Okay, so, first, my side. On Jan 28th of this year(2024), I was walking with my wife. We enjoy going for 2-3 hour walks every day, m(well we did, lol) and the last thing I remember was that I said to her “I feel dizzy”, then about 30 minutes or so later, I came to screaming in pain, as i was being put in a stretcher thingy for an Ambulance. For me, I have no memory of those 30ish minutes, according to my wife, I was trying to stand up and do other dumb shit.
Apparently, I had a stroke, seizure, or something, fell, most likely backwards, and severely broke my L7. I have a photo of the CT they did of my spine in Emerg. It’s pretty fucked.
So, that’s how my life has been for almost the last 4 months. It’s not healing and I won’t go into why i haven’t had surgery or something yet.
Well, because of this, I’ve had a great excuse to not see or deal with my mother. It’s been great(aside from the horrible physical pain and nerve pain).
Apparently 4 days ago. My mother messages me that her mother is in the hospital, I hate my Grandma so i didn’t really care.
Then 2 days later, she calls me, telling me that she’s the one actually in the hospital, basically dying. She’s saying she can’t breathe, they think she has cancer(with no symptoms or even what kind. Just “cancer”), that she’s getting a MRI of her brain because she’s been getting headaches, so she said the doctors think she some brain disease, I forget which, she was also getting a random ultrasound of her intestines, and she had a blood clot in her lungs, and because of that, she’s being put on blood thinners for the next year or longer, oh, and she’s on the verge of a heart attack because she claims her heart rate is “too high” but isn’t getting an EKG, or anything. There are a few other things I’m forgetting, aswell. But when you’re told such blatant lies, your mind can only register so much.
My wife and I guess is that she wasn’t happy that my back was giving me a valid reason to not deal with her bullshit, and this all happened on Mother’s Day, and since I didn’t go visit her in the hospital(BECAUSE I CANT), she starts to scream at me at how much I’m a piece of shit, how I don’t love her, how much my wife has turned me into a heartless monster, and when she dies from this(not even a “if”), I’ll be kicked out of her Will, and even though she supposedly paid 15,000 dollars for a spot in a mausoleum(or whatever those are called. Where your corpse is in a stone drawer, instead of the ground) and made a huge deal about how her body HAS to be placed in one, that I will not be getting any of her ashes when she’s cremated.
At this point. While I’ve started to find it funny. In the moment, I was absolutely furious. She knows full well of my horrible medical issues. Ive had a double lung transplant, I’ve been through stage 4 lymphoma, the transplant meds and chemo have really caused me alot of issues with my brain, I’ve broken my spine twice, for the last 2 years I’ve had a BP of like 180/140(roughly, and it actually caused worry in some of my doctors) and just recently got put on meds to bring that down, and so much more.
It’s so fucked that a parent who’s seen her own son struggle to survive, time and time again, to be told countless times “he’s not going to make it” to pull this shit.
I’m so done with her bullshit that if she were to die, I don’t think I would even shed a tear. After 36 years of narcissistic abuse, actually abuse, financial abuse, and more, there just isn’t any emotions for her anymore.

This post will only cover what has been in court so far. I won’t touch on other points much.
Lally comes off as dull on TV. That said people watching on TV are irrelevant its all about what the jurors think. From what media in courtroom has said they are highly engaged. Their strategy has been to lay out the events leading into the investigation and we appear to be getting to the meat of things.
Canton PD sloppiness .There was sloppiness in how they handled initial reports in particular not capturing statements on the scene etc and not securing crime scene until JOK was pronounced dead. The leaf blower was odd but has video behind it and not as big of a deal aside from making Canton cops look ridiculous. The solo cups are problematic but that piece of evidence recovered aka JOK blood is not being disputed by defense team. The key piece of evidence they recovered the cocktail glass seems valid.
FF/EMT testimony: the social media photos are ultimately silly but will see in testimony this week. Anyone under 40 will have a significant number of photos of themselves on social media with people that aren’t necessarily their friends aka acquaintances. Unless defense has evidence of them communicating this is silly hill for them to die on. They should argued they misheard etc but to allege coordinating etc. this is ultimately a she said vs they said and will hurt defense when weighing all the facts.
Showing actual guilt/event forensics: sorry to say we will get little to none of this week. I suspect this will mostly be Alberts and people at home this week . While important the actual forensic will be next week or later.
KR waking up and freaking out 5 in morning. This one is tough for me to understand. He was a grown man who was heavily intoxicated. Assuming he just slept it off at place seems more normal vs driving around that early.
Defense theory:
Dog theory: the dog’s known problems was with other dogs not people. The incident alleged happened months after JOK died and was injured due to other dogs owner trying to break up fight. Not a good look for any owner but far from the killer dog theory alleged. The dog appears to have been rehomed due to that incident to VT rather then nefariously disappeared like defense alleged in opening remarks. Without other reported events in court im having trouble buying this part of defense theory.
Selling home: it appears they had been wanting to downsize their home for a bit . They took advantage of pandemic real estate boom. This is pretty common and almost everyone has a family member that thought or did the same.
Alberts and front lawn issue: defense needs witnesses to back up this theory of animosity between Alberts and JOK. The photos in court seemed like a joke rather than hostile. Either one of the kids, a family member, neighbor, or KR herself to establish some credibility to this.
Alberts “power”. So far the Alberts have come off less of a powerful family and more like a large typical townie family. Out of 7 one owned a sub/pizza place and two became cops. The police brutality allegation from 20 years ago appeared to make the cop look less like he favored the Alberts and more like somone that hates his orders not being followed and he struck them. Cops off duty attempting to stop a fight or take other actions is common. Should he have been punished at the time most likely. Is it relevant to the case? Not so much. Defense will need strong evidence such as Chris Albert using town select authority in an unethical way to sell this.
Brian Albert not getting out of bed: this theory is weak. The conditions were dark out still, blizzard, sirens weren’t on, he had been out late drinking till 1 in morning, and had also driven up from NY that day. By the time he was woken up JOK was in ambulance.
Jen M reaction: again this is a silly theory. It was 6 in morning after a late night out. People process things in different ways. Calling 911 was key thing which she did.
Play fighting: without context that looked like a quick joke. Considering it was one time thing i’m not making much of it.
Investigation of Brian Alberts: this to me appears weak. They were interviewed twice. First by Canton PD. Then by MSP. The interview is part of investigation. The defense can say they werent primary part but if initial forensics pointed to KR that doesn’t help them.
Trooper Proctor: not gonna defend any text messages sent. Im curious when they were sent though. If post indictments then impact on investigation seems muted. Also it seems like so far every step along the way at least one or more members of MSP was there with him making a frame up much more difficult. Not to mention any case involving a deceased LEO likely required some review with higher ups in MSP . His personal relations to Alberts seem weakish. His sister being friends with a wife is a bit meh. Its also again blunted by people who worked with him each step along way.
Overall the defense team is extremely skilled showman. What they are showing though is extremely big smoke show rather then anything nefarious.

In memory of Leslie Shay
10 years ago, on May 13, 2014, Leslie Shay (played by Lauren German), the fan-favorite character of the NBC studio's series Chicago Fire, died in the finale of the second season. True, viewers only learned about this when the third season started. The death of the character was followed by an uproar from the audience, the popularity of the series (which had been on the rise until then) and the number of viewers decreased, because many people stopped watching the series due to Shay's death, including the author of this post (I reached the end of the third season). Due to the anniversary, I started researching on the Internet to better understand why Shay's character was destined for this fate, and using quite a few references and also abundant with spoilers, I will share with everyone what I came up with in this post. I will also write my own opinion.
(I apologize for any grammatical errors, I did not write the post in English and I created the English version with the help of Google Translate)
Shay's character probably doesn't need to be introduced to anyone, but if you do, this link nicely summarizes why everyone loved her so much.
https://screenrant.com/chicago-fire-leslie-shay-lauren-german-best-traits-facts-trivia/
When I started researching the topic, I read that despite the fact that Chicago Fire is already in its 13th season, Shay remains one of the most loved and most missed characters to this day. However, later, when I wrote the post, I could not find the source again, if anyone can send a link to this topic, please do so.
It is clear that if the series loses such a popular character, it will have an impact and will shake the viewers. Well, it turns out, more than anything in the show's 13 seasons. I found a lot of sources to prove this:
1)
People's Choice Awards, USA, 2015 / Favorite TV Character We Miss Most
In the above category, Shay made it to the top 5, which no one else did later.
https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000530/2015/1?ref_=nmawd_ev_1
2)
Most shocking TV deaths of all time
https://tvline.com/lists/shocking-tv-deaths/leslie-shay-chicago-fire/
Shay is also included in the top 100 list above, as well as two other characters from the entire One Chicago franchise, Elias Koteas as Alvin Olinsky and Yuri Sardarov as Otis. Thus, Shay was on a list with the likes of Teri Bauer (24), Lance Sweets (Bones), Bobby Ewing (Dallas) or Ned Stark (GoT)
3)
And this is what ChatGPT answered when it was asked which of the characters in Chicago Fire had the most heartbreaking death (short quote from the answer):
"The most heartbreaking character death was definitely Leslie Shay. Oh, it was gut-wrenching! Shay, played by the incredibly talented Lauren German, was such a beloved and integral member of Firehouse 51....."
https://onechicagocenter.com/2023/07/24/heartbreaking-chicago-fire-death-according-ai-not-otisi/
4)
If I use the Google Search service, the answer to this search will also be Shay:
Question: "chicago fire most heartbreaking death"
Answer: "Leslie Shay died in a fire"
Searching the internet, it became clear to me that it wasn't just Shay's death that shocked viewers, but also the fact that the show's creators made the decision to get rid of Shay's character. This decision raised many questions and problems, which I will go through below. There are a lot of posts and articles on the internet about why Lauren German left the series, but in fact they were all based on a single, otherwise amazingly short interview that was made with Matt Olmstead. I found this at this link:
https://tvline.com/interviews/lauren-german-leaving-chicago-fire-shay-killed-off-549958/
If anyone has seen or read other interviews or other information, please share them.
I read a lot of comments under the link above, and I would like to thank everyone for expressing their opinions there. I read a lot of things in the comments that I didn't even think of at first, but it's good that they brought them to my attention, because I completely agreed with them.

1. The creators of the series killed off the third female character in 2 seasons, who was also one of the main characters.
2. Killing a character directly just for the sake of dramatic effect is already quite a boring solution
3. Olmstead praised Lauren German's talent a lot in the interview, but then why didn't the producers try to keep the actress?
4. Olmstead stated that there will be no flashbacks involving Shay. But in the first episode there were 4 (from Severide, Dawson and Boden)
5. The LGBT community also received a slap in the face, as an openly lesbian character was killed off. This is also a solution that has been seen many times and is boring.
6. Shay and Severide's relationship was one of the prominent aspects of the series, which made it worth watching, in fact, according to many, it was such a novel and well-constructed thread that the creators of the series were praised for this. After Shay's death, without the dynamism of their relationship, the series became boring.
7. Opinions also suggested that perhaps the goal was to attract the right target audience with Shay's lesbian character, but they no longer wanted to retain this group of viewers, so it was a harsh decision made from a business point of view by the creators
8. Olmstead defended the decision by saying that they could bring more and more storylines into the series, while without Shay's character, the exact opposite was true.
9. He also claimed that all the characters were assessed on equal footing when the decision was made. In comparison, they immediately replaced Shay with a new character who looked like her, was not a lesbian like Shay, and was 10 years younger. Because Lauren German was born in 1978, Kara Killmer in 1988. The message of this change was extremely bad in the eyes of the viewers
10. There was a commenter who suggested that the change was made so that the new character could be romantically involved with one of the male characters, and this actually happened during the third season when Brett and Cruz got together
11. If the purpose of Shay's death was to show how unpredictable life is, they should have paid much more attention to the details. The first part of the third season is full of mistakes and unrealistic solutions
12. It is strange that the interview only mentions in a few sentences what Lauren said to the fact that the creators of the series essentially fired her. In connection with this, it occurred to me that something else could have been behind the decision, which was never made public, but of course this is just a hunch.
13. As far as I know, Lauren German was the only main character in the history of Chicago Fire who did not leave the series by her own decision

There were many other strange things about Shay's death that could be found by searching the internet. I will also go through these in order.
A)
Let's return briefly to the fact that the popularity of the series decreased during the third season. This can be checked here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_(franchise))
Based on this, it can be definitely stated that whoever made this decision, for whatever reason, caused damage to the series.
The data:
First season, ranking 51, number of viewers 7.78M
Second season, ranking 31, number of viewers 9.70M
Third season, ranking 47, number of viewers 9.65M
The first season brought good numbers, and it can be seen from the data that its popularity increased for the next season. However, the ranking of the series dropped almost to the initial level by the third season, and although the number of viewers did not decrease so significantly, the reason for this is probably that, in addition to the viewers who left, there were still those who only joined at that time. Another interesting fact is that the third season is the only one where Dick Wolf is mentioned as showrunner. It is possible that during the third season he wanted to be more involved in the development of the story, and it was his decision to pull something unexpected in the series, so Shay's death is due to him. Here is a show-like interview with the whole team, in which I found it strange that Dick Wolf was given the central place on the stage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2tCrma7t5o&t=2s
It was as if they suggested that he was the most important person. It can be imagined that he always had the final say in making decisions. As a counter-example, I saw an interview with the actors of The Avengers, where one of the directors was present, and the Russo brother remained nicely in the background, since everyone was interested in the actors, Iron Man, and Thor, etc. However, this was not the case in this interview. Obviously, I'm not a behavioral researcher, so I can't draw important conclusions from a single interview.
Of course, it is also easy to imagine that the writing team made an independent decision, but did not count on how much the omission of Shay's character would turn fans away from the series. Thus, Dick Wolf was the savior when he was forced to intervene personally in shaping the story to mitigate the damage. Of course, it is also possible that these events and what I wrote about the video above have absolutely nothing to do with each other.
B)
It's also strange how many storylines with negative outcomes were connected to Shay's character during the first 2 seasons. She was seriously injured several times (the ambulance accident in the first season, the hospital bombing in the second season), and she went through several crises in her personal life. Her first love, Clarice, left her, and months later she broke Shay's heart a second time. Devon tricked and robbed her. When Severide and Shay wanted a baby, she failed to conceive. A patient of her, Daryl, whom she sympathized with, committed suicide in front of her eyes, and Shay also fell into depression after that, while her paramedic partner and friend, Dawson, did not care about Shay's mental breakdown at all. During the two seasons, she was almost hit by a car, almost shot, stabbed with a syringe, which could have been contagious, and there must have been other cases that I left out of the list. Then came the third season, where basically the firefighters who were inside a huge explosion were not hurt at all, while Shay, who was on the ground floor of the building, died in this explosion. On the part of the writers, this amount of negativism was perhaps already excessive and quite unrealistic (like the case of Doctor Romano in ER, who was hit by the helicopter). It's like the creators didn't really like the character, or didn't want to do anything with her other than build viewers' empathy / sympathy for Shay so they could switch it to a dramatic twist when the time was right. But that's the opposite of good storytelling in my view. My opinion is that the reason for Shay's popularity is not to be found in the "grateful" storylines written for her, because we will find it only and exclusively in the fantastic performance of Lauren German
C)
It's very strange that Leslie Shay was a main character in the first 2 seasons, but if you look at the Instagram page of the series (more specifically, the entire One Chicago franchise), you can see that Shay's character received very little attention.
https://www.instagram.com/nbconechicago/
At the time of writing this post, there were 3588 posts on the site. I took the trouble to check if my hunch was right and scrolled through to the posts about the first 3 seasons.
Number of pictures where Shay is clearly visible among many people in a group picture: 15
Number of photos where Shay is with 1-2 other people: 27
Number of photos featuring only Shay: 6
Yes, I didn't write a bad number, among 3588 pictures a total of 6 individual photos were given to one of the main characters of the first 2 seasons of the series, perhaps the most popular character of the series to date. Although Lauren German is a famously reclusive actress, she even has more selfies on her Instagram than that
D)
It's also very strange that in the third season they introduced a storyline that says Shay's death was caused by arson. Unfortunately, the execution of all this was extremely clumsy and illogical for me. It was already revealed during the first 2 seasons that Shay's parents are divorced, they live in two separate cities, and that she has no sisters. You could tell this from the fact that when Severide and Shay talked about who would take care of their baby if something happened to both of them, Dawson's name immediately came up. It's illogical that Shay wouldn't have said her sister. In fact, the whole thread felt more like a readjusting to placate fans who would channel their frustration and anger over Shay's death onto the arsonist in the story - instead of the show's writers.
E)
It occurred to me that maybe Lauren's relationship with her colleagues was not good, and for the sake of peace, the creators got rid of the character. This suggestion is probably the furthest from reality, I have a lot of hits that prove that Lauren maintained a very good relationship with her co-stars even later. Here are some examples of this
Trees R fun
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-rn0w-CTv-0
Shayveride back together
https://twitter.com/TaylorKinneyARG/status/1128137229577216000
S03 E14
https://hu.pinterest.com/pin/2814818493493352/
https://hu.pinterest.com/pin/630785491553579592/
From Lauren's Insta
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlRQVXqgxqP/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWZMBislmnE/
https://www.instagram.com/p/_50dHgFijd/
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2014/10/15/18477177/chicago-fire-if-anyone-can-saveseveride-it-s-casey
In real life, Kinney is grieving the loss of his costar, too.
"I miss her like crazy," he said about Lauren German. "She was a great scene partner. Great actor. Someone to work with and someone to confide in. It was an honest relationship. We hung out off the stages, too. I didn’t take that too easy.”
F)
It's also interesting that I've been able to find almost nothing online about what Lauren thought about what happened to Leslie Shay's character. What we do know from Matt Olmstead's interview is that she joked that she wasn’t going to miss the Chicago winters (she’s a California girl). Other than that, this is the only reaction from Lauren that can still be found, it's completely professional and polite, and perhaps it's no coincidence that she thanked the fans the most for their support
https://cartermatt.com/133627/chicago-fire-season-3-lauren-german-speaks-shay-premiere-shocke
"Hello beautiful people! I want to say thank you to NBC, Dick Wolf and the entire team for letting me be a part of such an amazing experience. I have to say I've never been around a more gifted, special, heartfelt, funny and loving cast and crew as with the CF gang. The show gave me so many priceless gifts. I'm forever grateful. I mostly want to thank the fans for their support and love on this journey. You all are so beautiful. It was a great honor to portray Shay. I love her: her spirit, her flaws, her honesty. And most of all she brought me the most genuine & meaningful interactions with you all, the fans, & my heart swells with gratitude. Thank you, thank you! So much love to you all.”
F) UPDATE
I just found this article, which for some reason didn't come up amongst the search results for the past few weeks.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2016/1/22/18408021/chicago-fire-alum-lauren-german-having-devilishly-good-time-on-lucifer
In this article, Lauren told a sweet story that I believe happened during the filming of the pilot episode of Lucifer:
Given her time on “Chicago Fire,” guest starring on “Chicago P.D.” and now on “Lucifer,” has German changed the way she reads about or watches crime stories in the news?
“I think so, but mainly I think my experiences have made me have even more respect for first responders than I did before I went to Chicago. Sure, I always respected them and paid attention when I’d see a fire truck going by or hear about the cops getting the bad guy.
“But after the training we went through with the firemen and paramedics in Chicago — plus now having worked with homicide detectives to prepare for ‘Lucifer’ — I can’t tell you how much I respect these guys and women.”
German found herself the butt of a few jokes during the filming of a huge scene in Los Angeles near the Dolby Theatre — the site of the annual Oscars show.
“There were helicopters flying overhead, there was all this commotion, but we also had real firemen there. It wasn’t too long after I left ‘Chicago Fire,’ so they were yelling at me, ‘You went to the dark side!’ They were really kidding me about going from playing a paramedic to playing detective.
“Of course the cops on the scene were yelling just the opposite — telling me, ‘No! You’ve come to the bright side!’ I loved that, because that’s the fun friendly competition between the firemen and police officers. It’s kind of like Army vs. Navy.
“But of course, at the end of the day, everyone’s on the same team. These people are my heroes.”
In addition, she also talked about her previous work here, based on which it can be stated that the rumors that she wanted to quit are completely unfounded (I considered this suggestion so unfounded that I didn't even include it in my post). She also confirmed what was also discussed in point E).
German did admit she misses “the whole Chicago crew I worked with — and the wonderful fans in Chicago too. Everyone in your town is so great.”
The actress said she considers co-star Monica Raymund “my best girlfriend” and also keeps up with fellow “Chicago Fire” castmates Taylor Kinney and Jesse Spencer “quite a bit.”
“In fact just the other day, Monica asked me that after I wrap [the initial 13 episodes of] ‘Lucifer’ to come over [to Chicago] for a few days and hang out with those guys. So I may do that around the end of February.”
If so, it’s likely German and her “Chicago Fire” pals will make a beeline to the Palm restaurant on East Wacker Drive.
“Taylor and Jesse and I lived in the same building [on the New East Side], and we’d go to the Palm like three times a week. It was so cozy there. We even had our own regular little booth!”
End of update
In regards to the oddities above, I can even imagine that Lauren's agent or agents had a hard time agreeing on a possible contract extension, and because of this, the creators preferred to get rid of the character of Shay. If that was the case, we will never know. However, if the decision-making really took place in the way and according to the criteria as stated in the Matt Olmstead interview, then it can be seen in retrospect that this was an extremely bad decision by the studio and that the writing team made a huge mistake
I am slowly coming to the end of my research, but before that I would like to discuss the mistakes that the writers made in the first part of the third season - perhaps these mistakes could indicate that they were very hasty during the implementation, or that they did not think through at all how to put together such an episode well. When an average viewer saw this episode for the first time, the shock was guaranteed by it (believe me, it HITS HARD), in this way the creators achieved their goal, but it was enough later to think about what happened, and the shock was already replaced by completely legitimate indignation of the viewing public.
Regarding the mistakes, for the sake of fairness, I also have to say that I consider 4 things to be extremely outstanding from the first 2 seasons of the series:
1)
The visual implementation of the series was amazingly fantastic, as if you were watching a 45-minute movie, and it still stands today. I don't know if this changed after the third season, but I assume not, since the series is still active today
2)
Atli Örvarsson's music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ABsDFMJr2E&list=PLXT2pBWM8DxfN4znwe3esSqg4LtBzlQz8
3)
The actors Jesse Spencer, Taylor Kinney, Monica Raymund, Lauren German, Charlie Barnett, David Eigenberg, Eamonn Walker, Joe Minoso, Yuriy Sardarov, Christian Stolte were all fantastic in their roles
4)
The writers did something really brilliant when they built Severide and Shay's relationship. The way these two people moved mountains just out of love as a friend to help the other was simply wonderful. The relationship between the two of them was central to the show, which is why it was so painful and infuriating at the same time that the writers didn't think it was important enough to keep it going after 2 seasons. So I didn't consider the series important enough to continue watching after the third season either, or to start anything else from the One Chicago group.
Mistakes in S03 E01:
Devon's character:

• In the last 2 episodes of the second season, it was revealed that Devon might not be as a bad person as we thought. The writers hinted at the possibility that maybe Shay could finally find her happiness with her. Whether Devon had really changed, whether she was telling the truth, was never revealed after Shay's death.

Shay's death:

• Why didn't the paramedics wear helmets when they entered a potentially dangerous building? In other episodes, the characters paid attention to this, but here they generously forgot about it
• During the first flashback, we saw that they started to treat an injured person. When the explosion occurred and Shay was lying on the ground, the injured person was disappeared.
• The firefighter (played by Preston James Hillier) who ran into the building before the explosion also disappeared
• In the flashback, we saw that Dawson was thrown backwards by the shock wave of the explosion before the ceiling collapsed. Shay, on the other hand, sat still, unaffected by the shock wave
• The firefighting team was in the middle of the explosion, the only injury in comparison was a broken leg. Andy Darden died instantly in the Pilot episode, according to the script, when a house fire started in a similar way.
• Shay's CPR was interrupted to take her to the ambulance. At the same time, the one who could have taken care of her was Dawson, who was next to her, and Shay herself, maybe even Mills, who had a broken leg. So why was it important to take Shay to the ambulance, if not because it gave the scene a dramatic, albeit illogical, ending?
• Several people (e.g. Cruz, Otis) in the episode did not behave like those who recently lost a friend, and this could not be the fault of the actors, but rather of the script. The situation was similarly strange in the Pilot episode after Darden's death
• Shay said that she has a good relationship with her parents, so it's very strange that they didn't apply for Shay's things, but Casey and Severide collected them a month and a half after Shay's death. Not to mention the later invented sister
• When Severide looked at a photo of Shay before playing the video, it can be seen that the creators did not bother to take a real photo, but instead used a screenshot from the first season.
• It's quite unlikely that Dawson would pick up a diary a month and a half later that still had Shay's signature on it, and the signatures were completely different

Again, in the interest of fairness, Severide's flashbacks, Severide and Shay's video were flawless. Just like the gesture of putting Shay's name on the ambulance door in the middle of the season was a great idea from the writers
Final thoughts:
This is how far I've come in my research. Unfortunately, I didn't find any reassuring answers, only strange things. If there was something else in the background why Shay's character had to die, it will probably never be revealed. If the whole truth was told in the Matt Olmstead interview, then in my opinion the creators of Chicago Fire made the biggest mistake of their lives by firing Lauren and letting the Shayveride friendship vanish. Plus, Leslie Shay's character didn't deserve such fate. Anyway, the first 2 seasons were a fantastic experience for me.
Although Lauren couldn't have known it at the time, she was doing very well, because after being unemployed, she auditioned for the role of Chloe Decker in the series Lucifer. Here she joined the team that involved Tom Ellis, Kevin Alejandro, D.B. Woodside, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Rachael Harris, Scarlett Estevez, and later Aimee Garcia, Tricia Helfer, Tom Welling, Inbar Lavi, Rebecca De Mornay, Dennis Haysbert and Brianna Hildebrand. The rest, as they say, is history. Lucifer was the biggest series of 2021 by racking a whopping 18.3 billion minutes of streaming across the year making the series the most-streamed show not just on Netflix, but among the entire crop of streaming originals. Lucifer was voted the best fantasy series of 2021 also, and Lauren German became very, very worldwide-famous.
https://netflixlife.com/2022/01/26/lucifer-best-netflix-show-2021/
After Lucifer ended, Lauren retired from acting, making her last appearance in November 2023 at an event in Chicago, the Heaven and Hell Convention. Here, of course, she was hilarious again, or to put it stylistically, funny as hell, and she simply proved why she was the actress who played Leslie Shay back then
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um_hcX4FkfM
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzHxlcMqM3
Here are a few links at the end
My favorite fan video commemorating the Shayveride friendship
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjS1LmJgCIo
Others have written their opinions before me on the Leslie Shay topic, e.g. a great post
https://www.thetvaddict.com/2014/09/29/did-chicago-fire-kill-off-the-wrong-characte
A little fun
https://www.tiktok.com/@chicagofires/video/7255400196711107886
Still a little fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vZOsrSHql0
Thank you for reading through!
PJ
(this post is free to use and redistribute, but please at least credit the source! Thanks)
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Hailey Bieber Numerology Reading

Before becoming the wife of Justin Bieber, she went by the name of Hailey Rhode Baldwin. Firstly, her first name being her main name and being Hailey, let's see what that usually indicates on a general level.
Being someone who holds the first name, Hailey means that you appear either quiet, mature, or shy amongst others. You likely have an impression that can strike others as strong, serious, mean, or relaxed, depending on other factors. The name Hailey holds no double numbers, so it is a good balance of energies, but there are still general lessons people with the name Hailey has. This name holds the energy of 8,1,9,3,5,and 7. The numbers we don't see is 2,4 and 6. This could be why people with the name Hailey may not seem easily approachable by many people, but certain people may be drawn to this energy and won't notice anything off balance. Hailey names give people naturally embedded strength and some form of power, even if it is subtle. They may not always have a simple love life because with 2, 4, and 6 missing, these women/females can struggle sometimes with commitment or close intimacy and could have been too independent or avoidant at one point when someone was trying to love them. The name Hailey makes someone complex because on one hand, they a serious regarding their disposition(8) because they want to appear structured and well received by the public (1) or it makes them feel good to be well put together. They are naturally independent which could sometimes come off as distant(9), but they just want to explore and learn continuously(3). These are not initially people who place importance of romance.
Even if she is into relationships, she would likely not trust easily because of her name ending with the energy of 7 from Y which equals 25 before it is reduced to seven. This can make her a little cautious or strategic with her approach to any type of connections in her life because she want to make sure she can trust these people before she fully opens up.
Now as we look into her being Hailey Rhode Baldwin, this give her a lot of 5 energy. She has a few repeating numbers in her full name which are 8 twice which is good because she isn't overbearing, bossy, or mean, but she has tenacity and ambition most likely. Her capability of dedicating herself could be very strong. She can be obsessive, but it won't be too intense with the 2 8's balancing each other out. In other cases, this could cause her to overthink sometimes or have trust issues.
1 twice as well which emphasizes her not being a bratty type of woman because 1 and 8 can give someone a mean complex if there is enough of it. 1 is about being bold and taking the initiative.
9 three times in Hailey Rhode Baldwin's name which gives her emphasized 9 energy which is about power, authority, popularity, maturity, and travel. One thing she will likely always make time for is travel and learning. Could be into cultural knowledge as well.
Skipping to the fact that she has four 5's in her name, this is the energy emphasized the most. This equals 20 and then 2 making her appear soft, calm, loving, or sensitive. She could be very emotional with this energy and most likely have to perfect her emotional well-being.
Being HAILEY RHODE BALDWIN gives her the Destiny #4, soul urge #9, and Personality #4
Destiny #4 is the same as Halle Bailey. Destiny 4 people are private, especially about things they value and things they see as important and dear to them. It's serious. These types of people are naturally capable of withstanding or handling responsibility. They are evolving into mastering a life that is in order. Don't force these types of people out of their shell if they are not ready. Once these Destiny 4 types feel safe around you, their personality expands and show clearer.
As a soul urge 9, Hailey Bieber is a natural at quick learning and experience. She may be someone who could see something once and would know the ins and outs after that first time learning or practicing. 9 is mastery and wisdom.
As a personality #4, this makes Hailey a cautious person. She will not do or say anything if she isn't feeling comfortable to do so. She takes calculated steps and won't do anything she considers risky or stupid. She has to warm up to environments before she allows herself to be part of the festivities. Likely not too big on parties as an importance.
April and May of 2024 were very romantic times for Hailey Bieber which makes sense that she is now pregnant with Justin Bieber's baby.
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After careful thought and transgression in my contemplation I took a venture to escape my house for the voices led me to believe that they were coming for me. The two previous days I had called 911 on myself. The first day I had been awake Three nights and the Voices were getting more beckoning than usual. In my efforts to contain my madness I called the paramedics and then walked out of my apartment and sat down at the stairwell, on the 6th floor of my Apartment building. Drinking a large bottle of chilled refrigerated water. The voices had been correlating with visions of a celebration of sorts, a kind of festive get together of about 25 to 40 people surrounding me in my vision as I had been previously laying down.

 They had gathered and jorttled and jocked in celebration, as I said, that I, an individual of great importance to the great rivalry that was the Two Sides who had created the Universe. Neither of us are entirely inherently Good or Evil, but nevertheless we are a duality, or in a very real sense dualism exists. Or so it seemed to be over. The celebration consisted of an assortment of my Rival's associates and friends and an assembly of other assorted family members, of whom I did not recognize. The crowd gathered and played celebration. "The Star! The Star! Watch the Oncoming Star!" They chortled pointing at the Bright emanation that agglomerated in the center of the ceiling. Crowded ribbons and confetti blasted and streamed around me as my assailant brother aligned for photos as the celebration continued to commence. He approached me in face then quickly pulled a prank to attempt to hold out his hand then quickly pulled it away as everybody laughed in joy. I rested firmly observing the chaotic display calmly attempting to keep my thoughts calm and not asterisk in any unconventionality or disturbance to the scene displayed before me. All nestled with my eyes closed the æthereal presence began to haunt me as these Haunts began to suggest I get up and approach the window, chanting and suggesting that the ride was slmost over and all I needed to do was... I had preordained it in my mind already that this was all of course a trick already, got up and walked accrossed my living room to get a cigarrette out and light it, "I'm not fucking jumping." Then after smoking my cigarrette and laying back down, the advantageous celebration still continued until a woman was gathered in front of me kind of surprisingly saying, "Hi, Im Debra, writer of my famous Caretaking Book. You contacted me on Facebook? You said you were my biggest fan?" And then suddenly the room got very cold and strange. And everyone just stared at her when someone came up from behind her and broke her neck right in front of me. Then everyone stared at me. And my Brother approached again saying, "Either go to the Window or suck a tail pipe, it's either my way or the highway." And after a pause I retorted, "I'm not jumping out the fucking window!" And another pause He then retorted, "Fine, have it your way. But remember You chose it this way." And He walked to the window where a fewer crowd had gathered. And then suddenly a toddler started crying in the room. And stepping from behind where I had not seen, My Brother came carrying a crying toddler saying, "You chose this." And He threw the child out of the window. And Splat She went. Taken with a sudden surprise, I questioned whether the even had really happened and suddenly very faintly I started to hear a faint disturbing crying sound coming from somewhere outside my window. I live on the top floor so A child being thrown out my window most certainly wouldn't survive. But the crying continues. And Im up and Im starting to panic. And I start to pace wondering what I should do. Now there's no reason to get coy, but I panic and couldn't figure whether to call the cops or not undecidedly smoking cigarretes after cigarretes with my addrenaline pulsing through my chest and my heart pounding in my ears. The Fear got to me so I decided Im going to wait it out. Suddenly I hear commotion from outside and could see the ambulance pull up beside the building in the parking lot. And I decided to wait. In my mind I could see, now, my Doppleganger on the street approaching a woman with a stroller. And he (I) yelled, "JOHN CENA!" And then swooped up her infant child and then ran into the building through a key fob locked door, running to the elevator. This of course seems to be happening both in my mind as well as in real time, seemingly. And then I hear my brother, "Have it your way!" And from a lower level, maybe half way down the levels Another Toddler is thrown out the window. And Terror possessed me then. Then I see (in my mind's eye) the Woman on the street attract a common passerby and they call the authorities. Soon after, me in my apartment tripping my heart to death, I see her pointing in the apartment's direction sending the squandering brute police toward my immensely desperately approaching inevitable doom. I see the cops scouring the floors looking for "John Cena." When I lose my shit and call 912 then 911 fumbling in my presence and words. "I think I'm having a Heart Attack from medication I just had Taken. No, Ive been up all night snd I just can't calm down." Taking my cool drink to the stairwell, To prevent the police invading my apartment, I lose my shit on the Stairwell trying to calm down. "Hello, we are the EMT Wasatch Fire Dept, are you having an ok time?" They announce when they bring the gurney and meet me in the stairwell. "I.... I think I'm losing my mind. I might be having a hheart attack." They give friendly advisory, "It's ok we're here to help. Are you light headed..." they run through routine, and the Police come up the stairwell as I say, "Ive been up fir 3 days." A Social Worker named Mike, whom surprised me, gives me his number and some very friendly advise. I've surprisingly known him since he was a correctional youth councilman when I would have to spend time in council care 5 hours after High School led out in my Teens. Surprising to see him and how he appropriately knows me and offers his help. May there truly be some kind of force watching over all beings. The cops don't harass me but seemed really annoyed, as I tell the entire group that I don't need or want to go to the hospital. I tell them that I finally calmed down after the EMT gave me oxygen. He was very considerate where as I was a complete ass. And They all left me alone to get some sleep. After getting back into my apartment I slump on the bed and got 3 hours of sleep. Awakening in the evening I immediately get bombarded with psychic attacks from my voices. Continued abuse of Fear-Mongering and abrasive counter productive conditioning training involving me to fall back into argument with them as they gang up on me snapping satire and sarcastic remarks of negligent destitute with no remorse, further bringing me to argument and continual suggestions that I am a criminal no good person who has no other alternative but to jump out the window. By morning I decide I can't take it anymore and I call 911 on myself again. The 911 call is terribly echoed, and I can hear a faint operator then the repeated tone of a louder different operator repeating the same prompts of the 911 call. I say, "This call is very delayed and echoing." But I was told to not mind, and that there was nothing to worry about. Soon, within 10 second of hanging up On the call, I am almost frightened by a sharp Scream that comes from outside my Window. I obviously pissed off someone mad. He was reserved and didn't continue the scream beyond a slight jolt. I think He just couldn't take what my actions were saying, or maybe I wasn't supposed to be calling the cops and should have jumped from the window like the voices have been telling me to do for the passed 4 months. But I'm choosing to comply and turn myself to the interventions of Authorities. I didn't want to go to the hospital, I needed another opinion. Some sort of interaction beyond what was solely encompassing in my mind. Schizophrenia has no justice. Again I sat on the stairwell, awaiting the Emergency Services. A common intervening again annoyed cops and helpful social worker Mike, telling me that my landlord isn't going to be too happy if she hears that Ive been using Meth and staying up all night with schizoaffective symptoms. I just didn't like how the voices were treating me. You'd think the guys could wait a few more moments and didn't have to urge so much to the extent that I would have to jump or be taken out. I mean Jesus got a Cross and I got an Apartment. Urgency seems to be the crux of your disease Bro. Another attempt to get some sleep and otherwise getting very little. My medication rides my heart very deeply. Reaching the brink of accumulating a heart failure, by slipping two discs under my lip to thwart these hallucinations. I truly resided in misery. Awakening in the night, the voices seemed mild. So I smoked pot and sat at the computer throughout until morning. When the voices came back I sprang upon the decision to go to the hospital so I fallowed my better side of my instincts' directions to go check myself into the hospital, "Well, let's just get out of the house." He said to me. When I got to the hospital I sat in the Starbucks lobby going through my hand notes, drinking free iced water. When I made the decision to make my move to check into the ER. When just moments before I got a call from my younger Brother. He said that he and my Eldest Sibling Sister were headed toward the Hospital and could come visit me in the ER if I would like it. He knew that I had been shaken up and could use the intervening courtship of these two Aries', the only Aries' in my family. In a New York Minute the nurses took me to the back room beyond the liasons and nurse techs around the corner of the entrance to the ER waiting room. I took one look at the padded room and center mattress and turned around and bailed. Proceeding through the ER quickly I emerged from the ER entrance quickly as the nurses called my name and grabbed security to chase me. I was afraid that the Hospital was a trap. Instantly hearing my name called I turn to look and it was both my Aries' intervening in a total manifesting spectacularity. Almost as if I had somehow walked passed them while evacuating the ER. Security and my siblings tried very hard to convince me to go back. The security guards threatened to call over the officers. So I lit up a ciggarrette and sat down at the bus stop. I almost made it. After several tries they convinced me I was now "pink sheeted" and was Hospital property. So I conceded hoping I would convince the Social worker that I didn't need to stay at the H. I was definitely en passant. After de clothing and then robing up, I was very convinced that I was going to be stuck with some sort of a lethal injection. I was fearful of the delusions the voices had previously convinced me of the behaviors they claimed I was responsible for. After several moments of sitting in the room with my siblings I convinced myself that I could be alright with going to the psyche ward. After moments alone and then meeting the Social Worker and then saying goodbyes to my Aries' I eventually started to hallucinate. A crawling skeeter bug on the wall crawled incessantly. The hospital tech continues the delusions, seemingly carrying conversations about a Gokd Spray Paint Huffing Serial Killer and my overt contemplative threats to my otherwise alternate ego that seemed to assume responsibility for such delusional trickery; but he stayed silent. Eventually I fell asleep. ***Late at night, surrounded by total darkness, I was half awoken to my Dr approaching me in my sleep with a red led light. And he put something into my IV. Then from some underbelly dark end basement of the Hospital they wheeled in a gurney with a Globlike Black Amorphous being that was 3 bodies high and somewhat the length ofbthe entire gurney. And then something strange happened when they wherled it in. Seeming to cover my body without touching me and then receded I then fell back to sleep. For 3-4-5-6-7 whole days afterward I had the worst Slur in my voice. Still delusional I assumed that I had some kind of Alien Lobotomy and now I have no desire or ability to harm myself by any means.*** 

I just finished watching baby reindeer and it’s making me really think about my past and how a relationship I had affected me. I’m not sure how to think. I know what happened was bad but I just can’t find peace with my self. I find myself thinking about it even if it has nothing to do with what’s happening, or I think about it every time I am with my new partner.
About three years ago I was at a friends house(I’m just gonna call her Lee ) and she wanted to play a video game with this guy (I’m gonna call him dj)she was friends with. Long story short I ended up being the one playing the game with him and we ended up getting each others snaps. Eventually he asked me to come over his house to watch a sports game with all his friends. Immediately all of his friends were getting me to sit by him and all that. I’m not sure if it was that night I stayed the night at his house or if it was the next time I went over. My memories of what happened are all over the place and I sometimes can’t think of the order of when things happened. But either that night or the next time I went over I spent the night with him in the trailer that he had at his house and that’s when it all started. I remember him laying beside me with his arms around me, and how he slowly tried to put his hands down my pants. I grabbed his hand and put it back around my stomach. I can’t remember anything else from that night. Just that he did that I don’t know if he did it again or not or if I just fell asleep after that.
I can’t remember when we started dating officially but the next thing from my memories is when we were on his couch watching white chicks the movie laying the same way we did in the trailer. Once again he attempted to put his hand in my pants and I grabbed him and again and moved him. He tried again. This time I said no and grabbed him and moved him again. I can’t remember what happened for the next couple of days or weeks. All I remember next was having a breakdown in the kitchen of lee’s house. I can’t remember what I told her exactly or if I did tell her anything. But I do know that I texted one of me and dj’s mutual friends (I’m gonna call him drew)and I told him that I was uncomfortable and that I was really stressed and didn’t know what to do. He told me that he would talk to dj about it. Apparently drew told some more of djs friends about what I said and they all told him to stop.(that’s what they told me atleast.) Dj texted me and asked me about it and I was honest about it and told him that I wasn’t comfortable with the things he was doing. After all I was only 12 and he was two years older than me almost 3.
Not long after I remembered being in Djs basement in his room with some friends. He kept taking my phone and running out into the hallway. I would get my phone back from him and go back into the room with everyone else cause part of me knew what he was trying to do. Probably about the third time he did it I followed him out into the hallway and around the corner, this time though he grabbed me and pushed me against the wall and tried to kiss me. I got pissed off and pushed him away. I grabbed my phone and went back with everyone else.
What happened next is what made everything go to shit and what I think messed with my head. It was just like any other night I had my friend (who I’m gonna call Selena) with me because she liked djs sister (who I’m gonna call dolly) and we were all gonna have a sleepover. We were all on the couch and I was laying with dj and eventually I was half asleep and if anyone asked if I was awake I just ignored them. Someone had put a blanket over us and then everyone else had gone down in the basement except for me and dj. I think I fell asleep but woke up later on but he didn’t know that I was awake. I had my hand on his chest and he grabbed it and slowly pushed it down his stomach. I don’t know why I didn’t just stop him or why I didn’t say anything. I just froze. He struggled to put my hand down his pants without trying to wake me so if I moved at all he would also stop moving then would wait a second before making me put my hand further down.
After a while I moved my hand back up onto his stomach and pretended to wake up. I didn’t know what to do I just got up and went to Selena down in the basement I had told her particularly of what happened and told her check on me and dj in a couple of minutes. I think part of me wanted to have him caught in the act or I wanted to see if he did it on purpose so I thought it was a good idea to go back ups stairs with dj. I pretended to fall asleep again and was laying the same way I was before with the blanket over us. A couple of minutes goes by and he checks if I’m awake but I didn’t move or say anything. He grabs my hand again and does the same as before. I hear Selena and dolly coming up the stairs dj starts pretending that he’s asleep as well so Selena and dolly start making a bunch of noise to wake us up. They pulled the blankets off of us and see him grabbing my hand and forcing it down his pants. Selena starts freaking out at dj and even hits him he pretends to wake up and so do I. he lets go of my hand and I get up. I just stood there and watched him get yelled at by Selena. Everyone in the house was just staring at them at that point and there was even a video of her screaming at him.
I go to the bath room and just look at myself and wash my hands. i come back out and sit on the couch and we all just sit in silence. After hours, it was basically morning and I just got up and said I needed some air and and asked Selena to come with me some of our other friends came with us and dj stayed at the house. We walked around the block less then two times in silence before dj and his dad drove by us in his truck. We all got in didn’t say anything for the ride home. Everybody was going inside, but djs dad stopped me and asked what happened. I didn’t know what to say so I just said I don’t know. We all sat down, looking at a box of donuts That DJs dad had got us. He asked us questions and eventually just said not to say anything because him and dj had the same name and they would think it was him that did something. I remember him ranting to us about how when he was younger a girl had told everybody that he raped her and it ruined his life. Even though it wasn’t even close to the same situation that we were in.
Not long after that, my mom had came and picked me up. I didn’t say a word on the way home and I never told her what happened. I just went to my bed and slept for the day later that night. I had another breakdown but this time I didn’t text anyone I can’t remember if anybody said anything to me after what happened, but I remember going to djs house not long after again. I don’t know why I went even after what had happened. I knew it was bad, but I went anyway don’t remember anything happening I just remember watching movies and eventually going to sleep. I think the next day I texted Drew again. I told him everything that happened and he told me that enough was enough and that I had to tell someone and I needed to break up with dj. I told him I wasn’t gonna tell anybody because I didn’t wanna deal with it anymore and I just wanted to forget about it, but I said I was gonna break up with him that night and I did. We didn’t have a super long conversation.he asked me if it was about what happened and I can’t remember what I said to that.
Probably about a week later,I went back to my friend lee’s house after telling her me and dj broke up I can’t remember if I told her what happened, but without telling me, she invited DJ over. I tried to not make it awkward and just acted like nothing had happened and because I don’t think I realized how bad everything was, and because I was uncomfortable. Eventually, he left and walked home since he only lived down the street from Lee.
I remember always getting sent photos of Lee and my other friend in djs trailer with him. I just remember is how mad I was. I’m not sure how long after this happened but one of my other friends that I had told what happened to was also hanging out with DJ and a ton of other people and she had told DJ that I said he raped me when I never told her that so he was texting me flipping out and I told him that I had never said that and eventually blocked him. I didn’t even say anything to the girl I just left it alone because I didn’t wanna deal with it anymore. I only talked to DJ a couple of times after that and they were mostly on a group call app. I remember in one of the calls that djs sister called me a whore even though I had never done anything to her. I had people come up to me and asked me if what happened was true even to this day.
I try to avoid him now because so many people have told me how fucked up what happened is, and because I have realized how fucked up what happened is. But I feel like I could’ve done so much more to stop it. Part of me feels like that I let it happen. So now I just have an overwhelming feeling of guilt and shame. I don’t know if it’s because the last boyfriend I had also fucked me over but in a different way, but I just have this weird feeling in my current relationship. He is a Great guy and would never do anything to hurt me and showed me that multiple times but every time we do something sexual with each other, I have this weird feeling in my stomach that I am doing is wrong. And I feel bad if I tell him to stop, even though he has no problem with it at all. But every time I do something sexual with someone, I just think back to what happened, and that is the main point of why I am posting this. I just need to hear what some else thinks that I don’t know because it is to hard to explain in words what I am feeling and I am still struggling to find the words while typing this. I am over thinking everything. Was I dramatic about what happened and it wasn’t even that bad? I am the one that did something wrong? My head feels just fucked up.

Let me start this off by saying that I am not a porn addict, and if I make it through this I am NEVER going to visit a porn site again.
Last week, I broke things off with my girlfriend of three years when I came home from work to find her with two other guys in our bed. I fell into a bit of a depression and spent the next week getting stinking drunk trying to forget about her.
I was so deeply in love with her, I was probably coming off as beyond pathetic. She would call my phone begging for forgiveness and it took everything in me to block her number.
Some time passed and one night after I had guzzled a few beers I was feeling a little... frisky and decided to fire up my old desktop for some quality one on one time with myself.
Now, this is where shit gets weird. You've probably seen those ads on porn sites like "fuck local milfs in your area tonight!" (Don't kid yourselves, I know you have) I saw one of those, but I almost spit out my sip of beer in laughter at the headline.
"Fuck a local witch tonight!" The caption read, accompanied by a picture of a hot young blonde and a redhead, both dressed in nothing but a couple of traditional long pointy black witch hats with buckles above the brim.
"The fuck is this?" I remember chuckling to myself, I had to investigate further and clicked the pop up.
It brought me to a page that looked like a tinder clone, and I was prompted to set up a profile. After triple checking with my anti virus program to confirm I wouldn't lose my credit card information or anything, I decided to join. This was the most fun that I'd had since the breakup and I wasn't even thinking about what's-her-face as I set up my account.
After about 5 minutes of the usual song and dance, where I picked the best pictures of myself and wrote a little blurb for my profile, I was ready to begin swiping. I began clicking "yes" on just about every goth girl I saw and within a couple minutes I had run out of profiles. I was about to close the site when I got a notification for a match, and a message.
"Heyyyy" it read.
"Hey yourself" I replied, cringing at how un-smooth my words were.
I double checked her profile and saw that she was only a mile away from me, she had only one photo of herself, but that was all I needed to go off of. She wore purple lipstick in the picture with matching purple hair and a black leather corset that looked like it was threatening to pop off of her at any second.
I was smitten.
We talked for a couple more minutes before she dropped the big message.
"Why don't you just come over, we're very close"
I don't think my shoes were tied up before I jumped out of the house and into my car. I was on such a mixed buzz of beers and endorphins I just felt invincible, never mind the dangers of driving drunk or showing up to a strangers house at 1am in the morning.
Her place was just down the block from mine, but it was enough out of the way that I had never been there myself. It just lead into the suburbs, out of the way of anyplace I would ever need to actually be.
My jaw almost hit the floor when I saw her house, it must have been the oldest place in the area, it looked like it was built by some wealthy family a hundred years ago. I'm no expert in architecture, and could only go on record as saying it reminded me of where Lizzie Borden may have lived.
I started to get cold feet as I approached her porch, the situation I was in was becoming too real for me, it was one thing to flirt online, but the reality of who and or what was behind that door, was starting to tie knots in my stomach. Fighting every ounce of sensible being that was left, behind my façade of 5 beers and a hard-on strong enough to make a temple of nuns cry, I rang the doorbell.
I was pleasantly surprised when she answered the door, and equally horrified when I realized I had no idea what her name was. I decided to open with a "heeey" leaning into the doorway, arms crossed, and holding back on every urge I had to pull finger guns and wink or some other cheesy move. I don't know if that was just my own awkward self, or maybe a curse placed on me by the lone Budweiser I'd left on my dresser to watch me guzzle their friends.
Whatever, I was in after all! I remember taking off my shoes as she spoke to me, I don't really remember what she said, or how she said it, but I remember sipping wine on a couch with her, and the next, I was in her bed.
I wish I had more details to go off of, but, I must have blacked out somehow during my time there. I just remember a couple of flashes of her on top me, once she looked exactly like she did in her photo, but the next, her plump, purple colored lips, faded to a withered and dried out black, all flakey and cold like the old coals of a smoldered fire. Her skin hung from her body, like wax trying to run off of a burning candle wick. She looked older than anybody I had ever seen alive.
The last thing I remember from that night, was her standing over my body inside a circle of blue candles, their tips all burning a bright orange as she mumbled something to herself. Finally, she mumbled something a little louder and final sounding, then all the candles went out.
That's the last thing I remember before waking up in my bed today.
I was clutching my head, like I had the worst hangover of the century, I felt itchy all over my body... but the worst was when I went to the bathroom to shower and found these... purple welts all over my junk.
They were swelling, and I almost threw up at the pure shock and disgust I felt looking at them. I turned on the shower to a scorching hot temperature just hoping to take the swelling down or melt them off altogether, I just needed release from the growing ache of them.
That was my worst mistake, besides showing up to that chicks house in the first place.
The warts began to pop, one by one, and these little tiny black creatures began to fly out of them, they couldn't have been bigger than a common house spider, but they all started to pile up in the corner of the room, getting to be roughly as big as a grapefruit.
I screamed, and turned off the shower as I threw a shampoo bottle at the growing black mass. They began to scatter under the bathroom door or down the sink. I stood there, naked and afraid in the shower for second before shaking myself to my senses and grabbing a towel to throw on before heading back to my room.
I immediately turned my PC on, and went to my search history to find the dating site I had used the night before to find the source of my living nightmare, but there was no trace of it.
I tried every possible name the site could have been called, but I turned up empty handed. All the while purple warts had began to form on my chest and arms.
I had one Hail Mary left though, I checked my cars GPS and found the address I had gone to the night before, I plugged the coordinates back in and and put my foot to the floor.
And just like the first time, my jaw hit the floor when I saw her house again, but for the wrong reasons.
I found myself standing in front of a dilapidated, run down old mess of a house, with a sign in the front stating a date for its demolition.
I got closer to inspect, the lawn was feral and long, like it hadn't been touched in a decade or more, the windows and front door were boarded up with some form of "trespassers beware" sign on all of them.
Defeated, I came home and began typing this, but I've been here doing that for a while now and my situation is just getting worse. The warts on my chest and arms have been getting so big they've been pushing against each other until they burst open, the things that keep coming out of them are just getting bigger and bigger too.
They're now piling up into the corner of my room, they’ve gotten to the size and shape of a featureless toddler now, I threw a chair at it, but it contorted itself like a rag doll, bending at an inhuman angle to avoid it, I'm very scared.
The warts have been growing over my face and almost completely obscuring my vision too, I can now hear that thing in the corner mimicking human breath, I don't know what it's trying to do or what it thinks it can accomplish, but I'm calling an ambulance and the police before I just become a hive for these things to spawn, I'll try to leave updates if anything else occurs, but I'm afraid this might be the last anyone hears of me.
Please everyone, avoid witch dating sites at all cost, I wish I had.

I am 23 years old, male, 195 cm - 100 kg. Alcohol use five years ago. Smoked a lot of vape. Eastern Europe. To make a long story short, I have some basic questions.
Can gastritis cause skin rashes?
Can gastritis provoke problems with the nervous system?
If so, why haven't I had this before, but I'm pretty sure I've had gastritis before?
Disclamer: I am not a doctor and realize that my assumptions may be wrong. The names of the drugs I mention below are sold in Eastern Europe (where I live). If you notice any mistakes, I apologize, I used a translator to translate all this. All the photos and test results https://imgur.com/a/6X5IlpN
My medical history has been going on for over three months now and I still don't know what is wrong with me.
In February 2024 I started having anxious thoughts, my state was anxious without objective reasons. Mostly the anxiety was due to the fact that I was afraid of going crazy. Around the same time I noticed strange rashes on my skin similar to cropivnica. The rashes didn't itch. I had never had this before. I did not pay attention to the rashes on my skin because they were small and did not bother me. I went to a neurologist and had an ultrasound of the blood vessels in my head and neck. If it is important, I will add a photo.
The ultrasound showed that I have everything bad, but I have a suspicion that it was incorrect because I did a second ultrasound two weeks later and it showed everything normal. The doctor who did the ultrasound the second time said that the results of the first ultrasound were absolutely delusional, this was confirmed by the neurologist. But I should also clarify that I have been sedentary for the past 8 months, although I have been walking almost every day for a few hours. In addition, I have been smoking vape VERY heavily. After the first ultrasound I went to a neurologist and she prescribed me medication:
Anxiomedin 1 time a day at 18:00.
Sonomedin once a day at 20:00.
Bafazol 3 times a day.
Videk once a day.
Thiocetam forte once a day.
I started the course around February 25
On March 7 I started having atypical rashes, they were slightly larger and slightly swollen. I noticed them first thing in the morning. I was a little sick during those days and the previous evening I had taken 6 Strepsils Intensive tablets (throat medicine) in 6 hours. I don't know if it was related to the rash on my skin. I took an antihistamine at 4pm, 2 hours later I ate pizza, then after some more time I got more rashes, it was 10pm and the rash started to appear all over my body except my face (maybe a little). I called an ambulance and they gave me 2 shots of dexamethasone, but it didn't help. After an hour I went to the hospital and they gave me 2 more shots of dexamethasone and 2 shots of dimedrol. The rash started to disappear little by little. In the morning there were still traces (photo). After that incident I went to my allergist, but she said she didn't know what was wrong with me. She prescribed me Enterosorbent for 5 days and Eden for 10 days. And by this point I was taking a course of medication from my neurologist, she prescribed it to me for 3 months. The rashes continued, they were mostly small red dots. At some point I noticed that the rashes appear especially when I sweat. It didn't matter if I was wearing clothes or not. The rashes are mostly on my arms, less often on my legs, even less often on my torso and almost never on my neck or face. The rashes are absolutely not itchy. I have noticed that if I wash and go to bed, the rashes disappear and do not reappear. Every evening, even if I have a lot of rashes, they disappear in the morning. The rashes do not appear in places where sweat is secreted.
On March 31, I went to a dermatologist and she ordered tests. General blood test, blood chemistry, blood test for hepatitis, hormone test, thyroid ultrasound and stool test for helminths. (Results pictured.)
When I saw I had elevated bilirubin I decided to see a gastroenterologist. The gastroenterologist palpated a bunch of bile from me and said it was intoxication. YAY, I was very relieved that I had finally found the cause of my problem. Also, the gastroenterologist said to do a gastroscopy (I have a white tongue) and an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. (Photo of the results)
She prescribed me Rabimac and Trimspa (trimebutine maleate). And also a diet. Diet:
5 meals a day of 250 grams.
It is forbidden to eat: canned food, coffee, confectionery, pork, bread, sausages, carbonated drinks, juices.
I also stopped taking all the medications I was taking before.
Almost immediately I felt better. My mental and physical condition became better, the rashes on my skin became noticeably less, but not completely gone. I had an abdominal ultrasound and gastroscopy about a week later. I was found to have inflammation throughout my stomach but no Helicobacter Hillori was detected. I can add a picture of the gastroscopy if needed. I went to my gastroenterologist again and she prescribed me 2 more medications, Artigel and Hyalera. The doctor felt my stomach again and there was significantly less bile, but the rash was still there. So far I am half way through the course I was prescribed for a month. I broke my diet a few times and may not have been eating right or eating more than normal and I thought the rashes were getting worse because of that. But there was also a day when I ate right all day with cooked chicken, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt and the next day I had quite a few rashes all over my body. Can the fact that I ate all day foods containing a lot of protein be connected with the rashes? But these rashes like all the others went away the same day.
2 weeks ago I went to a proctologist (I had an itchy anus). He said that according to my tests I might have Gilbert's syndrome and recommended me to consult another gastroenterologist about it. The proctologist said there was nothing wrong with my anus and beyond, btw.
I went to another gastroenterologist and he said he agreed that I may have Gilbert's syndrome, but he also said that my rashes are not caused by gastritis.
So, can someone tell me roughly what is wrong with me? Or am I right that the rashes could be caused by gastritis? Maybe someone can tell me what else to look for? All the photos and test results https://imgur.com/a/6X5IlpN

Alien-Nation Chapter 202: Property Damage

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Chapter Summary:

Morsh breaks Goshen's omni-pad to wipe anything incriminating she might've gotten out of her interrogation targets, then they have good conversations with Amilita
Oh, and Elias Wakes up
The borrowed fleet car was a far cry from a noblewoman's private vehicle. Even at full acceleration, it lagged far behind the ambulance, until it had disappeared from view. Finally, they found a building that seemed far too tall to be made of brick, with square windows and white curtains.
"This is it," Natalie confirmed, pointing at the "H" on the roof.
"You're sure it's not that one?"
"It's still under construction, see?" She pointed at the construction equipment, and now that Morsh squinted she could see that the far corner was still unfinished. She grunted unhappily and started to approach the small rooftop landing pad.
"Fleet car 117, please go to visitor parking," traffic control spoke through the fleet car's speakers, and the heads' up display highlighted the part where another officer car was already headed toward. Probably Amilita.
"This is Nataliska of house Rakten, we have business with the occupant of that patient. We will be setting down on the roof."
"Helipad is not for visitors," the accented trade shil repeated herself. "Please do not go."
Nataliska leaned forward and flicked off the comms, and Morsh guided the fleet car to the 'Helipad' and set down next to the already-empty ambulance.
She hopped from the car and sprinted to the main door. "Come on." The door from the roof was locked, however, and when Morsh gave it a more firm tug, it popped the handle clean off.
"Now what?" Nataliska asked, but before Morsh could even think to answer the girl was already in motion, thin and dexterous fingers finding a part of steel in the ripped apart internals to peel back, the latch opening with a click.
"Nice work," she complimented her ward for her persistence.
She may have celebrated too early, because they now found themselves lost in the bowels of the alien building. Nataliska seemed to move with a purpose, though, pressing a button, and a lift opened.
Going down a couple floors in a box that felt entirely too shaky for Morsh's liking opened, only to find themselves immediately lost as the doors opened. The staff milling about wore various colored uniforms, probably meant to indicate something about their speciality, though Morsh saw no bloodstains or helpful lettering to guide the unfamiliar.
"Where to?" Nataliska asked, uncertainly.
Morsh was increasingly sure that hospitals served a secret universal purpose: To hide away anyone suffering in a maze that only employees could solve. Whether on-board the depths of a warship, a space station, planetside on an embattled world, or even in an alien-constructed, retrofitted building, she always got lost whenever she found herself in one.
"Hey, I can't read this stuff," Morsh waved a hand at the alien lettering and raised her omni-pad, letting it translate what text it saw. It took a couple times of double-checking, counting the third one from the top. "This one says 'child-medicine.' Is Elias still considered a child?"
"Pediatrics?" Nataliska sounded the human word out.
Morsh squinted at her omni-pad, and then back at the sign. "I think so?"
The bodyguard loathed the insurgency for the delays they'd caused. Had it not been for them, then she wouldn't be stuck navigating these hallways, and the new hospital next door would be finished already. At least something about this place would be familiar.
"I think we follow these colored lines on the wall. It's the same color as the sign."
"Alright," it was as good an idea as any, and they went around the corner to find a waiting room.
"Let's try one of the attendants?" Nataliska suggested, striding forward before Morsh could ask her to wait. The woman behind the desk had the sagging skin of someone from a high-gravity world, though at least they had the tendency to be stocky, but strong. Yet she seemed almost too round for her chair, bloated underneath the strange mottling that ran up her exposed arms and lower neck. She frowned from behind her thick-framed glasses at the pair of approaching shil'vati. Morsh sensed some vague hostility, but the woman certainly also seemed utterly impotent, so she filed it away as a triviality and instead took the room's surroundings, gauging the others in it. No one in the waiting room seemed particularly dangerous, though they were all keeping their distance.
Nataliska leaned forward. "Hi," she used the human greeting, though Morsh realized she'd forgotten to activate her translator and missed the next bunch of words. By the time she'd gotten it online, she'd missed everything except "Elias Sampson."
The blank stare returned showed no more understanding than Morsh had of what Nataliska had just said.
"I need to see Elias Sampson," Nataliska tried again. "He was taken here. He was hurt badly. He's my friend, and I need to check in on him." She tapped hurriedly on her omni-pad, and then smiled, pointing at a photo of him she'd taken. The woman glanced at the screen with disinterest, and then huffed.
"Try the Emergency Ward, or maybe surgery," was the only answer they got before the strangely-shaped woman started to rise from her desk.
"Where's that?" Nataliska's patience was obviously running thin.
"East wing. * " The woman finished standing from her desk and waddled away from the glass partition before either of them could ask where the 'East Wing*' was.
"Thank you!" Natalie said, always polite.
"Now what?"
"We find the East Wing." Natalie glanced at the window. "It's...uh...evening, so, away from there. That means..." she pointed, and started down the hallways.
Morsh shook her head. This felt like it was getting them nowhere. Worse, they quickly found dead-ends where they couldn't proceed through without a pass of some sort- and no one seemed to come along the particular hall that they'd gone down so they could follow them inside to get further east. Nataliska had insisted Morsh not put a shoulder to the locked door- avoiding incidents seemed to be a priority.
Eventually a nurse wearing blue scrubs rounded the corner, and started to double-back when Morsh decided she'd had enough of being made to wander aimlessly and flanked the human, cutting off her retreat.
Nataliska brought her omni-pad back up again, pointing at the picture. "Elias Sampson- sorry, I should start over. Do you know where surgery is, or perhaps the emergency room? East Wing?"
The nurse studied the picture for a few seconds longer than the secretary had, and then looked at Nataliska for a couple more, as if thinking about what to say in response. "Ask her to guide us," Morsh suggested, the translator speaking her own words back out for her before she shut off its speaker. "That way if she's thinking of misdirecting us, at least she's wasting her time, too," she added.
"Why would she do that?" Nataliska asked.
*"I'm sorry, are you next of kin or family?" *The nurse asked dutifully.
"Well, no, but I'm a noblewoman, and he was hurt badly. I ask that you aid us. It's very important that I'm there when he wakes up."
The corners of her mouth dipped slightly lower. "I see. Are you listed as his emergency contact?"
"Please. It's important."
"Of course it is. I'm going to have to ask your name."
"Nataliska of house Rakten. I'm right here-" she began scrolling through the photos, until she found one of the two of them side-by-side. "See?" This time the nurse didn't even bother looking.
"Sampson...tell you what, wait here, and I'll go check the emergency contact list-"
The nurse's indirect refusals to give any straight answers only ended when their demands were joined by the huffing arrival of the Lieutenant Colonel.
"Sorry. I was just setting up a place to work from when I saw you walk by," she said, panting the words out, and gauging the situation.
Morsh was tired of hearing the girl repeat herself in asking, and decided to speak the inevitable question for her. "Where's Elias? We've been trying to find him."
Amilita turned to the nurse they'd cornered, and activated her translator. "Please show them to the patient's room. I'm General Amilita, Acting commander of the Delaware Garrison." The woman paled slightly, and Morsh switched off her translator halfway through repeating Amilita's translator's English back into Shil'vati.
"Of course, ma'am," the woman said in trade shil'. And just like that, the three of them were off with a guide, though Amilita peeled off the group after only a few dozen steps.
What a strange inversion it was when a combined noblewoman's title and presence of a bodyguard couldn't get the respect a military uniform apparently commanded here.
"This is the room," Nataliska relayed for the Nurse, who immediately scampered off. The door opened, revealing a nurse who was as startled to see them as the first nurse had been, and Nataliska started drilling her with rapid-fire questions. The new Nurse was surprised that the shil'vati girl was fluent in English, and answered each question quickly, if shortly. Morsh switched back on her translator, but it was already too late to catch most of it.
When Nataliska had apparently finished her questions, Morsh let the nurse slip past and leaned in. "So? What'd you learn?"
"He's 'stable,' whatever that means, and has been sedated for his own good." She sighed. "I guess I'll go into the room, and talk with the doctors attending. Maybe they know when he can be woken up." She took a second to think. "I wonder what machines they used to use to bring people out of comas." Then she smiled a little bit- the first one she'd had in a while. "I wonder if they just slapped or shook their patients? Or was it a really loud noise? Do you think there's a prescribed one that they'd always use?"
She tried the handle, the question clearly on the tip of her tusk.
Except there was no one to ask. The room had been left empty, with just Elias laying there unconscious. The boy had filled out since the early days, when the newly-minted 'Natalie' had confessed she'd found a boy to finally talk and sit alone with, then proudly showing off a photo she'd snuck. He'd looked almost malnourished, waifish then. Now, laying still in the cot, despite all the lean muscle he'd put on through maturing, he looked no less vulnerable. The various faces he wore with such an intense focus and force of will were gone, leaving a vacant expression she'd never thought she'd see him wear. The planet could think what it wanted about boys and what they were supposed to be- the reality was they were still boys. No amount of arguing would ever make her feel anything other than a twist in the gut, and a feeling that something had gone horribly wrong.
The staff hadn't even a doc bot left in the room to keep an eye. There were distant squeaks of shoes on the shiny surface that humans loved to floor their interiors with, muted conversations drifting down the hallways, but only a few people milling about. Whatever the doctors had done, they felt they'd finished their work and cleared out.
"So, what now?" Morsh asked.
"We could wait?" Nataliska suggested, trying to hide how nervous she was. "I mean, maybe he'll wake up on his own? Or they're getting one of those machines I saw on TV."
"What machine?" Morsh asked.
"Well, when the person's asleep, then someone gets a machine that makes a whining noise." Suddenly, Natalie got quiet.
"And then what?"
"...then they rip open the guy's shirt, and uh, it's not what you think! They put their hands on it- his chest- the part where his heart is, I mean. And they put these metal pads on him, and someone says 'clear' and then he wakes up with a jolt."
"Uh-huh. And they just put this on TV, for anyone to see?"
"It's not like that! It's a legitimate medical procedure!"
"The nurse didn't say anything at all about that? Like, not even a rough idea on if that's what they're going to do, or when they're going to be back?"
Nataliska shrugged helplessly. "No, not really. I could wait with him? Or at least keep an eye over him, and ask anyone that comes by."
"Might be smart," Morsh agreed. "I'll stand guard. Want me to close the door? I know he doesn't like me all that much ever since the, well, you know. Everything."
"Thanks," she said. "I'm just worried about being seen alone with a boy behind a closed door."
"Come on, it's you two. Whatever went on, no one else knows about you crying in your room for days on end. I'll leave the two of you to chat alone and sort things out."
"Thanks, Morsh. You're the best. It's fine though, you can leave the door open for now, and I want to stay here, just in case." She walked in and pulled the chair up alongside the bed and gave the bodyguard a slight smile.
The bodyguard felt the minutes tick by. It bothered her that he'd been dumped there without so much as an attendant, with all manner of wires and human machines watching him in their stead. Pathetic. At least the room had an actual door and glass windows, curtained for privacy. It seemed they were very short-staffed, but that did keep her job of watching for threats simpler, and having to defend just the one point of entry made life easy. She idly tapped her pocket to make sure she still had that crucial object before an idea worked its way into her head.
She knocked on the doorframe, and Nataliska raised her head from her omni-pad.
"Kid, you're okay to take over guarding him for a bit?" Morsh asked.
"Huh?" She asked, standing and coming up to the door.
Morsh handed Nataliska her pistol. "I've gotta take a leak." The eyes of a nurse who wandered by were as large as saucers at the sight of the weapon, and she hurried her footsteps away from the pair.
"Uh...yeah," Nataliska answered, fumbling the grip for a moment. She started to stare at it and look down the barrel before Morsh pushed the tip down at the floor, making eye contact.
"That part faces whatever you want to kill," Morsh reminded her young ward, feeling a sudden sense of unease about leaving the same girl she'd just chewed out over acting before thinking alone with a pistol. One that Morsh clearly needed to actually teach her to use, too.
"How do I...?" Nataliska asked nervously, almost fumbling the pistol as she tried to hold it out for her bodyguard to inspect.
"The safety's on. This button here. Actually, you know what? Here. Take the knife. Don't use it unless you have to." The swap was quick, and Morsh felt the reassuring feel of her custom laspistol on her thigh once it had settled back into its quickdraw holster.
"Um..." the girl hesitated. Morsh prayed she didn't need to tell her which end to stick a threat with. Then again, common sense with nobles was like oxygen. The higher up someone went, the rarer it was to find.
"Just for a second. If you need me, press the panic button on your omni-pad, and hold them off with the knife until then. You understand?"
"I understand," she echoed, inching closer to the door, as if already imagining someone trying to sneak past her.
Morsh felt the unfamiliar bulge shift in her pocket as she made her way down the hall. The old human hospital with alien writing on the wall still threatened to misdirect her from the point where she'd seen a particular sign. It took only a couple turns she'd committed to remembering before she came across it again. She pushed open the double-doors and took in the enormous room, pleased with herself that it was almost certainly what she'd hoped it would be.
The small technician lady stood from behind her desk, itself separated with its own wall. Morsh let out a low whistle from between her tusks. "Whew, that is a big machine you have in there." She squinted exaggeratedly. "Not a lot of wiggle room for a patient, though," she muttered as if in contemplation. "Gotta have some courage to crawl in there and be treated here, I gotta admit. Say, Doc, you know I left my knife behind. And this thing here- well, let's just pretend it's not here at all," she tapped her holster, before fishing out and tossing the omni-pad she'd pickpocketed off Amilita into the center hole, watching in fascination how its course changed before sticking fast to one of the inner walls, defying gravity. "So, why don't you turn on that machine for me? It's that magnetic...uh...thing."
She glanced down at the workstation the woman was at, and noted the various pieces of metal arrayed on the desk. Her laspistol should be safe here- or at least better here than in Nataliska's shaky hands.
"Magnetic Resonance Imager, and I think that would be a very bad idea. It would-" she eyed Morsh with increasing alarm as the bodyguard strode closer until she leaned over the woman, leering.
"I didn't ask what you thought."
Swallowing nervously, the much smaller woman started trying to explain what it was in the crudest trade shil, stumbling over her words.
"Didn't ask what it was, either, I said turn it on." The little woman's babbling ceased, and she quaked where she stood. "Do it, or trust me, you'll need more than whatever it can do for you."
The woman finally did as she was told, and the omni-pad began to promptly bang around the inside, until with a final, terrifying crack it went silent, and a warning chime sounded.
The woman let out a wail of distress and then stared balefully up at Morsh in a very: See? I told you so! gaze, as if missing the entire point. Morsh only let out a low whistle after she pulled open the door. Some people just could not be shown a good time or anything neat. The omni-pad was now stuck fast to the inner wall of the circular device, having punched a hole right through the plastic. "Do you have any idea how much that cost? This hospital has one of those, and parts for it- I don't even know where-"
Morsh pried the omni-pad loose, having to brace herself against it and pull with all her strength and then tested to see if it would switch on, noting with some satisfaction that it was certainly wiped of whatever it contained. She'd held corpses of comrades with more life left in them.
"Bill us."
Besides, how useful could the machine still be in this day and age? Morsh shook her head. Humans could keep their sentimentality and attachment to outdated tools. She'd prefer a doc bot any day to the confinement chamber.
She came back to find the situation outside Elias's room more or less as she'd left it and patted her ward on the shoulder after retaking possession of the knife with a genuinely relieved sigh.
"Sorry about that, I've been holding it in since I broke orbit. No visitors?"
Nataliska shook her head. Morsh sighed. "Then we're probably going to be here a while. But you know who isn't, and I suggest you go settle things with? Amilita."
"But, what if he-"
"I'll message you immediately," she promised. "Now, go, before he does wake up and you're still not back."
That got the girl moving, Morsh noted with some satisfaction.

Settlement

The hospital smelled. None of the scents were familiar to her, some of them were even superficially pleasant, and she imagined she might even enjoy the cleansers or aerosol sprays used to disinfect if she shut her eyes to relieve them from the long, harsh blue lights and imagine a breeze or spring. Oh, to close one's eyes and pretend the world isn't what it is.
Natalie was reluctant to leave Elias's side but Morsh was right. She had to talk with Amilita.
It took a few tries, but she eventually was directed to the same hallway she'd been in before. She stopped at the open doorway to see that the giantess had taken over an empty storeroom and made it into a temporary office headquarters, resignedly signing off orders from her wrist-pad in rapid-fire motions. The rings under the old family friend's eyes were visible even through the semi-transparent image of her wrist-pad. When she shifted her focus and noticed the young noblewoman snooping at the threshold, Amilita stood to greet her before then ducking her head in a sign of respect and submission to the authority Natalie wielded, something Amilita had only done for her mother.
"I hear Morsh has been busy protecting the boy's privacy." The words were offered plainly and left for Natalie to determine how they were meant. She'd had enough of assuming the better of people after today.
"That's right, I stationed Morsh there. I hope that isn't going to be a problem."
Amilita put her hands up, showing off the white bandages taped around her knuckles as fresh flesh grew back underneath, "No, not at all. I've even requested the boy's medical files not be updated to reflect his recent visit here." With her other hand, she tapped a small stack of printed out papers.
Natalie blinked at the news. "Why?"
"His death would have been framed by Goshen as a suicide," she muttered.
"What? How? That's ridiculous. He was kidnapped!"
"I know," Amilita poked a finger at the gauze to again emphasize what she'd done at the sight. "Perhaps I ought to explain how I found him. He was hanging by his belt, dangling from a pipe. When I carried him out, he was barely breathing from asphyxiation and with marks on his neck. From what I can tell, they used the doc bot to check the airway and noted no spinal fractures. What matters is that these notes only include injuries, not their context." Natalie already knew from his treatment at school that he'd have a history of bruising, swelling, and cuts. Injuries she now understood why he'd wanted to treat on his own, rather than potentially hand information over. As she considered the implications, Amilita cleared her throat, lowering her hand. "What have you heard about when boys attempt suicide, Nataliska?"
"Uh, well..." she didn't want to appear ignorant, but she knew it wasn't exactly common. "I hear they choose quiet methods? I guess it's so wives won't try and stop them?"
"Usually it's described as a cry for help. When a boy threatens it, it's as a desperate gambit to force his terrible wives to release him. The women either lose him and are forever known and outed as husband-killers and neglectful. Or they take him to the hospital and at least avoid the 'boy-killer' charges. Threatening suicide is the final move of the truly desperate."
"Wasn't he desperate, though?" She felt she was missing something.
"What do those women who were in his life say in their defense, though? And remember, the medical records will leave Goshen out. It's just his injuries that are left in."
Natalie blinked. "Well, I guess they don't just confess?"
The officer's tone turned weary and she seemed to deflate some at Natalie's lack of answer. "I don't know if it's because I've been spending too much time around the wrong people, or if I'm suddenly sensitive to it after having a son. People always say about boys who attempt suicide: 'He couldn't handle it.' That he couldn't take the prospect of a life of housework and the pressures of fatherhood, which is always said to be easy. That, or he felt he couldn't compete with the pressures of acting like and being treated as a woman if he had a job." Amilita bit her lip. "I don't want that said about Elias- they won't know about the circumstances of the kidnapping, or anything else."
The young noble bristled, some heat entering her voice, "The trial should be easy enough to point back to. It doesn't matter if they dig it up."
"You can't appeal decisions on admittance or acceptance to a future job if they never even tell you they dug so deep into your past in the first place. I worry that if I step in and demand the circumstances be included, it'll be so unusual that people will still doubt him. They'll think I pulled strings. If you do it, they'll think you're doing the same, all to protect him. See the problem? We can't add it. So it is for the best that this stays off his record completely. We made sure we're not burying him physically, and now I'm making sure we're not burying his future." She inhaled, and then looked Natalie in the eyes. "I'm fine with the only record being in your hands, holding it in trust for him to decide if he wants to re-enter it into his medical history or not." She broke her eye contact and tapped the small stack of papers meaningfully. "I'm asking that you respect his privacy, because I have a duty to enter these into his record. But if they happen to go wandering, well, it's for the better then. I just ask that you...not share these to the datanet." She added the last part quietly.
Natalie nodded mutely. Her mouth opened, but no noise escaped at first. It took several moments to process that he possibly had been willing to kill himself to keep her family secret buried. Elias, You helped me when I told you my family's secret and Myrrah came to us. I ran and wasn't there to help when someone came to you over yours. There's still at least one more thing I can do.
"If the record is left out, would that help Goshen's case? I mean...what if she isn't punished for this?"
"My personal testimony could condemn her by itself, and you still retain the physical medical record. Not to mention you could weigh in, and so could he, and it would remain out of any record or background check. Besides, Goshen's cuffed to a bed in the commoner ward, and I doubt she'll live much longer."
"You almost killed her?"
"Well, I wasn't gentle," Amilita admitted, not at all bothered by the admission. "But, no, she is seen as the one responsible for the loss of the noblewomen. The fleet and Nobles don't want to pin the loss of three system lady matriarchs on a martyr. Especially when one of them's a scioness of the Maudalenti family- you wouldn't know them but they're renowned for their brave military service."
Natalie's head spun. She'd actually heard of that family. "Why was he able to take so many of such high stature?"
"It takes considerable power or favor to bully one's way onto this world, past all the secrecy and safety demands, and even more to get to enjoy a pleasant time in a green zone. So naturally, almost all of them had it in spades. Enough to where their families could afford to chase Goshen to the ends of the Galaxy to make an example of her if they wanted, and I suspect greatly that they do. Even in the Delaware barracks, they're furious at Goshen for losing the Marine hostages, and ordering repeated long charges over open terrain against railguns. There's no state I can transfer her to, thanks to all the borrowed troops. There's hardly any that I can think of that didn't lose at least a pod or two. The sad reality is Galatea Goshen hasn't a friend left in the galaxy, let alone one here who can stand up to all that. Normally when this many interested parties want someone in uniform to be hung up by her ears the officers are able to close ranks and stop them, but for the life of me I can't imagine why anyone would. Azraea is thought to have died because Goshen couldn't get the job done." Then she sighed and looked skyward. "Even the Goddesses would abandon her now. The warrior Goddess Krek was bloodthirsty and loyal, but she would have hated the senseless casualties Goshen pushed for. And now, even I'm abandoning her over what she did to Elias." Her eyes drifted back down to meet Natalie's. "Do you understand what I'm saying? She's unlikely to live to see a trial."
She was laying Goshen out on a line.
"'Justice will be done'," Natalie promised, quoting an ancient tome carved into stone, weathered away by sea spray in the millennia since. Amilita hung her head ever so slightly deeper. Natalie shouldn't tip her hand, she knew, but then again Amilita also dared not interfere.
"Do you know when he'll wake up?"
"No," she said. "They sedated him on the flight over, apparently for his own protection, and it won't last. I'm told this may be a polite way of saying that he attacked them."
She blinked and started to stand up, "Then if you'll excuse me, I need to watch over him."
"Of course," Amilita almost whispered. "I'm sorry," so quiet and tender the words could hardly be said to have come from someone of Amilita's rank and physical stature.

Living Dead Boy

Natalie returned to find that an unknown Marine had joined Morsh near Elias's door, the former staying a respectful distance across the hallway. She wore a darker blue patch, indicating she wasn't here from Delaware's garrison. She strode right past Morsh, who made a point of shutting the door behind her.
Natalie stared at the stack of papers on the small table next to the chair she waited in, her gaze wandering about the room listlessly, coming once more to fall on its sole occupant
His chest rose and fell steadily, with an annoying 'beep' repeating at a constant interval indicating he was being monitored in at least some sense. His clothing was disheveled, like when she'd first met him.
She turned on her omni-pad, and sent a panoramic photo of the room to her mom, not even managing a smile. Just giving you an update. I don't know much. Watching the doctors, when they come in. Don't show anyone, obviously. It felt strange to even have to ask such a courtesy.
The message back was immediate: How much would I need to pay to have one here, just to answer my questions and look over Elias, and not just disappear somewhere else at random times?
The medical staff had wielded immense power, even in the face of a noble name. It reminded her more of a cult than a proper medical institution. Still, on Earth, most services seemed to have a price, even things that were held sacred. Thanks to the exchange rate the price was often rather pitiably small, surely, one doctor wouldn't take too much.
She was about to respond with a rough estimate when she thought she saw him stir, though it might have just been the sheet settling.
"Elias?" She asked, leaning over and placing her hand gently on his forearm, only for him to jerk awake and slap her hand off.
He had been stirring slowly, then more quickly and feverishly until he began kicking his legs, yanking the carefully tucked bed sheets out of where they were pressed and tangling them around his feet. The beeping had grown to a frantic and erratic pace, and a tone began to blare as he ripped something off his finger.
"Elias, calm down!"
Instead, he swung his legs out from the hospital bed and tried to push himself off of the bed and to the door, instead going down in a heap as the little white sheet slid on the slick floor. He let out a slight cry of pained alarm that would wrench at any woman's heart. Bright eyes wide and wild, he lay there for a second or two, and Natalie hesitated. She couldn't help but feel responsible in some way for the pain he was in, and so she backed off, and instead crouched down, showing her empty palms.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," Natalie tried to soothe him, though he glanced over her shoulder at the exit, then around the room as her words sank in and he met her eyes- just for a moment, before he paused and gave her a second glance. "Natalie?" He rubbed at his eyes. "Sorry, everything was a bit blurry for a second there..."
The momentary expression of relief that settled over her was shattered when the door was suddenly shoved open, knocking Natalie forward and toward Elias, and then everyone began screaming at each other, all at the same time.
The poor Nurse let out a shriek of terror as Morsh pulled the hapless woman sprawling back out of the doorway by her fabric collar, legs and hands in the air as she slid.
Natalie tried to shield Elias's crouched form while finally cutting through everyone else's screaming with a simple command: 'Get out!' Elias was trying to push past her, but she couldn't let him run, she'd just found him! Then Morsh tried to step through the door, saying something about how an alert had gone off. Elias had half blocked her off with his body and gotten into some semblance of a fighting stance, and was now trying to protect Natalie from her own bodyguard. Each of them was blundering through trying to protect each other, but the chaos of the situation ensured that none succeeded at anything but getting in each other's way.
"Get OUT!" Natalie roared again. Morsh knew when to pick her battles, and when to follow orders, and slammed the door shut so hard it hurt her ears. Angry voices on the other side went back and forth, but Natalie pushed herself against the frame, even as the newly-conscious Elias gathered himself up and met her eyes.
All Chapters of Alien-Nation
First Chapter of Alien-Nation Previous Chapter [Next]
Author's Notes:
Also, good news. My father's made it through his surgery! A lot of stress taken off. He is in good health, and good spirits. Editor is progressing through what is occupying him. I would like to thank Guardsman Miku and Tumbleman for their efforts in helping with the editing.
Archive Of Our Own contains the latest version of Alien-Nation with a lot of added scenes, flow improvements, and so on. (You can also download the story as an ePub for reading on your personal device, if you feel like doing so, though I recommend waiting until Book One is truly finished.)
Link to Archive Version here:

Hey all! I have a bunch of sets for sale from various themes. I've added a Modular, and a bunch of City sets (about 20 sets in total), and I've reduced a bunch of prices as well. I'm happy to discuss any reasonable offers! I'm currently only looking for sales.
All sets are NIB (new and sealed), and come from a smoke free home. As many of the sets are 5+ years old, some boxes have some minor creases and/or wear, but they are all new and sealed. Any damaged boxes beyond normal wear will be noted, and prices are a bit reduced as a result. All sets will be carefully wrapped in bubble wrap, and shipping boxes will be packaged carefully/taped well to protect the boxes/sets. Here is a link to the pictures:
https://imgur.com/a/1UTHBkV
Please find the list of sets and prices in the tables below. I separated the tables by theme as much as possible. Prices on individual sets do not include shipping (unless noted), but any orders of $200 or more will include free shipping anywhere in the US (lower 48). I'm also open to offers, and willing to discount on multiple sets. The more you purchase, the more I'm willing to discount!
All estimated values come from looking at BL prices and lowest currently available in the US, and estimating from there. All shipping will be via UPS Ground, with insurance, using Pirate Ship to keep costs low. I accept PayPal Goods & Services, and will send an invoice out to your PayPal email address prior to you making payment.
Sets or bundles where shipping is included in the price will show "Shipped" next to the price. Sets that I have multiples of will have a "x2" next to the name. Sets that have strikethrough text have been sold. Anything that has "PENDING" next to it, is currently in discussion and may not be available. If you want to see additional pictures of any sets, please let me know!
Creator Expert/ModulaGhostbusters

Set Number	Set Name	Ask Price
10278	Police Station	$280 Shipped
75828	Ecto-1 & 2	$80

Creator 3-in-1

Set Number	Set Name	Ask Price
7346	Seaside House	$50
31038	Changing Seasons x2	$40 *1 SOLD

City

Set Number	Set Name	Ask Price
4206	Recycling Truck	$45
4207	City Garage	$180
4432	Garbage Truck	$65
4437	Police Pursuit	$15
7239	Fire Truck	$50
7286	Prisoner Transport	$40
7903	Rescue Helicopter	$60
60003	Fire Emergency	$30
60007	High Speed Chase	$45
60008	Museum Break-in	$90
60013	Coast Guard Helicopter	$55
60015	Coast Guard Plane	$65
60016	Tanker Truck	$90
60017	Flatbed Truck x 2	$40
60020	Cargo Truck	$65
60021	Cargo Heliplane	$80
60043	Prisoner Transport	$50
60044	Mobile Police Unit x2	$55
60047	Police Station	$130
60057	Camper Van	$45
60058	SUV with Watercraft	$35
60059	Logging Truck	$90
60060	Auto Transporter	$55
60075	Excavator and Truck	$85
60079	Training Jet Transporter	$70
60082	Dune Buggy Trailer	$24
60084	Racing Bike Transporter	$30
60097	City Square x2	$145
60107	Fire Ladder Truck	$50
60110	Fire Station	$130
60115	4 x 4 Off Roader	$18
60116	Ambulance Plane	$27
60118	Garbage Truck	$55
60120	Volcano Starter Set	$15
60121	Volcano Explorarion Truck	$28
60122	Volcano Crawler	$35
60124	Volcano Exploration Base	$125
60125	Volcano Heavy-lift Helicopter x2	$170
60132	Service Station x2	$90
BUNDLE	Volcano Sets (1 of each, 5 total)	$280 Shipped

Friends

Set Number	Set Name	Ask Price
41095	Emma's House x2	$100
41098	Emma's Tourist Kiosk	$8
41106	Pop Star Tour Bus	$75
41108	Heartlake Food Mart x2	$50
41109	Heartlake Airport	$90
41119	Heartlake Cupcake Cafe	$50
41125	Horse Vet Trailer	$55
41130	Amusement Park Roller Coaster	$125
41133	Amusement Park Bumper Cars	$40
41135	Livi's Pop Star House x2	$120

It was a lot of sets to list, so if you notice anything wrong/any mistakes, please let me know. Let me know if you have any questions or need any additional info. I'm happy to take additional photos of any sets that you are interested in, as well as estimate shipping by location using Pirate Ship. Thanks for looking!!
Chris

Me (19M) and my friend (18F) have known each other since we were 15, but became extremely close when we were 16-17, but last night we had a falling out.
I’ll give some context to our friendship and the core events of it and what led up to this;
This girl, let’s call her Margot for the sake of the story, has been through the absolute worst. (This next sentence has some triggering content so TW); Think of the worst possible childhood you can imagine (deadbeat parents, drugs around, even suicidal).
She has not had an easy life, essentially forcing her to move to another state, the place where I live. I’m not saying I’ve been through anything remotely close to what she’s been through but I have a very strong understanding of emotion from my own experiences of depression and anxiety, and some family issues, and we found solace in our similarity of struggle, so she opened up to me about everything she’d been through, as well as two other people who just so happened to be my two best friends, one of whom introduced us.
Around December 2022 the 4 of us would FaceTime every night, till like 3am-4am, absolutely destroying my sleep schedule. This went on for months. She would use this time to vent to us, and tell us about her traumas and what had been going on in her life. Now the thing is, because of everything Margot had been through, she is highly emotional, and would deal with her issues through (TW) self harm, alcohol abuse and drug addictions. Whenever any issue would arise these were her coping mechanisms. Anytime you’d try to tell her to try and quit, it’s like you were telling her you hate her.
She’d put great emphasis on everything. Everything is either good or bad with her. Because of all her issues stemming from people in her past, my friends and I became the only people she felt she could trust. This put us into a very tough situation, because she said and I quote (TW) “if I lose my relationship with any of you guys I’ll kill myself.” Not exactly the type of words you’d want to hear from someone who has attempted multiple times. Being madly in love with her at the time, and feeling this insane emotional connection with her I promised to never leave. But this is where things started to take a turn.
Me thinking the emotional connection we had was more than just a friendship, based on the things she’d tell me about, and me feeling comfortable confiding in her, I became a bit clingy, but in Feb 2023 she made it clear that my emotional attachment and infatuation with her was making her a bit uncomfortable and did not feel the same way. Now usually when a person’s feelings are not reciprocated they’d get space and the relationship would stop… but that is not what happened here. It was essentially impossible. She made it very clear that despite not having the same feelings, she did not want to lose me. Not to mention the friend group we formed with my two other friends was something she valued heaps, and I felt compelled to just fight through the heartbreak and continue being friends to not cause any potential harm to her. We would see each other at school everyday so it was impossible to even try distance myself. Anyway, we got through that awkward period and remained very close. But there were red flags starting to appear in her character that I was stubbornly ignoring.
There was a time where she went on holiday, and was not in the state, and our friends (the other two people in our group of 4) and I decided to hang out together… that caused her to get insanely angry. And this is something that continued up until this day. This was extremely hypocritical as there were NUMEROUS occasions where she would make plans with Raphael infront of me, plans where I was not invited. Anyway, If any of us saw each other, or anyone for that matter, and did any social activity that did not involve her she would get so upset, and immediately start ignoring us. EVEN WHEN SHE LITERALLY COULD NOT COME.
This stubbornness is something present in her whenever you’d have a disagreement about anything. Minor things could escalate to near friendship ending catastrophes. Anytime you’d attempt to call her out on anything she’d usually play the sympathy card, blaming the issue on whatever traumatic event or tough situation she was going through, which was a very frequent occurrence last year (Drug addiction, familial issues and a lot more I won’t go into now).
For the entire year I felt like whenever I spoke to her, I had to walk on eggshells and essentially tone down or review every word in my brain before they came out of my mouth to avoid even the possibility of upsetting her. Pair this with the fact she got a boyfriend in March, I was hurting every single day, because I retained my feelings for a while after she told me she didn’t feel the same way (something she, to this day, has had no idea about) and felt like I couldn’t properly emotionally express myself in anyway shape or form.
Arguments were a constant occurrence between one of the friends in the group, who we’ll call Raphael, and every single time I was caught in the middle of them, having to be the one to resolve the issues. And every time I had to side with her, no matter how right Raphael was, just to avoid the potential of her getting upset and doing something stupid to herself. And on the occasions her and I would have a little fight, it was always me who’d resolve whatever issue was happening, having to apologise and portray myself as the cause of whatever happened even though it almost always never was.
I would randomly check in on her and consistently without fail, ask her what was going on or what was wrong every time she hinted at something being bad or sent me a picture of herself crying. (More on this later) I just want to put this here, I don’t want this post to seem like I’m absolutely slandering her and ignoring parts of the relationship, because we most certainly had good times too, she gave me a very thoughtful birthday gift for my 18th and we would have the frequent laugh together.
But because of my status in her life as a person of sincerity and care, she took advantage of me. Once she manipulated me into buying her alcohol, (she wasn’t 18 for another couple months), saying if I didn’t then she was going to go to a sketchy part of our city and do LSD with a random guy she met on Snapchat. She also made me buy her vapes multiple times. Vaping, smoking, drugs and alcohol mind you are things I was and still am strongly against, some more than others to this day, but she made it seem like the vapes suppressed her anxiety and it was an excuse to spend time with her so stupidly I did. However to my credit I put an end to it before she was able to purchase them for herself because it was really making me feel like shit.
Now in July 2023, it was our school formal, and we were going together, with Raphael. It was the three of us. The night before formal I confessed some dark feelings I was having because of how shit I’d been feeling the past month. Let me make something clear before I proceed; trying to even get her on the phone to have this conversation was a hassle and a half. She would ignore me because she was busy with her boyfriend or just didn’t want to talk to me. I was confused because she said I could reach out to her whenever I needed to. She said she’d call on one specific night when I first raised the fact I wanted to talk to her, but she never did and it caused a public argument when I confronted her about it.
Anyway, when it finally happened on this night before formal, we were both balling our eyes out. This was a huge conversation, because for the first time I properly saw that despite how she might react or treat me, she genuinely loved me. Any doubts about our friendship at this point were absolved. Any troubles leading up to this talk were forgotten. When we saw each other the next day we gave each other the biggest hug and sort of started crying a little in each other’s arms because we both felt so happy to have each other in our lives. Feeling this happy and relieved about where I was at with Margot, I was following her around like a shadow. Fast forward a little bit before we leave for the formal, and she starts completely ignoring me and focusing all her attention onto Raphael and some other people we were going catching a limo with. Despite her saying we could sit together she deliberately sat away from me. She would take a picture in the photo booth with what felt like half our cohort, but when I asked it was no, after no, after no. Feeling like shit by the time we arrived at the location of an after party (an apartment in the city, very high up in the building, this becomes relevant soon), my gut told me to go home and deal with how I felt, away from Margot and my friends.
Whilst I was feeling defeated in the moment, leaving ended up being one of the greatest decisions I’d ever made. Now remember how I said Margot had serious substance abuse issues? Well some alcohol was present at the after party (shocker I know) and apparently within 10 minutes of me leaving half a vodka bottle was already consumed. Margot, who was in a relationship at the time mind you, began intensely flirting with someone else at the party.
Raphael, a very strong emotionally driven person who had also been drinking, reminded her that she was in a relationship and angrily threatened to tell her boyfriend. This led to, what I have been told to be, the worst night of people’s lives. (TW) Margot went into the kitchen of the Air BnB and pulled out a knife, and from what my best friend, who we’ll call Aubrey (who is not friends with Margot at all) told me, was going to use it to stab Raphael. Thankfully people quickly grabbed her and snatched the knife from her. Emotions running high and alcohol running through people’s systems, Margot then repeatedly attempted to jump off the balcony of the Air BnB. She ended up vomiting and almost choking to death on her own vomit, causing an ambulance to have to be called. Raphael, among 4 other people saved her life that night… and when she awoke in the hospital she began posting about it on her social media. Not once, even after she got out of the hospital did she thank the people who saved her, or even apologise for what happened.
Fast forward to the next day, Aubrey tells me what happened that night. I’m in genuine disbelief and am dealing with an insane amount of contradictory feelings and emotions. One part of me loved this girl with all my heart, the other part was saying run, and I continually fixated on how she made me feel even before any of the serious stuff happened with other people. Raphael, who also has a very deep connection with Margot somehow forgave her, and explained to me just how intoxicated they were.
I was put into an insanely difficult situation. A large quantity of people hated this girl, and were making it known. Mentally she was not ok. She had told me just how important I was to her and re-emphasised just how damaging losing me would be. Margot ended up apologising to me, very briefly, but still apologising nonetheless for how she treated ME that night.
I’m not bat shit crazy, I knew how bad what happened was, but I also didn’t want to be responsible for an even bigger spiral for someone I had very complex feelings for as a result of me ending the friendship, so I had two choices;

1. Leave now

Or

1. Keep up the friendship for a bit longer to keep her sane and find a way out at a later date.

Me knowing her past trauma, and seeing how Raphael had forgiven her, I ignorantly shrugged it off as a very bad mistake she made as a result of being under the influence of alcohol. But now I really understand that was very stupid of me. When Aubrey tells this story now to other people, I genuinely become sick to my stomach thinking about not only the fact she could’ve killed Raphael, but also what she put my other friends through.
The year progresses and we finish high school in October and this event becomes a moment of the past. We remain close, but a week after we finish school I end up going through an extremely unexpected familial change. This took a huge toll on myself, and caused a lot of uneasiness in my house and with my family members. I told Margot what happened and the place I was in… and despite all the times I’d check in on her, not once did she ever reach out to me to see how I was feeling. This is when I started to realise it’s time to leave.
Because of my familial situation, I reflected on my life. I decided going forward into this year I wanted to surround myself with things that wouldn’t make me feel anywhere close to how I felt last year because of Margot and this recent occurrence with my family. I didn’t want to feel drained by anyone or anything anymore. I knew it was time to take action.
But I didn’t want to do it confrontationally in order to avoid a potential spiral or relapse for her. I thought with us not being at the same school and me starting University there was a strong chance we’d gradually drift into our own new lives and this space would fix the issue.
Fast forward to now and she hasn’t asked me to hang out or see her since January. She would rarely tell me about what was going on in her life, or send me anything apart from a handful of stupid things on Snapchat, like how she got a tattoo gun. She had gotten a 9-5, so I understand the distance to a certain degree, but on the occasions I would send her anything outside of her working hours, it would be left on delivered for giant periods of time. Pair this with her inability to reach out to me, I naturally stopped trying with her and thought that maybe we were finally fading.
However last night Raphael texts me and had told me Margot wanted to know why I was acting distant. I told him everything in the above paragraph. Raphael showed her and this led to Margot messaging me “So much for forever”. A big conversation happened. Apparently I was quite harsh in my messages to Raphael about her, and long story short Margot felt like me becoming distant was something she never anticipated because I was the only real person in her life who genuinely loved and cared about her. Because of this betrayal she said her goodbye to me and ended the friendship.
In the past she had tried to do this when we would have arguments but I would always apologise and make it clear how much I cared about our friendship and she’d come running back.
But last night I didn’t. I didn’t fight the ending. And in the nicest way I could, I broke down our friendship, the good and the bad, told her I had no hard feelings towards her (which is true for the most part) and I said my goodbye too.
Today I’ve been feeling a bit guilty about my decision, and can’t help myself but feel like her losing what she described as the only real person in her life is a bit selfish of me, knowing what I meant to her and everything she’d been through. Did I do the right thing ending our friendship?

I live in a landed property in Kuala Lumpur. Lately, a lot of college students and condo residents with additional cars have been parking in front of my and my neighbours house. The thing is, I know and I am completely aware of the situation that the place outside of my house is a public space. Rightfully, they can park their vehicles there. But it is however causing obstruction to my vehicle to come out of the house. I'm driving an SUV and of course, i would have to take wide turns to come out of the residence. But, I am unable to do so because random people keeps parking in front of my house. Their parked cars obstruct my vehicle to come out. It gets frustrating.
I have tried complaining to DBKL and Jabatan Penguatkuasa about this. According to them, unless the vehicle is not abandoned they can't do much about it. Hence, I am left to tolerate this nonsense all by myself. So, I took initiative to put cemented pots outside in front of the house. I think this is common everywhere as I have seen a lot of individual doing this.
Recently, three terrace houses away.. my old neighbour had a fall. It was unfortunate and I completely sympathise with her age and condition. Her kids came over to visit her and to call over an ambulance. The neighbour's kids however being all the Datuk- Datuk and Datin-Datin came to my house shouting at my grandmother (FYI she is 87 years old). Publicly humiliating her how could we put cemented pots outside, obstructing their vehicles from being parked there. I am left helpless in this situation again. These so called status conscious people took photo of the pots on the side of the road and threaten to public humiliate my family somemore. They added they have connections and will get DBKL to remove the pots from there. I'm beginning to think its a crime to even own landed property. So much of trouble to begin with and it's awfully frustrating for me. Don't mind me folks, I just wanna hear some good advice. Appreciate any help i can get too.

It's a new month, which means its time for another set retirement update!

There was a massive update to the spreadsheet this month! Now you can see set exclusivity & new releases, use filters, and get a direct link to sets on LEGO.com! Buying sets using these links supports me directly! More regions coming soon.

Reminder that retirement updates are now fully automated on Discord!

Thanks to ZombieYeti, the Brick Tap discord now has the BrickHound bot posting automated retirement updates, as soon as they are changed in the data!
As always, we owe a massive thanks to ZombieYeti from the BrickHound Discord for providing this valuable data. If you're looking for real-time in-stock/deal alerts for Lego.com and other sites, make sure to check out his server!
This information is scraped directly from Lego's website, and all dates are subject to change. ZombieYeti is currently developing a website to host this data and offer real-time updates. In the meantime, here is a list of every set and their corresponding retirement date as per LEGO's system!
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Due to Reddit's character limits, we can't include everything here, but the full spreadsheet contains every set.

FULL LIST ON GOOGLE SHEETS <--

REAL TIME UPDATES ON DISCORD <--

NEW SETS ADDED:

Theme	Set #	Set Name	Retirement Date
Brickheadz	40676	The Phantom Menace	Dec 31, 2024
City	60436	City Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
Despicable Me	30578	Minions' Jetboard Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43253	Disney Princess Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42637	Friends Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76438	Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	30685	TIE Interceptor Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40675	Clone Commander Cody	Dec 31, 2025
Despicable Me	75580	Minions And Banana Car	Dec 31, 2025
Despicable Me	75580	Minions' Music Party Bus	Dec 31, 2025
Despicable Me	75580	Brick-Built Gru And Minions	Dec 31, 2025
Despicable Me	75580	Minions And Gru's Family Mansion	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71478	The Never Witch's Midnight Raven	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71479	Zoey's Cat Motorcycle	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71480	Logan the Mighty Panda	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71481	Izzie's Dream Animals	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71483	The Never Witch's Nightmare Creatures	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71484	Cooper's Robot Dinosaur C-Rex	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71485	Mateo and Z-Blob the Knight Battle Mech	Dec 31, 2025
DreamZzz	71486	Castle Nocturnia	Dec 31, 2025
Friends	42626	Adventure Camp Water Sports	Dec 31, 2025
Friends	42631	Adventure Camp Tree House	Dec 31, 2025
Mario	71433	Goombas' Playground	Dec 31, 2025
Mario	71434	Soda Jungle Maker Set	Dec 31, 2025
Marvel	76286	Guardians of the Galaxy: The Milano	Dec 31, 2025
Marvel	76288	Iron Man & Iron Legion vs. Hydra Soldier	Dec 31, 2025
Marvel	76289	Thor vs. Surtur Construction Figure	Dec 31, 2025
Marvel	76290	The Avengers vs. The Leviathan	Dec 31, 2025
Marvel	76291	The Avengers Assemble: Age of Ultron	Dec 31, 2025
Marvel	76297	Dancing Groot	Dec 31, 2025
Sonic	76997	Tails' Adventure Boat	Dec 31, 2025
Sonic	76998	Knuckles and the Master Emerald Shrine	Dec 31, 2025
Sonic	76999	Super Sonic vs. Egg Drillster	Dec 31, 2025
Speed Champions	76923	Lamborghini Lambo V12 Vision GT Super Car	Dec 31, 2025
Speed Champions	76924	Mercedes-AMG G 63 & Mercedes-AMG SL 63	Dec 31, 2025
Speed Champions	76925	Aston Martin Safety Car & AMR23	Dec 31, 2025
Star Wars	75380	Mos Espa Podrace Diorama	Dec 31, 2025
Star Wars	75382	TIE Interceptor	Dec 31, 2025
Technic	42173	Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut Grey Hypercar	Dec 31, 2025
Animal Crossing	77051	Fly with Dodo Airlines	Dec 31, 2026
Animal Crossing	77052	K.K.'s Concert at the Plaza	Dec 31, 2026
Art	31212	The Milky Way Galaxy	Dec 31, 2026
City	60423	Downtown Streetcat & Station	Dec 31, 2026
Mario	71439	Adventures with Interactive LEGO® Mario™	Dec 31, 2026
Mario	71440	Adventures with Interactive LEGO® Luigi™	Dec 31, 2026
Mario	71441	Adventures with Interactive LEGO® Peach™	Dec 31, 2026
Star Wars	75381	Droideka	Dec 31, 2026
Technic	42175	Volvo FMX Truck & EC230 Electric Excavator	Dec 31, 2026
Technic	42176	Porsche GT4 e-Performance Race Car	Dec 31, 2026
Technic	42182	NASA Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle - LRV	Dec 31, 2026
Icons	10341	NASA: Artemis Space Launch System	Dec 31, 2027

CHANGES FOR MAY:

Theme	Set #	Set Name	Old Date	New Date	Change
Miscellaneous	40573	Christmas Tree	Dec 31, 2024	Dec 31, 2025	+1 year

SETS RETIRING IN 2024:

Theme	Set #	Set Name	Retirement
Avatar	75572	Jake & Neytiri's First Banshee Flight	Jul 31, 2024
Avatar	75574	Toruk Makto & Tree of Souls	Jul 31, 2024
Avatar	75575	Ilu Discovery	Jul 31, 2024
Avatar	75576	Skimwing Adventure	Jul 31, 2024
Avatar	75579	Payakan the Tulkun & Crabsuit	Jul 31, 2024
Disney	43213	The Little Mermaid Story Book	Jul 31, 2024
Disney	43220	Peter Pan & Wendy's Storybook Adventure	Jul 31, 2024
Friends	41724	Paisley's House	Jul 31, 2024
Friends	41744	Sports Center	Jul 31, 2024
Friends	41754	Leo's Room	Jul 31, 2024
Harry Potter	75969	Hogwarts Astronomy Tower	Jul 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76388	Hogsmeade Village Visit	Jul 31, 2024
Jurassic	76957	Velociraptor Escape (4+)	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71360	Adventures with Mario	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71387	Adventures with Luigi	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71395	Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71403	Adventures with Peach	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71408	Princess Peach's Castle	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71419	Peach's Garden Balloon Ride	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71420	Rambi the Rhino	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71421	Dixie Kong's Jungle Jam	Jul 31, 2024
Mario	71425	Diddy Kong's Mine Cart Ride	Jul 31, 2024
Minifigures	66764	Series 26 Space 6 Pack	Aug 31, 2024
Minifigures	71046	Series 26 Space	Aug 31, 2024
Animal Crossing	30662	Maple's Pumpkin Garden (Polybag)	Dec 31, 2024
Architecture	21056	Taj Mahal	Dec 31, 2024
Architecture	21057	Singapore	Dec 31, 2024
Art	31209	The Amazing Spider-Man	Dec 31, 2024
Art	31210	Modern Art	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	30653	Batman 1992 Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76224	Batmobile: Batman vs. The Joker Chase	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76240	Batmobile Tumbler	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76252	Batcave – Shadow Box	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76259	Batman Construction Figure	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76264	Batmobile Pursuit: Batman vs. The Joker (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Batman	76265	Batwing: Batman vs. The Joker	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40547	Obi-Wan Kenobi & Darth Vader	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40615	Tusken Raider	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40616	Harry Potter & Cho Chang	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40617	Draco Malfoy & Cedric Diggory	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40618	Kingsley Shacklebolt & Nymphadora Tonks	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40620	Cruella & Maleficent	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40621	Moana & Merida	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40627	Sonic the Hedgehog	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40628	Miles 'Tails' Prower	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40630	Frodo & Gollum	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40631	Gandalf the Grey & Balrog	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40632	Aragorn & Arwen	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40672	Knuckles & Shadow	Dec 31, 2024
BrickHeadz	40676	The Phantom Menace	Dec 31, 2024
Brickheadz	40677	Prisoner of Azkaban Figures	Dec 31, 2024
City	30663	Space Hoverbike	Dec 31, 2024
City	30664	Police Off-Road Buggy Car Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
City	60283	Holiday Camper Van	Dec 31, 2024
City	60287	Tractor	Dec 31, 2024
City	60336	Freight Train	Dec 31, 2024
City	60364	Street Skate Park	Dec 31, 2024
City	60365	Apartment Building	Dec 31, 2024
City	60366	Ski and Climbing Centre	Dec 31, 2024
City	60370	Police Station Chase	Dec 31, 2024
City	60372	Police Training Academy	Dec 31, 2024
City	60375	Fire Station and Fire Engine	Dec 31, 2024
City	60376	Arctic Explorer Snowmobile	Dec 31, 2024
City	60377	Explorer Diving Boat	Dec 31, 2024
City	60378	Arctic Explorer Truck and Mobile Lab	Dec 31, 2024
City	60379	Deep-Sea Explorer Submarine	Dec 31, 2024
City	60380	Downtown	Dec 31, 2024
City	60383	Electric Sports Car	Dec 31, 2024
City	60384	Penguin Slushy Van	Dec 31, 2024
City	60386	Recycling Truck	Dec 31, 2024
City	60387	4x4 Off-Roader Adventures	Dec 31, 2024
City	60388	Gaming Tournament Truck	Dec 31, 2024
City	60389	Custom Car Garage	Dec 31, 2024
City	60392	Police Bike Car Chase	Dec 31, 2024
City	60395	Combo Race Pack	Dec 31, 2024
City	60396	Modified Race Cars	Dec 31, 2024
City	60397	Monster Truck Race	Dec 31, 2024
City	60399	Race Car (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
City	60403	Emergency Ambulance (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
City	60405	Emergency Rescue Helicopter	Dec 31, 2024
City	60410	Fire Rescue Motorcycle (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
City	60413	Fire Rescue Plane	Dec 31, 2024
City	60417	Police Speedboat and Crooks' Hideout	Dec 31, 2024
City	60428	Space Construction Mech	Dec 31, 2024
City	60432	Command Rover and Crane Loader	Dec 31, 2024
City	60436	City Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
City	60438	Sailboat	Dec 31, 2024
City	60439	Space Science Lab	Dec 31, 2024
City	60441	Space Explorers Pack	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	10696	Medium Creative Brick Box	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	10698	Large Creative Brick Box	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	11013	Creative Transparent Bricks	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	11017	Creative Monsters	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	11027	Creative Neon Fun	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	11028	Creative Pastel Fun	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	11029	Creative Party Box	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	11030	Lots of Bricks	Dec 31, 2024
Classic	11033	Creative Fantasy Universe	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	30645	Snowman Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	30666	Gift Animals Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	30667	Animal Birthday Party Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	30668	Easter Bunny with Colourful Eggs Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	30669	Iconic Red Plane Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31088	Deep Sea Creatures	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31120	Medieval Castle	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31124	Super Robot	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31125	Fantasy Forest Creatures	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31126	Supersonic-jet	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31133	White Rabbit	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31135	Vintage Motorcycle	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31138	Beach Camper Van	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31141	Main Street	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31143	Birdhouse	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	31144	Exotic Pink Parrot	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	40651	Australia Postcard	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	40654	Beijing Postcard	Dec 31, 2024
Creator	66783	Colourful Animals Play Pack	Dec 31, 2024
Despicable Me	30578	Minions' Jetboard Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	30661	Asha's Welcome Booth Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	30671	Aurora's Forest Playground Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	40613	Mini Disney Palace of Agrabah	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43205	Ultimate Adventure Castle	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43206	Cinderella and Prince Charming's Castle	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43210	Moana's Wayfinding Boat	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43211	Aurora's Castle	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43214	Twirling Rapunzel	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43215	The Enchanted Treehouse	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43216	Princess Enchanted Journey	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43218	Anna and Elsa's Magical Carousel	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43219	Disney Princess Creative Castles	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43221	100 Years of Disney Animation Icons	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43223	Asha in the City of Rosas	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43224	King Magnifico's Castle	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43225	The Little Mermaid Royal Clamshell	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43226	Disney Duos	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43227	Villain Icons	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43229	Ariel's Treasure Chest	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43231	Asha's Cottage	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43232	Peter Pan & Wendy's Flight over London	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43234	Elsa's Frozen Treats	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43239	Mirabel's Photo Frame and Jewelry Box	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43241	Rapunzel's Tower & The Snuggly Duckling	Dec 31, 2024
Disney	43253	Disney Princess Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	30636	Z-Blob and Bunchu Spider Escape Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	40657	Dream Village	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71453	Izzie and Bunchu the Bunny	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71454	Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71455	Grimkeeper the Cage Monster	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71456	Mrs. Castillo's Turtle Van	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71457	Pegasus Flying Horse	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71458	Crocodile Car	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71459	Stable of Dream Creatures	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71460	Mr. Oz's Spacebus	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71461	Fantastical Tree House	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71469	Nightmare Shark Ship	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71471	Mateo's Off-Road Car	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71472	Izzie's Narwhal Hot-Air Balloon	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71476	Zoey and Zian the Cat-Owl	Dec 31, 2024
DreamZzz	71477	The Sandman's Tower	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10412	Animal Train	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10872	Train Bridge and Tracks	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10874	Steam Train	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10875	Cargo Train	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10882	Train Tracks	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10909	Heart Box	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10935	Alphabet Town	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10959	Police Station & Helicopter	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10970	Fire Station & Helicopter	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10971	Wild Animals of Africa	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10975	Wild Animals of the World	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10980	DUPLO Green Building Plate	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10981	Growing Carrot	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10982	Fruit and Vegetable Tractor	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10983	Organic Market	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10984	Organic Garden	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10985	Wind Turbine and Electric Car	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10986	Family House on Wheels	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10987	Recycling Truck	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10988	The Bus Ride	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10989	Water Park	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10990	Construction Site	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10991	Dream Playground	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10992	Life at the Day-Care Center	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10995	Spider-Man's House	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10996	Lightning McQueen & Mater's Car Wash Fun	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10997	Camping Adventure	Dec 31, 2024
Duplo	10998	3-in-1 Magical Castle	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	30635	Beach Cleanup Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	30658	Mobile Music Trailer Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	30659	Flower Garden Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41725	Beach Buggy Fun	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41727	Dog Rescue Centre	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41728	Heartlake Downtown Diner	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41730	Autumn's House	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41731	Heartlake International School	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41734	Sea Rescue Boat	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41735	Mobile Tiny House	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41736	Sea Rescue Center	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41737	Beach Adventure Park	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41738	Dog Rescue Bike	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41739	Liann's Room	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41740	Aliya's Room	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41745	Autumn's Stable	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41746	Riding School	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41747	Heartlake City Community Kitchen	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41749	News Van	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41752	Sea Rescue Aircraft	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41753	Pancake Shop	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41755	Nova's Room	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41756	Holiday Ski Slope and Café	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41757	Botanical Garden	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41759	Heartlake City Bus	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	41760	Igloo Holiday Adventure	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42601	Hamster Playground	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42605	Mars Space Base and Rocket	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42607	Autumn's Baby Cow Shed	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42608	Tiny Accessories Store	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42609	Electric Car And Charger	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42612	Cat Playground Adventure	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42613	Heartlake City Hospital Ambulance	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42615	Pet Adoption Day	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42616	Heartlake City Music Talent Show	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42617	Farm Animal Sanctuary	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42619	Pop Star Music Tour Bus	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42632	Farm Animal Vet Clinic (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42633	Hot Dog Food Truck	Dec 31, 2024
Friends	42637	Friends Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
Gabby's Dollhouse	10785	Bakey with Cakey Fun	Dec 31, 2024
Gabby's Dollhouse	10786	Gabby & MerCat's Ship & Spa	Dec 31, 2024
Gabby's Dollhouse	10787	Kitty Fairy's Garden Party	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	30677	Draco in the Forbidden Forest Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76389	Hogwarts Chamber of Secrets	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76402	Hogwarts: Dumbledore's Office	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76405	Hogwarts Express - Collectors' Edition	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76407	The Shrieking Shack & Whomping Willow	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76413	Hogwarts: Room of Requirement	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76414	Expecto Patronum	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76415	The Battle of Hogwarts	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76416	Quidditch Trunk	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76420	Triwizard Tournament: The Black Lake	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76422	Diagon Alley: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76423	Hogwarts Express & Hogsmeade Station	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76424	Flying Ford Anglia	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76432	Forbidden Forest: Magical Creatures	Dec 31, 2024
Harry Potter	76438	Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2024	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10274	Ghostbusters ECTO-1	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10283	NASA Space Shuttle Discovery	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10303	Loop Coaster	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10304	Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 1969	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10306	Atari 2600	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10308	Holiday Main Street	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10320	Eldorado Fortress	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	10321	Corvette	Dec 31, 2024
Icons	40634	Icons of Play	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21318	Tree House	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21327	Typewriter	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21331	Sonic the Hedgehog - Green Hill Zone	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21332	The Globe	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21334	Jazz Quartet	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21338	A-Frame Cabin	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21339	BTS Dynamite	Dec 31, 2024
Ideas	21340	Tales of the Space Age	Dec 31, 2024
Indiana Jones	77012	Fighter Plane Chase	Dec 31, 2024
Indiana Jones	77013	Escape from the Lost Tomb	Dec 31, 2024
Indiana Jones	77015	Temple of the Golden Idol	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76944	T. rex Dinosaur Breakout (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76946	Blue & Beta Velociraptor Capture	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76949	Giganotosaurus & Therizinosaurus Attack	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76951	Pyroraptor & Dilophosaurus Transport	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76958	Dilophosaurus Ambush	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76959	Triceratops Research	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76960	Brachiosaurus Discovery	Dec 31, 2024
Jurassic	76961	Visitor Centre: T. rex & Raptor Attack	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71374	Nintendo Entertainment System	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71422	Picnic at Mario's House	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71423	Dry Bowser Castle Battle	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71424	Donkey Kong's Tree House	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71427	Larry's and Morton's Airships	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71428	Yoshis' Egg-cellent Forest	Dec 31, 2024
Mario	71429	Nabbit at Toad's Shop	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	10791	Team Spidey's Mobile Headquarters (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	10792	Drill Spinner Vehicle (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	10793	Spidey vs. Green Goblin (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	30769	Venom Street Bike (Polybag)	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76210	Hulkbuster	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76217	I am Groot	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76218	Sanctum Sanctorum	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76226	Spider-Man Figure	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76232	The Hoopty	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76241	Hulk Mech Armor	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76243	Rocket Mech Armor	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76244	Miles Morales vs. Morbius	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76245	Ghost Rider Mech & Bike	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76247	The Hulkbuster: The Battle of Wakanda	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76248	The Avengers Quinjet	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76249	Venomised Groot	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76251	Star-Lord's Helmet	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76254	Baby Rocket's Ship	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76256	Ant-Man Construction Figure	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76257	Wolverine Construction Figure	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76258	Captain America Construction Figure	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76260	Black Widow & Captain America Motorcycles	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76262	Captain America's Shield	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76263	Iron Man Hulkbuster vs. Thanos (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76266	Endgame Final Battle	Dec 31, 2024
Marvel	76275	Motorcycle Chase: Spider-Man vs. Doc Ock	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21166	The 'Abandoned' Mine	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21178	The Fox Lodge	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21179	The Mushroom House	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21189	The Skeleton Dungeon	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21240	The Swamp Adventure	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21241	The Bee Cottage	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21242	The End Arena	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21243	The Frozen Peaks	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21244	The Sword Outpost	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21245	The Panda Haven	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21246	The Deep Dark Battle	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21247	The Axolotl House	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21248	The Pumpkin Farm	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21250	The Iron Golem Fortress	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21253	The Animal Sanctuary	Dec 31, 2024
Minecraft	21257	The Devourer Showdown	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40296	LEGO House Build Your Meal Brick Bag	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40297	LEGO House 6 DUPLO Bricks	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40347	LEGOLAND Driving School	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40429	Ninjago World	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40505	LEGO Building Systems	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40534	LEGO House Chef	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40556	Mythica	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40574	LEGO Brand Store	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40639	Bird's Nest	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40640	LEGO Nutcracker	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40641	Birthday Cake	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40642	Gingerbread Ornaments	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40643	Jade Rabbit	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40644	Pinata	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40714	Carousel Ride	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40715	Alien Pack	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	40716	Alien Planet Habitat	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	80112	Auspicious Dragon	Dec 31, 2024
Miscellaneous	80113	Family Reunion Celebration	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80036	The City of Lanterns	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80041	Mei's Dragon Jet	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80043	Yellow Tusk Elephant	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80044	Monkie Kid's Team Hideout	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80046	Monkie Kid's Cloud Airship	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80047	Mei's Guardian Dragon	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80048	The Mighty Azure Lion	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80049	Dragon of the East Palace	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80050	Creative Vehicles	Dec 31, 2024
Monkie Kid	80053	Mei's Dragon Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	30650	Kai and Rapton's Temple Battle Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	30674	Zane's Dragon Power Vehicles Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71741	NINJAGO City Gardens	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71782	Cole's Earth Dragon EVO	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71783	Kai's Mech Rider EVO	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71784	Jay's Lightning Jet EVO	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71785	Jay's Titan Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71786	Zane's Ice Dragon Creature	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71787	Creative Ninja Brick Box	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71788	Lloyd's Ninja Street Bike (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71789	Kai and Ras's Car and Bike Battle (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71790	Imperium Dragon Hunter Hound	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71791	Zane's Dragon Power Spinjitzu Race Car	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71792	Sora's Transforming Mech Bike Racer	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71793	Heatwave Transforming Lava Dragon	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71794	Lloyd and Arin's Ninja Team Mechs	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71795	Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71796	Elemental Dragon vs. The Empress Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71797	Destiny's Bounty - Race Against Time	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71798	Nya and Arin's Baby Dragon Battle (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71800	Nya's Water Dragon EVO	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71801	Kai's Rising Dragon Strike	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71802	Nya's Rising Dragon Strike	Dec 31, 2024
Ninjago	71803	Arin's Rising Dragon Strike	Dec 31, 2024
Sonic	30676	Kiki's Coconut Attack Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Sonic	76990	Sonic's Speed Sphere Challenge	Dec 31, 2024
Sonic	76991	Tails' Workshop and Tornado Plane	Dec 31, 2024
Sonic	76992	Amy's Animal Rescue Island	Dec 31, 2024
Sonic	76993	Sonic vs. Dr. Eggman's Death Egg Robot	Dec 31, 2024
Sonic	76994	Sonic's Green Hill Zone Loop Challenge	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	30683	McLaren Formula 1 Car Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76906	1970 Ferrari 512 M	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76907	Lotus Evija	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76908	Lamborghini Countach	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76909	Mercedes-AMG F1 W12 E Performance & Mercedes-AMG Project One	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76914	Ferrari 812 Competizione	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76915	Pagani Utopia	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76916	Porsche 963	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76917	2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)	Dec 31, 2024
Speed Champions	76918	McLaren Solus GT & McLaren F1 LM	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	30680	AAT Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	30685	TIE Interceptor Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75257	Millennium Falcon	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75290	Mos Eisley Cantina	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75304	Darth Vader Helmet	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75308	R2-D2	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75313	AT-AT	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75333	Obi-Wan Kenobi's Jedi Starfighter	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75341	Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75344	Boba Fett's Starship Microfighter	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75345	501st Clone Troopers Battle Pack	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75346	Pirate Snub Fighter	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75347	TIE Bomber	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75348	Mandalorian Fang Fighter vs TIE Interceptor	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75350	Clone Commander Cody Helmet	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75351	Princess Leia (Boushh) Helmet	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75352	Emperor's Throne Room Diorama	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75353	Endor Speeder Chase Diorama	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75354	Coruscant Guard Gunship	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75356	Executor Super Star Destroyer	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75357	Ghost & Phantom II	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75358	Tenoo Jedi Temple (4+)	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75359	332nd Ahsoka's Clone Trooper Battle Pack	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75360	Yoda's Jedi Starfighter	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75361	Spider Tank	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75363	The Mandalorian N-1 Starfighter Microfighter	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75364	New Republic E-wing vs. Shin Hati's Starfighter	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75365	Yavin 4 Rebel Base	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75368	Darth Vader Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75369	Boba Fett Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75370	Stormtrooper Mech	Dec 31, 2024
Star Wars	75371	Chewbacca	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	30682	NASA Mars Rover Perseverance Polybag	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42096	Porsche 911 RS	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42136	John Deere 9620R 4WD Tractor	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42138	Ford Mustang Shelby GT500	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42145	Airbus H175 Rescue Helicopter	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42147	Dump Truck	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42148	Snow Groomer	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42149	Monster Jam Dragon	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42150	Monster Jam Monster Mutt Dalmatian	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42152	Firefighter Aircraft	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42153	NASCAR Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42155	The Batman - Batcycle	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42157	John Deere 948L-II Skidder	Dec 31, 2024
Technic	42162	Bugatti Bolide Agile Blue	Dec 31, 2024

https://discord.gg/brick-tap-1128148810439331861

I remember visiting my grandparent's place in the Appalachian mountains as a kid. As we approached the house, I was awash with memories of my childhood visits. My grandparents had a sprawling property boasting a few acres of land, meaning the nearest neighbor was too far away to visit on foot. Despite the distance, the isolation of their property only added to its charm. I vividly recall sitting on the front porch with my grandpa, nestled on his lap, as we watched the sun slowly dip below the horizon. The sky would be painted with a breathtaking array of colors, ranging from deep oranges to soft pinks and everything in between. As I sat there, soaking up the moment's beauty, I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquility wash over me. These memories are forever etched in my mind, and I hold them dear.
My grandparents had passed away a few months before this, and that was around the same time I dropped out of college. I was a typical gifted high school student but got burned out fast in college. I was only 21 and could still finish my degree, but my parents insisted I stay at my grandparents' house for a while as some sort of punishment. They needed someone to watch the place until they decided what to do with it, and they were pissed about me leaving college, so they figured putting me up here with no transportation would make for a good punishment.
"What if I run out of groceries?" I asked, trying to find a way out of the punishment.
"We will have someone deliver your groceries each week." My Mom said as she kept her eyes on the road with no expression. I could tell that she was still livid.
I sighed and relaxed my shoulders in defeat as I stared out of the window with my head resting on the window. The trees were green blurs on each side of the road, moving too fast to ultimately make out what you're seeing.
As we approach a sharp turn, we slow down just enough to make out a prominent figure hiding deep in the tree's darkness. I try to keep my eyes on it, but the trees are blurry from the speed again after the turn.
Suddenly, another memory enters my head. I remember seeing that figure in the trees every time we came up here to visit. It was just a shadowy figure hiding in the darkness. I was too young to understand what it meant. Now, as I get older, I start to question its presence.
The car stops outside the house, and I look at the trees before leaving. My Mom grabs my suitcase, taking it out of the trunk. "Come on, you can go inside and unpack." She says, her tone still cold. I follow her to the front door, trying not to trip on the creaky wooden stairs.
The inside of the house is exactly how I remember it from my childhood visits. The same old furniture, the same knickknacks on the shelves, the same smell of lavender and wood polish. But there's something else, too. An unsettling feeling in the air, like something isn't quite right. I shrugged it off, telling myself it was just my imagination or maybe the feeling of being in the house of someone no longer alive.
I unpacked my suitcase and put my clothes in the same dresser I had used when I was younger. My room is right next to the one my grandparents used to share, and I can hear every creak and groan from the old floorboards as if they were next to me. I lie on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to ignore the strange sensation of being watched. I turn my head to look at the room but see nothing.
Suddenly, my Mom enters the room, "Alright, like I said, you'll get groceries every week. You should be fine with what we stocked you up with now."
I sigh, "Thanks, Mom."
She sits down next to me on the bed, "Kev, I know this is going to suck for you, but if you're not in school, at least you could help us out here. It's only for a few months, and then you can come back, and we will talk about re-enrolling." She kissed me on the forehead, told me she loved me, and left. Suddenly, I was here alone in a dead house.
I explore the house to keep my mind off the creepy feeling that something isn't quite right. I wander through the living room, noticing how the furniture has been rearranged since I was last here. The once cozy spot where my grandma would knit and my grandpa would read the paper now feels cold and unused. I enter the kitchen, where the familiar smell of lavender and wood polish greets me. The groceries are neatly stacked on the counter, just like my Mom said they would be.
As I stood near the window above the kitchen sink, I noticed that the sun was setting, causing the room to gradually become darker with each passing minute. The fading light cast a warm and comforting glow on the floor, illuminating the dust particles that seemed to dance in the air. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling gnawing at me since I entered the house. Despite the beautiful view outside, this house felt wrong. It was like some hidden secret lurking out of sight, waiting to be discovered.
I tried to keep my mind occupied, so I turned the TV on and watched an episode of SpongeBob. That was the show I would always watch when I came over since my parents didn't have cable. The familiar theme song played, and the cartoon characters danced across the screen. But even though the show was the same, something felt off. There was tension in the air as if someone were watching me. I glanced around the room, but everything looked the same as it always had.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see a window, and suddenly, something darts out of the corner of the curtain. I whip my head around, but whatever it was, it's gone. My heart races as I try to calm myself down. I take a deep breath and tell myself it was just my imagination or maybe a stray animal. But that feeling in the pit of my stomach won't go away.
I lean against the couch, trying to focus on the TV again. SpongeBob is still dancing across the screen, but I can't shake the feeling that someone or something is watching me. My skin crawls, and I can't help but glance around the room again. The kitchen is still neat and organized, but now it feels claustrophobic.
I get up to look for the key to the liquor cabinet, hoping it will be stocked by Gramps before he passes. I find it in its usual spot behind the old family photo and open the cabinet. There are rows upon rows of bottles, all neatly arranged and labeled. My heart races with anticipation as I reach for a bottle of scotch and pour myself a shot.
Taking a sip, I close my eyes and savor the warmth that spreads through my chest. It feels good, almost comforting, like Gramps' familiar embrace. I pour another shot and sit at the kitchen table, lost in thought.
I hear a creak from upstairs, like someone walking across the floor. I glance up at the ceiling, heart racing, but it's just the old house settling. Or maybe it's just my imagination again. The television drones on in the background, but I barely register it anymore.
After a few more drinks, my vision blurred, and my eyelids heavy. I stumbled to my room, my steps unsteady and my mind foggy. As I collapsed onto the comforter, the room spun around me. Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of a creature darting across the ceiling. But I was too inebriated to care; I closed my eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

The next thing I knew, I woke up with my face pressed against the cold, hard tiles of the bathroom floor. I couldn't remember how I got there, but the evidence painted a clear picture. There was a trail of vomit leading from my bed to the toilet, and I was snuggled up against it as if it were my only friend. The room was still spinning, and my head was pounding with the after-effects of a wild night.
I have never felt this bad in my life. I honestly thought I was dying, so I called my Mom, who asked if I had eaten or drunk something terrible. I heard laughing after telling her how many scotch glasses I had. "Honey, you have a hangover. Just take it easy and stay away from Grandpa's scotch." She said, chuckling before ending the conversation.
My head ached, my stomach turned, my forehead was sweaty, and my vision was sensitive to even my phone on minimum brightness. I had never felt so miserable, so I tried to sleep it off. I would sleep for about 45 minutes before waking up to my body, not knowing what side it would come out of.
That night, after a long and exhausting day, I finally managed to muster the energy to get out of bed and make breakfast for dinner. As I slowly walked downstairs, hoping to find some comfort in a warm meal, I couldn't help but notice that the living room was in complete disarray. The couch cushions were flipped over, and the coffee table was on its side. My heart started racing, and I felt a sudden dread wash over me. I hadn't done that, at least not that I remembered. As I tiptoed towards the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible, I heard a sudden bump coming from inside. I froze, trying to hear anything else, but the silence was deafening. My imagination ran wild, and I couldn't help but think someone was here with me. As I slowly entered the kitchen, my heart pounding, I found nothing unusual. But the unease lingered, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was not alone.
I eat my meager dinner, trying not to think about the strange events that had been happening. As I clean up the dishes, I catch a glimpse of movement out of the corner of my eye. I turn around, but there's nothing there. Just the empty living room. Grandpa had always told stories about the monsters in these mountains and how there were creatures that fed on fear and loneliness. And right now, I was feeling more alone than ever.
The Dogman, a creature that has always been a source of fascination and fear for many, is said to inhabit the dark and shadowy corners of the Appalachian Mountains. It is a terrifying and mysterious creature that stands at least seven feet tall with a lean and muscular build covered in dark, fur-covered skin. Its eyes are said to be glowing orbs of yellow, and they are known to pierce through the darkness with an otherworldly intensity that can make even the bravest of hearts quiver with fear.
The creature's head, which resembles a wolf's, is adorned with pointed ears and a long snout that reveals its razor-sharp teeth. Its arms end in long, clawed fingers capable of quickly rending flesh. Moreover, the Dogman is known to move with predatory grace, stalking its prey with silent footsteps and striking with deadly accuracy.
Despite its fearsome appearance, the Dogman possesses an uncanny intelligence that it uses to toy with its victims before delivering a final, deadly strike. Its howls echo through the mountains and are said to be chilling and terrifying, striking fear into the hearts of all who hear them. The Dogman, a creature that has always been a source of fascination and anxiety for many, is said to inhabit the dark and shadowy corners of the Appalachian Mountains. It is a terrifying and mysterious creature that stands at least seven feet tall with a lean and muscular build covered in dark, fur-covered skin. Its eyes are said to be glowing orbs of yellow, and they are known to pierce through the darkness with an otherworldly intensity that can make even the bravest of hearts quiver with fear.
The creature's head, which resembles a wolf's, is adorned with pointed ears and a long snout that reveals its razor-sharp teeth. Its arms end in long, clawed fingers capable of quickly rending flesh. Moreover, the Dogman is known to move with predatory grace, stalking its prey with silent footsteps and striking with deadly accuracy.
Despite its fearsome appearance, the Dogman possesses an uncanny intelligence that it uses to toy with its victims before delivering a final, deadly strike. Its howls echo through the mountains and are said to be chilling and terrifying, striking fear into the hearts of all who hear them.
I quickly shook this story off my mind as I tried calming myself down. It was just a story, after all. Throughout that night, I heard bumps and creaks all around me. I was finally able to fall asleep at 2am.
The next morning, I felt even worse than the day before. My body ached, and my head felt like it was in a vice. I dragged myself out of bed and made some coffee, hoping it would help. As I was about to drink it, I noticed a strange note on the counter. It was written in blood. "You're next," it said.
Shaking with fear, I quickly called the police. They told me to stay where I was and lock all the doors and windows. I did as they said, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as I waited for them to arrive. Hours passed, and still no one came. The Dogman was toying with me, just like Grandpa had warned.
I gave up hope of the cops showing up when the sun began its descent, so I mustered the courage to peer out of the window again.
To my horror, the Dogman was still there, crouched low on the ground in front of the house. Its sleek and glossy fur absorbed what little light remained, giving it an otherworldly aura. Each hair stood on end, crackling with an eerie energy that sent shivers down my spine.
With its head thrown back, the Dogman released a haunting howl that reverberated through the mountains, causing the earth to tremble beneath my feet. The sound was primal, filled with a malevolent energy that seemed to seep into my bones.
As the creature continued to howl, its eyes locked onto mine, the glowing orbs burning with an intense, otherworldly light. It felt like the beast could see into my soul, peeling back the layers of my being with its gaze alone.
Its clawed fingers dug into the dirt, leaving deep trenches behind as it struggled to contain itself. The muscles beneath its fur rippled with a predatory grace, coiled and ready to strike at a moment's notice.
And then, in an instant, it was gone, disappearing into the shadows with a speed that left me reeling.
After making another frantic call to the authorities, I only held out a little hope they would arrive this time. Despite my pleas for help, I could sense the disbelief in their tone. Despite my best efforts, they weren't taking the situation as seriously as they should have been.
I could hear its heavy breathing through the house's windows, the hot, rank breath fogging the glass as it peered in at me. No matter where I went, I felt its gaze following me, trapping me in its malevolent stare.
I was frozen, unable to move or even scream, as the creature shifted slightly, revealing its muscular haunches and razor-sharp claws. Its fur bristled with anticipation as it slowly arched its back, preparing to pounce.
I managed to leap out of the way just in time, narrowly avoiding the full force of its claws. Despite my agility, I still felt a searing pain as its razor-sharp claws grazed my arm, leaving behind a deep, jagged scratch.
Warm blood dripped down my arm, splattering onto the hardwood floors as I staggered backward, clutching my wounded limb. The pain was excruciating, pulsing through my veins with every beat of my heart.
I knew I had to act fast. With trembling hands, I rushed to the bathroom to assess the damage. The wound wasn't deep, but it was deep enough to cause a considerable amount of bleeding.
Grimacing, I reached for the first aid kit, my hands shaking as I retrieved the necessary supplies. With a mixture of rubbing alcohol and peroxide, I cleaned the wound as best as I could, wincing as the antiseptic stung against my torn flesh.
Gauze in hand, I carefully wrapped my injured arm, trying to stem the flow of blood as best as I could. But despite my efforts, the pain continued to throb relentlessly, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked just outside the door.
Realizing I couldn't risk leaving the bathroom's safety, I fashioned a makeshift bed out of towels, but sleep remained elusive.
I spent the long hours of the night staring at the closed door, every creak and groan of the old house sending a jolt of fear coursing through my veins. Occasionally, I would hear the low, guttural growl from the crack beneath the door, a constant reminder of the danger lurking outside.
The Dogman was toying with me, and I knew it. It could easily break down the flimsy door and reach me if it wanted to. So why didn't it? The question gnawed at my mind, filling me with dread and uncertainty.
As the sun rose through the tiny window above the shower, casting a pale light into the room, I realized I hadn't heard anything outside the door for hours. The absence of the Dogman's menacing presence was a relief and a cause for concern.
I knew the creature didn't often show itself during the day; I had only ever seen it at night or sunset. With this assumption in mind, I resolved to find something to defend myself with until nightfall.
Tentatively, I went down the hall to my grandpa's study. The familiar room greeted me, filled with old books and knickknacks collected over the years.
Grandpa's desk stood in the center of the room, covered in papers and half-finished crossword puzzles, just as I remembered it. With a sense of urgency, I searched through the cluttered drawers, my hands trembling as I rifled through the contents.
Finally, my fingers closed around what I was looking for: his old journal. It was weathered and faded, but the pages were filled with neat handwriting detailing his encounters with the Dogman and the rituals he had used to keep it at bay.
Flipping through the yellowed pages, I found his entry about the Dogman. It detailed an ancient ritual to banish the creature, but the instructions were complicated and involved several items I had yet to see around the house.
According to Grandpa's journal, I needed various herbs that could be found growing around the house and water from the spring a couple of miles away. Determined to rid myself of the Dogman's torment, I gathered the necessary ingredients.
The trek to the spring was arduous, but I was relieved to be out of the oppressive atmosphere of the house. On my way back, I collected the water and most of the herbs, eager to return home and perform the ritual.
Back at the house, I searched more methodically, scouring every room and corner for the remaining herbs. The Dogman's presence loomed heavily over me as I moved through the familiar spaces, its growls, and scratches echoing through the walls and floors.
It seemed to know exactly where I was at all times, taunting me with its presence but never showing itself.
Finally, I found the last item on the list: a handful of sacred herbs that were supposed to be ground into a powder and sprinkled around the house's perimeter.
I gathered the herbs and returned to my grandfather's study, where I found a small grinder beside his desk. With careful hands, I ground the herbs into a fine powder, making sure not to spill any.
Heart pounding, I hurried back to the living room, ready to perform the ritual and rid myself of the Dogman's malevolent presence once and for all.
Determined, I opened the front door and stepped outside, the ground crunching beneath my feet as I moved around the house's perimeter.
Taking handfuls of the powdered herbs, I sprinkled them around the house's base, chanting the ancient words from my grandfather's journal as I did so. As I spoke the words, the air seemed to hum with energy, and I could feel the weight of centuries-old magic settling around me.
But as I finished the final word, I felt a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Nothing had changed. I could still feel the Dogman's presence, its malevolent energy lingering like a thick fog.
Despair washed over me as I realized that the ritual had failed and I was still trapped in the creature's grasp.
Disheartened, I sat on the front porch steps, my back against the wooden frame. I didn't know what else to do. Maybe I should just call my Mom and hope that she believes me. I have a scratch on my arm, but I'm sure she would assume I got drunk again and fell or something.
I sat there noticing the sunset, realizing I'd spent the entire day doing this, only for it to not work, a wasted day.
I heard the familiar growl from behind me. The Dogman was back. I felt a shiver run down my spine as it approached, its wet nose brushing against my shoulder. It seemed to be studying me, its amber eyes unblinking.
"What do you want?" I asked, my voice shaking. The Dogman didn't respond but stood there as if waiting for something. After a few more moments of silence, I decided to try a different approach. "Look, I'm sorry if I did something to make you mad. I didn't mean any harm. If there's anything I can do to make it stop, just tell me."
The Dogman cocked its head to the side, studying me intently. Its eyes narrowed as if trying to understand what I'd just said. After silence, it finally responded in a deep, guttural growl.
Its growl made me jump and flinch, but it still stood there, staring.
I took a deep breath and tried again. "Look, I don't know what you want or why you're doing this. But if there's anything I can do to make it stop, just tell me. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to go home."
The Dogman stared at me for a long moment, its amber eyes unblinking. Then, slowly, it turned its head and looked behind me, out in the front yard. It growled again, more profound this time, as if in warning or frustration.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confusion washing over me. "What am I supposed to do?"
It lunged at me, and I fell into darkness before I could do anything.
When I woke up, I was surrounded by a medical team in the back of an ambulance, scrambling to help. Suddenly, I felt pain across my face. As I reached up to feel it, one of the EMTs swiped my hand and told me not to touch it. I could see flesh hanging into my eyesight from my forehead. Shocked, I must've passed out again.
By the time I was able to completely wake up, I was recovering from multiple surgeries. I felt my face and only felt the wrapping used when healing wounds. I also couldn't feel my left leg, so I removed the sheets to find nothing. My leg was gone.
The doctors and nurses came scrambling in when I screamed and sobbed, the pain of my missing leg and the realization of my forever-altered face crashing over me like a tidal wave.
After they calmed me down, my Mom burst into the room, tears streaming down her face as she enveloped me in a tight hug that bordered on pain. She explained that the cops finally came after receiving several calls from me.
My heart sank as I told her I had called them hours, if not a day before they showed up. Anger flared in her eyes as she listened, and I could see the fear and frustration etched into her features.
When the authorities arrived, they were met with a gruesome scene. The enormous wolf-like creature had my leg in its mouth, and the flesh on my face was mangled beyond recognition. They fired at the beast, but it stood on two legs and darted into the trees before they could get a clear shot.
Despite their efforts, they couldn't find it, but forest rangers were dispatched to search the area around the house in case it returned.
I tried to tell my Mom the whole story, but she quickly shushed me, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. She warned me not to tell anyone, fearing they would think I was crazy.
For fifteen years, I kept this horrifying ordeal to myself. Over those years, I acquired a prosthetic for my leg, but there was nothing I could do for my disfigured face. It served as a constant reminder of the trauma I had faced, haunting me every time I looked in the mirror.
Now, faced with a terminal diagnosis of cancer, I've made the decision to forgo treatment. I'm done with this world, but I refuse to let it take me out on its terms.
I've decided to return to the house to confront the creature that has haunted my nightmares for years. I'm at the closest diner, trying to muster the courage to face my fears, knowing I likely won't leave the house alive.
As I sit here, I can't help but feel the weight of my impending doom pressing down on me. I've been staring at the figure of the Dogman in the trees outside, just like when I was younger.
I started writing this to distract myself and prolong my mission, but now I have nothing else to write about. Now, I will head to the house; wish me luck.