Good day. My question is do green card holders have travel restriction on traveling internationally when they owe more than 2,500. I bring this because like a US citizen when they owe more than that, their passport is denied,
So I am wondering is these restrictions also apply to green card holders.
The case is between Florida and California. The father reside in California and I’m assuming the guidelines are about the same.

I’m 15 M when I was 7-12 whenever I cried my mother would pull my hair and push me on the ground and shoving something in mouth for me to shut up and sometimes she hit me in the head or face but I just wondering why my sister never got hit or anything but I just don’t understand when I cry for my father (when he went to work) my mom will lock me on second floor and pull my hair I don’t know how to cope with all of this, is this the reason why I’m alway attached to someone who is a mother figure to me? When I tell this to my cousin they were horrified, I never knew it wasn’t normal. Now I need to live in fear my mother would hit me again I don’t know how to cope with this it been years and I been asking my parent for therapy but they said we couldn’t afford it just been really hard for me how should I do? When my parent fight all can do is puttin music on and hope everything end fast as it could and if you wonder have I contact CPS I did but it didn’t went really well. I’m alway the extra in the family when I made some money from something they alway gave it to my sister I don’t know how to live anymore all I do is crying and crying I don’t want to cry no more I don’t have anybody to look up to… anymore also I don’t get why my parents alway body shaming me

I apologize in advance for the long emotional unload, I just really need to voice where my head is at and put this down somewhere beyond a journal.
I absolutely adore my wife, she's truthfully the most incredible, passionate, creative and unique person I've ever met and on both good and bad days have never pictured a future that didn't include her in it. I'd walk through fire for her, and she's the person I want to navigate life with more than anything. When I think about the best moments of my life, many of them are tied to her - our first date, our second "first date", our engagement, our wedding, welcoming our child into the world and the list could go on. I had hoped to add so many more to this list.
But sadly, I've been separated from my wife for almost two months and it's quite literally been the hardest days of my life. In December I had a car accident on a particularly icy day and after went on anti-depressants in the months that followed (unrelated) but none of this matched what was to follow. Two months ago, she told me that despite being a loving, and attentive husband and partner we weren't right for each other and she wanted to separate to figure out what she wanted. I knew that we had some ups and downs like any relationship (as every relationship does), but truthfully I was blindsided, I never expected we'd get to this point because I genuinely would never give up on us (an never have even in hardships). I truly feel like when all was said and done, I've been a good husband, partner and father, standing by her in her most difficult moments and weathering the good and bad together. I know there's no one else in the picture, but I have such a hard time figuring out where and why things went wrong.
In a short span of time, I went from being home with my kids and the woman I love more than anything to being a ghost in the spare bedroom of my parents house trying to pick myself up. I started therapy, increased antidepressants, dieting and hiking, weekly check-ins with my family doctor and trying my best to just put one foot in front of the other. On a positive note, I've dropped 25 pounds (I wish I could've found an easier way to do it).
The situation feels so unfair, in a short span of time my entire life has changed and it's completely out of my control. I won't throw blame at her - she's not being vindictive, and I'd never want to try to guilt her into reconciliation. It's taken a lot to hold back on messages, calls and a desire to see her.
Last week, I truly felt like I was starting to get my feet back under me - it seemed like there was some hope that we were coming closer together, she was reaching out to me with things beyond just being about the kids. Then there was a shift, she unloaded on me about not being present enough and things are worse than ever it seems. I haven't been perfect, but I've been trying so hard to keep moving despite everything and had been told by others in my life that they though I was carrying myself well. She asked for low contact, and I though I was giving her what she wanted. When I told her I was trying and that I acknowledged that I could do more, she told me that she didn't want to reconcile and that we were done.
My son shared with me (unprompted) that his mom now figured I'm angry at her, but it couldn't be further from the truth; regardless of the hurt now or before, I've never really been angry with her. She's a passionate, fiery person who sometimes says something in the moment and regrets it after but often won't admit to that. I'm now having sleepless nights again wondering, hoping, that this is another of those moments. I don't know how to broach a conversation with her now, it feels like we're further apart than ever.
It would be so much easier if I was angry at her - heck, I want to hate her but I can't. She's my favorite person despite everything, my closest confident and the mother of my kids. I really want nothing more to tell her that I love her and miss her - that I want to fight like hell to make things work but I know that I shouldn't (or at least that's the unsolicited advice I've been given by many close to me).
Now today, I find out that my grandmother is not doing well and it could be something she doesn't come back from and I'm finding myself spiraling further and further. I want to reach out so badly to my wife, she's been my person (and I felt like I've been hers). I have family and friends but it just isn't the same. I just want my wife, my family, my home - I feel so broken.

Raoh taking Falco's leg and then departing Falco's village makes no logical sense, one of the worst if not the worst retcons in the entire series. The real Raoh would never backdown from a confrontation and from conquering new territories like what would Raoh need with another man's leg anyway? This is Ken-Oh (拳王, The King of Fists) or The Conqueror of Century's End (世紀末覇者 Seikimatsu Hasha) were talking about who slaughtered and enslaved millions upon millions of men, women, and children, effortlessly obliterated the Nanto Gosha Sei (南斗五車星, "Five Chariot Stars of the South Dipper"), took full advantage of Toki's illness in their fights, and killed his own adoptive father while he was suffering from a heartattack.
Raoh departing Falco's village makes him look like a coward and goes against his original goals and ambitions of conquering the Heavens and the Earth. This is the Raoh who stated "I will fight even the gods". and "the only man's first in the world on my level is Toki". The scene with Falco and Raoh should not have existed and instead they should have established or elaborated more on the origins of Gento Koken.
Raoh and Kenshiro flashback in HnK episode 149 makes no sene either. Raoh would never say "if I should lose" or "please" when conversing with Kenshiro. It would've been better to instead expand another character's backstory instead of forcing a retcon on characters with a very well established background. We know a lot about Raoh & Toki's childhood. That's why Kenshiro having a long lost brother works, but Raoh and Toki having one doesn't. We went into the Land of Asura knowing nothing about where Kenshiro came from before training in Hokuto Shinken.

I am a new revert (feb 2024) and i have recently experienced a decline in iman, and it makes me wonder: where does the whole concept of "faith" come from? Why does the concept of faith exist at all? Is it inherent in man (I think so)? As babies, we have faith that our mother (and father) will care for us, feed us, protect us. We have faith when we get in our car every day for our drive to work that we won't die--if we thought we WOULD die, we wouldn't get in the car, although the likelihood of a car accident is greater than insignificant. What else do we have "faith" in, and is this the same kind of "faith" that leads us to believe in a higher power?
I'm trying to get to the very root of faith: is it innate in human beings to believe in something that they cannot see? It seems so, given human history. Early humans believed in animism, worshiped nature (which in some ways is more understandable given that one can "see" directly the objects one is worshiping)..early humans coulldn't explain most natural phenomena by means of science, so they posited some "higher power" to which they could genuflect. But now science can explain so much more: why the winds blow, why we have tornados and hurricanes, global warming. Yet faith still persists, in part because so much of life feels...random.
So is faith something that is innate in humans? Some argue that Abrahamic religions themselves developed because of man's sense of longing for order, for clear morality in an unpredictable world. Others argue that religion itself gives humans a (false?) sense of control of the world around them.
I don't know. I just wonder why I embraced Islam, why I felt the need to embrace anything that isn't wholly rational. I know I was moved internally in a way I can't fully explain, but now that connection feels more ephemeral and as I try to get back my faith, these are the questions that pop up.
Thoughts?

My (36F) husband (38M) has been in a psychosis since January. He has repeatedly refused medical help. In February he said he wanted a divorce. Legally I am still married to him. He said I was no longer allowed to leave the house and that if I didn't find accommodation in 3 months I was allowed to rent the lower portion of the that I co-own. I felt very unsafe so I fled to my mother. The following night he vandalized my mother's house and called me names. After that he tried to reconcile, and my only request was that he seek medical help so this doesn't happen again. It the meantime I found out he was visiting prostitutes and confronted him about it. He said he is a prophet (Jesus) and that those women are made permissible to him. I got myself tested for STD's immediately and luckily I had none. He also admitted visiting prostitutes twice 2 years back when he was not manic as far as I know. After this he broke off all contact with me. I had accepted the fact that my marriage is over. In this period he also lost his job, was manic spending and got into trouble with the law (vandalized another family members home but not as severely as my mother's).
Suddenly about 3 weeks ago he contacts me again and apologizes for everything and wants me to come back home. I said I wouldn't even think about coming home unless he gets medical help & I need some time to trust him again. He said he was open to medical help and also therapy and shared his childhood trauma with me. He was apparently a victim of CSA. He went with me to our GP and we told the doctor everything. He said that he had been having these symptoms since 2008. I hadn't noticed anything. He was diagnosed with bipolar and was perscribed Olanzapine. He was taking it regularly and we were spending time together. I noticed he had trouble making decisions and asked me or his father to take all the decisions for him. This is very unlike him.
Meanwhile he had thrown everything out of our house, from the curtains to furniture, to all his and my stuff and all paperwork and now he wanted to remove the floorboards. I had managed to get important papers out like the house deed and took them with me so that he doesn't throw it away. He had sold 2 cars and a scooter, so we put the one remaining car in my name so he wouldn't be able to sell it like he was planning to. This Friday he suddenly calls me at night and says that I'm a gaslighter, that I emotionally manipulated him into taking the medication and that I forced him to take it. He said the medication made him sleepy and that he was unable to apply to jobs like this. All I said was let's discuss it with the doctor and to please not stop the antipsychotics suddenly since that is not safe. He called me the next day and said he had talked to a psychiatrist (?) and that he/she said its safe to stop it immediately. At this point I admit I could have handled the situation better, but I got so angry. Here I am trying to get past his betrayal, and trying to help him and all I get back instead is being called a gaslighter and manipulator. I am exhausted chasing a 38 year old man to take his medicine. It feels like im the only one trying to save this marriage. He said the medication has helped him, and now he is cured and thanks for the help but that's it. He is an adult and can take his own medical decisions. I asked him if he still thinks he is a prophet and he said yes.
He said he believes that I am never coming back anyways and he has been nice to me long enough ( 2 weeks ). He said I stole his car and house papers and to return them immediately which I refused. Medication is just not something that I am willing to compromise on. I don't want to run to my mother house every few months because my husband wants a divorce again or cheated on me during a psychosis. I want a stable life with him. I'm just wondering if I should have returned home sooner like he asked me to? Did I let him down? Is my divorce valid since he is now a diagnosed bipolar? We havent talked since Friday and he has been to prostitutes again.

Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

When is Father's Day: Celebrating Dads Around the World

Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

1. Australia and New Zealand: Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. This year, it will be observed on September 1st.
2. Brazil: Known as Dia dos Pais, Father's Day in Brazil is celebrated on the second Sunday in August, aligning with the Catholic feast day of St. Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary. This year, it falls on August 11th.
3. Germany: In Germany, Father's Day, or Vatertag, is celebrated on Ascension Day, which is the 40th day of Easter. It’s also known as Men's Day (Männertag), and this year, it will be celebrated on May 30th.
4. Thailand: Father’s Day in Thailand is celebrated on December 5th, coinciding with the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It is a day of national celebration and respect for fathers.
5. Russia: In Russia, Father’s Day is observed as Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23rd. It honors men in general, especially those serving in the military.

How to Make Father’s Day Special
Regardless of when you celebrate Father’s Day, here are some thoughtful ways to make the day memorable for your dad:

1. Personalized Gifts: Custom-made gifts such as photo albums, engraved watches, or personalized mugs can add a special touch.
2. Quality Time: Spend the day doing something your dad loves, whether it’s fishing, hiking, watching a movie, or playing a sport.
3. Cook a Special Meal: Treat your dad to a homemade meal with his favorite dishes. You could also host a barbecue or picnic if the weather permits.
4. Handwritten Letters: Write a heartfelt letter expressing your gratitude and love. Sometimes, words from the heart mean more than any store-bought gift.
5. Experience Gifts: Plan an experience rather than a physical gift. Consider activities like a day trip, a concert, or a cooking class.
6. Virtual Celebration: If you’re far away, set up a video call and celebrate together virtually. You can still share a meal, play games, or watch a movie simultaneously.

Conclusion
Father's Day is a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation for the fathers and father figures in our lives. Whether your dad is near or far, there are countless ways to make the day special. Understanding when Father’s Day is celebrated around the world helps us appreciate the diverse ways in which this important day is honored. No matter the date, the essence of Father’s Day lies in expressing love, gratitude, and respect for the men who have guided, supported, and loved us unconditionally.
Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

When is Father's Day: Celebrating Dads Around the World

Father's Day is a special occasion dedicated to honoring fathers and celebrating their contributions to their families and society. It's a day to express gratitude and love for the men who have played a pivotal role in our lives. While the date of Father’s Day varies across different countries, the sentiment remains universally cherished. Here’s a guide to when Father's Day is celebrated around the world and some ideas on how to make it special.
Father's Day in the United States and Many Other Countries
In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. This tradition is followed by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, India, and most European and Latin American countries. For 2024, Father’s Day in these regions falls on June 16th.
Origin of Father’s Day in the United States
The idea of Father's Day in the U.S. was inspired by Mother's Day. The first Father's Day celebration was held on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Washington, spearheaded by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent who raised six children. It wasn’t until 1972, however, that Father’s Day was officially recognized as a national holiday by President Richard Nixon.
Father’s Day in Different Parts of the World

1. Australia and New Zealand: Father's Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in September. This year, it will be observed on September 1st.
2. Brazil: Known as Dia dos Pais, Father's Day in Brazil is celebrated on the second Sunday in August, aligning with the Catholic feast day of St. Joachim, the father of the Virgin Mary. This year, it falls on August 11th.
3. Germany: In Germany, Father's Day, or Vatertag, is celebrated on Ascension Day, which is the 40th day of Easter. It’s also known as Men's Day (Männertag), and this year, it will be celebrated on May 30th.
4. Thailand: Father’s Day in Thailand is celebrated on December 5th, coinciding with the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. It is a day of national celebration and respect for fathers.
5. Russia: In Russia, Father’s Day is observed as Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23rd. It honors men in general, especially those serving in the military.

How to Make Father’s Day Special
Regardless of when you celebrate Father’s Day, here are some thoughtful ways to make the day memorable for your dad:

1. Personalized Gifts: Custom-made gifts such as photo albums, engraved watches, or personalized mugs can add a special touch.
2. Quality Time: Spend the day doing something your dad loves, whether it’s fishing, hiking, watching a movie, or playing a sport.
3. Cook a Special Meal: Treat your dad to a homemade meal with his favorite dishes. You could also host a barbecue or picnic if the weather permits.
4. Handwritten Letters: Write a heartfelt letter expressing your gratitude and love. Sometimes, words from the heart mean more than any store-bought gift.
5. Experience Gifts: Plan an experience rather than a physical gift. Consider activities like a day trip, a concert, or a cooking class.
6. Virtual Celebration: If you’re far away, set up a video call and celebrate together virtually. You can still share a meal, play games, or watch a movie simultaneously.

Father's Day from Rakhi.com is a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation for the fathers and father figures in our lives. Whether your dad is near or far, there are countless ways to make the day special. Understanding when Father’s Day is celebrated around the world helps us appreciate the diverse ways in which this important day is honored. No matter the date, the essence of Father’s Day lies in expressing love, gratitude, and respect for the men who have guided, supported, and loved us unconditionally.

Background

The septons preach about the seven hells. What do they know? Only a man who's been burned knows what hell is truly like. -AGOT, Sansa II

GRRM has been hinting around about Sandor Clegane and his relationship with fire since the beginning (its the first thing mentioned about him in AGOT, Eddard I). In this post I thought I would explore that a bit and see what it could mean for TWoW.
Note: I don't think gods exist in ASOIAF, they are just sources of magic. So when I say R'hllor throughout the post I pretty much just mean "fire magic".
The Initial Burning
While the Hound is walking Sansa home from the Hand's Tourney, he gives Sansa the story of how he was burned:

"Most of them, they think it was some battle. A siege, a burning tower, an enemy with a torch. One fool asked if it was dragonsbreath." His laugh was softer this time, but just as bitter. "I'll tell you what it was, girl," he said, a voice from the night, a shadow leaning so close now that she could smell the sour stench of wine on his breath. "I was younger than you, six, maybe seven. A woodcarver set up shop in the village under my father's keep, and to buy favor he sent us gifts. The old man made marvelous toys. I don't remember what I got, but it was Gregor's gift I wanted. A wooden knight, all painted up, every joint pegged separate and fixed with strings, so you could make him fight. Gregor is five years older than me, the toy was nothing to him, he was already a squire, near six foot tall and muscled like an ox. So I took his knight, but there was no joy to it, I tell you. I was scared all the while, and true enough, he found me. There was a brazier in the room. Gregor never said a word, just picked me up under his arm and shoved the side of my face down in the burning coals and held me there while I screamed and screamed. You saw how strong he is. Even then, it took three grown men to drag him off me. The septons preach about the seven hells. What do they know? Only a man who's been burned knows what hell is truly like. -AGOT, Sansa II

Bran's Vision
Several chapters before that, we see the Hound's "terrible face" in Bran's vision of the shadows during his coma dream (note that the scope of the series was much smaller here):

He looked south, and saw the great blue-green rush of the Trident. He saw his father pleading with the king, his face etched with grief. He saw Sansa crying herself to sleep at night, and he saw Arya watching in silence and holding her secrets hard in her heart. There were shadows all around them. One shadow was dark as ash, with the terrible face of a hound. Another was armored like the sun, golden and beautiful. Over them both loomed a giant in armor made of stone, but when he opened his visor, there was nothing inside but darkness and thick black blood. -AGOT, Bran III

worth noting that R'hllor is referred to as the "god of flame and shadow" as well:

On one side is R'hllor, the Lord of Light, the Heart of Fire, the God of Flame and Shadow. Against him stands the Great Other whose name may not be spoken, the Lord of Darkness, the Soul of Ice, the God of Night and Terror. Ours is not a choice between Baratheon and Lannister, between Greyjoy and Stark. It is death we choose, or life. Darkness, or light." -ASOS, Davos III

The Blackwater
In his next encounter with fire, the Hound flees the Battle on the Blackwater:

The night of the battle, Sandor Clegane had come to her chambers to take her from the city, but Sansa had refused. Sometimes she lay awake at night, wondering if she'd been wise. She had his stained white cloak hidden in a cedar chest beneath her summer silks. She could not say why she'd kept it. The Hound had turned craven, she heard it said; at the height of the battle, he got so drunk the Imp had to take his men. But Sansa understood. She knew the secret of his burned face. It was only the fire he feared. That night, the wildfire had set the river itself ablaze, and filled the very air with green flame. Even in the castle, Sansa had been afraid. Outside . . . she could scarcely imagine it. -ASOS, Sansa I

Trial by Combat
When Sandor fights Beric we see a flaming sword seemingly begin to defeat the Hound:

The flaming sword leapt up to meet the cold one, long streamers of fire trailing in its wake like the ribbons the Hound had spoken of. Steel rang on steel. No sooner was his first slash blocked than Clegane made another, but this time Lord Beric's shield got in the way, and wood chips flew from the force of the blow. Hard and fast the cuts came, from low and high, from right and left, and each one Dondarrion blocked. The flames swirled about his sword and left red and yellow ghosts to mark its passage. Each move Lord Beric made fanned them and made them burn the brighter, until it seemed as though the lightning lord stood within a cage of fire. "Is it wildfire?" Arya asked Gendry.
"No. This is different. This is . . ." -ASOS, Arya VI

but at the very end we see Sandor somehow win this "holy thing":

Smooth as summer silk, Lord Beric slid close to make an end of the man before him. The Hound gave a rasping scream, raised his sword in both hands and brought it crashing down with all his strength. Lord Beric blocked the cut easily . . .
"Noooooo," Arya shrieked.. . .
but the burning sword snapped in two, and the Hound's cold steel plowed into Lord Beric's flesh where his shoulder joined his neck and clove him clean down to the breastbone. The blood came rushing out in a hot black gush.
Sandor Clegane jerked backward, still burning. He ripped the remnants of his shield off and flung them away with a curse, then rolled in the dirt to smother the fire running along his arm. -ASOS, Arya VI

so he is set free by the Brotherhood, minus his gold (Fun Fact: The Brotherhood ends up with a good amount of gold from the Hand's Tourney).
What's Next?
When the Hound begins to follow them, some members want him dead but Thoros states that there must be some purpose left for Sandor.

Lord Beric shook his head. "Clegane won his life beneath the hollow hill. I will not rob him of it."
"My lord is wise," Thoros told the others. "Brothers, a trial by battle is a holy thing. You heard me ask R'hllor to take a hand, and you saw his fiery finger snap Lord Beric's sword, just as he was about to make an end of it. The Lord of Light is not yet done with Joffrey's Hound, it would seem." -ASOS, Arya VII

and I seem to think that similar to the show, the next step in Sandor's plotline (after Brother Ray (show) and Elder Brother (book series) is another encounter with the Brotherhood without Banners.

• The Brotherhood is likely using his helm to lure others into traps as we could potentially see with Lyle Crakehall. If interested: The (Strong)Boar & the "Hound" and:

"Where is she?"
"A day's ride. I can take you to her, ser … but you will need to come alone. Elsewise, the Hound will kill her." -ADWD, Jaime I

• The Elder brother was the last person to see the Sandor alive as he tells Brienne (they also have his horse). After the Red Wedding, Lady Stoneheart and the BwB were hot on Arya/The Hound's trail before losing them (they find get his helm from Rorge). It is current unknown if Brienne has given this information to the Brotherhood/LSH or not but it definitely ties together the plotline. If interested: Arya Stark: The Key to Jaime/Brienne & Lady Stoneheart

Sandor in Hell
Doesn't really deserve its own section, but I thought this matched up really well:

The septons preach about the seven hells. What do they know? Only a man who's been burned knows what hell is truly like. -AGOT, Sansa II

and:

Lem grabbed her wrist and twisted, wrenching the dagger away. She kicked at him, but he would not give it back. "You go to hell, Hound," she screamed at Sandor Clegane in helpless empty-handed rage. "You just go to hell!"
"He has," said a voice scarce stronger than a whisper. -ASOS, Arya VI

Random Thoughts

• With the identity of "The Hound" shifting from Sandor to Rorge and then Lem, it has created a Legacy Character
• The Hound wanted to sell Arya to Lysa but stopped due to weathebeasts/mountain clans. I am only half joking when I say maybe he would have changed his mind if he knew how much the Burned Men respected fire mutilation. If interested: The Vale Mountain Clans in TWoW
• While not "confirmed" the novice gravedigger on the Quiet Isle is likely Sandor. He is lame. That said the Elder Brother and Thoros are both noted "healers". We have also seen lame characters fight via horseback (ex: The Hedge Knight) although I am not sure this is necessary for his character arc.

Note: Sorry this post is pretty choppy. The new reddit posting interface is pretty terrible to deal with.
TLDR: It is no secret that GRRM has been building up Sandor Clegane (formerly the Hound) and fire from the beginning. With him surviving his fight with a flaming sword (not wildfire) there is some potential "purpose" left for his life (Arya wouldn't end it for him either).

Mother's Day is a special occasion dedicated to celebrating the incredible women who have shaped our lives with their love, care, and wisdom. Whether you’re writing a card, posting on social media, or simply sharing a moment with your mom, finding the perfect words can sometimes be challenging. Here’s a collection of heartfelt Mother's Day quotes to help you express your love and gratitude.
Classic Mother’s Day Quotes

1. “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity. It dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” – Agatha Christie
2. “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” – Rudyard Kipling
3. “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln
4. “A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take.” – Cardinal Mermillod
5. “Life began with waking up and loving my mother’s face.” – George Eliot

Inspirational Mother’s Day Quotes

1. “Motherhood: All love begins and ends there.” – Robert Browning
2. “The influence of a mother in the lives of her children is beyond calculation.” – James E. Faust
3. “A mother’s arms are more comforting than anyone else’s.” – Princess Diana
4. “To the world, you are a mother, but to your family, you are the world.” – Unknown
5. “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Unknown

Funny Mother’s Day Quotes

1. “Silence is golden. Unless you have kids, then silence is just suspicious.” – Unknown
2. “Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children.” – Sam Levenson
3. “If at first, you don’t succeed, try doing it the way mom told you to in the beginning.” – Unknown
4. “It’s not easy being a mother. If it were, fathers would do it.” – The Golden Girls
5. “Nothing is really lost until your mom can’t find it.” – Unknown

Quotes for New Moms

1. “Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” – Linda Wooten
2. “A baby fills a place in your heart that you never knew was empty.” – Unknown
3. “There are places in the heart you don’t even know exist until you love a child.” – Anne Lamott
4. “A newborn baby is the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” – Eda LeShan
5. “Motherhood is the greatest thing and the hardest thing.” – Ricki Lake

Quotes to Show Gratitude

1. “Thank you for being the guiding light in my life and for always being there when I need you. Happy Mother’s Day!”
2. “You are my greatest teacher, my best friend, and my biggest supporter. Thank you for everything, Mom.”
3. “Your love has shaped me into who I am today. I am eternally grateful for your endless support and encouragement.”
4. “Mom, your selflessness and unconditional love have been my guiding star. Thank you for everything you do.”
5. “I am so blessed to have you as my mother. Your love, kindness, and wisdom are a constant source of inspiration.”

Quotes from Celebrities

1. “My mother is a walking miracle.” – Leonardo DiCaprio
2. “My mother has always been my emotional barometer and my guidance. I was lucky enough to get to have one woman who truly helped me through everything.” – Emma Stone
3. “Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother.” – Oprah Winfrey
4. “When you look into your mother’s eyes, you know that is the purest love you can find on this earth.” – Mitch Albom
5. “There’s no way to be a perfect mother, and a million ways to be a good one.” – Jill Churchill

Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to let your mom know just how much she means to you. Whether you choose a classic, inspirational, funny, or heartfelt quote, the key is to express your genuine appreciation and love. Use these quotes to brighten her day, make her smile, and remind her of the special place she holds in your heart. Celebrate the wonderful woman she is with words that will resonate and leave a lasting impression. Happy Mother’s Day!

I will say this at the start, I do understand being unsure of mixing business with family. Also, there is no guarantee everything will work out perfect. That said... yeah this is a perfect case of women not caring about how much us men sacrifice for their well being.
My mother in law is medically fragile, has been so for years. Father in law dotes on her every need and buys nice furniture she wants, getting her hair done so she can pretend she isn't going gray, and vacations and other things all the time for her. They live above their means because of her. A few years back he talked about seeing HIS family for a change with the stimulus (they had basically no money in the bank at this point) and she threw a fit.
This man has been providing for his family for years and sacrificing his desires and his dreams and even his well being. Despite his working two jobs for decades they don't even own a home (and he makes a reasonable salary) due to the expense of her medical care while she has no job or even seems willing to try.
All of that is all well and good. You say in sickness and in health and all that. She does have some mobility issues and such, though sometimes I wonder if she just likes the attention.
The one thing she HAS been doing is selling bakery goods. She is really good too. I mean, professional grade, no lie. Her husband has bought her all the stuff to do it, invested in getting her cards, etc. She's been selling her confectionaries around town and making some slight return, but not much.
A more well to do brother in law of hers just offered to invest half a million and help her get her business to the next level. Even when I suggested just sell your recipes, work for him a couple years training whoever he hires, and then get out she was like "but I just don't want to do that…you don't know him...he's all about money money money”. I said, with that kind of money you could get a house, "I like our house". I said then buy the house you're renting like you and your husband have been talking about. "Oh I just want to have a little business, I don't want some big thing”.
Idk, if I was my father in law who will never be able to retire and who has supported her all these years and everything, I might just be telling her she's on her own with the medical care from now on or something. This guy has serious health issues and she just doesn't feel like shouldering some of the financial burden. We really are just a meal ticket to women aren't we?
I’ll also add that 4 years ago I approached them with the idea of living in a duplex I owned for free if they just kept an eye on things for me a bit. By now they would have saved enough down payment to easily purchase their own home, even in this economy. Some people just don't want to be helped.

So I just graduated from my university with my bachelor's degree (in a health profession) and will be attending the same school this fall for my masters degree. While preparing for grad school, I applied for a scholarship offered by my school and applied for a GA position, but unfortunately, I'll be starting grad school with neither. I'm obviously upset because I wasn't considered, but I also feel frustrated because of the circumstances surrounding these situations. I could use opinions on whether I'm acting irrationally because of hurt feelings or if I'm involved in a potentially unfair situation.
When I was applying for my school's masters program, I only applied to one of the merit-based scholarships that they offered. While I did do this for financial reasons (the scholarship I applied to offered the biggest financial reward), I also did this because I believed I didn't fully qualify for the other scholarships (for example, one scholarship stated it would show preference to a student that had experience and wanted to work with clients of a specific age with a specific diagnosis, and I lack experience with this demographic). So I knew that I had a small chance of receiving any scholarship money from my school, given my own decison to only apply for one. It turns out that applying didn't even matter though, as I found out that more than one person was rewarded with one of these scholarships, even though they stated themselves that they never even applied for them. How is it fair for someone to be granted a scholarship they didn't apply to? Each scholarship required letters of rec and a personal statement outlining why they'd be a good fit, personal experience, and proof of commitment towards our field. How could they get these scholarships without putting in the necessary requirements? And, of course, this made me wonder that if an application didn't matter, why wasn't I considered?
I'm also frustrated with what's been happening with the GA position. Faculty gave us a vague idea of when the applications for this position would open, but never ACTUALLY announced it to us at large. It took me checking our school's career page every week to see if applications had opened. When I asked a professor for a letter of rec for my application, they accidentally revealed that some of my other classmates had already asked for a letter, and thus, had already applied. So not only did our program fail to inform all of us of when the applications opened, but some of my own classmates knew about it and kept it to themselves. During the last week of class, I found out that I had qualified for an interview. I heavily prepared for my interview and honestly thought I did really well, but I wasn't chosen. I don't know how many other people also got an interview (it definitely wasn't everyone who applied), but I do know of some other people who got an interview, and I have a gut feeling that they might've been chosen. And tbh, if it was just them and me who made it to the interview process, I never stood a chance. I have nothing against them; they're incredibly kind and considerate people who have also worked hard to succeed in our program and extracurriculars. We all get along well even if we have our different friend groups. However, there's definitely an ounce of preferential treatment that sometimes goes their way that has been felt by myself and others. This is obviously all speculation, because I don't actually know if they're the ones who were chosen, but I was taken aback that upon hearing that I wasn't considered, some of my other classmates came to the same idea/conclusion that I did: that they must've been chosen for the positions. I can't help but wonder if they really are the ones who were chosen, and I can't stop wondering what it is that I'm lacking in comparison.
It's not like I was an irresponsible student either. I graduated with honors and a 3.86 gpa. I was part of our program's club and also served on the executive board for it. I never had a missed or late assignment and I only missed class once due to an illness that was excused. I performed well during clinicals, being given full marks by my supervisors, and more than once, my professors referenced my work ethic and diligence in succeeding in the work/expectations they gave me. Rationally, I know that they were also qualified, but given past experiences, I can't help but think that part of the reason I wasn't chosen for any of the scholarships or the position may be due to preferential treatment.
Someone please tell me if i'm reacting like a butthurt child or if my concerns are warranted. I'm more upset than anything after finding out I wasn't considered for either of these opportunities (and not knowing why), and I need to know if i'm being irrational.

(19M), university student, 🇸🇦 national and reside in Saudi, I am planning to go to Italy in July. I have sufficient funds to cover my entire trip but the problem is it is in a saving account, and I only transferred it gradually over the month of April to my main account (don't know why I did that) Q1/ can I make my father the sponsor of my trip, and have him write and sign a sponsor letter, even though he won't be paying a penny for my trip? Would they be able to know? And do I have to put my bank statement too?
Q2/ If it is not possible, is there a way to get out of this problem?
Further information: 1st time travelling on my own, never travelled outside MENA

Hello ! I just got my letter for an oral surgery appointment today . I haven’t called them yet but I was wondering if there are any additional charges involved ? I’m a student and my dentist referred me around February and finally I got a chance to book one but I’m not in a position to spend too much. Also, how was your experience getting a wisdom tooth extracted ? I’m a bit terrified tbh .

Millions profess to know God or believe that there is a supreme creator, and yet, the surprising truth is that not many people truly know who or what God is. It may sound shocking to make such a statement, but it happens to be true; Satan, the god of this planet has deceived humanity to have a false view of God.
People do not know who or what God is
What God is NOT
The popular belief in the professed Christian world is that God is a trinity – composed of God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit as being a trinity.
There are those who will quote several scriptures which seem to refer to the holy Spirit as being a third person because the Bible – using the personal pronoun, often refer to the Spirit as HE. For example, John 16:13 says, “… when the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak …” Looking at this has convinced millions to believe Christ is speaking of another Being or third person. But what the millions have failed to understand that the personal pronoun “HE” should actually be correctly translated as “IT” and not “HE”. The translators who wanted to believe God is a trinity, used the word “HE” instead of “IT.” It should read: “When “IT” the spirit of truth is come …” This word is in the neuter gender and is not referring to either male or female; and should not be translated as “He.” If you go to Romans 8:16, you will read the correct usage - for here it says, “The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit …”. The spirit of God is referred to as “ITSELF”. The holy spirit of God is a “IT” and not a He; it is not a third person.
A woman conceives a child through the father, and yet Jesus who was conceived by the holy Spirit, never called the holy Spirit his Father, Why?
Also consider this: The Bible says in Matthew 1:20 that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost. If the holy spirit was a person, then it means the holy spirit would then be the father of Jesus Christ. But nowhere in the Bible does Jesus makes any reference to the holy Spirit as being his father; You never see Jesus praying to the Holy Spirit but to God as his Father; This fact alone is proof positive that the holy spirit is not a third person.
In Zechariah 4:6, God says, “… not by might, nor by power (meaning human might or power -as God does not rely on human power), but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” God says his power comes from his own spirit - meaning the spirit is the power of God; it the power that emanates from God himself.
In John 7:38,39 Jesus spoke of the Spirit as rivers of living waters; a person is not a river of water; also Acts 2:17 speaks of God pouring out his Spirit; if the holy Spirit was a person, how can a person be poured out or quenched – even a 1 Thess. 5:19 says?
Jesus spoke of the Spirit as living waters; a person is not living waters, but rather the power that emanate from God
But what about 1 John 5:7,8 which says, “For there are three that bear record (in heaven, the Father, the Word and the HOLY GHOST; and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in the earth) the spirit, and the water and the blood …” If you take careful note, the words placed in the parenthesis or bracket - beginning with “in heaven and ending with witness in the earth” was actually added by editors to the Latin Vulgate translation possibly in the Early Fourth century as it was never in the older Greek manuscripts; men added these words because they wanted to pass on their own belief that God is a trinity, but thankfully God has so inspired his word so that we can know this is false and was added to God’s inspired truth. You can read this passage in the New American Standard Bible, The English Bible and others to see that they left out this false or spurious scripture.
God is not a trinity; this is a false belief that people have been led to believe and a little diligent study on your part will open your mind to this stunning truth. The Bible command the true servant of God to not only prove all things, but also says we are to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Who or What God is
If you go to Genesis 1;1 you read these words: “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. “The Hebrew word for God is Elohim and it signifies more than one person; it is in plural form but can be used in a singular sense to represent that which comprise more than one person; For example, the word can refer to a Church or family or group in the singular sense, but, at the same time, we know that a Church or family is made up of more than one person. Consider it this way: Suppose a person goes by the last name of brown as the family name; we know that the name Brown, in this case, is speaking of the Brown family – meaning one family named Brown, but having more than one person in the family. Similarly, Elohim is referring to God in the family sense; it is revealing that God is a family; Elohim means God is a family comprised NOT of three persons but only of two persons; it is comprised of the other person to whom God said; “… Let us make man in our image …” (Gen. 1:26).
When God said, “Let us,” God was not talking to himself but to the other God Being – who became Jesus Christ in the flesh; the one who created all things. If you go to John chapter 1:1 it speak of the beginning that was long before God created the heaven and the earth. Notice what it says: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Consider carefully that the Word was also God and that this Word or God was also with God. “With” God - signifies that you are talking about two divine personages or persons. In other words, this Word or person who existed with God was the very same one who became Jesus Christ in the flesh. In speaking of this eternal relationship, Jesus said, “… O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was” (John 17:5).
Notice Christ said before the world was; this is speaking of their eternal togetherness in eternity; you will also notice that no third person or holy spirit is mentioned as existing with God as a separate person or individual; it was only two personages mentioned. Do you see and believe that?
The truth is God is NOT a trinity, but God is a family of two supreme Beings who has eternally existed in harmony and peace together; there is one God existing as one family – meaning ONE God family, but are two separate individua person who make up the God family.

has anyone received a physical letter from UofT, but no online offer on OUAC or UofT's applicant portal ? my bf got a physical letter in the mail about a week ago, but there isn't an offer on OUAC. he also checked the joinID site and under application status, it said to go to the applicant portal, but he couldn't find his offer there either ? when he submitted his application (chemical engineering), his video interview was left incomplete, and anytime he opens the applicant portal it just says "incomplete" ? we're both very confused, just wondering if this has happened to anyone else and what he should do/expect ?

So me and the mother of my daughter has been divorced for two years, starting last week. We have shared custody of our six year old daughter and I'm not by any means a bad father, I treat my daughter as if me and her mother were still married, if that makes sense. So I take care of her, I buy her clothes when she needs it, take to her doctor appointments if her mother can't do it, matter of the fact is I still take care of her whether she's with me or her mother. Child support has never been a thing between us until now. She's trying to get child support out of me, claiming I do nothing for our daughter which I do, I have receipts, emails, letters, appointment cards, all of it just to cover my ass in case something like this happened. Now she wants to take me to court over it; tell me before I even attempt to talk to a lawyer, having proof that I indeed do take care of my daughter, is this a losing battle for me, or can I fight getting put on child support because honestly, I think she's jealous that make more money than her. She's struggling to make ends meet. I need advice, should I fight this or just accept that I'm gonna have to pay who know how much for child support?

so as some of you may know, i recentlu started my bhairava sadhana and gradually ive seen me put more efforts into it, in the sense that i begun with just offering food and chanting to lighting a diya as well to lighting an incense stick (lobaan) now. but what has happened is I'm not feeling any connection really with the deity idk if there's bhaav missing from my part because of which the deity doesn't push the sadhana or something else, i also have a soft corner for parshuram ji and in my mind's bias, sometimes think he's my ishta devta even though all i think about with my eyes closed/god that will save me when death comes to me is shiv ji. coming to the signals part! there are namely 2 signals I've received pretty much in the past week!

1. 3rd day into the sadhana, just out of curiosity i went online to a site and referred things about my kundali. (never did it before nor knew much about it), later i found out in the same site that it showed my ishta devta to be parshuram ji and favourable deity to worship to be bhairava (batuk bhairava precisely). if u are wondering what site it was, it was something like "vedic rishi" (looked very authentic). that caught me by surpirse but ever since then it's feeling like my sadhana is not going well. [ Reason it caught me by surpirse was because i had recently started worshipping both of them, starting from akshaya tritiya]
2. one of my friend's dad is a pandit and even knows a lot about astrology, so to confirm it and all and since the last 2 days, he's been forgetting to ask that to his dad. so just an hour earlier, he told me that his father said i have mangal ketu angrik dosh and that my ishta is probably hanuman ji / shivji. now the thing is, today morning i woke up really late because of all the facade that's been happening lately and i started reading shiva purana from the beginning today and later in the afternoon, did a path of hanuman chalisa 7 times. and 1-2 hours later, my friend informs me about this.

I'm really confused as to are these really signs or just coincidences but the one thing i know is it's all eating me up and putting me into a situation where i just keep rethinking every decision I've made ever since i started doing the sadhana since akshaya tritiya. all advices/opinions are highly respected. please drop them below!

My father passed in January. I do not have contact with my two sisters due to toxic and their money hungry obsession. The oldest was living with my parents due to financial and mom passed back in 2022. She has an extensive criminal history and honestly afraid of her.
A lady came to my house a couple weeks ago through Care.com. She said she had sold real estate but was looking into new endeavors. Her father is an attorney and they were able to find out the probate hearing is next month and who the attorney is. My parents made my sister’s co-executors. My mother and I did not have a good relationship but my father got trapped in the middle but he had been closes to me. This attorney graduated with my sister and I actually fired him as my work comp attorney for several reasons but mainly because of his made up story of how I needed to hire him as my disability attorney. I taught so we don’t need attorney’s. I got my letter two weeks after applying.
The lady who came to my home told me I needed to hire an attorney. My oldest dog who will be 4 on June 1 had been really sick and had bladder stone removal surgery and then her bladder ruptured and Jefferson did life saving surgery and said it was a miracle she survived. She is finally back to herself and I have been feeling so blessed.
A couple hours ago I was on Marketplace. I look through it when dealing with pain until it chills down. I click on a cart and see it was posted by my oldest sister so I clicked on her name and saw all these things of my dad’s that she had posted on there to sell. Seeing my dad’s clothes is breaking my heart. I can’t believe they were not donated. Seeing his shirts for $2 and groups of shorts for $5 just reminds me how heartless they are. I know they would be splinting the proceeds. Heck this same sister said she was traveling and going to Ireland with money she got after he passed.
I guess it’s time to contact an attorney and face because I need to stop running. Anyone know of any decent ones to contact?

It is a man, old and scraggy. He wears a jacket that lays over the red plaid button shirt and blue jeans. He wears an old baseball cap and a pair of glasses. He yelled something to Dad, holding his hands up like he was pleading, although we couldn’t hear it over the truck engine. They talked, but we couldn’t hear what they were saying.
“Hey, what are they saying”, I asked, while petting Matt’s hair, calming him. The old man then put his hands down and came close to Dad in a cautious way. They seem to start having some kind of conversation.
“I don’t really know, hopefully, something good”, Mom answered. They talked for a little while, with daylight beginning to disappear, giving us a sense of dread, and making me more worried about what weird creature was going to show up. Eventually, the old man turned and pointed toward what I think is the northeast. They then shook hands and walked back to their respective vehicles. “What’s going on”, Mom asked as Dad got into the truck.
“Well, our new friend here invited us to dinner at his farm”, Dad replied.
“Does he have supplies?”
“Well, he says has supplies for us to make the journey.”
“Should we even trust him? We just met h-”
“Relax, he’s just an old man, living alone at his farm, feeding his cows. What could go wrong”, Dad countered. The old man then entered the truck that was running and drove slowly, expecting us to follow him.
“Alrighty then, but we have to be cautious”, Mom said, with her suspicions of the old man. We then followed the old truck along the dark, frozen road. It just feels like something is going to show up along the road, but nothing happened. Matt did eventually stop crying, but he is still upset about the Joe escape thing.
“Where are we going”, Matt lamented, with the prior series of events in mind.
“I guess somebody is offering us dinner”, I answered.
“Why can’t we just go home?”
“It’s only going to be a stop, like a hotel. After that, we go to our new home, I guess”, I said, taking another look at Matt and cradling to comfort him. “It’s going to be okay.” I stared out into the darkness. I looked to the sky from the window and I faintly saw something in the clear, dark sky, lit up by the waning moon. They were brilliant, green auroras that defy the bright moon, dancing across the sky like ribbons in the wind. The truck eventually took a right-hand turn into another road, with us following suit. I can see a bright, orange light emerging from a patch of tree. When we passed by, it seemed it was a house, at a farm, burning in a massive flame.
“I guess those people aren’t so, uh, lucky”, Dad said, taking a quick look at it before looking at the road. Passing by, we went on and continued to follow the old man’s truck. We passed onto another intersection until he turned into a driveway to what I believe to be his farm. Going into the driveway, I can see an old house, along with a dilapidated farm further away, barely visible by the headlights. The old man parked by the house, where there were a few other trucks there. We parked alongside the truck and we got out into the cold, near-silent night.
“Welcome to sanctuary, where all are welcome”, the old man bellowed. This is the first time I’ve heard his voice. Matt was the last to get out of the truck, slowly and clumsily climbing out of the truck.
“What’s your name”, my Mom politely asked the old man.
“Oh, I guess your husband didn’t tell ya. My name is Steven, but you can call me Steve”, the old man said, with some crackling in his voice. “I am very proud to host a dinner for you and your family”, he continued. “What’s your name, ma’am?”
“Oh, my name is Janice”, Mom replied, quite pleased at his politeness.
“Hello, Janice, and what are their names”, Steven asked, pointing to me and Matt.
“That’s my daughter Kate and my son Matt”, Dad said to Mom.
“Oh, what wonderful names for a couple of beautiful children you have”, Steve grinned. “Come, it is dangerous out here.” We followed him to the house, which looked like it had seen better days. He entered through the double-set door, the first a solid door and a screen door behind. Entering the house, it smelled like what you’d expect, old man. Looking onto the floor is made of glossy wood and walls with cracks, likely caused by the earthquake. It is dark in there, lit by candlelight from many candles, yet it’s fairly warm here. I don’t know why we went into the house, but Dad was right, Steve is just a lonely, old man. Matter of fact, there seems to be nothing wrong here, other than the cracks in the walls. “Sorry, the power went out. Had to resort to the candles. I knew my wife would come in handy”, Steve explained as he took his coat off. “Oh, supper will be ready right away. Had to use the fireplace to cook. Also, can you take your boots off?” We took our boots and set them aside. We went into what seemed to be a living room, with dusty old-style furniture.
“So, where do we sit”, Mom asked.
“Oh, well, follow me”, Steve commanded, leading us to the dining room, with a long, wooden table and six wooden chairs, along with their corresponding old-fashioned plates, glasses and cutlery, lit up in the candlelight. We noticed that everything on the table was covered in a thin veil of dust. “My apologies, the recent shocks dropped a bit of dust on the table”, he explained as he noticed us looking at the plates and moved into another room nearby. “Take your seats if you like.” We all settled onto the chairs, and blew off our plates of the dust settled there.
“When will we eat”, Matt impatiently said.
“Once Steve comes out with the food”, Mom answered. Matt sat there with a tired look on his face. Dad seemed to be in a better mood than before and it looked like he wanted to start a conversation.
“Hey, should we talk about something”, Dad asked. I then see Steve with a bowl and a silver plate.
“Here we go, may not be much, but at least it’ll fulfil the soul”, Steve said, smiling when he served us mashed potatoes and meatloaf. “So, shall we pray?” That came unexpectedly, as we are not too religious, but we were in his house and gave us shelter and food.
“Sure, we can do that”, Mom said and we all bowed our heads and put our hands together. Steve cleared his throat
“Thank you, Lord, for this good food to feed the soul in these hard times. I shall pray, in the name of the Lord and Jesus Christ, that these hard times shall be over, so we can get on with our lives. Amen.” We raised our heads and grabbed whatever food there was onto our plates. “Oh, there’s no gravy, so we have to deal with bare potaters and meatloaf.”
“Oh, not to worry. Thank you for the food”, Dad thanked Steve. We began to eat the food once we got it sorted.
“So, what brings you here”, Steve asked.
“Well, there is an evacuation order in effect for this area, so we had to go to Regina”, Dad explained, with Steve taking in every word. “So, we came from Strasbourg, we tried going south towards Regina, but we hit an obstacle in the way and we had to take another route, leading us here.”
“And we encountered a few odd things along the way”, Mom added.
“Huh, interesting. What do you guys think is going on”, Steve inquired.
“By the things we saw, we have no idea. Dinosaurs, devil dogs, hell pigs, the whole deal. I shouldn’t forget the earthquake. They told us a pipeline leak caused by the earthquake”, Dad clarified to Steve.
“Hmm… is that so”, Steve wondered. “Wonder what I think is happening? The Rapture is happening. Do you know how the Bible tells us of the end times? Good people sent to be with God and his kingdom, the rest here to suffer the Hell unleashed by Satan.” By this point, he was beginning to rant, but we couldn't stop it as we all began to feel tired and powerless. “So, the Devil will send his demons in the form of these illusions so that they can torment the sinners. It is happening, it is-” Steve manically continued as I drew towards blackness and his voice becoming less coherent. My vision is now all black.
I saw those same lights, but more rapidly than before. I then emerged onto the same clear sky, but something felt different. I can smell something in the air. I can smell what seems to be chemicals in the air. Looking down, I was terrified. Dark, grey rock in the shape of ropes and folds, similar to those I saw of lava flows on a volcano in pictures. This went on as far as the eye could see. I can see no tree this time, just the cooled lava everywhere. I then walked, feeling every bump and crag. I thought I walked forever until I heard a rumbling sound and woke up.
I am in total darkness. It is cold and it smells like cow manure. I tried to move my hand, but it seemed to be bonded behind my back by a rope. I tried to move my feet, but they were also bound by rope to the legs I tried to speak, only to realise my mouth was agape by a cloth in my mouth. I heard shuffling nearby but I could not see. It was then shone in light when Steve entered the door, holding a candle, revealing all of us in the same situation. I then can see what we are in. We are in that same wooden dilapidated barn we saw earlier and seems to be more damaged than the house, wood creaking can be heard.
“These sedatives are more effective than I thought. Maybe I should use them more often”, Steve smoothly explained, like he’s some kind of agent and began pacing. “Wonder why you are here? Well, I wondered the same thing to myself, why didn’t God take me to his heaven? When I first heard of the government telling us of those evacuation plans, I thought it was that, a leaking pipe. I began to notice things I couldn’t believe myself, at least at first. Earthquakes, weird creatures showing up, people disappearing, the whole spiel. I connected the dots. The Rapture is happening, for sure, but why me? Why was I the one left here on this Earth”, Steve calmly ranted, pacing around the barn, but it seemed to sound crazier and angrier the more he paced. “I thought I had lost my way. I’ve been unfaithful to God and his son. But, I realised that God always has a plan and he left me on this Earth to serve a purpose. I wondered what my purpose was until I had a moment.” He then stopped in place and calmed down. He turned to look at Mom with accusing yet crazed eyes.
“I’m supposed to keep the sinners here in line, to earn a place in God’s kingdom, or suffer in Hell. I know you are a sweet woman, Janice, but your treachery with Satan is over and I am going to do what’s right.” Mom then looked at all of us, with assuring eyes like that of an innocent yet caring mother we all know knew. I began crying and trying to speak through the cloth, but I was helpless to watch by. “Forgive me, Father, for what I am going to do.” He then pulled a knife from his pocket and plunged it into Mom’s neck with no mercy. I looked away once he did that, trembling, with tears pouring out and my vision glazed and I fell limp. I could see my brother tearing up, but he did not look away. I can hear Dad behind me, with his screams of agony and anger covered by the cloth. It felt like I was in slow motion, taking in every moment.
I then heard the chair, screeching as Steve dragged the chair containing Mom’s lifeless body towards the door, leaving behind a trail of blood. I couldn’t bear to see my mother like this. I shut my eyes very hard and hoped it would go away. The door then shut, leaving us alone with a candle, fearing what would come next. I stared at the candle, seeing it dance in the flames like a woman dancing in the darkness. Is this how it’ll end, I thought. End up dying to this sick man? My Mom was killed in front of me. I sobbed with that thought, then I began to think about the inevitable death of me. I hope there’s something after I die. Maybe I’ll see Mom again.
It was silent for a while, nearly no sound other than our moans. Dad seems to be fidgeting at the back of his chair, rocking it slowly. Looking past him, I shuddered at the glistening pool of blood, where Mom was last alive, could be my fate. I then see Dad release his arms from the back of the chair and remove the cloth from his mouth. He silently stood up and bent down to untie his legs from the chair legs. He then went to me and removed my cloth.
“H-h-how did you do that”, I silently wept, fearing that Steve would show up at the door and kill us all.
“My binding is loose. The old man probably took a liking to me”, Dad whispered. “I should remove your binds.” He untied them, releasing me, doing the same for Matt. “Now, we need to be quiet.” We then walked, quietly, along the painfully creaking wood in the near dark, following the blood trail, glistening in the candlelight. We cringed and dreaded each sound we made and watched the door in case it began to creak open. A few silent steps later, we made it to the door and we slowly opened it so as not to make any noise. What was revealed to us is nothing new, other than the blood trail continuing in the snow directing towards the back of the barn. “Okay, Kate, Matt, you guys run to the truck.”
“What about you”, I sobbed.
“Don’t worry about me”, Dad responded, giving me his keys and forcing them into my hand. “If I’m not back in a few minutes, leave. Don’t look back, take care of your brother, okay? I love you, no matter what happens.” He then kissed me on the head and ran to follow the blood trail. We quickly walked towards the black truck, stranded there for maybe hours. Getting closer, freedom is getting closer. When we got to a fair distance to the truck, I heard footsteps behind me and, the next thing I knew, I was knocked over to the ground into the hard snow on my face. A hand turned me over to give me a glimpse of a crazed Steve, his eyes wilder than before.
“Oh, yes, trying to escape”, he bragged. I looked at him, frozen in fear, like a deer in headlights and he caressed my face with his bloodied blade. “You do have a pretty face, but I’m afraid you are just one of Satan's creations, made to pull me to lust.” He then raised his knife in the air when a familiar side emerged, out of the blue.
Joe came and bit him in the arm that was holding the knife. Steve screamed in agony the moment he realised what happened. He shook Joe off and stood up to stand his ground. I stood up as Joe hissed and walked around the crazed being he wounded, not in fear but in aggressiveness. “Is this one of your pets, demon”, Steve screamed as Joe came in for another attack, but Steve countered that with a slash to the snout. Joe then ran away, whining, into the darkness. This sequence of events gave me the chance to enter the truck on the driver’s side. I had some trouble starting it, besides this is my first time driving a truck.
Steve menacelily walked towards the when Dad came barreling and tackled him to the ground. Dad was on top when he went limp. I finally put the keys in the engine turned it on and backed out, with memory serving me the instructions on such a vehicle. Steve pushed Dad’s body and stood up, but by that time, we left the farm.
“Turn back, we have to get Dad”, Matt cried, but I was very emotional, accepting what happened. I felt that, without my parents, I feel… useless.
“Dad’s dead”, I screamed at Matt and he began gagging uncontrollably in tears. I began to feel sorry for him. “Sorry, I, I don’t know.”
“It’s okay”, Matt sniffled. “I guess Mom and Dad are dead anyways.” It was silence for a few more minutes, tears welling in our eyes.
“Hey, our parents are in a better place”, I said, trying to make the situation positive.
“But we are stuck here, without them? Don’t we deserve to go to a better place?”
“Don’t say that”, I huffed and I paused for a bit. “I know we are in the, uh, right place now. Let me tell you something, once we get to Regina, I will take care of you, no matter what life throws at us.”
“What about Joe”, Matt asked.
“He’ll be fine. He probably found his girlfriend already.”
“Hey, don’t you have a boyfriend?”
“I, uh, I don’t have one. That I know of”, I spoke, bringing me back to Sam, remembering that she’s the only friend that I ever knew, and I left her. Without her, I felt alone, no one would ever relate. I began to tear up. “I don’t have any friends. I am alone,” I sobbed.
“What do you mean? I’m your brother!” I looked at Matt, and smiled, happy that he acknowledged that we were in this together.
“Thank you”, I thanked him. I slowly stopped on the road, just to hug Matt hard, crying my eyes out. We then heard what sounded like an elephant in front of us. We looked up to see a walking snow-covered brown fur wall with four pillar-like legs in front of us. Its curved tusks gleaned in the light and the eyes reflected in the light. The furry trunk waved around like a searching snake from a tree. We both knew what it was.
“Hey, look at that, a woolly mammoth”, Matt said, excitement running through him. At this point, we weren’t surprised.
“Yep, that is a woolly mammoth”, I added. The mammoth turned to us on the road, seemingly confused about where it was. It looked at our truck and seemed to growl, like an elephant. We are starting to realise this thing is becoming aggressive.
“Uh, should we move”, Matt asked. I remembered hearing something about standing your ground in case of an encounter with an elephant. I hoped it would work for a bigger, furrier version of one.
“No, we have to stand our ground.”
“But, it’ll attack u-”
“Trust me!” I then honked my horn and it backed up. It then rushed, then stopped, a mock charge. Eventually, it moved out of the road, disappearing into the darkness. We sighed in relief.
“That was close”, Matt sighed. I then continued to drive in the night, headlights leading the way. The road is bumpy, as noticed by every ditch and peak we hit, but surprisingly, Matt was fast asleep. I began to get comfortable driving and used to the road by that point. It was silent for a while until we hit a smaller intersection. That is when the truck shut down, completely and stopped. I tried the gas many times but with no effect. There is no light, nothing. It is near-darkness here, shone only by the moonlight.
“Shit”, I yelled, desperate to turn the truck on without much success. Matt woke up, confused.
“What happened”, he yawned.
“The truck turned itself off. I can’t get it back on”, I fretted and at that moment, Matt was just as panicked as I am.
“Why?”
“I-I don’t know. One moment, we were driving, another it just-”, I quavered, when I heard something rustle in the distance. We stood still, hoping whatever it was didn’t find us. I looked around, hoping to see something in the moonlight. I then see a long, walking animal. It looked like some sort of alligator at first, except for a dinosaur-like head. Once I strained my eyes to the darkness, my fear levels rose as I could see it walk on its hind limbs, with its forelimbs dangling nearly touching the ground.
It was wandering around on the road when I heard a near-crocodilian growl at Matt’s side of the truck. Another of those creatures appeared, seemingly looking into the window like a hungry bear, giving us a chance to see its scaly head. Its exposed alligator teeth gleaned in the light like knives, but more terrifying was the eye. Its serpentine pupil shone brilliantly in the light like eyes in the dark. It then ducked down, gave a hiss, and moved towards the other one. A few more showed up and formed a group.
“What should we do”, Matt asked. “Should we stay?” I looked around, hoping for another way to escape them without them noticing. I further strained my eyes and mentally mapped out the area. There is a cemetery on my right-hand side, a grain bin storage yard on my left and a series of trailers on the other side of the highway, which is ahead of us, from the storage area. There, I see a series of white, storage buildings, something we can go to and wait it out inside.
“Okay, so slowly open the door”, I instructed Matt. The click of the doors opening cringed us. We looked at the group, but there was no response from them. We then, as slowly as we could, opened the door and stepped out. Still no response. Matt then quietly ran to the other side, towards me. “Okay, we are going into the storage yard and go to the other entrance”, I said, pointing to the other right-hand corner. I wanted to get as far away from these things as possible before making a safe crossing. “Then, we cross the highway on the other side, run into the buildings and stay there for the night. Are you ready?”
“I guess”, he whispered, looking at me in fearful doubt.
“We are going to do this”, I whispered back. We then silently ran over, having to rely on our night-adapted eyes, to the corner, walking past the bins. We made it and nothing behind us so far. “We’re good so far.” We then crossed the road and noticed nothing. We noticed a tanker truck, leaking some sort of fluid across the road. I easily recognized it as fuel, based on its distinctive, sickly smell. I wouldn’t be worried about it if it weren’t for a collapsed light pole that is somehow still flickering with electricity near the area where the fuel would be flowing. We quickly avoided the fluid when I froze to see the group of the walking alligators, running towards us. “Run!” Matt tried to run, but one of those things appeared and clamped its jaws at the back of his neck. He yelped in pain and it took him down to the ground. “Matt”, I yelled, helplessly watching as the creature tore into him.
Matt reached out his arm before the others came to him, then a flash of fire came. At this point, I knew what happened, but I couldn’t even think before it exploded. It blew me towards the building, far away. I was knocked out for a few seconds before I regained consciousness, groaning in pain on the ice. I noticed something especially painful just below my chest. I reached towards the area with my hand. I pressed on it, more painful than ever and raised my hand, only to see blood, brightened by the fire. I realised I was wounded, maybe by shrapnel made by the explosion.
I looked toward where the truck was and all I saw was a blaze. Those things weren’t there, at least. I also noticed something else, too, there’s no Matt. I tried to look around for something, some sort of sign of my brother within the fire, but I saw none. I then wept, realising I had failed. I have failed to keep him safe. I have failed to give him a better life. I failed him as a sister. I could’ve done better. The thoughts poured in as tears glazed my eyes. At that moment, I failed to look around me.
I noticed a dark thing beside the blaze. I thought it was Matt, preparing to greet him back, even though I knew he couldn’t survive the explosion. The image became clearer and clearer as I noticed it was one of the walking crocs that, glazed by the fire, was coming towards me.
“Just kill me”, I screamed, preparing to painfully die to meet my maker. The creature was about to attack me when something large, silent as the wind, came charging and clamped down its massive jaws, filled with conical teeth on the hapless creature and raised it. The crocodile struggled before going limp with a crunch within its strong jaws. The big, dark and scaly monster that it is towered over me and is as long as a bus, possibly longer. Its large legs are a contradiction to its small arms that hide beneath its scarred, bulky body.
It turned to look at me with an oddly bird-like expression, revealing in the firelight numerous scars from battles I could never know and looked at me with its beady bird-like eyes, breathing out wisps from its nostrils like a dragon in the cool air. I recognized it as a creature I know too well, a T. Rex. I breathed heavily and sickly, looking at the thing, nearly expecting me to drop the body and go after me. Instead, it simply walked away, carrying its bloody prize with it, and steadily retreated into the darkness.
I then lay down in agonizing exhaustion on my back, thinking of the next step of action like I'm on a suicide mission I would never come back from. I looked in the direction of the graveyard and had one thought. I guess I am dying. a graveyard will do. I struggled to stand up, noticing my blood-soaked clothes and felt a broken left leg. I grasped my wound, limping step by step and enduring the sharp pain while shaking in the cold. Every step I took, I remembered all the memories, good or bad, that I had with my parents. My brother. My friends. My family. I eventually reached the cemetery and slouched at a tree.
“Guess I’m joining you, guys”, I said, speaking to the snow-covered gravestones, only to hear something. A familiar sound of chirping emerged and, lit by the blaze, it was a sight I can hope for. “Joe, what are you doing here”, I depressingly cheered as Joe went to me and curled up in my lap as if he were a cat. I noticed the new-found scar he had on his little snout, but I paid no mind as I petted him. “I guess you came back. Thank you so much for what you did”, I thanked him, not expecting such a loyal creature would be with me, comforting me, to the end, like what my mother used to do when I was a newborn. I heard another noise, this time a deep rumble.
I thought it was another earthquake coming, but it got louder the closer it got to me, becoming more animalistic only felt small vibrations I barely felt. Joe stayed put, oddly enough, as T. Rex, different from the first one, came. It walked towards us until it stopped short of us. It began to produce a low-pitched, bird-like purring, attracting Joe. I realised something, that this T. Rex is Joe’s parent. He joined the rest like him, whom they showed up and all chirped around.
The grown Rex then brought its snout closer to me, not to kill me, but to look at me. It did not reveal its teeth and was still purring. I put my hand out and its nose came close to it. It rubbed it against my hand and started to pet its cold, scaly skin as it breathed through its nose and put it on my chest. I rested my head on it before it pulled away. It gave out a hiss, but I knew it wasn’t that of a threat, but more of a thank you for bringing its small, sometimes immature, child home.
That gave me relief, as it felt like I at least did something for once. They walked away, along with Joe, towards the darkness amongst the gravestones in the cemetery. I glimpsed one last desperate look at Joe before walking beside his parent. I looked up at the sky and I could see all the stars, twinkling, and the dancing green auroras. I began to feel limp and felt the cold embrace of death coming over me, tears pouring out of my eyes. The sky then grew brighter and brighter, the stars faded into the light and I could see my family welcoming me to a new home. It then slowly went black, darker than a cave.
You would think this is the end of me. It wasn’t, or else I wouldn’t be writing this right now. I eventually woke up in a hospital in Regina. I was told I was rescued by a team that transported me while I was in a coma. The doctors said I was very lucky to be alive, as the shrapnel narrowly avoided my vital organs. After that, I was adopted into a new family, but I was only with them for a couple of years before finding a new job and moving out.
As for Sam, I don’t know what happened to her. I would like to think she is safe, somewhere else. As for my family, I think of them all the time. I was in a depressive period right after that. Eventually, over the years, I accepted that they were gone and went to a better place. For Joe, I would like to think he is all grown up, like his parents, and becoming the king of the jungle. I hope we meet again.
As for the evacuated area, it wasn’t some pipeline rupture that caused an evaluation, but an anomaly, with the exact reason not known. There are excuses for the claims of weird stuff going on in there, from disease to chemicals, to eventually a previously unknown geological event, but I saw through it all.
You may ask how, it's because I've been there. Take it or leave it, this is the story I have. As the decade came by, cover-ups were made to hide it, even walls were put around it. Since the incident, the exclusion zone grew from a mere 80 kilometers in diameter to 460 kilometers in diameter, emptying entire cities of the likes of Regina and Saskatoon. I had to move to North Battleford, by the recommendation from the same government covering it up, making me think that time will tell before the floodgates of truth open.
The anomaly didn’t have a name initially, however, over the years, everyone agreed on one name in particular: The Saskatchewan Anomaly.

I’ve started to hate my culture, hate being Nigerian and wishing that I could not be from that country. It’s horrible, because even just recently I used to be very proud of being Yoruba and have a desire to learn more about the culture, language and history. Jesus though the people are horrible! Misogyny is rampant, homophobia is rampant, transphobia is rampant, they hate children and TORTURE them in the worst ways. I just got finished reading story after story of parents flogging CHILDREN to death. Addressing any problems within our community is seen as overreacting and with some zealots (which is a sizeable portion of the Nigerian population) is seen as calling curses on yourself. We’ve normalized the torture of animals, children and women and wonder why our country is dogshit run by emotionally disturbed men who haven’t healed from being beat by their fathers. You see I can only come here sha, on the nigerian sub I’ll get their same nonsense and voicing this bullshit to white people is just going to lead to their racist comments. I’m so sick and discouraged and need motivation I don’t see our people/country ever improving since even the youth talk about wanting to beat their children.