I watched the movie "Mother of the Bride" yesterday on Netflix. It isn't a very good movie and it had all the visual characteristics of a DTV movie (different shot framing, not many actors/extras, small sets, etc) but the way they deliver the dialog left me wondering why they do it that way.
I've seen other DTV movies with not very well known actors and I always thought it is that maybe they werent very good, but in this movie you got Miranda Cosgrove, Brooke Shields, and Benjamin Pratt in it. I've seen them in other productions and, they're no Leo DiCaprio but they are good actors.
In this movie, however, every line they deliver sounds like they stopped in the middle of a sentence and they rarely speak more than 1 or 2 lines in a row.
Is there a reason for this or is it just that the script is terrible and the performers just don't care?

Alrighty cyber-clotheshorses and digital divas, gather around because we're about to take a catwalk on the wild side of technology. Let's talk about AI in fashion - and no, I don't mean Al's Discount Fashion Warehouse, though I'm sure they're lovely.

• First off, did you know that artificial intelligence is the new black in fashion? It's everywhere, like glitter at a craft store or that one song you can't escape no matter where you go.

Why should we care? Let's count the stylish ways:

• Designer Dreamin': Say goodbye to being fashionably late to the latest trends. AI is crunching data quicker than a model scoffs a kale salad, helping designers predict what's going to be hot next season. Now, that’s what I call fast fashion!
  
• Custom Cuteness Overload: Personalized clothes, guys. No, really, clothes that fit your body like a glove because AI algorithms are the new tailors. They measure, they cut, they... compute? Just imagine how many "nothing to wear" crises this could prevent.
  
• The Robot Runway: Picture this: AI creating designs out of thin air. Okay, not literally (the air is still just, well, air), but synthetic smarts are starting to suggest patterns, cuts, and styles in a way that even Miranda Priestly might crack a smile at.
  
• Sustainability, Darling!: Environmental fashionistas rejoice! AI is also here to help brands become more sustainable by predicting trends and reducing waste. It's about looking good AND feeling good about how your clothes are made.
  
• Shopping 2.0: Online shopping now comes with a virtual sidekick, as AI gives recommendations faster than a gossiping shop assistant. These smart algorithms learn from your clicks and views to suggest the perfect outfit. Suddenly, ads you actually want to see? Revolutionary!
  
• The Copycat Catastrophe Averted: Knock-offs be gone! AI is becoming the plagiarism police in fashion, spotting copycats faster than you can say "That's so last season!" Protecting designers' work has never been more high-tech.
  

So, while we might not be ready to trade in our sewing kits for soldering irons just yet, the reality is that AI is changing the way we interact with fashion at every seam.
The burning question remains: Will our robot overlords be the next Coco Chanel or just a flash in the pan? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, I'm here for this stylishly smart revolution. Are you? Button up your thoughts and zip down to the comments. Let’s make this thread a runway hit! 👗💻✨

2 weeks later Lauren and Greyson drove up to her new home with boxes and whatever she hadn’t sold. Lauren had walked through her empty home and said goodbye to each room wondering if she was making the right decision. The house was pretty much sold already and Lauren reminded herself to keep going.
“Audrey will come around Ma. She really will miss you and she doesn’t want to change. God forbid she tell you right out that she is going to miss you. “ Greyson said. Lauren hadn’t spoken to Audrey directly since she had told the kids she was moving. She had come over at one point to get some furniture and mementos and had been snarky the entire time that Lauren had been in the house. Lauren had had quite enough of it and went to the backyard to smoke until Audrey and her man of the week had taken off. They hadn’t even come out to tell her they were leaving. Lauren had had another good cry after that and then made herself margaritas with her mixer and called Natalie to come over for a good farewell bitch session. They had gotten tipsy and talked about ungrateful kids and sent nice little waves to Grace who huffed at them.
“Well, maybe she will and maybe she wont. She always favored your father and I never told her she had to pick sides but all the same she felt like she had to. The divorce was harder on her than it was you older two.She was only 8.” Lauren said lamely.
“I think Cora and I were just glad you guys weren’t fighting. Dad was great with us but he treated you terribly the last few years you were together and it was just so much easier to not hate him when you guys weren’t around each other. Audrey was definitely his favorite though and any time she came over he just made sure they did everything she wanted because he was afraid she’d hit puberty and would decide she didn’t like him anymore. Like Cora.”
“Well that makes sense. How’s you-know-who?” Lauren asked changing the topic.
“Miranda? Alright I guess. Her mom picked Liam up last night for the weekend so I could help you, says she called a month ago and sounded good. I don’t know if that means anything or not but I don’t think she is going to come back wanting to be Liam's mom. At least not any time soon. I don’t really care, she had him and that was the deal. That’s all I asked for. I’d have supported the other way too but I really hoped she’d just let me keep him. She told everyone who asked she didn’t want kids. Everyone. I kind of wonder if she’ll want to meet him and be afraid to because everyone will expect her to be someone to him.” Grayson drummed his fingers anxiously. Lauren couldn’t understand this arrangement that Grayson and Miranda had. She kept wondering if it wasn’t some form of depression or something but Grayson insisted it wasn’t. He’d had Liam all to himself from day one and never complained.
“You think taking this was too impulsive? The job? I didn’t even do a face to face interview. It was on that skype thing. Eric set it all up. It’s legit but maybe I should’ve driven up first to check it out. Maybe I’m just running scared.”
“Maybe it was but taking risks makes your life exciting. Besides, I hate thinking of you alone in the house waiting for something bad to happen.” Grayson patted her leg. “Besides you said there were discounts on cabins and I’d like that. Plus unlike the last job, if Liam gets sick he can hang out with you when he can’t go to daycare.”
“I would like that.”
They pulled onto a winding dirt road and drove another 10 miles. The woods on each side of the road pressed in on them. It was a nice feeling. It was quiet out here and Lauren appreciated it. She had thought she would be more scared to be alone out here but she found herself looking forward to it now. Settling down and maybe a beer.
The GPS took them toa large sign marked Camp Thellgar in front of a fork in the road, one marked OFFICE and the other marked CAMPING. They turned into the OFFICE fork on the left. A man sat on the porch at the first building they came up to. He shaded his eyes and stood as they approached. Lauren took a shaky breath.
“Does my eye still look weird?” Lauren asked Grayson.
“Nah, the makeup covers whatever is left. It looks a little off I guess but I don’t think anyone would guess why. You’re old, he’ll think you had a stroke more than likely” Grayson teased. Lauren let out a high pitched laugh and took a deep cleansing breath.
“Hi I’m Steven Connor, you’re Lauren Jackson I hope.” Steven stuck his hand out for her to shake.
“I am indeed. Nice to meet you, you look different in person.” Lauren said laughing. He did, he looked older than he had on the computer, tired maybe. Steven shrugged. “This is my son Grayson, he’s helping bring my stuff up for me.”
“Right, good of you to help your momma. Come right in here. This is the main office, just off of what will be your cabin. Initially they were one in the same but years back we decided the caretaker could use some more privacy when we added more cabins in. The cabins have only been part of the deal for about 15 years, before that it was just the tent sites. No electricity on those. They’re a little easier to maintain. This time of year we mainly get people who want to use the tent sites, families out for a day hike. Summer rolls around and you’ll be pretty busy. We hire help from the nearby towns, you’ll let them know what to do but you’ll need someone in the office most of the day. There’s an alarm here that will pop up on your phone, when synced with the app of course, that way you can be out on the grounds. There’s an ATV for getting around a little easier. You’ll be in charge of taking reservations and handling the payment, cleaning up the campsites when they leave, looking in on them to make sure they’re kept up. Same with the cabins. Do a thorough cleaning and dust once a week. Aspen Cunningham, that’s the girl from town, she’ll be up every other day to assist with cleaning out the cabins. Here’s the card for Aspen, the card for a maintenance guy we use, Roger, and my card if you need to get ahold of me.” Steven led her from the office which was a small front room with a storage room behind it. Off of that there was a door with a good lock that led into a small house. It came in by a small half bath and then stairs leading to 2 bedrooms upstairs and a full bathroom. Next to the stairs a door led into a small living room with a few bookshelves and a dated TV, past that a kitchen with a dining area. It was cozy and Lauren was in love immediately.
“The last guy was pretty organized, we have our own binder we put together for new employees, he made his own as well. I skimmed through it, mostly a heads up on common maintenance issues. There’s a copy of maintenance performed on each cabin and site that also goes in the main book that’s stashed in the office.” Steven handed her a heavy worn binder.
“I’ll go ahead and start bringing in your stuff mom.” Grayson said backing out the main front door that didn’t lead into the office. Lauren followed Steven into the office and he showed her where anything she could need to find would be. She watched a safety video that featured Steven’s family, made when Steven was a kid. His smiling face running around in the background.
Grayson hung out for a while after Steven left. Lauren was overwhelmed and felt exhausted. She wandered through her new house while Grayson made her spaghetti. She laid on the bed. It was firmer than she was used to but it was ok.
After they ate Grayson hesitantly left. Reminding her to call if she needed anything, asking if she was sure she wanted him to leave. Lauren had a feeling he would’ve spent the night if Miranda’s mom didn’t have Liam. There was a firepit in the backyard so she got a fire going and sat back watching the flames while she drank a beer. She thought about getting stoned but it felt too new here and she was afraid of freaking herself out. The noises of the woods were relaxing. It felt quiet. Quiet was exactly what she needed.
The next few months went quickly, Lauren got in a groove of checking all the sites in the morning and doing general maintenance. Aspen, the girl who cleaned, came up twice a week not every other day like Steven had said. She was a sweet girl and spent a few hours dusting and vacuuming the empty cabins. Lauren and her got along really well and Lauren was grateful for the company. Summer came and Lauren was busy, she barely left the office it seemed. If it wasn’t reservations, it was families asking for maps of the trails or information on the town below. It was a nice busy. Lauren had expected the cleaning to be worse than it actually was, most people cleaned up after the campsites before they left. Fall came and the people started to slow down, most of the people she saw were people hiking the trails and less camping By November she was slow again.
One day her phone went off alerting her to a visitor in the office. She jumped on her ATV and headed back up. There was a small run down car waiting when she pulled up. Lauren ran her hands through her hair as she entered the door. 4 middle aged women stood waiting patiently.
“Sorry, I was a little further out today, how can I help you? Cabin?” Lauren asked, coming around the desk.
“Where’s Jim?” One woman with darker hair asked.
“Jim? Was he the man before me? I’m afraid he doesn’t work here anymore. Just me, I’m Lauren. Regulars?” Lauren grabbed the binder from underneath the counter and flipped through until she came on regulars. Scanning the list she found a November regular, along with a few other months. “Ok, here we are. It says the Helgas, tentsite 42. Yes?”
“That’s right, what happened to Jim? I'm surprised to see that he’s gone.” The dark haired woman handed over her credit card and tapped on the table anxiously. The other women moved around like they were trying to look as if they weren’t paying much attention.
“Not sure. No one really told me and I didn’t think to ask. I’ve been here since late spring, right before the summer rush. “ Lauren felt like she was being judged by the women.
“We’re particular about our privacy.” One of the women from the back said, trying to sound casual.
“That’s no problem, I won’t need to come by until you leave.” Lauren assured them.
“Jim left the entire area alone. I mean, we prefer to be left completely alone.” She clarified. Lauren was taken aback but nodded. After they left and had driven off she looked back down at the binder.
Helgas
Camp site 42
November Full Moon
December 21
March 21
Require all sites in the area empty. 3 day reservations. Noise level low, some disturbances.
Lauren closed the binder. She’d flipped through it before but obviously hadn’t retained much information. It occurred to her that this wasn’t in the main binder. She picked up the company binder, flipped through until she found regular reservations. Nothing helpful from the last 10 years. She booted up the computer and pulled up the spreadsheet. There it was. Reservations, regular. A list of people and campsites and cabins. The program was designed to automatically block off the areas that were supposed to be reserved. Campsite 42 was not on the list for today. Maybe because it was a full moon reservation and not a specific date? Lauren flipped through December and it wasn’t in there either. She sighed. Lauren went to the main screen and added in the December reservation and it stopped her. Ok. So it's here somehow. Or it wouldn’t have stopped her. But it doesn't show up. It’s hidden. Lauren crossed her arms and dropped her head down. She wasn’t completely computer illiterate but she really didn’t know how to see this. The last guy, Jim? Jim. That guy must’ve done something to the computer system. Why would he have done that? He did all the reservations. Unless he didn’t want the company itself to see. They could log in through the main office and see what was going on up here. There was another location they owned and the computer program was designed to work with that one. Lauren shook her head and sighed. Maybe she could get ahold of Steven and ask about Jim.
Lauren opened Jim’s binder again. There were only a few regulars that didn’t have reservations that showed up in the company system. By the time she was done it was dark outside. Lauren sighed and shut everything down. She locked up the office displaying the note to ring the doorbell. The doorbell that alerted her phone to a visitor that would need checked in. Lauren wasn’t worried about it, not in November. It was warmish for November but still cold. No one hunted up here because it had too many people walking up the trails, further out maybe but they would rent a cabin ahead of time if they stayed up here and on the weekends.
Lauren went into her kitchen and got a jar of chili out of the fridge. Cora had made some and sent it home with her after Saturday dinner a few weeks ago. It was easy to heat up. She got a glass of wine and started a fire in the fireplace to warm the house up. She turned the tv on and laid across the couch until she could smell the chili. She’d had a bus day and found herself drifting off before she’d finished eating so she cleaned up and took herself to bed.
Lauren found herself awake in the forest. Barefoot. It was silent. Completely silent. Lauren cautiously spun around trying to get her bearings. She saw movement off to the right. Her heart stopped, she looked over trying to make sense in the dark. Something moved next to the trees, an animal? Lauren took a step toward it without thinking.
Someone or something stepped out wearing an animal skull. Deer? Lauren couldn’t think through her fear. The clothes were baggy and run down. Like a t shirt over loose black pants tied up with a rope and black cardigan. With a black long jacket.
“Who are you?” Lauren asked, dazed.
“I should ask you the same thing. Where is the keeper?” The thing asked, but it wasn’t said aloud, she heard it in her head.
“I-I don’t know. I just got hired here a few months ago. My friend's friend helped me get the job.”
“Then the Keeper sent you here.” The thing insisted
“I don’t think so, the man before me, I didn’t know him.”
“I see. What did they tell you about this place?” The thing asked, circling her. Lauren realized it was tracing her with a skeletal finger.
“How to take reservations and how to clean.” Lauren murmured, trying not to look as scared as she felt.
“I could tell you.” The thing offered. Lauren felt her anxiety rise up and suddenly felt like she needed to be gone. She shouldn’t trust this thing, whatever it was.
“Um, no thanks.You could-could tell me who you are though.” Lauren said instead
“I’m insulted is what I am. You’ll have to figure out who on your own.” With that he was gone and she was in bed sitting up breathing hard. The raspy voice still echoing in her head.
Lauren blinked. A dream. It was a dream. But it had felt real. She checked her feet and saw that they were clean. A dream.
Lauren’s whole day was off after that. Everything looked sharper almost and she found herself pinching her arm to make sure she was actually awake. She avoided the tent sites circling around with the Helgas but found herself inspecting the rest of them carefully, unsure of what she was looking for. After that she rode down to the cabins and did a quick inspection, checking the windows for torn screens and the doors for any sign of break in, double checking the lock. All good. Lauren was done early and decide to walk one of the trails to shake off the oddness. There weren’t a lot of trails she hadn’t already walked so she picked one of the harder ones and grabbed her backpack with snacks and water.
In the months since moving up here she had grown stronger from the work and the access to trails. Anytime she felt herself slipping into a depressive episode or started thinking too much she would go on a long trail and try to exhaust herself. At some point she had started running in the mornings although had stopped in the last few weeks because of the cold and how long it took the sun to rise. Lauren ran a few miles awkwardly with the backpack and then slowed. There was a not well used trail off to the side. She was certain she was still on the company's property but had not seen this one before so she cautiously went off the main trail and headed down it. It didn’t take long for it to grow darker with the trees overhead. There were still nature noises but they seemed almost muted. Lauren pinched her arm just to make sure, it definitely hurt. She was definitely awake. Lauren pulled her camera out of her bag and began snapping pictures of the area around her, partly to remember where she had come from and partly because she was in awe of the area around her. It was beautiful out here and the trees made her feel small and light. She checked her phone and saw that it was nearing dark. She stopped and drank some water before turning around. Lauren moved at a brisk pace as she headed back and almost missed the flash of light off to her left. But as such she had just managed to catch it and it stopped her in her tracks.
“Hello?” Lauren called out, if it was a hunter she had run into, which she didn’t think it was, not as close to the campgrounds as they were, but if it was she wanted it clear they were dealing with a person. No one answered her though. She hesitantly stepped off the trail and walked toward it. She couldn’t think of anything that would flash out here. Cameras? She wasn’t aware of any out here but it had never occurred to her to ask anyone. Regardless, she should check to see if it was a camera before she asked about there being any. She came to a massive tree. She craned her head back and light hit her eyes so that it was difficult to make out the top of the tree. The branches started low giving her a compulsion to climb upwards. Off to the side of it the roots rose up seeming to form a circle. Lauren took a few pictures of it without thinking. She got as many different angles as possible. She had seen roots that came out of the ground but had never seen one that formed a perfect circle. Lauren looked around and realized that it was dark now, she checked her phone and saw the battery was almost drained. She had been here for 3 hours. Lauren blinked and shook her head. 3 hours? That was impossible. She started shaking and spun around when she realized how silent it was, even for night time.
SNAP
Lauren gasped and took off running. She didn’t think about anything other than heading back in the direction she had come. Adrenaline coursed through her and she felt like she was running faster than she had before. It was dizzying how sharp everything was and how fast it seemed to go by her. She hit the main trail and kept running. She could feel her energy start to dip and she pushed herself harder. By the time she emerged from the woods she fell on the ground sobbing and gasping for air. She grabbed a fistful of grass with one hand and put her other palm to her mouth to stifle the sobbing, screaming sounds she was making. It felt like an hour of laying on the ground trying to collect herself. It was one of the Helgas that found her.
“Are you ok? Ma’am? Guys! She’s out!” Lauren heard the thinner of the group yelling for her friends to come help The 4 of them lifted her to a sitting position and tried to get her to respond. Eventually Lauren started to come to and her breathing returned to normal.
“What happened? “ The dark haired one asked firmly,
“N-n-nothing. I-I-I don’t know. I was in the woods and I heard… I don’t know. I’m so sorry, I have no idea what came over me.” Lauren stuttered. Trying so hard to reign her emotions back in. “Nothing, I just lost track of time there and I guess I got myself spooked. I have quite the imagination. What are you guys doing here? Was there something you needed?”
“We came up to see if you were ok, we were doing a little night hiking and saw you running and we followed you.” The dark haired one said. Lauren thought she was lying but didn’t know why she thought that.
“I could use some wine honestly, would you 4 like some wine?” Lauren felt like she was drunk as she walked back to her back door, the short one linked her arm in Lauren’s and walked with her steadying her.
“Wine sounds nice, we have some back at camp, we could get ours and bring it back.” She told Lauren in a soothing voice. A mom voice.
“Nonsense. I always stock up in town, I have plenty. I’ll get a fire going and-”
“We can get the fire, you get the wine and Addy here will help you bring out the glasses.” The dark haired one gestured to the short one who smiled and headed toward the door to open it for Lauren.
Lauren had 2 wine glasses and used regular glass cups for everyone else. She grabbed a couple bottles of red wine she’d gotten clearanced out after Halloween, the bottle had a blurry outline of trees and Lauren had felt it looked so magical she’d bought 6. Of course it wasn’t her favorite so now seemed like a good time to try to offload a little.
“I’m Lauren by the way, I know that’s Addy, who are the rest of you?” Lauren asked as she and Addy passed out glasses and poured wine in front of the fire.
“I’m Sara. “ The dark haired one said taking a generous drink from her cup
“I’m Therese.” The blond smiled and waved,
“I’m Rian.” The thin one said, pronouncing it Ree-ann.
“Is this a girls trip? I hope I didn’t mess anything up.” Lauren asked, pulling her blanket from the house tight around her. The fire was nice and warm but not warm enough to fend off the November chill.
“You didn’t mess anything up, honestly we were hoping to speak with you anyway. We knew Jim fairly well, I guess as well as you can know someone you only see 3 times a year. He had a pretty good idea of what he’d signed up for when he started but we got the feeling you didn’t and we were curious.” Sara said, watching Lauren’s face intently.
“I guess I don’t. I’m not sure what you mean.” Lauren said, wondering if they were crazy. The witchy types who came out here to dance naked in front of a fire and sing before going back home to suburbs and corporate lives with toddlers and teenagers. Lauren had dealt with those types over the summer but not very many.
“Well how did you get the job?” Therese asked, spinning the wine in her glass like she’d already had a few before they started.
“A friend of a friend. I was looking to make some changes in my life and he thought I would be a good fit here.”
“The Keeper?” Sara asked, leaning forward.
“I don’t think so. He just seemed like a regular guy. Who is the Keeper? “ Lauren asked nervously. The woods looked darker and it occurred to her that she didn’t know if she could beat them back in the house if she wanted to run. Then she remembered the Keeper comment from her dream, now hazy but still there.
“The Keeper doesn’t do a whole lot from what I can tell, not directly I mean. He just keeps information and contacts who he needs. He got Jim hired on, we don’t know much about him, we’ve personally not seen him ourselves. We’re not sure if he changes every so often but as far as we know it’s been the same person always. These woods are full of magic you see and not all of it is good magic. “ Sara explained. “We come out 3 times a year to make a blood sacrifice to Eglas. He or She, is a … something. Hungry mostly. Instead of one person we use 4 or 5 sometimes. Same amount of blood and no one dies. Occasionally one person will donate more for a favor but it’s not often.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Lauren said dumbly.
“He/She said they came to visit you last night. They said that you didn’t know much about your job. Eglas seemed very angry so we came to help you” Rian told her.
“There’s not much to your job. You keep the grounds maintained and then you make sure that we are able to do our work. I don't know what else is in the woods but I know about Eglas. My family has for at least a century come out and offered blood to keep Eglas satisfied. When they started settling the area, they disturbed a lot of spirits. Eglas was curious and found the taste of human blood to be… good I guess. Eglas would go into homes and take people, in the beginning it was a lot. Most families fled the area, but the ones who stayed came to Eglas one night and offered to give him what he wanted if he backed off. Or she, really Eglas has no real gender. It’s a fairy or demon, I’m not sure. Either way, Eglas was satisfied with a person a year but that got old quickly, not a lot of people lining up to do that obviously, they really weren’t getting a lot out of that deal back then, they could farm the land peacefully and that was it. One day a young farmer offered himself but when it came time he talked Eglas into changing the deal, a little from the strongest men in town. Eglas got the best there was and it was willingly. Eglas threw in the part about 3 times a year since the body wasn't included in the deal. That’s the lore anyway.” Sara told her story well, moving her hands and body, changing her pitch like a natural born storyteller.
“I think fairy because it makes the most sense with the woods and the deal making. You don’t have to believe us yet, you will eventually, but we come out here and do our ceremony and leave.” Addy told her.
“That sounds, nice.” Lauren said hesitantly. She drank more and could already feel the events of the afternoon fuzzing away.
“He’ll come to you again tonight, you’ll know who he is now. “ Therese said, smiling nicely.
“And you’ve done your ceremony already?” Lauren asked, trying to see if there were cuts visible. The girls nodded and Addy pulled her pants down showing off a long cut on her thigh. Lauren hissed through her teeth at the sight of it.
“Oh it’s not so bad. It hurts but it always heals quickly like it was never there. “ Addy assured her.
“Jim knew about this? “ Lauren asked, remembering a note in the binder about them being .
disturbing or something
“Yes, he did.. He knew before he started though. It kept him safe. We were a little worried that leaving you to the wolves so to speak, that you wouldn’t survive.” Rian explained.
“I’m afraid I’ve worn myself out. I think I’ll go to bed.” Lauren said, getting up carefully. The women were nice company and Lauren couldn’t think of the last time she had sat around the fire with anyone, but the conversation made her nervous. They looked at each other and nodded.
“We leave early tomorrow but I’ll leave my card on your door, you can call if you need anything.” Sara assured her.
Lauren didn’t get into bed as much as she collapsed into it. Her legs ached already and she knew that she wasn’t getting around much tomorrow. Between the wine and adrenaline wearing off, Lauren was able to fall asleep quickly.
She was out in the woods again. She must be dreaming because she wasn’t hurting.
“Do you know who I am?” The creature asked in her head again. Lauren couldn’t see the creature but didn’t feel the need to look for it either, just stood waiting.
“Eglas.” Lauren answered out loud. There was a chittering sound that somehow sounded pleased.
“Smart woman. I have been watching you.”
“I’d prefer you didn’t.” Lauren said dryly.
“You have questions.” Eglas stated.
“I can find answers.”
“I can give you answers if you ask me. It’s easy.” Eglas encouraged.
“Nothing is ever free and I have no intention of indebting myself to you. Accidentally or otherwise.” Lauren said, making herself clear. Eglas chuckled out loud and Lauren heard a swooshing through the trees. Lauren involuntarily shuddered.
“Have it your way, but you know where to find me.” Eglas said.
Lauren woke up the next morning as sore as she thought she would be. She managed to drag herself out of bed and to the bathroom and pulled on sweats that could pass as clothes. She thought that was the advantage of getting older, no one expected as much fashion wise. Lauren considered sitting on the stairs to go down but pushed through each painful step until she was in the kitchen. Ibuprofen and a freezer meal with a bottle of wine and she headed to the living room. She’d be close enough to answer any visitors if they came but she could sleep on the couch or watch tv. Lauren couldn’t find anything interesting on tv, or not enough to block out the clear dream she’d had last night that seemed to stick to her. When the ibuprofen kicked in she felt good enough to sit up, she looked around the room and noticed the bookshelf was getting dusty again. There were books on the shelf that had come with the place but Lauren had never really looked at them before. After flipping through movie selections and still not seeing anything she could find any interest in she got up and wandered over to the shelf. Reading the titles she figured out why she hadn’t wanted to read them before. History of the area mostly. Then a book about ghosts in the area, that sounded like it could be interesting. When Lauren was a kid she devoured books about ghosts. Next to it was a book without a title, it was slim and blended with the other books well. Lauren grabbed it as well, mostly curious. She settled back on the couch and pulled the blanket around her. The book was interesting, the usual ladies in the woods and drowned men, children warning of danger. Then there was a chapter that mentioned Elgas.
TRANCHLURE
He arose from the mud, hungry,ravenous.
He crept through the trees and on the strange mist observant first.
When the people came and Eglas fed He found a way to satiate the hunger and then slept for years and was awoken
He massacred the nearest town and those who lived in the woods found a way to drive him back into the caves, not dead but mostly sleeping until someone falls into his cavern, never to return.
Was it about Eglas? She didn’t think so.
Lauren went into the office and grabbed the binder that mentioned the Helgas. Even the binder was coded though obviously.
With her limited knowledge though she was thinking that they were groups of worshippers coming to celebrate differently. Lauren wondered if she could order some books on astrology to understand it better.
She opened up another book on fairies, but this had highlighted sections. A recipe for some kind of tea to see fairies. In the side there were some notes on things to leave out around the forest, offerings for the spirits. Lauren traced the handwriting and wondered if it was Jim who had written it or someone else. Apples was what it said.
There was a ring telling her someone was here. Lauren got up again carefully and headed in to the office. A man with a sleepy toddler on his shoulder stood waiting. He looked haggard and nervous.
“Cabin?” Lauren asked softly.
“Uhm, yes please.” He said.
“Any preference? You kind of have your pick this weekend.”
“Something toward the back.”
“Alright, cabin 15, more towards the middle honestly but it branches off so it’s a little more secluded?”
“Yes sounds fine. ‘
Lauren handed him his keys and a small map and sent him on his way, she then hobbled back to her couch. Sighing, she went back to the original book and started a story about a woman who had gotten lost in the forest and run into a sprit offering wishes. A wispy in between soul. Lauren noted that the spirit could be found by a landmark she knew. Slowly she started to doze.
Again she found herself barefoot in the forest.
“Hello again.” He or she whispered in her head
“Hello. Why am I here again?” Lauren asked dreamily.
“Because I am a generous soul. The man came today to ask for a favor from the fairies, he bought his offerings but he failed to realize he had put his daughter in danger. She’s gifted, she’s why he knows to come here. She’s also hit the magician and witches' radar, he needs protection.”
“Ah, and why do you care? There’s always a price.”
“I’ll protect her, for a price, obviously, just a little blood offering. From him if that isn’t clear. I need you to go and tell him my offer before his daughter is spirited away. Awaken now.”
Lauren woke up suddenly, she was annoyed and irate at being ordered around. But she got up and found a card that Sara had offered her the night before. Nervously she rang the number.
“Hello?” Sara answered.
“It’s Lauren, are you far away? “ Lauren asked, wondering how her rational world had changed in such a short span of time.
“Not far at all, maybe a mile.”
“Eglas, came to me, he wants to offer his services to a new camper here.”
“We’ll turn back around immediately.”
A few hours later Rian stood at the office smiling.
“It’s been taken care of, I didn’t realize what you being here meant. You’re the new Keeper.” Rian looked on at her with admiration.
“I don’t think so.” Lauren said firmly.
“You are, whether you know it or not, that’s why you’re here. Eglas might’ve told you that was why he was coming to you but he told us.” Lauren didn’t like the culty feeling she was getting off of Rian right now.
“Well, I don’t know what that means, I’m a caretaker, a well paid caretaker. Not a Keeper for things I don’t believe in. “
“I don't know much about the Keepers, but I have a very strong feeling that you should find the person who sent you here and ask some questions. I don’t know as much as the other girls about the magic in the forest but I do know that the fairies have an affinity for ceremony.”
After a few days of thinking, Lauren finally made a call to Eric. Eric was due up today.
Eric came to the regular front door instead of the office door.
“You’re the Keeper.” Lauren said without saying hello.
“Yes. Jim was a Keeper as well, but he… Well he isn’t anymore. You are up for the position obviously. I’m assuming you brokered a deal for someone out there if you figured it out. Which is accepting the position.”
“I don’t know about any of this. Eglas came and told me a girl was in trouble. I offered protection through another group that I know offers blood sacrifices. I feel like I’m too old to be any sort of Keeper. “
“Well it’s in your blood. That’s part of the reason you were chosen. The night you came to me I had a day of signs, then I heard about Jim. I was thinking of sending another established Keeper to this area and then I saw you. One big sign. I watched you for a few days and then I made the decision to send you up here. You have done very well so far. “
“Is there like a meeting for this? An instructional booklet? “
“I’m guessing Jim left a book of notes behind. He was good about notes in his day and when he realized he was coming to an end he told me he would leave things behind for whoever came next. I’d just look for books and binders.”
“But I don’t understand it.”
“Well you’ll have to learn fast”
“Rian said there was likely a ceremony.”
“There is an introduction. You’ll spill your blood by a great tree that connects all of the mountain. You’ll be recognized and the creatures will know to come to you.”
“What kind of fairy tale is this?”
“The kind that you’re a part of. “
“If it’s in my blood shouldn’t I know something?”
“I guess not.”
Lauren stood in front of the tree on the next full moon, freezing and nervous. The Helgas joined her for emotional support. Lauren held a sharp knife and sliced her hand to let the blood flow over the ground. Energy started from the ground and worked its way up her feet and through her body. With her feet firmly planted it felt as if she came up out of her body and rose above the trees, like looking through a microscope if she concentrated on a certain area she could see everything going on. At first she thought she saw people, but it was much too late for that. They were creatures. They roamed and played. I could see everything.
Welcome to Camp Thellgar

between 1999 and 2001 in the capital of Minas Gerais(belo horizonte) it is believed that at least 12 cases of murder and 5 disappearances could be linkedwith the bodies dumped near the UFMG forest and there could be more since as 43 women disappeared in Minas during this period, with 39 bodies found, and with a missing minor, some crimes:
March On the 5th, student Carla Emanuelle da Silva, 11, disappears in the Caiçara neighborhood. On the 10th, public servant Elizabeth Souza Pinheiro, 38, is last seen on the campus of UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais), also in the northwest region.
May On the 25th, banker Elizabete da Silva Nogueira, 34, disappears in Caiçara July Relatives of victims set up the Association of Relatives and Friends of Missing Persons.
November Student Cibele Marques do Nascimento, 17, disappears without leaving a trace in the Camargos neighborhood.
February 2000 On the 21st, the body of commercial representative Luciana Neiva Carvalho Dilly, 21, who disappeared five days earlier, is found in the Caiçara neighborhood (the region of the disappearances). The body showed signs of strangulation May 2000 The body of secretary Jaqueline Aline Machado, 17, was found, with signs of strangulation, in a bush in the region. The Civil Police leadership decides to unify the investigation that was divided between the Missing Persons, Homicide and Crimes against Women police stations. June 2000 The police say they are looking for gardener A. R. S., 28, suspected of being linked to the women's deaths and disappearances. The governor of Minas Gerais, Itamar Franco, determines that the investigations be taken over by the State Department of Special Operations.
July 2000 The bodies of sales woman Cintia Rosa de Castro, 23, and domestic worker Cleusilene Miranda, 25, were located. Cintia was killed by strangulation and Cleusilene with punctures in the neck and head.
On the 20th, the Civil Police arrested the captain of Minas Gerais police A.G.R., 29, suspected of being involved with the cases. He gives a statement and is released.
August 2000 On the 2nd, the body of secretary Josélia Mara Lopes Santos, 31, was located in the same region where the other bodies were found. Josélia had signs of strangulation. Two days later, around 200 women led by the Association of Relatives and Friends of Missing Persons held a demonstration and demanded more commitment from the Civil Police in investigations.
There was also a lawyer who disappeared in 2001 called Daniela Cardoso, her body was never found.
Suspects: Leandro ferreira de carvalho he is the main suspect in the case of Cibele, the only one killed by a knife, killing her after using cocaine. According to the police, he also had other women (there was another suspect who I thought looked similar to one of the sketches of rape victims, so you want to know if these were crimes) he is still at large. Marcos trigueiro: Convicted of killing 5 women between 2009 and 2010, he worked as a transporter with his route being close to where many bodies were found. According to his wife, he disappeared for days at the time of the crimes, and had a similar modus operandi, and also used a weapon to kidnap the women. women(something theorized before), a trader was interviewed at the Homicide Police Station. According to police chief Edson Moreira, she claimed to have seen Trigueiro together with student Simone Alves Ferreira, 17, whose bones were found in August 2001, in the Abóboras forest, in Contagem. The witness reported that he saw Simone and Trigueiro in a car.
José lucio de oliveira milagre: Convicted of 4 rapes, the former prison guard dismissed in 1995 committed the crimes between 1999 and 2002, while he was serving his sentence, his wife reported him for assault, bringing a letter in which he named the names of 4 women murdered by him, including Daniela Cardoso, in his home they were her clothes and ring were found, he frequented places where other women disappeared while serving time for rape (due to the bodies being found a long time later or in this case never found, he was not charged) in 2012 his DNA was linked to the rape and murder by josélia mara lopes, but he apparently appealed saying that the method(they took discarded glasses at a meal was illegal and was violating his rights, the other crimes that his wife accuses him of are elizabeth de souza pinheiro, found dead years after the crime and solange de jusus paixão in an interview with human rights, he claimed that he did not commit any of these crimes and that a group of police officers framed him and if he succeeded he would give information about more than 30 cases of disappearances and murders of women, more when this was accepted , he avoided talking about the cases causing the police chief to call him a liar, along with families of victims.
unknown blond man: I found this interesting a young blond man with biker clothes and pimples kidnapped Vivane, a student, she had gone to get books from the car, in the parking lot she felt a rope around her neck, and was forced to drive through the campus, he forced her to stop at the forest and strangled her, and the student was found unconscious by three people, just as in some cases there was no rape.
https://www1.folha.uol.com.bpaywall/login.shtml?https://www1.folha.uol.com.bfolha/cotidiano/ult95u9785.shtml
https://www1.folha.uol.com.bfsp/cotidian/ff0908200005.htm
https://www.almg.gov.bacompanhe/noticias/arquivos/2009/12/Not_775954.html
https://www.jusbrasil.com.bjurisprudencia/stf/863285483
https://www.otempo.com.bcidades/localizacao-de-corpos-dao-alivio-a-parentes-em-meio-a-dor-da-perda-1.1556875
https://www.otempo.com.bcidades/ex-policial-sera-indiciado-por-estupro-apos-12-anos-1.301979
https://www.otempo.com.bo-tempo-contagem/casos-reabertos-apos-dez-anos-levariam-ao-maniaco-1.36298

Grey’s Anatomy Narration
Season Two
Episode One: Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
Meredith Grey
To be a good surgeon, you have to think like a surgeon. Emotions are messy. Tuck them neatly away and step into a clean, sterile room, where the procedure is simple - cut, suture, and close.
But sometimes you’re faced with a cut that won’t heal…a cut that rips its stitches wide open.
They say, “Practice makes perfect.” Theory is, the more you think like a surgeon, the more you become one…the better you get at remaining neutral, clinical - cut, suture, close…and the harder it becomes to turn it off…to stop thinking like a surgeon…and remember what it means to think like a human being.
Episode Two: Enough Is Enough (No More Tears)
Meredith Grey
I have an aunt who, whenever she poured anything for you, would say, “Say when.” My aunt wold say, “Say when,” and of course, we never did.
We don’t “when” because there’s something about the possibility of more. More tequila. More love. More anything. More is better.
There’s something to be said about a glass half full…about knowing when to say when. I think it’s a floating line, a barometer of need and desire. It’s entirely up to the individual…and depends on what’s being poured. Sometimes…all we want is a taste. Other times, there’s no such thing as enough. The glass is bottomless…and all we want is more.
Episode Three: Make Me Lose Control
Meredith Grey
Surgeons are control freaks. With a scalpel in your hand…you feel unstoppable. There’s no fear, there’s no pain. You’re 10 feet tall and bulletproof. And then you leave the O.R….and all that perfection, all that beautiful control, just falls to crap.
No one likes to lose control, but as a surgeon there’s nothing worse. It’s a sign of weakness…of not being up to the task. And still, there are times when it just gets away from you…when the world stop spinning and you realize that your shiny little scalpel isn’t gonna save you…no matter how hard you fight it, you fall. And its scary as hell. Except…if there’s an upside to free falling, it’s the chance you give your friends to catch you.
Episode Four: Deny, Deny, Deny
Meredith Grey
The key to surviving surgical internship is denial. We deny that we’re tired. We deny that we’re scared. We deny how badly we want to succeed. And most importantly, we deny that we’re in denial.
We only see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe. And it works. We lie to ourselves so much that, after a while, the lies start to seem like the truth.
We deny so much that we can’t recognize the truth right in front of our faces.
Sometimes, reality has a way of sneaking up and biting us in the ass…and when the dam bursts, all you can do is swim. The world of pretend is a cage, not a cocoon. We can only lie to ourselves for so long. We are tired. We are scared. Denying it doesn’t change the truth.
Sooner or later, we have to put aside our denial and face the world head-on, guns blazing.
Denial - it’s not just a river in Egypt. It’s a freaking ocean. So how do keep from drowning in it?
Episode Five: Bring the Pain
Meredith Grey
Pain comes in all forms…the small twinge, a bit of soreness, the random pain, the normal pains we live with every day. Then there’s the kind of pain you can’t ignore. A level of pain so great that it blocks out everything else…makes the rest of the world fade away…until all we can think about…is how much we hurt…how we manage our pain is up to us.
Pain…we anesthetize, ride it out, embrace it, ignore it…and for some of us, the best way to manage pain is to just push through it.
Pain - you just have to ride it out, hope it goes away on its own, hope the wound that caused it heals.
There are no solutions, no easy answers. You just breather deep and wait for it to subside.
Most of the time, pain can be managed. But sometimes, the pain gets you when you least expect it…hits way below the belt and doesn’t let up.
Pain - you just have to fight through because the truth is…you can’t outrun it, and life always makes more.
Episode Six: Into You Like a Train
Meredith Grey
In general, people can be categorized in one of two ways - those you love surprises and those who don’t. I…don’t.
I’ve never met a surgeon that enjoys a surprise. Because, as surgeons, we like to be in the know. We have to be in the know. Because when we aren’t, people die and lawsuits happen. Am I rambling? I think I’m rambling.
Okay, so my point actually, and I do have one, has nothing to do with surprises or death or lawsuits or even surgeons. My point is this - whoever said “what you don’t know can’t hurt you,” was a complete and total moron. Because for most people I know not knowing is the worst feeling in the world.
Okay, fine. Maybe it’s the second worst.
As surgeons…there are so many things we have to know. We have to know that we have what it takes. We have to know how to take care of our patients. And how to take care of each other. Eventually…we even have to figure out how to take care of ourselves.
As surgeons, we have to be in the know. But as human beings, sometimes its better to stay in the dark. Because…in the dark there may be fear…but there’s also hope.
Episode Seven: Something to Talk About
Meredith Grey
Communication - it’s the first thing we really learn in life…funny thing is, once we grow up, learn our words and really start talking, the harder it becomes to know what to say or how to ask for what we really need.
At the end of the day, there are some things you just can’t help but talk about. Some things we just don’t want to hear…and some things we say because we can’t be silent any longer. Some things are more than what you say…they’re what you do. Some things you say because there’s no other choice. Some things you keep to yourself. And not too often…but every now and then…some things simply speak for themselves.
Episode Eight: Let It Be
Meredith Grey
In the eighth grade, my English class had to read Romeo and Juliet. Then for extra credit, Mrs. Snyder made us act out all the parts. Sal Scaffarillo was Romeo. As fate would have it, I was Juliet.
All the other girls were jealous, but I had a slightly different take. I told Mrs. Snyder that Juliet was an idiot. For starters, she falls for the one guy she knows she can’t have, then she blames fate for her own bad decision.
Mrs. Snyder explained to me that when fate comes into play, choice sometimes goes out the window. At the ripe old age of 13, I was very clear that love, like life, is about making choices…and fate has nothing to do with it.
Everyone thinks it’s so romantic - Romeo and Juliet, true love, how sad. If Juliet was stupid enough to fall for the enemy, drink a bottle of poison and go to sleep in a mausoleum…she deserved whatever she got.
Maybe Romeo and Juliet were fated to be together, but just for a while, and then their time passed. If they could’ve known that beforehand, maybe it all would’ve been okay.
I told Mrs. Snyder that when I was grown-up, I’d take fate into my own hands. I wouldn’t let some guy drag me down. Mrs. Snyder said that I’d be lucky if I ever had that kind of passion with someone, and that if I did, we’d be together forever.
Even now, I believe that, for the most part, love is about choices. It’s about putting down the poison and the dagger and making your own happy ending…most of the time…and that sometimes, despite all your best choices and all your best intentions, fate wins anyway.
Episode Nine: Thanks for the Memories
Meredith Grey
Gratitude, appreciation, giving thanks - no matter what words you use, it all means the same thing - happy. We’re supposed to be happy, grateful for friends, family. Happy to just be alive…whether we like it or not.
Maybe we’re not supposed to be happy. Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Maybe being grateful means recognizing what you have for what it is…appreciating small victories. Admiring the struggle it takes simply to be human.
Maybe we’re thankful for the familiar things we know. And maybe we’re thankful for the things we’ll never know. At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing…is reason enough to celebrate.
Episode Ten: Much Too Much
Meredith Grey
When you were a kid, it was Halloween candy. You hid it from your parents and ate it until you got sick. In college, it was the heady combo of youth, tequila and well…you know. As a surgeon, you take as much of the good as you can get…because it doesn’t come around nearly as often as it should. ‘Cause good things aren’t always what they seem. Too much of anything - even love - is not always a good thing.
How do you know how much is too much? Too much too soon? Too much information? Too much fun? Too much love? Too much to ask? And when is it all just too much to bear?
Episode Eleven: Owner of a Lonely Heart
Meredith Grey
40 years ago, The Beatles asked the world a simple question. They wanted to know where all the lonely people came from. My latest theory is that a great many of the lonely people come from hospitals. More precisely, the surgical wing of hospitals.
As surgeons, we ignore our own needs so we can meet our patient’s needs. We ignore our friends and families. So we can save other people’s friends and families. Which means that, at the end of the day, all we really have is ourselves…and nothing in this world can make you feel more alone than that.
400 years ago, another well-known English guy had an opinion about being alone - John Donne. He though we were never alone. Of course, it was fancier when he said it. No man is an island entire unto himself.
Boil down that island talk, and he just meant that all anyone needs is someone to step in…and let us know we’re not alone. And who’s to say that someone can’t have four legs? Someone to play with or run around with…or just hang out.
Episode Twelve: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
Meredith Grey
It’s an urban myth that suicide rates spike at the holidays. Turns out, they actually go down. Experts think it’s because people are less inclined to off themselves when surrounded by family. Ironically, that same family togetherness is thought to be the reason that depression rates actually do spike at the holidays. Yeah, okay, Izzie doesn’t count.
There’s an old proverb that says you can’t choose your family. You take what the fates hand you. And like them or not, love them or not, understand them or not…you cope.
Then there’s the school of thought that says the family you’re born into is simply a starting point. They feed you and clothe you and take care of you until you’re ready to go out into the world…and find your tribe.
Episode Thirteen: Begin the Begin
Meredith Grey
Fresh starts - thanks to the calendar, they happen every year. Just set your watch to January.
Our reward for surviving the holiday season is a new year, bringing on the great tradition of new year’s resolutions. Put your past behind you and start over.
It’s hard to resist the chance at a new beginning, a chance to put the problems of last year to bed.
Who gets to determine when the old ends and the new begins? It’s not a day on a calendar, not a birthday, not a new year. It’s an event, big or small, something that changes us. Ideally, it gives us hope…a new day of living and looking at the world. Letting go of old habits, old memories…what’s important is that we never stop believing we can have a new beginning. But it’s also important to remember that amid all the crap…are a few things really worth holding on to.
Episode Fourteen: Tell Me Sweet Little Lies
Meredith Grey
As doctors, we’re trained to be skeptical because our patients lie to us all the time. The rule is, every patient is a liar until proven honest. Lying is bad…or so we’re told, constantly, from birth. Honesty is the best policy. The truth shall set you free. I chopped down the cherry tree. Whatever.
The fact is, lying is a necessity. We lie to ourselves because the truth…the truth freaking hurts.
No matter how hard we try to ignore it or deny it…eventually, the lies fall away…whether we like it or not.
But here’s the truth about the truth - it hurts. So we lie.
Episode Fifteen: Break on Through
Meredith Grey
In surgery there is a red line on the floor that marks the point where the hospital goes from being accessible to being off-limits to all but a special few. Crossing the line unauthorized is not tolerated.
In general, lines are there for a reason…for safety…for security…for clarity. If you choose to cross the line, you pretty much do so at your own risk. So why is it…that the bigger the line, the greater the temptation to cross it?
We can’t help ourselves. We see a line…we want to cross it. Maybe its the thrill of trading the familiar for the unfamiliar, a sort of personal dare. Only problem is, once you’ve crossed, it’s almost impossible to go back.
But…if you do manage to make it back across that line…you find safety in numbers.
Episode Sixteen: It’s the End of the World
Meredith Grey
It’s a look patients get in their eyes. There’s a scent, the smell of death, some kind of sixth sense. When the great beyond is headed for you, you feel it coming. What’s the one thing you’ve always dreamed of doing before you die?
Okay, hello? Clearly not my dream. See…I told you. Not my dream.
Episode Seventeen: As We Know It
Meredith Grey
In hospitals, they say you know. You know when you’re going to die. Some doctors say it’s a look patients get in their eyes. Some say there’s a scent, a smell of death. Some think there’s just some kind of sixth sense. When the great beyond is heading for you, you feel it coming. Whatever it is, it’s creepy. Because if you know, what do you do about it?
Forget about the fact that you’re scared out of your mind. If you knew this was your last day on Earth…how would you want to spend it?
If you knew this was your last day on Earth, how would you want to spend it?
Episode Eighteen: Yesterday
Meredith Grey
After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, here’s what I’ve decided - there’s no such thing as a grown-up. We move on. We move out. We move away from our families and form our own.
But the basic insecurities, the basic fears and all those old wounds just grow up with us. And just when we think that life and circumstance have forced us to truly, once and for all become an adult…your mother says something like that. Or worse, something like that.
We get bigger, we get taller, we get older, but…for the most part, we’re still a bunch of kids, running around the playground trying desperately to fit in.
I’ve heard that it’s possible to grow up. I’ve just never met anyone who’s actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves…we throw tantrums when things don’t go our way…we whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark…we look for comfort where we can find it…and we hope - against all logic, against all experience. Like children…we never give up hope.
Episode Nineteen: What Have I Done to Deserve This?
George O’Malley
Okay, so, sometimes, even the best of us make rash decisions…bad decisions, decisions we pretty much know we’re going to regret the moment - the minute - especially the morning after. I mean, maybe not “regret” regret because at least, you know, we put ourselves out there. But still…something inside us decides to do a crazy thing, a thing we know will probably turn around and bit us in the ass…yet we do it anyway.
What I’m saying is…we reap what we sow. What comes around goes around. It’s karma, and anyway you slice it…karma sucks.
Like I was saying…payback’s a bitch.
One way or another, our karma…will leave us to face ourselves. We can look our karma in the eye or we can wait for it to sneak up on us from behind.
One way or another, our karma will always find us. And the truth is, as surgeons…we have more chance than most to set the balance in our favor.
No matter how hard we try…we can’t escape our karma. It follows us home.
I guess we can’t really complain about karma. It’s not unfair. It’s not unexpected. It just…evens the score. And even when we’re about to do something we know will tempt karma to bite us jn the ass, well, it goes without saying…we do it anyway.
Episode Twenty: Band-Aid Covers the Bullet Hole
Meredith Grey
As doctors, patients are always telling us how they would do our jobs. “Just stitch me up, slap a band-aid on it and send me home.” It’s easy to suggest a quick solution when you don’t know much about the problem, when you don’t understand the underlying cause or just how deep the wound really is.
The first step toward a real cure is to know exactly what the disease is to begin with - but that’s not what people want to hear. We’re supposed to forget the past that landed us here, ignore the future complications that might arise and go for the quick fix.
As doctors, as friends, as human beings, we all try to do the best we can. But the work is full of unexpected twists and turns. And just when you’ve gotten the lay of the land, the ground underneath you shifts…and knocks you off your feet. If you’re lucky, you end up with nothing more than a flesh wound. Something a band-aid will cover. But some wounds are deeper than they first appear ands require more than just a quick fix. With some wounds, you have to rip off the band-aid, let them breathe, and give them time to heal.
Episode Twenty-One: Superstition
Meredith Grey
My college campus has a magic statue. It’s a long-standing tradition for students to rub its nose for good luck. My freshman roommate really believed in the statue’s power and insisted on visiting it to rub its nose before every exam. Studying might have been a better idea. She flunked out her sophomore year. But the fact is, we all have little superstitious things that we do. If it’s not believing in magic statues, it’s avoiding sidewalk cracks or always putting our left shoe on first…knock on wood…step on a crack, break your mother’s back. The last thing we want to do is offend the gods.
Superstition lies in the space between what we can control, and what we can’t. Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long, you’ll have good luck. No one wants to pass up a chance for good luck. But does saying it 33 times really help? Is anyone really listening? And if no one’s listening, why do we bother doing those strange things at all?
We rely on superstitions because we’re smart enough to know we don’t have all the answers…and that life works in mysterious ways. Don’t dis the juju…from wherever it comes.
Episode Twenty-Two: The Name of the Game
Meredith Grey
A good basketball game can have us all on the edge of our seats. Games are all about the glory, the pain, and the play-by-play. And then there are the more solitary games…the games we each play all by ourselves.
The social games, the mind games - we use them to pass the time, to make life more interesting, to distract us from what’s really going on.
There are those of us who love to play games…any game. And there are those of us who love to play…a little too much.
Life is not a spectator sport. Win, lose or draw…the game is in progress…whether we want it to be or not. So go ahead…argue with the refs, change the rules, cheat a little…take a break and tend to your wounds. But play. Play. Play hard…play fast…play loose and free. Play as if there’s no tomorrow. Okay…so it’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. Right?
Episode Twenty-Three: Blues for Sister Someone
Meredith Grey
The key to being a successful intern is what we give up - sleep, friends, a normal life. We sacrifice it all for that one amazing moment…that moment when you can legally call yourself a surgeon.
There are days that make the sacrifices seem worthwhile. And then there are the days where everything feels like a sacrifice. And then there are the sacrifices that you cant even figure out why you’re making.
A wise man once said you can have anything in life if you will sacrifice everything else for it. What he meant is, nothing comes without a price. So before you go into battle, you better decide how much you’re willing to lose. Too often, going after what feels good means letting go of what you know is right. And letting someone in means abandoning the walls you’ve spent a lifetime building. Of course, the toughest sacrifices are the ones we don’t see coming…when we don’t have time to come up with a strategy, to pick a side or to measure the potential loss. When that happens, when the battle chooses us and not the other way around, that’s when the sacrifice can turn out to be more than we can bear.
Episode Twenty-Four: Damage Case
Meredith Grey
We all go through life like bulls in a china shop - a chip here, a crack there, doing damage to ourselves, to other people. The problem is trying to figure out how to control the damage we’ve done, or that’s been done to us. Sometimes the damage catches us by surprise. Sometimes we think we can fix the damage. And sometimes the damage is something we can’t even see.
We’re all damaged, it seems. Some of us more than others. We carry the damage with us from childhood. Then as grown-ups, we give as good as we get. Ultimately, we all do damage…and then we set about the business of fixing whatever we can.
Episode Twenty-Five: 17 Seconds
Meredith Grey
In life, we are taught that there are seven deadly sins. We all know the big ones - gluttony, pride, lust…but the sin you don’t here much about is anger. Maybe it’s because we think anger’s not that dangerous…that we can control it…my point is, maybe we don’t give anger enough credit. Maybe it can be a lot more dangerous than we think. After all, when it comes to destructive behavior…it did make the top seven.
So what makes anger different from the six other deadly sins? It’s pretty simple really. You give into a sin like envy or pride, and you only hurt yourself. Try lust or coveting, and you’ll only hurt yourself and probably one or two others. But anger…anger is the worst…the mother of all sins. Not only can anger drive you over the edge, when it does, you can take an awful lot of other people with you.
Episode Twenty-Six: Deterioration of the Fight to Flight Response
Meredith Grey
Human beings need a lot of things to feel alive…
George O’Malley
Family…
Cristina Yang
Love…
Isobel Stevens
Sex.
Derek Shepherd
But we only need one thing…
Preston Burke
To actually be alive.
Cristina Yang
We need a beating heart.
Addison Montgomery-Shepherd
When our heart is threatened…
Alex Karev
We respond in one of two ways…
George O’Malley
We either run…
Derek Shepherd
Or…
Isobel Stevens
We attack.
Richard Weber
There’s a scientific term for this…
Alex Karev
Fight…
Addison Montgomery-Shepherd
Or flight.
Miranda Bailey
It’s instinct.
Meredith Grey
We can’t control it.
Isobel Stevens
Or can we?
Episode Twenty-Seven: Losing My Religion
[No narration]

Questions and Answers

[Note to women: If you are a woman under the covering of a man, you may either use this section to reply to an officer, or you may simply do the following. Whenever the officer asks you a question, you may reply, "I am under the covering of my husband (father, brother, etc.). You will have to speak to him," to each and every question he asks, no matter what he asks you. If and when he asks where your man is, you may reply as our Lord did, "come and see" (John 1:38-39). If he wants to talk with him, he will have to follow you to get to your man. Make sure you do not give the impression that you are "refusing" to answer his questions, but that you cannot answer his questions because you are under the covering of your man, and he is your head. You may also say that you are commanded by your husband to remain silent, which removes the burden from yourself].

Officer: (While approaching) Bondservant: Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Christ. Do you greet me in the same name? (If he or she does not answer you, ask in whose name they do greet you. You will then know who and what you are dealing with).
Officer: Let me see your driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of insurance. Bondservant: I have something better.
Officer: What’s that? Bondservant: I have here the Holy Scriptures which describes and defines me as an ambassador and bondman of Jesus the Christ, executing His Testament. Are you?
Officer: Yes. (If he says "No, I'm just a cop," ask him who he ministers for). Bondservant: Well, praise God. Perhaps you would like to sit down and discuss the scriptures for a moment?
Officer: Some other time. I need to see some State ID. Bondservant: Well, I don’t belong to the State, but to God our Father, and He knows me. In His Law, there is no requirement for ID, because I’m sealed by His Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30), which marks and separates me from the natural man (1 Corinthians 2:14). This (holding up the scripture) is the Law I follow; the Law of God.
Officer: Oh! So you're religious, huh? Bondservant: No, I'm not religious. Religion is death. I serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, which is Life.
Officer: What is your name? Bondservant: Are you asking me for my God-given name?
Officer: No, I'm asking you for your first, middle, and last name. Bondservant: Well, I don't have a first, middle, and last name. But I do have a God-given name. Is that what you're asking me for?
Officer: Okay then...yea yea yea. What is your God-given name? Bondservant: I will also ask of you one question, and if you answer me, I will answer your question (Mark 11:29). Who do you minister for?
Officer: I am not a minister. Now what is your name? Bondservant: I'll re-phrase my question. In whose name, and by whose authority, do you do the things you do?
Officer: Have you ever been arrested before? Bondservant: I need to know in whose name you do the things you do before I answer that question, because you came to me, I did not come to you.
Officer: I am conducting an investigation and I need to know who you are to continue my investigation. Bondservant: Well, when you answer in whose name you do the things you do, then you may proceed with your investigation.
Officer: I work for the city/state/country of (name). Now what is your name? Bondservant: Out of your own mouth you have testified that you do not minister for God, through Christ Jesus. I am a bondman of Christ Jesus, and I am commanded by Him to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's (Matthew 22:21, Mark 12:17, Luke 20:25). I do have a name that God has given me (John 10:3, Revelation 2:17) because I am subject to His Authority, as you are. However, Caesar has not given me a name, nor called me anything at anytime. Since I have not been given a name by Caesar, I do not have a name that can be rendered to him. (To clarify, by rendering our name to the servants of God, we are rendering our name to God, because His servants act in His name). No man can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
Officer: I will ask you one more time. Tell us who you are! Bondservant: I am who my Father says I am.
Officer: So, who does your father say you are? Bondservant: If you knew my Father, you would know who I am (1 John 3:1, John 8:19; 14:7). My name is written in the Lamb's book of Life (Philippians 4:3, Revelation 3:5; 21:27), and if your name was written in there as well, you would know who I am.
Officer: Well, I can't let you go until I have your name. Bondservant: If I give you my name, I'd be subjecting myself to you. I can't do that. Besides, it's not the physical name that's important, it's what is written on our heart that's important. That is who I am.

[Note: In some places they will arrest you and leave you in jail until you do give them a "name." Therefore, if the officer asks what he should call you, you may say to the officer, "I do not have a name, but you may call me (giving your Christian name, not your family name)." This way, you are telling them you do not have a name given by Caesar, and at the same time, satisfying their request for something to call you by. If, after you give them your name...Officer: Hmmm. Well, your name is not in our computer! Bondservant: Well, what law says that I have to be in your computer?]

Officer: You are interfering with a law enforcement officer in the execution of his duties. I could bring you in for obstructing justice. Bondservant: I could not possibly be interfering with whatever your duties may be because I'm speaking the Truth to you. Are you saying that because I speak the truth you hate me? (John 8:45-47).
Officer: I don't hate you. Bondservant: Do you want me to speak the Truth to you, or do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?
Officer: The truth. Bondservant: Well that is what I'm speaking to you.
Officer: Well, that's your belief. Bondservant: No, this has nothing to do with belief, this has to do with the truth. It is written in your law that the cause of the church is a public cause, and private interpretation is irrelevant.
Officer: Well, I don't want to hear that stuff. Bondservant: Excuse me. What I have to say has importance to everyone. I am speaking the truth to you, and the truth has an effect on everything you and I do. In rejecting the truth, men reject its Author. In trampling upon the law of God, they deny the authority of the Law-giver.
Officer: Well, I believe in the principles of Jesus. Bondservant: So what? That doesn't mean anything. Either you're for Him or you're against Him (Matthew 12:30). Those who are lukewarm, Christ will spue out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16). Either you place Him as Lord over you're life or you don't.
Officer: You are too narrow. I am an expert on world religions. I have traveled to many countries and have had long discussions with the leaders of many religious groups. I have discussed the road of life through time and eternity with Muslims, Brahins, Shintoists, and many others. All of them know God, even though they do not believe in Jesus Christ. I am sorry to have to disagree with you, but you put too much emphasis on Jesus Christ and do not allow that other religions are just as good as Christianity. Bondservant: Your argument is not with me, but with the scripture. It is not I who say these things, it is the Word of God. Jesus said that no man can come to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). If you wish to dispute someone, dispute Him. (Remember, you are not called to convince anyone, you are simply called to be an open channel for the Spirit of God to flow through. You can never be anything else, even though you may think so at times. Follow the pathway of obedience, let the Word of God do its own work, and you will be used by God far beyond your own powers).
Officer: Do you have any weapons? Bondservant: Only the sword of Truth (holding up the scriptures)...we are after the Truth, yes? The weapons of my warfare are not carnal, but spiritual (2 Corinthians 10:4, Ephesians 6:11-20). I realize you're engaged in war, otherwise you wouldn't be carrying that gun, but I walk in peace, and therefore I come in peace.
Officer: Do you mind if I search you then? Bondservant: You will do whatever you deem is necessary to accomplish your intended purpose.
Officer: You are entitled at least to an opinion. Bondservant: I have no entitlements from Caesar, and opinions are not Law, and have no standing in Law.
Officer: I found this paper (document, certificate, bible, etc) with a name on it. Are you (name)? Bondservant: You say I am (Luke 22:70; 23:3).
Officer: No, I am asking you if you are the person on this paper. Bondservant: You say I am (Matthew 27:11, Mark 15:2).
Officer: I did not make a statement. I asked an interrogatory. Do you know what an interrogatory is? Bondservant: You say I do.
Officer: An interrogatory is a question. I am going to ask you again. Are you (name)? Bondservant: You are accusing me of being the person on that piece of paper. Therefore, you say I am (John 18:37).
Officer: Then how do you introduce yourself to others? Bondservant: I don’t. Did I run up to you and do that?
Officer: No. Bondservant: There is your answer.
Officer: I am a Christian just like you are. Bondservant: Well then, that means we're brothers! And if we're brothers we have the same Father. And therefore, we already know one another. You don't need to ask me for any ID, or where I live, or where I was born, because those things are of the flesh, and they don't mean anything. What need have you of ID after I've shown you that I am a bondman of Christ?
Officer: We don't know who you are. Bondservant: I don't know who you are.
Officer: Is there anybody here who can verify who you are? Bondservant: My Father knows me, and if you knew my Father, as you say you do, then you already know me, for He sends me. The Holy Spirit knows me, and all of the saints of heaven bear witness of who I am. Which, even you must admit, makes it a majority.
Officer: But how do I know that you are who you say you are? Bondservant: The scripture says, "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him." (John 10:37-38).
Officer: Everyone in this country must be identified. Bondservant: Yes, all "persons" do.
Officer: Oh, I suppose you're not a person. What are you then, an entity? Bondservant: No, I'm not an entity, and I'm not a right and duty bearing unit. As I have told you, I'm a bondman of Christ Jesus, and I'm here to speak the truth. Under the law of slaves, slaves are not persons.
Officer: That is all well and good. But you have to understand, you must have a license or some kind of identification when you are out here on the roads. Bondservant: I have a higher Law that I must answer to. The scripture says, "I can do all things through Christ [not the government] which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). If I had a license, I’d be forsaking the Father and His Law. I am not out here hurting anybody. I am doing the Will of my Father. And under His Law no identification is required for he has already identified me by the testimony I keep. The Christ’s assembly does not exist on paper, but in the hearts of men, and is expressed in their outward acts. Because there is no breath of Life from God in such pieces of paper (Genesis 2:7; 7:15), I do not look to them for any authority for doing anything. Christ is my authority for doing the things I do.
Officer: Can you not show me something, such as a passport or some kind of identity documents? Bondservant: I cannot show you a Passport or any identity documents, for my King does not issue them.
Officer: Who is your passenger? Bondservant: I do not have a passenger, he's my brother and we're exercising God's Will.
Officer: Do you own this vehicle? Bondservant: Firstly, slaves are incapable of 'ownership'. Being a servant of Christ, I am not an owner of anything, for it has been written from the beginning, "The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein" (Psalms 24:1, 1 Corinthians 10:26). Officer, are you not a ‘public servant’? As a servant, this police car does not belong to you, but to your master, whom you serve. Likewise, I am a servant, and this vessel belongs to my Master, whom I serve. If you were to go to the DMV and attempt to get a title to that police car by claiming you are the "owner," would you not be bearing false witness? Likewise, I would be bearing false witness by claiming that I am the owner of this vessel and attempting to get a title. Secondly, you presume this is a vehicle.
Officer: Under the traffic laws of this state, a motor vehicle is defined as ‘every vehicle which is self-propelled’ (or "any vehicle which is propelled by mechanical power, and not human power"). Bondservant: Then, by your own law, this is not a motor vehicle, because it is not self-propelled (or "not propelled by mechanical power"). It's propelled by fuel, which comes from God. If you believe it is self-propelled, then call it, and see if it comes to you. If it does not come to you, then your reality is different from mine.
Officer: Does this car belong to you? Bondservant: No, it’s not mine, but it is in my care. I can’t own anything, everything belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). I am a joint heir with Christ Jesus (Romans 8:17). And it is written in your maxims of law that no one can be both owner and heir at the same time. I’m simply using this vessel to exercise my duty of movement on the Common Ways (Galatians 5:1). God gave me this as a stewardship to do His Will. It belongs to Him, because he made it.
Officer: No, the car manufacturer made it. Bondservant: And where did the manufacturer get all this metal from? Didn’t they get it from the ore in the earth? God created all the materials that are used in this machine. Therefore, God created it. The manufacturer simply used materials that God already created. "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God" (Hebrews 3:4).
Officer: Well, since this car is not yours, then give it to me! Bondservant: It is not mine to give.
Officer: Well, how would you feel if I just took this car, since it's not yours? Bondservant: I came into this world without a vessel, and I'll depart from this world without a vessel. I would have no hard feelings if you took it, because you'd be stealing from God, not me; and God will continue to supply me with my needs (Matthew 6:31-33, Luke 12:22-31, Philippians 4:19, Psalms 34:10).
Officer: (Pointing to the diplomatic plates) What is this? Bondservant: These are diplomatic plates, for the scripture says, "we are ambassadors for Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20). This plate evidences Who I serve and minister for, the jurisdiction I’m under, and the Law I follow.
Officer: What State are they from? Bondservant: They're from the state of Christendom.
Officer: Where did you get these plates? Bondservant: They are given to me by the Christ's assembly.
Officer: Where is the Christ's assembly located? Bondservant: The whole body of believers in Christ are His assembly, where two or three are gathered in His name (Matthew 8:20).
Officer: You can't do that. You can't use those plate. Bondservant: Why not? The government is upon Christ's shoulder (Isaiah 9:6).

Officer: (If there are State issued license plates on car) These plates belong to Caesar! Bondservant: No, that's not Caesar's. Caesar claims it's his, but the substance belongs to God.

Officer: So, you think you’re above the law, huh? Bondservant: The word ‘Law,’ to a minister of Christ, means the Word of God. I am not above the Law of God at any time, but I am always justified in not performing those things which have men for their author and exalt themselves by opposing the righteous authority of God. I cannot accept the authority of man above that of God, for the scripture says, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
Officer: You deny the authority of man’s law? Bondservant: God’s Word denies his authority. There is only one lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22, James 4:12). God Almighty.
Officer: Where were you going in your car? Bondservant: Wherever God leads me. He directs my comings and goings during my sojourn here with Him. Our Lord tends me as a shepherd and leads me as He will and I follow Him ( Psalms 23:1).
Officer: Where do you live? Bondservant: I live, move and have my being in Christ Jesus (Luke 4:4, John 11:25, Galatians 2:20).
Officer: Where do you live, physically? Bondservant: I live wherever I happen to be at the time. Right now, I live right here where I am standing. [If you say you live someplace else, then you’re admitting you’re dead, spiritually dead, because you’re not ‘living’ here but somewhere else. You cannot "live" in two places at once.]
Officer: Where is your home? Bondservant: Right here (point to your heart).
Officer: Where is your residence, abode, domicile, or dwelling? Bondservant: I "have no certain dwellingplace" (1 Corinthians 4:11) because I’m a sojourner on the land with Him (Leviticus 25:23, Psalm 39:12, 1 Chronicles 29:15, Hebrews 11:13). And the scripture says, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" (Matthew 8:20, Luke 9:58).

[As a matter of fact, Jesus was asked this very question, "where dwellest thou?" and we may answer as he did...] "come and see" (John 1:38-39). [He said "come and see me live! You can see where I live by observing my life." Jesus did not say "Well, I'm a resident of Nazareth," or "I dwell in that house over there," or "I live in Israel." Giving somebody an address, or a physical location, doesn't prove that that's where you live. But by saying "come and see," you're saying "come and witness it!"]

Officer: Where does your family live? Bondservant: My brother, sister, and mother are whosoever shall do the will of God (Matthew 12:49-50, Luke 8:21). Therefore, they too live, move, and have their being in Christ Jesus.
Officer: Where did you sleep last night? Bondservant: I slept in a tent. [We do indeed sleep in a tent, but not the tent that he might be thinking of. We're not using deceit, we're speaking in a spiritual manner. In scripture, a tent is synonymous with a tabernacle; the words "tent" and "tabernacle" are both tranlslated from the same word. Our physical body is a tabernacle (2 Corinthians 5:1-4). A tent reflects the body's transient character; it's a temporary dwelling place. Even though we did not sleep in a literal tent, we are in a tabernacle and, therefore, that is where we slept.]
Officer: Well, where'd you sleep in this tent? On the mountain or down in the valley? Bondservant: Neither.
Officer: What do you mean neither? It's either one or the other. Bondservant: It doesn't really matter.
Officer: Well, what street was it close to? Bondservant: It doesn't really matter.
Officer: What is your citizenship? Bondservant: My citizenship is not of this world (John 18:36). I'm a fellow citizen with the saints, and of the household of God (Ephesians 2:19).
Officer: What country are you from? Bondservant: New Jerusalem, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 11:16; 12:22-24, Revelation 3:12; 21:2).
Officer: So what are you, an angel or something? Bondservant: That's right. I'm a messenger of God. (In scripture, an angel is synonymous with a messenger; the words "angel" and "messenger" are both tranlslated from the same word, and refer to men as well as spiritual angels).
Officer: Well, where do you receive your mail? Bondservant: I do not receive mail. I call for First-Class matter from time to time on behalf of the Christ's assembly posted to us in the general post-office. [Note: if you pick up mail at the general post-office addressed to "the Christ's assembly", you are not receiving mail in your own name, but in the name of Christ. It is addressed to all believers in Christ, not you. You can keep an opened post-marked envelope in the glove box to evidence this fact.]
Officer: What’s your phone number? Bondservant: I do not have a phone number. [Technically, all phone numbers belong to the phone company].
Officer: What's your zip code? Bondservant: I do not have a zip code. Nobody really has a zip code. Zip codes belong to the Post Office.
Officer: What's your Social Security number? Bondservant: I do not have Social Security number. I'm forbidden to be marked by a number from the government (1 Chronicles 21:2-14, 2 Samuel 24, Revelation 13:16-18; 14:9-11; 16:2; 19:20).
Officer: When were you born? Bondservant: We were all made in His image and likeness on the sixth day (Genesis 1:26-27), but God has never told us when that was. I cannot put a particular date on that.
Officer: How old are you? Bondservant: I don't know. Only my Father knows that and He has never told me.
Officer: Where were you born? Bondservant: I don’t know, I was not exactly cognizant at the time. To venture a guess would be telling a lie. It would be a conclusion based upon hearsay only, and in both your law and God's Law, hearsay is not the truth. Besides, this is irrelevant to a Good and Lawful minister of Christ. It’s not our first birth from corruptible seed that’s important (1 Peter 1:23), but our second birth, when we’re "born again" (John 3:3,7). The first birth is of the world, the second birth is of God (John 1:12-13).
Officer: How is it that you don’t have a birth date? Bondservant: Only my Father knows where and when I was born, and he has never revealed it to me.
Officer: Which father are you talking about? Bondservant: My heavenly Father.
Officer: Well, what about your earthly father? Has he told you when or where you were born? Bondservant: That's irrelevant, because that's hearsay, and hearsay is not the truth. I can only speak of things which I have seen and heard (Acts 4:20).
Officer: What are you trying to hide? Bondservant: What are you trying to make me say?
Officer: The truth. Bondservant: Well, I am speaking the Truth to you. It is written in your law that no one is bound to do what is impossible. You're asking me to give you answers that are impossible for me to give you. I cannot give you that which I do not have, and I cannot tell you that which I do not know.
Officer: How much do you weigh? How tall are you? Bondservant: I don't speculate about such things.
Officer: Where do you work? Bondservant: Work is not a place, it's an activity. And I do the works of God everywhere in general, nowhere specific.
Officer: How do you earn your living? Bondservant: I don't earn my life. God gives life freely.
Officer: Where do you get money to stay so clean and wear your clothes? Bondservant: When God guides, God provides.
Officer: Do you work for a living? Bondservant: How can I work for a living when I'm already alive? I labour for the Lord and he provides for all of my needs.
Officer: And what do you do when you labour for the Lord? Bondservant: I do whatever the Lord directs me to do.
Officer: Can you be a little more specific? Bondservant: I work as a _______ from time to time.
Officer: (If the initiating officer goes back to his car to call in for advice, and leaves you with an officer to keep an eye on you, you can say something like…) Bondservant: Well, I’m here to execute Christ’s Testament and bear witness to somebody, so perhaps you’re here for that purpose. (Their eyes might get real big at this point, so continue). How are you with the Lord?
Officer: Oh, I’m OK. Bondservant: Well, that doesn’t sound too enthusiastic. Do you study the scriptures?
Officer: No. I don’t have time. I’m a working single mother with two jobs and a seven year old boy. Bondservant: (Continue witnessing. When the initiating officer returns, you may close with…) Be sure and take some time to study. If not for yourself, then for the boy’s sake.
Officer: (If other officers arrive, you may witness to them as well). Bondservant: Do you ever read the scripture?
Officer: No, I am a cop (or if he says he's a marxist, a communist, etc., just fill in the blanks of the following reply). Bondservant: The scripture was written especially for cops. It says that God so greatly loved cops that he gave His only begotten Son so that any cop who believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16).
Officer: I would love to ask Jesus to come into my heart, but I cannot. I am a Jew. Bondservant: You cannot ask Jesus into your heart because you are a Jew? Then you do not understand that with the Jew (Jesus) in your heart, you are a double Jew. On the divine side He was God's Son. On man's side He was a Jew. When you accept Him you do not become a Gentile. You become even more Jewish than before. You will be a completed Jew! (Romans 2:28 -29).
Officer: (Now, the initiating officer returns...) Are you a resident or a non-resident? Bondservant: Neither. My Father has never described me as either of those.
Officer: You're lying. You're either one or the other. Bondservant: I am not lying, I am speaking the truth. How would you know the Truth when you have cast away the Law of God behind you and forsaken Him (Isaiah 5:24)? You cannot know the Truth, and if you cannot know the Truth, you can never know a lie.
Officer: I don't like your answers. Bondservant: If I were to answer you any other way, I'd be lying to you. Are you compelling me to lie to you?
Officer: We all must obey the laws of the land. Bondservant: Yes, that is true. But the law of the land is not man's law, it is God's Law.
Officer: You were driving this car, and all drivers must have a license. Bondservant: I am not driving a car, I am guiding this vessel to do the Lord's Will.
Officer: There is such a thing as separation of Church and State. Bondservant: Well, anybody that believes that the Law of God and the law of the land are separate, they've deluded themselves. That's not living in the truth, that's living in an image of someone else's idea. Is there any law that man can create which sets the bounds of God's Law?
Officer: You know, the scripture says, "the powers that be are ordained of God" (Romans 13:1). Bondservant: Yes, and I am to submit to the King as supreme, and also to the governors, as to them who are sent by Him, for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well (1 Peter 2:14).
Officer: Well then, Caesar commands that you should have a license, tag, registration, title, insurance, and that you should wear your seatbelts, because it is against his law, and he is ordained of God, therefore you should do those things. Bondservant: Paul, the apostle, was often thrown in prison by Caesar for disobeying their laws. And even though Jesus Christ told Pilate (the governor), that Pilate had no power against him, but what God gave him, Christ died under the same Pilate. I hope you will not say that either Paul or Christ disobeyed the governing authorities, and so sinned against God in slighting their laws. Officer, God's Law has provided two ways of obeying Caesar: the one to do that which I am bound to do; and the other, when I cannot obey Caesar because it would violate a Law of God, is to submit to their laws which punish evil doers and reward them that do good, and be willing to lay down my life, and to suffer what Caesar shall do to me, for placing God's Law above man's law (Acts 5:29).
Officer: What's wrong with getting a license? How is it violating God's Law? Bondservant: Firstly, Caesar is saying I have to go through him to exercise God's Law. Caesar is no mediator between me and God, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). Secondly, a license is a written agreement between me and the State. I cannot enter into any agreements with the State, because my covenant is with God, not with the heathen. Contracts with Caesar are forbidden, because all contracts are on Caesar’s terms, and all promises are to be on God's terms (Leviticus 18:2, Jeremiah 22:9). And thirdly, a license would bind me to owe man something, and scripture says, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:8).
Officer: Well, you have to understand that I have a job to do out here. Bondservant: Yes, I understand that you have a job to do, and I don't have a problem with that. But you must understand that I also have a job to do; I can only serve One Master, and He is above you and I, and He is also above whoever you take orders from.
Officer: When I see a violation taking place, I have to act on it. Bondservant: If I broke the Law, which of you convicts me of sin? (John 8:46). If I have done evil, bear witness of the evil I have done; but if well, why do you hinder me (John 18:23)? I was exercising my duty of movement upon the common ways. My warrant for doing that is written in the Word of God, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), also, "To visit orphans and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27).
Officer: Well, you're breaking the law if you don't have a license from the government. Bondservant: So, then you're re-defining what good and evil is? Scripture does not say it's a sin to not get a license. You can say it's evil all day long, but if God's Word does not show it is an evil act then it's not evil. I am exercising my Duty of movement on the common ways for my Master, and that is not evil.
Officer: You can walk. Bondservant: Yes, I can. But the Lord has provided me this vessel.
Officer: Do you have vehicle insurance? Bondservant: I don't need insurance from man because I have assurance from God (Isaiah 32:17, Hebrews 10:22). I am not authorized to enter into contracts with State approved insurance companies. And car insurance neither prevents accidents, nor saves lives.
Officer: So, you're one of those people who don't pay taxes, huh? Bondservant: We pay for whatever we use. The Body of Christ is not made up of thieves. I owe Caesar nothing because I take nothing from Caesar, and I don't reside in your fictions. We're not your slaves, we are bondservants of Christ.
Officer: Do you pledge allegiance to the flag? Bondservant: No. That's idolatry. The only pledge of allegiance I can make is to our Creator.
Officer: Please sign this ticket. Bondservant: You presume evil where there is none. And I cannot sign that piece of paper, because I am a bondservant of my Sovereign King and Lord Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 7:22-23). Therefore, I cannot enter into any agreements which either obligates Him or myself.
Officer: It's a criminal offense if you refuse to sign it. Bondservant: I am not refusing to sign it, I am forbidden to sign it. I have no warrant from Him in His Law to sign those tickets, and I am specifically forbidden to do so in His Law (Matthew 6:34, Romans 13:8, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17). Just like you are forbidden to do certain acts by your master.
Officer: I know that I should arrest you and impound the car, but I'm going to let you go. You're free to go. Bondservant: Thank you, officer, and may God richly bless you for your compassion and your respect to the Law.
Alternatively, the outcome may be:
Officer: If you don't have a license, I'm going to have to arrest you. Bondservant: "I am straightened on every side; for if I do this thing, it is death unto me; and if I do it not, I cannot escape your hands. It is better for me to fall into your hands, and not do it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord" (Apocrypha, History of Susan 1:22-23).
Officer: Well, I must arrest you now. Bondservant: You do what you must; I can only do what our Lord and Master has commanded me to do. You're asking me to do what is impossible to do. I only serve one Master, and I am told by Him to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. I don't have anything that belongs to Caesar, so I have nothing that can be rendered to him. By your own admission, you serve Caesar and not God.
Officer: Caesar has been dead for two thousand years! Bondservant: Caesar may be dead, but his spirit is not. And by your words and actions, you yourself have evidenced that his spirit is very much alive. Are you a Peace officer?
Officer: Yes, I am. Bondservant: Well, there is no greater Peace than that of "the Prince of Peace," Jesus the Christ (Isaiah 9:6).
Officer: I'm afraid that I must arrest you now. Bondservant: There is no law that compels an officer to violate God’s Law, which is the Supreme Law of the land, and the basis of all law in America.
Officer: There are codes, rules, and regulations that you are breaking, so I must bring you to the station. Bondservant: Jesus did not use your codes, rules, and regulations for the things he did, and neither do I use your codes, rules, and regulations for the things that I do. Officer, there are laws of man that direct you to do certain things, but I follow the Laws of God which direct me to do certain things. What's the difference?
Officer: You’re under arrest. Bondservant: You seek to arrest me because God’s Word hath no place in you (John 8:37).
Officer: I'm just doing my job. Bondservant: The Nazi's, too, were just doing their job. The Roman soldiers who crucified Jesus were just following orders.
Officer: Who are you to preach to me? Bondservant: That's my Duty. And it should be your duty to speak the truth as well.
Officer: Let’s go to jail, pal. Bondservant: "I am in your hands; do with me as seemeth good and right unto you" (Jeremiah 26:14).
Officer: We're going to impound this car; it's the law. Bondservant: If you steal for Caesar, it is still you who are stealing. And what you steal from a servant of God, you steal from God himself.
Officer: (If he reads the Miranda Warning) You have the right to remain silent (and other State benefits...). Do you understand your rights? Bondservant: I cannot accept any rights or protections offered by the State.
Officer: I need to know if you understand what I read to you. Bondservant: I cannot enter into any agreements with you.
Police Station:
Officer: Step against the wall please. Bondservant: What for?
Officer: We have to take your photograph. Bondservant: Well, if you take something, isn't that stealing?
Officer: Hmm. You do not want to give us your picture? Bondservant: It is an image.
Officer: Is it a graven image? Bondservant: It is only an image.
Officer: Well, we have to take your fingerprints. Bondservant: They are not mine to give, and they are not Caesar's to take. They belong to God.
Officer: Here is an ID tag you have to wear. Bondservant: I am forbidden to be marked with a false image.
Officer: Do you have on any underwear? Bondservant: That's none of your business.
Officer: Well, you need to put on these jail clothes. Bondservant: What I have on is sufficient, because the Lord has given me these clothes to wear. If you want those on me, you'll have to put them on me and steal the clothes off my back. Two thousand years ago, when Christ was a prisoner of the State, the officers of Caesar stole the clothes off of Jesus' back as well (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, John 19:23-24), and it will be an honor for me to suffer for His sake as He has suffered for my sake (Philippians 1:29, 1 Peter 2:20; 3:14). But, in any case, I will not wear the clothes of a criminal. All that I have, and all that I am, belongs to God (Psalm 24:1, 1 Corinthians 6:19), and is a gift from my Father (James 1:17). Therefore, what you steal from me, you steal from Him.
https://www.ecclesia.org/truth/movement.html

Carnivallium

• Bad Feeling (Oompa Loompa) by Jagwar Twin
• BOUNCE by BOYFRIEND
• Breaking your heart by Apache 207
• Carousel by Melanie Martinez
• Chained To The Rhythm by Katy Perry ft. Skip Marley
• CIRCUS by Stray Kids
• Daylight by Harry Styles
• Enjoy The Ride by Krewella
• Fantasy by Mariah Carey
• Give It To You by Jordan Knight
• Jackpot by Block B
• La La Love by WJSN
• Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya, P!nk
• Lock Me In by Circus Mircus
• MADE IN ITALY by Rosa Chemical, Bdope
• Mesmerize by Ja Rule ft. Ashanti
• My Way by Usher
• Smile by Katy Perry
• Trampoline by SHAED
• Who Knew by P!nk
• XO by Beyoncé
• Zimzalabim by Red Velvet

Cyberfunk

• Alive by Krewella
• All This Love by Robin Schulz ft. Harlœ
• Around The World by Daft Punk
• Be Who You Are (Real Magic) by Jon Batiste, J.I.D, NewJeans, Camilo
• Bist Du Okay by Mark Forster, VIZE
• Bling Bling by ALTÉGO
• Blow by Ke$ha
• Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas
• Bulletproof by La Roux
• Can't We Pretend by P!nk ft. Cash Cash
• Check It Out by will.i.am, Nicki Minaj
• Come Dance With Me by DJ Roc
• Commander by Kelly Rowland ft. David Guetta
• Cooler Than Me by Mike Posner
• Cry For You by September
• Different Shapes by Frequent Flyer
• DNA by Craig David & Galantis
• Everybody by Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Uzi Vert
• Fast Forward by JEON SOMI
• Five More Hours by Deorro x Chris Brown
• FUTURO by Mark Matt
• Get Up by Imagination Movers
• Grand by Kane Brown
• Green Waves (Зелёные Волны) by Zivert
• GUARANTEE (SUMMER MIX) by Black Eyed Peas ft. J. Rey Soul
• Higher Power by Coldplay
• I Cry by Flo Rida
• I Don't Wanna Wait by David Guetta & OneRepublic
• I Don't Want It To Stop by Harlin James
• I Remember by deadmau5 & Kaskade
• Imma Be by Black Eyed Peas
• In The City by Charli XCX & Sam Smith
• Killer by Why So Sad, Kush Kush, Louis III
• LA DI DA by EVERGLOW
• Lights Off by We Are Domi
• Line by Triana Park
• Listen To Your Heart (Furious F. EZ Radio Edit) by DHT ft. Edmee
• Love Again by Alok ft. Alida
• Love At First Sight by Kylie Minogue
• Love Is Gone (Fred Riester & Joachim Garraud Radio Edit Remix) by David Guetta & Chris Willis
• LoveStoned / I Think She Knows by Justin Timberlake
• Lyrics (Лирика) by Filatov & Karas ft. Masha
• Make You The One by XO-IQ
• Midnight City by M83
• Miracle by Cascada
• Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust
• My Life by Nicki Minaj
• Neon Lights by Demi Lovato
• One (Your Name) by Swedish House Mafia ft. Pharrell Williams
• One More Time by Daft Punk
• Play by Jennifer Lopez
• Play It Cool by Steve Aoki & MONSTA X
• Pomegranate by deadmau5 ft. The Neptunes
• Ride It by Regard
• Right Now by Nick Jonas vs. Robin Schulz
• Rock That Body by Black Eyed Peas
• Run Away by Sunstroke Project & Olia Tra
• Scandalous by Gryffin & Tinashe
• Seeya by deadmau5 ft. Colleen D’Agostino
• Shelter by Porter Robinson & Madeon
• Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders
• Slow Down by Selena Gomez
• Speed by Page Kennedy
• Stadium Rave by Mark Governor
• Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris ft. Florence Welch
• This Girl by Kungs vs. Cookin' On 3 Burners
• This Is What You Came For by Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
• Time Lapse by TheFatRat
• Turn Me On by David Guetta ft. Nicki Minaj
• Turn Me On by Riton x Oliver Heldens ft. Vula
• U Got That by Halogen
• Unity by TheFatRat
• What If by Tokio Hotel
• Who's That Chick by David Guetta ft. Rihanna
• Worth The Risk by Sam Rivera
• Zig Zag by Clarx

Dancity

• "A"-You're Adorable (The Alphabet Song) by Gordon MacRae & Jo Stafford
• (There's Gotta Be) More To Life by Stacie Orrico
• 100 Times by Jax Jones
• 3615 Bonheur by Soprano
• Abracadabra by Wes Nelson ft. Craig David
• All 4 U by Jax Jones
• All For You by Janet Jackson
• All Star by Smash Mouth
• Alright by David Choi
• Ballin' by Mustard ft. Roddy Ricch
• Bellyache by Billie Eilish
• Better Place by *NSYNC
• Breaking Me by Topic, A7S
• Can't Stay Away by Darin
• Celeb by PSY
• Chariot by Gavin DeGraw
• Children's Story by Slick Rick
• Club Can't Handle Me by Flo Rida ft. David Guetta
• Crank That (Soulja Boy) by Soulja Boy
• Dance The Night by Dua Lipa
• Day 'N' Nite by Kid Cudi
• Days Go By by Dirty Vegas
• DEBT by Shalco, Tianda
• Desculpa Por Eu Não Te Amar by Thiago Pantaleão
• Disko by LPS
• Don't Tell 'Em by Jeremih ft. YG
• Downtown by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft. Eric Nally, Melle Mel, Kool Moe Dee & Grandmaster Caz
• Electric Energy by Ariana DeRose, Boy George, Nile Rodgers
• End Of Beginning by Djo
• Everybody by Justice Crew
• Exceptional by Babyface
• Face Off by Tech N9ne ft. Joey Cool, King Iso & Dwayne Johnson
• Fake It by Tauren Wells ft. Aaron Cole
• Far Away by Nickelback
• Find Your Love by Drake
• Fireworks by Purple Disco Machine ft. Moss Kena & The Knocks
• GASLIGHT by INJI
• get him back! by Olivia Rodrigo
• Get This Party Started by P!nk
• Gigolo by Nick Cannon ft. R. Kelly
• Going Big by Via The Great
• Happiness by Alexis Jordan
• Happy Song by Kaash Paige
• Hard 2 Forget by Steps
• Here by Alessia Cara
• Hero by Chad Kroeger ft. Josey Scott
• HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar
• I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops, Up Side Your Head) by The Gap Band
• I Live My Life by Pearls Of Ibiza
• I Wrote A Song by Mae Muller
• If Everyone Cared by Nickelback
• I'm Every Woman by Whitney Houston
• In The Morning by Jaded
• International Love by Pitbull ft. Chris Brown
• Intuition by Jewel
• Intuition by Selena Gomez & The Scene ft. Eric Bellinger
• It Is What It Is by Jenna Raine
• Jump by Flo Rida ft. Nelly Furtado
• JUST DANCE! by Travis Japan
• Just Got Paid by Sigala, Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor ft. French Montana
• Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down
• L.O.L. by Sinai Rose
• Leave (Get Out) by JoJo
• Let's Have A Ceili by The Wiggles
• Lie To Me by Mikolas Josef
• Life by Des'ree
• Life by Zivert
• Lighter by Nathan Dawe x KSI
• Like A G6 by Far East Movement ft. The Cataracs & DEV
• Like I Love You by Nico Santos, Topic
• Live My Life by Far East Movement ft. Justin Bieber
• Living For The City by Stevie Wonder
• Looking Like This by Lyre Le Temps
• Love Yourself by Billy Porter
• Madrid City by Ana Mena
• Maria by Justin Bieber
• Marry The Night by Lady Gaga
• Me And You by Maejor
• MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix) by BTS
• Middle by DJ Snake ft. Bipolar Sunshine
• Mmm Yeah by Austin Mahone ft. Pitbull
• Mona Lisa by Dominic Fike
• Mother by Meghan Trainor
• Move It by Jaded
• My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne
• Need It by Migos ft. YoungBoy Never Broke Again
• Never Give Up by Sia
• Never Let Me Let You Go by Shawn Hook
• Night Of My Life by DJ Pauly D ft. Dash
• Not My Fault by Reneé Rapp, Megan Thee Stallion
• Not Quite (Не Точно) by ALEKSEEV
• Nothin' On You by B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars
• Oh NaNa by K.A.R.D
• OMG by Usher ft. will.i.am
• On & On by Cartoon ft. Daniel Levi
• Optimistic by Sounds Of Blackness
• Party Like A Rockstar by Shop Boyz
• Perfect by Justin Timberlake, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi & Troye Sivan
• Pink Friday Girls by Nicki Minaj
• Pop by *NSYNC
• Power Ups by RDGLDGRN
• Probably (たぶん) by YOASOBI
• Pub Feed by The Chats
• Ride Wit Me by Nelly ft. City Spud
• Ridin' by Chamillionaire ft. Krayzie Bone
• Rolex by Ayo & Teo
• Save Somebody by Deitrick Haddon ft. Damita Haddon
• Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Set Me Free by Eden Alene
• Shake The Ground by Serge
• Shorty (You Keep Playin" With My Mind) by Imajin ft. Keith Murray
• Show Me by Kid Ink ft. Chris Brown
• Silver Bells That Ring At Night by The Wiggles
• Somebody by Natalie La Rose ft. Jeremih
• Something New by Zendaya ft. Chris Brown
• Sorry For Party Rocking by LMFAO
• Standing Next To You by Jung Kook
• Starlight by The Supermen Lovers ft. Mani Hoffman
• SUCKER 4 GREEN by LIL TAY
• Sunflower by Post Malone, Swae Lee
• Tangled Up In Me by Skye Sweetnam
• That's How You Write A Song by Alexander Rybak
• The Boys by Nicki Minaj, Cassie
• The Breaks by Kurtis Blow
• The DLOW Shuffle by iAmDLOW
• The Judge by Drax Project
• The One That Got Away by Katy Perry
• Thousand Hours by Flight
• Time Of Our Lives by Pitbull, Ne-Yo
• Tonight Again by Guy Sebastian
• Torn by Ava Max
• Trendsetter by Connor Price & Haviah Mighty
• Trumpets Blow by Kierra Sheard
• Turn Down For What by DJ Snake, Lil Jon
• Undress Rehearsal by Timeflies
• Victory Dance by DeStorm Power ft. T-Coles
• Violent Thing by Ben Dolic
• We Run The Night by Havana Brown ft. Pitbull
• Well Hello by Kali J.
• What's The Move by Jafunk, Nic Hanson & NanaBcool ft. Triple H Horns
• Whip It by Nicki Minaj
• Wop by J. Dash
• Yeah 3x by Chris Brown
• yes, and? by Ariana Grande
• You Know You Like It by DJ Snake, AlunaGeorge

Eternyx

• After Hours by The Weeknd
• Bad by David Guetta & Showtek ft. Vassy
• Beautiful Monster by Ne-Yo
• Black And White by Rudy Mancuso & Poo Bear
• Black Magic by Little Mix
• BLACK MIRROR by ONEUS
• Boyfriend by Dove Cameron
• Cruel by Jax Jones
• Dance, Dance by Fall Out Boy
• Dani California by Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• Demons by Imagine Dragons
• Dolls by Bella Poarch
• Emotions by Grant Knoche
• Empty by Jaiden & Boyinaland
• Fighter by Christina Aguilera
• Fill The Void by Alli Fitz
• Fragile by Tech N9ne ft. ¡MAYDAY!, Kendall Morgan & Kendrick Lamar
• Galvanize by The Chemical Brothers
• Ghost by Ava Max
• Ghost by Ella Henderson
• Going Under by Evanescence
• Graveyard by Halsey
• Heathens by twenty one pilots
• Hide Away by SYNAPSON ft. Holly
• I Don't Want It All by Kim Petras
• I Wanna Be Your Ghost (異世界混合大舞踏会) by Gen Hoshino ft. Ghosts
• In The Dark by DEV
• Iris by Goo Goo Dolls
• Joke's On You by Charlotte Lawrence
• Just Wanna Rock by Lil Uzi Vert
• Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf ft. Lil Wayne
• MANIAC by Stray Kids
• me & ur ghost by blackbear
• Mirror by Lil Wayne ft. Bruno Mars
• Monster by Lady Gaga
• My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) by Fall Out Boy
• nihilist blues by Bring Me To Horizon ft. Grimes
• No Angels by Justin Timberlake
• Nobody by Skindred
• Paint The Town Red by Doja Cat
• Patience by KSI ft. YUNGBLUD & Polo G
• Psycho by Dixie D'Amelio ft. Rubi Rose
• Push The Feeling On (The Dub Of Doom) by Nightcrawlers
• Quake by Dirty Audio & Slippy
• Rampampam by Minelli
• Rodeo by Lil Nas X, Nas
• Sadie by Lady Heroine
• She Wolf by Shakira
• Sick And Tried by Mad Modishi ft. Dayon
• Somebody’s Watching Me by Rockwell
• Spooky Scary Skeletons by The Living Tombstone
• Streets by Doja Cat
• The Boom Boom Song by Imagination Movers
• The Hills by The Weeknd
• The Perfect Girl by Mareux
• The Wolf by SIAMÉS
• This Kind Of Love by The Future X
• Thunder by Imagine Dragons
• Unholy by Sam Smith, Kim Petras
• VAMPIROS by ROSALÍA, Rauw Alejandro
• Villain by Bella Poarch
• W.I.T.C.H. by Devon Cole
• What I Want by The Living Tombstone
• Wicked Games by The Weeknd
• You Own Me by The Chainsmokers
• ZITTI E BUONI by Måneskin

Floworld

• Centuries by Fall Out Boy
• Circles by Post Malone
• Conqueror by Mali Music
• Crown by Camila Cabello & Grey
• Fuego by Eleni Foureira
• Heart Of A Warrior by Dizzee Rascal ft. Teddy Sky
• INDUSTRY BABY by Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow
• J CHRIST by Lil Nas X
• King by Years & Years
• Kings & Queens by Ava Max
• Legends by Sleeping With Sirens
• Pink Venom by BLACKPINK
• prince of egypt by mofe.
• Roses by Muharram
• Royals by Lorde
• Royalty by Egzod & Maestro Chives ft. Neoni
• Rumors by Lizzo ft. Cardi B
• Samsara by Tungevaag & Raaban ft. Emila
• Trap Queen by Fetty Wap
• Two Princes by Spin Doctors
• Unicorn by Noa Kirel

Melosia Realms

• Baby, I'm Jealous by Bebe Rexha ft. Doja Cat
• Beautiful by Bazzi ft. Camila Cabello
• BIBA by Marshmello x Pritam ft. Shirley Setia
• Big Energy by Latto
• Bom Diggy by Zack Knight x Jasmin Walia
• Breathe by Jax Jones ft. Ina Wroldsen
• breathin by Ariana Grande
• Cinderella by The Cheetah Girls
• Déjà Vu by Beyoncé ft. JAY-Z
• Emotional Prism by Mikazuki BIGWAVE
• Genie In A Bottle by Christina Aguilera
• Good Days by SZA
• Leiser by LEA
• Let Go by Ark Patrol ft. Veronika Redd
• Magic by Kat Graham
• Mandala by KSHMR & Marnik ft. Mitika
• my future by Billie Eilish
• Naturally by Selena Gomez & The Scene
• No Promises by Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato
• Not Ok by Kygo, Chelsea Cutler
• Outside by Rhea Raj
• Queen Of Rain by Roxette
• Roses by The Chainsmokers ft. ROZES
• Sign by FLOW
• Sweetest Pie by Megan Thee Stallion & Dua Lipa
• Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled ft. Rihanna, Bryson Tiller
• Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift
• You Broke My Heart Again by Jax Jones, Teqkoi, Aiko

Sun Horizon

• 1, 2, 3 by Sofia Reyes ft. Jason Derulo & De La Ghetto
• BAILA by Eva Simons
• Beach House by Carly Rae Jepsen
• Body by Loud Luxury ft. brando
• Bubbly by Colbie Caillat
• Caramello by Rocco Hunt ft. Elettra Lamborghini, Lola Indigo
• Chop Life by Gdzilla
• Coco by Jala Brat & Buba Corelli
• Crab Rave by Noisestorm
• Cruel Summer (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift
• Damn (You've Got Me Saying) by Galantis, David Guetta & MNEK
• Danza Kuduro by Don Omar ft. Lucenzo
• Deep In The Bottom (Of Africa) by Monique Bingham, Black Coffee
• deja vu by Olivia Rodrigo
• Diggy Dee by Charly Black, Sak Noel
• Don't Waste My Time by Usher ft. Ella Mai
• Everything About U by IM5
• Feels Like Summer by Childish Gambino
• Hey Ma by Pitbull & J Balvin ft. Camila Cabello
• Hot by INNA
• Hot In Herre by Nelly
• Kute & Neat by Sasique
• Link Up by Ne-Yo
• Living Without You by Sigala, David Guetta, Sam Ryder
• Maan Meri Jaan (Afterlife) by King x Nick Jonas
• Made For Now by Janet Jackson x Daddy Yankee
• MAMIII by Becky G, KAROL G
• Music (Keeps Me Movin') by The Fresh Beat Band
• Mwaki by Zerb ft. Sofiya Nzau
• No Candle No Light by ZAYN ft. Nicki Minaj
• Obsessed by Calvin Harris ft. Charlie Puth & Shenseea
• Ocean Man by Ween
• Outside Vibes by Flight
• Pirate by EVERGLOW
• Pocketful Of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield
• RITMO by Black Eyed Peas, J Balvin
• Rush by Troye Sivan
• Savannah by Diviners ft. Philly K
• Sexy Chick by David Guetta ft. Akon
• Soak Up The Sun by Sheryl Crow
• South Beach Stars by Gigi Rowe
• Summer Feelings by Lennon Stella ft. Charlie Puth
• Summer Girls by LFO
• Summertime Magic by Childish Gambino
• Summertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix) by Lana Del Rey
• Take You There by Sean Kingston
• This Summer's Gonna Hurt... by Maroon 5
• Toca Toca by Fly Project
• Together Again by Janet Jackson
• Tourner Dans Le Vide by Brian Michael Hinds
• Turn Up The Sunshine by Diana Ross ft. Tame Impala
• Up All Night by Beck
• Water by Tyla
• Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

WackyGroove

• 4EVA by KAYTRAMINÉ ft. Pharrell Williams
• Axel F by Crazy Frog
• AY AY AY by QPark
• Banana by The Aggrolites
• Bangs At The Waist (Чупки В Кръста) by Fiki
• Beautiful Mistakes by Maroon 5 ft. Megan Thee Stallion
• Beekeeper (Пчеловод) by RASA
• Betty Boop by Charlie Puth
• Bumble Bee by Bambee
• Chicken Noodle Soup by Webstar, Young B ft. The Voice Of Harlem
• Coincidance by Handsome Dancer
• Crazy Loop (Mm-Ma-Ma) by Dan Bălan
• Cupid by FIFTY FIFTY
• Dessert by Dawin ft. Silentó
• Doctor's Looney Remedy by Parachute Express
• Dogs by IShowSpeed & Kai Cenat
• Doodah by Cartoons
• El Pollito Pio by PULCINO PIO
• Fly Like A Butterfly by Badanamu
• Freaks by Timmy Trumpet & Savage
• Funny Song by Crazy Frog
• FVN! by LVL1
• Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) by Crystal Waters
• I'm A Banana! (Я Банан!) by PERFAM
• In Style (На Стиле) by Vremya i Steklo
• Made You Look by Meghan Trainor
• Miss You by Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz
• Pancake by Jaded ft. Ashnikko
• Panda by Desiigner
• Play by Jax Jones, Years & Years
• PPAP (Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen) by Pikotaro
• Scatman (Ski-Ba-Bop-Ba-Dop-Bop) by Scatman John
• Shake by L.L.A.M.A, Ne-Yo, Carmen DeLeon
• Shut Up Chicken (Just Dance Version) by El Capon
• Soap by Melanie Martinez
• Sour Candy by Lady Gaga, BLACKPINK
• Tootsie Pop by BFFB
• Wonderland by Caravan Palace

Wasterra

• 21st Century Girl by WILLOW
• A Year Without Rain by Selena Gomez & The Scene
• Africa by Toto
• Afterlife by iamnotshane
• Austin by Dasha
• Beautiful Things by Benson Boone
• Big Enough by Kirin J Callinan ft. Alex Cameron, Molly Lewis, Jimmy Barnes
• California Love by 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre
• Down Under by Men At Work
• Feels Right (I Love It) by Flo Rida, Brian Kelley
• Hero by Enrique Iglesias
• I Got You by Bebe Rexha
• Lovers On The Sun by David Guetta ft. Sam Martin
• Pony by Ginuwine
• Sandstorm by Darude
• So Long by Diplo ft. Cam
• TEXAS HOLD 'EM by Beyoncé
• That That by PSY ft. SUGA Of BTS
• The First Cut Is The Deepest by Sheryl Crow
• Try by P!nk
• Vertigo by U2
• Wasted On You by Morgan Wallen
• World On Fire by Nate Smith

Winterhaven

• 7-11 by Eskimo Disco
• All I Have by Jennifer Lopez ft. LL Cool J
• Answer by ATEEZ
• Carol Of The Bells by The Living Tombstone
• Christmas Music by Charles Jenkins
• Cold by Maroon 5 ft. Future
• DJ Play A Christmas Song by Cher
• Doing A Dance by The Wiggles
• Frost (Инея) by #2Mashi
• Frozen by Madonna
• HOLIDAY by Lil Nas X
• ICE AGE by MCND
• Ice Box by Omarion
• Icebreaker by Agnete
• Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
• Mistletoe by Justin Bieber
• Perfect by Ed Sheeran
• Really Love by KSI ft. Craig David & Digital Farm Animals
• Rockin' On Top Of The World by Steven Tyler
• SHUM by Go_A
• White Night by PSY x Heize

Earth

• (You Are A) Model Human by Jogurt ft. Commander Meouch Of TWRP
• 911 by From The Series "Danger Rangers"
• Another Mistake by YonKaGor
• Bing Bang by From The Series "LazyTown"
• CANDLELIGHTS by Vivziepop
• Caramelldansen by Caramella Girls
• Cuban Pete by Jim Carrey
• Dance Mode by From The Series "Bluey"
• Electricity by 3 Dog Band
• Enemy by Imagine Dragons x J.I.D
• Equestria Girls Forever by My Little Pony ft. Angelic
• Find The Magic by From The Series "My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Better Together
• Girls Girls Girls by Dolly Style
• Habibi by Dolly Style
• Häschenparty by Schnuffel Bunny ft. Michael Wendler
• I'm On A Yacht by From The Series "My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Better Together
• I2I by Disney's "A Goofy Movie"
• It's All Up To Me by From The Series "Danger Rangers"
• Jekyll And Hyde by From The Series "Arthur"
• Leave It All To Me by Miranda Cosgrove ft. Drake Bell
• Love Louder by The Meeps
• Love Love Alien (スキスキ星人) by Strawberry Prince
• Make It Shine by Victorious Cast ft. Victoria Justice
• Men In Black by Will Smith
• Monster High Fright Song by Monster High
• My Shiny Teeth & Me by From The Series "The Fairly OddParents"
• No Big Deal by From The Series "Amphibia"
• Nobody Like U by 4*TOWN
• Pingu Dans by Chris Van Tongelen
• Protect Your Ears by From The Series "Danger Rangers"
• Roar by From The Series "The Lionhearts"
• Sidechain Fever by LJ LephemStar
• Sing A Song by The Wubb Girlz ft. Beyoncé
• Skat Strut by MC Skat Kat And The Stray Mob ft. Paula Abdul
• Snuggle Song by Schnuffel Bunny
• So Alone by Anna Blue
• Teenage Crush Chocolate (青春チョコレート) by Strawberry Prince
• The Best Day Ever by From The Series "SpongeBob SquarePants"
• U Know What's Up by 4*TOWN
• VILLAIN by K/DA ft. Madison Beer & Kim Petras
• We Are Believix by Winx Club ft. Elizabeth Gillies
• Wish Now by Star Darlings
• Your Heart by Damien Dawn

Space

• Alien by Sabrina Carpenter & Jonas Blue
• Astronaut In The Ocean by Masked Wolf
• Bend The Knee by Bruno Martini, IZA, Timbaland
• Catchy Song by Dillon Francis ft. T-Pain & That Girl Lay Lay
• Dangerous by David Guetta ft. Sam Marin
• Get Into It (Yuh) by Doja Cat
• Interstellar Simon by Color Theory
• Lucky Stars by Take That
• Meet Me Halfway by Black Eyed Peas
• My Universe by Coldplay x BTS
• Rock It (To The Moon) by RuPaul
• Saturn by SZA
• Shed A Light by Robin Schulz & David Guetta & Cheat Codes
• SPACE MAN by Sam Ryder
• Starboy by The Weeknd ft. Daft Punk
• The 7th Element by VITAS
• The Zeezap Song by The Wiggles
• What It Feels Like by Navos x Galantis ft. YOU
• Woodpeckers In Space by VideoKids

Everywhere

• Back In Time by Pitbull
• Dance And Chant by Yolanda Be Cool
• Let's Go by Calvin Harris ft. Ne-Yo
• World, Hold On (Children Of The Sky) by Bob Sinclar ft. Steve Edwards

In the morning I feel like I’ve slept a month.
It isn’t cold. I’m not dizzy. And Jimmy hasn’t thrown up again. I know I’m not supposed to stop taking my pills all at once, but I don’t feel like I need them anymore. I want to be a good Mom. And a good Mom can’t live in that kind of fog.
I smile at my son, who rubs his eyes groggily from a stool at the kitchen island while I hunt for something to make for breakfast. I barely notice the empty refrigerator shelves when there’s a knock at the door. I leave Jimmy in the kitchen and run to the front entrance where I see a repairman through the side window. I grasp the top deadbolt and attempt to twist, but I must be so weak from being ill—how long have I been ill?—because it won’t budge, and Jimmy calls my name from the kitchen. I shout over my shoulder that I will be right there, only to be interrupted by a voice I don’t recognize from the back of the house.
I look away from the door as Jimmy dashes up the stairs and a woman in a teal suit and heavy gold jewelry marches in high heels up the hall, talking on a cell phone.
“Hey, who are you?” I call out to her. “What are you doing here?”
“I have to call you back,” she says into the phone. “The repairman is here again.”
“Hey!” I holler at the woman who doesn’t so much as look at me as she passes and starts turning each lock on the door, ushering the repairman inside.
Realtor: “Thanks for coming today. We’re expecting heavy foot traffic and I’d like to be able to tell them the whole…issue…is taken care of. By the way…were you the one that found them?”
“Thank goodness you’re here,” I follow at the repairman’s heels as he follows the woman in teal with the gold jewelry down the hall. “It’s been so cold. Every day it gets worse—”
Crew Cut: “Excuse me.”
I’m startled by someone grabbing my arm, turning me away from the repairman and the woman who shouldn’t be in my house that is leading the way to the basement.
“What? Who are you?” I demand, ripping my arm away from a stout woman with a crew cut and serious face. Terror floods my body and I think she must be here to rob me. “What are you doing in my house?”
Crew Cut: “Are you Morgan?”
“There’s nothing here to steal, or can’t you see that?” I shriek, and it’s only then that I realize there’s nothing actually here. From where we stand in the hallway, I can see into the living room where there should be a sofa on the right and a TV mounted on the opposite wall. Both are gone. The room is empty.
“What the hell?” I breathe, spinning into the room that spins around me so fast I clutch the sides of my head to slow it down. When was the last time I took my anti-anxiety medication? The sleeping pills? I can’t remember. The last few days have been such a blur and I’ve slept so long I’m not actually sure what day it is, but I do know that this isn’t right. My TV should be here. My couch should be here—right here. Right where I’m standing in the spinning room. I try to remember the side effects of my medication. Drowsiness. Confusion. Nausea. Dizziness. Operating machinery without memory of doing so. Scary, ridiculous things that I decided were worth the risk when I agreed to take them. But outright hallucinations? I need to call my doctor, then I remember that I haven’t seen my phone since…
Crew Cut: “You okay?”
I scream as I turn and find Crew Cut beside me. Her sharp features have softened with what looks like understanding, but I don’t even understand. Should I know who she is? Should I know why she’s here?
Morgan: “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
Crew Cut: “I’m here for the open house.”
I’m staring at her, mouth gaping, not sure which one of us is the crazy one, when I hear voices down the hall. Two women are admiring the staircase, running their fingers over the spindles and commenting on the sturdiness of the railing.
Morgan: “Hey! What are you doing? Get out, this is my house.”
They continue past the staircase to the other side of the hall, tittering about restored crown moldings before disappearing into the formal dining room.
“Hey!” I chase after them. “Stop! Where do you think you’re going?”
Crew Cut: “Come sit with me for a minute.
Before I answer, Crew Cut takes my arm in her beefy grip and hauls me toward the kitchen. A woman in a pantsuit is coming out of it, taking a video on her phone and muttering things like lovely, and simply gorgeous.
Morgan: “Who is—”
Crew Cut: “Relax and come sit.”
Crew Cut’s heavy hands push me onto a stool at the island, and I grasp the marble, steadying my voice as much as my frayed nerves will allow.
Morgan: “I don’t know who any of you are, but you shouldn’t be here. I’m going to call the police.”
Crew Cut: “Oh yeah? Where’s your phone?”
I won’t meet her gaze when I say, “I’ll find it.”
Crew Cut: “Sure you will.”
Morgan: “It should be on the counter, beside the toaster—”
I stop when I realize the toaster isn’t where it should be next to the stove. Come to think of it, the counters are completely bare when there was supposed to be soap by the sink, a roll of paper towels in the holder, and a Keurig on the coffee bar.
I stand and Crew Cut pushes me back down.
Crew Cut: “Save it. The cops aren’t coming.”
Morgan: “Are you—are you holding me hostage?”
Crew Cut (laughs): “Am I holding you hostage?”
Morgan: “Why is this funny?”
Crew Cut: “Oh honey, I wish it were that simple…No, I’m not holding you hostage. I’m like you.”
Morgan: “What do you mean?”
Crew Cut: “I used to live here.”
Morgan: “What? When?”
More people—what look like two couples under forty—pass by in the hall.
Crew Cut: “Long enough to see many people come and go.”
Morgan: “What are you doing here now?”
Crew Cut (shrugs): “Same as you.”
Morgan: “No. No, I don’t know you. I didn’t invite you.”
She scoffs and I spring from the stool and run toward the people—the outright strangers in my home—and am stopped by a petite woman who appears in the kitchen doorway.
Lyla (cheerily): “Oh, hello.”
Morgan: “What are you doing here?”
Lyla: “Oh, me? My name’s Lyla, and I used to live here, too. I had to come and see how much has changed.”
Morgan: “But this is my home. What gives you the right. What gives any of you the right?”
Crew Cut is directly behind me, squeezing my shoulder. Her touch is friendlier this time, but still infuriating.
Crew Cut: “Better take that seat, sister. Wait for the traffic to die down.”
Morgan: “The only one who should even be here is the repairman. Where the hell did he go? He needs to fix the heat—"
Lyla: “Oh dear.”
Crew Cut: “Come. Sit.”
Morgan: “Get your hands off of me! I need my phone. I need the police.”
It’s hard to think, hard to breathe with one particularly strong woman at my back insisting I sit, and another at my front blocking the way. This can’t be happening. Maybe this isn’t happening. Maybe I am going crazy.
Morgan (cries): “Why are you in my house?”
I see a glimpse of the repairman heading down the back hall to the basement. With a mighty heave, I shove aside the petite woman—Lyla—and chase after the repairman. He’s the only part of this—whatever this is—that doesn’t feel completely insane or like some kind of terrible nightmare. I’m sure he’s the only one who can help me.
I don’t think about the basement, the fire. I need to get to him, to ask him what’s going on, as if he’ll know. Lyla catches up with me at the top of the basement stairs and twists my arm.
Lyla: “You don’t want to go down there. Morgan—”
I don’t ask how she knows my name or why her eyes are wide with terror. Answers are in the basement, with the man who is finally here to fix the heat. I pull away from Lyla and plunge into the darkness that swallows me whole the second I descend the steps.
Morgan (calls out): “Hello? Sir?”
My voice falls flat, as if smothered by the darkness around me. When I reach the bottom, actual smoke creeps up so suddenly and so fiercely, it clogs my throat as I feel around for the string for the lightbulb. I cough, calling out to the repairman again. There’s no way he can navigate this darkness; no way he can breathe when my own lungs ache for fresh air. Where is he? And where is the string for the light? My fingers finally brush against it, and it takes another few tries to get a grip on it. Then I pull…
There’s a woman standing beside me, her features taut in a horrifying mask of fear and desperation. I see the whites of her bulging eyes, lips curled back from her yellowed teeth in a snarl, cheeks smeared with soot. But it’s the sounds she’s making that steal whatever breath I have left. From between her clenched teeth, guttural moans escape, as if she’s sobbing or screaming around a clamped jaw.
I stumble away from her, toward the room I previously refused to enter. Heat pours from the claustrophobic space, the red walls seeming to pulse and bulge, as if reaching for me. My cheeks flush with more than heat. Fear is thick here. Terror coats my body like an oily, viscous second skin that doesn’t just weigh me down—it pulls me into the small room. The moment I cross the threshold, I’m fully engulfed in smoke, and through the haze I see flames along the walls, spreading toward the center of the room, toward me just inside the door. The heat sears my arms, my face, my legs beneath my pajama pants, and I see two small figures within the flames. Two iridescent balls with flailing limbs that reach for me—
A hand on my shoulder pulls me out. The air is instantly cooler and I can breathe without choking on smoke.
Lyla has me by the arm, yanking me step after stumbling step up the stairs, cursing at me all the way.
Lyla: “We don’t go in the basement. Damnit, we don’t go down there.”
Morgan (coughing): “What was that? What was that?”
At the top, I think I see the desperate, soot-covered woman step into the small circle of light at the foot of the stairs before Lyla slams the door and shakes my shoulders.
Lyla: “That’s Miranda’s place. We don’t disturb Miranda. Do you understand?”
Morgan: “No, no, I don’t understand. Who are you? Who is she?”
Lyla: “She used to live in your house. She lost her children in that room.”
The flailing limbs looked a lot like small arms, I realize.
Morgan: “How? When?”
Lyla: “We leave her alone. She’s gone through enough.”
Morgan: “But why is she in my house? Why are any of you in my house?”
There are so many people here now. I bump into them. They don’t notice me. They’re admiring the molding, the floors, the staircase. They’re eating cookies and reading off pieces of paper. I burst into the kitchen, scream at a couple opening my fridge—my empty fridge—and put my hands on the counter beside the stocky, crew cut woman and yell in her face.
Morgan: “What the fuck is happening here?”
She looks bored, but a hint of sympathy colors her face.
Lyla: “Just tell her.”
Crew Cut rolls her eyes and holds the paper she’s been reading up to me. It’s a picture of my house from the street with a list of specs beneath it.
Morgan: “What is this? Why do you have a picture of my house?”
Crew Cut: “They all do. Look around.”
She’s right. Every person poking through my home does so with one of these papers. They read, compare, write notes. I look again at the paper in Crew Cut’s hands.
It says FOR SALE at the top.
Morgan: “No. No, it can’t. I—I just bought this place. We still live here. We—”
Jimmy.
My heart leaps from my chest as I leap away from the women—the only ones who seem to notice me—and past two biddies admiring the staircase as I throw up myself up it. How could I have forgotten my boy? My precious Jimmy. He’s probably terrified in this house with all these strangers. I am a shit mom. What if something’s happened to him? What if one of these people has hurt him? I can’t let myself imagine it. When I find him—and I will—I will hold him and kiss him and love him until he knows it's going to be OK.
A young couple is skirting the edges of my bedroom, stopping to check out the view from the window.
Morgan (screeches): “Why are you in my room?”
I don’t wait for their answer before I pull aside the sheet to look inside the tent in the middle of the floor.
It’s empty.
I call out his name and rip through the blankets because sometimes he likes to hide underneath them, but he isn’t there. Where else would he be? Maybe someone has hurt him. Oh god…What if….
What if someone took him?
I push through the terror to the hall where I am almost run down by a small, naked girl scampering from the bathroom, leaving wet footprints on the floor.
I holler after her, chasing her into Jimmy’s room. His racecar bed isn’t pressed against the wall where we set it up. The boxes of toys in the corner are gone, and the latest Lego creation, the one that spelled out WELCOME, has also disappeared. There’s no sign of Jimmy or the sopping wet child I followed in here.
A naked child. Why, with all these other people, would there be a naked kid here? What if she’s not here and those pills really are making me hallucinate? It makes more sense than anything else—certainly more than naked kids in the hall or two fully-clothed men sitting in my bathtub, laughing and pretending to sip from imaginary glasses of wine.
If I’m hallucinating, why are there still footprints on the floor? I reach down and touch one and my fingers come away wet. I’m not imagining them or the child that made them, and that’s a problem. And I still haven’t found Jimmy.
I throw open doors until I’ve searched the entirety of the second floor and make my way up the next flight of stairs. There isn’t any furniture on the third floor—never had been. I’m spinning in the center of the empty office space when a new kind of terror strikes.
The roof. The pathways between buildings. The three-story fall to the ground.
“Jimmy!” I scream and rush up the spiral staircase and out the rooftop door. I brace myself for a gust of winter wind that never comes. It should be freezing. The last time I came up here, the cold was blistering. Now—
Now my mind trails past the weather as I turn in a circle, sweeping the roof for any sign of my son. There’s an elderly couple at the front edge, looking down. My god…have they found him?
“Jimmy,” I breathe. When I make my way to them, I’m too afraid to look down. They smile—at each other, not me—and turn to head back inside. They aren’t disturbed as they should be if my Jimmy had fallen. I look over the side and see only the sidewalk and the street lined with budding trees and the first blades of green grass.
Green grass, as if it’s spring.
No, it’s impossible. It’s—a dream. Of course. It must be. It was the only thing that explained the people and the weather and everything else. Women like the soot-covered Miranda weren’t real. Flaming bodies of small children certainly didn’t exist outside of nightmares. I think night terrors was one of the side effects of my sleeping pills, and that’s what this is, and when I’ve exhausted myself here, I’ll wake up in the tent beside Jimmy and I’ll flush every last pill down the toilet. It’s the only thing that makes sense. The only—
Roof Woman: “It isn’t a dream.”
My frantic gaze snags on a woman sitting on a folding chair, her back to me, huddling underneath a blanket.
Roof Woman: “It isn’t a dream. I wish it was.”
I back away from the edge of the roof and she slowly turns to me. She’s not old but not exactly young, with a tired look about her and a deep sadness in her eyes as she appraises me.
“Who are you?” I whisper, but I’m terrified of the answer because deep in my bones, in a place I won’t acknowledge, I already know what she’s going to say.
Roof Woman: “I used to live here…Just like you.”
Morgan: “I—I live here now. My son—have you seen him? I can’t find him.”
Roof Woman: “This is all a little much for the kids. This house is not a great place for children. You’ve heard about the basement?”
The flaming arms reaching for me in a burning room are forever seared into my brain. I realize for the first time that if the basement really was on fire right now, everyone would be leaving. I would be leaving. Why didn’t I try to run outside when Lyla brought me back upstairs? If that fire was real, this whole place would be up in flames by now. It’s just more confirmation that the woman in front of me is wrong and this is a very bad dream.
“I’ve heard about the basement,” I manage to say with a suddenly dry throat.
Roof Woman: “Good. But have you heard about what happened on the roof? The little boy who ran too fast and fell over the side before his mother could catch him?”
My own eyes press out of my skull. She can’t really mean—
Morgan (chokes out): “Jimmy—”
Roof Woman: “His name was Dale. My son was six when he got away from me. Six and so fast. So…fearless.”
Her eyes gloss with tears and she turns away, her gaze lowering to the edge of the roof beside her. There’s a small child’s shoe on the ground beneath her chair, as if it slipped off of Dale’s foot when he went over.
Morgan: “I didn’t…I didn’t know.”
Roof Woman: “How could you? You have your own son to be concerned with. Your own precious boy to keep safe.”
Morgan: “Please…do you know where he is?”
Roof Woman: “We have one job as mothers. When we fail, we never get over it.”
Morgan: “That’s why I need to find him. All these people... It’s not safe here.”
Roof Woman: “No, it’s not.”
She narrows her weary eyes and pulls the blanket tighter around her. For a moment, her sleeve slides up her arm and I see a long, deep scar on her left wrist.
Roof Woman: “Try the closet. For some reason they all like the closets.”
Something has shifted in my body while talking to her. Some of the hysteria has settled. And I’m certain I will find Jimmy in a closet, but…
But I don’t know if finding him will be enough. I wonder if I’ve kept him safe, or if I’ve missed something, some crucial detail that damned us to some terrible fate.
I’m turning down the spiral stairs when I notice two teenagers huddling underneath it, reading something off a piece of paper I assume is the listing of my home that all the other people have.
Teenage Boy: “Okay, okay, so we did the beams in the dining room where that guy hung himself, we got the master bedroom. We got…we got everything except the roof where that kid fell and…the basement.”
The boys are arguing about who should go down to the basement, when their mother—looking frazzled and annoyed—takes the paper from their hands and scolds them for what she calls despicable rubbish, before shoving them out the door. Shaking her head, she balls up the paper and tosses it behind her.
As soon as they leave, I descend the spiral stairs, collect the paper, and open it.
It’s a list with checkmarks down the left side. At the top, in big, bold letters, it says Death-Rowhouse. On the list, in seemingly no particular order, are rooms with a brief description of what has happened there.
Dining Room – January 1, 1930, at approximately four-fifteen in the afternoon, stockbroker James Hollis hung himself from the rafters.
Upstairs Bathroom – September 21, 1990, MaryAnn Wilson, four years old, drowned in the bathtub while her parents had a party downstairs.
Back entrance – May 5, 1983, Dawn Fields was strangled by an unknown attacker just outside the door in the area’s first homophobic hate crime.
Kitchen – February 23, 2019, Lyla Henderson—
Lyla. I stop reading and head for the stairs in the hall. It couldn’t be the same woman who yanked me out of the basement. Despicable rubbish the boys’ mother had said. That’s all this is. A terrible joke.
There are so many people coming in and out of rooms that I don’t notice the wet, naked child running down the second-floor hallway until she almost collides with me. I move out of her way and into a hushed conversation between the same old biddies I saw downstairs. One tips her head until her neck fat collects in a pile under her throat, claiming this house is so reasonably priced because of all the death, while the other tsks and asks her co-conspirator if she really believes all that garbage.
I don’t wait for the other to reply before I push through a family headed for Jimmy’s room and make it to the top of the last flight of stairs. Above the casual din of many conversations I hear shouting—voices I recognize but I’m not sure how. My socks slip on the wood floor at the bottom of the stairs and I trip into the living room where I find a couple screaming the most terrible obscenities at each other. None of the other people touring the room pay the raging couple any attention—not even when she pulls a gun out of her purse and flat out accuses the man of sleeping with someone named Cheryl—
Cheryl. I know that name. I’ve heard it before. But…where?
She has a gun and that should scare everyone. It should scare me. We should all be running for an exit in this house that should’ve burned down from the fire in the basement, but everyone is strolling around like this isn’t madness, like I really am dreaming, and none of it feels real right now so I turn away from the living room—even as I wince at the gunshot that sends no one in a panic—and hurry back to the kitchen where I find Lyla at the counter with Crew Cut.
They look up at me and I slap the paper down between them, smoothing it so they can see what I’ve been reading.
Crew Cut (sniggers): “Death-Rowhouse. Clever.”
Lyla (groans): “Ugh, not this again.”
Morgan: “What is this? What the fuck is happening here?”
Crew Cut: “Just another open house.”
She shrugs and for the first time I notice the purple bruises around her neck.
Morgan (mutters): “It’s the pills. It’s got to be the pills.”
Lyla: “The pills?”
Morgan: “I’ve taken too many. Or they’re too strong. Or…or…”
Crew Cut: “Or it’s the carbon monoxide.”
I stop muttering and look across the island at Crew Cut. At Dawn Fields and the strangulation marks above the collar of her flannel shirt. At Lyla whose blue lips are smiling softly at me, her eyes glistening above dark, haunted circles and gaunt cheeks.
Lyla: “Same thing happened to me. In this very room. Only, mine was intentional.”
I can’t speak. Lyla pushes the paper across the marble countertop to me and I look down.
Lyla in the kitchen. Miranda and her children in the basement. Dale on the roof and his mother Jane in the third-floor bedroom. And then I read…
Master Bedroom – February 28, 2024, Morgan and Jimmy Fraser were found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning when a furnace repairman called in a welfare check.
Morgan and Jimmy Fraser found dead. The coldness in the words seep through my body, through blood and bones and a heart that isn’t beating. For the first time since waking up I’m not dizzy or confused or feigning hallucinations. I can see Lyla and Dawn for the ghosts they are, the dullness that surrounds them compared to the vibrance of the people who move around us like we aren’t even there.
Because we aren’t.
Lyla’s blue lips crack with another try at a smile.
Lyla: “Welcome Morgan. You’re with us now.”
I slowly back away from the island, from Lyla and Dawn, from the sudden smell of natural gas in the kitchen and someone’s comment about the stove being electric now—for safety reasons. I turn down the hall, past a woman shaking her head, telling her husband that something is wrong in the living room. That it just feels off. And it should. There’s a man bleeding out on the floor from a gunshot wound to the chest and his wife is piled on top of him after swallowing her own bullet. As I round the stairs, I catch a glimpse of James Hollis dangling like a worm at the end of a hook from a rope tied to the beams to the left of where the dining room table should’ve been.
On the second-floor landing, a couple is speaking to the woman with the gold jewelry. The realtor. She’s assuring them—and everyone within earshot—that the furnace is being fixed and what happened a few months ago will surely NOT happen again.
A few months ago…when Morgan and Jimmy Fraser were found dead.
There is a boy in the doorway of Jimmy’s room. He’s wearing a winter coat and missing a shoe. When the wet, naked child—MaryAnn—bolts down the hallway again, he catches her and shakes his head. She glances up warily at me, slumps her shoulders, and heads back to the bathroom. The boy retreats into Jimmy’s room and I follow him. He stands a few feet from the closet, staring at the closed doors with his dark, vacant eyes. I pull the doors open and find Jimmy in his Star Wars pajamas on the floor. He looks up at me with dark circles under his eyes, his skin too pale, his lips too blue. My heart shatters because I’ve failed him in the most absolute way, at the only thing I was ever supposed to do: keep my son safe.
He stands as I fall to my knees, and he wraps his thin arms around my neck while I cry. I tried to be a good mom. I tried to protect him from the pain of his father’s loss, from my pain about it. I tried to give him a good life. And here we are…surrounded by—
Ghosts.
I look up and see the boy with the missing shoe—the boy from upstairs whose name is Dale. Behind us, near the bedroom door, Dawn and Lyla wait holding hopeful breaths, Lyla with a tentative smile. I don’t see couples taking notes and photographs of my home, the old biddies gossiping, the teenage boys obsessing over heinous deaths. Our deaths.
The living have gone, and I’ve got Jimmy, and suddenly it hits me. I’m free. We’re free. I don’t need pills anymore. I don’t need to grieve. I’m relieved. Relieved from trying so hard to hold it together and be all things to my son. Relieved from trying so hard to live.
I kiss his hair and promise him that it’s going to be okay, and this time I mean it. We can spend the rest of eternity in this big, beautiful house together, with the other mothers and children, and the women and men who met tragic ends, just like we did, here—in the place where we used to live.

** BOTH SAT 4/20 AND SUN 4/21 *\*
9 AM - 3 PM Rummage Sale for the flock Inez Neighborhood Park, 2001-2099 Wisconsin St. NE New to you household, personal items, jewelry, toys, clothing and so much more! Discover bargains while supporting the Birds of a Feather Parrot Rescue of NM!
1 - 2:45 PM ORPHEUS - the 1950 Jean Cocteau cinematic marvel, as part of our ongoing Arthouse Classics/Faves! The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave NE Check out the trailer. Dir. Jean Cocteau - 1950 - 95m - France - In French with English subtitles. Jean Cocteau’s update of the Orpheus myth depicts a famous poet (Jean Marais), scorned by the Left Bank youth, and his love for both his wife, Eurydice (Marie Déa), and a mysterious princess (Maria Casarès). Seeking inspiration, the poet follows the princess from the world of the living to the land of the dead, through Cocteau’s famous mirrored portal. Orpheus’s peerless visual poetry and dreamlike storytelling represent the legendary Cocteau at the height of his powers (tickets)
** Fri 4/19 *\*
Fri 11 AM – 6 PM 4 Year Anniversary and Ribbon Cutting Corrales Teas and Chocolates, 3923 Corrales Rd. Suite B, Corrales Steampunk themed. Come as you are or be creative with your steampunk outfit. Come mingle and meet new friends. Light snacks will be served
Fri 5 – 9 PM 3rd Friday "after-work" Practica (new event!) Las Puertas, 1500 1st St. NW Come unwind, get your good antics on, socialize and horse around practicing in good company and quality this dance we love. One great floor in 2 sections: Floor A: practice space, group work, tango therapy and mechanics help (technique). Floor B: Dance as if it were a relaxed milonga. Do your thing here 100% free, just keep the ronda harmony! ** 5-6pm "rando-tando" mixed music fun ** 6-9pm DJ'd sets (tandas and cortinas). $10~15 be generous / honor system * $10 if just dancing * $15 if you are getting some tango therapy/mechanics/group work ** we always provide healthy food and drink so enjoy!
Fri 5:30 - 7 PM Science on Tap: Attending to All Children National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, 601 Eubank Blvd. SE Science on Tap is not your ordinary lecture series. Grab a beer from Bombs Away Beer Company and enjoy a relaxed presentation by scientists, researchers, and subject matter experts on various engaging science topics. "Attending to All Children: Understanding how brain dynamics influences behavior to improve outcomes," with Dr. Julia Stephen, Mind Research Network. Join us for an insightful discussion of how Dr. Stephen uses non-invasive brain imaging to study brain activity in children. Her work has focused on finding early signs of atypical brain development to provide early intervention for developmental disorders, providing better outcomes for children. Doors 5:30 pm, start 6:00 pm, ends 7:00 pm. Admission is $10 per person, 21+ to attend. Admission will provide each guest with one beer ticket. Guests can purchase additional drinks. IDs are required. Please drink responsibly. Event tickets can be purchased in advance or at the door
Fri 5:30 – 7:30 PM Music At The Park ABQ Food Park, 6901-B San Antonio Dr. NE Get ready for an electrifying experience with local artist Joseph Velasquez! Join us for a dynamic evening filled with soulful tunes and vibrant melodies as Joseph Velasquez takes the stage. Indulge in delicious bites from our food trucks, then kick back, relax, and immerse yourself in the captivating sounds of our talented local musician. This is your chance to support our vibrant music scene while enjoying a memorable night out. Don't miss the opportunity to groove to the rhythm of the music and savor the flavors of our community
Fri 6 – 8:30 PM Friday Night Live El Vado, 2500 Central Ave SW Get ready to sway to the melodious tunes of Smooth Groove! Smooth Groove promises an evening filled with diverse musical delights. From variety hits to classic rock, Spanish beats to oldies goldies, they'll have you tapping your toes and dancing with joy. Get ready for a multifaceted musical journey that'll keep you entertained all night long! Fuel up for the dance floor with delectable treats from our fantastic food pods. With a mouthwatering selection ranging from savory bites to sweet indulgences, there's something to satisfy every craving. And what's a celebration without a refreshing beverage? Quench your thirst with a craft beer from Ponderosa Brewing , served up at the El Vado Tap Room. With an array of brews to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect complement to the vibrant atmosphere. Gather your loved ones, invite your friends, and join us for an evening of dynamic music, scrumptious food, and lively vibes
Fri 6 - 9 PM Variety Social Dance CSP Dance Studios, 1624 Eubank Blvd. NE Dive into the joy of dance among friends who inspire! Join us where community through movement takes center stage. For just $10 cash at the door, you'll have the opportunity to sample and practice social dancing a variety of dances including ballroom, Latin, country, swing and line dancing. This is your invitation to try something new, meet like-minded individuals, and practice social dancing in a welcoming, supportive environment. The night kicks off with a welcome lesson from 6:00-6:30pm, making it ideal for beginners or anyone to meet new people before the dance floor opens up. Step into a night of dance, discovery, and community
Fri 6 – 9 PM Shared Futures Dance Party Explora, 1701 Mountain Rd. NW On Adult Night, Explora opens up their amazing facility and interactive exhibits to those 18 years old and older. DJ Ren and DJ Moonside will be spinning live from the Rotary Pavillion upstairs in the northeast corner. If the weather is nice we can open the garage doors to the outside. There is usually a food truck outside. This evening will involve interactive pieces with Shared Futures! "Shared.Futures is a SciArt collaborative where we bring together local scientists and artists. Together, we aim to communicate scientific perspectives through artistic mediums to showcase what our shared futures can look like." Admission - $14, Students, Seniors, Military - $11, Explora members get in free! 3 channels of music to choose from: Channel 1: DJs Moonside and Ren spinning live!, Channel 2: Dance mix TBD, Channel 3: a mix of science related music and sounds. We use radio frequencies to transmit to the headphones so you should be able to tune in wherever you decide to roam, inside or out! The main place to pick up and drop off your headphones when you are done will be in the entrance area where you pay admission...
Fri 6 - 9 PM Crazy Bird Tractor Brewing - Westside, 5720 McMahon Blvd., Bldg 5, Ste A Crazy Bird is back! We’ve got some new tunes, some old hits, and as always we keep it entertaining. Come have some delicious beer, enjoy the food truck or the ton of options nearby, and dance with us
Fri 7 - 9 PM Gilbert Uribe The Craft Kitchen in The Taproom at Old Town, 524 Romero St. NW Award winning singer-songwriter Gilbert Uribe performs a vibrant blend of Acoustic Latin & Soul Music he calls “Sabrosoul”. Hailing from New Mexico, Gilbert combines elements of Reggae/Rocksteady, the feel-good vibes of Classic Soul and R&B, and the rhythms of Cumbia and Salsa to create a unique musical experience
Fri 7 – 9:30 PM Bluehouse Casa Vieja, 4541 Corrales Rd., Corrales Bluehouse brings their South Valley rock north to Corrales! Enjoy Casa Vieja’s ambience and hospitality. Beer, food truck, friends, dancing, FUN!
Fri 7 – 10 PM Once Upon a Waltz Holiday Dance Studio, 5200 Eubank Blvd. NE Make your whimsical dreams come true as you glide across the dance floor as your favorite Disney persona. A romantic waltz lesson will begin the evening at 7pm followed by open dancing at 8pm. Dress to impress! Refreshments will be served. $30 for non-members
Fri 7:30 – 10:30 PM 90's Country Covers Night w/ Back In The Saddle Band Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW Come two step to the songs you know and love live by the incredibly talented Back In The Saddle! They'll play all the hits you know and love from George Straight, Brooks and Dunn, and Miranda Lambert!
Fri 8 PM Live Salsa with Son Como Son Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Dance to live Salsa with Son Como Son, hosted by DJ Solovino. Authentic Cuban Salsa with Son Como Son on Juno's patio. 21+. Come early and get a pizza or another item from Juno's menu; kitchen stays open until 9:45 (tickets)
Fri 8 – 11 PM Coffin Club w/ DJ Riff Rat Tractor Brewing, 122 Tulane Dr. SE Get your darkest outfit, blackest Dr. Martins, and thickest eyeliner because we got a night of old school deathrock, Goth, batcave aesthetic by the always talented DJ Batboy!
Fri 8 – 11 PM The Prelude with DJ Soiree Two Cranes Bistro and Brew, 901 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Join us for an unforgettable evening filled with unbeatable vibes, fantastic drink specials including $5 wells, $5 house margaritas, and $3 Dos Equis, and best of all, no cover charge! Gather your friends and indulge in delicious eats, crafted cocktails, and incredible music as we set the stage for an epic Friday night. Don't miss out on the ultimate pre-party destination!
Fri 9 PM – 1 AM Callaita Fridays: A Reggaeton Experience The Salt Yard West, 3700 Ellison Rd. NW Embark on an electrifying journey into the heart of Latin music. Join us for a night that promises to be nothing short of extraordinary, as we welcome DJ Soiree & DJ Primo Swift to ignite the dance floor with their infectious beats. Prepare to be swept away by the pulsating rhythms and contagious energy that fill the air as soon as you step into our vibrant venue. Feel the essence of Reggaeton come alive as DJ Soiree & DJ Primo Swift curate an experience that will keep you moving and grooving all night long. From classic hits to the latest chart-toppers, they know exactly how to set the stage for an unforgettable experience. This event is exclusively for 21+, ensuring an atmosphere where you can let loose and fully embrace the rhythm without inhibition. Whether you're a seasoned Reggaeton enthusiast or simply looking for a night of unparalleled fun and excitement, "Callaita Fridays" promises to deliver an experience like no other (tickets)
Fri 9:30 PM – 2 AM RUSKO Electric Playhouse, 2611 Corona Dr. NW The Leeds-born DJ/producer who ascended with the original U.K. dubstep movement — and gave it one of its first and most enduring anthems, a bolt of foul-mouthed rave lightening called "Cockney Thug" — is here to tell you that music is not about labels and dance is no fad. And to prove it, he proudly presents "SONGS": His gutsy, freewheeling, brilliant second album. "The sound of my early releases was very dub-influenced, and just good, fun, bouncy vibes," he says. "The majority of dubstep at the moment I think is aggressive, and I don't like angry music; I don't want to be angry in a club. So I wanted to make something really happy, but still heavy." "Happy and heavy" is a proper way to describe the vibe that has carried Rusko from the first moments of dubstep's life to the biggest stages in the world; from a single, seminal bass wobble to a swath of sounds that can't be capped in a few simple syllables (tickets)
** Sat 4/20 *\*
Sat 8 – 10 AM ABQ Backyard Refuge City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Cir NE, Rio Rancho Join this information session with ABQ Backyard Refuge (a program of Walle De Oro National Wildlife Refuge) to learn about how to transform your outdoor spaces into a refuge for migratory and native birds, pollinators and more. Presentation attendees will get priority entry into the Tree Seedling Giveaway. For more information, please contact Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful at 505-549-8030 or Email [ndahl@rrnm.gov](mailto:ndahl@rrnm.gov)
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM Downtown Growers' Market Robinson Park, 810 Copper Ave NW Every Saturday! This vibrant community event connects local farmers, growers, artisans, wellness makers, and hot food vendors with the local community from mid-April to early-November. Bring friends / family or come solo to enjoy fresh food made on sight, a variety of seasonal produce, unique arts and crafts, live music, and special programming all in the heart of downtown
Sat 9 AM – 12 PM Four Hills Village Spring Cleanup Campaign 748 4 Hills Rd. SE The Four Hills Village (FHV) neighborhood will be participating again this year in the city-wide Spring cleanup campaign. The Four Hills Village Association has registered for the event and has arranged for trash bags and gloves to be available for those who participate from our neighborhood. Meet at the Four Hills Barsis Park on Running Water and Stagecoach to pick up trash and debris in that area, and/or the intersection of Four Hills Road and Winterwood Way to cleanup along the walkways from there to the Tijeras Canyon bridge. Please join us to help keep our neighborhood park and other public spaces looking nice
Sat 9 AM – 3 PM A Day of Mud, Sweat & Cheers: Mudding Day and Spring Cleaning 966 Old Church Road, Corrales Helping the Historic Old San Ysidro Church will light you up! You'll develop new skills, meet new people, connect with your community, and expand your horizons! Come lend a hand! Learn to mix and apply adobe plaster on the courtyard walls. Gardeners: help clean up beds and plant flowers. Cleaners: annex, storage, spruce up upholstered chairs. Organizers: storage room and attic await. Painters: stain wood on the Annex Portal. Remember gloves, hats, old clothes, sunscreen, shovel, hoe, rake, trowel, hand spade, clippers, upholstery brush, rags, etc. We feed workers free breakfast and lunch! The Old Church is now 156 years old! The Corrales Historical Society has been taking good care of her for 51 years -- With your help, we can keep her going into the next century!
Sat 9 AM – 4 PM Spring Craft Fair Highland High School, 4700 Coal Ave SE Get some early Mother's Day shopping done, support local crafters and help the Highland Senate and Band programs raise money for school events!
Sat 10 AM Fight For Air Climb Albuquerque Fire Academy, 11500 Sunset Gardens Rd. SW Do Good, Feel Great! Our popular Fight for Air Climb event is designed for every type of climber, from beginner to competitive! The Premier Stair-Climbing Event in ABQ. Spaces fill up quickly, so save you spot on the stairs today! Why our Climbs are so special: -Where we climb...the country's most iconic locations where you'll see the world from a whole different perspective. -How we climb...with friends and family in a fun, celebratory atmosphere of hope and positivity. -Firefighters and First Responders....unhealthy air is an occupation hazard for these everyday heroes-come out to climb and show your appreciation. -When you do the climb, you support people with lung disease who are fighting for every breath (register)
Sat 10 AM – 1 PM Spring Fling Benefiting Locker 505! Meraki Coffee+Market, 5900 Eubank Blvd. NE With Spring in full bloom, it's time to freshen up our homes and hearts as we embrace the spirit of spring and Earth Day. It’s also Albuquerque’s 318th birthday. So much to celebrate! Clean out your closets and come enjoy a great Saturday with us. We’ll be collecting the following items: * Girls' shirts/t-shirts (sizes 5 to 14) * Boys' shirts/t-shirts (sizes 5 to 16) * Girls' jeans/leggings/sweats (sizes 4 to 16) * Boys' jeans/sweats (sizes 4 to 16) * Hygiene items: shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, deodorant, brushes/combs (travel and full-size) * Toys: gently used or new, because every kid deserves a little joy!
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM Homebrewer's Happy Hour Southwest Grape & Grain, 3401 Candelaria Blvd. NE Homebrewer's Happy Hour is the perfect chance for all homebrewers, wine makers, distillers, or anyone interested in learning, to connect with others, share a drink, and learn about a new subject each month! $1 off beers from 10am to 3pm. Presentation on monthly subject at 1pm with open forum to discuss after. Food truck on site for lunch! April 20: Hops
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM Spring Fling Cornucopia Adult Day Services, 2002 Bridge Blvd. SW Come support adults/seniors with different abilities and join us for a our 2nd annual Spring Fling at Cornucopia. We will be hosting a Greenhouse sale & pot swap with plants all grown by our community. There will be food, drinks, entertainment, facepainting, vendors, silent auction & more
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM Shop Local Market Cabezon Park and Community Center, 2307 Cabezon Blvd. SE Rio Rancho If you are a local vendor, come out to Cabezon Park’s local market! We support all things local! Everything must be handmade, or homegrown. No franchise companies. No resale of items. No political booths. No prepared food from Big Box Stores! No premade items re-branded and resold as homemade! No products containing non-sustainable oils. No products containing preservatives, colorants, etc., that are artificial, chemical or contain carcinogenics. No sale of weapons or alcohol. Please call the Cabezon Community Center at 505-892-4499 for more info. Vendor Space $35 for a 15x15 space (tables & chairs not provided). Must register online, NO Drop-Ins Accepted. No admission fee for shoppers
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM Manzano HS Football 2nd Annual Mattress Fundraiser Manzano High School, 800 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE Come get a better night’s sleep AND support Manzano HS FOOTBALL with their 2ND Annual Mattress & Adjustable Bed Sale Fundraiser Event! We carry quality name brands like Southerland, Malouf, Englander, Tranquility, and Wellsville. With HUGE savings off retail prices, this is a ONE DAY only event! We need your help to SPREAD THE WORD by inviting all of your family and friends! We will have a mattress showroom set up at Manzano High School gym. Every purchase supports MANZANO FOOTBALL! Sleep Better, Save Money, Support the KIDS!
Sat 10:30 AM – 12 PM Community Clean-Up Mesa Verde Community Center, 7900 Marquette Ave NE NO OPEN-TOED SHOES. Cleaning up loose trash is one of the best ways to pitch in for your community and the environment. Volunteering as a means to help conserve and protect the environment has a lot of upsides. Of course, the first is that you’ll be taking care of our planet, and it badly needs a little love given the myriad ways in which we’ve become adept at destroying it. But beyond that, volunteering for a cause you care about is a great way to meet like-minded people, make friends, and pull yourself out of the blues that sometimes accompany caring a lot about something important – especially if you feel alone in your endeavors. None of us like the sight of litter. Litter spoils the look of where we live but that’s not the only reason for picking up litter. There are a number of benefits from picking up litter that you may not have considered before. Volunteer-led projects such as these are one of the quickest, simplest, and least expensive ways to inspire more community spirit and civic action. A visually appealing community increases property values, attracts businesses, and improves the neighborhood's image. Beauty is one of the three most influential factors in community attachment, which means loyalty, to your particular town or city. Some research even shows that a nice-looking neighborhood promotes good behavior. Join us in keeping your community clean!
Sat 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM FolkMADS Third Saturday Family Dance Albuquerque Square Dance Center, 4915 Hawkins St. NE Dancing, song, and live music for kids of all ages. No experience needed to have fun! Children must be accompanied by an adult. Children dance free, Adults $10
Sat 11 AM – 2 PM Seed Share Alameda Greenhouse, 9515 4th St. NW Join us in celebrating FIFABQ's 10th Anniversary & our 9th Annual Seed Share! We are THRILLED to announce our partnership with Alameda Greenhouse, a local gem that has supported our Seed Share for the past 3 years. An extra special fact: Alameda cultivates their own seedlings, from seeds, rather than buying from large manufacturers. Be prepared to kick-start your gardening journey with their baby plants, giving you a head start while you await your seeds to blossom. Convenient on-site accessible parking, public parking across the street with a crosswalk, and a nearby bus stop (Route 10: 4th & Alameda) make it easy for you to join the festivities. EVEN MORE exciting news! Quirky Books is your go-to drop-off point for seeds, whether you're sharing bulk seeds or neatly sorted ones. If you can't make it to our in-person seed prep events, utilize this fantastic space to contribute. Remember to mention they're for FIFABQ. Learn more about our Prep Days
Sat 11 AM – 2 PM Environmental Justice Community Celebration Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, 7851 2nd St. SW Hosted by the Refuge and our valued partners, this year's theme "Connecting Through Our Roots" highlights the deep ties that bind us - to each other, to our community, and to the earth beneath our feet. From the Green Machine to captivating dance performances by iLANDS and Sin Fronteras, and from hands-on educational workshops covering farming, plant restoration, and tile making to immersive Refuge and EJ Toxic Tours, there's something for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Fun Educational Activities for Family and Friends. Kayaking + Farming + Music + Dance + Food + EJ Toxic Tour + Wildlife Viewing + Art + More!
Sat 11 AM – 11 PM 420 Block Party Cheba Hut, 115 Harvard Dr. SE Get ready to elevate your 420 experience!
Sat 12 PM Day Drinking for a Cause Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE and Canteen Taproom, 417 Tramway Blvd. NE Join us for our 3rd annual Day Drinking for a Cause! $1 from every pint sold at the Brewhouse and Taproom will be donated to New Mexico Volunteers for the Outdoors. We will have live music all day! We're excited to welcome to our stage Mineral Hill, Radio Free ABQ, Le Chat Lunatique, and Los Metamorfos. Come have fun and support a good cause at the same time
Sat 12 PM 4/20 Backyard Market The ABQ Collective,1321 Eubank Blvd. NE Join us and The Bad Company! Destiny MC will be hosting and we’ll be having live comedy from Zach Abeyta, live music from Levi Platero, an Open Mic portion, over 20 local vendors, food trucks and more. PLUS! If you’re interested in joining us as a vendor...you’re in luck! There are still one or two spots left. Send an email to [backyardmarket@theabqcollective.com](mailto:backyardmarket@theabqcollective.com) and we’ll send you an invite
Sat 12 – 4 PM Albuquerque's Birthday Celebration Old Town, 2000 N Plaza St. NW The Department of Arts & Culture is excited to celebrate Albuquerque's 318th Birthday with food, fun, live music, and local flair in the heart of the City. This party will feature birthday must-haves such as face painting, entertainment, and specials at a variety of participating Old Town stores. There will be something for everyone to enjoy at this party! Gazebo entertainment will include performances by Ballet Folklorico Fiesta Mexicana, Mariachi Tenampa, and Baracutanga (more info)
Sat 12 – 5 PM Great New Mexico Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival Balloon Fiesta Park, 5500 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy Food Truck Festivals of America is back for the 8th Annual Great New Mexico Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival! Prepare to indulge in the flavors of the Southwest as some of the area's top food trucks serve up their fan-favorite dishes. Quench your thirst with a wide selection of craft brews from regional and national breweries, along with other beverages to suit every taste. But that's not all! Live music by SHiSTR and TRAVELER IN PAIN to keep the party going, an arts market to explore, and games, brought to you by Ultimate Tailgating, for the whole family to enjoy. Don't wait – snag your half-off General Admission Tickets now! Advance tickets are just $5, with prices increasing to $10 at the gate. Remember, festivals are rain or shine – so come prepared for a fantastic time, no matter the weather! VIP Truck is - Italian Ice Rio *ONLY SERVICE DOGS ALLOWED
Sat 12 – 5 PM El Vado Spring Market El Vado, 2500 Central Ave SW It's going to be a beautiful Spring Market at El Vado! Let's shop local and have a blast - with live music, incredible food and vendors! Park at the Botanical Gardens for frustration-free parking!
Sat 12 – 5 PM Cinco de Mayo Pet Photos Boofy's Best for Pets, 4610 Cutler Ave NE, Ste A Dress up your pets (and yourself!) in celebratory colors and join us for Cinco de Mayo Pet Photos. All well-behaved critters and humans are welcome, and the $5 per photo suggested donation benefits the cats and kittens of FAT KATZ. Photography provided by Winstonfoto.com
Sat 12:30 – 4 PM Sidetrack Brewery Earth Day Plant Sale! Sidetrack Brewing, 413 2nd St. SW Celebrate Earth Day with a beautiful new plant! Our latest stock is absolutely fabulous and we can’t wait to share!
Sat 2 PM Earth Day - Spring Gardening Workshop and Acequia Movie Screening 4920 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Los Ranchos Celebrate Earth Day with us at our in-person event! Join us for a fun and educational Spring Gardening Workshop where you can learn tips and tricks for a successful garden. After the workshop, relax and enjoy a screening of "Acequias: The Legacy Lives On" with director Arcacely "Arcie" Chapa. 2 pm: Spring Gardening Workshop, 3 pm: Movie Screening. $5 per person; the purchase of a ticket includes access to both activities. Purchase tickets online or with cash at the door
Sat 2 – 4 PM National Water Dance Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, 2901 Candelaria Rd. NW Keshet Dance is excited to join the annual National Water Dance Projects! “Moving Forward Together,” here in the Southwest, speaks specifically to the denial of Navajo Nation water rights. This multidisciplinary showcase explores water as both sacred and essential, and delivers a powerful, inspirational experience. National Water Dance (NWD) is a biennial event which gathers dance teachers, practitioners, choreographers, and community members to take part in simultaneous dance across the nation. The Park Day-Use Fee is $3 per vehicle exact cash or check (Friends of the RGNC permit holders and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with valid permit displayed). Performance is FREE! (more info)
Sat 2 – 10 PM American Lung Association Climb After Party Marble Brewery Westside, 5740 Night Whisper Rd. NW Complete your 'Fight for Air Climb', then meet us at MBWest! We're hosting the ALA for their after party fundraiser and concert featuring: - Seven of Nine - State of Mind - The Cameron Kimbrough Duo
Sat 4 – 10 PM 4.20 Music Fest Marble Brewing, 111 Marble Ave NW It's time for our annual 4.20 Music Fest! We have a great live music lineup, food trucks and great beer; what's not to love? Vibestrong 4-5PM, Trinity Soul 5:30-7PM, The Irie 7:30-8:30PM, DaJerney 9-10PM
Sat 4:20 PM AND 7:15 PM Dazed and Confused Flix Brewhouse, 3200 La Orilla Rd. NW Alright. Alright. Alright. Don’t miss the adventures of high school and junior high students on the last day of school in May 1976. See it with a bud (tickets)
Sat 5 PM Family Movie Night - ENCANTO! La Mesa Presbyterian Church, 7401 Copper Ave NE All are welcome! Free movie and popcorn in Fellowship Hall!
Sat 5 – 7 PM April Babies Birthday Celebration Rio Bravo Brewing, 1912 2nd St. NW We're celebrating April Babies! The first 25 people with April birthdays to show Ryan proof of their birthday month will score a $5 Rio Bravo Brewing Gift Card...oh, and Beers are on special for birthday kids for just $5! But you spend your gift card however you want! Thanks to Cake Fetish...we'll have cupcakes for the April Birthday Kids (while supplies last) We'll have prizes JUST for the April Babies! We'll also have drawings for all you non-birthday folks too. If you want to get their before us...All drinks are $1 off for April Birthdays the whole day!
Sat 5 – 11 PM Beer & Jazz on the Hill Tractor Brewing, 122 Tulane Dr. SE We're bringing you a full night of brews and Jazz with the very talented EQNX Jazztet opening things up at 5pm and our house Jazz band Basilaris Trio closing things down at 8!
Sat 5:30 – 11 PM 3rd Annual Denim & Diamonds Gala Sheraton Uptown, 2600 Louisiana Blvd. NE Join us for an unforgettable night to empower those with Down Syndrome. Dress up in cocktail attire and get ready for an amazing evening filled with fun and excitement. You can score early bird pricing if you purchase now! We're looking for sponsors, so if you or someone you know wants to support a great cause, reach out to us!
Sat 6 PM Wine & Dinner Pairing Pasando Tiempo Winery, 3741 NM-528 NW Indulge in a four-course gourmet meal expertly crafted by a local chef to tantalize your taste buds, perfectly paired with exquisite New Mexico wines to elevate your dining experience. $120/ per person. Don't miss out on the chance to savor the flavors of the season in an elegant setting. Reservations Required, call (505)228-0154
Sat 6 – 9 PM Gone Country Saturdays with DJ Malik Ponderosa Brewing, 1761 Bellamah Ave NW It's time for Gone Country Saturdays featuring the incredible DJ Malik! Kick off the excitement with free dance lessons starting at 5 pm, followed by a night of family-friendly entertainment until 9 pm. Join us for a fantastic evening filled with music and memories you won't soon forget!
Sat 7 PM Old School Jamz Dance 1015 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Dancing to Old School R & B music. The host will also take requests to hear your favorite songs. Let's love this music that we can hear
Sat 7 – 9 PM Lotería: A Game Night For NM Locals Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW Loteria encantada! The bingo mas chingon! Practice your Spanish. Drink beer and play a fun game celebrating our NM heritage. Win prizes! No cover or charge to play!
Sat 7:30 – 9 PM Saturday Night Stand-Up Bosque Brewing - Nob Hill, 106 Girard Blvd. SE Live from ABQ, it’s… Saturday Night Stand-Up Hosted by Nax Davis! Every third Saturday of the month at the Nob Hill Public House. Seating at 7:30 - Comedy at 8. Featured line-up of local comics includes: MEG FINN, BRYAN LAMBE, SARINA OCHOA, MARY BYRD, ROBERT EYSTER
Sat 8 PM Sparks Night - Galactic Disco Party! hosted by VICE Lizard Tail Brewing Nob Hill, 3417 Central Ave NE, Ste C Head over to our monthly NM Burner Meet & Greet, Sparks Night, hosted by the spectacular VICE - this time in Galactic Disco Party style! With music provided by DUB COMMITTEE with special guest DJ Pup Massimo - all in the realm of funky groovin' disco house, tech house, melodic house, nudisco & deep house. Food menu and you're also allowed to bring in your own outside food. No cover as always, but if you'd like to donate to SunBurn to help fund our Art Department's grants and make the event even better all around
Sat 8:30 PM – 1 AM SABOR Latin Night - Saturdays! Bama's 1865, 6007 Osuna Rd. NE DJ Gabriel Goza will be serving you the saucy Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue y Mas! Ample Parking, Safe Environment, Beautiful Venue, Good Food, Good Music, Good Vibes. 21+ / $10 cover. Salsa or Bachata lesson 9:00-9:45pm
Sat 9 PM – 2 AM Saturday Night Techno Affair Insideout, 622 Central Ave SW TECHNO returns to INSIDEOUT with one of the fastest rising names out of Atlanta: SAM WOLFE making his New Mexico debut at our SATURDAY NIGHT TECHNO AFFAIR! His collab track 'Aktivate with legend UMEK been in our rotation since it came out. POLYGLOT + ATMOZE joining him on that hometown support. We are bringing out FUNKTION-ONE sound with DIGIFUNK on this one as well. This is part of our double headliner showcase at El Rey Mezz & Insideout with SCIN.TIL.LATE which we also got QUACKSON bass headliner out of PNW will be taking over Mezz same night as well. ONE TICKET - TWO SHOWS. GRAB very limited amount of tickets before doors
Sat 9:45 PM AND 10:15 PM Shrek At Night Flix Brewhouse, 3200 La Orilla Rd. NW "We’ll stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning… I’m making waffles!" Stay up late with us at our SHREK AT NIGHT show! Sip on a super dank, specially-brewed beer and join us for a special $4.20 showing of the greatest fairy tale never told (tickets)
Sat 10:30 PM – 12:15 AM ALTERED STATES - the 1980 Ken Russell intense mindbender, a 94 Rock classics pick for a 4/20 haps! The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave NE Check out the trailer. Dir. Ken Russell - 1980 - 102m. Academy Award-winner and Golden Globe-nominee William Hurt ("Syriana," "The Village"), Emmy and Golden Globe-nominee Blair Brown ("Dogville," "Space Cowboys"), Emmy-nominee and Golden Globe-winner Drew Barrymore ("Charlie's Angels," "50 First Dates") and Emmy-nominee Charles Haid (TV's "Third Watch," "Hill Street Blues") star in this terror spectacle by visual wizard Ken Russell about a research scientist whose experiments unlock the horrors of his mind. Written by Academy Award-winner Paddy Chayefsky ("Network") (tickets)

At popular request you can now get this as a newsletter. Sign up and help support these posts!
^{Editor's note: I'm having my good friend Yan write the preamble to these now. I'm still making the lists but he'll be the voice of the newsletteposts.}
It's the middle of April & it looks like Boston is finally crossing the finish-line of another Marathon winter.
The tourists have gone home & Bostonians are ready for another weekend (even if it is only 2 days). As always, there is no shortage of diverse events happening for all ages & interests.
On Saturday, be sure to enjoy the nice weather by taking advantage of *Free Entrance Day* at all National Parks!
-Yan

THURSDAY - APRIL 18

Connor Wood Comedy Show @ Laugh Boston @ 8PM / 11PM
Candlelight: A Tribute to Whitney Houston in Concert @ Greater Boston Stage @ 7PM / 9PM Rasa String Quartet brilliantly interprets Whitney Houston’s timeless hits.
Disney Songs Reimagined in Concert @ Berklee Performance Center @ 8PM This enchanting evening reimagines classic Disney melodies and showcases original compositions inspired by the Disney magic.
Cypress Hill @ Roadrunner @ 8PM With The Pharcyde & SOul of Mischief
Brothers Osborne @ MGM Music Hall @ 8PM
Kublai Khan TX @ Paradise Rock Club @ 6:30PM
lovelytheband @ Brighton Music Hall @ 8PM
Ekali @ Big Night Live @ 9:30PM
Allah-Las @ Crystal Ballroom @ 8PM With Sam Blasucci, Maston, & Reverberation Radio
Mike @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With 454, Niontay, & Costeau

FRIDAY - APRIL 19

Golden Girls Live Show @ The Hanover Theatre @ 8PM After sold-out shows across the country in 2023, this latest production brings Miami’s sassiest seniors to the live stage for one more hurrah.
Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift in Concert @ Greater Boston Stage @ 7PM / 9PM Hear Taylor Swift classic and new hits in this classical concert program!
Atmosphere @ House of Blues @ 8PM
Hippie Sabotage @ Roadrunner @ 9PM With Daisy Guttridge & Kembe X
Drop Nineteens @ Paradise Rock Club @ 7PM
Hans Williams @ Brighton Music Hall @ 8PM
Gasolina Party @ Big Night Live @ 9:30PM
The Motet @ Crystal Ballroom @ 8PM With Consider the Source
STRFKR @ Royale @ 6:30PM
Marauda @ Royale @ 10PM
A Great Big Pile of Leaves @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Future Teens & Dutch Tulips
The Danielle Nicole Band @ City Winery @ 7:30PM

SATURDAY - APRIL 20

Free Entrance Day in National Parks On select days throughout the year, all national parks are open to the public with no admission fee.
Monster Jam @ Gillette Stadium @ 5PM Get up close to the trucks at the Pit Party and see some of the world’s best drivers show off their crazy skills and all-out racing in fierce head-to-head battles.
Small Mart @ Crystal Ballroom @ 11AM Visit this curated market featuring 40+ of favorite local artisans, vintage, makers and experiential vendors, perfect for some weekend shopping.
Beyond the Spectrum: Teens @ MFA @ 10:30AM In this engaging class, teens will explore the captivating connection between music and visual art at the museum.
Space Day @ MIT Museum @ 11AM Enjoy a day of talks, demos, and hands-on activities all about Space.
Kyle Gordon Stand Up @ Crystal Ballroom @ 7PM
Kathe Farris Stand Up @ Nick’s Comedy Stop @ 8PM
The Hot Sardines @ Berklee Performance Center @ 8PM Hear New York speakeasies, Parisian cabarets, and New Orleans jazz halls transformed into music for the 21st century.
Chris Tomlin @ Agganis Arena @ 7PM
Taylor Swift Party @ House of Blues @ 7PM
Ibrahim Maalouf @ Paradise Rock Club @ 7PM
Taylor Acorn @ Brighton Music Hall @ 8PM
Benny Benassi @ Big Night Live @ 10:30PM
Elle Varner @ City Winery @ 7:30PM
Serve Dance Party @ Royale @ 9PM

SUNDAY - APRIL 21

Party for the Planet @ Franklin Park Zoo @ 10AM At this Earth Day celebration, learn more about the importance of conservation through zookeeper chats, games & activities, education stations, and more.
Israel & New Breed @ House of Blues @ 8PM
Arms Length @ Paradise Rock Club @ 6:30PM With Carly Cosgrove
The Veronicas @ Royale @ 7PM
We Are The Union @ Crystal Ballroom @ 8PM With Half Past Two, Devon Kay & The Solutions, and The Pomps
Good Kid @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Adan Diaz
Kevin Ross @ City Winery @ 7:30PM

ALL WEEKEND

All weekend - ‘Solo: A Show About Friendship’ Comedy Play @ Calderwood Pavilion Gabe Mollica’s Off-Broadway hit is a funny and intricate deep dive into friendships in your 30s, Mollica’s relationship with Sondheim, and what happens when you break up with your best friend.
FRIDAY & SUNDAY - Brahm’s Requiem in Concert @ Symphony Hall Savor the richness of Brahms in this profound performance by Handel and Haydn Society.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Martin Amini Stand Up @ Laugh Boston
All weekend - Jim Gaffigan Stand Up @ The Wilbur
All weekend - Matt Rife Stand Up @ MGM Music Hall
All weekend - Mozart, Brahms, & Thorvaldsdottir in Concert @ Symphony Hall Enjoy Mozart’s charming Symphony No. 33, followed by Anna Thorvaldsdottir's monumental work ‘Archora,’ and Brahms’ Violin Concerto, one of the greatest works in the repertoire, closing the program.
All weekend - ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’ Opera @ The Huntington Theatre Be magically swept away in a midsummer's night in this libretto adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic comedy about dreams and desires.
All weekend - ‘Burn This’ Play @ Black Box Theatre Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lanford Wilson ignites the stage with this caustically funny exploration of life, loss, mourning and moving on.
All weekend - ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ Play @ Lyric Stage This bubbly love letter to musical theater sparkles with one show-stopper after another, story mix-ups, mayhem, and a wedding (or two).
All weekend - ‘Book of Mountains and Seas’ Puppet Show @ Emerson Paramount Center Chinese creation myths come to life with larger than life puppetry and a polyphonic chorus in this breathtaking theatrical event.

ONGOING

Ongoing - Immersive Disney Animation @ Boch Center Step into the art and legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios and celebrate the music, artistry and animation from the creators of Frozen, The Little Mermaid, Big Hero 6 and many more.
Ongoing - Musical Shows @ MoS PlanetariumMuseum of Science puts on special experiences adapting the music of Pink Floyd, Rihanna, Beyoncé, and The Divas to immersive visuals in the Charles Hayden Planetarium.
Ongoing - ‘Firelei Báez’ Exhibition @ ICA One of the most exciting painters of her generation, Báez explores the multilayered legacy of colonial histories and the African diaspora in the Caribbean and beyond.
Ongoing - ‘Wordplay’ Exhibition @ ICA Highlighting the rich interplay between imagery and text, the exhibition showcases how contemporary artists have played with words to animate and expand their art practices.
Ongoing - ‘Hallyu! The Korean Wave’ Exhibition @ MFA Enjoy an immersive and multisensory journey through Korea’s fascinating history, and celebrate its contemporary vibrant creative force.
Ongoing - ‘Dress Up’ Exhibition @ MFA Through more than 100 works from the MFA’s collection including 20th- and 21st-century clothing, jewelry, accessories, illustrations, and photographs, this exhibition explores adornment and its role in the creation of a look.
Ongoing - ‘Mondrian: Foundations’ Exhibition @ MFA The exhibition presents 28 paintings and works on paper, primarily from Mondrian’s early career, that trace the artist’s explorations as he progressed from realistic traditions to experimental abstractions.
Ongoing - ‘Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party’ Exhibition @ MFA This exhibition brings together 27 powerful photographs by Stephen Shames that feature the women of the Black Panther party and showcase their crucial work for the movement.
Ongoing - ‘Thinking Small: Dutch Art to Scale’ Exhibition @ MFA Featuring 15 intriguing objects from 17th-century Netherlands such as paintings, prints, silver medals, and books, this exhibition compels viewers to reconsider their relationship to the world around them.
Ongoing - ‘Raqib Shaw: Ballads of East and West’ Exhibition @ ISG Museum Shaw’s images of magic and mystery combine Western artistic tradition with ornamental elements derived from the Japanese, Persian, and Indian cultures that he vividly remembers from his youth.
Ongoing - ‘Picasso: War, Combat, and Revolution’ Exhibition @ Harvard Art Museums The exhibition explores the dictator Francisco Franco’s Spain, imagery of death, struggles of good and evil, political and artistic revolution, and issues of desire and capture.
Ongoing - ‘Our Time on Earth’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum This traveling exhibition from the Barbican Centre in London celebrates the power of global creativity to transform the conversation around the climate emergency.
Ongoing - ‘AI: Mind the Gap’ Exhibition @ MIT MuseumMIT Museum presents its latest riveting, interactive exhibit exploring the tremendous promise, unforeseen impacts, and everyday misconceptions of AI.

** BOTH SAT 4/13 AND SUN 4/14 *\*
Cactus & Succulent Society of NM Annual Show and Sale Albuquerque Garden Clubs, 10120 Lomas Blvd. NE *Free Admission* The show will display several hundred plants, including some of the finest specimens from many different private collections in our region, including our society's members. You do not need to be a member to exhibit plants. Please bring your very best cacti and succulents to be exhibited at this show. Please email cssofnm@gmail.com for more info on how to enter your own plants to the judged show. Entries are accepted at the Albuquerque Garden Center on Friday, April 12, from 1 pm to 6 pm. Remember that you may not retrieve the plants you entered until the show closes, at 3 pm on Sunday. In addition to the judged show, the society's annual sale brings in vendors, from various places, that provide a wide variety of cacti and other succulent plants available for purchase; they range from bargain starter plants to spectacular specimens. Some excellent specimen plants will be sold via a silent auction, which will be done at least one of the days. Bidders are urged to be present at the close of bidding to purchase the plants, and take them home. An additional special feature of the sale is a selection of some locally grown, hardy species for the yard---at least in Albuquerque, and, sometimes, further north. We will have 3 checkout lines for sale items, instead of the traditional 2 lines. We will accept cash, checks and credit cards

• Sat 10 AM - 4 PM
• Sun 10 AM - 3 PM

12 - 6 PM Duke City Foodie Fest 2024 Cliff's Amusement Park, 4800 Osuna Rd. NE Join us for our second annual DUKE CITY FOODIE FEST! 100+ local food trucks and vendors, live music, kids activities, food competition, and more! ONLY DESERT SUN EVENT PRODUCTIONS AND DELECTABLE BAKING CO ARE THE HOSTS PLEASE BEWARE OF SCAMMERS!
** Fri 4/12 *\*
Fri 6 PM Discovery After Dark National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, 601 Eubank Blvd. SE Join us for an evening of fun and hands-on experiments for guests ages 21 and over. Enjoy food and beverage trucks and the Nuclear Museum’s exhibits while you participate in hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math fun! (tickets)
Fri 6 – 8 PM "Lavender Haze" Swiftie Inspired MotheDaughter Date Night Pinspiration, 6271 Riverside Plaza Ln. NW, Ste D1 Swifties get ready to party! Join us for a “Lavender Haze” inspired night of craft making! Whip up your own lavender scented candle, lavender sugar scrub and Swiftie bracelets fit for a pop star. And that’s not all! Sip on a glamorous sparkling cider drink, play ERAS Tour Bingo (for prizes!) and jam to Taylor Swift tunes. The cost is $60 per couple and payment is due at registration. Note: All children must be accompanied by an adult. Let’s make some memories, Swiftie-style! Fee is non-refundable and if you register and are unable to attend, a studio credit will be honored for another workshop, crafts or our splatter experience. Seats are limited and registration is required, so reserve your seat today. All are welcome, moms, daughters, besties, and gal pals to join us for this amazingly fun event! This will sell out fast so register today!
Fri 6:30 – 8:30 PM Lighting the Way Our Abundance Journey Kick-Off Gala! Unity Spiritual Center, 9800 Candelaria Rd. NE Join us in this celebration for everyone to enjoy. We will kick off Our Abundance Journey with a gala! This event is for everyone including kids and teens. There will be tasty bites, D.J., dancing, a photo booth, reflection room, a Grand Prize, and more. Those in attendance will be given a ticket to be entered in the Grand Prize drawing so be sure to attend. You must be present to win! While we celebrate our abundance as a community we will ask you to reflect on how you might contribute your time, talent and treasure to the journey. We have a budget, but your participation will enable us to better create a realistic forecast. This will help us, not only with our current programs, but also how we might offer even more here at Unity Spiritual Center Albuquerque and reach out to the greater community. Kids, classes, groups, services, concerts, workshops, and more . . . all of these things offer exciting opportunities for happier more abundant living in keeping with Unity principles
Fri 7:30 PM April Monthly Meeting Rainbow Park Observatory, 301 Southern Blvd. SE, Rio Rancho Rio Rancho Astronomical Society members who traveled to witness the Total Solar Eclipse will share stories of their travel adventures and pictures of the event. Anyone else who saw the eclipse is encouraged to attend and share their experiences as well. The meeting is free and open to the public. Telescopes will be available for public stargazing after the meeting, weather permitting
Fri 7:30 – 9:30 PM Bluegrass Live with Juniper Roots Bow & Arrow Brewing, 608 McKnight Ave NW Enjoy local bluegrass-inspired Juniper Roots with their banjo stompin, high desert mountain vibes! *No cover, 21+
Fri 8 PM Baracutanga Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Dance to Albuquerque's #1 South American Cumbia group. Bandleader Jackie Zamora draws on her Peruvian roots and her sultry vocals to bring authentic South American Cumbia to Albuquerque with her group Baracutanga. Top notch musicians all around. In Juno's newly expanded indoor performance space. 21+. $10 at the door, or online/advance to secure your spot. VIP w/ reserved seating available
Fri 8 – 10 PM Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular KiMo Theatre, 423 Central Ave It’s the smash hit multi-media laser and light show featuring the music of Pink Floyd “as you’ve never seen before.” Laser Spectacular carries listeners away on a mind-expanding journey driven by cutting-edge effects, high-powered lasers, and large-screen video projection, all performed to the masterful soundtrack of Pink Floyd. The Laser Spectacular has become a must-see classic for Floyd fans of all ages. Doors open at 7pm. Show begins at 8pm. No flash photography or video taping permitted. There is no elevator at the KiMo Theatre. Accessible seating is available upon request in the orchestra section. Paid parking is available in garage just north of the KiMo Theatre on 5th St. and Copper Ave (tickets)
Fri 8 – 11 PM Goth Night & Dark Market: Spring Heathens Edition Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW We're celebrating spring as it was intended to be celebrated, with Goth music. Time to break out your Doc Martins, black nail polish, eyeliner, choker, and red lip stick because we're hosting a night of beautiful music for you dark hearts. DJ Riff Rat and DJ Suspence will be spinning one the ones and twos, Pepe El Monstrito will be providing sound, and Spectral Youth will be featuring some amazing local vendors
** Sat 4/13 *\*
Sat 8 AM – 12 PM Downtown Grower's Market: FIRST MARKET DAY! Robinson Park, 810 Copper Ave NW The Downtown Growers' Market is BACK! This vibrant community event connects local farmers, growers, artisans, wellness makers, and hot food vendors with the local community from mid-April to early-November. Bring friends / family or come solo to enjoy fresh food made on sight, a variety of seasonal produce, unique arts and crafts, live music, and special programming all in the heart of downtown Albuquerque
Sat 8 AM – 2 PM 2nd Saturday Tent Sale! Anteeks on Menaul, 8908 Menaul Blvd. NE Back lot tent sale! 2nd Saturday of each month. Come meet local vintage, antique & oddities dealers
Sat 8 AM Walk MS: Albuquerque Hoffmantown Church, 8888 Harper Rd. NE The new Walk MS brings the MS community together like never before and celebrates those who are at the center of everything we do: people living with MS. Whether you live with MS, love someone who does, or are a part of the wider community, you can proudly display your role in the movement and be celebrated for the important part you play. So, what are you waiting for? Learn more and to register or build your team and join the movement at https://ntlms.org/Walk2024 Don’t forget to use #WalkMS in your social media posts so we can share in the joy of your Walk MS journey!
Sat 8:30 – 10:30 AM MADAGASCAR JR Pancake Breakfast FUNdraiser for Cardboard Playhouse The Box Performance Space and Improv Theatre, 119 Gold Ave SW Catch a preview performance from Madagascar Jr before we hit the stage at the KiMo Theatre. All proceeds and donations will go to the general operating fund of Cardboard Playhouse Theatre Company. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. We offer 2 hours of validated parking in the structure attached to the building. If you have questions or need to change any selections, please email [cardboardplayhouse@gmail.com](mailto:cardboardplayhouse@gmail.com)
Sat 9 AM Ellen Reavis Race for Autism Balloon Fiesta Park, 9455 Balloon Museum Dr. NE The Ellen Reavis Race for Autism our biggest fundraiser of the year! It is also a great way to raise your voice and join our force to create acceptance of Autism in your community. Create your team today and join us during Autism Acceptance month as we celebrate our community. We will be having a team t-shirt contest. Create a t-shirt design in honor of your team! You can drop off a t-shirt at the main stage or come to the stage at 12pm to be judged by the best emcee there is Sam Newton of Coyote 102.3. We will have a special prize for the winner! There also is prizes for largest team and biggest fundraising team! 5k race is a timed race. Participants will receive a finisher medal and a shirt (not guaranteed) The top 3 males and females will receive a prize for their efforts. 1 mile walk is untimed and is for those that do not want to be timed. A shirt is included (not guaranteed) The Star Walk is our time to honor those we are running and walking for! Open to any Autistic individual. Walk a short aisle as the crowd cheers you on just for being you! Each participant gets a t-shirt with their registration (not guaranteed) (register)
Sat 9 AM – 3 PM 31st Annual César Chávez & Dolores Huerta Fiesta NHCC National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th St. SW This is a free event, open to the public. Children are welcome. There will be a Kids Corner with activities and food trucks. Mariachis, entertainment, and the Si Se Puede awards ceremony. Headliner band: Mala Maña. 9am- Car Show, 10am- La Marcha, 12pm-3pm La Fiesta. Dolores Huerta is our special guest & keynote speaker. *Times are estimated, we reserve the right to make adjustments to the schedule as needed
Sat 10 AM – 1 PM Earth Day Clean-Up Pueblo Montano Trailhead, 4100-4112 Montaño Rd. NW Get ready for an awesome Earth Day Cleanup! Once we've rocked the cleanup, we'll head over to La Cumbre Brewery for a Raffle and drinks! Please be sure to register for this event - it's free & provides you with a complimentary beverage ticket. Plus it ensures we have the proper amount of supplies. We'll provide gloves, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, trash bags, bottled water & snacks. Come dressed comfortably, including footwear
Sat 10 AM – 2:30 PM West Mesa Community Health Fair West Mesa Community Center, 5500 Glenrio Rd. NW FREE Community Event offering families vaccines, health screenings, live chair yoga, lice kits, health vendors, pharmacies, health insurances, Medicaid/Medicare enrollment, food and clothing assistance. Food, music, jumpers, STEM challenges, games! Free parking will be available at the John Adams Middle School parking lot and Holy Rosary Church parking lot. For more info, call 505-836-3487
Sat 10 AM – 3 PM Community Celebration of Arts and Culture Sandoval County Administration Building,1500 Idalia Rd NE, Rio Rancho Creative New Mexico, New Mexico’s arts advocacy organization, and Rio Rancho Creative Crossroad. Free, family-friendly, events are occurring in several communities across the state during April. There will be over 30 vendors and non-profits on hand providing visitors with the opportunity to learn more about the diverse creative resources that are available in our community. “Dogs for a Cause” food truck will be on hand—so come hungry and thirsty! Funding for Art NM! comes in part, from a grant from New Mexico Arts, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
Sat 10 AM – 4 PM Indigenous Market HomegrowNM Trading Post, 2715 4th St. NW, Ste 2 Another Indigenous Market here at the Post organized by Cleo's Blue Corn Kitchen with great vendors & delicious food! Can't forget coffee & baked goods
Sat 10:30 AM – 2:15 PM Abstract April New Mexico Ferments, 2506 Washington St. NE Apply the serotonin high of being creative in the freest way while transforming still life tableaux through the lens of your mind's abstraction a fun meditation in an artful setting! As always, all ages welcome to freely create with a 'chip in' local New Mexico charity jar available. Our April charity is Offcenter Community Arts Project
Sat 11 AM Spring Market ABQ Food Park, 6951 San Antonio Dr. NE Over 25 local artisans, enticing food vendors, exhilarating games, and live music for a day packed with excitement!
Sat 11 AM Phat Stax Block Party Phat Stax Nob Hill, 114 Tulane Dr. SE Join us for our 1 year anniversary block party! Local vendors on site! Music and Dancing! Come celebrate with us!
Sat 11 AM move thing: community dance project Los Jardines Institute, 801 La Vega Dr. SW FREE. No RSVP required. Collaborators: Los Jardines Institute, Jah Truebadoors, youth from South Valley prep, Alex Viteri Arturo, Valerie Oliveiro, and Jennifer Monson. Conceptual formations: Valerie Oliveiro and Jennifer Monson. move thing is a community-based dance project proposing that the multi-sensory, improvisatory, and choreographic structures of dance contribute to reparative projects in communities that have historically been impacted by toxic contamination due to resource extraction (Uranium and coal mining) and industrial effluents (chemicals, particulates, carbon monoxide, and heavy metals). Resisting all forms of purity, the work proposes that we are all constantly, inherently, and unevenly making up each other and all other animate and inanimate beings. If we imagine ourselves as soluble, always dissolving and reconstituting choreographically, could we move through toxicity and be with and/or absorb toxicity and find new / alternative / old / transformative relationships to its states / tendencies / behaviors / effects / violences / shifts? Could we find intelligences within our bodies and abilities to connect more deeply with the mechanisms for survival and support in sites and systems that we are a part of? move thing is supported, in part, by the Challenge America grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Campus Research Board’s award from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the Puffin Foundation
Sat 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM April Pop Up New Mexico Ferments, 2506 Washington St. NE LadyJennD (Jennifer DeSantis) will be with Random Acts o Art! Join us for collage and Kombucha! I should have some new merch too! FYI - I am gearing up for a solo show at NM Ferments from May through the end of June
Sat 12 PM April Brew tour Sidetrack Brewing, 413 2nd St. SW Sidetrack Brewing, Gravity Bound Brewing, Boese Bros Brewing, Thirsty Eye Brewing. At Sidetrack, a DD will be selected, then we’ll head to the other breweries in the order listed. T-shirts, if ordered will be delivered. For safety, a breathalyzer is available, a DD will be established and a liability waiver will be signed by all participants. Safety is of utmost importance. We want everyone to enjoy their tour and arrive home safely
Sat 1 PM International Steampunk Day Celebration The Kosmos Restaurant, 1715 5th St. NW Sunday is International Steampunk Day. Let's meet up a day early for lunch to celebrate (505 Steampunk: Society of Brass and Steam)
Sat 1 – 3 PM Wine, Cider, and Mead Making Class Southwest Grape & Grain, 3401 Candelaria Blvd. NE An entry level class to teach you the basics you'll need to get started making your own wine, cider, and mead at home! Wine, Mead, and Cider can trace their roots back many centuries to various locations and regions. There’s a reason these beverages are still around, they’re delicious (and relatively easy to make!). Now, you can add the knowledge of the history and creation process to your repertoire. Join us for this informative class in which we’ll delve into each of these categories and leave you with an instilled sense of confidence to go home and make these timeless beverages (tickets)
Sat 1 – 3 PM KAJILLIONAIRE - a Lesbian Earth special screening of the wildly original Miranda July comedy! The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Ave NE View the trailer. Dir. Miranda July - 2020 - 104m. Know your worth! From acclaimed writedirector Miranda July comes a profoundly moving and wildly original comedy. Con-artists Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) have spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to swindle, scam, and steal at every opportunity. During a desperate, hastily conceived heist, they charm a stranger (Gina Rodriguez) into joining their family, only to have their entire world turned upside down (tickets)
Sat 2 – 4 PM Paint Party Chill Zone Frozen Yogurt, 4320 Ridgecrest Dr. SE, Ste B1, Rio Rancho $10 per person. Join us at the Chill Zone and paint these comical springtime friends enjoying FROYO on an 8"x8" canvas. All supplies are included
Sat 4:30 – 7:30 PM ENCOMPASS // OPEN STUDIOS Harwood Art Center, 1114 7th St. NW Harwood Art Center and Escuela del Sol Montessori are pleased to present Encompass, a unique multi-generational art event that takes place annually. Featuring five exhibitions, open studios, hands-on art-making projects, live music, food trucks, and activities for all ages, Encompass is both a reflection of and an offering to our community; this year’s theme is Embodiments of Wonder. Encompass is Harwood’s capstone celebration for the year. This event will include Open Studios, food by Root 66 Food Truck, and our very own Wonder Fair! Harwood’s Wonder Fair at Encompass will feature live music by Casey Mráz, special guests the beloved Giant Puppets from OffCenter Arts and free artmaking activities and experiences for our community
Sat 5 PM Silver Lace Gala, Benefitting Running 505 Tramway Plaza Events, 9600 Tennyson St. NE Join us for this 21+ fundraising event, to support Running 505. An evening of fun, elegance, live music, dancing, great food, silent auction, and race entry raffle prizes! Dress code: white or silver (tickets)
Sat 5:30 – 9 PM A Very Merry Unbirthday - Alice in Wonderland Spring DANCE Grace Church, 6901 San Antonio Dr. NE DON'T miss Jeremiah’s Place Spring Dance! Free event for our Adults-Special Needs community. Dinner provided! Alice in Wonderland costumes Encouraged. Cafe doors open at 5:30pm. SO … Get your guardian/caregiver and head on over a FUN dance to kick off Spring 2024! Mad Hatter - Queen of Hearts - Alice who are you coming dressed up as? (No drop offs, guardian/caregiver must stay)
Sat 6 PM ¡Loteria! Game Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Rd. NE We are so excited for ¡Loteria! at the Brewhouse! Practice your Spanish, have a drink, hang with friends and win prizes! Please arrive a little early to get signed in and set up
Sat 6 – 9 PM Nat'l Assoc of Latino Healthcare Execs Salsa Night Juno, 1501 1st St. NW Salsa dancing for a good cause, sponsored by National Association of Latino Healthcare Executives. Music by DJ Pedro and DJ Sizzle. $5 at the door or presales online, all ticket proceeds go to the organization. 21+ (minors ok with parents). Stay after for live Salsa with Calle 66
Sat 6 – 9 PM Gone Country Saturdays with DJ Gonzo Supreme Ponderosa Brewing, 1761 Bellamah Ave NW Starting with free dance lessons at 5 pm, followed by family-friendly entertainment until 9 pm. Come join us for an evening of music and fun you won't forget!
Sat 7 PM Selena Birthday Celebration Flix Brewhouse, 3236 La Orilla Rd. NW Don’t miss this Flix tradition! SELENA is the story of a girl who had the spirit to believe in a dream and the courage to make it come true. Join us for a birthday screening of SELENA! Admission includes a free slice of birthday cake (tickets)
Sat 7 PM Music in the Beer Garden Flock of Moons Brewing, 111 Harvard Dr. SE Join The Ukuladies, Chris Kill Duo, and Iain Cummings at Flock of Moons on on their beautiful Beer Garden for a fun Spring night of live music!
Sat 7 – 9 PM Pre-Freedom Fest Fundraiser Mary James Café, 11601 Menaul Blvd. NE Get ready for an evening of community, compassion, and cannabis at the Freedom Festival Private Pre-party and Cannabis Private Party! Hosted at the renowned Mary James Cafe, this event promises an unforgettable experience in support of the Freedom Festival and the Indigenous Cannabis Council’s effort to bring event access to those in the community who need some assistance in experiencing this captivating Cinco de Mayo weekend festival on 20 acres of reclaimed Indigenous land. **CBD Focus (3-5pm):** Embrace the healing power of CBD during our early bird session. Explore a variety of CBD-infused products, connect with Freedom Fest event coordinators & the team from The People's Ecosystem, participate in our silent auction and raffles. Your contributions will help us provide over 20 tickets and gas cards to members of our community facing barriers to attending the Freedom Festival. **Cannabis Private Party (7-10pm):** As the beautiful New Mexico sun sets, join us for a private cannabis celebration like no other. Indulge in herbal goodies, courtesy of our generous partners. Don't miss out on the chance to win celebrity giveaways and savor mouth watering creations by none other than Chef Charlene, a Food Network Chopped winner & co-founder of The People’s Ecosystem! Quench your thirst with some fire custom drinks from Mary James Café with the option to add high-grade infusions. ALL while supporting a worthy cause. **Why Attend:** 1. Support the Indigenous Cannabis Council's mission to empower our community, 2. Enjoy a night filled with cannabis, love, laughter, and delectable cuisine, 3. Contribute to providing festival access to those in need (tickets)
Sat 7 – 10 PM EQNX Jazztet Lizard Tail Brewing Industrial, 3351 Columbia Dr. NE Please come and join EQNX Jazztet as we stretch our boundaries again and perform at Lizard Tail - Industrial for the first time on a Saturday night! EQNX Jazztet is a jazz group that plays music from all genres; Jazz, Funk, Latin with a little bit of originals and genre-cross exploration just for fun. We primarily play in the style of "Blue Note Jazz" using a modern take to explore the music of today. We believe in having fun making music! This is a cool venue with a stage and lots of places to sit. It even has a patio. THERE WILL BE A FOOD TRUCK! No Cover! Great selection of beers and a food truck too. Michael Metz - Trumpet, Dan Kelly - Sax, Vic Romanelli - Guitar, Ian Davis - Bass, Steve Arbuckle - Drums. FYI: - This is not a Jazz Jam session. The regular jazz jam session occurs on Sundays from 5:30 to 8 PM
Sat 8:30 PM – 1 AM SABOR Latin Night - Saturdays! Bama's 1865, 6007 Osuna Rd. NE DJ Gabriel Goza will be serving you the saucy Salsa, Bachata, Cumbia, Merengue y Mas! Ample Parking, Safe Environment, Beautiful Venue, Good Food, Good Music, Good Vibes. 21+ / $10 cover, Salsa or Bachata lesson 9:00-9:45pm
** Sun 4/14 *\*
Sun 10 AM Acequia 5K Fun Run Sanchez Farms, 1180 Arenal Rd. SW The Fun Run has been a tradition for CESOSS for over five years. It includes a ceremony, food, and a 4 mile run along the acequia. The funds from this Fun Run will be used to support our current Cultivando Nuestro Futuro Leadership Institute Interns. We invite you all to join us to honor and celebrate acequias and acequia culture in the South Valley. A $30 registration fee is strongly encouraged. We are also accepting sliding scale donations. Please use this donation form to complete your registration. Organizations are able to register for a flat-rate fee of $120. This includes registrations for up to 7 participants in your organization, 7 t-shirts, 7 tamales and beverages for your team!
Sun 10 AM AND 11 AM Pride & Prejudice Brunch Flix Brewhouse, 3200 La Orilla Rd. NW This April, experience the greatest love story of all time. Sparks fly when spirited Elizabeth Bennet meets single, rich, and proud Mr. Darcy. But Mr. Darcy reluctantly finds himself falling in love with a woman beneath his class. Can each overcome their own pride and prejudice? Enjoy a complimentary glass of mimosa with admission and all-day breakfast items (tickets)
Sun 10 AM - 12 PM Christina Kent Early Childhood Center Fundraiser Topgolf, 1600 Desert Surf Cir NE Buy your tickets today! Join us for a fun family event filled with great food, an amazing raffle, and fabulous people. Christina Kent Early Childhood Center is a non-profit that serves the working families of Albuquerque with 5 Star, nationally accredited, and affordable child care. Tickets include continental breakfast
Sun 11 AM – 2 PM Drag Brunch Craft Republic, 4301 The Lane at 25 NE Mark your calendars for a fabulous Drag Brunch, hosted by Kalorie Kardashian! Don't miss out on dazzling performances and delicious mimosas! (tickets)
Sun 11:30 AM Wonka Historic Lobo Theater, 3013 Central Ave NE THE HISTORIC LOBO THEATER is excited to bring Wonka to the big screen! Showing Starts at 11:30 am Tickets are ONLY $10 for General Admission $25 Brunch and a Movie Ticket $21 Brunch Only ticket
Sun 12 - 4 PM Squidly Fest 2024 The Squidly Store, 514 Central Ave SE Join us for a spring pop up shop! Over 20 local artists and small businesses! Come shop local!
Sun 12 – 4 PM Plant Based Junk Food Bow & Arrow Brewing, 608 McKnight Ave NW We will be bringing out our very popular Crispy Chik'n Sandwiches and Loaded Fries. Our patties are made from a combination of soy, wheat, and peas. We are entirely nut free. We will be accepting cash or CC
Sun 2 PM Café Close Encounters Lala Coffee and Tea, 6239 Montgomery Blvd. NE This isn't your ordinary meetup; it's a journey into the mysteries of the cosmos! Remote Viewing Revelations: Dive deep into the intriguing world of remote viewing. If you've taken our in-person class, come share your mind-bending experiences and insights with fellow explorers. UFO Disclosure Updates: Stay up-to-date with the latest UFO disclosure news and unravel the mysteries surrounding unidentified aerial phenomena. Personal Encounters: Share your own extraordinary encounters with the unexplained and hear captivating stories from others who've had close encounters of their own. Theories & Speculations: Let your imagination soar as we discuss theories on what visiting non-human intelligences might be up to. Engage in thought-provoking discussions that'll leave you pondering the possibilities of the galaxy. Our last event was a cosmic blast! We took over the entire coffee shop, creating an atmosphere of intrigue and wonder. New friendships were forged, old ones rekindled, and a tapestry of personal experiences was woven throughout the afternoon
Sun 5:30 – 8:30 PM Jazz Jam Hosted by EQNX Jazztet Lizard Tail Brewing Industrial, 3351 Columbia Dr. NE This is a cool venue with a stage and lots of places to sit. It even has a patio. THERE WILL BE A FOOD TRUCK! Every Sunday from 5:30 to 8 PM. Jam starts after the 1st set. Get there early and make sure you sign in! Piano players, please contact me - we don't us a Piano so you can bring one or see if someone already committed to bring one.
Sun 6 – 9 PM Sunday Funday Karaoke Tractor Brewing - Wells Park, 1800 4th St. NW What brings the fun better then karaoke? Nothing! We got an all new night of karaoke for you singing addicts! Come amp up your Sunday Funday and sing a song with us! The Pop Up will be on hand serving up eats!

Jerry Trainor, an adult actor who played Spencer on ICarly with Jennette McCurdy. Social media has framed him as some sort of savior when there’s literally no evidence of him protecting those kids from Dans abuse. He apparently would make jokes and try to distract him from bullying the child actors. If he witnessed these children being abused, what he did wasn’t good enough because those kids were still abused. I’m also not singling him out just pointing out TikTok’s hypocrisy. Do I think he’s a good guy, probably yeah. But to write fan fiction about someone because you need a hero in this devastating story is weird.
Also the video clips of him are interesting because people are really spinning the narrative.
In one video, Dan is calling the underage cast of ICarly “cute” and when he gets to Jerry, Jerry says “ew, don’t do it”. People think he’s saying ew don’t call these children cute when in actuality he’s telling Dan not to call himself, Jerry cute.
Another video is of the ICarly cast and Dan having a group hug and after they back away, Jerry turns his back to Dan to apparently block Dan from Hugging Miranda Cosgrove but in reality he’s just went to hold onto Miranda’s arm not intentionally “pushing” Dan aside.
None of the videos are truly showing that he intentionally put him in between Dan and the Kids. He might have been like an older brother figure to the cast because that’s what his character was, but he didn’t do anything to help those kids.

The documentaries were very good, but something I noticed was that most of the people on it were minor actors (no pun intended) and not the major stars who were at the center of the scandals. Where was Amanda Bynes, Jennette McCurdy, Miranda Cosgrove and the others? Yes we had Drake Bell but I think that's because he was caught up in his own child endangerment scandal and jumped at the opportunity to rehabilitate his image in addition to telling how own shocking stories of being abused. Thoughts?

1. Dylan O'Brien was offered a chance to reprise his role as Stiles Stilinski in the 2023 film sequel to Teen Wolf: The Movie, but ultimately he turned it down. "It was a difficult decision. A lot went into it," he told Variety. "The show couldn't be more dear to me. It was the first thing I ever did, and so many people there are extremely dear to me. It was something I was trying to make work, but it all happened very fast. We didn't really know that it was happening, and they kind of just threw it at us a little bit, which is fine because we all love the show. We were trying to figure it out."
2. The sitcom iCarly got a revival in 2021, with almost all of the original cast reprising their roles. Jennette McCurdy, who played Sam Puckett in the original series, was noticeably absent and opened up in her memoir about her mental health being the main reason she didn't return to the series. "Miranda, I'm not doing the reboot. There's nothing you can say to convince me," she wrote, recalling a conversation with costar and friend Miranda Cosgrove. "She tells me she thinks the reboot could be an opportunity for all of us in the cast to 'get back out there,' maybe get some other opportunities from it."
3. In 2016, Full House returned with a Netflix reboot called Fuller House, a continuation of the Tanner family's story, set up similarly to the original series. Almost all of the main cast returned to act in the series in some capacity except for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who played Michelle Tanner. Both were offered the chance to return, but Ashley told executive producer Bob Boyett that she didn't "feel comfortable acting" after not being on camera since she was 17, while Mary-Kate felt that the timing wasn't right.
4. Criminal Minds was rebooted just two years after its series finale, and nearly the entire cast returned to their roles. Matthew Gray Gubler, who starred in all 15 seasons as Dr. Spencer Reid, was notably absent from the reboot. Matthew wanted to explore other projects at the time, but he has since said he'd love to return to the show, saying, "Hopefully, it will soon work out."
5. Mean Girls had a mini reboot, with several of the movie's main cast playing their roles in a Black Friday commercial for Walmart. However, Rachel McAdams, who played Regina George, was not involved. When asked why she didn't do the commercial, she said, "I don't know; I guess I wasn't that excited about doing a commercial, if I'm being totally honest. A movie sounded awesome, but I've never done commercials, and it just didn't feel like my bag. Also…I didn't know that everyone was doing it. I would, of course, always love to be part of a Mean Girls reunion and hang with my Plastics, but yeah, I found that out later."
6. In 2019, Hellboy was rebooted with David Harbour starring in the title role. When Ron Perlman, who played the role in Guillermo del Toro's original movie and sequel, was asked about returning to the franchise again, he said he was open only if Guillermo was on board. "It was none of my business," he said of the 2019 film. "It would only provoke me into whatever things I didn't need to add to my list of grievances. ... If Guillermo were to wake up one day and say, 'You know what, Ron? We need to finish the trilogy,' which is an idea that is near and dear to me, I'd be there in a heartbeat. But without him, I have no interest in donning the makeup again. And you know, I just turned 70. So I would actually go down in history as being the oldest superhero!"
7. In 2019, The Hills got rebooted as a series called The Hills: New Beginnings, with several of the original cast returning for the show. Lauren Conrad notably didn't return for the show. When asked if she'd seen any episodes, she said, "I honestly haven't seen it. I think it's great. I'm glad they were able to do it again. I actually don't watch any reality television. It's a little triggering for me!"
8. When Heroes got rebooted with Heroes Reborn, Zachary Quinto was adamant about not returning to the series. In an interview with BuzzFeed, he said, "No, I'm not going to go back. It was such a meaningful experience for me … I just felt like I didn't want to go back to it. … It's a great thing to be a part of. I just felt like I need to cultivate other outlets for myself."
9. When Gilmore Girls got its revival, A Year in the Life, almost the entire cast returned to their roles. Notably missing was Chad Michael Murray, whose character, Tristan, was recast. When asked why he didn't return, he explained, "I heard [it was happening], and I wasn't available at the time. I'm pretty positive I was having a baby — my first child. It just did not work into what we were doing at that moment, so I know that somebody went out and was Tristan, but it wasn't me."
10. Frasier was recently rebooted with Kelsey Grammer returning to his iconic role. However, when David Hyde Pierce received an offer to return to the series as Niles, he rejected it. "I never really wanted to go back," he admitted. "It's not like I said, 'Oh, I don't ever want to do that again.' I loved every moment. It was that I wanted to do other things."
11. Finally, Ghostbusters was rebooted in 2016 and revived again in 2021 with Ghostbusters: Afterlife. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts all reprised their original roles and even returned for the 2024 sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. However, Rick Moranis has yet to return to the franchise. When asked why he didn't make a cameo in the 2016 reboot, he simply said, "It just makes no sense to me. Why would I do just one day of shooting on something I did 30 years ago?"

Link to article

Just when I thought I had gotten a handle on Diana Wynne Jones’s writing, she threw me another curveball at the beginning of Conrad’s Fate: first-person narration. This was somewhat shocking to me, because I had, by the time of starting Conrad, read seven of her books and four short stories, all of which use a third-person, storybook-style detachment for the expository narration. I previously have written about how Jones was masterful at mimicking the personality of her lead characters in her writing style, and yet it somehow never occurred to me that she might actually write a book directly from a character’s point of view.
Of course, to expect Diana Wynne Jones to do the same thing in the same way twice is as silly as anything, Jones herself having made very clear in the delightful “Carol Oneir’s Hundredth Dream” how little tolerance she has for talented writers who become complacent and are happy to produce the same thing over and over. Still, there’s a lot that rings familiar in Conrad’s Fate, particularly in its core themes of familial neglect, unrecognized talent, and the casual cruelty with which many adults regularly address children. But when these themes are explored so thoroughly, insightfully, and without a wasted word to be found, it’s hard to complain. In fact, Conrad’s Fate may be my favorite Diana Wynne Jones novel I’ve read since the first time I picked up Howl’s Moving Castle.
I enjoyed the storyline of this book more than any of the other Chrestomanci novels right from the beginning. Conrad and his strong-minded sister Anthea live with both their mother Franconia Tesdinic (née Grant), who, in spite of her careless treatment of those around her, has achieved modest success as a feminist writer; and their scheming Uncle Alfred, who runs a family bookshop. Neither of the adults cooks or cleans; when Anthea moves out to attend university, the family lives on cornflakes and mini quiches until Conrad can be bribed into learning how to cook. Jones also adds a prominent theme of religious trauma to this familiar, dysfunctional stew: Uncle Albert is insistent that Conrad has earned “bad karma” in a previous life and is going to die if it’s not rectified.
It’s easy to see this intentionally induced guilt as a parallel to the “original sin” idea that many branches of Christianity instill in children. And Jones refers several times throughout the book to explicitly religious imagery, comparing the Countess’s pretentious tea ceremony to a church service and characterizing the wretched Mr. Amos as follows:
He was like a prophet or a saint or something, hating us for being ungodly and thundering out of heaven at us.
As the case with Uncle Ralph in The Lives of Christopher Chant, a sharp reader will recognize Uncle Alfred’s “Evil Fate” talk as a transparent exercise of power over Conrad, but the boy himself, like most children who experience oppressively religious upbringings, never suspects. This was among the most interesting themes of the novel, and clearly Jones thought so too, naming the entire book in reference to it. She writes with authenticity of Conrad’s experience finding comfort in atheism:

…the truly nasty part was that each time [something bad happened to me] I thought, I deserve this! This is because of my crime in my past life. And I felt horribly guilty and sinful until the scrapes or the ankle or the cut had healed. Then I remembered Anthea saying she didn’t believe people had more than one life, and after that I would feel better.

I mentioned in my writeup on "Stealer of Souls" that Jones has a way of reminding me of childhood feelings that I never even realized I forgot. The passage above, particularly the last line, is exactly how the prospect of atheism comforted me as a child, long before I fully embraced it as an adult. I have read that Jones herself was an atheist, and I have no doubt of her personal experience after reading the above and similar passages in this book. On a somewhat related note, Conrad’s enjoyment of the Peter Jenkins books places him in a longer line of Jones protagonists who find their main comfort in literary escapism, mirroring Tonino’s love of reading and the Goddess’s obsession with the Millie books. (That the Goddess even takes Millie’s name when she relocates to Series Twelve shows us just how crucial this piece of escapism can be for a thoughtful, misunderstood child.)
Hints that the adults in the house aren't fully honest or forthright come early, with Daisy the shopgirl informing Conrad that the bookshop is “coining money” despite his uncle’s claims that he has nothing to spare to hire a cook. Missing the point that Alfred has been dishonest, Conrad instead uses this information to manipulate and bribe his uncle for toys and gifts. Later, when Conrad's mother basically kicks him out of the house, saying very directly “I wash my hands of you, Conrad,” he again seems to miss the appalling weight of these words, instead worrying about the logistics of moving. The only time he comes close to holding them accountable in this part of the book is his poignant, though rather blameless, mourning that “I could have done so many interesting things if I had the right education.” As a result, midway through the book, when Anthea and Christopher finally convince Conrad that his Uncle has been deceiving him, and Anthea engages their mother in an unpleasant phone call, Conrad is seriously disillusioned:

As Anthea hung the whirring receiver back on its rest, I had the hardest job in the world not to burst into tears. Tears pushed and welled at my eyes, and I had to stand rigid and stare at the shelves of books in front of me. They bulged and swam. I felt utterly let down and betrayed. Everyone had lied to me. By now I didn’t even know what the truth was.

Soon after that, Conrad becomes consciously aware of the extent to which he’s internalized this lie about himself:

I several times caught myself thinking that this must be my Evil Fate at work–in fact I kept thinking it and then realizing all over again that Uncle Alfred had probably invented it. It gave me a strange, hectic feeling at the back of my mind all day.

And, in a brutally realistic scene, Conrad sneaks into his home to find that Franconia and Alfred have all but rid the place of his and Anthea’s existence, Jones being careful to specify for us that this is not related to the world being changed, but rather Conrad’s mother’s lack of care. Jones, as usual, is simple, direct, and devastating in her language:

All my clothes were gone, and my model aircraft, and my books. I felt–well, hurt is the only word for it. Very, dreadfully hurt.

Jones has many scenes like this in her books, and she always writes the experience of parental disillusionment with painful honesty and clarity. Interestingly though, the most direct parallel in her works is to be found not in the Chrestomanci books, but in Howl’s Moving Castle. I was irresistibly reminded of the memorable chapter from the beginning of Howl’s in which Sophie is taken aback to learn from her sister Martha that the hat shop is “making a mint” and that her stepmother Fanny may actually be exploiting her by not paying her a wage.
Though Sophie later realizes she had taken too seriously what was actually just Martha ranting healthily about her mother, in Conrad’s Fate we have no such redemption. Alfred and Franconia (who funnily enough is also referred to as Fanny late in the book) make for a truly dreary pair of guardians. Jones frequently shows Franconia’s apparent feminist sensibilities to be only surface-level: Franconia refers to the responsibility of cooking for her children as an instance of “being exploited,” but inflicts the same expectation on her own daughter. (Meanwhile, Conrad uses the skill of cooking to leverage his place in the household, and later Christopher is viewed as somewhat inept and helpless in not being able to cook at all.) Despite supposedly valuing independent and intelligent women, Franconia’s response to Anthea being accepted into university is a simple but cutting “you’re not clever enough.” In a subtle touch highlighting the impressionability of children, her vaguely sexist repeated remark that Anthea is “sly” is subconsciously echoed by Conrad when he voices the same thought about Daisy the shopgirl.
Franconia is central to the final act of the book, revealing some key plot secrets. There’s even a funny scene with Anthea grudgingly admiring her brazen and unceremonious entry into the Stallery House banquet. But Jones ultimately holds Franconia accountable for the cruel indifference she shows her children in an emotional climax:

Gabriel de Witt took my photographs back from me and stood frowning down at them. “Yes, indeed,” he said at last. “Master Tesdinic here has an extraordinary degree of untrained magical talent. I would like”–he turned his frown on my mother–“to take the lad back with me to Series Twelve and make sure that he is properly taught.”
“Oh no!” Anthea said.
“I believe I must,” Gabriel de Witt said. He was still frowning at my mother. “I cannot think what you were doing, madam, neglecting to provide your son with proper tuition.”
My mother’s hair was down all over the place, like an unstuffed mattress. I could see she had no answer to Gabriel de Witt. So she said tragically, “Now all my family is to be taken from me!”
Gabriel de Witt straightened himself, looking grim and dour even for him. “That, madam,” he said, “is what tends to happen when one neglects people.”

In the end, Gabriel de Witt is the one to correct the mistakes of Alfred and Franconia and finally give Conrad the education he’s been quietly wishing for throughout the book. The importance of Franconia to the plot and to Conrad’s character, despite her absence for most of the book, is highlighted in particular by Conrad being forced to take her maiden name, Grant, as his alias during his stay at Stallery. In fact, Christopher Chant himself refers to Conrad only as “Grant” throughout the book, Jones finding an organic way to constantly remind us that simply moving out of the house doesn’t rid us of our mothers' presence and influence.
The character of the Countess further complicates a feminist discussion of the novel. We first learn of her in an appallingly sexist diatribe from gossipy Mrs. Potts, who suggests she “caught the old Count by kicking up her legs in a chorus line” and then “bothered and nagged him to death.” From this conversation we are inclined to see the Countess as an unfairly maligned woman who has been subjected to all of Stallchester’s small-minded judgment. But when the Countess herself enters the novel, it’s clear that she is another in a line of toxic female figures which populate many of Jones’s books:

If you looked at her quickly, this Countess, you thought she was the same age as the good-looking one, Lady Felice. She was just as blond and just as slender, and her dark lilac dress made her look pure and delicate, almost like a teenager’s. But when she moved, you saw she had studied for years and years how to move gracefully, and when she spoke, her face took on expressions that were terribly sweet, in a way that showed she had been studying expressions for years, too. After that, you saw that the delicate look was careful, careful, expert makeup.

(Side note: it’s very admirable writing that in this introduction Jones is able to foreshadow the fact that the Countess is just an actress pretending to be nobility, even suggesting the actress connection again when the members of the actors’ guild use their skills with makeup to make Millie look older.)
Jones’s husband has suggested that the Countess was inspired by Jones’s own mother, though variations of the character can be found in her other books as well. I thought particularly of Miss Angorian in Howl’s Moving Castle, the Last Governess in The Lives of Christopher Chant, Miss Hodge in Witch Week, and especially the devilish Duchess in The Magicians of Caprona. The Countess’s role as a smothering, overly-involved, manipulative mother positions her as a foil to the neglectful parenting approach of both Franconia Tesdinic and Miranda Chant. In another subtle touch, just as Franconia doesn’t have anything to do with talk of cooking despite supposedly placing value on women having skills, Felice at one point uses the subject of money to get the Countess to stop talking. Despite being immeasurably wealthy, the Countess haughtily reminds her daughter that she knows nothing about finance.
More to the point, these disparate, but equally ineffectual, parenting styles further cement the idea that “maternal” does not necessarily translate as a positive trait in Jones’s work. Later, we find out Millie has been held hostage by a witch, also portrayed as a wicked old woman who hides behind various motherly objects and behaviors:

“It may have been the witch keeping you in,” I said.
“Oh, it was,” she said. “I didn’t realize at first. She was sort of kind, and she had food cooked whatever kitchen I got to, and she kept hinting that she knew all about the way the buildings changed. She said she’d show me the way out when things were ready. Then she suddenly disappeared, and as soon as she was gone, I realized that it was that knitting of hers–she was sort of knitting me in, trying to take me over, I think. I had to spend a day undoing her knitting before I could get anywhere.”

Read it two or three times and you can see this passage is so marvelously nuanced and full of different meanings. It could read as a microcosm of an adult coming to terms with the influence their parents have had on them ("I had to spend a day undoing her knitting before I could get anywhere"), but it could also be read as a simple account of an evil witch working a spell. I love that the typically motherly image of “knitting” takes on a symbolic and ominous subtext here.
Most of the likable women in this book are young and beautiful, such as Anthea, who reminds me of other strong-minded sister characters such as Lettie in Howl’s and especially Rosa in Magicians (the latter in particular having a similar elopement subplot). Millie is an important exception, always described as having a slightly round and plain face, but behaving in ways that show her intelligence and kindness. Her interests and talents sometimes go against what’s expected of young girls, highlighted by her account of the school she escaped:

”It really was an awful place–awful girls, awful teachers–and the lessons were all things like dancing and deportment and embroidery and how to make conversation with an ambassador, and so on. I told Gabriel de Witt that I was miserable and not learning a thing, but he just thought I was being silly.”

I included the last sentence as an indication of how keenly aware Jones is that women's concerns are often dismissed as irrational while men are taken more seriously. That Millie experiences this at the hands of even a “good” character such as Gabriel is important and telling, and it’s even more important that Christopher, a male character whose masculinity is arguably tempered by feminine traits, didn’t doubt her for a second. A less prominent detail in the same vein is that Lady Felice’s grand ball to celebrate her coming-of-age (ostensibly her independence) had to be canceled in observance of the recent death of her father.
And speaking of talented women, in the end it’s the talented young actress Fay Marley who encourages Conrad in the tear-jerking final paragraph:

The King wants to see me tomorrow. I feel very nervous. But Fay Marley has promised to go with me at least as far as the door and hold my hand. She knows the King well, and she says she thinks he may want to make me a Special Investigator like Mr. Prendergast. “You notice things other people don’t see, darling,” she says. “Don’t worry so much. It’ll be all right, you’ll see.”

This ending is sneakily emotional, because it highlights the healing power that Conrad experiences as a result of being encouraged positively by a friend, contrasting to his uncle’s constant reminders that he was doomed to failure.
There are a few stray thoughts I want to talk about. The first is the character of Christopher Chant, who really comes into his own here as a fun and enjoyable sidekick character (though given our protagonist’s passive nature, it’s really Conrad who comes off as the sidekick). As usual, his maddeningly beautiful clothes, easy charm, and airy humor lighten the tone of the book quite a lot, and it was quite funny to read about him as an angsty teenager getting in an argument with his guardian and running away after a girl. But we peel back a little more of the detached vagueness here to recognize that he and Conrad have a quite moving friendship: during the section of the book in which Christopher is missing, Conrad tells a joke which is misinterpreted by a coworker; he then privately laments that Christopher would have understood the joke. I hope that we see more of the two of them together in the last book, though I somehow doubt it.
The next thing is the setting itself. It is quite bold to set the novel in more or less one location throughout, and Jones dedicates a lot of time to the look and feel of the mansion so we can feel as immersed as our leads. I don’t have much to remark on here, but I thought I should give her credit for keeping a single setting compelling and interesting throughout. I was fascinated by the scene in which Christopher and Conrad explore the cellar, going deep into the mansion’s basement to find a bizarre Freudian nightmare of buzzing computer screens and stock market numbers. I was delighted and felt that Jones was really tapping into her subconscious with this detail. There’s also a very light but amusing satire on the arbitrary social class systems at play in the mansion; Jones is at her funniest when the inquisition arrives to detain and question half the household:

There was a lot of noise in the entrance hall, where more policemen seemed to be marshaling gardeners, stablemen, and chauffeurs up the main stairs. Most of them were protesting that only Family were allowed to go up this way.

Finally, I always dedicate some space to Jones’s remarkable descriptions of magic. My favorite this time was Conrad’s summoning of an eerie familiar known as a Walker:

There was a sudden feeling of vast open distances. It was a very odd feeling, because the library was still all around us, close and warm and filled with the quiet, mildewy scent of books, but the distances were there, too. I could smell them. They brought a sharp, icy smell like the winds over frozen plains. Then I realized I could see the distance, too. Beyond the books, farther off than the edge of any world, there was a huge curving horizon, faintly lit by an icy sunrise, and winds that I couldn’t feel blew off it. I knew those were the winds of eternity. And real fear gripped me, nothing to do with any fear spell.

Jones is characteristically spare in her prose, giving us only as much detail as we need and leaving the proper amount of vagueness to delight or, in this case, chill us.
Also–did everyone catch Tacroy’s/Mordecai Roberts’s cameo as the unnamed “youngish man with a lot of light, curly hair and a brown skin” in the final chapter?
I took a more analytical approach to my write-up this time, because as I said before, Conrad’s Fate was my favorite book of the Chrestomanci series so far, and there were a lot of great themes to dig into. Thanks for bearing with me through this lengthy diatribe, and I am quite sad to report that I have only one of these books left to read! Next time, I’ll be back to offer my thoughts on The Pinhoe Egg.

In my own headcanon, the following happened in later seasons and years as the crew got older:
---Ginger struggled with drivers ed while Dodie mastered it and gloated way too much when Joann bought her a Honda Civic Coupe Soft-Top. Courtney wasn't gifted any car when she passed her test, but Winston still let her drive the town car twice a week.
--Carl hit puberty hard and gained more weight than height. He got really into Dungeons and Dragons, Magic the Gathering, and varsity lacrosse in 7th and 8th grades. Come 9th grade he dove super hard for Archery 🏹 and became the captain of the varsity Archery and lacrosse teams at Lucky Sr High School. Carl has a framed photograph of Maude in his bedroom.
--Principal Miltee retired after Carl and Hoodsey moved up to high school, but politely gifted Carl new sports equipment when he became team captain for both teams in 9th grade.
--Miss Zorsky (the good one) became the next principal of Lucky Sr High School, and turned the school around into a better and safer place than it previously was. She also had "The Wall" demolished.
--Hoodsey finally had a growth spurts in grade 10, and made more new friends, including Chet Zipper's younger brother Brett (grade 9). On occasion he would break out Hoodsdonowitz for some fun cosplay.
--In grade 10, Macy ditched Dodie in favor of new friends she made in Origami Club and Marching Band. She continues to wear contacts, light makeup, and had a tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy to help improve her breathing and speaking skills. She also got a voice coach to help her improve her speech and self esteem. Macy graduated with full honors and earned 20 college credits her senior year. She still remained cordial with Ginger but seldomly spent any time with her.
--Courtney graduated high school just as a C average, and applied to multiple acting schools and theatre troupes. She eventually auditioned for a traveling theatre troupe, and got in. That's how she chose to live life after high school. She never acted snooty or naiive after high school, after having been close friends with Ginger for grades 10-12 she ditched the dumb rich girl act in favor of a more sincere, genuine attitude.
--Miranda's father gave her an ultimatum: attend a military academy college, or go to trade school for automotive repair. She chose the latter, and eventually moved out into a boarding house so she wouldn't be under her father's thumb anymore. She still held onto resentment that both Courtney and Ginger became more successful socially and career-wise than her. Miranda remains in Sheltered Shrubs, has a pet Doberman named (Freddie) Krueger, and works as an auto-shop technician.
--Mipsy Mipsin was suspended from Lucky Sr High for her evil plot of screwing with Ginger Foutley (Wicked Game) just for shits and giggles, for the rest of the school year. She had to be attend a tutoring center in a low-income neighborhood 10miles outside of Sheltered Shrubs. She was not happy with that. She called it "the ghetto", which offended Miranda and then Miranda ditched her ass. When she returned for grade 10, she was friendless throughout the rest of high school. Not even Hope Rogers talked to her. She still lives in town, but is nearly a nobody and works at a (pants size joke) 1-3-5 clothing boutique full time. Ironically, Mipsy's hips pushed out after high school and now she's a size 11. She can't keep a boyfriend ever because she's a scary stalker type, which is unappealing.
---Will Patterson, Darren's older brother, became a star football player for a local arena league and also played for local minor-leauge baseball, ice hockey, and soccer teams until he was 25. Then he got into coaching youth travel teams for baseball and football.
--Lois and Dr Dave adopted 2 dogs, each of whom had 3 legs, and Lois lost about 50lbs from constant physical activity with the dogs. They all started going on long country hikes and camping together, usually with Carl and Hoodsey joining them.
--Noelle continued to make random appearances around town but never when Carl was aware.
--Brandon Higsby was put into a special-ed program for high school bc he was 8yrs behind in behavioral, emotional, and social maturity compared to his age. He graduated and went on to work in a Sheltered Workshop doing recycle-sorting for Sheltered Shrubs Waste Services. Duane became Brandon's supervisor and didn't mind his weirdness. Mr Licorice was rehomed to a petting zoo. Thank goodness.
--Blake Gripling was sent to a Butler Academy, paid for by Winston, in grade 10, because he just couldn't acclimate to the standard social pecking order of normal high school. A victim of his own upbringing.
--Winston started his own self-help lifeskills business to help rich/affluent children/teens come to grips with modern day life, in hopes of preventing any more Blake's and Courtney's.
--Dodie became a career job-lackey after high school was over, never lasting more than a month in every single retail and fast food job available in Sheltered Shrubs. Eventually Dodie learns she doesn't have any soft skills to successfully earn her own money, and now she has joined multiple MLMs as a last ditch effort to FIT IN with all the other boss-babes and make some pocket money. She still brags and and boasts about her 2door car, MLMs, and being better than everyone else. Her insecurities reek and no one is ever friends with her. She and Chet got married, had one baby girl. Dodie is now a mommy vlogger on youtube and tiktok, always dressing up her daughter as a princess and over spoiling her like there's no tomorrow.
---Ginger: she's a mystery. She's still writing in her journal every day of her life. She and Darren have 3 mixed race kids, 2 girls and a boy. One of her daughters closely resembles her estranged father, Jonas, it's uncanny, but Ginger doesn't mind. Jonas was there for the birth of all his grandchildren, despite not having been around for most of his daughter's life. Jonas is now making up for lost time as a regular weekend grandparent.
---Darren, now being married to Ginger for the past 5 years with 2 girls and a boy, is now a soccer coach for LuckyJrHigh and works full time for a landscaping crew. He is excited to be a dad.

This feeling started when I saw a man on tiktok talking about how women seem to have such cute apartments and places, how they always decorate and keep things clean, nice furniture and color schemes vs guys and their blank apartments.
I stared up at the still blank white walls of my room, then down at the messy floor and the single plastic dresser I own.
Then I see the women at my job, always decked out with accessories, make up, hair done and clothes that match perfectly.
I look down at myself, wearing one of the outfits I picked up off the floor after a sniff test and some wrinkle spray, no makeup, unshaved legs, no nail polish or cute bracelets.
And I wish I could say I’m a tomboy, I’m not. I love dressing up, I love makeup and girly things, I love thinking about decorating and beautiful items.
But I fail to ever consistently act feminine. I haven’t braided or done anything more than a pony tail since childhood. I’ll buy cute clothes, or skin care products, make up, etc, but they end up in the bottom of a closet or box. I’ll paint my nails and then they grow out, chipped paint and all, then back to plain for months and months. I don’t wake up with the motivation to be beautiful 99% of the days I’m alive.
Relationships are hard too. How could I be the loving wife and mother if I don’t even cook for myself, or clean the house on a consistent basis. How could I teach my daughter to braid her hair, or learn to dress. I know it’s 2024 and women don’t have to be the picture of a stereotypical woman anymore, I saw the Barbie movie too, but that’s who I want to be! Instead, while so many women complain about their men not helping out, I worry about becoming the partner they speak of.
Instead I’m practically a man, working an office job I love where I’m treated like a man. I’m not seen as part of the women here, with their cute Stanley cups and pretty hairstyles and aesthetic office decor. My desk has paperwork and random crap where theirs has framed photos and little plants and heart shaped sticky notes.
I’d kill to be one of them. I don’t care about looks, I’m talking about the consistent ability to be feminine in everything they do. I’m sure they have their problems, but so many women seem so dedicated to their physical appearance and womanly things.
I’ve tried. I have tried and tried. I suck at being a woman. Feminine things take such an unreasonable amount of executive function that I simply do not have.
I’m on meds, I’ve been in therapy, I’ve looked for advice. I’ll be good for 2-3 weeks and then it all goes down the drain. It takes so much effort just to get ready enough to be decent to leave the house, much less look beautiful. It’s depressing. It’s like everything I want to be conflicts with who I am to the point of nausea.
I’ve convinced those around me that I simply don’t care to do those things. I don’t wear makeup because it’s bad for my skin, I don’t dress in extravagant outfits because I prefer the simple look. I’m a “down to earth” type of girl. Those are the lies I convince others to believe.
I’m not.
That movie, “the devil wears Prada” kills me on the inside. I’m plain old Andy at the start of the movie on the outside, on the inside I’m Miranda. I want to be feminine and aesthetic and all these pretty words that feel so far out of reach. I want to have a style, I want to have a look, I want a clean and cute house with decorations and framed pictures and cute fixtures.
Instead, here I am. A woman so utterly non feminine I come off as manly to people. Again, I don’t think women have to be a certain way or act like anything other than who they want to be, I don’t think women who don’t act femininely are lesser. I just don’t want to be one, they want and choose that life (unless they’re like me and just feel overwhelmed by the other side).
Living in general is already so much. Everything. I want to live inside my head where I can imagine myself being this fashionista girly girl with her cute boots and scarves. I grew up dressing up Barbie’s and watching project runway and saying “that’s who I want to be, that’s who I am”.
I don’t know if it’s just ADHD, but it feels like adhd’s fault. And nothing seems to get better, I just get more okay with it, and I don’t want to be okay with it, I want to change.
But I keep waking up late, grabbing the cleanest and easiest to wear clothes, wet hair brushed straight down, It’s depressing. It’s like everything I want to be conflicts with who I am to the point of nausea.
And put on the black loafers that take zero effort to put on. I forget to brush my teeth or I’m too late for work to pack a purse, much less makeup and accessories and nail polish. The moment I buy jewelry I lose it, the moment I get a cute outfit it ends up on the floor or it’s too complicated to put on with the straps and layers and bows.
It makes me lack confidence in myself, in who I am. It makes life so overwhelming, so utterly exhausting and miserable. The little things people do to brighten their space or make them look cute bring me so much joy and so much jealousy. Maybe jealousy is the wrong word, I’m not jealous of their ability to do things, I hate my consistent failure to do them as well.
When I see people call ADHD a superpower I want to laugh. No, it’s not, at least not for me. It has been the bane of my existence since before I even knew that what I was experiencing was ADHD.
ADHD makes me feel lazy, unworthy, unattractive. It makes me go broke, it makes me fail classes, it makes me depressed and angry at myself. It makes me give up projects and hobbies, it makes me undependable, late, forgetful, confused, annoying. It makes my life miserable and overwhelming. It makes me burnt out and lonely. It’s the reason my house is a mess, it’s the reason I never have my shit together, it’s the reason I cant be the perfectionist that lives inside of me.
And because the ADHD is me, is my brain, it makes me hate myself for being all of those things.
Will I ever get better? Will I ever become more than this? Will I ever write the book I want to write without giving up halfway, or have a beautiful clean house, or be cute and aesthetic? Will I ever be on time, stop losing my keys, stop being the tornado in a trailer park mess that I am?
Chances are, no, I won’t. Medication is the only thing that is approved for treating ADHD, and it does about fuck all for me. Just makes me focus more on what I’m doing, or my job, but it doesn’t fix the longer term problems caused by my ADHD. Caused by me, because I am the brain, I am the one in control, and yet I feel so utterly out of control.
I want to leave this off on a happier note, a glass half full sentiment to bring hope to the women that feel like me, but man. Where is the silver lining? The grass is always greener on the other side, right? Well what if you haven’t watered your grass in weeks and it’s slowly dying and turning brown.
And this is such a privledged rant too. I have the money, the security in my life, everything that should make someone feel content. Makes me feel that much worse that I’m so miserable when so many people have it so much worse. People who have to work two jobs and can’t pay for food much less cute clothes, they deserve to be upset and angry. But here I am, a privileged woman with the world at her fingertips, wasting her life being miserable because she can’t reach out and take that world.
I’ve been told my whole life how smart I am, how talented, how ambitious and multifaceted. Too bad that means nothing in the face of such overwhelming laziness. I’m supposed to go to college this year, and as someone who got a near perfect SAT score, I’m terrified about the idea of failing classes because I’m simply too lazy to do the homework.
Instead I complain, and complain, and hate myself and pick my flaws apart. I don’t do anything about it, because I don’t even know where to start. The idea of fixing who I am is so overwhelming because my brain has a laundry list of problems and flaws and things I need to be and do. I can’t just take things one step at a time when the solutions my issues are in 37844682 different directions and taking one step feels like walking through concrete. And here I am, writing a stupid rant on Reddit instead of focusing on my job.
But whatever, we chillin. How’s y’all’s Friday going?

“I will be there for you, day or night,” She said. "And the time between times."
That raised an eyebrow, but not my suspicions.
I had blindly loved Abigail Thorp for six years. At the time, her peculiar wedding vows seemed endearing. She was only adding a little sprinkle and spice to the ceremony, as she did with all things. That was what I naively believed.
“Richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,” Abigail continued. “Glued or unglued.”
My second eyebrow raised, levelling with the first.
“I will protect you,” My fiancée said. “You will be safeguarded during your resting hours. You are my world. A vessel for my love. My prosperity. My future. And I hope to be a vessel for you. A provider. An abundant source of wealth, joy, and love. I love you, Noah.”
“Okay…” I slowly replied, smiling uncertainly at Abigail’s speech. “Are you just trying to delay saying ‘I do’?”
The crowd laughed, and, ever the aspiring comedian, I grinned smugly. I was oblivious to the significance of the union being forged.
“I’m ready for your vows, Noah,” Abigail warmly caressed my hands whilst looking at the vicar.
“Yes…” The man stammered, dumbfounded by her vows. “Right… Noah…?”
I cleared my throat. “What version of ChatGPT were you using? I didn’t get anything like that.”
My fiancée rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Fine,” I chuckled. “I’ll be serious. Okay?”
I summoned a deep breath, unmasking the clown to reveal a vulnerable man beneath.
“Abigail, there is no other woman quite like you,” I said. “From the moment we met, I was drawn to you. The only person goofier than me. I knew that I had to marry you, if only to prove to my parents that, comparatively, I’m not that weird.”
I heard my mother and father chortling from the front row.
“You are boundlessly kind, intelligent, and beautiful. My one and only love, in this lifetime and any lifetime,” I continued, pausing for the obligatory utterances of gooey approval from the crowd. “I love you, Abigail.”
“And do you promise to be a vessel for my love?” She pressed, fidgeting on the spot.
That was the only odd question which didn’t surprise me. It was a vow my fiancée had requested — that we would both be ‘love vessels’ for one another. Abigail had always been a poet, all teasing aside, and I viewed her entire declaration as a typical Abby oddity. The ‘vessel’ vow was no different. It was just her unusual form of love language. Something sort of innuendo, perhaps, I thought, stifling a grin.
“I promise to be a vessel for your love,” I agreed.
Once the words escaped my lips, I immediately caught a glimpse of something in Abigail’s eye. The fleeting reflection of a shadow in the corner of the church. It had the shape of a man. A misshapen man. And it came with the sensation of my brain being painfully clamped. Only for a moment, but long enough to make me wince.
“Noah?” The vicar asked, noticing my brief flinch.
“I’m fine…” I muttered, shaking my head to free the pins and needles.
Abigail smiled, but it was a faux smile. Not the adoring one I’d come to know over the years.
“It is time for the declaration of intent. Do you, Noah Chapman, take Abigail Thorp to be your lawfully wedded wife?” The vicar asked.
“I… do,” I said, eye twitching as I wrestled with what felt like ethereal fingernails digging into my skull.
“And do you, Abigail Thorp, take Noah Chapman to be your lawfully wedded husband?” The vicar asked.
“I do,” My fiancée nodded, lips bending ever-upwards.
“Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride,” The vicar said.
The crowd roared with applause as my mouth met Abigail’s pursed lips. Much like her smile — much like that entire ceremony — it was nothing like any other kiss we’d shared. I had never felt both warm and cold from her touch. I’d never felt that way from anything. It was the happiest moment of my life, yet it was clouded by trepidation. A clinging fear.
But what followed was not horror.
My wife and I began a whirlwind romance. A relationship deeper than the one we had prior to marrying. That swiftly flushed any doubts down the drain. The slight blip on our wedding day must have been jitters. That was what I chose to believe. A cliché, but one that made the most sense.
The first bump in the road came a month down the line. The topic of our living situation arose for the hundredth time. From her late parents, Abigail inherited the family home and a sizeable plot of land. She wanted us to move there. Understandable, of course. However, I resented the idea of her relatives viewing me as a gold digger. Her great aunt once made a chastising remark that stuck with me.
“Everybody knows the Thorp name,” She huffed to Abigail. “I’ve got my eye on you, Chapman.”
The implication infuriated me. I was already financially stable before meeting Abigail. I worked as a senior software engineer. I didn’t need the Thorp fortune.
“The house is yours,” I told my wife. “Do what you want with it, but don’t feel that you have to include me. It’s your inheritance. I’d rather not move into that place.”
Abigail groaned. “Stop being so stubborn, Noah. It’s not a handout. Okay? We’re married. What’s mine is yours.”
“Well… What about Chris?” I pointed out. “Isn’t he interested in it? Does he not resent your parents for leaving the estate to you?”
“He inherited a sizeable sum of money, the yacht, and the lake-house,” Abigail said. “My brother received just as much wealth as me.”
“Does he see it that way?” I asked. “After all, we are talking about Thorp Manor. That’s your family’s heritage.”
“Heritage? Oh, please. Chris only cares about money,” My wife laughed. “You need to get over this, Noah. Nobody is going to despise you for living in that house with me. Forget my Great Aunt Gertrude. She’s a bitter old woman. An aunt, might I add, who my mother hated.”
Arguing with Abigail was like chewing skirt steak. It was tough, and it ended with jaw-ache.
Naturally, I eventually buckled and agreed to move to Thorp Manor. In fairness, Abigail was right. I was being stubborn. I admit my flaws. Pride is one of them. In truth, I did want to move there. The property was one of unbeatable splendour, and I was secretly jubilant at the prospect of living in a manor.
Marital bliss resumed. All seemed well for the following few months — better than ever before, as I said. I forgot all about the argument and the strangeness of our wedding day.
And then came the migraines.
Much like the day of the ceremony, electric shocks filled my head. Brain zaps. They flared up during the mornings, mostly, but the dull pain sometimes persisted throughout the day.
And there were other health issues. No matter how much I slept, I was perpetually fatigued. Hazy-brained. Living life on standby mode. It felt as if I were lugging a plumper brain around, to the detriment of my thinking ability. And that was strange, as I’d never been the type to feel excessively tired. I was a night owl. But, suddenly, I seemed unable to stay awake past ten in the evening. And nothing noticeable in my lifestyle had changed.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Abigail asked.
I sighed heavily. “I just, erm… I feel…”
“Tired?” My wife finished. “Lie down for a little while, honey. I’ll cook dinner tonight.”
“No, I said I’d do it. Don’t you have to prepare for that presentation in the morning?” I asked.
But Abigail shushed me, and I thanked her, giving her a tight squeeze. Then, I waddled dozily to the manor’s spacious lounge, picking one of the three sofas to rest my weary, weighty head. I slumped onto a cushion, and my body tumbled immediately into the land of nod.
But my dreams were feverish. The eccentric, surreal nightmares of a body running on fumes. When the body viciously reboots itself after countless sleepless nights, the mind runs wild. And this wasn’t my first fever dream since moving to the manor. Just as it wasn’t the first time I’d seen the man in the corner of my sleep-fuelled visions. The man with grey eyes and no other features on his face.
I woke from my nap around half six in the evening. I’m sure I would’ve slept until dinner was ready, but the sound of an agitated conversation disrupted my rest.
“You need to leave,” Abigail urged. “It’s far too early for you to be–”
“– He’s asleep,” A man’s familiar voice interrupted. “Let’s do it now. I’m growing impatient.”
“No… Dinner’s nearly ready,” My wife huffed. “He’ll be waking up soon… There’ll be time later.”
“Fine,” A woman grunted. “At the mid point, then.”
“At the mid point,” Abigail said.
I squeezed my eyelids together, body trembling as I tried to decipher the coded conversation. I was wracking my brain to pinpoint those voices.
I was distracted during dinner. I wanted to confront Abigail about the mysterious visitors who left before I pretended to wake up. Of course, she would’ve known that I’d been eavesdropping. And something about the nature of their talk set me on the back-foot. I felt exposed. Abigail had never made me feel exposed before.
When we finally went to bed, I stayed awake with my eyes firmly shut. I anxiously awaited whatever scheme Abigail and her unknown accomplice had in store. I channelled my inner ‘night owl’, and I wasn’t worried about nodding off. Nerves will keep me awake, I decided. As would the thunderstorm which brewed outside.
However, I was baffled to be woken by my alarm clock around seven in the morning. I’d failed to resist the pull of sleep. And the sinister connotations of that fact were starting to dawn on me. The exhaustion. The excruciating headaches. The strangers in our home. Something was uneven. And, on this particular morning, there was something else.
The legs of my joggers were dirty and sodden.
Have I been sleepwalking outside? I wondered.
I wasn’t convinced, so I resisted the urge to mention anything to Abigail. It was all connected, somehow. My wife had something to do with it. And I devised a way to find answers. I would film myself. See whether I’d been getting up in the middle of the night. Going for strolls. Repeatedly bludgeoning my head, perhaps. There had to be a logical explanation for everything. Even the conversation.
You might have misinterpreted or misheard them, I suggested to myself. Or, better yet, it may have been a dream.
With renewed confidence, I crossed my fingers that the video footage would clear up everything.
After setting up the camera, I went to bed with giddiness in my gut. I longed to wake and finally have some answers.
Unfortunately, the next day, there were no damp patches or grubby stains on my clothes. And the video recording revealed that I slept through the night. Over the following days, this continued to be the case. I was starting to lose faith until Chris came to stay.
Much to my annoyance, Abigail’s drunken brother, upon arriving at our manor, collapsed on the sofa. He won a sizeable sum of money from gambling and immediately splurged it on a two-day bender. It wasn’t the first time that he’d earned and blown wealth.
“Is this going to be a recurring thing?” I sighed.
My wife shrugged. “He’s an addict, Noah. We have to support him. He’s working on it.”
“Maybe. He’s also a sociopath,” I said. “And he never has to account for his actions.”
Abigail pouted. “Look, he’s still my brother. Besides, he actually came here to… clear his head.”
“Right,” I nodded disbelievingly, rubbing my own pounding forehead. “Speaking of which, the migraines are back. I’m going to bed.”
“Okay, sweetie,” My wife said, planting a kiss on my sore brow. “Good night!”
The next morning, I woke to that familiar feeling of disorientation. And, for the first time, I was glad about it. I knew exactly what it meant. I rushed to my computer, uploaded the footage from the hidden camera, and fast-forwarded through the events of the prior night.
“What the…” I began.
At midnight, Abigail’s eyes opened fully. She lay on her back, as stiff as a plank, as if she’d never really been asleep. As if she were hardly human, for that matter. My wife rose like a machine, and her stiff limbs carried her to the bedroom door.
When she opened it, Chris entered.
“It’s time. Is he ready?” My brother-in-law asked.
Abigail nodded.
“Good,” The man replied, before clearing his throat. “At the mid point, you unglue.”
In a blur of motion too fast to track, something awful happened.
My body split in two.
Abigail and Chris watched silently as my sleepwalking form rose from the bed, unbinding itself from the black, shadowy shape of a body left on the bed. My real-life jaw fell. I watched as my wife and brother-in-law walked out of the room, followed by my zombified body.
And, left behind, there was only a black spectral form atop the bed — a shadow that had my vague shape. It was a vibrating energy, with my outline, rigidly frozen in place.
Hyperventilating, mind crippled by existential dread, I shivered in front of the computer screen. Watching an unmoving recording of some terrifying spirit.
After half an hour, Abigail and Chris returned, followed seconds later by my shuffling, lifeless shell.
“Are you satisfied?” My wife asked Chris.
“Never,” Her brother coldly replied. “Are you?”
“Yes!” My wife said, tucking my body back into bed — it lay atop the black spirit.
“Then why do you do the same?” Chris asked, offering a wicked smile.
Abigail ignored him. “I am a vessel for your love. You glue.”
With those words, the dark spectre reunited with my body. Skin absorbed the blackened form. A second later, after rebinding, my recorded self started snoozing soundly.
“I love him,” My wife said.
“You love what he can give you,” My brother-in-law taunted. “Good night, Abby.”
After her brother left the room, Abigail stood in silence for several minutes. She stared at the wall, panting heavily. I don’t know what she felt. Rage. Sadness. Frustration. All I know is that her breathing suddenly slowed, until she looked entirely peaceful. Serene.
And then her head cracked to the side, facing the filming camera.
“FUCK!” I cried, falling off the desk chair.
And, as I climbed to my feet, my eyes were drawn to the shape in the office’s doorway.
Abigail was home.
“I’ve been waiting for you to wake up,” She sighed. “Noah, I can explain–”
“– What the fuck, Abigail?” I screamed. “What the fucking fuck?”
“I didn’t know how to tell–”
“– I’m leaving,” I cried, charging towards the stranger in the doorway.
“Day or night, heed your vow,” She whispered.
In a surge of excruciating agony, I felt my body tear in two. And by the time I realised that, I was left staring at my own physical form. It stood before me like a statue. I was a disembodied spirit, enduring a terrifying outer-body experience.
“Don’t worry,” Abigail said, leaving my frozen spirit behind as she led my physical shell out of the room. “I’ll fix you…”
As my wife and my body exited the office, the colours of reality swirled around me, and I stumbled into a liminal landscape of brimstone and hellfire. Strangely, I recognised it. Something stirred in my memory bank. I’d been to that place before. Numerous times — every time the Thorps split my soul from its vessel. And when I woke, I forgot. I was left with nothing but a pounding head and questions.
I decided that time would be different.
“Hello?” I called.
I wandered through the arid abyss, tentatively peering around rocky mounds and side-stepping trickling streams of fire, lava, or whatever otherworldly substance blazed in that wasteland. The sky above was black, but it was not filled with stars — it was an infinite emptiness. Not a sky at all. Not anything.
After what could’ve been an hour or a minute of wandering through nothingness, I eventually abandoned my mission and resigned myself to Abigail’s fate. With a deep sigh, I turned my head and prepared to head back.
My feet failed me.
Following at a distance of no more than ten yards was a looming, gangly figure. A man with limbs like those of a human, but there was nothing about him that was from our world. He was built of loose, peeling flesh — revealing mounds of black, beating mush beneath the surface of his skin. And, as a flare of otherworldly lava lit the air, it illuminated patches of fur on his body.
Much like the man of my nightmares, he bore two grey eyes and no other features on his terrifying face.
“You return to the place between, Noah Chapman,” The being lowly noted, speaking from all directions.
I shuddered, stumbling backwards.
“Yet again, you have forgotten my face,” He said, tilting his horrid head to the side and eagerly viewing me. “Perhaps, if I wear your lovely skin, you might recognise me…”
The creature took a silent step towards me, and I wondered whether it had been soundlessly pursuing me for the entire time I’d been in its ungodly land. Terrified of the impossibility before me, I stepped backwards, but the being was nimble. Large. Omnipotent in its realm, I had no doubt.
“What do you want?” I asked.
“No,” He replied, inching ever-closer. “You should be asking what they want.”
I panted fearfully, retreating slowly from the approaching abhorrence. Its eyes glistened a muted grey, swirling in endless whirlpools that threatened to consume me.
“What have they done to me?” I asked. “Where am I?”
“Better questions,” The creature replied. “They tied you to Abigail, and they are using you. As for this realm, you are in the place between places.”
I clawed my head frightfully. “Using me for what?”
“To claim their rewards,” He hissed. “No souls can step over the border and enter my prison. But a soulless body safely walks through the fire. It can do their bidding…”
“But I have a soul, and I’m here,” I pointed out.
“This isn’t my prison,” It replied. “This isn’t anywhere. Neither of us are really here because there is no ‘here’.”
“What do you mean?” I cried.
“You always ask that question. I tire of explaining this,” It growled. “I am Temnor, and I offer gifts to those who sustain me, Noah Chapman. The hovel by the lake. That is the place in which I have dwelled for fifty rounds of the sun. The Thorps imprisoned me, and now they feed me. You are my feast.”
“You… made a deal with the Thorps?” I asked.
“I must survive,” Temnor answered. “I cannot live in a cage. The Thorps bring me your soulless body. They unglue your spirt from it, bringing me an empty husk. A shell through which I can walk the mortal world for a half hour at the mid point. In return, I give them whatever they desire. One gift per visit.”
“You’ve possessed me?” I whispered.
“People cannot be possessed, Noah Chapman,” Temnor explained. “You are not your body.”
I gasped fearfully, and an unthinkable question spilled out of my mouth. “Would you make a deal with me?”
The terrifying being finally stopped taking strides towards me. He surveyed me with great interest, crinkling his featureless face in a way that almost had the appearance of a direful smile.
“You have never asked that before, Noah Chapman,” It replied. “What manner of deal?”
“I want…” I stammered, searching for the words. “I want freedom from the Thorps. Freedom from you. This place. All of it.”
“And in return?” It asked. “If not your body, I require something else…”
I gulped. “I don’t have the stomach to sacrifice another human to you. Even a cruel one.”
“Oakwood,” Temnor said.
I paused. “Oakwood?”
“Yes,” It continued. “The Thorps denied my request. I do not need much. Just a taste.”
“Why?” I cautiously asked.
“It will unbind me from my prison,” Temnor said. “And they do not wish to unbind me. They need me. Endlessly. Again and again. For all of their selfish desires.”
“I won’t imprison you,” I replied. “I only need one thing from you.”
“We need the same thing, it seems,” Temnor noted. “Freedom. Such sickly poetry.”
“I am curious, however. Why haven’t you ever fetched oakwood for yourself?” I asked. “You’ve used my body as a vessel to leave your hovel on numerous occasions.”
“I am bound by rules,” The being hissed. “Do we have a deal, Noah Chapman?”
“Yes… Won’t I forget this?” I asked. “As we speak, Abigail’s taking my body to the lake.”
“Yes,” Temnor said. “I sense her nearing. I shall have to leave this purgatory. And, as she always does, she will ask that I make you forget. Will you bring me the oakwood if I lie?”
I shuddered and nodded.
“By the mid point?” It continued.
I nodded again.
“Very well,” Temnor growled. “I will ensure that you remember.”
I screamed as my soul was swept away by a swirl of blackness, in which the horrifying entity merged with its surroundings.
After an eternal plummet, I felt grounded. Physical. Real. And I realised that the blackness was, in fact, the inside of my eyelids. When I opened them, my soul had returned to its body. I was back in the real world. Lying in bed. In the real time — not the one between.
“Good morning!” A peppy voice called, startling me.
I turned to face the en-suite door, and my wife was beaming at me with a toothbrush in her mouth. She asked Temnor to wipe my mind, and I had to play along with that notion. It took tremendous willpower, but I smiled.
“Morning,” I croakily replied.
“Well, afternoon, actually,” My wife chuckled. “How’s your head feeling? Better, now you’ve slept it off?”
Strangely, I did feel better. I wondered whether Temnor’s induced amnesia had been giving me the migraines. I also realised that it was the same day — hours had passed, but Abigail was simply pretending nothing had happened. And when I looked to the hiding spot on a nearby shelf, I noticed my camera wasn’t there. She asked him to make me forget about filming myself too, I realised.
“What do you want to do today?” Abigail asked. “It’s the weekend, at long last.”
“Yeah… Well, firstly, I’m going to take my morning walk,” I quickly responded.
My wife frowned slightly, but her face quickly eased, and she nodded. Fortunately, I did like to stroll around the property every morning, so there was nothing out-of-the-ordinary about that. What had clearly aroused suspicion was the fact that my voice had been filled with such urgency.
Before Abigail had the opportunity to piece anything together, I was already out of the house. And I beelined straight for the car. I knew of a nearby road lined with oak trees, and all Temnor needed was a sliver of wood. The smallest amount, and he would be free. I would be free. And as I pulled down the driveway, I took a quick glance in my rear-view mirror.
Abigail was standing on the front steps.
“Shit,” I whispered, flooring the pedal.
She knew I was lying. She could read my face. And I knew that she was smart enough to figure out what that meant. But it was fine. I got away.
In fact, I shouldn’t ever return, I thought. She can’t have my body if I run.
“She can…” Temnor’s unmistakable voice whispered. “Wherever you go, she can summon your vessel at the mid point.”
I shrieked fearfully at the sudden sound in my head, and my eyes were drawn to the property’s passing lake. It lay just beyond a small cluster of trees — the small forest. And my body drained of all warmth when I spotted a lurking shape in the pines. Long-limbed, grey-eyed, and not quite human.
Casting my eyes back to the road, I floored the accelerator and slipped through the manor’s main gates. As I drove along the road of trees I had in mind, my mind raced with the possibilities of what my treacherous wife might be doing to reclaim control of my body.
After mounding a grassy bank at the foot of some oaks, I retrieved a pen knife from the glove compartment — I was thankful that we’d been on a recent camping trip. And I flew out of the car, scrambling up the hill to reach the nearest tree. With a swift flick of my tool, I had shaved a thin layer of wood from a mighty oak beside the road. I did not hesitate to jump back into the car and head home.
When I returned, however, the atmosphere of the manor felt different. I trundled tentatively through the main gates and dreaded what I might find at the lake. Abigail and Chris armed to the teeth, ready to massacre me on the spot. But finding nothing was worse. I didn’t know what my wife might be planning. I drove onto the grass, heading towards the trees which formed a barrier between the property and the lake.
That was when I saw them. Four figures, standing in a small clearing before the water. Is that Mr and Mrs Thorp? I wondered. How on Earth the matriarch and patriarch of the family had returned to life, I did not know. They were watching my car hesitantly approach.
“They’re going to take you,” Temnor whispered in my mind.
Petrified, I felt the yank of my body splitting from my soul, and I brought the car to a halt. And I watched as my mindless vessel of a body clambered out of the vehicle, walking across the grass towards the demented family waiting by the lake. Waiting by Temnor’s prison.
Reality swirled once more, throwing me into the place between places. The nightmarish, darkened world of lava and terror.
The horrifying being spoke from between two rock faces. “You failed, Noah Chapman. And now they have claimed you as a vessel once more.”
“Is my body in your prison?” I asked.
The being paused. “Yes… I am about to utilise your vessel to–”
“– The front pocket of my coat,” I whispered.
Temnor’s eyes glazed, as if he were viewing something in the real world. “Oakwood… I see. Your contract will be nullified, Noah Chapman. By the power vested in me, I unbind you from Abigail Chapman. I unbind you from the Thorps.”
As the world around me collapsed, so too did my spirit. It stretched into the endless abyss of blackness above me, and I woke on my knees in a dirt clearing by the lake. Surrounded by a small cluster of trees that the Thorps called a forest. Beneath me, there lay a downward, muddy slope concealed by shrubbery and trees. The place that had been Temnor’s jail for an untold length of time. Before me, I saw the line which marked the edge of his domain. But I was within it. No soul can step within my prison. But I wasn’t burning alive. I could tread across his land.
It was no longer his prison. I had freed him.
I ran through the trees, ignoring the early-evening sun that slipped behind the Thorp manor. I was free, spiritually, but I had free myself of that wretched family physically. I jumped in my car, still sitting with an open driver’s door on the grass. But it wasn’t the only car around. A hundred yards towards the house, Chris’ Ford GT was crumpled like paper in the front wall of Thorp Manor.
I wanted to escape, but I had to know. Had to be certain.
I drove back to the property, getting out of the vehicle and lighting my way with a phone torch. And there, sitting in a bloody mess behind the wheel, was Abigail’s baby brother. Chris Thorp was flattened like a revolting omelette between the mangled seat and the bonnet — what was left of the bonnet. His beloved car. One of the gifts Temnor had no doubt given.
Shaking, I found my feet moving towards the front door. I entered the well-lit property on janky legs and found a scene of utter chaos. Overturned furnishings, scratched walls, and demolished décor.
In the living room, I found two people I never expected to see again. Two people I scarcely believed I’d seen earlier.
Miranda and Harold. The late Thorp parents. They had, once more, become lifeless corpses.
Harold lay on his back, belly bulging and eyes bloodshot. Gold medallions were spilling out of his mouth. As I leaned more closely, eyeing the edge of particularly blood-stained right eye, I caught sight of what seemed to be a rotund shape squeezing into his eye socket. His entire body had been filled to the brim with coins. The wealth he no doubt acquired through sordid means.
And Miranda lay beside him, her body compressed into a gut-spilling mess. She had been constricted by the lavish dress she wore — a dress stained red, and somehow not torn at the seams. It had torn her at the seams.
“Abigail…” I muttered.
She was the real reason I returned. In spite of the horror she and her family had inflicted upon me, I still loved the woman. I still had to know what became of her. Temnor had slaughtered the others. I knew he wouldn’t have spared her. And when I reached our upstairs bedroom, my suspicions were confirmed. However, the scene was not what I expected.
My wife was still alive, but horribly so.
In our bed, Abigail lay in a wheezing state. She had aged beyond the years of any mortal being. Aged beyond comprehension. To the extent that it seemed cruel for Temnor to keep her alive. A punishment worse than anything the others had experienced.
“Noah…” My wife whispered, struggling to breathe with withered lungs in a crumbling body.
When I walked to Abigail’s bedside, I was scarcely brave enough to touch her, fearing that she might become an ashy mound in my fingers.
“Why did you do this?” I asked.
My wife tearfully mumbled. “I didn’t wish for cruel things, Noah. You have to–”
“– You did a monstrous thing to me,” I interrupted. “You stole my body. My soul. Made me a pawn that you could throw into the lion’s den.”
“Money that Dad spent poorly… Pretty things that turned Mum cold and callous… Successful investments that Chris squandered on hedonism and cruelty to others…” She coughed. “But I only wanted to bring them back. Mum and Dad. And then I… Well, I wanted you to love me forever. I wanted us to be together forever. Wanted you to love me unconditionally. I was… greedy too. This is his punishment. Killing me with age and heartbreak.”
“That’s a lot of wants, Abigail,” I whispered bitterly. “And they came at the expense of me.”
“No, it… It wasn’t going to hurt you…” Abigail whispered, eyes fading.
“Look what it did to all of you,” I said. “I only pray it upholds its end of the bargain.”
My wife’s eyes widened. “What did you say…? Bargain?”
“I–”
“– Did you strike a deal with Temnor? Did you free it?” She gasped near-soundlessly, barely clutching to life.
I nodded. “After you imprisoned him.”
“Imprisoned him…?” Abigail shuddered. “Is that what he told you? We found him, Noah. Locked away in the hovel… Somebody put him there long ago. For good reason.”
“You. Somebody else. I don’t really care, Abigail,” I sighed. “This was the only way to free myself.”
My wife produced a single tear — all she had left to give. “May something have mercy on your soul, Noah, for there is certainly no God left. This is Temnor’s domain now.”
As my wife faded into the pit of emptiness we all find at the end of the road, I reflected on her dying words. What use would there be in lying to me? Over the many weeks following her death, I keep wondering what she meant. Should I not have freed Temnor?
I know what he craved within his prison. What does he crave beyond it?

I just watched the 4 part documentary on Nick child stars and Drake Bell is by NO means an amazing person, be he isn’t a monster
If you haven’t seen to doc he was m*lested by Brian Peck(no relation to Josh Peck) when was 15, he went through hell and struggled to talk to anyone about it and changed the subject whenever he could
They Filmed the Pilot for Drake & Josh in January 2003 since Miranda Cosgrove had to go to NYC the week after for Filming of School of Rock, but Brian wanted a reshoot of the Pilot and wanted to replace Jonathan Goldstein as Walter
Drake protested and 7 months later Brian was arrested and they were able to complete the rest of the First Season in August and September which for the first time in 16 months Drake was actually happy
I now know why Taran Killam who played Trevor in the show was only in one episode because in Brian’s 2004 trial he sided with Brian over Drake