-Ray player back on and puts the second movie into the player. It's Aliens and Michael sees that there are two versions of the movie and he chooses to see the theatrical version because it's shorter. Michael sits down on the couch and starts watching the movie while eating his food. It is very unusual for Michael to sit on the sofa and eat his food, but today he changes his regular routine. It is very unusual for Michael to change any of his routines.
Michael finds the film somewhat boring at the beginning and skips a few scenes where the characters talk to each other. Michael wants to see more of the monsters because he thinks they are so cool.
When the marines land on the planet with the monsters, the film becomes interesting and Michael tensely follows what is happening on the flat screen. Michael had a brother who liked Rambo in the 1980s and even though Michael has not seen Rambo, he still thinks that the marines are reminiscent of Rambo and he thinks that his brother would have liked this movie if he was still alive.
But Michael's brother is no longer alive. He died in a terrible car accident in 1988 and Michael still misses him. If the brother had been allowed to live, he might have beaten the bullies who beat Michael. Michael still remembers his bullies and he knows that the worst of them lives in the area and Michael has chosen not to be near the villa where the bully lives.
Tensions rise as the Marines move through the dank corridors of the film, using a motion detector. Michael jumps high on the couch as a little girl runs past in front of the marines. It is so unexpected that it should be a little girl. Michael thinks this movie is better than the first one. There is so much more going on in this movie than the first.
A little later in the film, the marines find lots of people sitting in some kind of cocoons and a chestbuster explodes from a woman's stomach. It looks more brutal than in the first movie and Michael thinks the creature exploding from the chest/belly looks a little different than the one in the first movie. The marines set fire to the creature and soon adult creatures start moving everywhere killing the marines. Even the adult creatures look a bit different compared to the one in the first movie and Michael likes their appearance and memorizes their appearance quite accurately. It makes it easier for him to wish they exist if he can describe them well.
Aliens are everywhere and Michael thinks they are the absolute coolest thing in the whole movie. Michael also thinks that some of the characters are cool and it is especially Hicks and Vasquesh who are the coolest of all but in different ways. Hicks complains and jokes about everything while Vasquesh is like a female Rambo and has a lot of tough lines. Michael would have been happy to spend an afternoon with these two characters if they had existed in real life. Michael finds the girl Ripley finds extremely annoying because she screams so much and is generally annoying. But the scene where they are locked in a lab with a facehugger is very tense.
The little girl is picked up by an alien and when Ripley comes to pick her up, Michael finds it exciting even though he still finds the girl annoying. But then Ripley sees the great Alien Queen and Michael soon falls in love with the Alien Queen when she appears on the flat screen. She is absolute perfection. He is egged on by her huge ovipositor but also her huge crowned head. Michael carefully memorizes what the Alien queen looks like and he drools involuntarily.
Michael decides that he will wish that the Alien Queen exists in reality later in the evening, but she is so incredibly large and Michael begins to think about where she had would be placed. The sports field in Zinkensdamm is large, but the question is whether the Alien queen would fit in there. Also, the people nearby would see her and possibly kill the queen.
It is better if she is in a place that is not easily accessible but that Michael can still visit. Michael feels that he wants to meet the Alien Queen in person but not be harmed by her. Michael decides to wish that he can control the Alien Queen or that she will trust him.
Michael also realizes when he watches the movie that the Alien queen has lots of guards or warriors in her hive, just like the bees have. Wherever they are supposed to be, it still has to be such a large space that both the Alien queen and several warriors can fit.
Michael will think that his contact person Sven, deals with urban exploration and may know of some big place where an Alien queen can fit. Michael decides to ask Sven when they meet later today but thinks about how to ask the question. Sven must not suspect anything because then there is the risk of him talking to Michael's staff and he does not want that to happen. Michael also decides not to mention that he has seen these two films. Sven doesn't need to know about that.
Michael gets upset when Ripley starts burning up the Alien Queen's eggs. The very area where the Alien Queen is is going to explode soon anyway and Michael thinks it's unnecessary to sabotage the Alien Queen's egg. Ripley and the girl are picked up by the andriod and everything is calm again, but the Alien queen has apparently come with the ship and there will be another fight between the Alien queen and Ripley. But good triumphs over evil and the Alien Queen floats around in space and dies and all is peace and joy. Michael doesn't bother to watch the credits, but turns the movie off when it's finished. Michael hides the film behind some other films on the bookshelf.
Michael goes out into the corridor and asks a member of staff to collect the money that Michael will have with him when he meets Sven. The staff unlocks the cash register and takes out 100 kroner and gives it to Michael. Everyone who lives at the accommodation receives help from the staff when they need their money. Michael goes into the kitchen and chooses to eat three sandwiches instead of heating up a Billy's Pizza.
When Michael has finished eating, he puts on other clothes and leaves his apartment and says goodbye to the staff and goes down to the bottom floor and stands outside the apartment building and waits for Sven to arrive.
Sven is on time as usual and Michael gets into Sven's car and Sven drives towards the cafe they are going to visit. Sven asks how Michael's day has been and he replies that he mostly watched TV and that it was nice. Sven has also had a good day. He has wallpapered several new apartments and even managed to run on his treadmill for about an hour. Michael has run on Sven's treadmill once, but he found it boring after a while.
Sven parks right outside Lars' cafe and the two go into the cafe and decide what to eat and drink. Michael takes a cinnamon roll as usual, but Sven chooses a vanilla pastry today. As usual, Michael takes a cup of tea with apple flavor while Sven takes a cup of coffee. Michael and Sven sit down at the same table they usually sit at. There is a large window right next to the table and Michael likes to watch all the people moving around outside the cafe. He sometimes wonders where they are going and what they have done during the day.
Michael and Sven usually talk about different things when they have coffee, but today Michael decides the conversation and he immediately starts asking Sven about a lot of things.
Sven notices that MIchael is sitting thinking about something and he becomes curious as to what it is. Michael wasn't usually this thoughtful and he hasn't said a single word in a while and it's not usual either. Michael usually talks almost all the time while they meet, but not right now.
The tea in Michael's cup has started to cool and he has only drunk less than half the cup. It's not normal either. Michael's teacup is usually empty first but not today. Sven wonders if something has happened because Michael is quieter than usual and also seems to be sitting thinking about something.
Sven and Michael look at each other and say exactly the same thing at the same time.
Krister goes with him to Michael's apartment again and writes down the receipt from the cafe and calculates so that it matches the cash register. Every penny counts and Krister puts the safe into the large wooden cupboard and locks it carefully. Krister looks at Michael.
Michael goes out into the living room and checks to make sure the films are still there and they are. The staff doesn't tend to rummage through Michael's things, but he still wants to check just in case. Someone at the store may have gossiped about what MIchael bought although it is not very likely but Michael knows that a classmate works at the store where he bought the movies and the classmate knows that MIchael's parents had never approved of Michael watching them.
Michael fetches the dinner plate and washes it and the pan he cooked the macaroni in. Michael then goes to the bedroom and puts away clothes that need to be washed and hangs up clothes that he intends to use again before he washes them. The hour goes by quickly and when it's 7pm Michael leaves his apartment and goes out to the common kitchen at the accommodation and most of the other people who live at the accommodation are already there and they are eating buns and talking to each other.
When it's almost 8 p.m., Michael goes back to his apartment and locks his front door. Michael goes to bed for a little while. He will start the film at 10 pm because the night staff go to bed then. Then Michael is completely sure that he will not be disturbed by the staff. Michael is tired and it doesn't take long before he falls asleep and when he wakes up again and looks at the clock, it's 23.10.
Michael immediately gets out of bed and into the living room and switches on his TV and Blu-Ray player. Michael grab the Aliens movie and puts it in the Blu-Ray player and skips through the chapters of the movie until he gets to when the Alien queen is in her hive.
Michael presses freeze when the entire Alien queen appears in the picture and he walks up and pats the picture of the queen as if she were in front of him. Michael fantasizes about what the Alien Queen's skin and bones feel like. Is it hot or cold? Is it soft or hard? It looks hard but it's not sure if it feels hard.
The alien queen's drool then. How does it feel? Is it hot or cold? Is it tough or liquid? What does the Alien Queen's drool smell like? Michael can see that it is transparent and it appears to be tough but he is not sure that it is. Details like this are important to Michael. An ordinary person had never thought about the properties of the drool or how the Alien Queen's skin and bones feel. Most people would have avoided the Alien Queen but not Michael. He has already decided that she will be in our real world and he already knows where she will live. Michael looks at the still image of the Alien queen and feels that now is the time to make the wish.
Michael concentrates and puts himself into a deep trance. The whites of his eyes are turned upwards and he really sees nothing but a giant image of the Alien Queen. He can twist and turn the picture and see her from as many different angles as he wants. Michael pushes himself against the giant image of the Alien Queen and begins to speak in a strange language.
Michael falls silent and his eyes return to normal. Michael is drenched in sweat but he also has to wish that the Alien Queen's soldiers are already there protecting her. Michael also has to decide how big the space should be where the Alien Queen will be. Michael wishes that the chestbusters that explode from the people's stomachs will grow up and become adult Aliens very quickly. They have to eat two people before they start to grow and become adults. Michael wishes the entrance to the underworld is open and the bars are gone.
Michael looks for a scene where the soldiers in the Alien queen's hive are clearly visible and so he makes it a still image. Michael stands as close to the picture as he can. He wants the monsters to look exactly like in the movie.
Michael goes into a deep trance again and starts talking in the strange language again. This time he doesn't talk as much and when he's done Michael feels very tired and wants to go to bed but he takes the movie out of the Blu-Ray player and puts the movie behind some other movies in the bookcase and turns off his TV.
Michael feels that his throat is parched and he drinks two glasses of cold water before going to his bedroom and goes straight to bed and falls asleep in just a few seconds.
The Alien Queen has not yet begun to be created in our world. It will take almost a week for her to become real and start laying her eggs. It will take enormous amounts of energy to make it all real and most of that energy will be taken from Michael. Michael won't feel well for almost a whole week but he doesn't know that. This wish is the most advanced that he has made so far.
Disclaimer: Facehugger, Chestbuster, Alien, Alien Warriors, Alien Queen Belongs to Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
submitted by Mindless_Payment_761 to Xenomorphseverywhere [link] [comments]
Michael is standing in his living room nervously fingering the cover of the Blu-Ray film in his hand. Michael knows that his staff at the group home have not approved of him watching this film but his curiosity has been piqued since a work friend talked about the movie some days ago and Michael has managed to buy this film and one of its sequels without the staff knowing.
Michael is 45 years old, but he does not live in an ordinary apartment, but rather a special accommodation for residents with various mental problems. Michael has a mild mental disorder and his parents know that he is a psychopath but they havent about it with Michael yet. With the help of his staff at the accommodation, Michael is able to live a normal life. The accommodation is located in Zinkensdamm and it is a quiet area and Michael is comfortable here.
However, Michael has a special feature that requires the staff to watch every movie that Michael wants to see and also approve it. Michael has a knack for making things that happen in movies real. So if a volcano erupts in a movie, Michael can wish for it to happen in real life and it does. This trait can make Michael very dangerous to the public.
Michael has become increasingly interested in violence and this has worried the staff for a long time. Right now, Michael is only allowed to watch light comedies because they are afraid that Michael will wish for violent things to happen. Things that can harm the staff and other people.
The film that Michael holds in his hand is far from a light comedy. It's a sci-fi/horror movie and it's called Alien. Michael is 45 years old and was young when this movie came out but his parents didn't let him watch it because he could already make things that happened in movies become real and the parents were terrified that an Alien monster would suddenly appear in their villa . Michael was bullied at school and certainly would not have hesitated to let an Alien monster attack the bullies. But if he created a real Alien monster, it would have had an impact on the environment and completely innocent people could have been killed by the Alien monster.
Michael takes the Blu-Ray disc out of the case and puts it in his Blu-Ray player and is just about to press play when he realizes that maybe he should tell the staff that he's going to watch a TV show and definitely doesn't want to be disturbed during the course of the film. The film is about two hours long so he thinks two hours of free time without the staff is appropriate. Michael looks at the TV magazine and sees that the Simpsons and another show he usually watches are on during the time he intended to watch the movie. The staff will not suspect anything.
Michael walks out of his apartment and into the hallway of the residence and goes straight to the staff office. He knocks lightly on their door and they turn and open the door to greet Michael. Michael doesn't waste time telling them what he wants, but says straight away what it's all about.
- I intend to watch TV for about two hours and do not want to be disturbed. I'm going to watch the Simpsons and the latest episode of Reneé's bridge. I can eat after watching TV.
- It will be absolutely excellent.
Michael jumps high as the facehugger jumps out of the egg one of the characters has found. Michael thinks the facehugger looks really cool and then when it turns out to be bleeding acid and threatens to destroy the ship, the tension increases. Michael memorizes what the facehugger looks like and he becomes fascinated by the creature. A creature like this could have been dangerous on Earth if it had existed.
Michael thinks it's incredibly cool when the chestbuster explodes from the chest of the character the facehugger landed on. Michael thinks the birth of the creature is really brutal but also very cool. It's clear that the facehugger planted something in the character's stomach and it was then born in an explosive fashion. Michael knows that only women give birth but in this movie a creature is born from a man. Michael also memorizes what the chestbuster looks like.
Michael thinks that the adult Alien creature that is seen later in the film is incredibly cool and he thinks that he would like a creature like this to exist for real and it is close that he several times wishes that the creature exists for real during the movie but he also knows that he will be very tired after making the wish so he decides to wait until the evening. Michael will also meet his contact person in the afternoon and they will have coffee together. Michael absolutely does not want to miss that meeting.
When Michael has finished watching the film, he hides it behind some other films on the bookshelf so that the staff will not find it. Michael thinks he can watch the other movie once the staff has helped him cook. In order for the food to be ready as quickly as possible, Michael chooses to fetch a member of staff from the staff room. Michael would like Krister to help him with the food and asks him to come with him to the apartment.
Krister comes along to Michael's apartment and looks at the grocery list that Michael has written together with his staff. Today it says meatballs and macaroni and Krister takes the meatballs out of the fridge and starts frying them. Michael starts a pot of water and waits for the water to start boiling. When the water boils, he will pour in the macaroni. As Michael stands waiting for the water to boil, he stands thinking about this fantastical creature he has seen today.
When Michael thinks of the adult Alien monster and its banana-shaped head, the cock stands up and becomes rock hard. It had been a long time since Michael felt this way. If he could, he would very much like to be this monster and terrify every single person who has been stupid and mean to him. Revenge had been sweet when he had bared his inner teeth and torn apart every human who had been mean to him.
Michael stands and thinks about whether the Alien monster would be able to live on Earth but then he remembers that it has never been a problem when he has wished for something and it shouldn't be a problem if he wants the Alien monster to come here to the earth. Michael also wonders who laid the eggs that the character in the film finds. There were a lot of eggs. Michael is so deep in his thoughts that he doesn't hear Krister talking to him. Michael focuses on Krister.
- Sorry, I didn't hear what you said. Can you say it again?
- I was wondering if it is not today that you are going to meet your contact person, Sven?
- Yes, I will do that. We will meet at 5 pm and have coffee at Lars café.
- Do you want to eat some cooked food before you meet?
- I heat a Billy's pizza in the microwave before we meet. I'm going to watch TV after I eat.
- Okay, good. Then I know your plans. By the way, the water is boiling now.
- This new girl you've met, is she pretty?
- You could say that. She is...perfect in every way.
- Mmm. Apparently enough to make you embarrassed.
- That thing about love can be..complicated.
- I believe you. I have never liked someone so much that I would have wanted to live together, but on the other hand, I have my disability and was never allowed to go out much when I was a child. My parents overprotected me from everything, except the bullies at school.
Krister understands how Michael's parents think but also how Michael himself thinks and it is far from always the same. Michael is no longer a child but an adult and should be allowed to show that he can take some responsibility for what he does but the parents have not trusted him enough until that dramatic fire happened. Michael saved his parents from being burned inside and since then they have changed their attitude towards him and given him more freedom. Michael has promised and sworn that he had nothing to do with the fire and Krister believes him. The fire was caused by a simple electrical fault and possibly carelessness on the father's part.
When the macaroni has finished cooking, Michael drains the water and puts them and the meatballs on his plate. Krister washes the frying pan he used to fry the meatballs and then leaves Michael alone.
Michael is so curious about the second movie that he takes the dinner plate into the living room and turns his TV and Blu-Ray player back on and puts the second movie into the player. It's Aliens and Michael sees that there are two versions of the movie and he chooses to see the theatrical version because it's shorter. Michael sits down on the couch and starts watching the movie while eating his food. It is very unusual for Michael to sit on the sofa and eat his food, but today he changes his regular routine. It is very unusual for Michael to change any of his routines.
Michael finds the film somewhat boring at the beginning and skips a few scenes where the characters talk to each other. Michael wants to see more of the monsters because he thinks they are so cool.
When the marines land on the planet with the monsters, the film becomes interesting and Michael tensely follows what is happening on the flat screen. Michael had a brother who liked Rambo in the 1980s and even though Michael has not seen Rambo, he still thinks that the marines are reminiscent of Rambo and he thinks that his brother would have liked this movie if he was still alive.
But Michael's brother is no longer alive. He died in a terrible car accident in 1988 and Michael still misses him. If the brother had been allowed to live, he might have beaten the bullies who beat Michael. Michael still remembers his bullies and he knows that the worst of them lives in the area and Michael has chosen not to be near the villa where the bully lives.
Tensions rise as the Marines move through the dank corridors of the film, using a motion detector. Michael jumps high on the couch as a little girl runs past in front of the marines. It is so unexpected that it should be a little girl. Michael thinks this movie is better than the first one. There is so much more going on in this movie than the first.
A little later in the film, the marines find lots of people sitting in some kind of cocoons and a chestbuster explodes from a woman's stomach. It looks more brutal than in the first movie and Michael thinks the creature exploding from the chest/belly looks a little different than the one in the first movie. The marines set fire to the creature and soon adult creatures start moving everywhere killing the marines. Even the adult creatures look a bit different compared to the one in the first movie and Michael likes their appearance and memorizes their appearance quite accurately. It makes it easier for him to wish they exist if he can describe them well.
Aliens are everywhere and Michael thinks they are the absolute coolest thing in the whole movie. Michael also thinks that some of the characters are cool and it is especially Hicks and Vasquesh who are the coolest of all but in different ways. Hicks complains and jokes about everything while Vasquesh is like a female Rambo and has a lot of tough lines. Michael would have been happy to spend an afternoon with these two characters if they had existed in real life. Michael finds the girl Ripley finds extremely annoying because she screams so much and is generally annoying. But the scene where they are locked in a lab with a facehugger is very tense.
The little girl is picked up by an alien and when Ripley comes to pick her up, Michael finds it exciting even though he still finds the girl annoying. But then Ripley sees the great Alien Queen and Michael soon falls in love with the Alien Queen when she appears on the flat screen. She is absolute perfection. He is egged on by her huge ovipositor but also her huge crowned head. Michael carefully memorizes what the Alien queen looks like and he drools involuntarily.
Michael decides that he will wish that the Alien Queen exists in reality later in the evening, but she is so incredibly large and Michael begins to think about where she had would be placed. The sports field in Zinkensdamm is large, but the question is whether the Alien queen would fit in there. Also, the people nearby would see her and possibly kill the queen.
It is better if she is in a place that is not easily accessible but that Michael can still visit. Michael feels that he wants to meet the Alien Queen in person but not be harmed by her. Michael decides to wish that he can control the Alien Queen or that she will trust him.
Michael also realizes when he watches the movie that the Alien queen has lots of guards or warriors in her hive, just like the bees have. Wherever they are supposed to be, it still has to be such a large space that both the Alien queen and several warriors can fit.
Michael will think that his contact person Sven, deals with urban exploration and may know of some big place where an Alien queen can fit. Michael decides to ask Sven when they meet later today but thinks about how to ask the question. Sven must not suspect anything because then there is the risk of him talking to Michael's staff and he does not want that to happen. Michael also decides not to mention that he has seen these two films. Sven doesn't need to know about that.
Michael gets upset when Ripley starts burning up the Alien Queen's eggs. The very area where the Alien Queen is is going to explode soon anyway and Michael thinks it's unnecessary to sabotage the Alien Queen's egg. Ripley and the girl are picked up by the andriod and everything is calm again, but the Alien queen has apparently come with the ship and there will be another fight between the Alien queen and Ripley. But good triumphs over evil and the Alien Queen floats around in space and dies and all is peace and joy. Michael doesn't bother to watch the credits, but turns the movie off when it's finished. Michael hides the film behind some other films on the bookshelf.
Michael goes out into the corridor and asks a member of staff to collect the money that Michael will have with him when he meets Sven. The staff unlocks the cash register and takes out 100 kroner and gives it to Michael. Everyone who lives at the accommodation receives help from the staff when they need their money. Michael goes into the kitchen and chooses to eat three sandwiches instead of heating up a Billy's Pizza.
When Michael has finished eating, he puts on other clothes and leaves his apartment and says goodbye to the staff and goes down to the bottom floor and stands outside the apartment building and waits for Sven to arrive.
Sven is on time as usual and Michael gets into Sven's car and Sven drives towards the cafe they are going to visit. Sven asks how Michael's day has been and he replies that he mostly watched TV and that it was nice. Sven has also had a good day. He has wallpapered several new apartments and even managed to run on his treadmill for about an hour. Michael has run on Sven's treadmill once, but he found it boring after a while.
Sven parks right outside Lars' cafe and the two go into the cafe and decide what to eat and drink. Michael takes a cinnamon roll as usual, but Sven chooses a vanilla pastry today. As usual, Michael takes a cup of tea with apple flavor while Sven takes a cup of coffee. Michael and Sven sit down at the same table they usually sit at. There is a large window right next to the table and Michael likes to watch all the people moving around outside the cafe. He sometimes wonders where they are going and what they have done during the day.
Michael and Sven usually talk about different things when they have coffee, but today Michael decides the conversation and he immediately starts asking Sven about a lot of things.
- Sven, do you know if there is any really super big place in Stockholm that is not well known?
- It depends on how big you mean. The biggest place is probably the newly built arena, but it is already well known.
- I'm probably thinking of something even bigger and which is not well known.
- There probably isn't, except...
- Except, what? Please tell me. I'm curious.
- This place is not accessible to the public but there is a giant underground tunnel under a very large part of the city. It starts roughly at Mariatorget and stretches all the way to Danderyd if I remember correctly.
- It is therefore several kilometers long. How high do you think the ceiling is there?
- Rather, it is several miles long. I don't know how high the ceiling is. I have never visited the tunnel but I know that it is possible to enter it from the T-Centralen and also the Brunkebergstunnel, but in that case a key is of course needed because it is locked at the entrances to the tunnel. The entrance which is at the T-Centralen is near a track, so you are not allowed to go there.
- But how do you know it exists if you haven't visited it?
- Most people who live in Stockholm and deal with urban exploration know that it exists, but very few have been there. The opening at Mariatorget has been open before but is now locked with large barriers. You have probably seen the barriers and the large fence when you have walked past Mariatorget.
- It is a high fence and the bars are very high up. It must be at least 5-6 meters at the highest at the fence. Could this mean that it is as high in ceiling height at the beginning of the tunnel?
- I have no idea. As I said, I have never been in the tunnel. Why do you want to know how high the ceiling is when you can't get in there? I do not really understand.
- Ah you know, we who have certain disorders sometimes want to know things that are not really that important but are still interesting. Why were the entrances locked?
- You've never been interested in this kind of thing before, but okay, I see what you mean. The entrance was locked because there were so many loiterers occupying the tunnel and selling drugs and other things. I think there was also some safety risk regarding the ventilation. Maybe it wasn't well ventilated enough for people to run around down there. The police probably had no complete control of who was moving down there because the tunnel is so extremely long.
- Hmm. It sounds logical when you explain it. If the Tunnel were to open one day, would you like to go down and investigate it?
- Of course it would have been fun, but I don't think it will ever be opened again. There are stricter rules on security now than there were when it was open.
Sven notices that MIchael is sitting thinking about something and he becomes curious as to what it is. Michael wasn't usually this thoughtful and he hasn't said a single word in a while and it's not usual either. Michael usually talks almost all the time while they meet, but not right now.
- Michael. Is there anything in particular that you are considering regarding this tunnel?
- Well, it was more of a general question. We were talking about hidden places at work the other day and also how big they are.
- Then I understand. Yes, then you can excel and tell them about this tunnel.
The tea in Michael's cup has started to cool and he has only drunk less than half the cup. It's not normal either. Michael's teacup is usually empty first but not today. Sven wonders if something has happened because Michael is quieter than usual and also seems to be sitting thinking about something.
- How is it at your accommodation? Are you still happy with the staff?
- Yes, this accommodation is the very best since I moved away from home. You know that I have lived in a few different accommodations.
- I know about it. After all, we have met for a total of 20 years, so I know what it has been like. The accommodation you were staying at when we first started meeting was disastrous.
- Yes, my God. The staff were even weirder than I was. It was also haunted there, but no one believed it.
- I also think it was haunted there. For once, I also believed in the paranormal when I was inside your apartment. There was seriously something really crazy there.
- The only thing I don't like is that the staff have to approve everything I look at. It should be time to let me watch what I want. I can take the consequences of what I do because I'm an adult. They cannot protect me from seeing bad things in all my life. The violence in the news stories is more frightening than what happens in movies because it happens in real life.
- It's probably your parents who wanted you to only see things that the staff have approved and that it's about your.. unique ability.
- But my parents are no longer as active and keep an eye on me, so they should be able to relax the rules.
- Maybe they will do that eventually. The fact that your parents have let go of you a little is perhaps the start of something new, but they may want you to get used to times with more freedom. If they let go of the barriers all at once, it might be a problem for you to make sensible choices.
- Sven, a question. If there was someone or something from a movie that you wished existed in real life, what would it be?
- Wow, that was really a difficult question. I'll probably have to think about that before I can give you a good answer.
- It's perfectly fine. I'm just curious what you had chosen.
- I can understand that considering your ability.
- But it was a long time ago that I wished that something from a film would become reality. Life doesn't get more exciting than you make it out to be.
- Mmm. Am I the only one who thinks the conversation has gotten a little deeper and more serious? Is it an adult Michael that I suddenly see in front of me?
- I think maybe more than I did before. I'm 45 years old, so I'm definitely an adult, for my age anyway.
- Huh. It's so true.
- Did you knew? I always choose this table because I think it's fun to look out at all the people moving everywhere. Where have they been and where are they going? Have they had a good or bad day? Who are they?
- Wow. I had no idea you cared about such things. Don't misunderstand what I mean but I got the impression that you mostly care about what concerns you but I may be wrong.
- Of course, I care most about myself, I guess everyone does. But I think it's fun to think about who the people are even if I'll never meet them.
- Mmm. There are always people on the move here in Stockholm. In a smaller town, there would not have been as many people in motion during the day.
- Many are also terribly stressed. It is so important to catch the first subway train even if a new one arrives after a few minutes.
- Do you usually never stress when you take the subway to work?
- No, never ever. If the train leaves, I wait for the next one.
- Michael, you are a fascinating person. We have met for 20 years and just when i think i know you, you show a new side of yourself. I think it's incredibly interesting.
- You have also shown new sides over the years. You can almost say that we have helped each other develop. The biggest difference between us is that I have more routines than you do, but that's because I feel safer with them, because of my disability.
Sven and Michael look at each other and say exactly the same thing at the same time.
- Shall we move on?
- I'm ready if you're ready too
- I am. The cinnamon roll was magically good.
- My vanilla pastry was also good. Simply a nice coffee.
- Next week will be tough for me so we have to meet in exactly one week. I know I promised we should meet on Tuesdays but it has to be a Thursday next week too.
- It does not matter. I'm free next Thursday anyway so it works out fine.
- What did you think we would do?
- Hmm. Go to Skansen and Gröna Lund or just Gröna Lund.
- Gröna Lund sounds nice. We decide to visit it.
- Perfect. See you next week
- We'll do that.
Krister goes with him to Michael's apartment again and writes down the receipt from the cafe and calculates so that it matches the cash register. Every penny counts and Krister puts the safe into the large wooden cupboard and locks it carefully. Krister looks at Michael.
- What are you doing tonight? Max will offer buns later because he will quit as staff.
- When are buns served?
- Hmm. Approximately 7:00 p.m. So in an hour.
- I'd like to eat another bun today, so I'll come at that time. I was going to watch TV later. It is a repeat of "Masked Singer Sweden" among other things.
- Have you guessed who is behind the masks yet?
- Nah. Don't have a clue. But it's fun to watch.
- Mmm okay. But then I'll see you in an hour.
Michael goes out into the living room and checks to make sure the films are still there and they are. The staff doesn't tend to rummage through Michael's things, but he still wants to check just in case. Someone at the store may have gossiped about what MIchael bought although it is not very likely but Michael knows that a classmate works at the store where he bought the movies and the classmate knows that MIchael's parents had never approved of Michael watching them.
Michael fetches the dinner plate and washes it and the pan he cooked the macaroni in. Michael then goes to the bedroom and puts away clothes that need to be washed and hangs up clothes that he intends to use again before he washes them. The hour goes by quickly and when it's 7pm Michael leaves his apartment and goes out to the common kitchen at the accommodation and most of the other people who live at the accommodation are already there and they are eating buns and talking to each other.
When it's almost 8 p.m., Michael goes back to his apartment and locks his front door. Michael goes to bed for a little while. He will start the film at 10 pm because the night staff go to bed then. Then Michael is completely sure that he will not be disturbed by the staff. Michael is tired and it doesn't take long before he falls asleep and when he wakes up again and looks at the clock, it's 23.10.
Michael immediately gets out of bed and into the living room and switches on his TV and Blu-Ray player. Michael grab the Aliens movie and puts it in the Blu-Ray player and skips through the chapters of the movie until he gets to when the Alien queen is in her hive.
Michael presses freeze when the entire Alien queen appears in the picture and he walks up and pats the picture of the queen as if she were in front of him. Michael fantasizes about what the Alien Queen's skin and bones feel like. Is it hot or cold? Is it soft or hard? It looks hard but it's not sure if it feels hard.
The alien queen's drool then. How does it feel? Is it hot or cold? Is it tough or liquid? What does the Alien Queen's drool smell like? Michael can see that it is transparent and it appears to be tough but he is not sure that it is. Details like this are important to Michael. An ordinary person had never thought about the properties of the drool or how the Alien Queen's skin and bones feel. Most people would have avoided the Alien Queen but not Michael. He has already decided that she will be in our real world and he already knows where she will live. Michael looks at the still image of the Alien queen and feels that now is the time to make the wish.
Michael concentrates and puts himself into a deep trance. The whites of his eyes are turned upwards and he really sees nothing but a giant image of the Alien Queen. He can twist and turn the picture and see her from as many different angles as he wants. Michael pushes himself against the giant image of the Alien Queen and begins to speak in a strange language.
- Alien Queen ousa bajo deffi natti poldatos dosta aveviii kuavava rattje ovakos despinere. Alien Queen uta pada maka hosa feta kofa heiiia. Alien Queen hoka ommi noni kvak jasi plersasi
Michael falls silent and his eyes return to normal. Michael is drenched in sweat but he also has to wish that the Alien Queen's soldiers are already there protecting her. Michael also has to decide how big the space should be where the Alien Queen will be. Michael wishes that the chestbusters that explode from the people's stomachs will grow up and become adult Aliens very quickly. They have to eat two people before they start to grow and become adults. Michael wishes the entrance to the underworld is open and the bars are gone.
Michael looks for a scene where the soldiers in the Alien queen's hive are clearly visible and so he makes it a still image. Michael stands as close to the picture as he can. He wants the monsters to look exactly like in the movie.
Michael goes into a deep trance again and starts talking in the strange language again. This time he doesn't talk as much and when he's done Michael feels very tired and wants to go to bed but he takes the movie out of the Blu-Ray player and puts the movie behind some other movies in the bookcase and turns off his TV.
Michael feels that his throat is parched and he drinks two glasses of cold water before going to his bedroom and goes straight to bed and falls asleep in just a few seconds.
The Alien Queen has not yet begun to be created in our world. It will take almost a week for her to become real and start laying her eggs. It will take enormous amounts of energy to make it all real and most of that energy will be taken from Michael. Michael won't feel well for almost a whole week but he doesn't know that. This wish is the most advanced that he has made so far.
2024.06.07 22:53 StoryTaleBooks Baldr's Branch Chapter 1
Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
submitted by StoryTaleBooks to ScienceFictionWriters [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world."Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
2024.06.07 22:51 StoryTaleBooks Baldr's Branch Chapter 1
Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
submitted by StoryTaleBooks to humansarespaceorcs [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world."Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
2024.06.07 22:48 Virtual-Ad5362 INLAWS FROM HELL 19
Moving part 2
So last time I stopped the post mid story. I'm sorry but it was just getting so long. I'd do a recap, but I feel that would be a whole separate post on its own. So I'm just going to pick up right where we left off.
3). Breakfast and Great auntie L
So another thing going on this week is DH' Great Aunt L came into town (she Grandma' sister). I really like L. She's my favorite person in DH'S family. Just super fun to be around. And there's the added bonus that JNSIL never misbehaves around her. I was really glad to see her and it was our last day of our hometown visit.
Now we were meeting everyone for breakfast (L, Grandma, and JNFIL). Remembering that part of what JNSIL was yelling about, was that she wasn't invited to the lunch we previously had with JNFIL and Grandma. So me and DH came to the conclusion that JNSIL valued the invitation to breakfast over sleep. So not wanting a repeat of her earlier tantrum, DH call JNSIL and invited her to breakfast.
JNSIL did end up coming to breakfast and all went well. Like I said earlier JNSIL would never act up in front of L.
We had plans to have a goodbye dinner with JNFIL, Grandma, and L later that evening.
SIDE QUEST
This does come up later
So between all these vists with DHs family, we actually bought our first washer and dryer! The only issue was that our car wasn't big enough to transport them to our new place. JNFIL generously offered us to use his truck. The plan was that we'd take his truck to our new home. Then a week later when they came down for JNSIL's birthday, they'd drive down my car and we'd switch vehicles when we met for that agreed dinner.
So we left my car at JNFIL's house and picked up the truck. DH definitely had to give it a deep clean.
Anyways, Back to the program.
4) Dinner Disaster
Dinner that night went amazing. I actually had fun. We talked about different crystals and jewelry settings. We laughed. I even had an long islands. I only wished it had lasted.
After saying our goodbyes and heading home, some how DH ended up on the phone with Grandma and in the background he heard JNFIL on speaker phone with JNSIL.
JNSIL was going off. She kept screaming how she won't get in (my names') car wgich is in reference to her birthday trip. She goes on to say how she's going to key it and break the windshield. She then calls me a "brother stealing ass hoe".
With concern about my car we end up back at JNFIL's house. (I'm actually OK with going inside his house now. After JNMIL had her strokes, he did a whole lot of cleaning. It may actually be cleaner than Grandma's house now. There's still alot of stuff, but it's such an improvement.) While there trying to come up with a new game plan to keep my car safe, JNSIL calls JNFIL again.
She crying about how horrible I am. She calls me a hypocrite for waking her up earlier after I just asked them not to call us early in the morning. ( which to be fair, I was under the impression it was more important to her to be invited to these family things vs sleep based on her meltdown in the restaurant.) She them said that DH and I only wanted to see them during the birthday trip so we could use the truck (again not true, we already had plans to have dinner plans).
She said she was only acting this way because she saw a man who looked like the guy who rapped her as a kid. Which again I'm so sorry that happened to her. I'd never wish that on anyone . But that doesn't explain her behavior all the other times. It kinda feels like an excuse or trying to make herself the victim in this particular situation. To make her dad feel bad for her. And it worked
So the whole time while she's saying there's horrible things about me, the phone is on speaker. JNFIL is sitting right next to me and says nothing in my defense. I mean I get that she's his daughter and will always be on her side, but that really hurt. He didn't even have the courtesy to take the phone off speaker. He just kept saying "u hu.. oh I know... yeah"
I have never felt so humiliated in my life. So I did the only thing I could think of. It was pretty cowardly of me. I acted drunker than I was and played with the cat. I didn't know what to do. I just didn't want to be there. I think DH and I were there for about an hour before we left. I finally let myself cry in the car.
The next day we moved my car to my parent's house to keep it safe. There is one good thing that came out of this though- on March 16 DH officially went no contact with JNSIL.
It's not a permanent one. It's only for a year. He went NC because he had told her before that if he hears her call me any names again that he would cut contact. I'm actually kinda surprised that he kept his word about that. He typed out a text message explaining exactly why he was going no contact and for how long. In the message he also said that if she didn't apologize for everything she had done then the NC would be permanent. He told her not to contact him unless someone was in the act of dying.
He gave both JNFIL and Grandma a heads up before sending the message. Grandma was opposed it at frist until DH told her how JNSIL called me a hoe. Then even though it hurt her heart she was on bored. JNFIL begged us to wait a week so she could cool down frist. There were 2 problems with that. 1) we new it was best to do it while what happened was fresh in JNSIL's memory. We already waited for a day that we knew she wouldn't have work. 2) that would put DH going no contact with her on her birthday. Not only would that be incredible lyrics mean but she'd be only an hour away from us because of her birthday trip and we didn't want any surprise visits.
In the end DH sent her the message he had planned and waited for the shit storm. Hours later she saw it and went off . She even said that the reason she said those things was so she didn't physically fight me.
Then things went quite after that and it's so nice. I think we're both 1000 times less stress. JNFIL and Grandma did pick up my car from my parents house. They meet us half way to switch switch vehicles in a major city where we all spent the day together and it was so fun.
I think things are looking up. And based on how great everything is going, DH and I were talking and think we may try for kids soon. The time just feels right with the calm our lives have become. I'm excited for the future.
submitted by Virtual-Ad5362 to u/Virtual-Ad5362 [link] [comments]
So last time I stopped the post mid story. I'm sorry but it was just getting so long. I'd do a recap, but I feel that would be a whole separate post on its own. So I'm just going to pick up right where we left off.
3). Breakfast and Great auntie L
So another thing going on this week is DH' Great Aunt L came into town (she Grandma' sister). I really like L. She's my favorite person in DH'S family. Just super fun to be around. And there's the added bonus that JNSIL never misbehaves around her. I was really glad to see her and it was our last day of our hometown visit.
Now we were meeting everyone for breakfast (L, Grandma, and JNFIL). Remembering that part of what JNSIL was yelling about, was that she wasn't invited to the lunch we previously had with JNFIL and Grandma. So me and DH came to the conclusion that JNSIL valued the invitation to breakfast over sleep. So not wanting a repeat of her earlier tantrum, DH call JNSIL and invited her to breakfast.
JNSIL did end up coming to breakfast and all went well. Like I said earlier JNSIL would never act up in front of L.
We had plans to have a goodbye dinner with JNFIL, Grandma, and L later that evening.
SIDE QUEST
This does come up later
So between all these vists with DHs family, we actually bought our first washer and dryer! The only issue was that our car wasn't big enough to transport them to our new place. JNFIL generously offered us to use his truck. The plan was that we'd take his truck to our new home. Then a week later when they came down for JNSIL's birthday, they'd drive down my car and we'd switch vehicles when we met for that agreed dinner.
So we left my car at JNFIL's house and picked up the truck. DH definitely had to give it a deep clean.
Anyways, Back to the program.
4) Dinner Disaster
Dinner that night went amazing. I actually had fun. We talked about different crystals and jewelry settings. We laughed. I even had an long islands. I only wished it had lasted.
After saying our goodbyes and heading home, some how DH ended up on the phone with Grandma and in the background he heard JNFIL on speaker phone with JNSIL.
JNSIL was going off. She kept screaming how she won't get in (my names') car wgich is in reference to her birthday trip. She goes on to say how she's going to key it and break the windshield. She then calls me a "brother stealing ass hoe".
With concern about my car we end up back at JNFIL's house. (I'm actually OK with going inside his house now. After JNMIL had her strokes, he did a whole lot of cleaning. It may actually be cleaner than Grandma's house now. There's still alot of stuff, but it's such an improvement.) While there trying to come up with a new game plan to keep my car safe, JNSIL calls JNFIL again.
She crying about how horrible I am. She calls me a hypocrite for waking her up earlier after I just asked them not to call us early in the morning. ( which to be fair, I was under the impression it was more important to her to be invited to these family things vs sleep based on her meltdown in the restaurant.) She them said that DH and I only wanted to see them during the birthday trip so we could use the truck (again not true, we already had plans to have dinner plans).
She said she was only acting this way because she saw a man who looked like the guy who rapped her as a kid. Which again I'm so sorry that happened to her. I'd never wish that on anyone . But that doesn't explain her behavior all the other times. It kinda feels like an excuse or trying to make herself the victim in this particular situation. To make her dad feel bad for her. And it worked
So the whole time while she's saying there's horrible things about me, the phone is on speaker. JNFIL is sitting right next to me and says nothing in my defense. I mean I get that she's his daughter and will always be on her side, but that really hurt. He didn't even have the courtesy to take the phone off speaker. He just kept saying "u hu.. oh I know... yeah"
I have never felt so humiliated in my life. So I did the only thing I could think of. It was pretty cowardly of me. I acted drunker than I was and played with the cat. I didn't know what to do. I just didn't want to be there. I think DH and I were there for about an hour before we left. I finally let myself cry in the car.
The next day we moved my car to my parent's house to keep it safe. There is one good thing that came out of this though- on March 16 DH officially went no contact with JNSIL.
It's not a permanent one. It's only for a year. He went NC because he had told her before that if he hears her call me any names again that he would cut contact. I'm actually kinda surprised that he kept his word about that. He typed out a text message explaining exactly why he was going no contact and for how long. In the message he also said that if she didn't apologize for everything she had done then the NC would be permanent. He told her not to contact him unless someone was in the act of dying.
He gave both JNFIL and Grandma a heads up before sending the message. Grandma was opposed it at frist until DH told her how JNSIL called me a hoe. Then even though it hurt her heart she was on bored. JNFIL begged us to wait a week so she could cool down frist. There were 2 problems with that. 1) we new it was best to do it while what happened was fresh in JNSIL's memory. We already waited for a day that we knew she wouldn't have work. 2) that would put DH going no contact with her on her birthday. Not only would that be incredible lyrics mean but she'd be only an hour away from us because of her birthday trip and we didn't want any surprise visits.
In the end DH sent her the message he had planned and waited for the shit storm. Hours later she saw it and went off . She even said that the reason she said those things was so she didn't physically fight me.
Then things went quite after that and it's so nice. I think we're both 1000 times less stress. JNFIL and Grandma did pick up my car from my parents house. They meet us half way to switch switch vehicles in a major city where we all spent the day together and it was so fun.
I think things are looking up. And based on how great everything is going, DH and I were talking and think we may try for kids soon. The time just feels right with the calm our lives have become. I'm excited for the future.
2024.06.07 22:47 StoryTaleBooks Baldr's Branch Chapter 1
Chapter 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
submitted by StoryTaleBooks to HFY [link] [comments]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vu_pq-AgvNY
Traveling the country is never an easy task by oneself. Your truck breaks down, you can't get any sleep, you can't charge your phone whenever you want to, but you're free do whatever you want as long as you maintain your budget. Jacob Rissen had arrived at Garden City, Kansas to make some money for his next adventure. He'd been here for a few weeks and would soon be leaving. Whether it was the bright lights of All mart or the fact that he'd been at the register for six hours, Jacob Rissen was beginning to get a painful headache. He lived a mostly stress free life except for when his truck needed fixing. If ever the stress built up or he made enemies he'd say his goodbye's to his friends and leave for the next town. It was a skill he'd gained from his time in the Marine's having to make friends quickly and say goodbye at some time afterwards. He hadn't been a model Marine by any standards and no one looked at him for leadership. Jacob stayed under the radar easily hiding his true self which is where he made his peace. If anyone was to look to him for advice just because he took the job shortly after high school he'd have to question their inferiority complex. After three years of duty he'd been removed due to a 'personality disorder' but knew it was for the best. That had all been two years ago but he had yet to develop past that point in the civilian world."Did you find everything you were looking for?" Jacob asked as the customer finished loading their groceries onto the belt. He only half listened to the customer's answer sure that if there was an actual problem he could fix it. Several plastic bags were quickly filled with the customer's selections. Looking up to see past the customer he saw his boss judging him yet again. Cassie was a skinny girl of twenty three, one year and a few months younger than himself. He knew that she was watching to make sure he was careful with the glassware unaware that even at his speed he tried his best to keep the customer's satisfied. She'd recently changed her disposition to him and would watch him several times during the day surely wondering why he worked so hard. A promotion could be easily obtained but he wasn't interested in something so permanent. Stress wasn't something he planned to have in his life so avoided it as best he could. He switched from job to job every few months so had to work harder than most to keep good job references. In the time it took his boss to charge one customer, Jacob's line was quickly finished leaving him time to rearrange the candy bars and face the soda bottles in the cooler. He had no problem with pushing himself harder than anyone else knowing that he had to make up for the past months he'd been free from a job.
"Logan!" Shrieked Maria, a brown skinned, Central American nineteen year old girl who worked in the clothing department. She was incredibly short so it always surprised him when she clung onto him by surprise. Being a traveler had its advantages which included becoming someone new in every town. His boss and the store managers knew his name was Jacob Rissen but he went by Logan with everyone else. In every town he visited he planned out who he was going to be and how long it would last. It wasn't because he didn't trust them but sometimes he wanted to make a new identity when he entered a new town. Once people got to know him well enough he would usually leave them with a pleasant memory of whoever he was that time instead of the memory of Jacob Rissen never to be seen or heard from again. If anyone tried to look him up on the internet they couldn't find him and if they did they'd get more questions than answers. It was his own middle finger to society, harmless as it was.
"Hey. Where have you been hiding?" Jacob joked, wrapping an arm around Maria. She smiled from ear to ear blushing as she usually did when he played the romantic protagonist. Jacob Rissen was never this confident around women but knew that Maria had a crush on Logan. When no one knows or cares about you when you leave a town it didn't matter who you were in said town. Even if Jacob made a fool of himself he could just hop in his truck and continue down the highway. People would wonder where Logan had gone but would soon forget him afterwards. Even with Maria in his arm, Jacob was deciding on what name to go by when he left.
"We just got a bunch of new clothes in. If someone was to take me out tonight I bet I'd look good." Maria asked in that feminine way of asking a man out without making it a question. Reality struck Jacob like the cupid's poisonous arrow. He was twenty five and had lived a life of pain and misery only to find relief in his divorce. Almost immediately after leaving the Marines his ex-wife had left him for one of his friends. Needless to say he didn't talk to either of them turning to a life of self indulgence and failed relationships. Only recently had he found peace in traveling the country and wasn't ready to give it up. Maria's eyes looked up at him urgently wanting an answer he couldn't give her. Most of the women he dated had left quickly after they both got what they wanted from the other. Maria was an innocent of sorts. This was surely just because she was just a recent high school graduate and he would not take advantage of that.
"I... I really like you." Jacob said as he felt Logan's confidence leaving him. "But, I thought we were just having fun at work." Maria's smile quickly turned downward, opening slightly in disbelief. It was a strange sight he'd never seen in a woman that liked him. Whenever he made his ex-wife sad she'd scream and yell at him. A reaction like this made him immediately regret his decision almost wanting to marry Maria on the spot instead of push her away.
"Yeah, it's all just... fun. I'll see you later. Gotta get back before the boss notices I'm missing." She said shuffling her feet as she walked away. He wanted to follow her and try to change her mind but knew that the man she wanted didn't actually exist. Jacob was back now for better or worse and she'd likely never see Logan again.
"How about a break?" Asked Cassie, his boss, from behind him. He jumped, frightened at her sudden appearance and curious about how much she had heard.
"I should probably just leave her alone for awhile." Jacob said realizing he'd just do more damage than good.
"You mean how you left me alone?" She asked smugly.
"You're my boss. Flirting with you really was just fun." Jacob joked knowing she knew the same. They both smiled at the memory of his interview.
"You gotta remember though. People aren't characters on TV. We have real feelings." She pointed out quickly turning to serious then back to a smile while she lightly pushed him out of the aisle. "Now go take your break heartbreaker." Now on bis break, he made his way out the building into the parking lot as his headache kicked in even harder than before. He had to close his eyes and blink several times as the parking lot switched from concrete to grassy plains in his eyes. Instead of cars he saw trees, instead of roads he saw fields, and instead of people he saw a herd of deer. After a moment it switched back to modern times eluding to the fact that he really wanted to get out of the city. Apparently he wanted it so badly his brain was playing tricks on him. His truck was parked far away from the customer vehicles and he quickly checked himself over in the rearview mirror. His brown hair was lightening up in certain areas thanks to the excessive sunlight it received these days. Even the short hairs on his face had begun to brighten. Like most people he had spent the majority of his time indoors but was beginning to see what the rest of the world missed out on as he traveled. Even his personality was better for it as the natural light kept him at ease. Traveling around taking jobs here and there seemed to be a better fit for him than living just to work at a job he hated. His family described him as a ghost whenever he called them and perhaps they were right in a sense. Jacob only stayed in a place for as long as he wanted and only worked enough to survive for the next few months. One month of work could keep him and his truck going strong for three. Once harvest time came he'd go back to Nebraska and find a farmer to work for. That would give him enough to travel for several more months giving him a long vacation from work. Even if he was in an accident and his truck was destroyed he had enough saved up to buy a similar one. He turned on his phone and connected to the store's wifi. Placing his phone in it's handless holder on the dash he leaned back in his drivers seat only to turn his face at the basket and remember he had to do laundry after work. Jacob sat there for awhile enjoying one of his favorite shows as the ground began to shake. He looked down at his hand to make sure he had only been drinking the soda he just bought before realizing the store was being hit with an earthquake. Glancing out the window he thought he saw something large flying in the sky before jumping out of his truck to run towards the building as quickly as he could.
"Calm down everyone! No pushing!" He shouted as he helped the people out of the building as the ground continued to violently shake.
"You calm down. What's wrong with you?" Asked a nearby elderly man. He looked around and saw that even though the ground was shaking he wasn't needed. Everyone continued to shop as if nothing was happening.
"It's an earthquake!" Jacob urged hoping for some sort of answer. If he was the only one feeling the ground shake he'd have to go to the hospital. He had enough money to pay for his life but not enough if he was dying of a stroke.
"It's just an earthquake." The elderly man said scornfully before noticing the concerned look on Jacob's face. "Probably not safe to be shopping right now but we're used to it."
"Sorry. I just came to town." Jacob lied. He'd been in town for a few weeks but hadn't felt an earthquake for at least few years.
"That explains it. It hasn't happened for awhile now but about a month ago it was earthquake after earthquake. The news says it isn't a problem but I blame those frackers." The man said before leaving Jacob to feel like an idiot. Even if the town was used to earthquakes he should have noticed something earlier. He'd been hopping around nearby from town to town before reaching Garden City and hadn't even felt shockwaves. Realizing that the customer's were all looking at him funny he looked at his watch and returned to his truck to get his phone. For the next few hours he accepted his coworkers jokes. Cassie, his boss, was sure to come by every half hour to joke with him.
"The ceiling is falling!" She said in a squeaky voice low enough for none of the customers to take her seriously.
"I can help you over here." Jacob said with a smile to a nearby customer looking for a register. Although he had made a fool of himself he smiled back at Cassie as she made her jokes. It was better than being ignored by his boss altogether but wondered if he should write her down as a reference for his next job.
"Did you-" Jacob began as he looked up at the customer. For a moment it looked like the man's ears were pointed outwards before returning to normal ears. Realizing it was fairly rude to stare at a larger man much stronger than himself he simply started loading his groceries into the bags.
"That explains it Maria. Logan likes men. He is an attractive man, good luck." Cassie joked one last time before returning to her post. At the very least he had made the day easier for his coworkers and should be happy about that.
"Sorry about her-" Jacob began before bracing himself against his register. From the electronics department came a loud and forceful explosion shooting a piercing soundwave towards the registers. Almost instantly the headache he'd been fighting all day disappeared as the force of the blast knocked something loose in his brain. Down towards the electronic's department grew a giant tree branch big enough to build a small house inside of. Reality had a hard time reaching him as he stood there wondering what had happened. All around him were faces mirroring his own stunned look. Customers and employees alike stood like statues trying to grasp what had happened. How did a tree suddenly appear in the middle of the store? How was it still growing through the foundation? The tree branch from the electronics department quickly grew and became large enough for people to rest inside.
"Is that a tree branch?" His customer said before falling to the ground.
"Sir!" Jacob shouted as he regained his movement. He left his register quickly to help the man to his feet before seeing the arrow that had struck the man in the chest.
"What is... this?" He choked out, spilling blood from his mouth onto the white tile floor. Jacob was quick to leave the man's side as the customer's began to shout in panic. Civilian triage and military triage differed in certain places but were also alot alike. In the civilian world if someone looks dead you run to them. In the military world if someone looks dead you help someone else. Just because the man was talking didn't mean he wasn't dead. Treat the casualty, prevent further casualties, complete the mission. Jacob couldn't treat the causalty so had to move on to the next. Step two was critical to step three and if the man couldn't fight he couldn't complete the mission. Using his register he smashed the nearby soda cooler, wrapped a cleaning rag around the largest glass shard and held it like a weapon. It was the fourth luckiest he'd ever been as he looked up just in time to avoid a whizzing arrow. Dodging a bullet was one thing, but dodging an arrow was what really made time feel slower. When people say time slows down in a bullet fight they're wrong. Time speeds up even faster only slowing down when you're about to make a mistake but not fast enough to do anything about it. In order to keep from slowing down he made sure not to look back at the arrow and only forward at his goal. The archer who had tried to kill him was unseen as he hid behind a band of sword wielding warriors running down the aisles. Jacob couldn't take them all on with just a glass shard so took the route through the clothing department.
"Logan! What's going on!?" Maria screamed as she clung to him again. Jacob almost stabbed her as she surprised him but quickly tried to calm her down.
"We're under attack. I don't know why their using swords and arrows. Is anyone else nearby?"
"They killed them all!" She shouted again soaking his work uniform with red stained tears.
"Lept Ka!" Shouted a warrior thrusting his sword through the clothing rack. Jacob was quick to push Maria off of him as he grabbed his attackers hand through the rack and forced himself through, glass shard first. The rack had knocked over on top of his attacker but from the blood on the glass he knew they had to take this chance to run. If Maria was correct he would be of more use at the entrance to the store than the back.
"RRAAAAG!" Came a roar from behind them as they ran. Turning to look at the sound he saw the clothing department being burned down by none other than a green dragon. He knew it wasn't possible and that it must just be some kind of weapon but didn't think past it as he clutched Maria's hand in their sprint. Just as they reached the jewelry department the ground underneith him turned red showing some strange rune made of light. His feet immediately lost their balance as if being controlled by the strange looking glyph on the floor.
"Ir apo." Said a female's voice nearby. Before he could get up the voice's owner thrust a large expensive looking staff to his chest. The end piece didn't pierce him but rested on him instead.
"Ir mi." She said again with just enough emotion in her face to almost look sad. The end piece of the staff began to glow and heat up burning a hole in his shirt. The smell of burning fabric filled his nostrils as the cheap company shirt burned. Before she could do worse he pushed the staff away burning his hand. Although his hand was badly burned he forced both of them around the enemy's throat taking in her face as the life faded. He looked her over as she went unconscious, wondering why she decided to wear fake elf ears into battle. Part of him wanted to keep his hands there and continue his blood choke until she died but he had to get Maria out of the store. It didn't help that the strange woman's tears had found their way onto his hands. Confident that she would be out for a few moments he grabbed Maria's hand again and the two continued to run towards the registers.
"Jacob!" Cassie shouted from a nearby register she had apparently been hiding behind.
"Come on!" He said grabbing her with his other hand and pulling her from her safe space. The bodies of the customers were concentrated the most at the entrance of the store. Many of the dead had been killed from arrows rather than swords and one from a large perfectly circlular hole in the chest from what could have only been an energy weapon.
A nearby warrior pointed at them with a sword and yelled out a battlecry. There was a familiar 'bang' to his right as he watched the warrior fall dead. Apparently Cassie kept a pistol at her station and continued to fire wildly at the warrior's direction as the three of them escaped out the doors of the store. As unsafe as some may believe, he was glad to have her armed, shooting behind them as they went.
"Put down the weapon!" Said a police officer taking cover behind his patrol car. Cassie was quick to throw the weapon as the trio ran past more and more bodies of civilans and enemies alike. They quickly made their way out of the range of fire as more and more police cars gathered in the parking lot looking more like a mass grave. They didn't stop running until they reached Logan's truck.
"Hold it!" Shouted a nearby officer before he could get them in his truck and escape.
"We need to g-" Logan began before his voice disappeared behind the loud rifles the officers began to fire. The four used the truck as cover careful to watch the massacre that was occuring. The enemy didn't seem to know fear as they ran towards the barricade. As more and more police joined the battle the bullets easily pierced the enemy. More and more warriors emerged from the doors but were quickly killed from gunfire.
"RRRAAAGGHH!" Shouted the building as the ceiling was torn apart by the dragon-like weapon they had brought with them. Fire sprayed from it's mouth, igniting several of the parked cars. Explosion after explosion were seen as the police took cover and contionued to fire at the dragons. The rounds found their way through the dragons thick armor and it wasn't long before all the headshots took their toll. The dragon fell quickly to the concrete, dead. It was unbelievable how soon the battle had ended. So many civilians had been killed as they ran but one police department was enough to stop the enemy's advance. If it had happened a few hours later there wouldn't be half as many casualties.
2024.06.07 22:43 Trash_Tia Every graduation day, my friends and I were brutally murdered by a woman in a black suit.
Ten minutes into graduation, my friends were already dead.
Ten elephants.
I was soaking wet, my dress glued to me.
Nine elephants.
Forcing myself into a run, I tripped over my heels.
Eight elephants.
Fuck.
Seven elephants.
There was no point in counting, but counting felt normal.
Six elephants.
Counting felt like I was going to escape.
Five elephants.
Survive.
Noah’s blood painted my face.
He still felt alive, warm, swimming in my vision. I could still see cruel silver being plunged into his chest, rivulets of red pooling down his lips and chin.
Four elephants.
Noah told me to run, so here I was…
Three elephants.
Running.
Forcing myself to breathe, I swiped blood from my eyes.
Two elephants.
Twisting around, I scanned the empty school hallway for movement.
One elephant.
Annalise’s brains dripped down my face.
I was picking pieces of her skull from my hair, tiny pearly splinters stuck to me.
Annalise was sucked down the pool drain, her body mincemeat on my dress.
Her grisly remains were floating on the surface, painting illuminated water in a striking, almost breathtaking red.
Noah was sliced apart right in front of me.
They were dead.
Slamming my fists into each classroom, my shriek caught between my teeth.
Help me.
The lights were off, which meant she was close.
Reaching the end of the hallway, I could hear laughter and familiar whoops coming from the auditorium.
The class of 2015 were graduating and I was going to fucking die.
The main entrance was locked, barricaded from the outside.
Taking two steps back, I slipped out of my heels, kicking them off.
The classroom at the end of the hall was open, spilling warm light that coaxed me forward, hypnotised by the illusion of safety. With no choice, I staggered toward it and pushed the door open.
Stepping directly into warm entrails squelching between my bare toes, I had to bite back a cry. Mari hung upside down above me, her body swaying back and forth, strung up like meat to the slaughter. The girl had been gutted straight through her designer Diana mini, her glistening remains sparkling under unearthly light. Mari’s eyes were still open, lips parted as if to warn me.
For a dizzying moment, I was paralysed.
A door banged shut, running footsteps, heavy panting breaths.
“Fuck!” a familiar accent cried out.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
I could hear him slamming his hands into classroom doors.
“I need… I need help!”
The voice should have been comforting, but I was already seeing an opportunity to hide myself.
Swallowing barf, I leapt over glistening red entrails and dropped onto my hands and knees, crawling under a desk, gagging my own panting breaths.
The door swung open, and I buried my head in my arms, risking a peek.
Isaac Redfield stumbled through the door, immediately falling to his knees, his head buried between his legs.
He was sobbing, choking on breaths suffocating him. Issac looked helpless, hopeless, before his gaze caught mine.
I thought Isaac was dead.
The last time I saw him, he was being violently dragged into the janitor's closet. I could see where he'd narrowly missed being butchered, a gaping hole ripped straight through his suit jacket.
He was covered in the remnants of Noah, grisly scarlet turning him into more of a canvas than human, thick brown hair hanging in wide, almost unseeing eyes barely penetrating mine.
Isaac pressed a finger to his lips, his voice bleeding into a shaky breath.
”Don't… say… a… fucking word”.
The door opened, two familiar boots stomping through.
Issac twisted around, forcing himself to unsteady feet.
I could only see her slick black shoes.
The woman pivoted on her heel and started towards Isaac.
“Ahh, fuck,” his hiss broke out into a sob.
I watched him do a little dance backward in an attempt to distance himself. But he was just backing into a corner, staggering over himself.
His hand shot out, blindly grasping for a weapon, a chair leg, but her boots continued, stomping towards him.
Isaac tried to throw himself past her, but she was so fast, reaching out and grabbing the boy by his neck, her fingers pulverising. His arms flew up to peel her hands from his throat, but she was choking him. When Issac’s arms went limp, she slammed him into the window, and my body coaxed me to move, to run. Isaac was half conscious, spluttering blood, his head hanging.
Run.
But I couldn't.
I watched, my hand suffocating my screams, as she lifted him into the air, his feet dangling, his breaths coming out in choking pants. I saw the silver glint of her knife, and then the streak of scarlet painting the wall behind him.
I heard the exact moment the blade went in.
Isaac’s panting breaths became wet gurgles, his dangling legs going limp.
The slow stemming puddle of red accumulating across marble snapped something in my mind. I forgot how to run, to move my legs, to even breathe.
When Isaac’s body hit the ground with a meaty smack, I shuffled back, but the scarlet pool followed me running wet and warm under my fingers. I could see where his throat had been slashed open.
Isaac’s head was turned at an angle, his dead eyes staring directly at me.
I was trying to feel for a pulse when the desk I was hiding under was kicked aside. There she was when I dared lift my head. The woman in the black suit.
She resembled a shadow with a human face, dark blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, brandishing a pinstripe suit.
I watched her brutally murder my friends, one by one, no mercy, no I'm sorry, or even an explanation.
She butchered Annalise in the swimming pool, gutting Noah and Mari, and now Isaac.
Her expression was vacant. There was no motivation behind her killing them.
If there was, she would have worn the face of a psychotic serial killer, thirsty to spill blood.
She would have laughed as they ran, revelled in their fear and the startling inevitably of their own demise.
But she didn't.
Instead, the woman in the black suit stalked after them. She never stopped, never faltered, until they were all dead.
Until their breaths were thinning, their blood staining her hands.
The woman did not smile when she wrapped her hands around the curve of my neck and slammed me against the wall.
I saw stars going supernova, trying to suck in oxygen, her relentless grip tightening.
Black spots speckled my vision, and I was half aware of the ice-cold prick of silver sinking into my flesh. She was slow. Slow enough for me to count each of my lingering breaths, watching my own blood soak the front of my dress.
When she dropped me, I landed on my stomach. But there was no pain.
It felt like dreaming, choking on words that wouldn't come out.
Weird, I thought, my eyes flickering.
I counted ceiling tiles, dizzily, a slow spreading darkness pricking at the corners of my vision.
Last time, Isaac died first in the swimming pool.
Noah managed to stab the bitch in the back, only for her to chase him to the main entrance, gutting him on the spot.
The woman in the black suit loomed over me, while I focused on breathing.
Only for her to deliver one last fuck you blow to my head.
My vision contorted, and I sunk into the ground.
Straight into oblivion.
That spat me back out.
“Bonnie!”
I was numb to my mother’s voice.
I used to wake up screaming, my hands around my throat clawing for wounds that were no longer there.
Now I was somewhere between acceptance and losing my fucking mind.
For a while, I didn't move, lying on my back and considering suicide.
I never had the guts to actually go through with it though.
Being murdered is one thing, but actually doing it yourself is another.
“Bonnie!” Mom’s voice was louder, and I mocked her words.
“Get up! Sweetie, I made your favorite! Chocolate chip pancakes!”
I paused, counting elephants.
I had mastered the ability to perfectly mimic her tone.
“And don't forget to thank Mrs Benson for that beautiful dress! You know she really wants you to attend graduation!”
Mom was right. I couldn't afford a decent dress, so my teacher offered.
But after being hacked apart, drowned, bisected, choked, and having my throat slit in different variations, I can't say I was thrilled to wear it. The dress was ruined every time, reduced to tatters clinging to me.
Rolling over in bed, I pulled my phone from my nightstand.
Always the exact same notification illuminating my home screen.
GRADUATION DAY!! :)”
I fucking hated that notification.
Unknown number flashed up on screen.
“Hello?” I mumbled.
“How'd you die this time?”
Isaac Redfield's voice was muffled slightly. I think he was brushing his teeth.
“My throat was slit,” I said. “You?”
“You should know,” I heard him spit. “I mean, you did watch me fucking die.”
“That wasn't my choice.”
He spat again. “Does the woman in the black suit seem….familiar to you?”
I wasn't sure if he was screwing with me.
“Yes.” I said, dryly.
“No, not like that,” Isaac groaned. “I mean, don't you, like, recognise her? I swear I've seen this woman before.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I revelled in the slow passage of time.
7am to 8am was my favourite part of the day. I used to freak out, trying to leave town and find the best hiding place. Now, I just lay down and vibed.
There was something both terrifying and yet weirdly peaceful about knowing whatever happened, I was going to die.
“Dude, I've definitely seen her.”
I rolled onto my face. “Is that before she started brutally killing you in a never ending groundhog day, or after?”
Isaac paused, and I buried my head into my pillow. “Um, both?”
“Both?”
He was either going crazy or onto something.
I wasn't counting on the latter.
Isssc’s deaths were the most brutal. I wouldn't be surprised if the trauma had knocked something loose in his brain.
“Yeah.” his laugh was nervous, more of a splutter. Throughout our situationship, I had come to know his laughs well.
I knew his fake laugh, his trying not to cry laugh, his trying not to laugh laugh. I even knew his I’m losing my fucking mind, I'm going to die laugh.
But I didn't know his real laugh.
“Does that sound crazy, or…?”
Instead of answering him, I ended the call.
At breakfast, I could still taste my own blood.
Mom hovered over me, blonde streaks of hair hanging in her face.
Dressed in her fluffy pink bathrobe, my mother should have been a comfort.
However, I was yet to forget the seventh loop when I broke apart and told her about what was happening.
Mom immediately called the doctor, convinced I was having a psychotic break.
He said there was nothing wrong with me and let me go to school.
Where I was murdered.
Again.
That time, she didn't kill us individually, instead forcing us on to our knees and bleeding us out, one by one. I think I became desensitised to death, to everything, when I was forced to watch Mari choke on her own screams, her head forced forwards, a blade brutally protruding through her.
*Don't forget to thank Mrs Benson for the dress, honey,” Mom said, refilling my juice.
I nodded, struggling to swallow pancake mush.
A sudden knock on the door woke me up.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
For a moment, I was frozen, my hands squeezing around my glass, before a familiar head of brown curls appeared.
Isaac Redfield, barely awake, still in his pyjamas.
Following suit, Mari Cliffe and Annalise Chatham.
Isaac went directly into the refrigerator hunting for food. Annalise took an uncertain seat at the table, and Mari stood with her arms folded, her wide, frenzied eyes drinking in my kitchen.
Isaac Redfield was the British exchange student who nobody could understand at first, his accent rocketing him up the high school hierarchy. The guy was also known for dealing candy, and getting into unnecessary arguments with teachers. Alongside Isaac, Mari Cliffe, captain of the girl’s soccer team, and Annalise Chatham, our school’s version of horse girl, were unlikely friends.
They used to be strangers, kids I’d pass in the hallway.
After being brutally killed together in a never ending graduation day cycle, we had become surprisingly close.
When we were hiding in the janitor's closet, Isaac spilled to us that he hated the idea of college.
He wanted to travel the world.
Mari was crushing on one of her teammates.
Annalise actually hated horses.
Isaac was secretly scared of Bill Nye.
I had a thing for clowns I wasn't going to go into.
It started as a confessions thing, four strangers pouring our hearts out to each other.
We shared theories.
Isssc was convinced we were actually dead, and this was hell.
Mari suggested we were in some kind of prank show.
I voiced my theory, which was, yeah, we were dead. I was sure we had died on graduation day, and this was fate’s way of giving us companions in the great beyond. Still though, I wasn't sure why fate wanted us to be brutally killed.
Then, there was the mystery of our killer.
The woman in the black suit, our own personal angel of death.
“Morning,” Isaac greeted me with a sleepy smile, running his hands through his hair. He ignored my Mom’s wide eyes. “Thanks for leaving me to die.”
I thought back to him crouched in front of me, his face splattered in Noah, index pressed to his lips. Don't move.
“You told me not to move.” I said through a mouthful of pancakes.
Issac’s lips curled. “Yeah, because I was expecting you to move your ass.”
The boy helped himself to my pancakes, shovelling them down with maple syrup.
I wasn't used to the others actually coming to my house. That never happened. We either met up at school, or were killed before we even saw each other. I knew Isaac was secretly pissed.
It wasn't the first time I had thrown him under the bus. Still, I was yet to forget him ‘accidentally’ drowning me nine graduation days ago.
He said it was an accident, but I definitely felt him shove my head under the water so he could make a run for it.
“There wasn't enough room under the desk,” I told him pointedly, gesturing to my mother, who I think was still trying to register three strangers walking into her kitchen unannounced. Mom had been vocal about me finding friends since freshman year, but I don't think she was expecting these friends.
Mari was well known around town, our girl’s soccer team dominating the local gazette.
Annalise’s father was the principal of our school. She was also the 2014 pageant winner.
Isaac was more infamous, especially for his ‘candy’.
“What?” Isaac shrugged, shooting my Mom a grin. “It's not like she's going to remember me, anyway.” he offered her a two fingered salute, “Sup, Mrs Haverford.”
To prove his point, Isaac straightened up, grabbed my phone, and threw it in the microwave.
Mari chucked a banana at his head.
“We get it.” she said with an eye roll.
“You don't need to resort to blowing things up every single time.”
Isaac responded with stubborn British noises, but she was right.
On our third graduation day, Isaac thought we could kill the woman in the black suit by blowing her up with science equipment.
Instead, he blew himself up, leaving the rest of us to her mercy.
Mom seemed to snap out of it, her smile broadening.
“Oh! You didn't tell me you were bringing friends over!” Mom immediately entered mother mode.
“Do you kids want breakfast?” she asked them, her voice high, almost shrill.
Narrowly avoiding my mother pulling out baby pictures, I coaxed her out of the kitchen. The last thing she said, before I shut the door on her face, was, “Don't forget to thank Mrs Benson for the–”
When we were alone, Mari took centre stage, hoisting herself onto the counter.
The girl was a natural leader, so of course she was our spokesperson.
Mari absently ran her hands through strawberry blonde hair.
“We tried your idea,” she nodded to a sick looking Annalise. “We tried running, and that crazy bitch still got us.”
Annalise wrapped her arms around herself, avoiding Mari’s gaze. “It was a suggestion. I didn't think she was that fast.”
“I still think she's a sleeper agent,” Isaac muttered into his glass of juice.
Mari raised a brow. “Okay, but why would a sleeper agent go after five random high school students?”
He shrugged, his lips curving into a smile.
“Maybe it was an order.”
He dragged out the latter word, so it sounded more like, “Ordahhhhhhhh.”
“But who made the order?” Annalise spoke up.
I nodded. “The government, or the shadow government don't go after high school kids.”
Isaac leaned forward, comfortably resting his chin on his fist. “Soo, what do we do now? If we can't beat whatever this thing is, what do we do?”
Die.
That is what we did.
For ten consecutive graduation days.
I woke up. I ate breakfast (pancakes and orange juice), I went to school, and I was murdered.
I was hacked apart, burned alive, drowned, impaled, and beheaded.
And nothing worked.
Our plans to run failed.
We tried to get to the roof, but she was always there waiting for us.
The latest loop, I was actually hopeful.
Isssc’s plan to lure her to the downstairs gym was going well, and it was the first time I'd survived past 3pm.
It was an adrenaline rush. 3pm had never looked so fucking beautiful.
The plan was simple.
Annalise, Mari and me standing in plain sight the whole time, and Isaac luring our killer to the downstairs gym.
When I got the confirmation text that Issac had trapped the woman in the closet, the three of us continued our plan, which was to set off the fire alarm, and alert the police of the intruder.
Informing the police was impossible initially, because she was always one thousand steps ahead of the five of us.
But Isaac had captured her.
We were in the clear.
That's what I thought.
When we pushed through the doors into the gym, however, Isaac’s cry froze me in place.
“It's a–”
His voice collapsed into panicked muffle screaming.
I took two steps, before I saw his figure running towards me.
Behind him, the woman in the black suit.
Another stumbled step, and he was being dragged back, a hand over his mouth. I didn't think our killer had enough intelligence to turn our own plan back on us, transforming Isaac into a lure for us.
I could see the apology in his frenzied eyes before she sliced her knife through his skull. I didn't even get a chance to mourn him. Isssc flopped onto the ground, rivulets of red pooling down his face. For a second, I was transfixed, hypnotised, by what she had done to him. The back of his head spewed blood like a geyser, a gaping hole splitting the back of his skull open.
I couldn't move, already wanting to surrender.
I shuffled back on my hands, already screaming, wailing like an animal.
10.
I counted elephants, just like my mother told me.
9.
My gaze was glued to Isaac, whose body was still twitching.
8.
His glassy eyes, scarlet trails running down his face.
7.
The woman was fast, waiting for me to try and run.
6.
5
4.
“Keep counting elephants.”
Mari’s scream rattled in my ears.
I remember ice cold arms wrapping around my waist, the sensation of something sharp. I didn't feel the pain, only wet warmth running down my face. It felt like rain. Annalise’s crying was enough of an anchor, but my vision was already going foggy. I wasn't sure where the fatal wound was, though I guessed it was my head, just like Isaac.
The woman in the black suit floated in front of me like a spectre.
Once again, her fingers wrapped around my neck, swinging me like a toy.
“Bonnie!”
I was aware of Mari’s thundering footsteps coming toward me.
Suddenly, pain.
Pain like I had never felt, pain that puppeteered my body, wrenching my head back, my lips forming an O.
Part of me could still feel it, the blade digging deep into my skull.
She twisted it, and I screeched, my mouth full of pancake mush.
Again, this time clockwise, and I felt my body go numb, my head hanging.
I could hear the sound of my skull splintering apart.
The woman in the black suit didn't just want to kill us.
She wanted to make us fucking suffer.
Reality contorted, and I was back in bed at home, screeching into my pillows before my body could hit the gym floor.
I think that was when I started to lose my mind.
I began to distance myself from the others, like we were strangers again.
The woman in the black suit hunted me down to the girls bathroom where I was hiding, drowning me in the toilet bowl.
Then, she came straight into my house when I refused to go to school, suffocating me with my stuffed rabbit.
Luckily, Isaac and Mari forced their way in.
Isaac was stabbed in the stomach, and Mari, impaled by a fucking hairbrush.
I had no idea you could be impaled by a hairbrush.
Isaac’s lifeless body dropped onto mine.
His expression almost made me laugh, like he was mid eyeroll.
Hysteria crept up my throat, days, months, years, centuries, of the same fucking day finally catching up to me.
I was shrieking with laughter when I was bludgeoned straight through the mouth.
“Bonnie!”
7am.
This time, I rolled onto my side, spewing up the taste of blood.
"Get up! I made your favorite! Chocolate chip pancakes… “
Mom’s voice felt and sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Swiping stale barf from my chin, I took one look at my graduation dress and burst out laughing. Then I tore the thing to shreds, stuffing the tattered remains in my bedroom drawer.
Mom appeared when she wasn't supposed to, hovering in my doorway.
In her hands was a laundry basket, but looking inside, it was filled with flour and eggs.
Mom’s smile was wide. I wondered if she was having a mental breakdown.
“Bonnie, did you remember to say thank you to Mrs Benson–”
I cut her off, swallowing a shriek. “For the dress,” I said. “Yep. I’m going to.”
That day, I stepped into school wearing a curtain and crocks.
“That's not a good idea,” Isaac stood behind me, wearing his usual tux.
His smile was weak. I think he'd stopped with the fake optimism.
Now, I was seeing the real him.
Real Isaac was kind of an asshole, but real subtle about it.
“Do you really want to die wearing a curtain? How are you going to run?”
I glimpsed a knife stuck in his belt. “Are you planning on being the hero?”
“Nope.” he shot me a sickly smile. “It's to defend myself.”
Four hours later, the two of us were sprinting down the hallway.
I wielded Isaac’s knife, Isaac stumbling with a head injury I didn't dare look at.
Issac narrowly missed drowning, managing to claw his way out of the pool. I didn't see him hit his head on the side when our killer threw herself on top of him, but I did hear the sickening crack of his face hitting stone tiles, all of the breath being violently knocked from his lungs in a strangled, “Oomph!”
She tried to drag him into the water, only for him to kick her in the face.
Mari was dead, half of her torso in the swimming pool.
Annalise was hiding, but I didn't have hope for her.
“You said we might be able to drown her!” Isaac, soaking wet and pissed, tried each classroom door, with all of them being locked as usual. He twisted around to me, his lips set in a silent cry.
His head was bleeding, bad, a scary looking gash in his forehead.
I was watching a single thick rivulet running down his face when he shoved me.
“Why did you push me into the pool?”
It was payback.
For him drowning me 176 Graduation days earlier.
“You falling into the pool was a distraction.” was all I could choke out.
He didn't believe me. I could tell by his eyes, twitching lips trying not to smile.
“You have a really bad head injury,” I whispered, tugging him into a power walk.
I realized the guy had some serious confusion when Issac laughed.
“I know,” he slurred, “I feel kinda…dizzy.”
I thought he was going to burst out laughing again, when familiar stomping boots brought us both to a sobering halt.
Issac slammed his hand over his mouth, his eyes widening. He slowly moved the two of us back, his clammy fingers entangling with mine. “Fuck,” he muffle whispered. “Did she hear us?”
When the booted footsteps got louder, we had our answer.
Pushing Isaac into the next open classroom, I catapulted myself into a sprint, cold hands suddenly gripping my shoulders and tugging me backwards.
“Shhh. It's me.”
Noah Locke.
He distanced himself after being sliced apart right in front of us. Noah was the quiet kid, a short and stocky boy with reddish hair and glasses. I wanted to ask where the hell he'd been, when I glimpsed the kitchen knife in his fist.
Noah’s smile was sickly. “Do you trust me?”
He pulled us into a classroom, quietly shutting the door behind him.
Isaac’s cries followed us, and I resisted covering my ears.
“I'm sorry,” Noah said, before slitting my throat.
This time, it was fast.
I fell.
Down.
Down.
Down.
I waited for Mom’s voice to wake me up, but when consciousness did come over me, I wasn't in bed. I had zero idea where I was, only the sensation that I was floating. Opening my eyes, I was inside a glass tank, suffocating in a thick goo-like substance, my hair spread out around me in a halo.
When I panicked, my body jerking awake, warm hands wrapped around me, pulling me out.
I hit open air, my lungs expanding, and I hacked up blood streaked water.
Noah helped me sit, the two of us leaning against my tank.
He was soaking wet, his skin glistening with that foul smelling solution.
I took a second to drink in my surroundings.
A large room filled with human-sized tanks.
Reaching to the back of my neck, I gingerly prodded at what felt like an incision. I stood up slowly, my gaze already finding the tank next to mine.
Mari.
The girl was suspended in water, her eyes closed, lips parted peacefully.
“They tried to escape a while ago,” Noah murmured, his gaze glued to another tank.
Isaac.
His cheeks were a sickly pallid colour, eyes closed. There was something attached to the back of his head.
“But they're in the school,” I managed to get out. “I was just with Isaac!”
“You were with a null version of Isaac,” Noah didn't look at me. “The one who kept leading you to your death, even if it seemed accidental. He was playing you.” he buried his head in his knees.
“The real Isaac figured this wasn't real a long time ago.”
“Real Isaac?”
“Yeah. The one you've been with is more of a copy of him,” Noah sighed, leaning his head against Mari’s tank.
He spat out slime, adjusting his glasses.
“Think of him more as a shell, empty of his mind. This Isaac follows orders like an NPC. He had the guy’s memories and traits, but he was just a program.”
Too much information at once.
“I don't understand.”
Noah tipped his back, groaning. “You don't need to.”
He got to his feet. His eyes were dark, hollowed out caverns I couldn't recognise. “I'm sorry,” Noah said again, wrapping his hands around my neck and pinning me into one of the tanks.
Just like the woman in the black suit, Noah pressed enough pressure for me to suffer.
When he slammed my head against the tank, I felt my body shut down.
I could still feel him, his fingers squeezing the life out of me.
Darkness came soon after.
Swirling oblivion that swallowed me up, and then spat me out.
This time, I spluttered awake, cuffed to a bed inside a white room.
Surrounding me were fifteen gurney like beds.
“I don't know how deep we are,” Noah’s voice startled me.
The boy stood over me, this time dressed in shorts and t-shirt.
“What?” I tried to jump up, but I was strapped down.
“Miss Benson.” his voice broke. “She didn't want us to graduate, so she put us under.” he swiped at his eyes, gulping down sobs. Noah slumped down onto my bed. “I thought I could wake us up by killing ourselves instead, but we’re stuck.” I noticed the scalpel in his hand.
“The last thing Isaac told me was that we had to get back to the surface.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “But I don't know how deep this thing goes.”
Tugging against the velcro straps pinning me down, I held my breath.
“Deep?”
“Yeah.” he spluttered. “We’re pretty far under.”
With a heavy breath, he drew the blade across his own throat with just enough precision to keep himself breathing.
Deep red spotted the blanket, and the boy broke down.
“I can't wake us up,” Isaac whispered, grabbing a pillow and pinning me to the bed. I tried to shove him off of me, but he put all of weight onto me, laughing.
“Do you hear me, Isaac?” His hysterical cry followed me into the dark.
“I can't fucking wake us up!”
Death didn't feel like death at this point.
Like drowning, and then finding the surface.
Only to be pulled back into suffocating depths.
Plunging through nothing, empty space with no bottom, no surface.
Endless nothing that expanded, continuing.
Noah’s sobs collapsed into white noise and I felt my writhing limbs go still.
Once again, I waited for my Mom’s voice.
For Graduation Day.
Instead, I awoke with a shriek, strapped to a chair, my hands bound to Noah’s.
“I'm sorry for suffocating you with a pillow.”
He didn't sound apologetic.
This time, we were inside a glass building.
Above us, the sky was pitch dark.
“Where are we?”
“I have no idea,” Noah muttered. “I've never been this far.”
My gaze followed an odd looking bird through the skylight. “Meaning?”
“Meaning, she always takes me back to the start,” he said. “Graduation Day.”
Noah got free easily, tearing himself from his restraints.
The knots around my wrists were impossible. “So, you've been here before?”
“No.” he stumbled. “Isaac has.”
The boy dropped onto his hands and knees, picking up a single shard of glass.
“Isaac said he found a room with a skylight,” Noah murmured, sliding the point between his fingers. His gaze found the ceiling. “Then he went deeper, and his consciousness never came back to us. Mrs Benson sent a mindless fucking copy in his place.”
He got to his feet, the shard clenched in his fist.
“So, if I'm right… Isaac woke up, and Mrs Benson must have restrained the real him.” Noah stepped in front of me.
“And… like Isaac, we will wake up…” His frenzied eyes found mine. “Right?”
I wasn't thrilled with the idea of dying again, but anything to wake myself up.
“Do it.”
He nodded, and I felt the prick of the blade spike my skin.
“Wait.”
Noah stepped back, cocking his head. “What?”
“Why would Mrs Benson do this?” I demanded. “She didn't want us to graduate school, so she did all of this?”
Noah shrugged, playing with the shard between his fingers. “Why else would she do this?”
He pressed the shard into my neck.
“Wait.” I hissed out.
Noah’s frown was patient. “What now?”
“What if this is the real world?” I whispered. “We’ll be killing ourselves. For real.”
Noah’s lips pricked slightly. “Does this world look real to you?”
Before I could reply, he slashed my throat open.
I waited for the reset.
For the sensation of blankets wrapped around my head, and my mother’s voice.
Instead, my body was stiff, my eyes glued shut.
“Bonnie Haverford?” the voice was a low murmur. “Honey, can you hear me?”
There was something stuck in my arm, a sharp, cruel thing pinning me down.
“I did say she was awake, but nobody believed me.”
The British accent was almost a fucking melody.
Prying my eyes open, a figure was looming over me. It was a woman with a kind face, her expression soothing.
A paramedic.
I couldn't make out what the tag on her uniform said, though.
Around me, I could see my classmates wrapped in blankets being escorted to the door. There were fifteen or so futuristic looking pods, and I was lying in one, a plastic mask suffocating my mouth. Isaac stood next to the paramedic, a wary smile on his mouth.
The guy had a scary bandage wrapped around his head.
“Bonnie, right?”
This version of him didn't remember getting to know me.
Isaac pulled me to a sitting position, ignoring the paramedic’s sharp hiss of, “Please leave her where she is!”
A man dressed in white tried to throw a blanket around him, and he shrugged it off.
“I'm fine,” Issac muttered, gingerly prodding his head wound. “I won't be if you keep asking if I'm okay. Jeez.”
Ignoring the adults, he wandered over to the pod in front of me and pulled a half conscious Noah to unsteady feet.
Noah staggered, half lidded eyes finding mine. His smile was sickly.
It worked.
The two of them hugged, Isaac burying his head in the crook of the boy’s shoulder.
I wanted to talk to Noah, but the paramedic seemed pretty insistent that I stayed still so she could check me over.
I was barely aware of my surroundings when I was crawling into the back of an ambulance.
Reality felt wrong, like I was still stuck, still reliving the same day over and over.
But my town was real.
I dazedly watched traffic flying by, the sky darkening.
Time was moving forward again.
The world resumed, and graduation day had been and gone.
14 days to be exact.
Mrs Benson had us trapped for 14 days, and yet to me, it felt like a century.
Mom was at the station, immediately pulling me into a hug.
She put me under house arrest for a week, sentencing me to my room.
According to Mom, our teacher turned herself in.
Apparently, forcing her students into a slasher movie simulator was ‘tugging at her heart’.
I spent most of the summer lying in bed watching Disney movies.
Mom made me breakfast. Eggs and soldiers, just like when I was a little kid.
I was absently dipping my toast soldiers in egg, when she dropped an envelope in front of me. “If you want to testify, sweetie,” Mom had resorted to using her baby voice again, “But remember, you don't have to. It's your choice…”
Mom’s voice faded when I picked up the envelope, opening it up.
My name was printed on the front.
EINOOB DROFREVAH.
I blinked. “They printed my name upside down.”
Mom was behind me, frying more eggs.
“Hmm?”
In the time it took for the envelope to slip from my hand, I was only aware of one thing.
The woman in the black suit was standing in the doorway, her fingers wrapped around an axe. Noah was in front of me one minute, his eyes wide, lips parted in a scream. “It's not–”
The woman was quick to grab him, one hand going over his mouth, the other pressing the blade to his adam’s apple.
Real.
In one singular jerking movement, the boy’s blood was splattering my face, clouding my vision.
The woman in the black suit did not kill me.
She picked Noah up, threw him over her shoulder, and walked away.
“Did you remember to thank me for buying your graduation dress?” Mom asked, handing me a plate of fried eggs.
Her voice, though, felt too close.
Warm breath tickling my cheeks.
“Bonnie, are you listening to me? Did you remember to thank me, sweetheart?”
Reality was far more cruel than dream.
Reality was being unable to move, unable to breathe. It was like coming up for air, but at the same time, I was drowning. The real world was so cold, and yet warm wetness dripped down my chin. I was strapped to a metal table, something plastic lodged down my throat.
Through blurry vision, I could see my body.
I could see that my hair was so much longer, almost down to my stomach.
But there was something wrong.
Prickles of ice slithered down my spine, curls of panic setting my body into fight or flight.
At first, I thought I was in the emergency room.
Except this place didn't have doors.
The walls were sickly green, a bunker transformed into a sicko’s dungeon.
My body resembled a pin cushion, or a little girl’s idea of a doll.
When my eyes found my stomach that was barely being held together by fresh stitches, my mind started to come apart.
Noah was wrong.
Everything that has happened to me, to us, was real.
Being beheaded, ripped apart, sliced into.
Mrs Benson was just good at putting us back together.
My arms were skeletal, wires protruding into my veins.
I could see where I had been cut open, my paper thin hospital gown stained scarlet.
I couldn't count elephants.
Across the room, beds lined the walls.
On them was what was left of my classmates, mangled flesh still strapped down. Some of them had been cut into, severed apart, while others were attached to tubes, wires sticking into their spine and the back of their heads.
The floor was stained, writhing body parts and slithering entrails dried into yellowing tiles.
In the corner of my eye, Mari’s head was hanging open, the pinkish grey of her brain visible through the pearly white of her skull. She was still alive, still twitching in her restraints, plastic tubes full of fluid being fed directly into her head. When a thin river of red slid down her temple, I averted my gaze.
Barf was already in my mouth, splashing into my mask.
Annalise had tubes stuck to her, one eye scooped out, her pretty face mutilated.
Issac.
He was covered with a white sheet, a startling smear of scarlet where his head was supposed to be.
I could see his wrists still strapped down.
Mrs Benson stood in my line of vision, though I did see Isaac’s fingers curl slightly.
My teacher didn't speak when I shrieked through my mask, straining against velcro straps.
Mrs Benson’s smile was the one I used to like.
She lit up our classroom, like sunshine.
“Why don't we count elephants together, hmm?”
I found myself nodding, trusting the sunshine smile.
“One.”
Mrs Benson straightened up.
“Two.”
She strode over to Noah’s bed, replacing his blood soaked pillow with a fresh one, adjusting the tube in his mouth and planting a kiss on his forehead. I could see red dots marked across his skin, circled around his eyes.
“Three.” I found myself saying with her, my thoughts dancing.
Mrs Benson turned to me, her lips breaking out into a grin.
“That's right! Count with me, Bonnie.”
I closed my eyes, swimming in the drugs filling my body.
I was being pulled back down.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine…
Sinking through the ground, colours flashed in my eyes.
“Bonnie!”
Mom’s voice startled me awake, a raw cry choking through my lips.
Graduation Day was the same.
Mom made me breakfast.
Pancakes and orange juice.
I went to school wearing my graduation dress.
Isaac walked straight past me, running to catch up with his friends.
Mari ignored my attempt to call out for her.
Annalise ducked her head, hurrying to empty out her locker.
“Hello.”
Noah was standing behind me.
I could have cried.
But when I turned to talk to him, to tell him we were still trapped, his smile was wide, eyes glassy. In his arms was our yearbook. He handed me a pen.
“Do you mind signing it?” Noah chuckled. “I've got everyone but you.”
He opened it up onto the first page.
“It's Noah, by the way!”
Behind him, I glimpsed a familiar shadow, a woman striding towards me.
The lights above flickered, and I could already taste blood in my mouth. Noah didn't even flinch when I dropped the yearbook and stumbled into a run.
His smile was vacant, empty.
Just like he said.
An NPC.
I was already running for my life, and he kept talking to thin air.
When the woman in the black suit sprinted past him, his smile broadened.
“And you are?”
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Ten elephants.
I was soaking wet, my dress glued to me.
Nine elephants.
Forcing myself into a run, I tripped over my heels.
Eight elephants.
Fuck.
Seven elephants.
There was no point in counting, but counting felt normal.
Six elephants.
Counting felt like I was going to escape.
Five elephants.
Survive.
Noah’s blood painted my face.
He still felt alive, warm, swimming in my vision. I could still see cruel silver being plunged into his chest, rivulets of red pooling down his lips and chin.
Four elephants.
Noah told me to run, so here I was…
Three elephants.
Running.
Forcing myself to breathe, I swiped blood from my eyes.
Two elephants.
Twisting around, I scanned the empty school hallway for movement.
One elephant.
Annalise’s brains dripped down my face.
I was picking pieces of her skull from my hair, tiny pearly splinters stuck to me.
Annalise was sucked down the pool drain, her body mincemeat on my dress.
Her grisly remains were floating on the surface, painting illuminated water in a striking, almost breathtaking red.
Noah was sliced apart right in front of me.
They were dead.
Slamming my fists into each classroom, my shriek caught between my teeth.
Help me.
The lights were off, which meant she was close.
Reaching the end of the hallway, I could hear laughter and familiar whoops coming from the auditorium.
The class of 2015 were graduating and I was going to fucking die.
The main entrance was locked, barricaded from the outside.
Taking two steps back, I slipped out of my heels, kicking them off.
The classroom at the end of the hall was open, spilling warm light that coaxed me forward, hypnotised by the illusion of safety. With no choice, I staggered toward it and pushed the door open.
Stepping directly into warm entrails squelching between my bare toes, I had to bite back a cry. Mari hung upside down above me, her body swaying back and forth, strung up like meat to the slaughter. The girl had been gutted straight through her designer Diana mini, her glistening remains sparkling under unearthly light. Mari’s eyes were still open, lips parted as if to warn me.
For a dizzying moment, I was paralysed.
A door banged shut, running footsteps, heavy panting breaths.
“Fuck!” a familiar accent cried out.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
I could hear him slamming his hands into classroom doors.
“I need… I need help!”
The voice should have been comforting, but I was already seeing an opportunity to hide myself.
Swallowing barf, I leapt over glistening red entrails and dropped onto my hands and knees, crawling under a desk, gagging my own panting breaths.
The door swung open, and I buried my head in my arms, risking a peek.
Isaac Redfield stumbled through the door, immediately falling to his knees, his head buried between his legs.
He was sobbing, choking on breaths suffocating him. Issac looked helpless, hopeless, before his gaze caught mine.
I thought Isaac was dead.
The last time I saw him, he was being violently dragged into the janitor's closet. I could see where he'd narrowly missed being butchered, a gaping hole ripped straight through his suit jacket.
He was covered in the remnants of Noah, grisly scarlet turning him into more of a canvas than human, thick brown hair hanging in wide, almost unseeing eyes barely penetrating mine.
Isaac pressed a finger to his lips, his voice bleeding into a shaky breath.
”Don't… say… a… fucking word”.
The door opened, two familiar boots stomping through.
Issac twisted around, forcing himself to unsteady feet.
I could only see her slick black shoes.
The woman pivoted on her heel and started towards Isaac.
“Ahh, fuck,” his hiss broke out into a sob.
I watched him do a little dance backward in an attempt to distance himself. But he was just backing into a corner, staggering over himself.
His hand shot out, blindly grasping for a weapon, a chair leg, but her boots continued, stomping towards him.
Isaac tried to throw himself past her, but she was so fast, reaching out and grabbing the boy by his neck, her fingers pulverising. His arms flew up to peel her hands from his throat, but she was choking him. When Issac’s arms went limp, she slammed him into the window, and my body coaxed me to move, to run. Isaac was half conscious, spluttering blood, his head hanging.
Run.
But I couldn't.
I watched, my hand suffocating my screams, as she lifted him into the air, his feet dangling, his breaths coming out in choking pants. I saw the silver glint of her knife, and then the streak of scarlet painting the wall behind him.
I heard the exact moment the blade went in.
Isaac’s panting breaths became wet gurgles, his dangling legs going limp.
The slow stemming puddle of red accumulating across marble snapped something in my mind. I forgot how to run, to move my legs, to even breathe.
When Isaac’s body hit the ground with a meaty smack, I shuffled back, but the scarlet pool followed me running wet and warm under my fingers. I could see where his throat had been slashed open.
Isaac’s head was turned at an angle, his dead eyes staring directly at me.
I was trying to feel for a pulse when the desk I was hiding under was kicked aside. There she was when I dared lift my head. The woman in the black suit.
She resembled a shadow with a human face, dark blonde hair pulled into a ponytail, brandishing a pinstripe suit.
I watched her brutally murder my friends, one by one, no mercy, no I'm sorry, or even an explanation.
She butchered Annalise in the swimming pool, gutting Noah and Mari, and now Isaac.
Her expression was vacant. There was no motivation behind her killing them.
If there was, she would have worn the face of a psychotic serial killer, thirsty to spill blood.
She would have laughed as they ran, revelled in their fear and the startling inevitably of their own demise.
But she didn't.
Instead, the woman in the black suit stalked after them. She never stopped, never faltered, until they were all dead.
Until their breaths were thinning, their blood staining her hands.
The woman did not smile when she wrapped her hands around the curve of my neck and slammed me against the wall.
I saw stars going supernova, trying to suck in oxygen, her relentless grip tightening.
Black spots speckled my vision, and I was half aware of the ice-cold prick of silver sinking into my flesh. She was slow. Slow enough for me to count each of my lingering breaths, watching my own blood soak the front of my dress.
When she dropped me, I landed on my stomach. But there was no pain.
It felt like dreaming, choking on words that wouldn't come out.
Weird, I thought, my eyes flickering.
I counted ceiling tiles, dizzily, a slow spreading darkness pricking at the corners of my vision.
Last time, Isaac died first in the swimming pool.
Noah managed to stab the bitch in the back, only for her to chase him to the main entrance, gutting him on the spot.
The woman in the black suit loomed over me, while I focused on breathing.
Only for her to deliver one last fuck you blow to my head.
My vision contorted, and I sunk into the ground.
Straight into oblivion.
That spat me back out.
“Bonnie!”
I was numb to my mother’s voice.
I used to wake up screaming, my hands around my throat clawing for wounds that were no longer there.
Now I was somewhere between acceptance and losing my fucking mind.
For a while, I didn't move, lying on my back and considering suicide.
I never had the guts to actually go through with it though.
Being murdered is one thing, but actually doing it yourself is another.
“Bonnie!” Mom’s voice was louder, and I mocked her words.
“Get up! Sweetie, I made your favorite! Chocolate chip pancakes!”
I paused, counting elephants.
I had mastered the ability to perfectly mimic her tone.
“And don't forget to thank Mrs Benson for that beautiful dress! You know she really wants you to attend graduation!”
Mom was right. I couldn't afford a decent dress, so my teacher offered.
But after being hacked apart, drowned, bisected, choked, and having my throat slit in different variations, I can't say I was thrilled to wear it. The dress was ruined every time, reduced to tatters clinging to me.
Rolling over in bed, I pulled my phone from my nightstand.
Always the exact same notification illuminating my home screen.
GRADUATION DAY!! :)”
I fucking hated that notification.
Unknown number flashed up on screen.
“Hello?” I mumbled.
“How'd you die this time?”
Isaac Redfield's voice was muffled slightly. I think he was brushing his teeth.
“My throat was slit,” I said. “You?”
“You should know,” I heard him spit. “I mean, you did watch me fucking die.”
“That wasn't my choice.”
He spat again. “Does the woman in the black suit seem….familiar to you?”
I wasn't sure if he was screwing with me.
“Yes.” I said, dryly.
“No, not like that,” Isaac groaned. “I mean, don't you, like, recognise her? I swear I've seen this woman before.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I revelled in the slow passage of time.
7am to 8am was my favourite part of the day. I used to freak out, trying to leave town and find the best hiding place. Now, I just lay down and vibed.
There was something both terrifying and yet weirdly peaceful about knowing whatever happened, I was going to die.
“Dude, I've definitely seen her.”
I rolled onto my face. “Is that before she started brutally killing you in a never ending groundhog day, or after?”
Isaac paused, and I buried my head into my pillow. “Um, both?”
“Both?”
He was either going crazy or onto something.
I wasn't counting on the latter.
Isssc’s deaths were the most brutal. I wouldn't be surprised if the trauma had knocked something loose in his brain.
“Yeah.” his laugh was nervous, more of a splutter. Throughout our situationship, I had come to know his laughs well.
I knew his fake laugh, his trying not to cry laugh, his trying not to laugh laugh. I even knew his I’m losing my fucking mind, I'm going to die laugh.
But I didn't know his real laugh.
“Does that sound crazy, or…?”
Instead of answering him, I ended the call.
At breakfast, I could still taste my own blood.
Mom hovered over me, blonde streaks of hair hanging in her face.
Dressed in her fluffy pink bathrobe, my mother should have been a comfort.
However, I was yet to forget the seventh loop when I broke apart and told her about what was happening.
Mom immediately called the doctor, convinced I was having a psychotic break.
He said there was nothing wrong with me and let me go to school.
Where I was murdered.
Again.
That time, she didn't kill us individually, instead forcing us on to our knees and bleeding us out, one by one. I think I became desensitised to death, to everything, when I was forced to watch Mari choke on her own screams, her head forced forwards, a blade brutally protruding through her.
*Don't forget to thank Mrs Benson for the dress, honey,” Mom said, refilling my juice.
I nodded, struggling to swallow pancake mush.
A sudden knock on the door woke me up.
That wasn't supposed to happen.
For a moment, I was frozen, my hands squeezing around my glass, before a familiar head of brown curls appeared.
Isaac Redfield, barely awake, still in his pyjamas.
Following suit, Mari Cliffe and Annalise Chatham.
Isaac went directly into the refrigerator hunting for food. Annalise took an uncertain seat at the table, and Mari stood with her arms folded, her wide, frenzied eyes drinking in my kitchen.
Isaac Redfield was the British exchange student who nobody could understand at first, his accent rocketing him up the high school hierarchy. The guy was also known for dealing candy, and getting into unnecessary arguments with teachers. Alongside Isaac, Mari Cliffe, captain of the girl’s soccer team, and Annalise Chatham, our school’s version of horse girl, were unlikely friends.
They used to be strangers, kids I’d pass in the hallway.
After being brutally killed together in a never ending graduation day cycle, we had become surprisingly close.
When we were hiding in the janitor's closet, Isaac spilled to us that he hated the idea of college.
He wanted to travel the world.
Mari was crushing on one of her teammates.
Annalise actually hated horses.
Isaac was secretly scared of Bill Nye.
I had a thing for clowns I wasn't going to go into.
It started as a confessions thing, four strangers pouring our hearts out to each other.
We shared theories.
Isssc was convinced we were actually dead, and this was hell.
Mari suggested we were in some kind of prank show.
I voiced my theory, which was, yeah, we were dead. I was sure we had died on graduation day, and this was fate’s way of giving us companions in the great beyond. Still though, I wasn't sure why fate wanted us to be brutally killed.
Then, there was the mystery of our killer.
The woman in the black suit, our own personal angel of death.
“Morning,” Isaac greeted me with a sleepy smile, running his hands through his hair. He ignored my Mom’s wide eyes. “Thanks for leaving me to die.”
I thought back to him crouched in front of me, his face splattered in Noah, index pressed to his lips. Don't move.
“You told me not to move.” I said through a mouthful of pancakes.
Issac’s lips curled. “Yeah, because I was expecting you to move your ass.”
The boy helped himself to my pancakes, shovelling them down with maple syrup.
I wasn't used to the others actually coming to my house. That never happened. We either met up at school, or were killed before we even saw each other. I knew Isaac was secretly pissed.
It wasn't the first time I had thrown him under the bus. Still, I was yet to forget him ‘accidentally’ drowning me nine graduation days ago.
He said it was an accident, but I definitely felt him shove my head under the water so he could make a run for it.
“There wasn't enough room under the desk,” I told him pointedly, gesturing to my mother, who I think was still trying to register three strangers walking into her kitchen unannounced. Mom had been vocal about me finding friends since freshman year, but I don't think she was expecting these friends.
Mari was well known around town, our girl’s soccer team dominating the local gazette.
Annalise’s father was the principal of our school. She was also the 2014 pageant winner.
Isaac was more infamous, especially for his ‘candy’.
“What?” Isaac shrugged, shooting my Mom a grin. “It's not like she's going to remember me, anyway.” he offered her a two fingered salute, “Sup, Mrs Haverford.”
To prove his point, Isaac straightened up, grabbed my phone, and threw it in the microwave.
Mari chucked a banana at his head.
“We get it.” she said with an eye roll.
“You don't need to resort to blowing things up every single time.”
Isaac responded with stubborn British noises, but she was right.
On our third graduation day, Isaac thought we could kill the woman in the black suit by blowing her up with science equipment.
Instead, he blew himself up, leaving the rest of us to her mercy.
Mom seemed to snap out of it, her smile broadening.
“Oh! You didn't tell me you were bringing friends over!” Mom immediately entered mother mode.
“Do you kids want breakfast?” she asked them, her voice high, almost shrill.
Narrowly avoiding my mother pulling out baby pictures, I coaxed her out of the kitchen. The last thing she said, before I shut the door on her face, was, “Don't forget to thank Mrs Benson for the–”
When we were alone, Mari took centre stage, hoisting herself onto the counter.
The girl was a natural leader, so of course she was our spokesperson.
Mari absently ran her hands through strawberry blonde hair.
“We tried your idea,” she nodded to a sick looking Annalise. “We tried running, and that crazy bitch still got us.”
Annalise wrapped her arms around herself, avoiding Mari’s gaze. “It was a suggestion. I didn't think she was that fast.”
“I still think she's a sleeper agent,” Isaac muttered into his glass of juice.
Mari raised a brow. “Okay, but why would a sleeper agent go after five random high school students?”
He shrugged, his lips curving into a smile.
“Maybe it was an order.”
He dragged out the latter word, so it sounded more like, “Ordahhhhhhhh.”
“But who made the order?” Annalise spoke up.
I nodded. “The government, or the shadow government don't go after high school kids.”
Isaac leaned forward, comfortably resting his chin on his fist. “Soo, what do we do now? If we can't beat whatever this thing is, what do we do?”
Die.
That is what we did.
For ten consecutive graduation days.
I woke up. I ate breakfast (pancakes and orange juice), I went to school, and I was murdered.
I was hacked apart, burned alive, drowned, impaled, and beheaded.
And nothing worked.
Our plans to run failed.
We tried to get to the roof, but she was always there waiting for us.
The latest loop, I was actually hopeful.
Isssc’s plan to lure her to the downstairs gym was going well, and it was the first time I'd survived past 3pm.
It was an adrenaline rush. 3pm had never looked so fucking beautiful.
The plan was simple.
Annalise, Mari and me standing in plain sight the whole time, and Isaac luring our killer to the downstairs gym.
When I got the confirmation text that Issac had trapped the woman in the closet, the three of us continued our plan, which was to set off the fire alarm, and alert the police of the intruder.
Informing the police was impossible initially, because she was always one thousand steps ahead of the five of us.
But Isaac had captured her.
We were in the clear.
That's what I thought.
When we pushed through the doors into the gym, however, Isaac’s cry froze me in place.
“It's a–”
His voice collapsed into panicked muffle screaming.
I took two steps, before I saw his figure running towards me.
Behind him, the woman in the black suit.
Another stumbled step, and he was being dragged back, a hand over his mouth. I didn't think our killer had enough intelligence to turn our own plan back on us, transforming Isaac into a lure for us.
I could see the apology in his frenzied eyes before she sliced her knife through his skull. I didn't even get a chance to mourn him. Isssc flopped onto the ground, rivulets of red pooling down his face. For a second, I was transfixed, hypnotised, by what she had done to him. The back of his head spewed blood like a geyser, a gaping hole splitting the back of his skull open.
I couldn't move, already wanting to surrender.
I shuffled back on my hands, already screaming, wailing like an animal.
10.
I counted elephants, just like my mother told me.
9.
My gaze was glued to Isaac, whose body was still twitching.
8.
His glassy eyes, scarlet trails running down his face.
7.
The woman was fast, waiting for me to try and run.
6.
5
4.
“Keep counting elephants.”
Mari’s scream rattled in my ears.
I remember ice cold arms wrapping around my waist, the sensation of something sharp. I didn't feel the pain, only wet warmth running down my face. It felt like rain. Annalise’s crying was enough of an anchor, but my vision was already going foggy. I wasn't sure where the fatal wound was, though I guessed it was my head, just like Isaac.
The woman in the black suit floated in front of me like a spectre.
Once again, her fingers wrapped around my neck, swinging me like a toy.
“Bonnie!”
I was aware of Mari’s thundering footsteps coming toward me.
Suddenly, pain.
Pain like I had never felt, pain that puppeteered my body, wrenching my head back, my lips forming an O.
Part of me could still feel it, the blade digging deep into my skull.
She twisted it, and I screeched, my mouth full of pancake mush.
Again, this time clockwise, and I felt my body go numb, my head hanging.
I could hear the sound of my skull splintering apart.
The woman in the black suit didn't just want to kill us.
She wanted to make us fucking suffer.
Reality contorted, and I was back in bed at home, screeching into my pillows before my body could hit the gym floor.
I think that was when I started to lose my mind.
I began to distance myself from the others, like we were strangers again.
The woman in the black suit hunted me down to the girls bathroom where I was hiding, drowning me in the toilet bowl.
Then, she came straight into my house when I refused to go to school, suffocating me with my stuffed rabbit.
Luckily, Isaac and Mari forced their way in.
Isaac was stabbed in the stomach, and Mari, impaled by a fucking hairbrush.
I had no idea you could be impaled by a hairbrush.
Isaac’s lifeless body dropped onto mine.
His expression almost made me laugh, like he was mid eyeroll.
Hysteria crept up my throat, days, months, years, centuries, of the same fucking day finally catching up to me.
I was shrieking with laughter when I was bludgeoned straight through the mouth.
“Bonnie!”
7am.
This time, I rolled onto my side, spewing up the taste of blood.
"Get up! I made your favorite! Chocolate chip pancakes… “
Mom’s voice felt and sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
Swiping stale barf from my chin, I took one look at my graduation dress and burst out laughing. Then I tore the thing to shreds, stuffing the tattered remains in my bedroom drawer.
Mom appeared when she wasn't supposed to, hovering in my doorway.
In her hands was a laundry basket, but looking inside, it was filled with flour and eggs.
Mom’s smile was wide. I wondered if she was having a mental breakdown.
“Bonnie, did you remember to say thank you to Mrs Benson–”
I cut her off, swallowing a shriek. “For the dress,” I said. “Yep. I’m going to.”
That day, I stepped into school wearing a curtain and crocks.
“That's not a good idea,” Isaac stood behind me, wearing his usual tux.
His smile was weak. I think he'd stopped with the fake optimism.
Now, I was seeing the real him.
Real Isaac was kind of an asshole, but real subtle about it.
“Do you really want to die wearing a curtain? How are you going to run?”
I glimpsed a knife stuck in his belt. “Are you planning on being the hero?”
“Nope.” he shot me a sickly smile. “It's to defend myself.”
Four hours later, the two of us were sprinting down the hallway.
I wielded Isaac’s knife, Isaac stumbling with a head injury I didn't dare look at.
Issac narrowly missed drowning, managing to claw his way out of the pool. I didn't see him hit his head on the side when our killer threw herself on top of him, but I did hear the sickening crack of his face hitting stone tiles, all of the breath being violently knocked from his lungs in a strangled, “Oomph!”
She tried to drag him into the water, only for him to kick her in the face.
Mari was dead, half of her torso in the swimming pool.
Annalise was hiding, but I didn't have hope for her.
“You said we might be able to drown her!” Isaac, soaking wet and pissed, tried each classroom door, with all of them being locked as usual. He twisted around to me, his lips set in a silent cry.
His head was bleeding, bad, a scary looking gash in his forehead.
I was watching a single thick rivulet running down his face when he shoved me.
“Why did you push me into the pool?”
It was payback.
For him drowning me 176 Graduation days earlier.
“You falling into the pool was a distraction.” was all I could choke out.
He didn't believe me. I could tell by his eyes, twitching lips trying not to smile.
“You have a really bad head injury,” I whispered, tugging him into a power walk.
I realized the guy had some serious confusion when Issac laughed.
“I know,” he slurred, “I feel kinda…dizzy.”
I thought he was going to burst out laughing again, when familiar stomping boots brought us both to a sobering halt.
Issac slammed his hand over his mouth, his eyes widening. He slowly moved the two of us back, his clammy fingers entangling with mine. “Fuck,” he muffle whispered. “Did she hear us?”
When the booted footsteps got louder, we had our answer.
Pushing Isaac into the next open classroom, I catapulted myself into a sprint, cold hands suddenly gripping my shoulders and tugging me backwards.
“Shhh. It's me.”
Noah Locke.
He distanced himself after being sliced apart right in front of us. Noah was the quiet kid, a short and stocky boy with reddish hair and glasses. I wanted to ask where the hell he'd been, when I glimpsed the kitchen knife in his fist.
Noah’s smile was sickly. “Do you trust me?”
He pulled us into a classroom, quietly shutting the door behind him.
Isaac’s cries followed us, and I resisted covering my ears.
“I'm sorry,” Noah said, before slitting my throat.
This time, it was fast.
I fell.
Down.
Down.
Down.
I waited for Mom’s voice to wake me up, but when consciousness did come over me, I wasn't in bed. I had zero idea where I was, only the sensation that I was floating. Opening my eyes, I was inside a glass tank, suffocating in a thick goo-like substance, my hair spread out around me in a halo.
When I panicked, my body jerking awake, warm hands wrapped around me, pulling me out.
I hit open air, my lungs expanding, and I hacked up blood streaked water.
Noah helped me sit, the two of us leaning against my tank.
He was soaking wet, his skin glistening with that foul smelling solution.
I took a second to drink in my surroundings.
A large room filled with human-sized tanks.
Reaching to the back of my neck, I gingerly prodded at what felt like an incision. I stood up slowly, my gaze already finding the tank next to mine.
Mari.
The girl was suspended in water, her eyes closed, lips parted peacefully.
“They tried to escape a while ago,” Noah murmured, his gaze glued to another tank.
Isaac.
His cheeks were a sickly pallid colour, eyes closed. There was something attached to the back of his head.
“But they're in the school,” I managed to get out. “I was just with Isaac!”
“You were with a null version of Isaac,” Noah didn't look at me. “The one who kept leading you to your death, even if it seemed accidental. He was playing you.” he buried his head in his knees.
“The real Isaac figured this wasn't real a long time ago.”
“Real Isaac?”
“Yeah. The one you've been with is more of a copy of him,” Noah sighed, leaning his head against Mari’s tank.
He spat out slime, adjusting his glasses.
“Think of him more as a shell, empty of his mind. This Isaac follows orders like an NPC. He had the guy’s memories and traits, but he was just a program.”
Too much information at once.
“I don't understand.”
Noah tipped his back, groaning. “You don't need to.”
He got to his feet. His eyes were dark, hollowed out caverns I couldn't recognise. “I'm sorry,” Noah said again, wrapping his hands around my neck and pinning me into one of the tanks.
Just like the woman in the black suit, Noah pressed enough pressure for me to suffer.
When he slammed my head against the tank, I felt my body shut down.
I could still feel him, his fingers squeezing the life out of me.
Darkness came soon after.
Swirling oblivion that swallowed me up, and then spat me out.
This time, I spluttered awake, cuffed to a bed inside a white room.
Surrounding me were fifteen gurney like beds.
“I don't know how deep we are,” Noah’s voice startled me.
The boy stood over me, this time dressed in shorts and t-shirt.
“What?” I tried to jump up, but I was strapped down.
“Miss Benson.” his voice broke. “She didn't want us to graduate, so she put us under.” he swiped at his eyes, gulping down sobs. Noah slumped down onto my bed. “I thought I could wake us up by killing ourselves instead, but we’re stuck.” I noticed the scalpel in his hand.
“The last thing Isaac told me was that we had to get back to the surface.”
He squeezed his eyes shut. “But I don't know how deep this thing goes.”
Tugging against the velcro straps pinning me down, I held my breath.
“Deep?”
“Yeah.” he spluttered. “We’re pretty far under.”
With a heavy breath, he drew the blade across his own throat with just enough precision to keep himself breathing.
Deep red spotted the blanket, and the boy broke down.
“I can't wake us up,” Isaac whispered, grabbing a pillow and pinning me to the bed. I tried to shove him off of me, but he put all of weight onto me, laughing.
“Do you hear me, Isaac?” His hysterical cry followed me into the dark.
“I can't fucking wake us up!”
Death didn't feel like death at this point.
Like drowning, and then finding the surface.
Only to be pulled back into suffocating depths.
Plunging through nothing, empty space with no bottom, no surface.
Endless nothing that expanded, continuing.
Noah’s sobs collapsed into white noise and I felt my writhing limbs go still.
Once again, I waited for my Mom’s voice.
For Graduation Day.
Instead, I awoke with a shriek, strapped to a chair, my hands bound to Noah’s.
“I'm sorry for suffocating you with a pillow.”
He didn't sound apologetic.
This time, we were inside a glass building.
Above us, the sky was pitch dark.
“Where are we?”
“I have no idea,” Noah muttered. “I've never been this far.”
My gaze followed an odd looking bird through the skylight. “Meaning?”
“Meaning, she always takes me back to the start,” he said. “Graduation Day.”
Noah got free easily, tearing himself from his restraints.
The knots around my wrists were impossible. “So, you've been here before?”
“No.” he stumbled. “Isaac has.”
The boy dropped onto his hands and knees, picking up a single shard of glass.
“Isaac said he found a room with a skylight,” Noah murmured, sliding the point between his fingers. His gaze found the ceiling. “Then he went deeper, and his consciousness never came back to us. Mrs Benson sent a mindless fucking copy in his place.”
He got to his feet, the shard clenched in his fist.
“So, if I'm right… Isaac woke up, and Mrs Benson must have restrained the real him.” Noah stepped in front of me.
“And… like Isaac, we will wake up…” His frenzied eyes found mine. “Right?”
I wasn't thrilled with the idea of dying again, but anything to wake myself up.
“Do it.”
He nodded, and I felt the prick of the blade spike my skin.
“Wait.”
Noah stepped back, cocking his head. “What?”
“Why would Mrs Benson do this?” I demanded. “She didn't want us to graduate school, so she did all of this?”
Noah shrugged, playing with the shard between his fingers. “Why else would she do this?”
He pressed the shard into my neck.
“Wait.” I hissed out.
Noah’s frown was patient. “What now?”
“What if this is the real world?” I whispered. “We’ll be killing ourselves. For real.”
Noah’s lips pricked slightly. “Does this world look real to you?”
Before I could reply, he slashed my throat open.
I waited for the reset.
For the sensation of blankets wrapped around my head, and my mother’s voice.
Instead, my body was stiff, my eyes glued shut.
“Bonnie Haverford?” the voice was a low murmur. “Honey, can you hear me?”
There was something stuck in my arm, a sharp, cruel thing pinning me down.
“I did say she was awake, but nobody believed me.”
The British accent was almost a fucking melody.
Prying my eyes open, a figure was looming over me. It was a woman with a kind face, her expression soothing.
A paramedic.
I couldn't make out what the tag on her uniform said, though.
Around me, I could see my classmates wrapped in blankets being escorted to the door. There were fifteen or so futuristic looking pods, and I was lying in one, a plastic mask suffocating my mouth. Isaac stood next to the paramedic, a wary smile on his mouth.
The guy had a scary bandage wrapped around his head.
“Bonnie, right?”
This version of him didn't remember getting to know me.
Isaac pulled me to a sitting position, ignoring the paramedic’s sharp hiss of, “Please leave her where she is!”
A man dressed in white tried to throw a blanket around him, and he shrugged it off.
“I'm fine,” Issac muttered, gingerly prodding his head wound. “I won't be if you keep asking if I'm okay. Jeez.”
Ignoring the adults, he wandered over to the pod in front of me and pulled a half conscious Noah to unsteady feet.
Noah staggered, half lidded eyes finding mine. His smile was sickly.
It worked.
The two of them hugged, Isaac burying his head in the crook of the boy’s shoulder.
I wanted to talk to Noah, but the paramedic seemed pretty insistent that I stayed still so she could check me over.
I was barely aware of my surroundings when I was crawling into the back of an ambulance.
Reality felt wrong, like I was still stuck, still reliving the same day over and over.
But my town was real.
I dazedly watched traffic flying by, the sky darkening.
Time was moving forward again.
The world resumed, and graduation day had been and gone.
14 days to be exact.
Mrs Benson had us trapped for 14 days, and yet to me, it felt like a century.
Mom was at the station, immediately pulling me into a hug.
She put me under house arrest for a week, sentencing me to my room.
According to Mom, our teacher turned herself in.
Apparently, forcing her students into a slasher movie simulator was ‘tugging at her heart’.
I spent most of the summer lying in bed watching Disney movies.
Mom made me breakfast. Eggs and soldiers, just like when I was a little kid.
I was absently dipping my toast soldiers in egg, when she dropped an envelope in front of me. “If you want to testify, sweetie,” Mom had resorted to using her baby voice again, “But remember, you don't have to. It's your choice…”
Mom’s voice faded when I picked up the envelope, opening it up.
My name was printed on the front.
EINOOB DROFREVAH.
I blinked. “They printed my name upside down.”
Mom was behind me, frying more eggs.
“Hmm?”
In the time it took for the envelope to slip from my hand, I was only aware of one thing.
The woman in the black suit was standing in the doorway, her fingers wrapped around an axe. Noah was in front of me one minute, his eyes wide, lips parted in a scream. “It's not–”
The woman was quick to grab him, one hand going over his mouth, the other pressing the blade to his adam’s apple.
Real.
In one singular jerking movement, the boy’s blood was splattering my face, clouding my vision.
The woman in the black suit did not kill me.
She picked Noah up, threw him over her shoulder, and walked away.
“Did you remember to thank me for buying your graduation dress?” Mom asked, handing me a plate of fried eggs.
Her voice, though, felt too close.
Warm breath tickling my cheeks.
“Bonnie, are you listening to me? Did you remember to thank me, sweetheart?”
Reality was far more cruel than dream.
Reality was being unable to move, unable to breathe. It was like coming up for air, but at the same time, I was drowning. The real world was so cold, and yet warm wetness dripped down my chin. I was strapped to a metal table, something plastic lodged down my throat.
Through blurry vision, I could see my body.
I could see that my hair was so much longer, almost down to my stomach.
But there was something wrong.
Prickles of ice slithered down my spine, curls of panic setting my body into fight or flight.
At first, I thought I was in the emergency room.
Except this place didn't have doors.
The walls were sickly green, a bunker transformed into a sicko’s dungeon.
My body resembled a pin cushion, or a little girl’s idea of a doll.
When my eyes found my stomach that was barely being held together by fresh stitches, my mind started to come apart.
Noah was wrong.
Everything that has happened to me, to us, was real.
Being beheaded, ripped apart, sliced into.
Mrs Benson was just good at putting us back together.
My arms were skeletal, wires protruding into my veins.
I could see where I had been cut open, my paper thin hospital gown stained scarlet.
I couldn't count elephants.
Across the room, beds lined the walls.
On them was what was left of my classmates, mangled flesh still strapped down. Some of them had been cut into, severed apart, while others were attached to tubes, wires sticking into their spine and the back of their heads.
The floor was stained, writhing body parts and slithering entrails dried into yellowing tiles.
In the corner of my eye, Mari’s head was hanging open, the pinkish grey of her brain visible through the pearly white of her skull. She was still alive, still twitching in her restraints, plastic tubes full of fluid being fed directly into her head. When a thin river of red slid down her temple, I averted my gaze.
Barf was already in my mouth, splashing into my mask.
Annalise had tubes stuck to her, one eye scooped out, her pretty face mutilated.
Issac.
He was covered with a white sheet, a startling smear of scarlet where his head was supposed to be.
I could see his wrists still strapped down.
Mrs Benson stood in my line of vision, though I did see Isaac’s fingers curl slightly.
My teacher didn't speak when I shrieked through my mask, straining against velcro straps.
Mrs Benson’s smile was the one I used to like.
She lit up our classroom, like sunshine.
“Why don't we count elephants together, hmm?”
I found myself nodding, trusting the sunshine smile.
“One.”
Mrs Benson straightened up.
“Two.”
She strode over to Noah’s bed, replacing his blood soaked pillow with a fresh one, adjusting the tube in his mouth and planting a kiss on his forehead. I could see red dots marked across his skin, circled around his eyes.
“Three.” I found myself saying with her, my thoughts dancing.
Mrs Benson turned to me, her lips breaking out into a grin.
“That's right! Count with me, Bonnie.”
I closed my eyes, swimming in the drugs filling my body.
I was being pulled back down.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.
Eight.
Nine…
Sinking through the ground, colours flashed in my eyes.
“Bonnie!”
Mom’s voice startled me awake, a raw cry choking through my lips.
Graduation Day was the same.
Mom made me breakfast.
Pancakes and orange juice.
I went to school wearing my graduation dress.
Isaac walked straight past me, running to catch up with his friends.
Mari ignored my attempt to call out for her.
Annalise ducked her head, hurrying to empty out her locker.
“Hello.”
Noah was standing behind me.
I could have cried.
But when I turned to talk to him, to tell him we were still trapped, his smile was wide, eyes glassy. In his arms was our yearbook. He handed me a pen.
“Do you mind signing it?” Noah chuckled. “I've got everyone but you.”
He opened it up onto the first page.
“It's Noah, by the way!”
Behind him, I glimpsed a familiar shadow, a woman striding towards me.
The lights above flickered, and I could already taste blood in my mouth. Noah didn't even flinch when I dropped the yearbook and stumbled into a run.
His smile was vacant, empty.
Just like he said.
An NPC.
I was already running for my life, and he kept talking to thin air.
When the woman in the black suit sprinted past him, his smile broadened.
“And you are?”
2024.06.07 22:43 chiaseed_rgood4u Annoying ass family?
I have a mother that has a superiority complex, a dad with a superiority complex and a brother with a superiority complex.
Constantly, I am TASKED with managing the house and taking care of my brother, who keep in mind is TWO FREAKING WHOLE YEARS OLDER THAN ME, as if he is a three year old just learning how to speak. Like COME ON? He doesn't even know how to make SOUP. SOUP. Not even from fresh, store bought, individual ingredients from the crevices of the freshness of earth. No. I'm talking about the canned soup. The soup that even has a stupid little tab so you can open it, and pour it into a bowl and shove it in a microwave. To him, it's like asking him Consommé Devilish dish, with a side of Béarnaise sauce. Noodles? Nope. A grilled cheese? Nope. EGGS? SCRAMBLED EGGS THAT IS LITERALLY A TWO STEP PROCESS? Nope. He genuinely thinks that when he wakes up food is going to magically appear on the dining table, and if it's not, everyone (ESPECIALLY ME) will just drop EVERYTHING they're doing, hailing him, giving him his stupid crown and then basically saying "Yes sire, everything you have ever desired or even wished for will be here for you." Like WHAT DO YOU MEAN????
DON'T EVEN get me started on my parents. Honestly the difference in treatment I get is ASTONISHING. My parents expect me to study, play sports, clean the house and excel in everything everywhere all at ONCE. If I even suggest hanging out with my friends, they instantly get all, "Why? Why do you need to hangout with your friends? I swore you hung out with them a few weeks ago?" Or "I can't I'm busy." Even today omg, I wanted to hangout with my friends after-school. It wasn't even like going to someone's house or pulling up at a park or something, NO we all just wanted to walk around and talk about LIFE. I called my dad, expecting a positive reaction but he instantly said NO, saying that he was "Busy, and that he had ALOT of work to do." But did you know? If my brother asked the same thing, he would have just asked him to be at home by a certain time and have fun. Okay so why not me? I cannot genuinely be tweaking rn, like this is acc so stupid, and then thing is, I can't even BLOODY PROTEST, because I get my ass BEAT, and phone taken away.
Even my mum, omg I don't want to sound like an ass daughter but genuinely I just want to beat her and slap some sense into her even if it takes me HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS EVEN YEARS. One time, I had food tech. It required me to bring bread, and I had asked my mum to please by new bread because the bread in the fridge was already past it's due date and was starting to look and smell off. And she looked at me as if I had asked her to march to Buckingham Palace and go on a death mission to blow up the royal family. She said "No, you can still use it," (as we both looked at the VISIBLY ROTTING BREAD) and as I protested she simply said, "Fine don't do the practical then, I don't care," threatening to take away my phone away again.
And I don't even know why it's just me. My brother tells me to shut up all the time. It's tiring, yet when I say shut up back, suddenly I have committed 37261719 war crimes and my parents tell me it's "Girls like me who get hated on because of their smart mouths." Like WHAT?? My brother , has literally told my mother to be quiet before. Which is MAD DISRESPECTFUL, and she was just like "Hey, come on now! Anyways 😋☺️😊" and she was chuckling as if some funny joke had been told. Yet if I was to even contemplate saying the same thing, my phone would have magically disappeared out of my hand, I would have been receiving the back of a hand, and handed a mean mouthing saying I'm "The WORST daughter I've ever had, you have disgusting manners but you know what I don't blame you. I blame myself for raising you like this."
They even forgot my birthday on PURPOSE, so they wouldn't have to pay for the expense of a birthday party. And when I confronted them about it, they pulled a random excuse out of their ass saying "You didn't remind us about your birthday, that's not our fault!"
My parents think I don't remember. On days when they are calm I do EVERYTHING FOR THEM. EVEN CLEANING THEIR ROOM. I don't see my brother get into that room and clean it? And all the time they just joke saying "I know you will take care of us when your older, and we can always count on you." Like no, once I'm eighteen trust I will be out that door and I will NEVER , EVER look back, so you can come crawling back to me and tell me how exactly sorry you are.
Anyways that's just me tho
submitted by chiaseed_rgood4u to teenagers [link] [comments]
Constantly, I am TASKED with managing the house and taking care of my brother, who keep in mind is TWO FREAKING WHOLE YEARS OLDER THAN ME, as if he is a three year old just learning how to speak. Like COME ON? He doesn't even know how to make SOUP. SOUP. Not even from fresh, store bought, individual ingredients from the crevices of the freshness of earth. No. I'm talking about the canned soup. The soup that even has a stupid little tab so you can open it, and pour it into a bowl and shove it in a microwave. To him, it's like asking him Consommé Devilish dish, with a side of Béarnaise sauce. Noodles? Nope. A grilled cheese? Nope. EGGS? SCRAMBLED EGGS THAT IS LITERALLY A TWO STEP PROCESS? Nope. He genuinely thinks that when he wakes up food is going to magically appear on the dining table, and if it's not, everyone (ESPECIALLY ME) will just drop EVERYTHING they're doing, hailing him, giving him his stupid crown and then basically saying "Yes sire, everything you have ever desired or even wished for will be here for you." Like WHAT DO YOU MEAN????
DON'T EVEN get me started on my parents. Honestly the difference in treatment I get is ASTONISHING. My parents expect me to study, play sports, clean the house and excel in everything everywhere all at ONCE. If I even suggest hanging out with my friends, they instantly get all, "Why? Why do you need to hangout with your friends? I swore you hung out with them a few weeks ago?" Or "I can't I'm busy." Even today omg, I wanted to hangout with my friends after-school. It wasn't even like going to someone's house or pulling up at a park or something, NO we all just wanted to walk around and talk about LIFE. I called my dad, expecting a positive reaction but he instantly said NO, saying that he was "Busy, and that he had ALOT of work to do." But did you know? If my brother asked the same thing, he would have just asked him to be at home by a certain time and have fun. Okay so why not me? I cannot genuinely be tweaking rn, like this is acc so stupid, and then thing is, I can't even BLOODY PROTEST, because I get my ass BEAT, and phone taken away.
Even my mum, omg I don't want to sound like an ass daughter but genuinely I just want to beat her and slap some sense into her even if it takes me HOURS, DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS EVEN YEARS. One time, I had food tech. It required me to bring bread, and I had asked my mum to please by new bread because the bread in the fridge was already past it's due date and was starting to look and smell off. And she looked at me as if I had asked her to march to Buckingham Palace and go on a death mission to blow up the royal family. She said "No, you can still use it," (as we both looked at the VISIBLY ROTTING BREAD) and as I protested she simply said, "Fine don't do the practical then, I don't care," threatening to take away my phone away again.
And I don't even know why it's just me. My brother tells me to shut up all the time. It's tiring, yet when I say shut up back, suddenly I have committed 37261719 war crimes and my parents tell me it's "Girls like me who get hated on because of their smart mouths." Like WHAT?? My brother , has literally told my mother to be quiet before. Which is MAD DISRESPECTFUL, and she was just like "Hey, come on now! Anyways 😋☺️😊" and she was chuckling as if some funny joke had been told. Yet if I was to even contemplate saying the same thing, my phone would have magically disappeared out of my hand, I would have been receiving the back of a hand, and handed a mean mouthing saying I'm "The WORST daughter I've ever had, you have disgusting manners but you know what I don't blame you. I blame myself for raising you like this."
They even forgot my birthday on PURPOSE, so they wouldn't have to pay for the expense of a birthday party. And when I confronted them about it, they pulled a random excuse out of their ass saying "You didn't remind us about your birthday, that's not our fault!"
My parents think I don't remember. On days when they are calm I do EVERYTHING FOR THEM. EVEN CLEANING THEIR ROOM. I don't see my brother get into that room and clean it? And all the time they just joke saying "I know you will take care of us when your older, and we can always count on you." Like no, once I'm eighteen trust I will be out that door and I will NEVER , EVER look back, so you can come crawling back to me and tell me how exactly sorry you are.
Anyways that's just me tho
2024.06.07 22:40 Dicerson1 Air Hard - Part 1
The strange creature draws its weapon, and every Florb in the room freezes. We've all seen just what this terrifying device is capable of firsthand when it used it to slay the Grobulan pirates who had boarded our vessel. It was a massacre, their screams still echo in my mind. I could do nought but watch in bloodied horror as their bodies simply detonated in a shower of blue fluid. And the noise... the horrible horrible noise. One would expect a weapon of such terrifying power to be matched by an equally powerful roar, but this one's report is far more fluidchilling. Almost silent, except for a high pitched whine as its motors spin to unfathomable speeds within fractions of a second- delivering its lethal payload at a fraction the speed of sound itself yet despite this, the projectile is almost entirely silent. At least until impact. Never did I think a soft 'plink' could instill such fear within me. But when it is accompanied by such death... how could it not? And the plink was only when it missed and struck a nearby object instead! I dare not describe the noise of a direct hit, suffice to say it is the stuff of nightmare.
At the least, it certainly appears fearsome. Ergonomically designed, seeming to my eyes to be tailored to the creature's unique physical composition. One end is flaired into a flat shape which it braces against what it has informed me during my earlier medical operation to be its 'shoulder'. No doubt to handle the certainly vicious recoil such a mortifying tool must produce- though it gives no physical signs of such recoil during firing, I can only assume its physical strength must be beyond measure. The main body of the weapon is as black as the void, which makes its surface difficult for my eyes to truly discern- not that I believe my mind could handle whatever arcane horrors must make up its mechanical composition. What is all too easy to see, however, is the other end of it. Bright orange, as the surface of a lower main sequence star- appropriate, given its sheer power. One could liken it to the force of a star itself, and though such a likening would yet be metaphorical I could think of a few who may yet truly believe it if they bore witness to its effect.
"Take me back. Now." The room's translator intoned with mechanical apathy. It was a rushed job, and certainly imperfect- intonations and inflections are always the most difficult thing to encode into a translator so sometimes when a new one pops up it doesn't know what to do with it and just goes flat. This is the first time it's used this particular tone, but we all knew exactly what it intended, given that it now points the weapon of our salvation against us. As the captain pleaded with it to reconsider her offer, I thought back to how this mess began...
I am aboard the FLB Bright Future. An exploratory vessel plying the deepest reaches of unexplored space on a mission to discover valid hyperlane anchor points. Ours is a most vital task, for without the anchors, travel on the scale necessary to support intragalactic infrastructure was simply impossible. And without such infrastructure, new sources of valuable chemical resources could not be tapped to support the growth of the Florbus Combine. It is a long mission, as traveling without a hyperlane is a task of many years even with the most powerful warp engine. Folding spacetime from within the bubble is a monumental and extremely energy intensive task, which is why we need the anchors. With an exorbitantly large external structure, a self-stable bubble can be formed with relative ease around other objects, and from there a smaller engine can focus instead on pushing it- though the bubble will break on its own eventually, which limits how far a given vessel can travel, and cannot be broken from within; thus necessitating a different anchor at the destination. Further still spacetime bubbles of any sort are extremely sensitive to gravitational forces, which makes sense of course as gravity is essentially a fluctuation within spacetime itself. Thus, the 'hyperlane' was born. Areas of the galaxy where such fluctuations are either weak enough to be ignored, or predictable enough to be utilized for ever faster travel.
And so, the task of exploratory vessels such as the Bright Future is twofold. To ply the depths of unexplored space, analyzing the gravitational patterns and identifying prime locations for Hyperlane anchors. Far enough away from the next nearest to be cost effective, as simply building an anchor in every single star system is out of the question, but close enough to minimize the risks of unwary vessels overestimating their distance and ending up trapped in the depths of the void. Though most vessels do have a warp engine, most commercial organizations rely upon the anchors so greatly that such engines are often only barely strong enough to guide a bubble formed by an anchor. It is rare for a non-specialized vessel to be capable of self-bubbled travel, especially since such an engine is often extremely expensive to fabricate and to power. Nearly 90% of the Bright Future's fusion drive is dedicated to the task, necessitating minimal life support functions and stasis pods when in use.
I am the lead medical officer of the FLB Bright Future, Plorp Ruffaloo. Yes, yes, hold your awe. I am well aware of the nobility of my name, but I care little for such things. I refuse to ride upon my father's coat-tentacles, which is why I volunteered for such a common position instead of seeking the employment of cutting edge research facilities. Besides, I always felt that the best research is that done outside of a stuffy and controlled laboratory. Science is exploration, of a sort, if one is not adventurous in their pursuit of it than any discovery they make is bound to be pedestrian or extraordinarily slow to achieve. Out here, I get to study the anatomies of new and exciting creatures discovered upon the worlds we encounter. The array of life is truly astonishing.
Which is why I am currently utterly flabbergasted at the sight before me. Never in my days have I encountered a creature so... perplexing. Preliminary examination reveals that it's body is, astoundingly, supported by some kind of rigid internal structure, not unlike the hollow structures inside of Freeanas, that my medical scanning equipment cannot penetrate. However, by my reckoning I would need a vessel-grade device to create rays powerful enough to examine the internal structure of these supports, it is as if the thing is made of some manner of rock or crystal! What on Florbulus could drive such an adaptation? I do understand that the gravity of the world upon which it was discovered is significantly higher than average for life bearing planets, but surely this is too much?
"What could these creatures being doing, to necessitate such internal durability..." I mused to myself. I jumped when Hark Manyfred responded, I had forgotten he was here still, "From what I saw, doc, fighting a war."
My cephalus paled. A war? So then the long-distance scanners were true? This is an intelligent species? I suppose I should have gathered from the relatively obvious artificial accoutrement it came with but, well, I was more focused on the gaping wound in one of its limbs at the time. When lieutenant Manyfred brought the creature in, it appeared to have been struck by some kind of object- a small piece of lead, which was astonishingly almost flattened. For such a material to deform so severely, whatever sent it flying must have been extraordinarily powerful. I struggled greatly to perform surgery, even the creature's flesh seems to be supernaturally durable. I had to make use of a laser cutter typically reserved for cutting through military armor just to create an opening large enough to fit extraction tools through. It took the strength of I and all three of my attending to ply the object free from its form- as it appeared to have been lodged inside one of those very dense supporting structures.
As I recalled this, it all suddenly made sense. A high gravity planet, intelligent, with extremely dense internal structures, and fighting a war. This is a soldier! Heavily augmented with some kind of organic implant. The lead must be... dear gods, a weapon? Fashioned specifically to tear through flesh with ease, if its saw-blade shape is anything to go by. Or perhaps... could the lead have deformed after impact with the structure, rather than having been shaped? If that was the case then its original shape... some kind of pointed volume? Aerodynamic... it was FIRED? They use lead projectiles as a weapon? I must make a report of this, the captain will want to-
"Ugh... my head..." IT SPEAKS? Actually, wait, that must be the translator. The ship is equipped with embedded translators in each room to save the burden of carrying a computational box on the person, though the fact that its working already must mean...
"Dr. Tryn? I take it you have already deciphered their language?" I call over my communication device.
"Yes, Dr. Ruffaloo," Dr. Tryn began, he is the ship's communications officer, a Freeana, and also an expert in xenolinguistics for exactly this situation- first contact, "Once we entered orbit I had discovered that the strange EM waves were, in fact, not due to the local star. But rather artificial constructions! A massive communications network scaling the entire planet, though nowhere beyond it except for what appear to be a handful of very small orbital outpo-"
"Yes, yes, Dr. Tryn. I understand you're excited. But if you truly wish to study their language more, I believe you would have better luck speaking with our guest," I know him too well, and frankly was not eager to handle initial outreach with a patient who had just awoken from such a horrendous wound. I did not need to keep my device on to know that his assistants were plugging their auditory cavities to protect themselves from his excited shrill.
In barely 2 minutes, Dr. Tryn burst through the doorway in an exhausted huff. Thankfully the patient didn't seem to take notice of where exactly it was just yet, its oculars have yet to unshield themselves. I prepared to greet my colleague but he seemed disinterested in me, as I should expect.
"Arghcke Thee Awoken?" I heard, which caused me to realize that I was actually awake and not at home in bed. Fuck. I've gotta get up, that asshole could still be- "OW!" Shit, the gunshot, I must-
Where the hell am I. I'm pretty sure I was just at an airsoft field, in the middle of a match when some psycho brought his dad's real fucking gun instead. Bastard even painted the damned thing's barrel and made sure to hide it. What the fuck was he thinking? But right now I'm looking at... a... what the hell is it? It looks like a cross between a fish and a bird. It's got feathers, and what looks like a beak. But then its shiny, and has big 'ol fish eyes and weird looking neck-gill thingies, like Abraham from Hellboy. Next to it is.. an Octopus? But its huge, like three times the size of a person. And also wearing a doctor's outfit. What the actual-
Ow. I'm reminded that I was just shot in the leg. Even the slightest movement hurts like hell, but when I looked down I couldn't see an entry wound. Or any blood for that matter, nor did it feel like I had shards of thigh bone stabbing me from the inside. It was just... really sore.
"Me Cogitates Its Wakefulness, Medical Officer Tryn," The Octopus spoke. It spoke. Holy shit these are aliens. Holy shit. Fuck. Uh, oh no? Oh yes? I don't know, actually. I mean, they don't seem like the 'take me to your leader and prepare for anal probing' type... They apparently even bothered to fix my leg and, presumably, save me from that gun toting maniac. Looking around I see they even brought my stuff with me, though it's locked up in some kind of transparent locker. Not that an airsoft M4 would be particularly useful against an advanced alien species. Their words are weird, but the fact that I can hear anything even remotely coherent means they have some kind of translation thingy going on. Though either its really bad or they do just have a strange manner of speaking. Is... no way is this actually first contact? That would explain the crappy translation, at least, it would mean they've had hardly any time at all to decipher my language. I should try...
"Uh, yes? I am awake. Uh, hi?" I make my best attempt at a greeting, but they all jump back when I raise my hand in a lazy wave. Oh yeah, first contact, shit. Can't make any sudden movements, in fact they probably- OH JESUS THAT'S A SHARK. YEP. THAT IS A GOD DAMN SHARK PERSON RIGHT THERE.
Ohkay. Ohkay. Calm down. Aliens. Yes. Just aliens, maybe its a nice shark person? Maybe he's a doctor- no. He's definitely got some kind of weapon. Vaguely gun shaped, but strangely very round like a banana. But with a lightshow on the side of it. A laser maybe? Anyways, yes, he must be the guard. Makes sense. New species, no clue what they're capable of. Far as they know I got retractable claws or acid spit or something. No sudden moves, or King Shark over there might rip me in half or... distingrate me with that fancy gun, I guess.
The bird-fish, I think the Octopus called it Medical Officer Tryn? But the Octopus is the one wearing the outfit... ohhh bad translation, right. Medical Officer is probably an attempt to translate Doctor? Which means the bird-fish is a Doctor, but not necessarily a medical one. Or maybe he is and doctor's just dress like that and the Octopus back there is a nurse or something. Anyways, the Doctor seemed to fiddle with something in the wall, and then spoke again, "There, that should be better. I always forget to account for the more common bands. Now, I would ask if you are awake again, but I think that much is obvious. Greetings! I am Doctor Ooliueaette Trynishidianafore. But my colleagues often refer to me a Dr. Tryn, I am the communications officer. This is Doctor Plorp Ruffaloo our shipboard medical professional, and the one behind you is lieutenant Hark Manyfred, the on who retrieved you from your endangered state. We are currently aboard the FLB Bright Future, which is a spacefaring exploratory vessel under the command of the Florbus Combine. I hope you do not mind, but I took the liberty of exploring the rudimentary communications systems of your world, and discovered quite the interesting stock of conceptual fictions! I've not yet poured through them all, but I believe you are well familiar with most civilized structural concepts."
The bird-fi, er, Dr. Tryn seemed... happy? I couldn't be too sure, whatever is doing the translation appears to be attempting to mimic tone and inflections but, well, I guess its still a bit too new at this. In any case, I think the doctor here is excited. Also the Shark guy is the one that saved me? Cool. Wait, he said he looked through our 'rudimentary communications systems'? Oh dear god no, he's seen the internet. This could be bad.
"Listen, uh, what you saw on the internet, just know that it alot of, uh, well not really true stuff. I mean, its not the best image of humanity-" I began, when the doctor interrupted me
"Oh! Don't worry too much! As I said I've yet to pour through most of what I recovered, and when I performed my initial sweep I had yet to fully flesh out the translations. Currently I only have saved information related to a few keywords. This isn't my first first contact, you know! I'm well aware of how.. shall we say, odd some species' public communications networks can be. To protect myself from whatever horrors may have been conjured by nascent- what did you say, humanity? I was very conservative in my retrievals. In any case, there will always be time later to do a more thorough exploration when sufficient context has been gained."
Oh thank god. I raised a hand to my chest, only to notice that it was incredibly easy. Far too easy, in fact. As if I weighed almost nothing...
Oh day! What a joyous day! First contact! It has been so many years since the last one, I had begun to lose hope that I would see another in what time I have left. I could not help but sing a joyous song on the way, though for the sake of our new guest I had to restrain myself before entering. There is no telling if they are sensitive to sound, I would not want to accidentally deafen a brand new species! I am so very pleased to know that the translation is working correctly, it won't be long before it's heard every possible phoneme and intonation. Perhaps in just a few days we'll be able to converse as if we shared the same native tongue!
Not to mention, they are remarkably calm! Normally first contact can be a rather hectic affair, filled with songs of fear or anger. But not this one! It seems I was correct in my observation that his people have long since theorized spaceflight, and even the possibility of alien species. I was afraid for a moment that the fictions I'd discovered were obscure resources known to only a few, or perhaps they are and he is one of those few. In any case, this is looking to be a very smooth first contact! Those are the best, as it gives me the greatest amount of time to converse for the sake of improving the translator and truly exploring the depths of their culture and history in the most engaging way possible: conversation!
"Now! What do your people call you- actually, first, do your people also utilize individual-specific names, or titles?" A beginners question, but an all-too-important one. A great deal of cultural differences can arise from something so seemingly small as the usage of names.
"Ugh, yes, we have names. Mine's Duncan. Duncan Euler, no not that- oh, you... probably wouldn't know who Euler was. Anyways, yeah. That's my name." It spoke, the words did come off a little flat in the translator but I could hear the subtle variations that the translator couldn't overwrite! Wonderful! Their species seems to make use of intonations and inflections, and the name, two names, a first and last. Just like most species, lending further creedence to Metacognitive Binomial theory. I'll have to make a note of that later, for now...
"And what is it you do, Duncan Euler? I mean to say, your profession or trade? For what societal purpose do you serve?" Another quite important question, by knowing the station of the subject we know what their perspective of their own society might be. Naturally you cannot learn all there is to know from a single individual, especially in more fracturous societies where so little as a place of birth can be the difference between ancestral hatred or familial piety.
"I believe he is a soldier, Dr. Tryn," Dr. Ruffaloo spoke up, which does annoy me somewhat. I understand his desire to hasten things stems from his people's general anxiety towards prolonged contact, but seriously! Long, drawn out conversations are the best. He should know how rude he is being!
Duncan spoke up now, thankfully, "Actually, no, I-"
BOOM. The entire vessel is suddenly rocked by what sounds like some kind of explosion. I and the others are tossed to a far wall with agonizing force, I feel as several of my hollow bones shatter from the impact. The pain is excrutiating. It cannot end like this! I had too much to live for! I wasn't... done... talking......
----
Fuck. That was loud, and painful. Not really in the "oh no all my bones broke" sort of way, but more like tripping on something and then faceplanting sort of way. Except I fell backwards, into the wall, and although I didn't feel anything break, that doesn't mean nothing did. At the very least I'm gonna have one hell of a bruise on my back. This, at least, confirmed my suspicions. I bounced off that wall like a superball, gravity on this ship is really weak. Walking is going to be a bitch and a half. Though given the explosion I don't think walking is going to be my main worry, what hell is happening?
"HULL BREACH DETECTED," A drone of a voice rang out, must be some kind of ship board AI? "SEALING CABINS. SEAL SUCCESSFUL. REPRESURR-" BOOM. Another explosion, but smaller this time- I was able to catch myself just fine. I look over to where the other are and- oh god. Dr. Tryn is... jesus. Like a bird that flew into a window at full speed. I guess.. I mean he does look like a bird, so I guess he had hollow bones. Which means that first explosion must have... I'm gonna be sick. He seemed so nice, too. Thankfully the Sharkman and the Octopus seemed to have taken that a little better, squishy bodies I guess probably helps with shock absorption.
"INTERNAL BREACH DETECTED. INTRUDERS DETECTED. RED ALERT. RED ALERT. INTRUDERS-"
I get the point, and immediately begin shutting out the AI voice. Of course this happens. Textbook sci-fi. First contact interrupted by some kind of violent enemy. What is it? Soldiers? Don't tell me they came out here as explorers in the middle of some kind of Galactic warzone? No, that doctor seemed far too smart for these aliens to be naive. Must be Pirates, or maybe Mercenaries of some kind. The only question then, is why? What value could an Exploration ship hold for Pirates? Well, stupid question I guess. He also said "under the command of the Florbus Combine". Military ship. Military ships have military weapons. Of course pirates would want something like that if they got a chance, and I guess these ones decided a first-fucking-contact was theirs.
I go for the locker with my stuff, I doubt an airsoft gun is going to be helpful against space-age technology but you never know. Maybe I can use it to make a distracting noise, or maybe they won't be able to tell it isn't a real weapon and I can do some kind of bluff with it. Worst case, it's heavy- real metal. I liked the heft, and I'm sure a pirate's face probably won't. The Octopus and the Sharkman seemed to still be recovering, I guess it hit them a bit harder than I thought. But I didn't have any kind of medical expertise, especially for alien anatomy, so I didn't really bother to check on them. I smashed the glass window of the locker they put my stuff in- wasn't about to bother fiddling with some kind of locking mechanism and risk activating something.
It... didn't hurt? Its not actually glass, just some kind of thick transparent film. Really easy to break through, in fact. Tore like some kind of gel. Eh, whatever. Got my airsoft gun, wielding it as seriously as I could so any pirate that saw me might think its real and think twice before starting a gunfight. I glanced over at the Octopus, I think its name was Dr. Ruffaloo? Funny name. Its color changed, it was a shade of blue before but now its a sort of maroon color. Its.. I think those are its eyes, are locked on me. I guess it saw me get my stuff, was it really that surprising though? It wasn't exactly made of anything- oh dear god.
Light gravity, weak security locker. Someone fucking died from that toss. Is... is this a space orcs thing? Am I some kind of like, monster beast to these people? Noooo, no way. That mother fucker over there is a SHARK for fucks sake and bit like a tank to boot, ain't NO WAY I'm stronger than him. It must not have been a secure locker, I mean what kind of security locker is fucking transparent? Yes, that's it. Doc Oc over there is just scared cuz my little act is a bit too good- he did say he thought I was a soldier, so to him I'm a trained killer getting ready for my morning commute. The fake military fatigues certainly help, I think. I call out to King Shark, er, Hark Manyfred I think his name was?
"Hey, Big Guy get up. Alexa up there said we got intruders. I don't know what that disco banana you got does, but if its what I think it is we're gonna have to throw a party for the uninvited guests."
He just groaned, then looked up at me confused. Too much metaphor I guess, translator must've garbled it.
"Pick up your weapon and get ready for a fight." I corrected.
He just nodded, and seemed to take a similar stance as mine. Good, glad to know 'lieutenant' wasn't a mistranslation. At least someone here is professionally trained.
-----
I could scarcely believe my oculars. This, 'Duncan' individual just tore through a security locker as if it were made of primitive writing scrap. Not to mention the detonation, he was thrown to the wall as all of us and stood up from it like nothing happened. Even lieutenant Hark was rendered unconscious for a few moments, my brain has no functions for losing consciousness so I was sharply aware of everything that transpired. Dr. Tryn even... he... he may have been an annoying colleague, but he was a good friend. What am I going to tell his mate? I... I have to avoid thinking about it, for now. Right now we have bigger problems. If those intruders were willing to toss the vessel that fiercely, our lives are certainly the least of their concerns. Dr. Tryn was far from the only Freeana on the ship, and there's no telling how much more viscious the impact was in other parts of the vessel.
The creature, or rather, Duncan, spoke something but the Translator failed. That impact must have jumbled it a bit. What it said next, however, was crystal clear- redundant computer must have come online.
"Pick up your weapon and get ready for a fight," It said. So it IS a soldier, I knew it. Then that strange device it holds must be a weapon of some kind. Dear lord... don't tell me it fires lead projectiles like the one I extracted from it? I must warn him, if he fires something like that aboard this ship it could rip a hole to the void, or puncture a vital fuel reserve. The ship has systems for handling such occurences, but they can only do so much- especially if other events have already activated them.
I began, "Please! Do not use that weapon aboard this vessel! Such a heavy projectile will surely-"
"Oh, uh, yeah, don't worry about it. It's not real. Just a toy." It said. A toy? So... it isn't a soldier? Oh no... this is not good. That leaves Hark as the only one here capable of defending himself, and if a firefight breaks out in my medical facility it could severely damage the equipment and leave me unable to treat the wounded.
"Lieutenant! You must fight outside of this chamber! If any of my equipment is damaged in a fight, it could turn out poorly for us all!" He simply grunts and nods at me. Grobulan fighting instinct must have kicked in already, he cannot speak. It likely takes all of his willpower just to avoid turning on us- but it is precisely his extreme degree of self control that earned him his position upon this vessel, and indeed in the Florban military in general despite his people's reputation. In fact, if my suspicion is correct, Grobulan pirates tend to be very keen on explosive weaponry when it comes to naval combat. For exactly the reason that it turns the insides of any vessel struck into a bloody mess, perfect for activating their instincts and turning them into some of the most terrifying fighters in the galaxy when they inevitably board. And judging from the screams coming from the hallway, I'd say my suspicions are terribly, terribly correct.
We're all going to die.
-End of Part 1-
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At the least, it certainly appears fearsome. Ergonomically designed, seeming to my eyes to be tailored to the creature's unique physical composition. One end is flaired into a flat shape which it braces against what it has informed me during my earlier medical operation to be its 'shoulder'. No doubt to handle the certainly vicious recoil such a mortifying tool must produce- though it gives no physical signs of such recoil during firing, I can only assume its physical strength must be beyond measure. The main body of the weapon is as black as the void, which makes its surface difficult for my eyes to truly discern- not that I believe my mind could handle whatever arcane horrors must make up its mechanical composition. What is all too easy to see, however, is the other end of it. Bright orange, as the surface of a lower main sequence star- appropriate, given its sheer power. One could liken it to the force of a star itself, and though such a likening would yet be metaphorical I could think of a few who may yet truly believe it if they bore witness to its effect.
"Take me back. Now." The room's translator intoned with mechanical apathy. It was a rushed job, and certainly imperfect- intonations and inflections are always the most difficult thing to encode into a translator so sometimes when a new one pops up it doesn't know what to do with it and just goes flat. This is the first time it's used this particular tone, but we all knew exactly what it intended, given that it now points the weapon of our salvation against us. As the captain pleaded with it to reconsider her offer, I thought back to how this mess began...
I am aboard the FLB Bright Future. An exploratory vessel plying the deepest reaches of unexplored space on a mission to discover valid hyperlane anchor points. Ours is a most vital task, for without the anchors, travel on the scale necessary to support intragalactic infrastructure was simply impossible. And without such infrastructure, new sources of valuable chemical resources could not be tapped to support the growth of the Florbus Combine. It is a long mission, as traveling without a hyperlane is a task of many years even with the most powerful warp engine. Folding spacetime from within the bubble is a monumental and extremely energy intensive task, which is why we need the anchors. With an exorbitantly large external structure, a self-stable bubble can be formed with relative ease around other objects, and from there a smaller engine can focus instead on pushing it- though the bubble will break on its own eventually, which limits how far a given vessel can travel, and cannot be broken from within; thus necessitating a different anchor at the destination. Further still spacetime bubbles of any sort are extremely sensitive to gravitational forces, which makes sense of course as gravity is essentially a fluctuation within spacetime itself. Thus, the 'hyperlane' was born. Areas of the galaxy where such fluctuations are either weak enough to be ignored, or predictable enough to be utilized for ever faster travel.
And so, the task of exploratory vessels such as the Bright Future is twofold. To ply the depths of unexplored space, analyzing the gravitational patterns and identifying prime locations for Hyperlane anchors. Far enough away from the next nearest to be cost effective, as simply building an anchor in every single star system is out of the question, but close enough to minimize the risks of unwary vessels overestimating their distance and ending up trapped in the depths of the void. Though most vessels do have a warp engine, most commercial organizations rely upon the anchors so greatly that such engines are often only barely strong enough to guide a bubble formed by an anchor. It is rare for a non-specialized vessel to be capable of self-bubbled travel, especially since such an engine is often extremely expensive to fabricate and to power. Nearly 90% of the Bright Future's fusion drive is dedicated to the task, necessitating minimal life support functions and stasis pods when in use.
I am the lead medical officer of the FLB Bright Future, Plorp Ruffaloo. Yes, yes, hold your awe. I am well aware of the nobility of my name, but I care little for such things. I refuse to ride upon my father's coat-tentacles, which is why I volunteered for such a common position instead of seeking the employment of cutting edge research facilities. Besides, I always felt that the best research is that done outside of a stuffy and controlled laboratory. Science is exploration, of a sort, if one is not adventurous in their pursuit of it than any discovery they make is bound to be pedestrian or extraordinarily slow to achieve. Out here, I get to study the anatomies of new and exciting creatures discovered upon the worlds we encounter. The array of life is truly astonishing.
Which is why I am currently utterly flabbergasted at the sight before me. Never in my days have I encountered a creature so... perplexing. Preliminary examination reveals that it's body is, astoundingly, supported by some kind of rigid internal structure, not unlike the hollow structures inside of Freeanas, that my medical scanning equipment cannot penetrate. However, by my reckoning I would need a vessel-grade device to create rays powerful enough to examine the internal structure of these supports, it is as if the thing is made of some manner of rock or crystal! What on Florbulus could drive such an adaptation? I do understand that the gravity of the world upon which it was discovered is significantly higher than average for life bearing planets, but surely this is too much?
"What could these creatures being doing, to necessitate such internal durability..." I mused to myself. I jumped when Hark Manyfred responded, I had forgotten he was here still, "From what I saw, doc, fighting a war."
My cephalus paled. A war? So then the long-distance scanners were true? This is an intelligent species? I suppose I should have gathered from the relatively obvious artificial accoutrement it came with but, well, I was more focused on the gaping wound in one of its limbs at the time. When lieutenant Manyfred brought the creature in, it appeared to have been struck by some kind of object- a small piece of lead, which was astonishingly almost flattened. For such a material to deform so severely, whatever sent it flying must have been extraordinarily powerful. I struggled greatly to perform surgery, even the creature's flesh seems to be supernaturally durable. I had to make use of a laser cutter typically reserved for cutting through military armor just to create an opening large enough to fit extraction tools through. It took the strength of I and all three of my attending to ply the object free from its form- as it appeared to have been lodged inside one of those very dense supporting structures.
As I recalled this, it all suddenly made sense. A high gravity planet, intelligent, with extremely dense internal structures, and fighting a war. This is a soldier! Heavily augmented with some kind of organic implant. The lead must be... dear gods, a weapon? Fashioned specifically to tear through flesh with ease, if its saw-blade shape is anything to go by. Or perhaps... could the lead have deformed after impact with the structure, rather than having been shaped? If that was the case then its original shape... some kind of pointed volume? Aerodynamic... it was FIRED? They use lead projectiles as a weapon? I must make a report of this, the captain will want to-
"Ugh... my head..." IT SPEAKS? Actually, wait, that must be the translator. The ship is equipped with embedded translators in each room to save the burden of carrying a computational box on the person, though the fact that its working already must mean...
"Dr. Tryn? I take it you have already deciphered their language?" I call over my communication device.
"Yes, Dr. Ruffaloo," Dr. Tryn began, he is the ship's communications officer, a Freeana, and also an expert in xenolinguistics for exactly this situation- first contact, "Once we entered orbit I had discovered that the strange EM waves were, in fact, not due to the local star. But rather artificial constructions! A massive communications network scaling the entire planet, though nowhere beyond it except for what appear to be a handful of very small orbital outpo-"
"Yes, yes, Dr. Tryn. I understand you're excited. But if you truly wish to study their language more, I believe you would have better luck speaking with our guest," I know him too well, and frankly was not eager to handle initial outreach with a patient who had just awoken from such a horrendous wound. I did not need to keep my device on to know that his assistants were plugging their auditory cavities to protect themselves from his excited shrill.
In barely 2 minutes, Dr. Tryn burst through the doorway in an exhausted huff. Thankfully the patient didn't seem to take notice of where exactly it was just yet, its oculars have yet to unshield themselves. I prepared to greet my colleague but he seemed disinterested in me, as I should expect.
"Arghcke Thee Awoken?" I heard, which caused me to realize that I was actually awake and not at home in bed. Fuck. I've gotta get up, that asshole could still be- "OW!" Shit, the gunshot, I must-
Where the hell am I. I'm pretty sure I was just at an airsoft field, in the middle of a match when some psycho brought his dad's real fucking gun instead. Bastard even painted the damned thing's barrel and made sure to hide it. What the fuck was he thinking? But right now I'm looking at... a... what the hell is it? It looks like a cross between a fish and a bird. It's got feathers, and what looks like a beak. But then its shiny, and has big 'ol fish eyes and weird looking neck-gill thingies, like Abraham from Hellboy. Next to it is.. an Octopus? But its huge, like three times the size of a person. And also wearing a doctor's outfit. What the actual-
Ow. I'm reminded that I was just shot in the leg. Even the slightest movement hurts like hell, but when I looked down I couldn't see an entry wound. Or any blood for that matter, nor did it feel like I had shards of thigh bone stabbing me from the inside. It was just... really sore.
"Me Cogitates Its Wakefulness, Medical Officer Tryn," The Octopus spoke. It spoke. Holy shit these are aliens. Holy shit. Fuck. Uh, oh no? Oh yes? I don't know, actually. I mean, they don't seem like the 'take me to your leader and prepare for anal probing' type... They apparently even bothered to fix my leg and, presumably, save me from that gun toting maniac. Looking around I see they even brought my stuff with me, though it's locked up in some kind of transparent locker. Not that an airsoft M4 would be particularly useful against an advanced alien species. Their words are weird, but the fact that I can hear anything even remotely coherent means they have some kind of translation thingy going on. Though either its really bad or they do just have a strange manner of speaking. Is... no way is this actually first contact? That would explain the crappy translation, at least, it would mean they've had hardly any time at all to decipher my language. I should try...
"Uh, yes? I am awake. Uh, hi?" I make my best attempt at a greeting, but they all jump back when I raise my hand in a lazy wave. Oh yeah, first contact, shit. Can't make any sudden movements, in fact they probably- OH JESUS THAT'S A SHARK. YEP. THAT IS A GOD DAMN SHARK PERSON RIGHT THERE.
Ohkay. Ohkay. Calm down. Aliens. Yes. Just aliens, maybe its a nice shark person? Maybe he's a doctor- no. He's definitely got some kind of weapon. Vaguely gun shaped, but strangely very round like a banana. But with a lightshow on the side of it. A laser maybe? Anyways, yes, he must be the guard. Makes sense. New species, no clue what they're capable of. Far as they know I got retractable claws or acid spit or something. No sudden moves, or King Shark over there might rip me in half or... distingrate me with that fancy gun, I guess.
The bird-fish, I think the Octopus called it Medical Officer Tryn? But the Octopus is the one wearing the outfit... ohhh bad translation, right. Medical Officer is probably an attempt to translate Doctor? Which means the bird-fish is a Doctor, but not necessarily a medical one. Or maybe he is and doctor's just dress like that and the Octopus back there is a nurse or something. Anyways, the Doctor seemed to fiddle with something in the wall, and then spoke again, "There, that should be better. I always forget to account for the more common bands. Now, I would ask if you are awake again, but I think that much is obvious. Greetings! I am Doctor Ooliueaette Trynishidianafore. But my colleagues often refer to me a Dr. Tryn, I am the communications officer. This is Doctor Plorp Ruffaloo our shipboard medical professional, and the one behind you is lieutenant Hark Manyfred, the on who retrieved you from your endangered state. We are currently aboard the FLB Bright Future, which is a spacefaring exploratory vessel under the command of the Florbus Combine. I hope you do not mind, but I took the liberty of exploring the rudimentary communications systems of your world, and discovered quite the interesting stock of conceptual fictions! I've not yet poured through them all, but I believe you are well familiar with most civilized structural concepts."
The bird-fi, er, Dr. Tryn seemed... happy? I couldn't be too sure, whatever is doing the translation appears to be attempting to mimic tone and inflections but, well, I guess its still a bit too new at this. In any case, I think the doctor here is excited. Also the Shark guy is the one that saved me? Cool. Wait, he said he looked through our 'rudimentary communications systems'? Oh dear god no, he's seen the internet. This could be bad.
"Listen, uh, what you saw on the internet, just know that it alot of, uh, well not really true stuff. I mean, its not the best image of humanity-" I began, when the doctor interrupted me
"Oh! Don't worry too much! As I said I've yet to pour through most of what I recovered, and when I performed my initial sweep I had yet to fully flesh out the translations. Currently I only have saved information related to a few keywords. This isn't my first first contact, you know! I'm well aware of how.. shall we say, odd some species' public communications networks can be. To protect myself from whatever horrors may have been conjured by nascent- what did you say, humanity? I was very conservative in my retrievals. In any case, there will always be time later to do a more thorough exploration when sufficient context has been gained."
Oh thank god. I raised a hand to my chest, only to notice that it was incredibly easy. Far too easy, in fact. As if I weighed almost nothing...
Oh day! What a joyous day! First contact! It has been so many years since the last one, I had begun to lose hope that I would see another in what time I have left. I could not help but sing a joyous song on the way, though for the sake of our new guest I had to restrain myself before entering. There is no telling if they are sensitive to sound, I would not want to accidentally deafen a brand new species! I am so very pleased to know that the translation is working correctly, it won't be long before it's heard every possible phoneme and intonation. Perhaps in just a few days we'll be able to converse as if we shared the same native tongue!
Not to mention, they are remarkably calm! Normally first contact can be a rather hectic affair, filled with songs of fear or anger. But not this one! It seems I was correct in my observation that his people have long since theorized spaceflight, and even the possibility of alien species. I was afraid for a moment that the fictions I'd discovered were obscure resources known to only a few, or perhaps they are and he is one of those few. In any case, this is looking to be a very smooth first contact! Those are the best, as it gives me the greatest amount of time to converse for the sake of improving the translator and truly exploring the depths of their culture and history in the most engaging way possible: conversation!
"Now! What do your people call you- actually, first, do your people also utilize individual-specific names, or titles?" A beginners question, but an all-too-important one. A great deal of cultural differences can arise from something so seemingly small as the usage of names.
"Ugh, yes, we have names. Mine's Duncan. Duncan Euler, no not that- oh, you... probably wouldn't know who Euler was. Anyways, yeah. That's my name." It spoke, the words did come off a little flat in the translator but I could hear the subtle variations that the translator couldn't overwrite! Wonderful! Their species seems to make use of intonations and inflections, and the name, two names, a first and last. Just like most species, lending further creedence to Metacognitive Binomial theory. I'll have to make a note of that later, for now...
"And what is it you do, Duncan Euler? I mean to say, your profession or trade? For what societal purpose do you serve?" Another quite important question, by knowing the station of the subject we know what their perspective of their own society might be. Naturally you cannot learn all there is to know from a single individual, especially in more fracturous societies where so little as a place of birth can be the difference between ancestral hatred or familial piety.
"I believe he is a soldier, Dr. Tryn," Dr. Ruffaloo spoke up, which does annoy me somewhat. I understand his desire to hasten things stems from his people's general anxiety towards prolonged contact, but seriously! Long, drawn out conversations are the best. He should know how rude he is being!
Duncan spoke up now, thankfully, "Actually, no, I-"
BOOM. The entire vessel is suddenly rocked by what sounds like some kind of explosion. I and the others are tossed to a far wall with agonizing force, I feel as several of my hollow bones shatter from the impact. The pain is excrutiating. It cannot end like this! I had too much to live for! I wasn't... done... talking......
----
Fuck. That was loud, and painful. Not really in the "oh no all my bones broke" sort of way, but more like tripping on something and then faceplanting sort of way. Except I fell backwards, into the wall, and although I didn't feel anything break, that doesn't mean nothing did. At the very least I'm gonna have one hell of a bruise on my back. This, at least, confirmed my suspicions. I bounced off that wall like a superball, gravity on this ship is really weak. Walking is going to be a bitch and a half. Though given the explosion I don't think walking is going to be my main worry, what hell is happening?
"HULL BREACH DETECTED," A drone of a voice rang out, must be some kind of ship board AI? "SEALING CABINS. SEAL SUCCESSFUL. REPRESURR-" BOOM. Another explosion, but smaller this time- I was able to catch myself just fine. I look over to where the other are and- oh god. Dr. Tryn is... jesus. Like a bird that flew into a window at full speed. I guess.. I mean he does look like a bird, so I guess he had hollow bones. Which means that first explosion must have... I'm gonna be sick. He seemed so nice, too. Thankfully the Sharkman and the Octopus seemed to have taken that a little better, squishy bodies I guess probably helps with shock absorption.
"INTERNAL BREACH DETECTED. INTRUDERS DETECTED. RED ALERT. RED ALERT. INTRUDERS-"
I get the point, and immediately begin shutting out the AI voice. Of course this happens. Textbook sci-fi. First contact interrupted by some kind of violent enemy. What is it? Soldiers? Don't tell me they came out here as explorers in the middle of some kind of Galactic warzone? No, that doctor seemed far too smart for these aliens to be naive. Must be Pirates, or maybe Mercenaries of some kind. The only question then, is why? What value could an Exploration ship hold for Pirates? Well, stupid question I guess. He also said "under the command of the Florbus Combine". Military ship. Military ships have military weapons. Of course pirates would want something like that if they got a chance, and I guess these ones decided a first-fucking-contact was theirs.
I go for the locker with my stuff, I doubt an airsoft gun is going to be helpful against space-age technology but you never know. Maybe I can use it to make a distracting noise, or maybe they won't be able to tell it isn't a real weapon and I can do some kind of bluff with it. Worst case, it's heavy- real metal. I liked the heft, and I'm sure a pirate's face probably won't. The Octopus and the Sharkman seemed to still be recovering, I guess it hit them a bit harder than I thought. But I didn't have any kind of medical expertise, especially for alien anatomy, so I didn't really bother to check on them. I smashed the glass window of the locker they put my stuff in- wasn't about to bother fiddling with some kind of locking mechanism and risk activating something.
It... didn't hurt? Its not actually glass, just some kind of thick transparent film. Really easy to break through, in fact. Tore like some kind of gel. Eh, whatever. Got my airsoft gun, wielding it as seriously as I could so any pirate that saw me might think its real and think twice before starting a gunfight. I glanced over at the Octopus, I think its name was Dr. Ruffaloo? Funny name. Its color changed, it was a shade of blue before but now its a sort of maroon color. Its.. I think those are its eyes, are locked on me. I guess it saw me get my stuff, was it really that surprising though? It wasn't exactly made of anything- oh dear god.
Light gravity, weak security locker. Someone fucking died from that toss. Is... is this a space orcs thing? Am I some kind of like, monster beast to these people? Noooo, no way. That mother fucker over there is a SHARK for fucks sake and bit like a tank to boot, ain't NO WAY I'm stronger than him. It must not have been a secure locker, I mean what kind of security locker is fucking transparent? Yes, that's it. Doc Oc over there is just scared cuz my little act is a bit too good- he did say he thought I was a soldier, so to him I'm a trained killer getting ready for my morning commute. The fake military fatigues certainly help, I think. I call out to King Shark, er, Hark Manyfred I think his name was?
"Hey, Big Guy get up. Alexa up there said we got intruders. I don't know what that disco banana you got does, but if its what I think it is we're gonna have to throw a party for the uninvited guests."
He just groaned, then looked up at me confused. Too much metaphor I guess, translator must've garbled it.
"Pick up your weapon and get ready for a fight." I corrected.
He just nodded, and seemed to take a similar stance as mine. Good, glad to know 'lieutenant' wasn't a mistranslation. At least someone here is professionally trained.
-----
I could scarcely believe my oculars. This, 'Duncan' individual just tore through a security locker as if it were made of primitive writing scrap. Not to mention the detonation, he was thrown to the wall as all of us and stood up from it like nothing happened. Even lieutenant Hark was rendered unconscious for a few moments, my brain has no functions for losing consciousness so I was sharply aware of everything that transpired. Dr. Tryn even... he... he may have been an annoying colleague, but he was a good friend. What am I going to tell his mate? I... I have to avoid thinking about it, for now. Right now we have bigger problems. If those intruders were willing to toss the vessel that fiercely, our lives are certainly the least of their concerns. Dr. Tryn was far from the only Freeana on the ship, and there's no telling how much more viscious the impact was in other parts of the vessel.
The creature, or rather, Duncan, spoke something but the Translator failed. That impact must have jumbled it a bit. What it said next, however, was crystal clear- redundant computer must have come online.
"Pick up your weapon and get ready for a fight," It said. So it IS a soldier, I knew it. Then that strange device it holds must be a weapon of some kind. Dear lord... don't tell me it fires lead projectiles like the one I extracted from it? I must warn him, if he fires something like that aboard this ship it could rip a hole to the void, or puncture a vital fuel reserve. The ship has systems for handling such occurences, but they can only do so much- especially if other events have already activated them.
I began, "Please! Do not use that weapon aboard this vessel! Such a heavy projectile will surely-"
"Oh, uh, yeah, don't worry about it. It's not real. Just a toy." It said. A toy? So... it isn't a soldier? Oh no... this is not good. That leaves Hark as the only one here capable of defending himself, and if a firefight breaks out in my medical facility it could severely damage the equipment and leave me unable to treat the wounded.
"Lieutenant! You must fight outside of this chamber! If any of my equipment is damaged in a fight, it could turn out poorly for us all!" He simply grunts and nods at me. Grobulan fighting instinct must have kicked in already, he cannot speak. It likely takes all of his willpower just to avoid turning on us- but it is precisely his extreme degree of self control that earned him his position upon this vessel, and indeed in the Florban military in general despite his people's reputation. In fact, if my suspicion is correct, Grobulan pirates tend to be very keen on explosive weaponry when it comes to naval combat. For exactly the reason that it turns the insides of any vessel struck into a bloody mess, perfect for activating their instincts and turning them into some of the most terrifying fighters in the galaxy when they inevitably board. And judging from the screams coming from the hallway, I'd say my suspicions are terribly, terribly correct.
We're all going to die.
-End of Part 1-
2024.06.07 22:38 LabParticular My (23M) partner (22F) is exhibiting behavior that is medically concerning. Where do I draw the line between helping and stepping away?
After dating for about a month, my partner and I have now been in a relationship for four months. As time passed during this period, my knowledge of her daily routines have started to concern me. She sleeps much longer than I think is ok, usually waking up, going to work, then immediately coming home and napping. This nap usually lasts 5-6 hours, and afterwards she gets up to eat and shower, then goes back to bed for the evening. By my guess, she must sleep 16 hours per day. In talking with my doctor and therapist to gain more knowledge as to why she could be needing so much sleep, I learned that the reason is probably rooted in a medical cause. We talked, and I encouraged her to go talk to her doctor about it. With some prodding, she ended up going, and was told to schedule blood work, which she has not yet performed. I’ve asked her a few times about setting up that appointment, but she doesn’t want to talk about it besides saying she will get on it. I don’t want to pressure her too much to make her uncomfortable, so I have tried to be as polite as possible about it with her, while also citing my concern about her health and habits. She is a wonderful partner, but these concerns run deep and have impacted the connection I have with her. This comes from constantly see her lacking in motivation to figure out what might be up, and holding myself back from bugging her too much.
My last relationship was not a good one, and I constantly found myself being a caregiver. My ex-partner worked constantly, and could not perform many of the essential things she needed to do to be caught up in other aspects of her life. This ranged from doing all her grocery shopping and always cooking to doing all vet visits for her cat, cleaning her apartment, laundry, and even driving countless hours to be there to help her in times where I needed to prioritize myself. I lost a part of myself in that relationship in neglecting my own well-being and wants for caring too much for someone who didn’t care back.
As such, my past has great relevancy in my present, and I am feeling urges to be a caregiver for my current partner. I know that I have the ability to help her out and be more active in helping her with medical needs, scheduling meetings, and pushing her to go do what needs to be done. BUT, I just cannot put myself in that situation again, no matter the person. My partner is wonderful, but I just cannot find a balance between caring enough to push her through her unhealthy habits and staying true to what i need to do for myself. The recourse from my past is too great to do that again, and I have already tried so hard to do what I can for my current partner but have seen no improvement. This struggle has deeply impacted my emotional connection with her, and I dont know how to weigh that with all the other amazing things she brings to my life as both a friend, a person, and a partner.
Where do I draw the line?
submitted by LabParticular to relationship_advice [link] [comments]
My last relationship was not a good one, and I constantly found myself being a caregiver. My ex-partner worked constantly, and could not perform many of the essential things she needed to do to be caught up in other aspects of her life. This ranged from doing all her grocery shopping and always cooking to doing all vet visits for her cat, cleaning her apartment, laundry, and even driving countless hours to be there to help her in times where I needed to prioritize myself. I lost a part of myself in that relationship in neglecting my own well-being and wants for caring too much for someone who didn’t care back.
As such, my past has great relevancy in my present, and I am feeling urges to be a caregiver for my current partner. I know that I have the ability to help her out and be more active in helping her with medical needs, scheduling meetings, and pushing her to go do what needs to be done. BUT, I just cannot put myself in that situation again, no matter the person. My partner is wonderful, but I just cannot find a balance between caring enough to push her through her unhealthy habits and staying true to what i need to do for myself. The recourse from my past is too great to do that again, and I have already tried so hard to do what I can for my current partner but have seen no improvement. This struggle has deeply impacted my emotional connection with her, and I dont know how to weigh that with all the other amazing things she brings to my life as both a friend, a person, and a partner.
Where do I draw the line?
2024.06.07 22:35 PocketShebee Don’t fall for the myth that you’re lazy
I used to think I was just lazy, unable to keep up with the relentless pace of life. It seemed like everyone around me was constantly pushing themselves to the brink, and I wondered why I couldn’t do the same. I felt like I was supposed to treat my body and mind like a high-performing machine, always running, always producing. Then I stumbled upon a book that completely shifted my perspective. The author takes a humorous and honest look at the pressures we face and our obsession with self-improvement. She points out the absurdity of the self-help industry and shares her own journey of learning to embrace stillness as a form of rebellion against societal norms. This book wasn’t just another guide on how to be better or do more. It was a wake-up call, encouraging me to let go of soul-crushing obligations and focus on my well-being. It taught me the revitalizing power of taking a step back and embracing simplicity, helping me reclaim my vitality through acceptance and small, everyday practices. The approach is simple, playful, and creative, with exercises designed to help you recognize and address negative influences. It’s about cultivating natural reactions and gradually shifting your perspective. Through this journey, I started to rediscover my true self and recharge my life. It reminded me that imperfections are what make our stories unique and that joy can be found in the most unconventional places. The book is called: “I’m Tired, Not Lazy” by Emily E. Roberts. I've already recommended this book to a few of you, and I want to clarify that I'm neither the author nor a friend of the author. I'm just genuinely blown away by how great it is and how different it is from any other books I've read in this field.
submitted by PocketShebee to Menopause [link] [comments]
2024.06.07 22:26 Littlegaybean_ How it feels to tell you.
When I met you 10 years ago I was a different me. A young girl girl full of fears and questions. I never thought I’d wake up so many years later with feelings for you. At first they have lingered. I’d see you stop over at a friends. I’d be blushing seeing the way your hair falls into your eyes. Watching The way your hands move when you do things you love. I always noticed. But I never really saw you. When I saw you again it was a different kind of day. We had all gathered together to see some friends. I hadn’t gone out in a while. But seeing your face reminded me why I smile more. You held the door open for me, and when you did this I saw your eyes again. My heart stopped. I went home that night wanting to see more of you. A glimpse of your hand. To touch your chest softly. My Heart melts when I think of you. I know it’s such an early stage. But I cannot help but be thankful to know you. We may never be together. But I adore you.
submitted by Littlegaybean_ to UnsentLetters [link] [comments]
2024.06.07 22:24 CorduroyQuilt Can you talk me through the difference between occupational progressives made for different distances?
 | Can you talk me through the difference between occupational progressives made for different distances? submitted by CorduroyQuilt to glasses [link] [comments] After bifocals didn't work out, I'm going to try occupational progressives. They'll be mainly for quilting, which I do by hand, so lots of close work, some work at arm's length (like rotary cutting), and I have a big design wall I stare at a lot. I'm told that the closest range occupational progressives are barely any different to wear than reading glasses? What about the medium range ones? Right now I'm using my reading glasses, which I wear most of the day, and it's fine for the close work, but the design wall is blurry. When I'm marking up patterns in pen onto a quilt on the wall, for instance, I can't see the patterns when I step back to look at the whole thing. I've attached a photo, you'll need to look carefully to see the markings on the quilt on the wall. I made a lot of mistakes marking up that one, it's the first one I've made since presbyopia showed up, and at least some of it was because I couldn't evaluate the pattern as a whole. Also there's the finished version, for anyone curious about what sort of work I do. My prescription is -8 and -6.25, plus -1.5 astigmatism in each, and my reading add is +1.5. I have some accommodative issues due to having ME/CFS, I'm not sure if that's why I couldn't handle the bifocals, although I also wasn't getting on with the acetate frames, which felt weirdly close to my eyes (I've always had nose pads before). My optician tried remaking them with a +1.75 after I told him how close I hold my sewing (25-40cm), but they were worse, and also the line was too low. I was getting double vision at the line, very disconcerting, and switching back and forth between distances just gave me a headache. Since I'm tricky to find frames for, being short with a narrow pupillary distance but a head too wide for most petite frames, I've found a nice pair of Prodesign Denmark titanium frames, sold on eBay as glazed but unused, and my optician says they'll be great. They're 51-15-36-135, which is the same as my reading glasses (also Prodesign) except a bit more depth. Photos attached, not yet professionally adjusted so they're sitting a bit low. The plan is to get my usual 1.67 lenses, I'm resigned to the cost by now. My optician said they use Nikon, and I gather they'd come in 1m or 2m options. (Or 4m, which I definitely don't need.) Can people talk me through how they'd differ in terms of where and how big my working areas would be, how big the peripheral distortion area would be, how far away I'd still get pretty decent vision? Being able to see every pen mark on a quilt on the design wall would be lovely, but not if it seriously compromises my close vision, makes me dizzy, or leaves me having to tilt my head weirdly to cut fabric. What's vision like in the corridor part? Also would one be better for pottering around the flat during the day? I mostly sit reading my 9" tablet, and I've got used to things across the room being blurry by now. Could I watch TV on the laptop six feet away, or would it be a funny angle? The plan is to take in a bit of sewing, so fabric, needle, thread, pincushion, a folding cutting mat, a ruler, and a rotary cutter, so that he can see what my head is doing for the different tasks. Quilters all say it's important to really show them how you work, and one took in a piece of fabric and said she needed to be able to see every thread. |