Take what I have to say with a pinch of salt, I'm new to fishing and I've recently started fishing with lures after moving to the Isle of Man so I wanted to share my perspective from a total beginner.
My only fishing experience is carp and course fishing with my dad 17+ years ago, so I'm self/YouTube teaching myself everything from scratch from gear to knots to finding spots.
Started with a Leeda telescopic spinning rod that I actually found in the shed when we bought our house, the cheapest Shimano reel I could find (size 4000 Catana and fx) some 20/30lb braid, 20lb fluorocarbon leader and some multipacks of different types of spinners and lures. Upgraded the rod as it literally fell to bits after half a dozen sessions. Now I'm using an Ugly Stik GX2 10" 20-80G and a cheap shakespeare predator telescopic to run traces with. Bought a kayak last year and have just got a 4" ugly stik kayak rod so when the weather gets better I'll be giving that a try as well.
I live in Foxdale and work South, so for now my adventures are keeping me Peel/Douglas and south but I'll venture north eventually.
I like to pack light and keep the gear in the back of the car at nearly all times for quick sessions whenever I can. Rod and reel, lures, knife, pliers bucket, Go.
Thought I'd share some of my learning experiences and thoughts from the last few months where I've caught a few dozen Pollock and Mackerel, and a few Wrasse.
Port Erin Breakwater
Callig and Mackerel Galore, my most common fishing spot with about a 70% success rate, close to work and I can usually get 45mins solid fishing on my lunch break. Good size mackerel from early May onwards, Callig/Pollock as well in all shapes and sizes. Fished now at nearly all states of tide and I'd say it fishes slightly better at low tide however don't be dissuaded from having a go anytime.
Seaward of the breakwater for me seems slightly less productive and far snaggier however it seems the more popular side for most folks. I've only caught a couple of times this side and it seems like the 45° out from the breakwater is significantly less snaggy than the rest of it, you just need to grab a spot right on the corner.
My preference is the internal side, go down the steps as far as the tide allows and cast towards the Bouys or as far alongside the breakwater as you can. Tried all sorts of retrieves I usually end up with a steady draw and a few twitches and the fish are closer in than you'd think, several occasions I've seen a Callig come up out of the kelp and rocks to strike the lure more or less at my feet
Looks to me to be an ideal spot for Wrasse and I commonly hear tell of Conger in the remnants of the Old Breakwater. These will have to wait for a time in the future when I've gotten myself a bit of weedless/float fishing tackle.
As you walk down the concrete to the steps over the chain on the right hand side there looks to be a deeper gully between the harbour wall and the remains of a second smaller jetty extending out in the same direction as the steps (you can just see this on Google maps as a darker shadow, see attached photo) looks to me to be a prime place to float fish but it's THICK with kelp and sea grasses in the bottom so I wouldn't recommend spinning lures in here, it'd get very expensive on tackle.
Port Erin Jetty
Only fished here once, first cast, bad snag, lost lure. I didn't have anymore leader or swivels with me so I gave up. Going off that brief experience it might not be the best for spinning lures, I'll try again with Weedless/Float fishing tackle in the near future, part of this pier gets covered by the tide so beware. A good cast with a heavier lure could probably get to the foot of the lifeboat station or towards the Raglan Pier.
Port St Mary Breakwater
Heard lots of hype about this one and it's only a hundred yards from work, tried half a dozen times and blanked every time. Inside the wall, off the end, over the back, high tide, low tide, mid tide, slow tide. Nothing. The only birds in the area are gulls and they never seem to work the water for food, very very rarely see any baitfish/sand eels or Seals in the harbour. To me the waters in PSM bay feel dead, others may disagree but I'm on the waterfront for work Monday to Friday and this has been my experience.
I've been for a chat with people I've seen casting from the breakwater and they always seem to be blanking and have tales of the golden days of PSM fishing that seem a distant memory from when the scallop factories dumped the shells over the side. Perhaps it's me, maybe it's not a lure spot, or I might have just been unlucky. Due to its convenient location I shall persevere and I'm sure I'll eventually pull one out.
I'll be going here soon to try freelining and dropshotting, a few people locally have recommended trying this here with the little green crabs or some rag worm so when I've a few hours I'll be down and I'll update.
Port St Mary Inner breakwater protects the bit of the harbour that goes dry at low tide, I've tried twice here casting out in an arc into the inner and main harbour and not even had a knock. Special mention for the inner harbour as a place to collect bait at low tide, lovely easy to dig sand riddled with ragworm piles. Fella from work has claimed to have seen half a dozen Mullet in this inner harbour (Mid May) and we've checked a few times since but he's the only one to have seen them.
Port St Mary Rocks
So I tried this place on a whim one afternoon, drove past the breakwater and the Anchor Memorial and there's a little car park, follow the path and steps down and the rocks are easily accessible at all states of tide.
I got here 2 hours before high tide climbed out on the rocks as far out as I could get and had a quick spin, 32g blue and silver spinner. Water was a lot shallower than I thought it would be so I was more or less dragging the lures across the rocks close in. Never the less within a half a dozen casts 2 beautiful Ballan Wrasse hit the lure. Had the cut the session short unfortunately because I was on the skive from work but I'm definitely going to revisit this spot, had a couple people say it's unusual to snag Wrasse on a lure so maybe it was a fluke.
There's some deep spots of water here between outcroppings of rock and I think certain spots have potential especially at low tide when you can walk a fair distance out. Lots of crab and lobster pot bouys around here in the deep spots so it's probably a rocky mess on the bottom, float fishing, jigs or rotten bottom rigs for the deeper stuff I'd say.
Fleshwick Bay
Beautiful spot down here, remote and silent. Peaceful. Unless you're a mountain goat this is a strictly hightide +/-2hrs spot, park up follow the path to the right up and down onto the flattish rock that sticks out. Mind how you go. The high point looks like it could be slippy and it's a super narrow game trail.
Lovely crystal clear water when it's calm and plenty of baitfish in the kelp, cast tight up against the rocks or out into the centre and you shouldn't struggle to pull out Callig, Mackerel or Coalies.
Looks an ideal spot to fish from a small boat/kayak and that's something I'll definitely be doing in the summer.
Peel Breakwater
The "famous" Peel Breakwater, recommended by everyone and their dog for beginner anglers... However... Seems like the golden days are long gone.
The local fish factories have been banned from tipping their offal off of peel head, for better or worse I couldn't say. The pristine waters and white sands of Fenella Beach are a byproduct of the tonnes of king and queen scallop shells dumped off the back and in the past have apparently been an amazing food source for droves of fish. Fish stocks lead to Seals, of which Peel hosts plenty. The lack of food dumps and plethora of seals seem to have affected the stocks and nowadays people seem to blank more often than they catch here.
I've tried a rake of times here now and never caught, one memorable trip out saw ~18 fellow anglers off the back wall and off the end, a drove of feathers and lures flying out for 3+ hours and I saw a grand total of 2 mackerel pulled out.
Maybe in the summer it'll come a little better here but only time will tell, might be a good spot for freelining I'll give it a shot when I've figured it out.
Peel Castle Rear Rocks
Tried here recently, had a few hours to sneak out but the tide and weather was against me and I blanked.
Lots of movement in the water, loads of oxygenation around the rocks. LOTS of deep water and gullys in and around these rocks, pick your spot and away you go. I've got much higher hopes for catching back here than I do from the nearby breakwater despite it being a much quieter spot.
Might be better suited for LRF gear but I'm going to persevere with the spinning rig I'll update when I land something here.
Niarbyl
Just the one session here so far, nice evening out wife and one of the dogs had a good wander around while I tried to sniff out a few marks. We were a few hours before high tide so I stumbled over the shoreline hoping to get out onto the rock 'tail' didn't have any waders on however so. I just got out as far as I could on the shore.
Didn't have anything from this spot and I couldn't seem to cast far enough to get past the thick weed close in, I could see a bunch of diving ducks working a bit further out so I still had hope. I retreated up the hill towards the cafe and down the 'path' next to the bench, not quite mountain goat territory but be careful if the ground isn't dry it's a long slide or fall onto very unforgiving pointy rock. Following this trail you can get down and much further out than the beach, plenty of likely looking marks if you wanted to follow the rocks around further.
Nice flat point to stand and cast and really sheltered from the elements for a rougher weather session down at the bottom. Very deep water right at your feet, if I'd had a second rod with me I'd have dropped a 2/3 hook flapper rig, I grabbed a handful of sand and pebbles off the beach and it had 20+ different types of sea snail/shelled invertebrate shells in it, any sort of limpet/snail/crab would be ideal bait here as it's naturally rich with them and they are easy to snag off the rocks anyway.
Alas I only had my spinning rod and a couple of lures with me and with the wife and puppy getting impatient I wouldn't have had time to wait anyway. 10 mins later I managed to land a nice sized Callig, nice fight on it with the deep water at my feet, they do love to dive.
Marks yet to try;
Port Erin Bradda Rocks
potentially mountain goat territory so it might be better attempted from the kayak but it's been mentioned by a few locals. Supposedly larger Callig than the breakwater on the opposite side and some Conger regularly pulled out.
The Sound
Heard good things about a couple of marks down there. Just waiting for a good day where I've nothing planned and I can get away for a good session.
Langness, Fort Island
Walked the dogs round here plenty of times and seems like it'd be good it high tide, lots of rocks and deep water. I'll need to learn to set up a rotten bottom rig for here looks like it's be expensive on lures. The very protected bay seems like an ideal place to launch the kayak for a session.
Scarlet Point
Came down for an explore at low tide a few weeks back, the exposed rocks were a dream for limpet and crab collecting for bait, when the tides in this shallow spot would be great for Wrasse and Conger to my inexperienced eyes. The "Stack" looks a good place for float and jig deep water fishing and I've heard good things about callid and Coalies here.
Battery Pier Douglas
Been for a walk down and had a chat to a couple anglers here, saw a couple bull huss come out and heard tales of mackerel and Callig
Port Soderick
Looks likely for some rock marks and a trip or 2 on the kayak
Kirk Micheal, Ballaugh beaches
Heard of Bass coming out on these beaches, my next challenge I hope. Going to do some research into lures and techniques and hopefully catch a bass this year. When I'm properly equipped I'm planning on walking a few miles up and down here and just fish my way up and down to scout out some spots.
Point of Ayre
Looks a good spot for Bass, Callig, Mackerel the usual. Probably hindered by the giant colony of seals that reside here but probably a great walk out casting as you go.
Ramsey
I've seen a fishing competition on the north beach but they seemed to use baitcasters and gear I don't yet have. High tide from the 2 lighthouses at the entrance to the inner harbour will probably give results. Mullet spotted in inner harbour. Kayak to the legs of the Queens Pier might be a worthwhile trip
Maughold
Lots of likely looking rocky marks around here, only walked round once so I need to properly explore.
Laxey
I've never really looked around Laxey beach with an eye to fishing, very pebbly beach with a huge tidal movements, enough depth to cast from the beach at high tide but it's a very popular beach for people and dogs swimming. There looks to be a path over the hill to the less accessible outer lighthouse and looks like some nice deep water with some structure over the outside wall.
Castletown
Few marks in and around the harbour that are mentioned in the other guide, the lighthouse extends out into what looks like some real nice deep water.
As I said, I'm new to all this and I've struggled to find advice/guidance outside of locals telling lies about fish they haven't caught and vague posts online. I'm hoping this could be helpful to any new starters and I'll be returning to update as I do a bit more.
Any help/advice/guidance for a new starter would be appreciated, thanks all and tight lines.

• Species: dog • Age: 15 ish • Sex/Neuter status: spayed female • Breed: small unknown mix • Body weight: 13lbs • History: diabetic, chronic stomach issues • Clinical signs: blood sugar stays high, lethargic, no appetite but randomly will be super hungry despite not wanting to eat the same thing, fever, trouble walking • Duration: past 2 weeks off and on • Your general location: middle TN • Links to test results, vet reports, X-rays etc.: no links but she’s been to the vet multiple times the past couple weeks. she gets better and then she gets worse and they find no cause. they get her blood sugar stable but then everything repeats all over again. they tested her for cushings and it came back negative. now they think she might have an infection but they tested prior and it came back negative too. they also did an ultrasound and didn’t find anything and tons of blood tests.
started a couple weeks ago when she wouldn’t eat again. eventually she started to be lethargic so that was the first emergency vet stay. they tested her for ketones, no issues there. tested her for infections, nothing found. her blood sugar was staying high despite getting insulin the same way she has been. they gave her medicine for the fever and she started to eat again. of course she came home and it started all over again. went back, no fever this time but they kept her. eventually started to eat again and feeling better. shocker…. same thing again, this time they weren’t going to keep her but we wanted them to make sure her blood sugar was in range to do a cushings test. that came back negative and they sent her home because she was eating at least baby food for them. brought her home and her sugar was doing good but she was still being picky. she would eat occasionally but not always and usually had to be new foods. now she’s doing really bad despite being active and hungry randomly. she’s lost and definitely in pain but we have no idea why or where. she was so active and healthy before this and we’re scared it’s to late to fix it since they never found out the actual cause. we don’t want to euthanize her if it could just be an infection! the reason they say she has one now is because her tail is swollen and has a knot on it. we also don’t want her to be suffering though especially if it’s cancer or something.
she’s been to our regular vet and also the local emergency vet that’s similar to blue pearl. they even have a diabetes “expert” and that’s who was doing her care but still nothing. they were considering putting in a feeding tube wednesday but that seems excessive especially now with how bad she looks.

Wanted to share this insight I had today with this community.
The first threshold I need to cross is ego, my sense of self that is constantly 'wrapped' around my awareness and actively managing my moods, fears, etc. I feel like this is the part of ourselves that has learned to navigate the world and keep us safe, and gives us the sense of who we are in the world, and as we grow up becomes more and more identified with "who we are".
However, this thing that performs such an important role for us in our inner life can also become a tyrant of a sort, enmeshing itself in our view of our true nature, and exerting a kind of control.
And since all my thoughts and feelings are mediated through this ego and (perhaps false) sense-of-self, it means that a lot of my interior life is actually forms of ego games. My faith, my prayer, my beliefs, etc are in some way being influenced by this other part of me that is perhaps false.
It reminds me of a dog. Those of us who love dogs, know that a dog that thinks he's in charge is actually an unhappy dog. Dogs need a clear structure in place with you as the head. If the dog thinks he's in charge, he'll demand things, be hyper-vigilant, and a host of other bad behaviours. But your job is to show him that YOU'RE in charge, and that he is a loved and valued member of your tribe/pack, and then he will be far happier and happily fall in line in a healthy way.
Our egos are like dogs. But I routinely give mine control over the 'pack' that is my true self.
Until I can separate myself from my ego, questions of faith, religion, sex, God, etc are potentially just another set of ego-games, opportunities for my over-active / sensitive / tyrannical ego to twist me into knots over perceived threats and pleasures.
But when the ego is in its proper place, and your true nature of self can perceive, then from THAT place we can have such deep and meaningful experiences of God.
I'm not sure where I land on the concept of The Fall, but if it's true, I believe part of the disordering of us as spiritual animals is the breaking down of this concept of ego, where the false-self so easily becomes tyrant.
For me, I realized that I need to keep my ego in check. Contemplative prayer, selfless acts of service, etc - are all ways of pruning the weeds and keeping the ego in its place. And of course with God all things are possible, including the healing and integration of this part of ourselves.
It's no wonder that so much of what we read about in the community of mystics throughout church history start with an abnegation of self; and then from there, an overshadowing from God that occupies the sense of self and fills it with the beatific vision.
Thanks for reading.

Rolling onto Marcus’ bare chest, the sight of our clothes scattered everywhere had my cheeks burning a bright scarlet. Swinging my feet over the edge of the bed, the door swinging open had me tugging on one of my oversized t-shirts over my head. Tarot floated into the space, his boots touching the floor. A pocket watch shaped envelope fluttered in his palm, my shaking fingers curling around it. The time council had a task set for me and there was no way out of it. Ripping it open, the image of a time worm had me chewing on my lips. The odd thought of Tarot delivering this to me had alarm bells going off, his pensive expression far from his usual one. Fishing around his pocket, his quaking hand pressed a photo of a demon witch with wild neon waves and matching neon green eyes. Noting her tall but flawless hourglass figure, a matching smile had me putting two and two together. Packing a bag with supplies, the image of her neon green flaming motorcycle flashing in my head. A pale hand reached for me, her inky lips mouthing the word help.
“One can assume that is your daughter.” I pointed out simply, his eyes averting to the floor. “Consider your daughter found, Tarot. If my friend needs me, then my assistance will come swiftly.” Fighting tears in his eyes, my brow cocked in disbelief. An abrupt embrace had my eyes rounding with surprise, my fingers peeling my pendant off my neck. As snarky as I was, the desire to save people is what kept me going. Stepping back while scratching the back of his neck, a flurry of tarot cards whisked him away. Rolling my eyes, his lack of information wasn’t unusual. Creating a line with my pendant as I tugged my socks and boots, the underbelly of time hummed to life. Crossing into the swirling colors, the simple ivory path met the heel of my boots. Shutting the opening behind me, Marcus could exchange harsh words with me later. Besides, the rules strictly banned his presence. Dropping my pendant over my neck, the scent of the worm had to be somewhere. Draping my bag over my shoulder, the time thread weighed a ton. Walking along the path, the plan went through my mind. First thing first, find the worm and kill it. Second, the culprit had to be hunted down and executed. Thirdly, his daughter needed to be brought back home. A quiet voice had me spinning on my heels with a twitching smirk, Saby bouncing up to me with a big smile on her face. Stifling my initial frustration, the hole she fell through had the shimmering worm I was looking for. Ordering her to stay, my dagger expanded from its charm form. Floating over my head, my dagger flipped over my fingers. Aiming for its heart, violet energy built around my palm. Flicking it in the direction of a vital organ, another blast of magic had the dagger sinking into the heart. Shriveling while screaming out in pain, a sea of holes greeted my irritated grimace. Drying into a sparkling powder, problem number one was solved. Catching my fallen dagger, the damage had to be repaired. Putting Saby on my back, a quick warning had her arms hugging my neck. Building energy around my boot, a big ball hummed to life. Pushing off the ground, her real smile never left her face the whole ride back to where she fell. Setting her on her bed, I had work to do. Summoning my slumber powder, a quick blow had violet dust glistening around her face. Collapsing back onto her pillow, cool air lashed at my cheeks the moment I jumped back into my original destination. Whistling sharply, a clear bubble caught my feet. Shifting through my bag, my fingers curled around the glowing needle and thread. Threading it with ease, these attacks were becoming more common. Moving the five foot needle with ease, a secure knot granted me permission to move on to the next one. Cutting off the end with my dagger, the bubble carried me to the next one. Working for several hours, the mistakes had been corrected and the holes were sealed shut with the finest of thread. Lowering me to the pathway, my empty footfalls echoed in the big space of time bubbles. Coming into the city, one person would be able to help me out. Marble homes lined the street, a scarlet Victorian home sang out boisterous swing music. This guy had given me issues before, a low growl rumbling in my throat. Marching up to the door, a swift kick had the door flying across the room. His guests scurried out, my dagger spinning in my palm. A golden haired man with golden hourglass eyes approached me, his arms folded across his shimmering emerald suit. His waves floated around his shoulders, my own fingers running through my snarled waves. Fixing my bangs, his hourglass irises flipped several times. What an asshole!
“You have looked better.” He teased cruelly, a haughty fit of laughter exploding from his lips. “I can feel your mental health decaying. Did you have to see your filthy past? I could erase it for y-” Pressing the sharp edge of my dagger into his neck, my patience was wearing thin. Hissing a few curse words, he had no right to bring up such a thing.
“I may not be able to kill you but I can hurt you real well.” I promised with a sarcastic smirk, punching him in the gut with a ball of built up energy. Doubling over, golden blood painted my boots. The Warden wasn’t my nickname for no reason, the council sending me to clean up their messes all the time. Kicking him in the stomach, the sickening crack of his spine snapping in half had him crumbling to the floor into a heap. Crouching down to his level, his rounded eyes met my tired expression.
“Where is the culprit and where is this woman?” I demanded hotly, pulling out the picture of the green haired woman. Noting his body quivering in fear, something was off about the situation. Shaking his head, his fingers clawed at the worn wooden floor. Mumbling something about the slave trade, the hilt of my dagger creaked in protest at my increasing grip. Dropping a healing potion by his hand, the bastard would be okay by tomorrow. Sprinting onto the pathway, the doorway to the lower realm of time creaked open. Sprinting down the ancient stone stairs, screams and groans had me cursing under my breath. Darting around the cages of trapped monsters, a cloaked figure a few inches shorter than me floated by. Sniffing the air, I began to chew my lip out of a nervous habit. Sensing Glanda’s energy, the pieces all came together. That wicked witch had sent a worm into the realm of time. The poor monsters crying out for help, my heart shattering into pieces. Too tired to fight her, her death was on the chopping block anyway. Sneaking through the shadows, a crumbled up version of the woman in the picture had my heart breaking. Most of her hair had been cut off, no life remaining in her eyes. Hitting the walls of keys, Marcus sure would create a fantastic distraction right about now. The colors drained from my cheeks, Glanda snapping her head in my direction. Sucking in a deep breath, her neon green eyes followed me throwing all the keys into her rusty cage. Getting down inches from her face, her numb gaze frightened me. Sliding my hand through the bar, my hand cupped her cheek. Please don't be so broken that I can't get you out of here.
“I need you to let yourself out and then help the other monsters out. I have a problem to deal with.” I begged with my genuine smile, her shaking hands grabbing mine. Glanda snapped her fingers, several masked demons gathering behind her. Dropping her hands, my dagger spun in my palms. Violet flames flickered to life around me, Glanda commanding them to kill me. My hair floated up, hers doing the same. When was she going to go head to head with me?
“Quit being a bitch and fight me yourself.” I challenged her with a wicked bout of laughter, my eager dagger ready to cut her into pieces. “Oh, I forgot. You aren’t heathen.” Charging at me, flames devoured my dagger. Dodging their attacks, a swift cut had three them screaming in crackling flames. Placing my feet out, two of them met the floor. A flick of my wrists sending the sharp edge of my dagger through their necks. Heads decayed to ash before they could hit my boot, horror rounding my eyes at the monster of a demon picking me up by my hair. Summoning my dagger, the hilt met my slick palm. Cutting my hair, my body smashed onto the marble floor. Too shocked to move, the beast of a demon tossed my hair to the side. A motor revving had me turning my head slowly, his daughter grinning sadistically. Neon flames covered the motorcycle, her shouting move had me rolling out of the way. The monsters ran back into their own dimensions, Glanda joining them. Popping to my feet, she wasn’t going to get away without a bruise. Switching the plant part of my powers, a thick vine shot from my palm, the thinner tip whipping her back towards me. A triumphant grin lingered on my defiant expression, a fit of cruel laughter bursting from my lips. Tossing her about, it was her turn to feel the other side of what she did. Pausing for a moment, our jaws dropped at the bike flying into his head. Tapping her neon green pendant three times, a flaming ball of fire shoved its way down the demon’s throat. A cloud of smoke obscured her landing, her arm scooping me up. Driving up the stairs, the wheels squealed in protest as a jet of flames cut off my connection to Glanda. Hugging her waist, she had to have a couple of inches on me. Smiling back at me, the freedom in her eyes was infectious. Light returned to her neon green eyes, the glow reminding me of fireflies on a cool summer night.
“Get us out of here!” She shouted over the rumbling of her engine, a confident smile illuminating her features. “Glanda will retaliate at any moment.” She wasn’t wrong, an army of demons were heading our way. Plucking my pendant off of my neck, curiosity twinkled in her eyes at me spinning it around clockwise. The pendant spun around faster, a blast of energy knocking us back into the day my mother was murdered. Panicking at the light dying down in my pendant, my powers had been drained. Dragging into the alleyway near my home, a snap of her fingers had the bike going invisible. My three year old self watched out the window in her bright overalls and striped t-shirt with her hands pressed against the window, the color draining from my cheeks for the millionth time today. A clammy sweat drenched my skin, every breath growing shorter. My piggish father dragged my mother out by her dark brown hair, her face facing in the opposite direction of us. My younger self banged on the window, my father slamming her fist into her head until her desperate pleas quieted down. Ruby pooled around her body, my father snapping his furious gaze in her direction. Ripping the door open, his daughter buried me in a hug. Listening to her screams had me trembling in her arms, her chin resting on my head. The wet sound of blood splattering the window had her emotions soaking the top of my head.
“No wonder you are so strong.” She whispered in a deflated tone, her finger lifting into the air. “How about I treat you to a wonderful meal several states away from her. Snapping her fingers, both of us had bell bottoms and white flowing shirts on. Lifting up my chin with her finger, a pair of scissors glistened in her hands. Spinning me around, the scissors moved a mile a minute. Pieces of my hair floated to my feet, her other hand holding my head straight. Seconds from snapping at her, she moved onto her own. Pouting in a rebellious manner, her snarky words had me liking her instantly.
“Don’t kill me but you cut your hair like a blind person. So I gave you an inverted bob with layers.” She teased sarcastically, a stifled laugh tumbling from my lips as she shaved the left side of the head. “Nice to see you laugh. So I heard you have a coven. May I join? Witchcraft has always interested me. I know the basics but I am a bit stuck.” Hesitation had me stepping back as I played with the hem of my shirt, her puppy dog eyes winning me over. Cutting my palm with my dagger, she slid the sharp edge of her scissors along her palm. Cupsing our hands together, an inky pocket watch tattoo poked out of the collar of her shirt. Fishing around my bag, tears welled up in my eyes at my mother’s silky handkerchief grazing the tips of my fingers. Standing on my toes, her kind smile never left her face at me tying the blue and orange handkerchief around her head.
“Take good care of it. That is the last thing I have of my mother.” I spoke with a mixture of sincerity and sternness, her head nodding once. “Keep being funny. Your sense of humor is refreshing. Now take me away.” Climbing onto her bike with her, my arms snaked around her waist. Revving the engine, adventure glowed in my eyes at the bike standing on one wheel. Several states passed by us, the hands on the neares clock moving a mere five minutes. Parking in front of a worn restaurant in Maine, the ocean waves crashed nearby. Turning a couple of knobs, the flames died down to reveal a normal black motorcycle. A vacancy sign blinked at a colorful motel across the way. Fishing round my bag, a wad of seventies dollar bills felt heavy in my palms. The witch who helped me grabbed my wrist the moment I hopped off, fright haunting her eyes. Cupping her hand, she had nothing to worry about.
“Get us a seat while I get a room. I can’t travel for a few hours at the least.” I comforted her, her mind fighting between being tough or vulnerable, a silver necklace catching my eyes. Reading the name Lightz, it didn’t take much for me to put it all together. Lightz was her name and a beautiful one at that. Spinning her towards me, my hands cupped her face. Abrupt tears told me that I shouldn’t leave her alone.
“Bring your bike over while I get us a room.” I caved, a lovely smile met mine. The right corner of her lips hanging over the left slightly, dirt crunching underneath her wheels as we crossed the road. Waiting outside, the bell announced my presence. A young blonde haired woman looked up from her magazine, her hand sliding over a ledger while smacking gum in her mouth. Fishing out the amount of money plus a bit extra to ensure our rest, a key hitting the tip of my finger. Wonderful personality, I thought sarcastically to myself. Taking a second look at her, her ice blue eyes met mine in a chilling stare.
“Watch your mouth in my motel or a punishment will be served.” She spoke coldly, running her hands through her perfect waves. Leaning onto the desk, a souvenir box caught my eyes behind her. Pretending that it didn’t affect me, a case had fallen right on my lap. Guiding her to the room, the key slid in with ease as she parked her bike outside. Locking it behind us, my pensive expression had her asking if I was okay. What made that woman tick? Thinking back to her nametag, Loretta flashed in my head. Lorretta had to be caught, an idea coming to mind. Maybe the locals knew about any disappearances, my brow cocking at a bottle of water hitting my face.
“Maybe you could be Sherlock Holmes after we eat. I am starving.” She joked with a biting tone, her hand resting on her hip. A long sigh drew from my lips. Huffing out a quick fine, that would give me the opportunity I desired. Locking the door behind us, her cold gaze met my defiant grin on my determined features. Bars would soon keep her in her new home, the orange sure to look lovely on her. Crossing the street, another bell announced our presence. Taking a seat at the worn wooden bar, the walls were lined with pictures of missing persons. Asking for a napkin, the similar brown hair and brown eyes spoke of a type. Borrowing a pen from the friendly but rather hairy bartender, eyes tracked me walking up to the missing people. Scribbling away, certain jewelry underneath their names would help me identify who was who. Plopping down at the bar, Lightz had ordered for me. The bell rang once more, Loretta finding her way in. A lovely summer ivory summer dress floated over her hourglass figure, the stool groaning as she took a seat next to me. Refusing to look her in the eyes, her next word sent a shiver up my spine.
“Mice like you get devoured by the cat.” She chuckled heartily as if it was a normal thing to say. “The mouse doesn’t find her way out on her own. Such lovely hair and eyes.” Playing with my hair, Lightz slapped her hand away. Rising from her stool, she towered over Loretta. Leaning down by her ear, my ears didn’t pick what she said. Loretta rose with a huff, the door slamming behind her. What the hell did she say? Crashing down next to me, a couple of hot burgers got placed in front of us. We didn’t order anything, something feeling fishy. Bringing it to my nose, a rancid smell had me whacking it out of her hands. Slamming my money on the counter, a sedative had been blended with the meat. The cook had to be an associate of hers, my hand snatching her wrists. Dragging her out, two black bags were dropped over our heads. Tossing us into the back of a van. Leaning onto the side of the van, a darkness swallowed us. Turning my head towards her, we would need her magic.
“Pretend to be knocked out when they open the door. She should bring us to the bodies.” I whispered loud enough for her to hear and her alone. “Punch your way out and find a neighbor. Call the cops and bring them to me. Am I understood?” Shaking her head, she didn’t want to leave my side. Whatever would come my way could be dealt with by one of my many healing potions. Driving through the hours, my powers began to return slowly. The brakes squealed in protest, another scream giving hope of me not being found out. Pale moonlight flickered through the holes of the bag over my head, chaos erupting next to me as Lightz smashed her way out. Ordering them to let her go, her gloved hands ripped me out of the van. A trail of neon energy had me sighing in relief, grunts pouring from her lips as she hooked me up to a meat hook via chains. The years of execution trained me for this moment, no pain starting yet. Ripping the bag off of my head, a tarot card floated by her head. Floating upside down behind her head, a temporary time pass hung around his neck. Knocking her out with a kick, a dull thud announced her landing. Lowering me down, his steady hands went to work chaining her up in my former position. Helping the other woman down, cuts covered her face. Tearing at the hem of my shirt, my steady hands tied the material around the deep cut on her arm. Wet eyes met my gentle smile, her lips parting to speak several times.
“Who are you? I want to send you a thank you note.” She inquired in a hoarse voice, red and blue lights bathing the area. Too concerned with messing with time, forget me powder appeared in my palm. Blowing the iridescent powder into her face, her body collapsed into a heap. Snatching Tarot, his protests fell on deaf ears as I dragged him out the back door. Freezing at the sight of Lightz on her motorcycle, silent tears stained his cheeks. Yanking us onto her bike, I was more than happy to be on the very back. Riding away from the scene, enough power had been restored for us to go home. Pulling off my pendant, my pleas for them to hold on had me. Spinning my pendant counter clockwise, the energy built in the air.
“I call upon the sands of time to whisk me back home and to set this timeline in place. “ I chanted tiredly, the pendant spun faster. A blast of energy shot us into the grand hall of his castle. Flying off the back of the bike, a fuming Marcus caught me. Seconds from berating me, the motorcycle engine died down to reveal Tarot and Lightz hugging each other with uncontrollable sobs. Saby skidded downstairs, only to stop in awe at the witch taking off my mother’s handkerchief. A bond formed between them, inky tattoos of phoenix's appeared around their necks, her father noticing as well. Approaching each other cautiously, Saby’s ears pinned back with her rich blush. Lightz bowed in front of her, her genuine smile enchanting Saby. That smile could enchant anyone if I was being honest.
“I am your mate, Lightz. Let me make you a meal to steal your heart.” She flirted shamelessly, placing her on her back while passing me my scarf. Marcus let it go the moment Tarot bowed in my direction. Pressing his palms together, his fraying nerves had been eased. Thank goodness. Today may have been hard but it sure was worth it.
“Many thanks for your bravery. If it weren’t for you, my daughter would still be trapped.” He choked out oddly, his nature not leading to him having such an air. Waving around my hand to calm his down further, exhaustion weighed heavily on my eyelids. Bobbing my head up and down, sweet slumber stole me away.

Hi fiends. My indoor-only cat got outside roughly 30 hours ago and there’s been no sign of her. We just moved into a new apartment a week ago today and I stupidly didn’t close our front door behind me all the way when I took our dogs out and she must’ve slipped out. We’ve got fresh water, a bed, articles of clothing and two mouse toys outside. We didn’t put the litter box outside based on the research I did and we didn’t leave food overnight as to not attract strays.
I’ve read the MARs lost cat behavior multiple times and based on my cat’s cautious temperament we’ve been doing physical searches around our apartment building and the ones next to us. We’ve looked at dawn and dusk, used a mag light to see the reflection of eyes and talked to almost all our ground floor neighbors. We’ve quietly sat outside to see if we see or hear anything and called for her periodically. I saw a stray cat walk right in front of me when I was sitting on our patio, not sure what that might indicate.
I’ve TNR several cats in the past so I’m going to try a humane trap with tuna later today. I’m going to make flyers as well. There’s a lot of landscaping in this complex so we’ve been incredibly diligent at looking under and around bushes and plants. I’ve (quietly) looked on people’s patios to see if she’s hiding there. We’ve looked in the nearby sewer drains, under cars, in trees, really any conceivable hiding spot we can think of. We’ve also tried shaking a bag of treats and softly calling her name.
There’s a lot of dogs in this complex along with squirrels, ducks, geese and birds. Is it possible that the wildlife has deterred her at all? I’ve gone as far as to listen to the squirrels to see if they chatter as it can be a sign of a cat nearby.
I’m just tied up in knots over this. Karmically, we found her in this same apartment complex 3 years ago. We moved into a different apartment shortly after we found her and we moved back for a short term lease as we’re closing on a house at the end of summer. I’ve thought about looking around our old apartment, but it’s well across the other side of the complex. Maybe?
Any more ideas on where to look would be super appreciated. I’m convinced she’s close. Thanks in advance!

As always, thank you to for the wonderful universe that is NoP! Thank you to for proof reading and helping me make this chapter as good as it can be, you're the man! Honestly LoM wouldn't have gone very far without him! If you haven't you should absolutely go read Foundations of Humanity! It's very good! :D
A big thanks to for helping with proofreading! He writes Out of Our Elements which is a very good one! If you like a good fic in the wilderness and a pair of cute 'friends' ;) you'll love OOE!
Also thank you to ! For this wonderful fanart of Taisa. And this one! She's so cute I'm gonna die
And thank you to ! For this adorable fanart of Chris and Renkel! Dear god help he's adorable I love him so much
Thank you , or AsciiSquid on Discord, for makin' Vengineer Taisa Gamin'. She's absolutely adorable, I love her lil' workers apron. She looks so excited to get to work!
Thank you ! For this astounding Pixel Art of Taisa after a few range day dates with Chris! Her little hat and gunbelt are absolutely astounding!
Thank you ! For this Artwork of Taisa and Chris as characters from One Piece! I've never seen or read it before but it's incredibly cute!
Thank you to for their wonderful work of several LoM fanfics!
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Memory Transcription Subject: Taikel, Venlil Farmer, Venlil-Human Exchange Host
Date [Standardized Human Time]: October 20th, 2136
Stars above a paw with good news would be appreciated.
The Warren was silent but for the click-clack of Renkel’s claws on my pad as I sat at the island, staring down at my now cold bowl of crispy brown vegetables. Rensa had fallen further over the last paw, sinking well past where she had been after her accident. I think hope, fear and Renkel were the only things keeping me from stumbling into the night beside her.
My attention tracked across the living room as I swiveled the stool around to focus on the window she was sat in front of, with all I could see being the thread of a shadow slowly bringing the glass to her mouth; the only sign to tell me she was still there at all. I’d thought about replacing the gin with something gentler this waking, it had worked for a glass, keeping her marginally more lucid before she’d decided to refill it herself. Then before too long she was back to the same torpid drift she’d lost herself in these last few paws.
The clink of my skewer against the side of the bowl in front of me split the solemn, cold air of the kitchen as I let out a sigh, turning to look at the beads tic-tacing against each other in front of the open window beside the hearth. My eyes hung on the open thread waiting, almost eagerly, to be filled, for the news of our loss so that sordid black bead could find its new home.
My heart sank at the thought of receiving that message.
Of being informed that they really were gone.
Of having to confront the reality of our loss.
Having to explain to Renkel that his sister was never coming home, that Chris would never share his stories with him again.
That two of his best friends in the world had been taken from him.
Rensa falling even further, spiraling well beyond anything I could ever truly help her recover from.
The image of their stars drifting on the basin brought pooling tears to the corners of my eyes, pulling at the threads binding my heart like Night’s whipping winds.
I could feel them threatening to fall as I wrenched my eyes from Kalthet hanging in the window, squeezing them shut to push the horror away, to do anything and everything I could for my family.
For Rensa, for Renkel.
For them.
Come on, gray coat, do it for the-
The familiar chime of my pad drifted from Renkel on the couch, perking my ears to the distinct tune as he mewled curiously, locked onto the pad just as I was.
Was that Tais-
“PAPA!” My son squealed, leaping from the couch to fill the Warren with the rapid pitter-patter of his paws on hardwood followed along with a rapid beat of chime after chime from the pad he all but threw at me.
My heart swayed for a moment, a growing sprout of hope blooming as I gently plucked the pad from his paws, my tail slipping around him, pulling him close as I stared down at the noisy pad. The wheels in my mind spun on slick ground as panic, elation and worry filled my thoughts, my breath hitched, trying to push me onward to read even the first message as they came rushing in like a fresh harvest. Before long they stopped, messages about them going up to a peak to watch, the food Darlene had made, how much she hoped she’d see us again, terror at the Arxur’s arrival, jubilation that the federation had been driven away.
And then they turned to a tide of growing worry as her messages asked where we were, what was going on and how the town was holding up. Questions asking if we were getting the messages flooded in next, creeping closer and closer together before one finally broke the chain with an >Embarassed.< tail sign emote. A heavy sigh of relief tumbled from my mouth as I pulled Renkel a little closer, reading the message aloud to the pup with high ears and a blooming warmth in my chest.
“Hey Papa, looks like relays have been down for… a while. I’m ok, Chris is… mostly ok. I don’t know when you will get this, but whenever you do, I want you to know we’re coming home soon. I love you.”
My attention swung back to the window and the shadow hanging on the curtains between us as Renkel’s paws flew into the air, the pitter-patter of his feet on the hardwood racing around the living room, scooping up his book and bolting upstairs with an elated squeal. My tail fell into an excited wag before I looked back to the pad, the biting worry for Rensa gnawing a little harder at my gut dulled by the fact that they were alive! My daughter and Chris were, seemingly, safe. As worried as I was about reports of the Arxur on Earth, I couldn’t help but be elated at the news. Which certainly didn’t stay my claws from typing out a field of questions of my own as they sprouted to mind.
Taikel:
Oh thank the stars you’re ok, Oil-Spot!
What happened with the ship crash, the U.N. said it started a giant fire???
Are you two safe?
What are the Arxur doing there?
Where are the Arxur?
Where are you?
Her chat-flower bloomed after a few agonizingly long moments, setting the coiled tension in my heart loose as joyful tears slipped free into my wool. I hadn’t thought that little purple flower opening and closing could simultaneously elicit so many emotions.
Taisa:
Papa! Stars above I was worried something had happened.
Venlil ship rammed a fed light cruiser, lit the forest and mountainsides on fire real bad. We spent the last two paws doing our best to help put that out. Its contained and almost gone now so we’re getting shifted.We’re safe, mostly. We’ve got a worrying shipment with a few aid crews for the next paw or two but we’ve been approved to return to Heartwood after that is done.
They helped push the feds back and now they’re helping >Disbelief.< with the rebuilding efforts. Neither of us are particularly pleased with that.
Not sure about all of them but at least three of them are going to be on Polani. >Anger. Worry.<
We’re at Chris’ families, getting Polani ready to go get started with our ‘aid teams’.
How’re Mama and Renkel?
My heart stuck in my throat as I looked up at the window again, peering at Rensa’s shadow as the sound of Renkel excitedly foraging in his room met my ears, searching for the best words to say. I settled on the truth.
Taikel:
Renkel is currently running about the house like he’s had a cup of Chris’ ‘coffee’ again squealing happy. Your Mama is… not doing great right now but hopefully this news helps!
Any idea when you two will be home?
Taisa:
As soon as we can, not sure of exactly how many paws but I promise I’ll keep you updated.
Please let Mama know we’ll be home as soon as we can be.
Taikel:
I will, stay safe for me, Oil-Spot.
Taisa:
We’ll do our best, Papa. Love you.
Taikel:
Love you too.
I set the pad down and found myself staring at the Kalthet again, focusing on the empty space, ecstatic that another black spot wouldn’t yet truly fill our lives.
But it has filled the lives of others. Those people in the shelters… How many have lost family they know they’ll never see again?
>Enough.< A small nod bobbed my chin as I turned, padding up stairs to find Renkel. We’d been cooped up in the Warren long enough; it was harvest-time for all of us to get out and start helping. Besides, stars and I know that if that boy was good at anything other than foraging for new facts it was being a beacon of light in the world.
[Advance Transcript by Time Unit: 1.5 Hours]
Renkel let out an excited giggle, bouncing on his feet as I poured another glass for Rensa, splashing a claw of gin before diluting it with water and fire-fruit oil. Hard stopping hadn’t worked last time and it wouldn’t this time either, not without her howling in pain for paws on end… I couldn’t put her through that for another minute, let alone a few paws. But if I eased her down then it’d be better, it’d be tolerable for her and I was sure that Taisa and Chris’ return would snap her out of her stupor and break the fire just as fast as it’d started.
Or at least I hoped as hard as I could that it would.
Renkel bounds to the door, still jumping in place as his tail lashes about behind him excitedly, barely containing his squeaks as I open the door and wave him on outside. The cool twilight air flows into my wool as the beautiful golden rays dance in my eyes, casting the sky in a beautiful tapestry of colors. I’d seen it a thousand times, every waking of my life and yet, right now, it felt like the first time in forever.
Renkel doesn’t slow, bolting to the truck and calling out an upbeat whistle to Rensa as I stoop at her side, gently extracting the now-empty glass from her paws and replacing it with the new one before nuzzling her crown with an excited, hopeful mewl. “Taisa’s alright darling, they’ll be home in a few paws! Renkel and I are going to the shelter to try and help… do you want to come?”
A noncommittal, foggy grunt of acknowledgment was all I received alongside a weak return of my affections. The knot of pain in my chest tightened down again at the sight of my love, steeping in the fog hanging in her mind. It hurt to see her like this again, especially with the knowledge that the fear and anguish, the very cause of her pain, wasn’t true. Aside from patience and doing my best to gently lift her from the pit she’d dug to hide herself there was little I could do to truly help her.
So patience and a steady paw was what I would provide.
I gave her crown a small lick before I rose, gently easing her back down into her seat with the strongest purr I could manage. “We’ll be back soon, love. Get some rest, things will get better from here, I promise.”
The crunch of gravel beneath bolting paws reached my ears as I turned toward the truck, the excited squeaks, chirps and whistles erupting from Renkel faltered as he slowed to a stop at my side. His voice was a whisper as I turned him to pad to the truck, concern in his voice mirrored in how tight he clutched his book to his chest. “I-Is Mama coming with us?”
“No, Rekan, Mama’s still tired so she’s gonna stay home this time.” I whispered back, my paw squeezing his shoulder as my tail wrapped around his wrist. “But she wants us to go have all the fun we can at the shelter!
“Ok!” The pup’s ears perk, his tail wagging enthusiastically with the answer, tiny claws prodding me onward to the truck before tossing his head over his shoulder to shout to Rensa. “Lets go! Love you Mama! I’ll tell you all about it when we get home!”
A placid >You too.< was all he received.
That didn’t steal the shine from his field though, the joyful sound of his whistling accompanying the rapid prodding of his claws as he pushed me onward to the truck. The passenger door gives its usual whining squeal as it swings open, reminding me once again to call Parnel…
Later. Right now we help.
Renkel’s voice danced with enthusiasm as I hefted him up off his feet and into the seat beside mine, strapping him in as he sang and whistled Taisa’s chime. Before long I found myself joining him as I stepped back, gently swinging the door shut before padding to the drivers side, the hopeful tune dancing in the air around me as I climbed in alongside my son, gently pulling him close for a moment and earning a surprised mewl in return.
“You all ready, Rekan?”
>Yes!<
The truck’s engine shudders to life as Renkel props his book up on his lap, happily reading aloud to me about a new ‘fishy’ the ‘Blue Whale’. The rumble thrums through the truck as I slip it into gear, the familiar sound accompanied by the crunch of gravel under tread before it fades into the whispering hum of slow tires on asphalt. I turned my eyes for a moment, harvesting another look at Rensa lounging beside the Warren’s door.
And that little bloom of hope grew just a bit larger at the thought of them home, of her whole again. Of us whole again. I could handle this, in a paw or two she’d be lucid enough again. Then she’d be happy again.
And stars above that’s all I ever wanted.
Memory Transcription Subject: Christopher A. Dewey, Human Merchant Ship Captain, Crystal Star Shipping Co-Owner
Date [Standardized Human Time]: October 20th, 2136
They’re late.
The heft of my loading suit felt like little more than a heavy coat as I stood at the top of Polani’s ramp, alone. Taisa was still up in the helm, likewise suited and strapped as we waited for the grays to arrive, along with their U.N. Handlers. Neither of us was particularly excited about any of this but we still had to do it. Still had to bend the knee every time the U.N. called us up.
We’d done everything they’d wanted us to do, hauled a few thousand souls off the Cradle, more’n that off Earth in the last few days, a quarter of which from places that just weren’t anymore…
And I still didn’t know if Anna was alright. They couldn’t, or wouldn’t, tell me a definitive answer about what happened to her or the museum’s bunker, and it was eating me. Ma’n Pa’d told me I should wait, do my best to keep a level head, keep myself on track and I’d tried. Tried to keep everything straight in my head, to focus on helping people where I could and… and I still couldn’t stop the knife in my gut twisting at losing my little sister.
Patience… Anna’s always been lucky, she’ll be alright. She will.
My eyes turned skyward, looking up at the drifting plume of smoke and ash that still hung in the northern sky. The ash, dust, debris and dreams of a few hundred million people stained the sky that awful gray-brown that stretched for hundreds of miles. Each crater that’d once been a city had looked like over-eager paint smudges from orbit. Looking down at them and biting my lip was about all I could do to keep from crying my eyes out at the idea of what was left of Anna drifting along with… everyone else.
“Still don’t see them, Love!” Taisa whistled through our suit’s comms channel, the upbeat, hopeful lilt dancing in her voice, pulling me from the darkening rapids in my mind. I could practically hear her wagging tail as I shifted to look both ways across the Tarmac, spotting a quartet of white vans and a few loaded cargo trucks.
Damn shame. Would’ve rather just gone home to help Ma an’ Pa rather’n taxi some fuckin’ ‘gators around.
“Hate to rain on our parade here, Darlin’, but I don’t think we’re gettin’ out of it that easy… Fuckin’ half hour late or not.”
Her voice deflated as I heard her sigh filter through the suit’s speakers, a note of fear replacing the hope that’d sung just a moment before. “Ah Speh… and we were so close.”
“Another half hour and I’d’ve called it.” I grumbled back, the heavy clunk of my suit’s boots against the ramp echoing through the cavernous hold as I walked down to the tarmac below. “Stay up in the helm, I’ll get the aid workers, and the fuckin’ ‘gators, settled fast as I can manage.”
“Ok, Love.” Was the only response I received, the fear in her voice building to the point that all I wanted to do was slam the hold shut and comfort her rather than play host to the U.N.’s next great idea for our lives.
Unfortunately that wasn’t an actual option.
The quartet of vans slowed to a stop a hundred yards away, followed by the cargo trucks shuddering to a stop on either side of them, sliding open to reveal the first two were entirely filled with Peacekeepers, Human and Zurulian aid workers and a handful of bags, equipment and medicine, the other pair were packed to the gills with Peacekeepers and Arxur. Suddenly everything felt awful familiar as the horde of scaled bastards slunk from their trucks, their attention bouncing all around the space-port before finally settling on Polani and me.
Some of them bickered back and forth in that grating, growling language as it gutting the air just outside my translator's range and set my nerves alight as they pointed up at the star on Polani’s flank. I could feel the tension in my shoulders growing as they approached, following a few yards behind the first Peacekeeper in the bunch and the pair of shaking Zurulians practically beneath her feet. At least they were a few familiar faces amongst the gray tide rising toward me.
“Captain Dewey! Good to see you again! Was worried about you.” Colonel Connolly called to me, Kelfen and Metek’s scared eyes snapping to me, the pair seeming to relax at least a little.
“Colonel, it's good to see you’re alright as well, I hope things have been better for you than us. Kelfen, Metek, good to see you as well.” I replied with a wary voice, my eyes not leaving the horde lingering behind them.
“That’s a word for it.” Metek grumbled, his ears darting about as he shot worried glances behind him, nervously fiddling with his backpack’s straps. “C-Can we still use the room we were using before? We need to set up which teams a-are going where.”
“Certainly, I presume you know the way?”
>Yes.<
“Hop to it then.” I stated, inviting them past me as Kelfen shouted over her shoulder, calling the other aid workers and a handful of peacekeepers to follow them before they padded upstairs, followed closely by a myriad of Humans, Zurulians, Yotul, Venlil and, surprisingly, a few annoyed looking Arxur.
“Now, onto the cargo.” Connolly stated, stepping up beside me to look out at the gathered trucks. “ORF-SP’s got a few cargo-shovers on the way over we’re good to use for the transfers today. Them and the load should be sub-size for your hold so we’ll still have space for our new friends to stay downstairs with a few of my Peacekeepers. We’ll have you loaded up and on our way in a few minutes at the most.”
“Good.” I stated, not taking my eyes off of the grays as I heard the throaty hum of cargo-shovers rolling around Polani’s bow to take up station behind the cargo trucks, slipping their loads free of the trailers with ease. “Faster this is done the faster I can get Tai somewhere that neither of us are on the edge of a breakdown.”
“Agreed.” She stated, leaning to whisper in, what she assumed, was the suit’s ear. “I’m not exactly a fan of the lizards either, Cap’ but… if they’re willing to help haul people out of the rubble, and behave, then I’m willing to take the help.”
I nodded, letting out a long sigh as I stepped aside to let the first cargo-shover crawl up the ramp with its load, cresting into the hold before settling down with a sharp hiss from its pneumatics. “Neither are we. If any of them fuck’s with me or Taisa…”
“They’ll have to go through me and my Peacekeepers, Cap’; trust me I won’t let that happen if I can help it. Besides, once you’ve dropped us off you’re off the hook for any more Arxur loads, just aid moving for a few days. Old Moose says he’s trying to limit his crews to one Arxur flight each. About how long will it take to get to NYC?”
“‘Bout an hour or so.” I replied, a small smile crossing my face at the mention of the Mercy’s giant of a Captain. It wasn’t often I met someone bigger than me but God and Stars above if that man didn’t make me feel small. “Well I’ll have to thank him for that, next I see him. Still owe him and Charlie a drink; need to sort that out.”
“I’m sure the both of them would be happy with whatever you bring along at this point. Anyhow, you’ve got a ship to fly and I’ve got a bunch of idiots and lizards to wrangle.” She replied, waving the Peacekeepers and Arxur aboard with a shout as the last of the cargo-shovers crawled to a stop and settled down to the decking. “ALRIGHT, NO ONE TOUCHES ANYTHING YOU AREN’T ASKED, OR TOLD, TO! HANSEN, AKSEL, ANTOINE, GET YOUR SECTIONS TOGETHER AND REA-”
I shook my head with a small laugh at the familiar display, turning to walk upstairs to Taisa and the Helm. The sooner this was done and all the ‘gators were off our ship the sooner either of us would feel safe again. The hall to the helm was nearly empty as I crested the stairs, finding only a handful of figures standing around Kelfen and Metek as the pair organized the rescue and aid parties around a few other qualified medics. From how they were talking I figured the pair would be doing much the same on the ground, a small swell of pride filled my chest as Metek looked up, meeting the woman at his side’s eyes as she asked a question, hardly stuttering as he answered.
Though my mood was quickly soured as I noticed a mass of gray scales and scars that’d ‘strayed’ away from the group towards the helm. Even in my suit it was still taller than me by a full head while hunched over staring down at the angular pad in its grip.
And I didn’t much care.
“Back to your group.” I grumbled, the thumping clang of my suit boots on the decking punctuating my words as I passed. “Wouldn’t want you missin’ anyone down there.”
A low, rolling growl tumbled from its throat as it turned its head, looking down to meet my eyes before the sound shifted into a throaty chuckle that sounded far more like an actual ‘gator than I cared for. “I assure you, Captain, I’ve reviewed the documents as thoroughly as should be expected.”
“I hope so, Arxur.” I replied, turning back to the helm and forcing myself forward.
“You know, Human, I was surprised to learn that the very ship that would deliver me to aid this world was the very one I’d tried to drop a building on.” The Arxur purred, stopping me in my tracks as their voice rolled through the air like a saw through a cedar. “Odd that my second went missing shortly after she’d decided to board it.”
“Hmph.” I grunted in return, shifting to look over my shoulder and past them to the light pink stain on the bulkhead. “That’s what’s left of her, if’n you wanna pay your respects.”
The Arxur followed my eyeline, studying the stain and the small indent the shell had left behind before letting out a grating chuff of laughter. “She was overconfident and underskilled as a hunter. I’ve no respects to pay to weaklings such as her. You have done me a favor in ridding me of her.”
“Well I’d rather not have to do any more favors for you. Keep yourself, and your men, out of trouble and away from my helm.”
The Arxur narrowed its eyes, staring at me for a long moment before nodding, a horridly jagged smile splitting its lips. “It is good to finally meet a Human with a spine. I will keep my hunters out of their way and away from your pre- friends.”
“Good.” I stated, turning on my heel to trudge into the helm, the auto-door hissing and clacking shut behind me as I stepped out of sight and inside to join Taisa. She was all but curled up in her seat; clad in her suit she looked more like an over-sized armadillo than a Venlil. Her Tail fell stiff as I stepped in, her eyes whipping around to stare at me before her ears perked, a sigh of relief flooding the comms as she relaxed back into the seat.
“Thank Polani! You’re ok. Are we ready to fly, Love?”
“Yea, we’re ready. Let’s get this shit over with.” I grumbled before powering down the suit and sliding myself free of its confines. My pilot’s seat welcomed me as I slid behind the helm, running through Polani’s starting sequence before turning to meet her eyes again. “I’m feelin’ like we need a fuckin’ dog, Darlin’.”
>Agreed.<
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I love my dog; he's an incredibly excitable border collie cross I brought home from an animal rescue centre about 2 years ago and we've been pretty inseparable since. Living alone, it was nice to have the company and it felt like I was doing my bit by rehoming an animal in need, we saved each other really, as it was hard not to feel isolated at times until he came into my life.
Monty and I lived on the outskirts of a rural town, so we didn't have regular visitors, and to be honest, I wasn't really a "social butterfly" so tended to keep to myself, with the exception of travelling to the local supermarket with Monty in tow to grab some household supplies.
I had family of course, but as you get older, you tend to lose touch with people and I was so used to my own company, until Monty came along, that I stopped reaching out and eventually, they stopped too. It's not like we fell out, I just wasn't the best at socialising, and we slowly drifted apart.
Like I said, me and Monty really did save each other as with him by my side, I felt like I had everything I needed to get by in life.
He did have one, slightly annoying quirk though, he absolutely loved to dig holes. They say that's the risk of getting a rescue though, as you don't know their background, you also don't know if they learned any unusual behaviours and whilst it wasn't too weird for a dog to dig holes, Monty was always digging at something in our garden whenever he was let out.
Two years in I'd gotten used to the routine though, let him out in the morning to do his business, fill the hole with a shovel I kept near the back door, get on with the rest of my day. He would usually manage to dig multiple times a day, so it had become a regular occurrence, and at least it helped him burn off some energy.
It wasn't until last week when things started to get a little weird...
Monday started off pretty normal, got up, let Monty out, filled the hole, logged on to my computer and did some work, let Monty out, filled another hole. I ate lunch, went back to work, finished at around six o'clock, had some food, let Monty out, filled a hole, scrolled mindlessly through social media before letting Monty out for his last toilet visit before bed. Filled another hole back up then settled down for sleep.
Tuesday was different, as when I got up to let Monty out, I noticed what looked like another hole at the back of the garden. I could have sworn I filled all the holes Monty had excavated yesterday but maybe I missed one...I shrugged it off and went to grab the shovel, my bleary eyes beginning to adjust to the early morning sun, and walked over to begin the daily ritual of filling in the hole. It was only when I got closer, I noticed how deep the hole actually was. I rubbed my eyes, encouraging them to focus as I glanced down at what appeared to be a hole around two feet wide, but looked to be at least six feet deep. I stared at Monty in disbelief, who stared back up with his usual mischievous face, tongue lolling out to the side of his mouth and tail wagging enthusiastically. If I didn't know better, I'd say he almost looked proud of his most recent creation.
I grabbed my phone and messaged my boss, letting her know I'd be logging on slightly later but would make up the time, grabbed my shovel, and went to work filling in Monty's most ambitious creation yet...
Work was slow, but I made up for the extra hour I lost to filling the hole back in. Monty had been particularly excitable throughout the day, so I let him out in the afternoon to burn off the energy and give me the chance to concentrate on my work. In hindsight, not my smartest move, as the menace started digging again and had a whole afternoon to work on his next masterpiece...
Four foot wide, eight foot deep. Honestly at this point, I was kind of impressed at his dedication, as it was very rare he dug up the same spot. Again, he watched, tail wagging, tongue flopped from his muddy mouth as I spent most of my evening shovelling the mud back into the small crater he made.
It was around nine o'clock when the exhaustion hit me, my stomach growled, and I realised I had been shovelling for so long I had completely missed a meal and missed feeding Monty. Oddly though, he didn't seem to be making a fuss about the lack of a meal, instead he was entranced by the progress I had made. There looked to be a few feet left to fill, but I was mentally done, and retreated inside to have a quick snack and feed Monty before collapsing into bed.
I awoke with a start at ten o'clock Wednesday morning. Although I had overslept, I still felt tired and sore from my unexpected workout the prior evening. Reaching for my phone I saw several missed calls from my Boss and messages asking why I hadn't logged on yet. I was too embarrassed to admit I overslept due to filling a hole my dog had made, and instead messaged back apologising repeatedly, whilst informing her I had come down with a nasty stomach bug and wouldn't be logging on. Satisfied with the deception, she wished me a speedy recovery and I put my phone back down, sighing with relief that I had evaded getting myself into any further trouble.
It was only after this I noticed Monty wasn't waiting by his bed or giving me a stern telling off for missing his breakfast…
Sixteen foot wide, twenty foot deep. I hadn't realised in my exhaustion from the previous night I had forgot to close the garden door, and Monty had obviously taken offence to me filling in his most recent work of art. I called out his name but received no response, a knot of unease started to form in my stomach as my mind began to run through the many fates that could have fell upon him. I went back inside and turned the house upside down, checking every possible nook and cranny he may have decided to hide in but to no avail. I went looking around the garden, checking the fenced border to see if there were any signs he had managed to dig himself an escape route into the forested area nearby, but there was no evidence of any attempt to escape.
The only conclusion I could make was he was in the hole. I had guessed about twenty foot deep, but I didn't actually climb in to verify as I had no real means to get myself back out if it turned out my assumption was wrong. I tried calling out his name, desperately attempting to keep my voice as neutral as possible to hide the anxiety bubbling under the surface, but there was nothing in return, no bark, no whimper, just silence as I stared down into the darkness below...
I did next what I thought was most logical at the time, I called for help. I dialled 911 and explained my unusual situation to the operator who was trying and failing to hide their amusement at such a strange request. They did however forward me to the local fire department who suggested I contact a construction firm nearby who could determine if the hole was safe to go down, save Monty, and then fill it back up.
I called the construction firm and explained everything, much to the bemusement of the person who took the call. They did say they could send a surveyor around in the afternoon to take a look and provide me with a quote. It was at this stage I realised that this wasn't going to be done out of generosity and regretfully asked how much such a service could cost, "Depending on how deep the hole is, and how long it takes to fill, it could cost a couple of thousand, but we will be able to give you a more accurate quote once the surveyor has inspected the area" My heart sank, I fortunately did have a bit of money set aside however, it was clear this would wipe out my savings and take a credit card with it, but I was determined to save my furry companion.
I agreed to the appointment and after the call messaged my boss to request some additional time off covering the rest of the week due to "family matters I needed to urgently resolve". I got the green light and did another round of searching the house for Monty before the surveyor was due to arrive.
The surveyors' van pulled up just after midday and a portly, middle-aged man dressed in a tight-fitting suit, with an even tighter hi-vis, emerged from the vehicle with a surprisingly sprightly step and a smile on his face "Good afternoon, my name’s Rick from MC Construction. I believe I've got you booked in to survey a sinkhole today?" I nodded, taken aback by his warmth, and stumbled over my words "And a dog. My dog. To see if you can rescue my dog. Monty" Rick nodded and quickly returned to his van, opening the door to grab a clipboard and pen. He riffled through some pages attached, and looked back up "Ah, ok yep, I see on the notes you believe your dog may have dug up the sinkhole?" I could see his expression change to one of curiosity, likely trying to figure out if I had a screw loose, but it quickly faded back to his warm demeanour when I nodded and told him the hole was out back.
He followed me into the house as we made our way to the garden, glancing with raised eyebrows at the chaos of strewn cushions and displaced shelving throughout the home. I realised at this point I had made no effort to tidy back up after my original search attempt for Monty and apologised for the mess, explaining I had been looking for my dog around the home before he arrived. He nodded understandingly, and we entered the garden making our way towards the hole.
Rick approached carefully, ironically something I had absent mindedly not even considered until this point, and peered down into the dark below, "And you said this is around twenty feet deep?" he appeared concerned as he looked over the edge into the darkness below "Feels like it may be a bit deeper than that but I have some tools in my van to do some testing" He turned on a pivot and headed back to his van whilst I stood staring down in the void below, my eyes unable to adjust to the darkness and a growing sense of discomfort beginning to swell within.
I was suddenly brought back to the present by Rick placing some stakes and tools on the ground nearby, making a clattering of metal clanging together "I'll need to do some measurements and confirm the sinkhole doesn't present any further risk to your property before we can commence any work, but it should only take me an hour or so, it may be worth you grabbing a coffee and some lunch" He smiled cheerfully as he started to organise his pile of tools, setting aside his clipboard, which I saw had an itemised list of tasks he needed to do. I offered Rick a drink and was met with a cheery decline, so left him to get on with things, whilst I went to tidy up the chaos I had left earlier.
A couple of hours passed, and after tidying up and getting some much-needed fuel in the form of coffee and a bagel, I went out to see how Rick was getting along. He was nowhere to be seen. His tools were still there, and some stakes had been stuck in the ground connected by hazard tape, so I went to check out front to see if he had simply gone back to his van to get something, but when I got there his van was still locked up on the drive.
It was like he had up and vanished, I called out his name and walked back to the garden but heard no response, a singular thought then jolted into my mind, what if he has fallen in? I ran back over to the hole and looked down, careful with my footing to not accidentally end up in there myself, and shouted down into the dark abyss, "RIIIIICCCKKKK?" nothing. No response, not even an echo, just resounding silence.
I frantically dialled the construction company and managed to stumble out the right words to convince them of the gravity of the situation. They calmed me down, and explained they would send two of their crew out with the necessary tools to investigate further and they would also ring Rick's personal and work number to see if they could reach him.
With the panic starting to subside, I went back inside and collapsed on the sofa, my mind racing with multiple possible explanations as to Rick’s fate, but my body drained from a cocktail of adrenaline and exhaustion from the day before.
Sixteen-foot wide, unknown feet deep. I was startled awake by a high-pitched squeal from outside. Adrenaline surged into my body, and I was flooded with a range of emotions, anxiety, fear…and hope. I ran out and looked towards the hole, my eyes adjusting against the pitch black and saw the source. A rabbit gently hopping through the tall grass near the perimeter of the hole. I remained silent and still, observing as the rabbit seemed to be drawn to the opening of the sinkhole. It slowly approached as if in a trance, but before I could make a sound to try and scare it away, it flopped to the side, and fell into the hole.
The next sounds I heard were another shrill high-pitched squeal, which sent a shiver down my spine, followed by a nauseating crunch. My heart wanted to leap out of my chest and every fibre of my being was telling something was wrong, but I felt compelled to see what had happened. As I stood, I felt the ground rumble beneath me, subtle at first, like small vibrations, but as I walked closer to the hole it felt stronger, more violent. Fear was rising through my body in anticipation of what could be awaiting me at the opening, but I also was clinging on to the hope the vibrations were Rick with Monty clambering up the walls of the hole.
When I reached the opening, I looked down into the darkness and could barely make out something in the hole. The longer I was staring into the darkness, the stronger the compulsion to go into hole felt. I could feel my body physically swaying as the unease and fear continued to hit me in waves. Despite this, I remained stood upright, ready to help once I could see signs of life, I needed to be there for Monty as he was for me.
I grabbed my phone and switched the torch on, casting a feeble light into the void below, but the small light it provided meant I could start to see a larger shape moving in the darkness below. They were making their way back up! I called down to Rick but was met with a gurgling groan in response, the shadowy shape continued its ascent up the hole.
Once the light reached it, I retched. The shape, it wasn’t human, at least not anymore. It was an amalgamation of flesh and bone protruding from too many limbs. There were clumps of varying coloured fur, next to teeth and claws sticking out of its back, with exposed muscle and strands of sinews between its clawed limbs. There appeared to be scraps of hi-vis clothing and a tattered suit dangling from the many limbs and its face…It’s face was a horrid, fanged maw, with several rows of teeth and multiple mismatched eyes glistening with blood and saliva under the light.
It clawed its way closer and the compulsion to join it in the pit nearly overwhelmed me, my mind was shattered, but as I started to feel my body lean forward, I caught a glimpse of an object stuck in its side. A small metal tag engraved with one word… MONTY.
I was shocked back into the present when a claw appeared at the top of the hole, grasping at the surface and causing the earth to rumble, nearly throwing me off balance. My body surged into action, and I ran, my heart pounding but the adrenaline pushing me into motion. Tears streamed down my face as my mind processed what I had saw, whilst I could hear the horrific beast clambering the rest of the way up behind me.
I ran for what felt like hours, my heart racing, my mind almost torn apart by the horrors I had witnessed and clouded by grief. I eventually collapsed near a gas station a few miles away and awoke hours later to see the sunrise.
That was a few weeks ago now, and I never heard anyone else mention the beast or witnessed any media coverage of it. I called the construction firm to be told there was no appointment to visit my property in their records. I then asked about Rick, and the line went quiet for a moment before another voice broke the silence..."This record has been flagged for board member access only" the mysterious voice growled "You will find no more answers here, and I strongly suggest you cease any further investigations for you own wellbeing" The call then cut off before I could even muster a response.
At one point, I thought about going back to my old home to try and find some answers, but my stomach felt knotted with unease and fear began to run up my spine each time I remotely entertained the idea. The thinly veiled threat from the construction company, combined with the potential to encounter the nightmarish creature again, quickly discouraged me from the idea.
All I can say for sure is if you have a beloved pet start digging in your garden obsessively. Please make them stop and get out before it’s too late.

Hello I’m a 27 y/o female . And I suffer heavily with relationships and my feelings in general. Just very blocked off from my feelings other than anger . Let’s start from the beginning . I dont really remember a lot from my childhood but it was always very chaotic . My mother had me and my 3 brothers very young . I have 1 older half brother 29, and 2 younger brothers 24 and 23 . (same father). I remember fights being broke out at a very young age between my mom and family/friends . This one instance probably the first one I remember was between my mom and someone else and my baby brother, he was pretty young probably a year old or so . And my mom was standing yelling at someone in front of him I don’t really remember clearly I just remember watching and keeping an eye on my brother but I was too scared to move until I seen he was pushed over and bumped his head pretty bad and I sprung over to him and picked him up and noticed a knot on his head . It’s still kinda there on him today as well he’s 23 now . My mom didn’t have the best taste in men she would always be arguing and fighting with them . I was left with my 2 younger brothers a lot as a kid like age 4-5 watching them while she left with some random guy on bikes at late hours 2am - 3am i noticed she had been gone a while and my literal baby brother was crying so I told my 3 year old brother to stay with him I’ll be right back (there was a literal mattress on the floor in this abandoned looking house ) I go out the front door looking both ways down the street , calling for my mom I don’t see her so I start to walk down the sidewalk my brother comes out behind me and I start yelling at him to get back in the house with the baby . By the time we get back up to the porch here she comes around the front on her bike yelling at us that she told us to stay inside and to go to sleep . 🙄 I’m not sure when she got on drugs but Looking back at that moment I know she had left to go get drugs of some sort with this guy . You won’t hear much about my older brother he was pawned off on our grandmother (my mothers mom) practically his whole life . He was hardly ever around . He was a bad ass kid tho which would make sense my mom would send him off Bcs he would just do crazy ass shit .
Anyways , sometime around 2005 I was in my 4th elementary school (I went to 4 different elementary schools for 3rd grade) I’m 7y/o and I remember I was living with my dad at this point I don’t really remember why we ended up with my dad but now I know my mom went to prison for 2 years . And he lived in the little apartment me and my brothers all in the same room , it was nice we were young and all had our own twin beds so it worked out . And he had this nice lady who would come gets us on wednesdays and take us to church with her and her kids it was pretty awesome Bcs they would have these really elaborate kid skits with like robot props and themed things with the really cool costumes and lights (very cool for kids) and she was literally the nicest lady I felt very seen around this lady and she just always made sure we were having a good time and got some attention . Anyways one day I’m at school and my dad comes and picks us up and had asked us if we would want to live with our grandma (his mom) I was kinda taken a back my that question Bcs we lived with him . Next thing I know the very next day she is signing us out of school and we were taken back to her house . (Side note we barely ever saw this women, so it was strange) no one ever explained what was going on and why we had to stay with her or for how long. For weeks I was crying for my parents just wanting to go home . It was very uncomfortable living with her and her husband . This was around hurricane Charlie as well . One of the worst hurricanes of that time to hit Fl . I get these flashbacks of times living with her . It was very scary and surreal moments of my life . I would see my 2 younger brothers crying out saying they want to go home (we were sitting in the living room watching tv ) like they weren’t there mentally and was crying out to go home from school . I remember asking them who they were talking to and they said a teachers name . I remember looking at my dads mom scared asking what’s wrong with them but she just shrugged it off and told me to watch tv . (I now know she had them on some kind of ADHD medication that they reacted badly to) we all slept in her room with her and her husband in the bed . And me on the floor at the foot of their bed and my 2 brothers in front of her dressers and closet at the end below me. They would be so out of it they were sleep walking crying climbing the dressers and jumping off of them , running into the closet door , just out of it on whatever medication she had them on . She worked 3rd shift at a correctional facility so she would be up at 3am getting ready for work and then we were left with her husband all day she would get home around I wanna say 2:30-3pm . As time went on living here we were going to church on sundays , we couldn’t use the bathroom or get water during service or we would get in trouble and a panked when we got home for “playing” during church . I always remember wanting to tell someone what was going on Bcs we got put into the kids room eventually . But I was too scared they would tell her and I’d get into way more trouble when I got home Bcs they would believe her over me . One day she was driving us and she smoked and she threw her cigarette out the window and had the back windows open and my baby brother was behind her and the cigarette came through his window and burned his arm . Long story shit CPS got involved and we were questioned and taken outta class and called to the office to talk to these people . One of the detectives pick me up I was the oldest so I was the best one for them to get more info from but I was very scared and shy to talk . They had this toy car with people sitting in it and asked me what happened . I told them it came through the window. They then asked me if I ever been touched in a way that was uncomfortable and to show where on the doll . Heres where my nightmare begins At that time nothing that I remember had happened. Nothing ever came of those meetings and they stopped coming around a year goes by we’ve been living with my dads mother and her husband . Hurricane Charlie has happened we had just recovered from the storm power was back on everything was pretty much back to normal . Then things got bad . Quickly. She began getting very inpatient and mean with us . Mostly me . If I hadn’t liked what she made for dinner she would make me sit at the table until my plate was cleared . I would sit there for hours . One day she got so mad at me Bcs I didn’t eat squash she took me by my hair and ripped me from my sit onto the ground and dragged me to the shower , stripped me and made me stand in the cold shower as she yelled at me . I cried so hard that night . The next day I would just would chew the food I didn’t like and put in in my pocket when she wasn’t looking . It was so bad me and my brothers would trade good me liked so we wouldn’t get punished for not eating it . If they didn’t like any of it I would stuff my pocket . I would then say I would need to use the bathroom and flush it down the toilet Bcs she would bathe us so I couldn’t do it any other time and she never caught on . Then I remember my mom showing up one day after not seeing her for 2 years . My hair was chopped off she was pissed . I remember being so happy Bcs I would always ask for her or my dad and would just get told they don’t wanna see me . (Later found out my mom was trying to get us back since she just got out of prison) so she was coming to visit and try to work out times she could come see us I remember hugging her and not wanting to let go and wanting to leave with her . She said we couldn’t right now but she would come see us often as she could until she got her own place . (When I was a teenager found out from my mom that she would avoid my mom and would take us from the house when my mom would text her to come see us so we wouldnt be at the house when she would come by . we would drive to a gas station or go to a grocery store ) i then remember asking for my mom one day and that i wanted to live with her . in return i was told id never see her again. i over heard her and her husband talking about court case and my mom was trying to win us back . a few days later i had wrote in my little notebook that i would draw in and was writing a letter and had asked how to spell a word from her husband . i wrote a letter to the judge basicaly saying that i would much rather live with my mom than here pretty please . something like that and i hid the note in my pillow case knowing that detectives were probably coming back around . i just had a gut feeling. the very next day she finds the note and comes up to me and asks me what it is i said i don’t know and she goes yes you do you asked to spell this word last night . and she ripped up the paper and told me that i was never going to see or live with my mom again and that she was going to beat her in court and win so she has us forever . i cried myself to sleep the next 3 nights praying to god my mom would win . at this point im on survival just being quiet and trying to stay out of the way. on the other hand, her husband was nice to us and would tell her to calm down and take it easy on us but she would be the rude to him too. he was a pretty chill guy didnt really say much while she was around would tell us jokes trying to make us laugh . he started to take more and more interest in me i would be sitting in his lap he would pat my butt like you would if you were putting baby to sleep . i wouldnt really mind it, thought it was comforting bcs it would put me to sleep . then i started getting into the bed when she would leave for work bcs he would cuddle me, tell me I’m his little cutie, patting my butt. It was the only positive interactions of feeling “loved” in that environment. one day i had did it before she had left for work and got between them and went to sleep he woke me up after she left and told me that i cant do that when she is there and I have to wait until after she leaves for work and he cuddled me and this time he put his hand down my pants on my bare butt and started to pat it this time kinda grabbing it i got weirded out and was just froze i didnt know what to do. he then told me to get up and told me to lay on my stomach at the end of the bed he pulled my pants down and he got on top of me and was rubbing my butt with his penis i immediately got up bcs i was like this is not right , i tried distracting him and was like "what time is it ? we are gonna be late for church and that I needed to get dressed and ready. “ he goes its not sunday he lays back down and tells me to go back to sleep . i go back to my spot on the floor . he never tried it again and i never told anyone what had happened to me . I’m not sure if anything was ever done to my brothers but one day I remember waking up and seeing my middle brother on her side of the bed sleeping on the floor with a dog leash and collar around his neck as she’s holding the other end of the leash . To this day I don’t know if anything was done to them by either one of them . My mother not too long after probably a few months won custody of us again . It was the happiest day of my life .
More shit happened down the road living with my mother she got back into drugs and a whole lot happened the next 10 years. If anyone is interested I could add onto this. It’s a pretty long read as it is .

Making a good first impression is hard, and it becomes tremendously more difficult when you don't get to do it in person. We've all seen how online dating has revolutionized modern matching. Tinder, in particular, has become a popular vehicle for these interactions. Launched back in 2012, the dating app has now amassed over 75 million users. Not only that—a 2022 survey by The Knot found that the has app helped introduce 27 percent of newlywed couples who met online. But what kind of profiles invite this success? Which photos should you post and what should daters write in their Tinder bios? Read on below for some advice and examples.
What Are Good Tinder Bios Really Made Of?
Everyone has a different opinion of what constitutes a good Tinder profile. And while it's true that different people will gravitate to different details, there are a few commonalities across the board.
For one, there are the photos. Tinder actually collects data on what types of photos lead to the most interest from other users. General tips are to always use a solo shot for your first picture and then up-to-date, un-posed images for the rest. People are so desperate to nail this portion of the profile that several different companies have even set up shop to help daters perfect the shot.
And then there's the bio. This is where you get to communicate all those details that your photos cannot. Don't worry if you don't know what to jot down—research suggests that the simple act of including any words on your profile increases your chances of success by up to four times.
That's not to say you should be completely careless with what you write—you shouldn't. These blurbs provide the best opportunity you'll have to communicate who you are and what you're looking for.
Funny Tinder Bios
Two reasons to date me: 1. Because you'd be the good-looking one. 2. Please?
I don't want to write anything here because I don't want you to think I'm smart.
Mom/Dad, are you out there?
Current relationship status: Made dinner for two. Ate both.
Titanic! Sorry, that really was a terrible icebreaker.
I don't do threesomes. If I wanted to disappoint two people in the same room, I'd have dinner with my parents.
If you're looking for someone with common sense, patience, and intelligence… Keep looking.
Professional bathroom singer. Seeking a duet partner.
If you can't handle me at my worst, then leave now because I don't have a best. I'm awful.
Married. Couple of kids. Looking for some side action. Just kidding. Single. Three plants.
Been here for a long time, not a good time.
The last time I was actually somebody's type was when I donated blood.
Simple Tinder Bios for Those of Few Words
Husband/Wife material.
Drinks?
Life is short. Let's have fun.
Looking for an adventure buddy.
Mario Kart and chill?
Any _____ fans out there?
Let's see how this goes.
Come say hello.
Hate capitalism but love Marshalls.
Animal lover, good cook, terrible comedian.
Shots are up to date.
_____ born & raised.
Looking for more laugh lines.
Traveling and exploring.
Cute Tinder Bios for Women
Cute enough to take your breath away, but smart enough to bring it back.
I dare you to send your best pick-up line.
The only thing I wear is husband material.
Felt cute, might delete later.
I'll carve our initials into a tree during our first date as a gentle way of letting you know I have a knife.
Hoping to become someone's passenger princess.
Give it to me raw (oysters, that is).
Who wants to mount my TV?
I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him if I can have a bite of that sandwich.
In case you can't tell, I'm a bit of a goofball.
Serious inquiries only.
You like animals? I've got two cats.
I couldn't live without _____, _____, or _____.
Seeking a serious relationship and possible dog walker.
Clever Tinder Bios for Guys
I love to sing and dance, even though I'm not very good at it.
"A perfect gentleman." — Anonymous Tinder Woman
[Job title]. [Zodiac sign]. [Fun fact].
My love language is: _____ and _____.
From the future. To keep the natural timeline intact, we must match on Tinder today. Do the right thing, for yourself and the fate of the universe.
Living life and looking for my perfect match.
Looking for someone to share a Netflix account and a 50-piece.
If you're looking for a bad boy, look no further. I'm bad at everything.
In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I'd be the first one bitten.
Looking for someone to become friends with first and maybe more after that.
If I'm not home, you can find me _____.
Will happily spend all my money on food.
"So, kids, I swiped right, and that's how I met your father." — You, 10 years from now
Tell me your favorite Taylor Swift song.
Flirty Tinder Bios
Tell me your idea of the perfect date night and I'll do my best to oblige.
If we match, we're getting married, right?
Feel free to add me to your to-do list.
Make me an offer I can't refuse.
You use Colgate? I'd rather give you Oral B.
My dog needs a dad and I need a daddy, too.
I'm really good with numbers. I can show you if you give me yours.
Wanna get together and compare matches?
Call me a campfire, because after you get close to me, you'll want s'more.
If I'm trash, does that mean you'll take me out?
Looking for someone to bake cookies for.
I'm a sucker for love stories, will you be my happy ending?
I'll cook you dinner if you cook me breakfast.
Creative Tinder Bio Ideas
Two truths and a lie: I love _____, I have three _____, and one of these is a lie.
Looking for someone to bring to family events so they'll stop thinking there's something's wrong with me.
I'm the one who's been trying to reach you about your car's extended warranty. It was an elaborate excuse to ask you out, and frankly, I'm exhausted.
Looking for someone willing to travel to _____ and _____.
Would you rather be able to _____ or _____?
Liberal thinker, conservatively packaged, moderately fun companion.
Do you have some wildly unpopular opinions? If so, I'm all ears.
Would you rather never be able to eat _____ or only ever be able to eat _____?
Pros: Great at making _____. Cons: Can only make _____.
Does calling it a button-up shirt instead of a button-down shirt help me stand out here?
Tell me your first-ever screen name.
Best Tinder Bios for Sparking Debate
McDonald's or Burger King?
Game of Thrones > Lord of the Rings
I actually miss lockdown.
I forget to signal while driving. How do you react?
Do hot dogs count as sandwiches?
Picnic or hiking?
Your baby is not that cute.
Pineapple belongs on pizza: yes or no?
The Bravo universe is overhyped.
Dogs are overrated.
Cards Against Humanity is boring and uninspired.
Is it just me, or was Friends actually not that funny?
Tinder Bios for Hobby Enthusiasts
Passionate about fitness and a firm believer in the power of movement. Seeking a workout partner and someone to share reward meals with.
Reading enthusiast; cafe hopper. Looking for someone to spend Sundays in bed with and to bury me in The New York Times.
Concert enthusiast and aspiring musician. Tell me your favorite tunes and I'll put together the playlist we walk down the aisle to.
Animal lover with a heart for all creatures big and small. Let's swap stories about our favorite critters and adopt everything in sight.
On a mission to find the best brunch spot in town. Join me on this adventure and let's see what this city really has to offer.
Ambitious career [person] who knows what [they] want. Looking for someone with goals, a great sense of humor, and a similar drive.
Hustler by day, dreamer by night. You can either find me out working or at home pursuing other passions. Looking for someone to share this beautiful life with.
Hopeless romantic who lives for late-night talks and mid-morning dance parties. Ready for a real connection.
Tinder Bios for Couples and Open Relationships
Ever written three names in the sand?
Looking for a third and a little extra spice.
Couple looking for someone to share adventures with.
Couple Tinder account. If you're wondering how this works, swipe right and find out.
Just two goofballs looking to share our good time with someone else.
We challenge you to tell us your best joke. If we like it, we'll take you to dinner and out for even more fun.
Ideal relationship structure = triad.
Yes, we woke up like this.
A fun-loving and adventurous couple looking for a new dynamic with the right person.
Whoever said three is a crowd?
Just a loving couple looking to date a special person… together.
Tinder Bio Ideas for Hookups
Here for a good time, not for a long time. Let's see what kind of mischief we can get into together.
Looking to meet new people and have fun.
I'm not looking for anything serious right now. Let's meet and see what happens.
My favorite place to be is in my bed, but I think I'd probably like being in yours, too.
We'll get along just fine if the little spoon is your favorite position.
There's no bigger turn-on than a [person] who reads.
Please don't get me all hot and bothered. I'm more of a winter person.
Just looking to get out and have fun. Let's see where this thing goes.
Not into casual hookups, only semi-formal affairs where we both show up in suits.
Let's make some bad decisions together.
Important Tips for Your Tinder Bio
We hope you got something out of the ideas listed above! Of course, you are always encouraged to put your own original spin on things. After all, Tinder profiles should be relatively unique, and your potential matches don't want to encounter something they've seen over and over again. But before you go putting together some material for a funny bio of your own, check out the tips below. We don't want to see things go south before you even get started.
Be real and honest.
A good Tinder bio will help users walk away with a better sense of who you actually are. Don't just jot something down because you think it will land well with a match—make sure whatever you write reflects at least some of your own personality.
It's really not as hard as you may think. There are tons of avenues to show some of yourself. Humor, creative writing, and references to pop culture are just a few ways to get started.
Be engaging.
No user is less engaging than one who has decided to leave their bio blank. Not only does it deny users of the opportunity to learn something about it, but it also leaves them without anything that could help them kick off the conversation. Even a cheeky Tinder bio is much more likely to attract an opening message than one that contains nothing at all.
Again, there are tons of options here. Toss in a few unpopular opinions for a fun debate. Use some self-deprecating humor to make those potential matches laugh. You can even throw up some wild inaccuracy for the sake of being corrected—anything to get the ball rolling!
Don't be jaded.
Everyone experiences burnout online, but a good Tinder bio will show that you still have some hope in the modern dating scene. Making assumptions about someone ghosting you before even exchanging words is a turn-off, plain and simple. Don't let past disappointments muddy your ability to create new connections.
Don't be overly suggestive.
Sure, sometimes suggestive and spicy statements can make for a relatively funny Tinder bio. But this move can also backfire pretty quickly—especially when used on someone who is actually looking for a serious relationship. People meet plenty of creeps out there. Do what you can to prevent yourself from falling into that category.
Check your spelling and grammar.
The only thing worse than a blank profile is one riddled with grammatical errors. Dating is about putting your best foot forward, so maybe don't let everyone know how bad you are at spelling right off the bat. Besides, it's good to show that you've put in some effort, even if it comes in the form of a simple proofreading exercise.
FAQ
Should guys put their height in a Tinder bio?
The decision to include your height in your Tinder bio is completely your own, though it may spare you the misfortune of meeting up with someone whose physical preference differs from where you stand—literally.
What is Tinder Loop and should I use it?
Tinder Loop allows users to create two-second looping videos which they can then add to their profile. In addition to adding some novelty, data shows that the feature helps users increase conversation length by up to 20 percent. Their number of matches can also increase by an impressive 10 percent.
Wrapping Up
That's it for now. We hope this list will help you build the best Tinder bio possible! Be sure to check back with the Match Artist soon for more ways to break the ice.

A postal carrier, that anonymous stranger who knows your first, middle, and last name. They know if you’re married, single, or divorced; if you’re struggling to pay the bills, called to jury duty, or how well you’re liked by the amount of Christmas cards you receive. They know more than they should, and yet we know nothing about them. That never bothered me until my new postal carrier introduced himself with a complaint about a nonexistent problem.
One evening I came home from the office, and as I was launching my briefcase up into the air, aiming for the couch, and loosening my tie, I heard the doorbell ring. I opened the door and standing on the front porch with his arm extended, was the postal carrier holding a piece of paper. Was he new? Didn’t seem familiar but then again all I ever saw of the postal carrier was a shadow sitting in a tiny truck.
He was covered in dark, matted hair. I could see neither the skin on his arms or legs. The pale pigment of his skin revealed only under his grey eyes above a thick long beard and mustache.
He handed me the piece of paper. It was a form with a checkmark by one of many categories of complaint, of which I was accused of parking in front of the mailbox. On the very bottom was penciled: Please kindly move your vehicle from in front of the car.
It was a strange request since I never parked on the street. In fact, I never parked in the driveway. I always put my baby in the garage.
“But I’m not parked in front of the mailbox!” I explained. He simply flashed his pearly whites and walked away.
The very next afternoon the doorbell rang again. It was him, with another piece of paper in hand.
“This is ridiculous. I’m not parked in front of the mailbox. Holy shit, I’m not even parked outside!”
He grunted and shook his head no and pushed the note into my stomach. I grabbed the piece of paper. This wasn’t a form, but lined paper with a note:
This neighborhood sure does have a lot of rabbits, Jerry! You must be a very lucky guy.
Confused, I handed him back the letter. Jerry, great, he knew my name. Well of course he knew my name, but just to see evidence of it- that unnerved me.
“Yeah, well I don’t know about lucky,” I said as I tried to turn away.
“Why are rabbit feet so lucky?” he asked in a barely audible whisper.
“What? Rabbit feet?”
He cleared his throat. “Is it an award for catching them. Is the luck in their belly at first and then it just kind of sinks down into their feet. Seems a little weird to me. So, if I catch a rabbit and cut its foot off, how long will that luck last?”
“I got to go…” I tried to answer.
“I bet its only for about a week. I mean they’re real easy to catch. Doesn’t seem right you would get much luck for such an easy task.” He was excited about the topic and unwilling to stop the conversation so I abruptly walked into the house and shut the door behind me. I could hear him still talking for a bit before he finally realized I wasn’t there.
“Ok Jerry, we’ll talk tomorrow. See ya, buddy.” I watched through the door lite as he walked back towards the mail truck.
“I like Jerry. That was a good talk. He don’t know much about rabbits though,” he said to himself.
For a third day in a row the doorbell rang. I refused to answer the door and stayed upstairs in my room. He was a stubborn carrier, that anonymous whoever standing on my front porch. He rang the doorbell for over an hour. When he finally decided to quit on the doorbell, he stepped out into the front yard and yelled up at my bedroom window.
“Ok Jerry, we’ll talk tomorrow. I left you something on the front porch. It’s a whole lotta luck. Should last you about three months.” I heard the truck door shut and the engine fade away into the distance.
I pulled the shade down to make sure he was nowhere around. I saw that the truck was gone, so I made my way downstairs. Outside on the front porch was a green plastic tote, with a flip-top lid. Flies were buzzing in and out of the partial opening where the two sides of the lid did not fit tightly. I could see dried blood on either side of the tote. I searched around the yard and found a stick. I took the stick, forced it into a small opening and lifted open the lid. The tote was filled with severed rabbit’s feet, what looked to be the remains of a whole bunch of rabbits. There on top was a piece of paper that read:
Jerry, I like you. Here’s some luck!!!!!!!!! Hope it lasts a long, long time.
Rabbits are so slow. It’s funny. Why are they lucky? But if that’s the rule.
Your friend.
The bottom of my throat bulged with the contents of my stomach. I vomited into the tote, not so much out of disgust, but out of fear. I went inside and called the police.
The police came and took my report, along with a detective that wanted a statement.
Detective Fletcher had a few questions. It wouldn’t take long. “What did this man look like?”
I explained to the detective as much as I could remember, but felt it a little unnecessary since he worked for the post office. How hard could it be to apprehend him?
“No, this guy doesn’t work for the post office. Your postal carrier is on vacation this week. There was a report of a stolen mail truck, but we haven’t tracked it down. Seems like the carrier filling in runs earlier in the day. This other sick fella came afterward.”
“You guys are going to catch him, right?”
“Well…,” he shrugged his shoulders. He then pulled out a card and handed it to me. “If you remember anything else give me a call, otherwise call 911.”
Not feeling very confident with the detective’s answer, I decided to buy a gun. I found a pawn store on Dickerson Road and bought a small caliber revolver. Being that I had never owned a gun, or shot one for that matter, I resolved to get to the firing range and practice, but instead I tossed it unloaded into my nightstand and forgot all about it.
Months passed and the regular postal carrier resumed his route. Mike was his name. I forced myself to get to know him. I owed it to him and I was thankful that he wasn’t a rabbit obsessed loon. He was rather confused by my unwarranted admiration, but we got along well. Mike had gone to Panama City Beach the week of my strange visitations. He had bought some bright yellow socks with palm trees embroidered across the seams. He wore them every Friday as a reminder that he now had less than a year before his next trip to the beach.
“Man, I wish I was back on the beach, but I wouldn’t feel right leaving you with my substitute. I hear the U.S. Post Office will hire anybody. Maybe next time I’ll leave you a rabbit foot for protection,” he would often say, never realizing that he had said it to me numerous times already. I would always laugh even though the joke had long run its course. Yet, I felt safe with him around. Everything was fine and right until that November.
Thanksgiving was two weeks away and I was getting ready for a trip back home to visit my parents. By the end of the night, I was exhausted from packing, planning, and the general chaos of holiday maneuverings. I laid down on the bed to take a load off my feet, and unintentionally fell asleep.
I was awakened by something landing on my chest. The lights were still on so it didn’t take my eyes long to focus. There standing at the end of my bed was the crazy, fake, not-so-real postal carrier. The hair on his body had grown long, and hung in twisted, filthy knots. His eyes were dark red, and set deep under his protruding brow. He flashed his teeth, but this time there were long incisors situated on both his upper and lower jaws.
“I thought you would like the luck I gave you.” He struggled to speak through his fang-fitted mouth. “But maybe it wasn’t enough. My gift was not so good, so I got you something better.”
I pulled my eyes away from him and looked down at my chest. It was a severed human leg wearing a bright yellow sock with Panama City Beach embroidered across the seam. I shoved the leg off of me and onto the floor.
“Don’t do that,” he admonished. “I worked hard for that. He fought real hard. That kind of fight-back has got to be worth a lot of luck.” He lumbered over to the side of the bed, picked up the leg, and tossed it on my lap.
I quickly moved to the other side of the bed. This offended him; he growled and hunched over in an intimidating stance of defiance. “Jerry, you make me confused. Why don’t you like my gift?”
“I do. Believe me, I do. I appreciate the gift.”
“And the pretty sock?” he added.
“Yes, and the pretty sock.” I slowly reached over and pulled open the nightstand drawer to get the gun. He saw what I was doing and hurried around to the other side of the bed to accost me. I pulled the gun out and aimed, but there was nothing but a click. I had forgotten that the gun was empty.
“Jerry tried to kill me,” he bellowed in anger.
“No, no. I was just getting my gun to go hunt rabbits with you. I like the yellow sock, but you still got to get rabbits for luck. Human feet just have a very little amount of luck. I don’t know why but for some reason rabbits are magical and they got a lot of luck stored inside them. You said I didn’t like your first gift but that’s not true. Man, that was the best time of my life. I had all kinds of good luck flowing around me. Thank you. Now, I need more.”
“Really, Jerry?”
“Yes. Now I want to show you a special place where there are lots of rabbits, so many in fact, they fill up a whole field. You can just step out and pick one up without even chasing or shooting it.”
I convinced my bestial antagonist to wait outside while I got the car out of the garage. I told him that we had to drive across town to get to the field. I opened the garage door and backed out. I was hoping he was in the driveway so I could run him over, but the goon was waiting in the yard. He opened the door and hopped in the passenger seat. He smelled awful, like a wet dog, and his foul essence exuded throughout the interior of my car. I feared I would never be able to wash the stench out of the seat fabric. His labored breathing was loud and obnoxious. I was ready to be rid of him.
I drove over two hours to the next county, deep in a rural, swath of hills and patchy forests. I spotted a dirt road to the left and turned down it.
“This is it.” I stopped the car.
“Where are all the rabbits?”
“It’s on up the road but we got to get out and walk from here.” He looked over at me with a quizzical look. “Well go on. I just got to get something out of the trunk. You’re going to miss out on all that luck.”
We both got out and he walked on ahead as I walked around to the back of the car. He looked back, but I motioned him to move forward. I opened the trunk to complete the ruse. As soon as he was a good distance up the road, I closed the trunk and jumped in the car. I reached over and shut his door as well, pushing the button to activate the door locks.
He hadn’t noticed anything at all was awry. I was tempted to slowly roll up on him and then run him over, be done with the threat of him forever, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I put the car in reverse and slowly backed out onto the road. At that point he turned and ran towards me, wailing like a child, begging me not to leave him. I put the car in drive and sped off.
As I turned onto the road that led to my neighborhood, I noticed an abandoned postal truck parked up at the elementary school. It was at that moment I realized a crucial mistake in what I had done. Although difficult, I should have finished him off. I should have put him down. I traveled a long distance to rid myself of this ragged old dog, dropped him off in the country, in the middle of nowhere, as so many other irresponsible pet owners have done in the past, but unlike all those other pet owners, my damn dog can drive.

So ive been trying to find a suitable senior dog food for my chihuahua that fits her needs. She's 13 and 8lbs (considered overweight by vet so she needs a low fat kind) and she has bad joints/knees. (Off topic but i massaged her legs and back and felt it was basically all knots so if anyone knows how to deal with that besides daily massages, that would be great) she doesnt have any allergies or sensitivities to my knowledge.

I have recently decided to remove myself from a friend group because I found it to be really talking a bad toll on my mental health. Everyone in the friend group is ND in some way… you would think this would foster a supportive and understanding group, but unfortunately that’s not the case. I feel like I’m constantly there for them, and they are never there for me. I also don’t agree with a lot of their behaviors (excessive partying and very unhealthy lifestyles for example) and they try to pressure/guilt me into it.
There is one woman who acts like the queen bee and she can be a bit of a bully. She is very bossy which triggers my demand avoidance to the point where I get stomach knots when her name pops up on my phone. She also can be very snarky and will “call you out” in front of everyone when you disagree, or just because she loves drama. I also no longer align with her lifestyle or values, she’s pretty hedonistic, slothy, and self absorbed.
Another woman is severely mentally ill but she will drag you down with her. She has 6 month long manic episodes and actively does things to prolong her mania. She puts herself in situations where she almost loses her life, or someone hurts her badly. She calls me constantly to do things for her that are unsafe and acts very manipulative. When I don’t give her what she wants, she acts dramatically and even blocked me one time, telling me how horrible I was for not helping her, which caused so much heartbreak. She gets very demanding and it absolutely drains me.
Then there’s a woman who complains constantly…. She trauma dumps on you the entire time you hang out and ruminates with no resolution. It really brings me down. They’re basically all like that though, they are all unhappy and use me as a therapist and are never there for me. I feel I have to mask heavily around them too which is exhausting.
The last straw was when my childhood dog who was my best friend passed away and it was…. crickets. They barely said anything to me about it and in fact, when I hung out with them after, they didn’t even mention him. They talked on and on about themselves. I was very hurt by this.
I have since distanced myself from them and haven’t seen them since that incident after my dog passed 5 months ago, and even asked for space. But they have started acting desperate to hang out and see me. They keep texting me and asking when we’re getting together. I’m just not sure how to handle this- I know if I tell them I don’t want to be friends anymore, they will get very dramatic and it will emotionally drain me. Im absolutely not in a place for this right now. I have too much on my plate, I know it will deeply upset me and I just can’t go through that right now. Any suggestions on what to do?

Hey guys, it's been a few months since I last posted the list of live music events in Cleveland...
But we're still alive and going strong (over 10k subscribers in our free newsletter that started right here in this subreddit!!)
Thank you guys for your support and here's this weekend's schedule:
🗓️ Friday June 7th
76 🌡️ 66 🌧️ 40% rain 💨 12 mph (10 knots)
Anthony Atalla + Others
B Side Lounge 10 PM $20
Autopolitan + Herzog + Perfect Pals
Happy Dog 9 PM $10
Bethany Joy Music
Forest City Brewery 5 PM TBA
Bethany Joy Music
Lekko Coffee 8 PM TBA
Bias Selector + S.Y.S. + Others
No Class 8 PM $8
BIG IN JAPAN
GOODTIME III 8 PM TBA
Brain + The Glasses
Treelawn Social Club 8 PM $15
Brian Bacon + SadBlackLab + Others
CODA 8:30 PM $10
Cazes
Good Night John Boy 11:30 PM TBA
Chris Redd (comedy)
Hilarities 7 PM $20 - $25
Come Back To Earth (Mac Miller Tribute)
The Winchester 7:30 PM $15
Fred Hersch (solo)
Treelawn Music Hall 8 PM $15 - $50
GlamGore
Grog Shop 9 PM $15 - $35
Jamey Haddad Quartet Nightatala
Bop Stop 7 PM $20
Josh Turner
TempleLive 8 PM $40 - $75+
JustDeeDeeMusic
Vino Veritas Cellars 6 PM TBA
Maura Rogers + The Bellows
Waterloo Arts 6 PM TBA
Maria Petti
Bar 32 6 PM TBA
Nat Vazer + Tobyraps
Sofar Sounds 8 PM $18
Noah Gundersen
Mahall's 7 PM $28.84
Old skool
The Local Bar 8 PM TBA
Orville Peck + Durand Jones + Debbii Dawson
Jacobs Pavilion 7 PM $29 - $154
Planet Booty + Minka
Beachland Tavern 7 PM $15
Secret Shame
Dunlap's Corner Bar 7 PM TBA
Solon + People in the Daytime + Others
Crobar 6 PM $15
Springsteen Tribute (Swamps of Jersey)
Music Box Supper Club 8 PM $12
Tig Bitty
B Side Lounge 7 PM Free Show
Timmy Trumpet + Bobby Booshay
FWD Day + NightClub 6:30 PM $45

🗓️ Saturday June 8th

72 🌡️ 65 🌧️ 33% rain 💨 12 mph (10 knots)

Alter-Ethos Tattoo (Music & Art Festival)
Mulberry's 1 PM $22
Brunch W/ Ray Flanagan
The Winchester 11 AM Free Show RSVP
Cap Gun Cowboys + Cory Grinder + Others
Beachland Tavern 7 PM $15
Cazes + Bobby Booshay
FWD Day + NightClub 9 PM $
Chris Castle
The Fairview Tavern 8 PM TBA
Clare Feorene + Anya Van Rose + Others
Beachland Ballroom 7 PM $12
Cloud Nothings + Idle Ray + Skipped Dent
Mahall's 7 PM $29.87
D.R.U.G.S + Savage Hands + Others
The Winchester 7 PM TBA
Diana Chittester
House of Blues Restaurant Lounge 9 PM Free Show
Duck Trash + Joet Sardelle + Others
Crobar 9 PM $10
John Petrucelli Quartet + The Theron Brown Trio
Bop Stop 8 PM $20
Maria Petti
Bar 32 5 PM TBA
Mike Miz
Terrestrial Brewing Company 7:30 PM TBA
Motown & More (Nitebridge)
Music Box Supper Club 8 PM $12
Nocturnal
The Foundry 9 PM TBA
Post Saga + Rent For Cheryl + Yes, Dear
Grog Shop 9 PM $12
Radiation Blackbody + Fed Ash + Others
No Class 8 PM $15
Rellick + Under High Street + Fox Ears
Coda 7:30 PM $10
Taylor Lamborn
Kamm's Corners Auto Body 2 PM TBA
The JiMiller Band
Whiskey Island Still & Eatery 1 PM TBA
The Semi-Supervillains
B Side Lounge 5 PM TBA

🗓️ Sunday June 9th

76 🌡️ 66 🌤️ 24% rain 💨 11 mph (10 knots)

Convey The Signs + Oblivea + Others
The Winchester 7 PM $5
Flamenco Juerca + Sevillanas
B Side Lounge 6 PM $5
Hanging Johnny + Grandview
Grog Shop 7 PM $10
Maria Jacobs Quartet
Bop Stop 7 PM $20
Monsoon
Beachland Tavern 7 PM $12
Nektar + Dave Swanson's Mystery Airship
Beachland Ballroom 7:30 PM $30 - $90
Reggae Sundays: Umojah Nation
Music Box Supper Club 7 PM Free Show
Smoking Popes + The Dopamines + Others
Mahall's 7 PM $26.78
The Daze + Beast Killer
The Foundry 7 PM $10
The Jimmy Jack Band
Shooter's on the Water 2 PM TBA

I (22F) have a younger autistic brother (18F.)
My brother has always had violent tendencies due to his disability. He grabs hair and yanks it, climbs on people like a angry toddler would, he has stomped on my foot so hard he broke me toe years ago, he throws food around (many of his triggers include food aggression) and otherwise may slap, kick, punch or push. Besides this, he is partially self sufficient. He uses the toilet on his own, plays video games, knows how to microwave food etc.
He’s got slightly better over the years, but he’s now a full grown man (6’3 and 200lbs)
Two days ago me, my boyfriend, and my dog were at my parents house. My parents were home all day, but my dad was outside mowing the lawn and my mom was setting things up in the backyard for my younger sisters birthday.
My dad had my brother outside with him but I guess at some point he snuck back inside. I heard some things getting thrown around in the kitchen and walked over to see him throwing food around. My dog followed me and he threw a pack of frozen chicken at my dog (thankfully missed) and I started screaming at my brother. He than threw a bag of box of ice cream at my face and started charging towards me to which I started screaming.
My boyfriend came out and pushed him against the wall, to which he bit my boyfriend drawing blood. At that point I told my boyfriend don’t hold back and my boyfriend punched him several times in the face and kneed him in the stomach.
My parents came in minutes later and were screaming about what happened. I had a black eye and a knot, and my brother was bleeding and crying. They were asking why would he beat a disabled person etc.
I flipped and told my parents if he ever threw anything at me or my dog again he’d be on the floor. They called it “child abuse” (really? He’s 18, a full grown man). And that he “doesn’t know what he’s doing” yet suddenly he stopped throwing shit the second he got hit back. My brother knows what he’s doing and has never once hit my oldest brothers (27&29) because he knows. He only lays hands on me, my mother and sister.

Chapter 1: Togeter

What keeps people together? A leader? No, leaders end up dying or becoming tyrants, they aren’t able to keep people together for a long time, A symbol? Just like leaders, symbols get erased with the flow of time, tainted by whatever actions are done in their name and end up corrupted, stagnant, like the water of a pond, Religion? Well, religion keeps people together, as long as they share the same values, but when a religion decides a value is not something that should be kept, it is erased from existence, no, religion can’t keep all people united, then--- an objective? People that unite because of a reason are far more diligent than any other group in what keeping together means, but, as soon as that objective disappears, the division inside of the group make it impossible for them to remain as one and they simply destroy themselves
We come back to the same question, What keeps people together? Hate, hate is in human nature, it appears whenever we find something not to our liking, that is something everyone is conscious of, but hate, hate blooms when we see someone different from us, different from whatever we have known for all our lives, that someone, well, someones those are the Holders, the Carriers, those who not only are different, but are objectively better than the average human
They are capable of creating a hellscape in a few moments, as well as reconstructing a whole city in less than a week, able to make plants grow so tall that not even the tallest of the human-made buildings could surpass it in barely a week, they can burn it to ashes without a single remorse, end the lives of hundreds of soldiers in a breath, bring them back to see another sunrise or make whole nations forget they even existed
Being different is one thing, but, being able to play with the others as they wish makes them hateable, easy to mark as an objective, the perfect target for all those who want power to lean on, to laugh at, and of course, to hate, the greatest threat, a variable that cannot be expected in any way
And even if they have all those powers, even if they are capable of the worst things, they are also capable of love, just like us, they feel, they can bring the light if they put their minds to it, if they are treated accordingly, wouldn’t you treat those who treat you right with respect? those who make your life easier day by day? wouldn’t you repair their kindness with everything in your hand? That was what the greeks thought
They engraved the great doings of those who helped them in history using their stories, they dignified, them with all they had, they worshiped them and in return, they became one of the greatest civilizations in all western culture at the time, yes, their ‘gods’ weren’t perfect, but they helped them in all they could, they sent their descendents to help those in need and where the king makers, they supported the kings of their cities, later even those who became the leaders, always had a ‘god’ or ‘demigod’ backing their doings, and they were reverenced because of that. The greek civilization grew, and just like them, others started using the carriers instead of pursuing them, that was the era of gods and empires, where no expert is able to draw the line between fantasy and reality
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That introduction was good, or that’s what Tobias thought when he turned the page, history books that talked about history had always a stand in the everlasting debate between non-carriers and pro-carriers, it was a given, the boy preferred those that didn’t simply throw their opinions at the reader when they were just starting, this one was obviously written by a pro-carriers no doubt, but, at least they were not so desperate as to simply say it directly, most of those who write about the Ancient era are, after all it was one of the golden carriers era, the best one known to man as someone ever said
He let a sight out as he looked through the picture window that led to the balcony, the wind was blowing hard, and the dark skies where taking good account of those fools who had committed the mistake of leaving their houses without a proper umbrella to stop the water from soaking their clothes
It was a good day, quiet, as they had all been for week since his parents and sisters had left for the province capital to see their grandmother who had fallen ill recently, the 13-year-old Tobias had been left behind because of an important exam and well, his reluctance to being in a cramped car with the two annoying brats his sisters had become after finishing highschool and moving to their corresponding universities, well, they had always being annoying, now they just had to catch up with the time lost while in college
So he had the house all to himself and was glad of it, he had so many books to catch up to, this one was the fourth he had started this week, the other three were now on a pile over the tea table, as for him, he was comfortably lying on the couch of the living room with the dim lights lit, the dark clouds on the sky made it so even at 5PM he had to turn then on to be able to read without having to turn around every so many lines
Still, even if the world outside was cold, inside of the three bedroom flat everything was warm, just like he liked it, his father had told him that if anything went wrong during the week they were going to be out, he should call his grand father and he would come get him to the countryside were he lived with his grandmother, well, when she was not on the hospital of the region capital, of course. Even if his father had said that, Tobias had had no problems during the week and hadn’t called his grandfather, his mother had left a container with the food for each meal excluding breakfast and he had been able to go to school everyday without a single problem, had aced his history exam and even---
The ring of the living room landline broke his train of thought and the boy had to sit up from the couch before walking his way to the TV cabinet, where all the technological devices were stored, with the only exception of the old computer, which had claimed its place near the window at the back of the room, Tobias reached to the speaker
“Diga?”-- “Yeah?” ¹ Tobias answered the call. It was Simon, a family friend.
The call lasted less than two minutes, Tobias had cut it short, his face pale as if he had just seen a ghost, and for the news he had just received, might as well have seen it
Tobias walked to the window and opened it, letting the winds of one of the last winter storms into the house, causing the pages of the book he had been reading barely three minutes ago to run free, still he didn’t mind, it was just a book, his world was crumbling down as he leaned on the railing of the balcony, his lungs wanted to let all the air out in a loud cry that would be heard all over the town, but his throat was sore, a knot had formed on his stomach, preventing him from throwing up his lunch on the streets barely eight meters down. He buried his fingers on his black hair as he crunched on the balcony, soaking on the rain that was able to evade the balcony of the upper levels and the glass railing
It was pitiful, he was, he felt like it, who wouldn’t? Many 13-year-olds lost their families in catastrophic traffic accidents, they were pitiful, and so was he, so what now? would he just have to live without Marta and Sara making fun of his dumb stories? Would he have to forget the warmth of his mother’s embrace whenever something was wrong? The hunting trips with his father even when they argued about everything? Was that even something remotely possible?
The weight on his shoulders, no, on his chest, it wouldn’t let him breathe properly through the mucus and tears, he couldn’t get up, his clothes had soaked in the rain and their weight made it so Tobias had even less will to get up, What reason would he have to even do that?
And after countless long hours, his body gave up there, on the balcony, the storm had already passed, but he hadn’t had the strength to lift himself up and get in the apartment, no, someone did it for him when he was sleeping, yeah, that hadn’t been his best friday night
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Time decided to speed up, well, Tobias felt it like it had, he spent the whole weekend in a state of shock, it was a given, people told him everything he had ever read that was said to people who had lost someone “They are in a better place now” “They are watching you” “They will always be on your heart” “Time will make the pain go away” “They were such good people, they will not be forgotten” Lies. Each and everyone of them was laying, time would not make it hurt less, nothing they said could make it feel better for him, the boy felt his own body as if it had gone numb as his mind revolved around the memories he had about his family, only when he was carrying the casket with his father inside could he feel the weight, he wanted to shed tears, let his emotions show to the hundreds if not thousands of people that were attending the funeral, he knew less than a tenth of the attendants, still, no tear was shed in front of anybody, at least, not by Tobias, not even when the event finished and they all lined up to tell the now orphan how bad they felt for his lost, a line of people that made his heart ache more than it had ever ached, Tobias felt his body numb, but his thoughts and his feelings were as strong as the flow of a river which dam had broken and threatened with overflowing and make it everybody’s problem
That feeling lasted until Monday morning, his grandfather had decided to take it on his hands to take care of the pre-teen before the family lawyer would be free to make the kid the official heir to everything the two parents had ever owned and of course, for the government to take their proper cut, because no legal institution would look at a boy that had lost his family without thinking about what they could win from the situation they were just a bunch of shameless idiots, all the same, he too had lost his son, but that feeling wasn’t a new one, as sad as it might sound, but, Cristian had to be there for his grandson, and he would be the only one to step up even if others wouldn’t
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“With this signature, today, February 19th, 2018, you, Tobias Fernández, recognise Cristian Fernández, second degree relative as your new legal guardian as well as the holder for the inheritance left behind by Salvador Fernández and María Burgos, as well as their daughters Marta and Sara Fernández” Tobias nodded before drawing his signature on the document the lawyer was offering, his grandfather was sitting next to him with his arms crossed, deep in thought “Then this is everything I can do” said the lawyer as he stood up from the chair after arranging the last few documents, they were at the living room in what now was Tobias’s apartment, the man had made all the arrangements left on his parents will and after getting the signature, the adoption papers were now finished, so, he put his hand on the boy’s shoulder with a sad smile “Have a good life, kid” He said, Tobias heard how the man walked to the front door and closed it, leaving the apartment and making the elevator start working, he also heard his grandfather’s chair creak as the old man moved
“Tobias, do you want to go to school today?” He asked, the pre-teen shaked his head lightly and Cristian let out a sight “I figured, let’s go home”, The man stood up from the chair, he was in pretty good shape for his recently turned 73 years of age, in fact, his physique was so well kept that he barely appeared more than a muscled old man whose prime was still yet to pass, he put his hand out for his grandson to take and when Tobias took a hold of it, he helped him up
After that, the pair went to where the old man had parked his car, a garnet KIA rio, nothing fancy, just something that he could use to move in and out of a town like Yecla, well, Tobias was practically dragged because it didn’t matter what his grandfather said, he wouldn’t move on his own, so the old man had taken his hand and pull him to the car, once they were both with the seatbelts on, Cristian drove ‘home’, a plot of land little over a hectare, were more than forty years ago, the old man had built a house where he could spend the rest of his life, it didn’t amount much at a first glance, but the old styled house had a beautiful garden with a pool where Tobias and his sisters used to spend their days on summer, a big workshop where both Salvador and Cristian had practiced their woodworking profession as carpenters, half a hectare of an orchard that the old man was proud of and a place for the animals of the family to reside, four dogs that started barking as soon as the mechanic door of the wall that surrounded everything started to slowly open
The car followed the dirt road to the heart of the land, the house, it had been followed by the four dogs, the first one to get there, a white breton with black spots named jack because of the skull-like appearance of his head, he was the youngest of the four being barely two years old, he was followed by Diamond and Sun, two old half breed between Breton and Spanish Hound, the last one, a Teckel named Mona whose short legs barely let her keep up with the energetic ball of hair that was Jack and the old hags that were Diamond and Sun
As soon as the doors of the car opened, the first thing Tobias had to do was evade being jumped by Jack, the dog meant well, but he had a tendency to land his front paws on the boy’s jewels, and he was not on the mood to chase him all over the property as he normally would, so he sat down cross legged on the ground and let the ‘pup’ calm down before supporting his back on the back left wheel of the car as the dog put his chin on his thigh, noticing his young master’s mood, similarly, the other three walked up to the pair and as if they knew what had happened, started comforting the boy
Cristian saw this and remembered how good it was to have dogs on the property, he smiled sadly as he looked to the house, that place had been built not only by him, but, when he was old enough, his son, Tobias’s father, had helped him renovate whatever had to be renovated, now the two-storey house was filled with those little signs that his son had made there, and seeing his grandson with the dogs had reminded him of Salvador doing the same just a few decades before, his heart ached as he thought of that
“Kid, feed the dogs, i’ll be on the workshop for a while” He said, as he entered the house, on the ground floor, (often called basement because of the inclination of the terrain) there was a set of stairs that led to the workshop, which in reality was an industrial unit with far too much dust and sawdust than it should with many different machines that helped with the woodwork that was performed by the men in the Fernandez family
Cristian went to the office, a little room inside the workshop where they kept all kinds of documents about the works and the payments, as well as some books in a bookshelf, the man sat down on the desk there, and from one of the drawers, he took out two books, one, an album full of photos of his son’s life, from the day he was baptized, to his 45th birthday that had happened barely five months before, he looked so happy as he blew the candles in the party María had thrown for him, in the photo he still had the blue overall he used to work
As for the second book, a red leather cross was sewed to the white leather of the heavy book, both the white leather and the thread that had been used to sew both fabrics had started yellowing as time passed and now, the parts that were not tied by the thread had started to separate from the white leather, it was simple, no signs of writing could be seen at the cover, only the red cross, the man sighed as he opened the book
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¹: This story is situated in Spain, in a city known as Yecla, as such, characters speak spanish and the reason why dialogue is in bold letters is for the reader to know it is a translation of what the person is saying, other languages that will appear on the future will also be represented on a different way
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[First] - [Next]
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Hello everyone, just like I promissed on my first post, here is the first chapter of The ego saga, i hope you like it and once again, if you ever notice any spelling mistake that could be avoidable or a way for it to be better described, i ask you to write them down bellow

As I’ve stated in previous posts, I’ve worked for ASD for three years now. Something I’ve noticed is how 9/10 times, callers are in absolute hysterics while calling to report the passing of their pets. I can count on one hand the amount of calls I’ve taken for a human passing where I couldn’t understand the caller or even attempt to ask questions because they were so distraught. Now, I’m not saying that callers are always calm reporting the sudden passing of a family member. But there is a huge difference of pet calls vs human call— at least in my experience.
In your opinions, why is this? Why can’t pet owners compose themselves on the phone when their fur baby dies but seem to keep it together pretty well when a family member passes?
I found myself on the opposite end of the phone line this past Monday when I had to euthanize my 10.5 year old pitty, Chunks. Thankfully, because of working for ASD, I knew who to call, what to ask, what I wanted in terms of packages and such and what to expect. I called the day before taking my baby into his apt to avoid having a full blown panic attack and struggling to give my information.
My heart breaks every time I take a pet death. I find myself utilizing my breaks for after I answer for our pet accounts or funeral homes who service pets. My stomach is usually in knots after hearing the cries and screams. Not saying people deaths don’t bother me, but the vibe is typically much more mellow though… wouldn’t you think it would be the opposite.
Also, turn over time. My dogs euthanasia happened at 10am Monday morning. The funeral home called me around 11 am Tuesday to let me know they had already returned his cremains and clay paw print to my vets office. Did I just get lucky? I take a lot of angry callers saying they were told it would take 3-5 days and they’ve been waiting WEEKS with no communication from the funeral home.
Fill me in, what I missing here in all aspects of this post. Thanks guys :)

Previous
Don’t be so scared, Harlan. If ever you yearn the ecstasy of my company, all you ever need is ask. Otherwise, I won’t touch you. Baphomet’s speech was paced, toneless, without emotion, and yet I felt pinpricks spring across my body.
I moved towards Harold’s daughter and draped my coat around her. “She can’t walk.” I saw the deep bruising, the bewildered fluttering of her eyelids, the places the demon had branded her flesh.
I lifted the girl, totally unsure whether she would die from a fever—with her slung over my shoulder, I could smell infection—and went from the garden, Aggie calling after me. And I could hear it all as I met the street and crossed it and reentered the ruins.
Although arduous with the squalling, quivering body of the girl, I moved as quickly as I could. “Shh,” I told her and myself, “Shh.” Perhaps I was shaking too.
I heard the protests of Aggie, first she asked for me, then there was nothing but the siren call of the betrayed, the shrieks, the howls in response to Baphomet’s tortures. There would be water again on the compound. I moved away and readjusted the girl on my shoulder before I stumbled over my own boots. We fell hard on my knees, but I kept her in my arms and muffled a cry. An old prayer whispered from my lips, and I pushed myself to my feet before going on.
There was no lying to myself of what I’d done. What I’d done too many times. It never was easier. Never. Nothing like youthful fresh flesh placates a demon. It’s a deal that I’d made before and a deal I was certain I’d make again. There were no heroes or beauty in the world. No wonderful overcoming or examinations of the indomitable human spirit.
The girl’s pained expressions dampened to mere whimpers alongside flashes of weak, flailing hysteria; her infection was bad, and I was glad for her continued pain, because it meant she was alive. Once I’d found a place, perhaps a mile out from the garden, deep in the buildings of the tall ruins, I deposited her on the sidewalk then looked over her. She looked thin, famished (soul famished), and her eyes could not hold a concentrated gaze. Only after surveying the surrounding area, I withdrew my water gourd and put it to her lips slowly, being sure as to not drown her with its contents—her eyes shut and she supped at the mouth of the dead gourd, not even having the energy to hold it with her hands. I examined her deep cuts; a few scabby places around her wounds demonstrated healing, but others looked too deep and I imagined that’s where the infection was.
My voice whispered, “These are antibiotics. Please swallow them. Even if you need to chew them, take them.” Unsure if my words had registers, I pushed the pills to her lips and her closed eyes contorted funny before I slotted the medicine past her teeth and offered her another drink of water. As expected, she chewed while drinking. I lifted her once more and walked tiredly to the safehouse me and Aggie had shared the previous night. Dead weight is easily the worst part of it. The girl’s limp body hung off my shoulder and reminded me that every step I took was an infinitely small conquest.
“Stop it,” protested the girl.
“Shh,” I said.
“I want to go home.”
“Don’t we all?”
“It’s scary out here.” Perhaps she’d momentarily gained lucidity.
“Shh. You’ll attract the scary things. Just be quiet.”
It was dark by the time we reached the building with the safehouse. I fashioned a sled from an old piece of discarded sheet wood so that I could mobilize the incapacitated girl up the many stairs to my hidden place. She’d not liked it when I’d secured her to the board with the rope and with every thump up the stairs, I half expected a creature to show, but nothing happened. I hoisted the makeshift sled by its connected rope, and it took until pitch black till we shuffled into the safehouse. With the door secured, I turned my attention to her, removed my jacket from her naked shoulders and set to cleaning her wounds with alcohol and bandaging what I thought was necessary—even through the smell of her blood, the antiseptic, and through the smoke I’d lit, I could smell the brimstone wafting off her. It was treacherous, but I gave her a spare fit of clothes I’d brought and while the threads hung off her too largely, at least she’d been given decency. With her tucked into a bedroll, I watched through the same windows I’d peered from the night prior and watched the glowing eyes of creatures that parkoured across tall structures, or fought amongst themselves, and every so often it seemed those eyes stared back at me through the dirty glass, but I hoped not. I secured the door each night but was hopeful the deal would keep them at bay.
Only a few times did the Boss’s daughter stir throughout the night, but she seemed to rest well enough as anyone could within the circumstances. There were a few times I checked the heat off her forehead and felt the temperature rising. Stripping a bit of cloth off my shirt sleeve, I dampened it and draped it across her forehead; if she’d been so unlucky as to catch a fever then she’d die for I had no measures against it.
Sleep came in short spells for me, and I burned too much lantern oil, because there was a fantasy within me where I could go back for Aggie; it was common.
It was morning then night then morning again and I was breaking what little bread I had for a tough sandwich when I heard her stir from her slumber; I watched as the young woman fumbled her hands above her prone body, touching nothing, then her eyes fluttered and she pushed herself up so as to bend into a sitting position, arms buttressing her so that she could slowly examine the room. I moved to sit near her, after placing coffee over the cooking stove. Her hand moved to her face where wounds would assuredly become scars, bad deep ones that might never heal right (demon wounds never healed right all the way) and she flinched as her fingernails poked at the lines down her cheeks.
“What’s this?” Her voice was gravelly, monotone, and dry.
“You’re awake then?” I asked.
“I think so.”
“Good. How are your limbs? Notice anything about them that are off? Can you feel everything?”
Her jaw clenched. “I don’t know if I’ll feel anything again.”
Ignoring this, I returned to the stove and pushed the heat higher. “Can you eat?”
“I’m thirsty.”
I motioned for the water gourd by her bedroll. “Can you eat? You should eat something.”
Greedily, she removed the cork and drank heavily, lines of water streaking down her chin. After removing the gourd from her mouth, a long sigh escaped her and I awaited her response, but instead, the only thing that came was a wet gurgle as she slammed the water to her lips again.
“The sooner you eat something, the stronger you’ll get. The sooner you’re strong, we’ll hit the road home. I imagine you thought you’d never miss home as much as right this second, huh?”
She cradled the gourd in her hands and smacked her lips; although her eyes were weary, a tad unfocused, she seemed self-possessed enough. “I think I’ve met you before. I think I know you.”
“Maybe,” I shrugged, “Lots of people in Golgotha have met me, but not many people know me well,” I laughed but couldn’t smile, “That sounded cheesy.”
“You work for my dad.”
I shook my head. “I do things for the Bosses sometimes. I don’t work for anyone. Never have. But sometimes a Boss needs something, I guess I’ll do it.”
“What do you do?”
“I rescued you.”
Her cold stare fell from my eyes till they drifted to the wide windows that overlooked the ruins. “I always thought it would be beautiful. Like a big, beautiful place. I thought it would be home. I thought it would be like dreams.”
My eyes followed hers where we could see the overwhelming cement-work that’d been done to create the ruins; walls were hewn to show skeletal rebar and every broken window was like a black tunnel. Each building was a tombstone. “It’s a graveyard.”
“Lady said burning incense would keep the monsters away. She told me it was the only way to keep them away.” Her voice was small with a hint of betrayal.
“Incense is good for ceremonies or preaching, but if incense was what you used to keep them away, you might as well have learned one of Lady’s incantations and done a little chicken dance.” I huffed. “If they want you and you’re there for the wanting, they’ll take you.”
She took in more water until the gourd was empty and then she held her stomach.
“Careful. If you drink too much all at once like that, you’ll end up with pains.”
She massaged her legs and removed herself from the innards of the bedroll to sit atop it. “Thank you.”
I swallowed hard and pulled the fresh coffee from the heat. “You should eat something. Do you prefer bread or canned beans—I could smack together a sandwich for you. The choices are slim at the moment, but there’s a bit of dried meat too.”
“Why don’t they take you?”
I gritted my teeth into what was hopefully a welcoming grin. “Hush. You should eat up and try to conjure whatever energy you have. I know you’ve been through it, but there’s more to come till we see home.”
“Home?”
“Indeed.”
“I came out here with Andrew. Did you find Andrew?” Her eyes momentarily illuminated with hope.
“Who’s that?”
Her eyes drifted. “He was going to be my husband. He said we’d be married.”
“He’s definitely dead.” There was no way to tell if her sweetheart was still kicking or not, but there was no use in arguing over it.
“Oh,” she whispered. There was a pause where she seemed to study the bedding she laid on. “I didn’t think it would be like this. I thought for sure that there would be something hiding out here in the wastes.”
“There’s stuff hiding alright.” I began to shrug it off but stopped myself when I could see the tears forming in her eyes. “There’s always hope, I guess.”
We took to eating nearer the large windows overlooking the large mouthy chasms and between swallows there were spits of conversation, but her attention was largely unconcentrated. At least her hunger was good, and she drank well.
I smoked while she interrogated me further on the state of the world.
“All I know is Golgotha. You’ve been around, right? Is there any good place left?” She was practically pleading the question.
“I ain’t been all over exactly. It’s not so simple. If there’s a safe place on this earth left, it won’t be long till those monsters find it and make it worse.” I watched a puff of smoke from my cigarette plume off the glass window inches from my face. “Who knows, huh? Maybe there’s a good place. Maybe there’s a place we go after life? Maybe that’s the safe place? My best advice? Don’t hope for it. Make it. Make it safe in the place you know. Do it in Golgotha and never leave those walls again. There’s nothing for you out here.”
Her voice was small in the wake of mine. “You sound bitter. I don’t know how you could say that. That’s why I left home. I thought—we thought there’s gotta’ be a good place still left. Maybe a place by the ocean.”
I shuddered at the thought. “The ocean?”
She nodded.
I shook my head. “Don’t even try it. You’ve heard the stories of what it’s like.”
“Those are just stories to scare kids.”
I sighed. “And I’m sure you thought the stories of these ruins was just to scare kids. I’m sure you thought you knew it all.” I rubbed the cigarette dead against the window. “Take a hint and stay home. We hole up like rats or we die like ‘em.”
A thought crossed her expression before she could enunciate it, “I remember your name,” said the girl, “It’s Harkin or something.”
“Harlan?”
“Yeah, that’s right! You’re Mister Harlan.”
“I guess.”
“I’ve seen you down in the town square sometimes. You like to start fights. Lady told me to stay away from you.”
“Hmph.”
“Well, never would’ve thought you were such a crank. You are quite the pessimist.”
“No, I’m an optometrist.”
“I think you mean optimist.”
“I don’t.”
“You’re very dull and angry-seeming.”
“That’s a lot of words coming from a rich girl I pulled out of a hole.”
The room was quiet before she changed the subject once more, “Well, don’t you want to know my name?”
“Sure.” The word was plain.
“I’m Gemma.”
“A pleasure.” A moment of silence. “You are aware that your father’s caused a fuss on the home-front because of your adventure?”
She shook her head.
“He shut off the water. That’s why I came to find you. He said he wouldn’t relinquish the pipes till his daughter was home. You have caused quite the problem.”
“I-I didn’t know.”
“’Course you didn’t. The haves rarely think of how their actions might affect the have-nots.”
“Well—okay, fine but there’s other places out west too! More than these ruins. More than Golgotha too. I heard from travelers and traders that there are whole other places with different ways of life. Why don’t people go there? Why should my father have more say than another?”
I nodded. “Sure, there’s a place out west where they raise sheeps, chickens, or goats; that’s where the demons stalk worse than anywhere. And even further west—northwest to be precise—there’s where the medicines and wizards hail—a city called Babylon. There’s other places, but you wouldn’t have the faintest idea of how to get there! If you did, you’d have no standing! You’d be no better than any peasant in those places. Golgotha’s where your family is. Where your station is distinguished. You’d be a fool to give it up.”
She remained quiet for only a moment, studying the lines on her palms. “Surely there’s better places than home.”
“I’ve seen some,” I shook my head, “If you’re looking for a better place, wait for death. At least the walls are tall, and the guns are big.”
We rested there at the waypoint for a handful of days; fevers began to take her sometime throughout the night. It would be smart to get her home before it got worse.
We set out just as the sun crested some unseen horizon, sending shadows long and darker; there were points when hugging the sides of pitch-black walls, that it remained night even in day within the dead city. Gemma was slow and I took note of her knees or elbows quivering due to whatever strain might be placed upon them with our traversal. I remained as calm as I could as we shifted through the morning chill, through hell, through the uncompromising screams of distant mutants or demons echoing off the walls. Every so often those howls would come, and Gemma might freeze where she was and I could see that if only for a moment, her eyes shrank, her throat swallowed, and she looked small and scared, then it would be as though she was totally unbothered, and she’d throw her shoulders back and continue following me.
“Are you winded yet?” I asked after several hours of climbing old wreckage and pushing across rubble.
“No,” her speech was gasped yet tempered, “Not yet. I’m fine.”
“Don’t be stupid.” I stopped, put up my hand and motioned for her to take a seat on a nearby stone. We sat for a moment, and I passed her the water. A few of the last drops ran the length from the corner of her mouth to her ear lobe and I winced at the loss.
“I’m ready to go again.” She moved to rise, and I put my hand on her shoulder, snatching the empty gourd from her.
“Don’t act silly now. There’s no reason with all the sun we’ve got. I hope to make it to Golgotha while there’s still light, but that does not mean I intend on dragging your corpse with me. If you need to relax, relax.”
“If there’s nothing better in this world, then what’s my corpse matter?” Gemma cut her eyes at me and stood to move away from me.
“Woe is you!” I felt anger rising. “Let’s go then, but if you fall out here, I’m done dragging your ass around.”
“Don’t.” She shrugged.
The travelling was slowed. I caught a strange glint off Gemma’s eyes when sun shafts landed across her face.
“Are you feverish still? How warm are you feeling?” The brief thought of touching her forehead graced my thoughts.
She didn’t answer and instead pushed on and so I did the same, maintaining a healthy habit of checking that she was following behind every few seconds.
Without another break, through heavy breathing and through sweat, we met the edges of the open field around Golgotha nearing early evening, and I saw the fortified walls cloaking the base of the city’s structures far out. I came to a stop while Gemma attempted to continue walking. I snatched her by the wrist, stopping her. Her head lolled around to look at me although I’m certain she didn’t really see me and she cut her eyes hard, yanking her hand free of mine. “Don’t touch me. I see home. It’s home. You said it’s important. We should go hide like rats.” Her jabbering came from the mouth of someone protesting through the haze of a dream.
“No. I need to signal that we’re coming. The men on the walls will see us through their scopes, but that doesn’t mean a stray bullet won’t find us.” I removed the sheet of aluminum Boss Maron had given me days prior and unfolded it until the thing was large as parchment sheet; I waved the aluminum flag overhead and began walking forward, grabbing Gemma’s hand again. She did not fight me and instead staggered along, her foot tips tracing lines in the dirt. Normally, I might’ve checked through binoculars that the men on the wall signed back, but keeping ahold of Gemma was more important in her delirious state. “We’ve still got enough sun in the sky that they’ll know its us from the reflection.”
Just as the words left my mouth, darkness overcame the landscape and I felt cold for it wasn’t night that came, but a massive shadow; I felt the wind of something immense and pulled Gemma closer to me. Looking up into the air, there was the great winged beast—a thing I’d only seen once before and never so close to a human bastion. Its several clawed fists hung in front of its chest, forelegs muscled and prepared for snatching whatever unsuspecting prey it might find; the demon’s great head was that of a serpent and the wings which arched from its back gathered wind beneath their membranes; each stroke it took overhead left a dust fog in front of us and I could scarcely make out the innumerable writhing tendrils which danced off the creature’s body. The distinguished sound of the wall’s gunfire registered across the open land, and I felt Gemma fall into me. Leviathan circled against the angry sky, casting its tremendous shadow across us. Examining Gemma, I could see her fever had overtaken her and she’d fallen unconscious.
“I told you goddammit! I’m not going to drag your ass across this field! Wake up!” I shook the unconscious girl. Her eyelids flickered. “Wake up for Christ’s sake.” I slapped her hard and nothing and I shook her some more and pleaded. Leviathan’s scream shook the ground beneath us.
I moved across the open field as quickly as my legs would allow; with the addition of Gemma’s dead weight, I could pull on her limp arms only so long before I knelt before the shadow of the beast and hoisted her over my shoulders. I ran, top heavy, and imagined my feet leaving solid ground. Loud bangs were the signature for muzzle flashes from the wall that I could scarcely see through the sweat in my eyes.
There was no protest from Leviathan, not a care in response to the barrage of munitions.
Artillery whistled through the air and the ground shook once more while I staggered over my own weight to glance up at the beast as it took a broadside shot to its black torso and although the wound it received seemed critical, it remained unfazed while tar-colored flesh shed off the beast, plodding all around me. The warmth from the explosion kissed me like hot breath while the smell of rotted chicken filled the air and Leviathan’s blood rained over us as it adjusted itself in the sky. Dark blood ran granular and rough down my face and maybe Gemma mumbled innocuous cries—still I continued through the muck. Another artillery round struck the creature’s left wing, leaving behind a smoldering hole in its thick membrane, sending it forward into a nosedive to the ground. Its trajectory arched overhead till it slammed in an explosion of sand far to the left and the sun beamed once more. Its cries were the thousands (if not more) souls it’d devoured, screeching not like a dragon, but a village of tormented folks removed from this world and placed in another; it was the screams of strangled ghosts; the wild tentacles dotting its body writhed, snatching out at open air like whips and as thick as metal cables. The wind off the beast stung as it sent up sand in my face. Like a mistaken dog, it shook its head and propelled itself far and away into a leap that shook the ground till it glided over the horizon toward a place unseen.
I stood in the open field, certain I was dead; it was not until murmurs escaped Gemma’s mouth that I took toward Golgotha again.
The cheers of the men on the wall overtook the clacking of the main gate coming free. I fell through the doorway while some of the wall-men gathered around. The blood of Leviathan was already thickened in the sun, clinging off me with some of its meat stinking and steaming into my clothes.
“Take the girl home,” I shouldered Gemma off me onto the ground and she was caught by the men while I fell. People gathered round in knots of bewildered faces.
“Water!” some of them shouted as the spigots in town ran freely once more. Some cheered while I took tiredly in the square by the gate and sat on an arrangement of cinderblocks. Boss Maron was there, an old metal bucket banging against his left knee; he took the contents of the container and tossed it over my head. The water was warm but welcome.
“You stink.” Said the Boss.
“Why don’t you go shit somewhere else?” I was nauseous at the stench clinging to me—shaking my right hand, a hunk of the creature sloughed off my arm onto the ground.
Boss Maron took up alongside me. “Why don’t we just play nice some, eh?”
“I don’t want to hear it.”
“What’s happened to the girl you left with? You left with one girl and came back with another? What a heartbreaker you are! Certainly, a man about town!”
Depositing my pack between my knees, I removed tobacco and took to rolling a cigarette. The paper kept tearing in my hands.
“Boss Harold has a plan for those boys. Those ones that took him hostage.”
“So?”
“So, I’m just glad you came back with the girl. Others are too.”
“It’s not like you went without water.”
A chuckle fell from him. “’Course not. There’s no reason I should. But some of the veggies in the hydro lab looked thirsty. It’s good you returned when you did. Anyway, we knew you’d come through. I can’t remember a time you haven’t.”
I bit a poorly folded cigarette and inhaled opposite a match. My eyes traced the people cheering in the streets out near the gate then up to the wall where soldiers stood with their rifles.
“What brought the dragon out?” Boss Maron wondered aloud.
“Who gives a shit? Why don’t you go pull its tail and ask.”
Among the revelers stood a figure in a cloak with a hood covering stringy gray hair. Lady was there in a moment, watching my conversation from afar, then she was swallowed by the crowd.
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Part 9
Kathy Evenson, Professional
In the streets of a small town, somewhere in the Seventh World
"Now, that might be the finest pack I ever seen, Kath," Kells said as Kathy pushed her arms through the straps of her backpack and fastened the buckle in front. She pulled the slack out of the arms and turned to smile at him.
It was a modern pack. A fairly expensive one, too. MOLLE attachments were on every surface, and it had actually come as a kit, with a pair of main bags and two or four of several different size compartments, to be attached as needed, customized to each consumer. She'd spent quite a bit of money on it, but with the Agency always willing to reimburse her for expenses related to her work, she hadn't sweated the price tag.
Kells and his men, on the other hand, had simple canvas sacks with leather reinforcements and straps. Nevin, the one who had doubted that she killed a walker, had the fanciest one, with some sparse cloth padding on his shoulder straps and an extra compartment. They were all well-made, but worn, simple, and primitive. In comparison to those, her pack really was remarkable.
"Thank you," she said. "Would you like one?" Kells blinked in surprise.
"I have an extra," she added. "It's yours. I literally have no use for it."
"Err, um, it's a bit late fer me t'be transferrin' all me supplies..." Kells demurred. Kathy gave his shoulder a pat and a squeeze.
"I'll help you do it when we stop to make camp," she said. "You've got to put the pack together, anyways."
"Aye then," Kells said, his face splitting into a grin.
"When this is all over," Kathy added. "I can kit your men out with the same pack. And some other, more advanced tools than what you have now. And before you protest, know that I won't be the one paying for it."
"Aye," Kells repeated, his grin growing wider. Kathy had no doubt that the shrewd man had taken note of her clothing and kit already, and knew that she came from somewhere more advanced and wealthy than this place.
Dunnes, one of Kells' men, who seemed to be his second-in-command, walked up then. "We're all set boss. Any word on the Searchers?"
Kells looked to Kathy, who glanced up the street to where the inn stood. The only person in front of it was a local, walking past, leading a giant, dog-sized rat on a leash. Kathy had seen a number of those rats, and they seemed to be popular pets around here. She'd even seen a younger boy tickling one, and heard the rat giggling up a storm in response, when she came into town.
She ignored the recurring desire to secure one for herself and shrugged. "Last I heard, they were coming with us or they weren't. I guess they're not." She sighed, wondering how she'd managed to misread the situation. Luna and the others had so much of Jerry and Sarisa in them that she'd been certain she had a good handle on them. But apparently, she'd been wrong in assuming she'd talked them into this.
"I suppose not," she said. "Let's get moving, then."
She and Kells followed Dunnes back to the others. They all stood around a large cart, loaded with supplies for the journey. Kathy had shelled out quite a few of her chits to fill that cart, and she noticed that there were a few sacks she didn't recognize. That would be Kells' private stash. He'd told her that he regularly collected valuable things, for sale in the next town. The income from that bit of trading helped supplement his and his men's wages, keeping them flush with enough chits to always buy the best equipment and stay full on supplies. It was, in Kells' words, '...One o'the secrets o'me success.'
Fluffs took his place on the cart's handles, easily hoisting the heavy load with broad shoulders and tree-trunk-sized arms, and they began to move.
They had just passed the edge of town when Kathy's keen ears heard pounding footsteps on the road behind her. She turned to find Luna running towards them, a pack thrown over her shoulders, under her shield, and her sword bouncing along at her side. Kathy tapped Kells on the arm, then pointed back.
"Ho!" Kells hollered, causing the whole procession to slow down. Kathy stopped, letting Luna catch up.
"Decided to join us after all?" she asked.
"I didn't think you would get such an early start," Luna admitted. Kathy noted that the young woman wasn't even a little out of breath from her run. "We tend to sleep in late."
"Aha," Kathy said, wondering if they understood how dangerous that habit could be. She shrugged. She'd school them plenty during the journey. Speaking of which...
"Where are your brothers?" she asked. Luna glanced around, then met Kathy's eyes.
"They're here. They like to stay quiet and out of sight."
Kathy slipped her eyes into the magical spectrum and noted the four knots of dense illusion magic. Each one was about person-sized and shaped. She smiled at each one in turn.
"Glad you boys could join us," she said, then turned back to Luna. "And you, of course."
"We're only here because you offered to help us find and kill Gerard," Luna said. Kathy nodded.
"Don't you worry. A good man taught me the value of keeping my promises."
----
Gary Johnson, Surprised Old Dude With a Gun
Johnson-Wallace Residence, Baltimore, MD
"Whatta ya mean, coming out o' retirement?" Gary asked. Chris nodded.
"I'm an Einherjar, love," Chris said. "My retirement was always going to be temporary. Nat's old enough that she doesn't need me here all day, anymore. Hell, she's out cavorting with her friends now. I have no idea where they're at. I'm useless, sitting around the house, and both of us are neat freaks. There's not enough to keep me busy here."
"I ain't arguin' with ya," Gary said, needing to be clear on this. "But whatta ya gon' do? Join th'group? I dunno how well things'll work out, what with you workin' fer me."
Chris looked away, and Gary immediately recognized that he had a secret. Gary narrowed his eyes. "What ain't ya been tellin' me, Darlin'?" he demanded.
Chris sighed. "I've been talking to the Agency," he admitted.
"Oh shit," Gary said. "They want ya guarding more field agents out in Bumfuck, Nowhere?"
"No, they want me to be a field agent," he said.
"How much trainin' time?" Gary asked.
"Two weeks. They know my background, both with the Army and The Group. They just want to make sure I know the Company's procedures, test me, and then get me out there."
"D'ya know where they'll be sending ya?" Gary asked, imagining what it would be like to spend months on end without any contact with his husband. He didn't like it.
"Kathy needs a partner," Chris said.
"Kathy's a one-woman army," Gary shot back. "An' th'Agency damn well knows it. Iffen they're suggesting pairin' ya up with her, they're lyin' t'keep yer interest."
"It's not like that," Chris insisted, shaking his head. "The Agency's preparing for the worst, and with Kathy, they want to have her as an ace up their sleeve. Adding an Einherjar to that mix only helps maximize her effectiveness. You know she's as facile with magic as Jerry is, even if she doesn't have the same power or experience. She's got the same talent that man does. Being able to keep her from having to physically fight as much in any kind of engagement would allow her to be a lot more deadly than she is now. And I'm not exactly a pushover. I've got my rebirth time down to less than a tenth of a second."
Gary knew that Chris had been working on his rebirth. One of the advantages of being Einheri was that, if Chris ever got killed, he'd respawn back in Valhalla, ready to fight again. The only delay was that caused by Chris returning to wherever he'd fallen. More than once, Gary had found Chris' lifeless body laying around the apartment while Nat was out, while a living Chris did laundry, cooked, or watched television.
"Tenth of a second ain't instantaneous," Gary pointed out, but it was a lame objection. The mere shock of Chris returning in an eyeblink after dying would more than offset that small amount of lost time in most fights.
Chris didn't respond, knowing as well as Gary did that it wasn't worth responding to. After a moment, Gary spoke again. "I ain't trying t'argue with ya," he said.
Chris nodded. "I know. It's instinct. You lost me once, and even knowing that you can't do it again, you're scared."
"Ayup," Gary admitted. Chris stepped forward and wrapped his arms around him, so Gary took Chris by the waist and squeezed. He felt Chris' head resting on his shoulder and nuzzled him.
"It's gonna be all right, Pookie Butt," Chris whispered. Gary snorted a laugh.
"Don't call me that, dammit," he groused, but his heart wasn't in it.
Chris pulled back, grinning, so Gary kissed him. A simple peck on the lips turned into two, which turned into a longer kiss. When they finally separated, Gary sighed. "It's fer th'best, really. I know you can raise hell, and right now, we need all the hell raisers we can get."
"That's kinda what I'm thinking," Chris agreed.
"This business about pairing ya up with Kathy needs addressin', though." Gary went on. "I'mma put a word in with my own contacts. See iffen I can get ya assigned t'work with The Group, as an extra liaison. We could use that level o'boots-on-the-ground contact."
Chris nodded. "I was told we'd be paired up once she finishes her current assignment. That we'd both be working closely with The Group."
"Good," Gary said. Then he nodded. "Good," he said again.
----
Sookie, On Point
Security Training Facility, DCM Central Regional HQ, Denver, CO
"Breech!" Linda cried. Sookie rushed forward, her foot lashing out to kick the door, right in the middle, without breaking stride. The door swung open, shuddering on the hinges as she rushed through and broke left. Right behind her, Jim Carmichael broke right. Emily Windham followed Sookie and Linda brought up the rear, behind Jim.
The pop-up targets began to move, the sensor on the door triggering them. An armed target appeared from behind the bullet-ridden couch, so Sookie smoothly lined her red dot on it and dumped a quick trio of shots through the center mass. She moved on as someone else fired, behind her. The noise was deafening inside the shoot house, but her earpro was doings its job well enough.
"Clear," Emily radioed.
"Room right," Jim said through the speakers in her headset. Sookie heard the crash of another door being kicked open. "Frag out," he added.
A deafening crack split the air. "Clear," Jim announced as soon as the echoes died down.
Sookie made for an archway as Emily's hand came down on her shoulder. Before she passed through it, she angled herself against the wall, getting an angle on the room beyond. It looked clear for the moment. She pied out, sweeping the room until a pair of targets popped up. A screaming woman and a man holding up his hands in surrender.
Sookie shot the man, three more rounds right through the chest. Emily fired from behind her and to her left, but Sookie had broken the habit of taking her eyes off her own lane already.
"Stacking!" Linda called out. Sookie slowed until Emily patted her shoulder, then went back to her smooth, rolling gait. She kept her short-barreled rifle up. This gun was a lot more useful in this tight spaces than the sixteen-inch barrel she'd started training with.
It was a modified M7 Spear, with a 12-inch barrel, modified and enchanted by the Group in a Mk15 configuration. The lens of the red dot optics on top could zoom up to 74X, and the 'dot' itself -actually a tiny crosshairs- would always point to right where the bullet would land, regardless of range, angle or windage. The gun never heated up, the magazine never ran dry, and there were selector switches and magical hooks allowing her to dial the ammo to a variety of different types. High-explosive, frangible, training ammo that would vanish after imparting a lot of kinetic energy but not yet penetrating, target shooting ammo, armor-penetrating... The list went on for some time, and the hooks included a 'smart' component that could automatically select for her. It was the nicest gun she'd ever fired, and she suspected that was true of the others, as well.
It was also the only bit of kit she'd taken from the Group. The standard armor and uniform didn't suit her. Instead, she wore the battle rattle she'd spent the past few months training in, comfortable and familiar with it. Under that, she wore a tight, yet flexible false leather catsuit. It was expensive, and it showed off her modest curves and shapely behind in a way that felt natural. It moved easily, didn't get caught on stuff, breathed well, and provided excellent protection against minor scrapes and cuts.
She found no other doors in the room, so she keyed her radio mic. "Clear," she called.
"All clear," Linda confirmed. They all relaxed.
"Under six, for sure," Jim said. Linda winked at him. "Maybe," she said, then turned to Sookie.
"What's up with the surrender?" she asked. Sookie quirked an eyebrow, so Linda gestured at the last target she'd shot.
"That guy's surrendering. Why'd you shoot him?"
Sookie walked over to the target and tapped the little protrusion next to the man's neck. "That's the butt of a gun," she said. "With his hands up like that, he could have grabbed it and fired in the blink of an eye. He wasn't surrendering, he was pretending to surrender."
Emily walked over, peered at it and laughed. "Holy shit, good spot!"
Linda looked closely at it for a second, then shook her head. "That's Director Johnson, striking again. Man, he really likes to keep us on our toes. Good eye, Sookie. I didn't catch that at all."
They filed out of the small structure and checked the large clock on the wall. Five point seven three seconds.
"Fucking nailed it," Jim said.
"Isn't six seconds the passing grade?" Sookie asked.
"Nine seconds is a pass. Six seconds is the pass for Black Team," a new voice said. Sookie turned to see an unremarkable looking man approaching. He wore a polo shirt with the group logo on it, khaki pants, and had a small handgun holstered on his belt.
"Hey, Bob," Jim said. Bob walked up and shook Jim's hand, then greeted Emily and Linda the same way.
"And you must be Miss Ohma," he said, facing Sookie. Sookie eyed him. He was handsome, in a somewhat bland way. But his eyes sparkled with both a deep humor and a vast intellect. She'd seen eyes like his before. They belonged to the most talented warriors. The men you dared not underestimate. She smiled, her lips curling into their most seductive state of their own accord as she extended a hand.
"Call me Sookie," she purred.
"How about I call you sexy?" he replied in a low, smooth voice, taking her hand and kissing the knuckles. Sookie grinned, her libido flaring for the first time in a long time.
"That works, too," she said.
"I'm Bob Brown," he went on, his voice returning to a low, relaxed tenor.
"Captain Brown," Linda added. "Of Black Team."
Sookie smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. "Are you here to recruit me?"
"All of you, in fact," Bob said. Jim gasped. "And not so much to recruit you as to ask you to do the rest of the Black Team Q course. And if you pass that, then yes."
"Sookie doesn't work for The Group," Linda said. "She's a client, in fact."
"Shame," Bob said. "But I think I have a new question for the legal department."
"I'm also a registered contractor," Sookie added, sensing her chance to spend some time around the bland, dangerous man slipping away. A distant part of her brain noted the way her libido was, once again, a factor. She didn't quite know how to feel about that. It felt like a relief, but also like a betrayal. But she didn't know who she was betraying. Certainly not Eric.
"Oh?" Bob asked, raising his brows. Sookie thought he looked like the kind of guy who'd be a good dad, which was hot, even if she couldn't give him any children. Maybe he had some already. He wasn't wearing a wedding band, but he did have a pale strip around his ring finger.
"Uh huh," Sookie went on. "And I'm certified to do security operations, too." She saw Linda turn and put her hands on her hips, staring, so Sookie turned and smiled.
"I'm a lover, not a fighter, but sometimes I can be useful. I've never been afraid to fight, I've just never been very good at it."
"That clock would beg to differ," Bob said. He produced a tablet from his back pocket and tapped on it. A moment later, Linda's phone dinged.
"Sergeant," Bob said. "I just sent you the requirements. Now, if you four are interested in joining Black Team, then I'd be happy to stick around and mercilessly judge your performance. You've already done the shoot house, provided you got the fake surrendering guy."
Emily nudged Sookie with an elbow. Sookie grinned. "I got him," she said.
Bob smiled back, every bit the image of a proud dad.
"Good," he said. "Now let's see if you can handle the hard part."

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Memory Transcription Subject: Taylor Trench, Human Colonist
Date [standardized human time]: July 28, 2160
If Gress could track my implant in an uncharted desert, using his police contacts, why hadn’t Mafani’s translator been traceable for so long? Either Underscales knew how to evade security, or the sadistic Resket was somewhere he had a buffer between himself and the eyes in the sky. The cavern, where Tellus’ settlers had lived exclusively for years, wasn’t hidden, according to my Krev friend’s reluctant offerings. I knew he could get in trouble for providing too many details, but the thought unsettled me. I’d been spending more time trying to analyze the world around me, rather than let my emotions and impulses get the best of me—and I’d stumbled on a worrying conclusion. The Consortium must’ve been able to track our movements for years through those devices.
It was a likely assumption that the Jaslip enclaves had been under surveillance as well; they’d outright said they had memory checkpoints. I supposed it wasn’t that damning if it was used solely for security purposes, but that didn’t stop my skin from crawling at the idea. The intended use was failing us now, given how long it’d taken to find Mafani, locked on a single world. The pink avian couldn’t have gotten off-planet without a spaceship launch being detected, so that meant he had to be far enough underground that it blocked signals. That must’ve been why the Trombil were combing the globe with ground-penetrating radar, looking for hidden refuges. But how could someone have entrenched a hideout that deep into Tellus without being noticed?
Unless it was before we left the cavern for the surface. Were they planning to tunnel up into our underground homes? Is that a crazy idea? Shit, it’s easier to let other people come up with the theories.
My thoughts continued to spin as we loaded onto a shuttle, with Radai herding us in with a special team; his honor-bound culture made it a necessity to give me the chance to seek vengeance on the bastard who wronged me. I didn’t want to get sucked back to just thinking about hurting those who inflicted pain upon me. Gress told me there were other ways of coping with the intrusive thoughts that haunted me, and left me bitter over what had been taken from me. Changing my entire persona wasn’t easy, especially when I felt like I had nothing but hatred. Nothing except the Krev, who warmed my heart, to keep me from falling back to old habits—and failing to be a better person again. My exchange partner was also causing me to reconsider things about myself that I had denied for a long time.
Quana settled next to me on the shuttle, binocular eyes seeming kinder. “How do you feel, now that we have a lead on Mafani?”
“I can’t let my feelings control me. I think I want to protect Tellus; he’s a threat to our safety. He could come after me, you, or any of us if he’s out there. He has the skills to kill people,” I grunted.
The Jaslip playfully swatted me with her tail. “So do you, Taylor Trench. You’re not helpless, and unlike Mafani, you have people on your side. Whatever differences we have, I came here just to help humans.”
“I know. I really am grateful to finally have…anyone care about me. I’ve forgotten who my self is to even try to be true to it. I…never could be me in the caverns.”
“It’s not easy to find out who you are, and make it who you want to be. I know what it’s like to feel hatred for your oppressors.” Quana’s pupils darted between Gress and Radai, before returning to me. “I saw how you lived in that burrow. The air was…musty. It seemed to suck my soul a little with each breath that passed through my nostrils. You were cramped down there for twenty-four years.”
“It wasn’t just me. I’m the one that lost their head about it, and couldn’t…accept it.”
“Wasn’t there literally a strike? You weren’t the lone colonist that couldn’t accept their lot. Spirits, Cherise mentioned that she cried beneath her mask when she first took a security role and went up—felt and saw the sun. It was the unreachable goal, made tangible.”
“Cherise always kept her cool…and kept me from going off the deep end. I don’t know how she did it.”
Quana’s whiskers twitched. “Neither do I. Smell is a lot more important of a sense to Jaslips, granted, but I couldn’t live in a cave—like you and your earliest ancestors did. I’d feel the same way, about a fresh breeze and scents on the wind, that you do about sunlight and running around.”
“I’m glad for your acute nose, Quana. Only a Jaslip could’ve found me that fast in that God-forsaken desert. You can pick up my scent from miles away!”
“Unfortunately for me.”
“How dare you?” I scoffed.
“You reek! Not to mention, I can smell your pheromones whenever you’re around Gress.”
“What?!” the eavesdropping Krev and I blurted at the same time.
The Jaslip cackled. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.”
Gress turned away from where he’d been catching up with Cherise; I could feel my cheeks turning red, which I imagined would only add to the “adorable primate” effect. The helmet had never been thrown on faster, in the futile hopes of disguising my embarrassment. To my relief, the aircraft landed on a specific patch of sandy rock, on the opposite side of Tellus’ circumference. I all but sprinted out of the shuttle as it touched down, relieved to be away from the awkward moment the Jaslip put me in. There wasn’t much that we knew about what Radai had learned, but I’d rather be hunting my abductor than confronting that comment’s implications. Quana slid into her back-mounted gun’s harness, over her bulletproof vest.
My eyes studied the objective on the HUD, spotting it listed hundreds of meters underground. My theory wasn’t wrong. Perhaps this is some kind of black ops Krev infrastructure? That explains how an Underscale would know about its presence.
General Radai stalked out into the sandy environment, never letting me out of his sight. “Listen up! The Consortium sent mapping drones deep underground to scour for any potential activity. We’ve encountered an unknown facility located far below the ground which appears to be…old and decaying. This is the best option Mafani has to hide away. We must anticipate armed resistance; we can’t determine if he’s alone.””
“Sir,” I ventured. “Who would’ve built an underground complex on Tellus? It sounds like it’s older than the ark colonists’ presence here, so…I don’t see a reason.”
“You have the same information I have, Trench. Any reason you think I’d have those answers?”
“No, sir.”
“Then why don’t you head down that nice hole our lasers carved to it, and find out?”
“With respect…I can’t fly.”
“Neither can I, but I know how to put on a fucking harness and jump!”
“That’s…” I don’t think I’m ready to jump that far down and fall like that. I’ve never seen anything from this high up outside a ship; it’s no wonder I feel weak at the knees. They did teach us to rappel down, but not from this high up. “Exactly what I’ll be doing, sir.”
“Good. The ropes are sitting out there. Get your ass in gear, or I’ll give you a tail in the form of my foot being planted there! That applies to all of you: move! Check each other’s knots before you jump—I don’t want to clean your guts off the ground.”
Gress, Cherise, and Quana tailed behind me as I began tying the loops that’d make the difference between life and death. The Krev looked a bit uneasy, despite being an arboreal creature. Cherise and Quana, meanwhile, were making light of the long descent; the female human gave the Jaslip a light push toward the hole, though far enough back that there was no real danger of her falling. The arctic carnivore yipped with indignation, circled around the smirking primate, and began tugging at Cherise’s pant leg. The white-furred quadruped looked almost like a dog playing tug of war. The humor eased my nerves a bit, though I was still apprehensive: just as I’d been on the orbital train that went straight down. This was much worse.
Gress turned to check the ropes that I’d tied, though he looked quite distracted. “Taylor…”
“Yeah?” I managed, clearing my throat.
“Do you remember what it’s like to be loved, and given affection? To have someone that holds you close and tells you it’s all going to be okay?”
“No. The last hug or kind word I got before you was my parents, before they put me on that damned ship.”
The Krev threw his scaly arms around my torso, much tighter than when I’d comforted him after he told me the true story of the Jaslip incident. The alien, who I’d once despised and wanted to bash his brains in, felt like a warm blanket of security. Gress was why I wanted to keep going—I could see it as plain as day. After learning that all of our toiling for decades was for nothing, he kept me from despairing. Right now, I felt a bit less fearful, knowing he’d save me if anything went wrong hopping down. I wished I could stay here and soak in the validating embrace, and tell him that he was the only person that made life worth living. My exchange partner retracted his limbs, and I realized I’d stood there: dumbly, motionlessly, and lifelessly.
“Sorry. I know you don’t like being touched…I should’ve asked,” the Krev coughed. “I just…didn’t want you to be afraid. Let’s go get Mafani.”
I nodded like an idiot. “Mafani. Yeah. He can’t get away with what he’s done.”
That’s such a stupid fucking thing to say. Snap out of it; can I pretend it was someone else under the helmet?
With sudden eagerness to plunge to my potential death, I began rappelling down in increments; my boots pressed against the dirt wall, as I tried not to look down at what was below. My mouth felt dry, so I pressed the chin button for water. My gloved hands clung to the rope like my life depended on it, since the last thing I wanted was to free fall such an abyssal distance. Quana looked clumsy imitating a biped’s actions, as she descended next to me. Cherise was taking the fall the fastest of us all, and sent a message into our helmets, shouting, “See ya!” in an exhilarated voice. That answered beyond a shadow of a doubt who the thrill seeker was among us. Gress crept down tentatively, and I found myself waiting for him. We had to do this together.
It took some time to reach the bottom of the hole, which was ample opportunity for Mafani to see us coming. Thermal cameras hadn’t picked up on the Resket, though the metal walls of the structure seemed to be blocking out that portion of the light spectrum. I breathed a silent relief as my boots touched solid ground, and caught Gress to ensure he didn’t take a hard landing. The Krev muttered a thanks, before trotting ahead to rejoin our squadmates. Special forces were manning the point, as they prepared to bust into the mysterious bunker. Rust was visible on the walls, with bits of metal having peeled away. Who would’ve built a shelter this far down, and this long ago? The Consortium itself was only a century old.
Maybe it could’ve rusted in that amount of time. I’m hardly an expert in oxidation.
Radai came careening down, grasping the rope with his wings just in time to avoid a nasty collision. For a ratite bird, incapable of flight, he was as fearless of heights as the ones that took to the skies. I readied my weapon, and waited for our unit to find out what was inside of this structure. It didn’t make any sense with the details I had, so I hoped hard evidence we found could shed some light on its origins. The general seemed uncertain over the structure, which affirmed that if it was from the Consortium, it wasn’t in his knowledge. It was odd to see him joining the field mission, but per Resket culture, disobedience of an order he gave and injury to soldiers under his command mandated a personal response. Their honor system put high-ranking officials in unnecessary danger.
Our allies finished cutting a hole in a sheet of metal, tiptoeing inside with guns raised; many of them were Reskets and Krev, since those species were the most well-suited to military service. I wondered if humans would wind up in special forces down the line. The avians had to duck through the opening, as they didn’t want to compromise the structural integrity. There was no gunfire or indicators of enemy contact on my HUD, once they entered the strange construction. I crept forward with my friends, hoping that this was Mafani’s hideout. More than revenge, putting the sadistic ratite down would help me not look over my shoulder constantly—I wanted to move on from my brush with death. My fingers curled tighter around the gun, remembering how it felt to be paralyzed.
Quana’s nostrils twitched, while her tail fronds swayed in confusion. “Whose writing is this? A dead language?”
I knelt beside the Jaslip, noticing words written above a crumbling door; my visual translator understood them, when I switched it on. It was a simple exit sign, like we would’ve seen in any building on Earth. Most peculiarly, the language the writing was identified as…was Sivkit. My head snapped back like I was slapped, while I tried to digest that factoid. What could it even mean, if those fringe grazers had…some long-lost dwellings on this world: our world?! What was their connection to Tellus, far outside their borders? That Sivkit fleet might’ve come to this system because of whatever this was. The ark ship and the entire Consortium weren’t outside the Federation’s sphere of influence after all.
“Why the fuck are we in a Sivkit bunker on our planet?!” I screeched.
Gress and Quana looked equally at a loss, and they didn’t respond to my panicked question. The Krev’s amber eyes were a bit watery, perhaps due to his own swirling thoughts. General Radai’s primary emotion was alarm, though he ensured that what we were seeing was livestreamed back to the Consortium brass. Tellus wouldn’t be safe if this was a place of importance to the Grand Herd. We had to find out what they wanted with our home, now and hundreds of years in the past. I tried to rein in my spiral, and consider what my allies might be thinking at the moment. Enemy infrastructure within our own space was a liability in the war; we weren’t working with all the facts on how much they knew about our space.
Forget going for the Federation’s heart—the Sivkits are the ones most likely to come after us. Maybe we should try to capture some of them, and find out just what they want. It might be worth the risk of them learning more about us, with this in mind.
Gress’ claws twitched, before he turned sad eyes toward me. “All of our efforts to hide from the Federation, and not draw their attention—they were here before. I wish we’d known this world was important to them. We could’ve moved. We could’ve let the Sivkits land, and hoped they’d leave us alone like we did with you…”
“Except humans were here,” I finished. “I’m sorry. You could’ve avoided war, if you didn’t have to stop them from finding out we survived.”
Cherise picked up a ribbon off the ground, before also finding what seemed like a bipedal Sivkit figurine. “We could’ve been found by their expedition at any time…and the Krev wouldn’t have protected us until recently. We inadvertently landed on one of the most dangerous planets for our kind.”
“It’s more than that. More than about humans,” Quana growled. “Esquo was destroyed to avoid the Federation stumbling across us, but that’s more likely to happen here—whether it’s further away or not! Don’t you see? Hundreds of millions died for nothing!”
“Hold on. Why is that Sivkit statue walking on two legs?” I demanded. “It looks like it’s fucking dancing.”
“That’s your focus?! Not what I said about the Jaslips?”
“What do you want me to say, Quana? I’m trying to make sense of this. There was no way of knowing the Feddies were so far out of their own turf.”
General Radai stepped between the two of us. “There can be multiple concerns at once. Obviously, this clashes with the information we had when making all of our governance decisions, for every species. It is cause for concern. Panicking and in-fighting will not help us deal with this or find out why the only remnant is such a decrepit bunker this far underground. There were no signs of past colonizations.”
“Then how did Mafani know about it?” Quana hissed distrustfully.
“That’s a valid question. And so is the shit about the bipedal bunnies,” I offered.
The Resket general’s eyes simmered. “Quadrupeds can act bipedal for short times, and sometimes do; Quana can attest to this. There’s not much to make of it. As for Mafani, he’s been planning this for months. My best guess is that he stumbled across it, looking for places to tunnel…or perhaps found a connection into it that we’re not aware of. The only way to find out is to catch him. We must gather as much intel as possible.”
“Getting a Sivkit’s memory transcript would be invaluable. They might have told us outright,” Gress mused. “I wonder what they would’ve said if we accepted their hail?”
“We’ll never know. This is why I would have preferred to attempt communication, but my crew were not reasonable. Our policy was to avoid war with the humans when we believed them Feds. This wasn’t a conflict I wanted, with incomplete information and the blood we must now spill to win.”
“If I knew the Sivkits had been here before, it wouldn’t have been a total surprise when they showed up.” I ran a hand through my scalp in frustration. “But what do they even want here? Why is a desert world important to a species that likes grazing in verdant worlds…devouring them?”
“Trench, did it occur to you they may have devoured this one? Tellus isn’t teeming with local flora.”
“Of course, sir, you’re right. But why would they come back if it’s…depleted?”
“I don’t know, because you upstart primates forced my wing, thinking you had the big picture. You should do less thinking, and more falling the fuck in line.”
“Understood, General Radai. Forgive my inquiries and past overreach. I’ll be following your orders all the way to Mafani, sir.”
The Resket leered at me for a few moments longer, before stomping off. I pretended not to notice the confusion he failed to disguise; the general was trying to quiet the unrest among his own ranks, but he couldn’t make heads or tails of our discovery either. Considering the disquiet it had created among us, I could imagine what this news could stir up in the wider Consortium. The words that’d really sunk their claws into me belonged to Gress, asking what the Sivkits might’ve said on the hail. What if that conversation could’ve saved lives, whether by preparing us for the war or from avoiding conflict altogether? I’d hated the xenos so much that I never gave a second thought to their deaths, until I stumbled across a child’s statuette.
There might’ve been Sivkit kids, Lecca’s age, on those vessels—something that would break Gress to consider. Is that more blood on my conscience, beyond just the drill explosion?
All I had ever wanted was to help humanity, but my passion only seemed to aggravate situations. Keeping the cesspool of hatred and hurt under wraps might not last long either; I wasn’t convinced I could change, or that there was another Taylor Trench deep inside at all. It was a matter of time before I hurt my friends, and proved to everyone that I was a terrible, selfish person. How could I ever be good for Gress, even if he was the only positive part of my life? I’d never deserve his affection, or a second chance at everything I’d done and failed to learn from. Perhaps General Radai was right that I should do less thinking and more falling in line.
Cherise snickered. “Those were actually legitimate questions. When did you grow a lone brain cell, Taylor? Gress, did you donate some?”
The Krev moved a claw along his temple, counting on his other paw. “Taking inventory. No, seems like all—”
“We came here to do a mission,” I snapped. “Let’s just do it. Mafani is still out there.”
“What’s…oh, I see. Taylor, it wasn’t your fault about the Sivkits. You weren’t the only human desperate to hide yourself, and you hardly started that policy.” The Krev wrapped an arm around my shoulders, voice and touch gentle. “We’ve all made mistakes; look at Esquo, having the wrong facts about where Jaslips would be safe. Look at me, majorly fucking up the deal with the k-kids. We just have to move on. I’m really proud of you for how you’ve grown and thought this through.”
“You…you are?”
“Of course I am. Even Cherise was giving you a backhanded compliment; you have more soul and intellect than you give yourself credit for. Use that. Keep asking questions and trying to protect the people you love. You’ll get a bit better at it, one day at a time.”
I wasn’t sure I believed what the Krev was saying, but hearing the conviction in his voice, a part of me wanted to. Having Gress around was why I’d decided to seek other emotional outlets in the first place; I didn’t want to hurt him because I was bleeding deep down. A taut smile forced its way on my face, and I nodded to signal agreement. We were in this together, to protect all of Tellus from Mafani. Whoever this hideout had belonged to long ago, that reality hadn’t changed. Perhaps following orders and asking questions weren’t as mutually exclusive as Radai’s verbal beatdown suggested. My hands tightened around my rifle, and our unit pressed deeper into the complex in search of a sadistic Resket.
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