A scrawny teenger in baggy clothes clothes walks past a man late at night who looked like he was suited up to go on a business trip. The teen bumps his shoulder decently hard.
“Sorry man, I didn’t see you there.” The teenagers says looking at him awkwardly. The man looks at him for a moment, almost looking a bit annoyed before he mutters. “It’s fine…” then walks off not thinking much of it.
The teenager runs around the corner and one of his friends is right there waiting for him. “So did you get it?” The other teenager whispered. He pulls out a wallet from out of his hoodie pocket and looks at him smiling. “Dude! See is this why I’m always workin with you you Aaron.” He says sounding excited. “You’re a bit meek but, you know how to run pockets like a pro. How about we spilt what’s in it fifty-fifty?” Ryder takes the wallet from his hand and pockets it.
“Fifty-fifty?! Don’t forget that I’m the one stole it so.” He says.
“Whatever man we’ll figure it out later. Let’s just get out of here.” Ryder exclaims.
They walks out into the street and see the man they stole the wallet from and a police office. The guy pointing directly at us while talking. “Shit, dude run!” Aaron yells before bolting into the alleyways.
They start running in between the alleys so they couldn’t be chased in a vehicle. They run for awhile before, they eventually loose him and decide to find somewhere to stay while they’re still hiding. After a bit of searching the city ends and an eery looking forest is up ahead. The trees almost looking like they’re decomposing, the branches completely devoid of life. “This spot works, let’s just go further in” Ryder exclaims.
“Hey Ryder. Maybe we should go back into the city… This place looks sketchy.” Aaron whispers. “They probably aren’t even looking for us anymore.”
Ryder starts walking into the forest, Aaron following behind closely. “You really don’t need to be such a pussy about everything y’know. We’ll be fine and besides if anyone tries anything.” Ryder shows Aaron a gun holstered under his shirt. It’s a standard revolver in good condition. “My Dad left it in his room last night.” He tells him.
After about 10 minutes of wondering into the forest they both decide it’s time to start heading back. “Alright man, I think it’s about time we start heading back. I think we’re safe by now.” Ryder spouts. Turning around to start heading back.
They both suddenly feel a breeze blow pass them. A breeze felt throughout the entire body, one that they feel so vividly on their skin, that it feels like it went right through their clothing. Whilst a sudden feeling of uneasiness spreads throughout them both.
“What was that?! Is someone there?! What just happened to me?!” Aaron shouts as he runs close to Ryder for protection.
Ryder quickly pushes him away telling him. “Back off dude! Why do you have to be such a bitch all the time man! Grow some fucking balls for once, it’s just a breeze.” Ryder starts walking off. Aaron quickly following not wanting to be left alone.
“Well I just thought since you had the gun and all…” Aaron says adopting a more passive stance. “How much money is even in that wallet we decided to risk it all for.”
“Um… that’s actually a good question.” Ryder exclaims before pulling out the wallet to count up the money. He unzips the top of it and pulls out roughly about twenty to thirty 100 dollar bills.
“Dude… that guy had to be wealthy or something huh? That’s what? Two thousand? Maybe a bit more?” Aaron says before suddenly another breeze is felt. Only this time a bit more intense then before. Almost feeling like it’s moving through their body. A a intense jolt felt throughout them.
Ryder seems to be trying to ignore the jolt. “That’s! Not your problem right now! How much money we made is a problem for later. Getting out of this damn forest is our current problem, right?!” He yells.
“Right…” Aaron says meekly.
As they start walking back Aaron can’t help but stay close to Ryder. Over-analyzing his surroundings, scared of what comes next. Whilst Ryder seems to be just be moving forward without thinking.
“Are we even going the right way? I fe-“ Ryder tries to say but as they’re both suddenly hit by more breeze. This feeling of shock is spread throughout every nerve of their bodies. “Okay what’s with this wind man!” Ryder yells.
Ryder pushes Aaron to the ground, standing above him looking down at him. His face looks on edge but also frightened, like he could either explode or break down at any moment. “Get up…” Ryder demanded. “Cause if you aren’t gonna be of any use” The moment Aaron stands back up Ryder tosses his bag at him. “You’re carrying my stuff.”
They both continue down the path. Continuing in silence as they try to make their way back to the city. Aaron now staying a bit farther away from Ryder now. Suddenly another breeze blows through, however this breeze much stronger and longer. A feeling so painful Ryder collapses to the ground whilst Aaron who was behind him barely manages to stay standing holding on to a tree.
Ryder regains his composure and managed to stand back up before walking over to Aaron and presses his shoulder against a tree. “Aaron what the fuck did you just do to me!” Ryder yells and kicks Aaron in the leg.
“I didn’t do anything! The same thing happened to me man. You have to trust me here.” Aaron pleaded starting to get more tensed up.
“Bullshit! You’re still standing!” Ryder says and pulls out the revolver, aiming it at Aaron. “You’re trying to sabotage me! You just wanna take it all for yourself!” Ryder puts his finger on the trigger pointing it at Aaron.
Aaron starts to see a shadowy figure far away, barely visible but, definitely unsettling. As he looks at this figure he couldn’t help but feel a sudden shock of paranoia.
“Dude Ryder there’s something over there…” Aaron plead.
“And why should I believe you, huh?” The shadowy figure gets closer as a Ryder speaks. “You just want me to look away so you can do whatever you did to me before. Not happening!”
As the figure gets closer you can see more of it’s features. It’s head is covered by a hood and it’s face is pale, looking wrinkled and aged. It speaks softly, yet it’s voice is loud and present. “Paranoia…” it murmurs. As they hear it’s voice they tense up as it makes their nerves stand on edge.
Ryder looks back and points the gun at the figure. “Dude stay back man! I said stay the fuck back!” Ryder shouts then shoots at the figure. It seems to have went right through it. “What the hell is going on!” Ryder yells and shoots a few more times.
The creature extends it’s palm his hand tries to touch to touch Ryder. Right before he makes contact Ryder tries to make break for it but, the creature simply snaps his fingers and Ryder falls dead in his tracks, frightened and scared.
The creature sticks his hand into his back, his hand going straight through him. Like it’s body was just made of air particles. Ryder screams as his body aches in pain. His body slowly starting to decay while still being left alive. “Feed my forest young one…” The creature spoke.
Ryders flesh starts to decay on a rapid pace. His flesh disappears until nothing is left except bone. “Ryder!” Aaron screams as watches in horror.
Aaron quickly bolts back into the forest. Seeing a bright light coming from the city. Aaron cries out for anyone, sprinting towards escape. The creature blows a gust of air from it’s mouth and Aaron falls to the ground after feeling it only feet away from safety. Aaron screams louder calling for anyone. Getting back on his feet and tries to run but the creature manages to make contact with his foot.
Aaron quickly falls again but a hand suddenly grabs his and pulls him in. The creature falls back into the forest, almost like it’s the only place it can live. Disappearing into thin air as it makes a loud hissing sound. Seemingly angry with letting a kill get away. “Dude what the in actually fuck was that that.” The man says feeling frightened.
“I don’t know but it’s dangerous…” Aaron mumbles. “I just want to go home…”
Aaron goes back home not saying a word to anyone. Even after months passing Aaron still felt the effects of that night. He just tends to stay to himself now. He never told anyone about what happened that night. He doesn’t trust that they’ll keep his secret. He doesn’t really trust anyone anymore. Sometimes he feels the pain he felt that night, almost like the creatures very touch had cursed him but, one thing he tells people constantly.
Stay out of The Forest of Paranoia…

Barely standing and gasping for air, Nathan takes a moment to stop running and realizes he has no idea where he is going. He begins looking around to see if there’s anywhere to hide or even, hopefully, find food or at least water. After a moment, he finally spots a few buildings in the nearby distance. With high hopes, Nathan sprints past the remaining trees ahead and makes it to the buildings. Only one specific building catches his eye. A large sign that reads GROCERY stares at Nathan from the top of the building. Without hesitation, he rushes inside and much to his amazement, there are aisles! Nathan quickly but quietly scans each aisle. Sadly, he sees nothing. Not until he sees a small pile of snacks lying next to a fallen end cap at the end of an aisle. Excitement dances through Nathan’s body as he runs to the food and begins eating it like a wild animal. He devours every ounce of food he finds until he suddenly hears an unnerving sound. Listening closely as possible, Nathan hears the sound of cracking bones and ripping flesh. Afraid, yet curious, he looks around the corner of the aisle and spots the legs of a woman lying in her own blood and entrails. Upon further inspection, Nathan sees what he believes to be the creature he and Charlie had seen before. It’s a large thin four-legged animal that most likely was a wolf at one point but is now just a beast. It’s feasting on the entrails of the woman’s corpse and refusing to take its taste buds away from its food. That is until it hears Nathan, who accidentally steps on a bag of chips. It swiftly averts its attention to Nathan and the sight of its face is terrifying. Its face is half torn and its eyes show exactly how bloodthirsty it is. With blood and entrails dangling from its teeth, the beast fully turns its body to Nathan and lets out a deep and disturbing growl. Believing this to be his final moments alive, Nathan backs up and stumbles into the wall with his eyes closed and fists clenched. He is ready for the reaper to take his soul. The beast closes in on him and readies itself to charge its prey but is suddenly distracted by the voice of unwanted company. “Heel, you stupid mutt!” It’s once again Subject Zero, who is this time covered in large amounts of blood. The beast diverts its attention to Subject Zero and prepares for a fight. Unsure as to why Subject Zero didn’t just let the beast kill him, Nathan, stands and stares in terrified confusion. As Nathan watches, Subject Zero is attacked by the beast after a failed attempt at taming it. Directly after its attack, the beast is grabbed and bashed against a wall then thrown to the floor. The animal, no longer looking like a beast compared to Subject Zero, stands again and viciously sinks its teeth into Subject Zero’s arm but its life is soon ended. With a large and swift pull on the animal’s rear legs with its teeth still bore into Subject Zero’s arm, its body rips apart and its entrails fall out onto the floor. “I knew you were a waste,” Subject Zero says with disappointment in his voice. Nathan quickly snaps back to reality and runs out the nearby emergency exit. No longer caring about hunger or thirst, he just keeps running and doesn’t stop even when he stumbles from exhaustion. Inevitably, any hope he once had, is lost when in the not so far distance he hears, “Just because the mutt didn’t kill you, that doesn’t mean that I won’t!” Still running further into the woods, Nathan begins to stumble. He finally stops and falls to his knees as he begins to believe he is going to die here. He falls onto his back and lies in the grass around him while releasing a long but relaxing sigh. Nathan can feel the cold hard ground beneath him as he looks up to the sky. Filled with raging guilt and regrets, Nathan stares up to the sky in silence. It gets so silent, he can hear everything around him. He hears the wind sing through the leaves of trees. He can even hear water flowing nearby. Water! Unsure of where, he looks up quickly and listens. Finally, he spots a creek nearby and climbs to his hands and knees. Unable to fully stand, Nathan crawls his way to the creek ignoring all of his surroundings. He reaches the creek and practically bathes himself in the near freezing water in an attempt to feel refreshed. Afterwards, he begins to guzzle the water in handfuls. After many handfuls of water, Nathan notices something odd. The water tastes metallic as if you were sucking on an old copper penny or silver spoon. Upon this realization, he also notices the color of the water seems off. Unsure of why, he looks around only to find something far more disturbing than he imagined. An amalgamation of mutilated corpses sit nearby rotting on the rocks of the creek shore. Realizing he had just drank water contaminated with rotting corpses of innocent people, Nathan starts getting a sick feeling in his stomach and attempts to look away but can’t get his eyes off the sight. Finally breaking, he begins gagging vigorously. He loses control and starts puking uncontrollably before ultimately collapsing from pain and disgust. Nathan finally gets up after lying on the ground for a moment. Hoping to find at least some form of shelter, he manages to get himself up to his aching feet and stumbles his way down the creek. Eventually, he reaches the end of the creek where a large pipe is sticking out from the ground at an angle. The pipe, being large enough to fit a man, seems like a perfect place to shelter in. Before fully deciding to sleep there, Nathan looks inside hoping that it may lead to an exit from the dome but is quickly disappointed when he sees only dirt and mud. Nathan no longer cares and decides to climb into the pipe. He manages to make it an adequate resting area. Soon after, he is unable to keep his eyes open and finally falls asleep. “Nathan, wake up. You’re going on live television.” A very familiar voice whispers to Nathan. He opens his eyes expecting to see different surroundings, but instead, he sees Charlie sitting next to him in an unfamiliar building. Obviously confused, Nathan hesitates to even move but decides to go with it. He’s led out to a room with a male interviewer, revealing that he is on a live television interview. The interviewer looks to the camera and says, “Welcome to TalkTime, I’m your host, Tim Wiesly, and today, we have Nathan White. Just in case you don’t know, Nathan is a brilliant reporter and reports anything in the most brilliant ways. One specific story he covered about his near-death experience is what we would like to talk about today. So, Nathan, could you tell the viewers more about your experience?” Nathan hesitates at first but oddly starts believing that he made it out of the hell he was in and just dissociated. He starts telling the interviewer everything that happened to him. “Well, Tim, for starters, my colleague and I had found evidence that Envirodome was a test facility. Little did we know, one test they ran there was still in the facility after decades. We then found all the missing people over the years but they were unfortunate and passed away at the hands of the facilities test subject. I eventually lost my colleague and had a run in with a rabid animal as well but I got away and managed to find a place to sleep. After that, I climbed out and decided to… to…” Nathan stops in his tracks as he realizes he can’t remember what happened after the tunnel. “Wait. Wait, this can’t be real. I vividly remember Charlie going insane. And all those other people started losing their minds and they all started killing each other. I remember all that, yet I can’t remember a damn thing after falling asleep in that tunnel! What the fuck is going on?” Charlie comes running out and attempts to calm Nathan but fails as Nathan screams back. “You’re dead! You’re fucking dead! I know you are! You aren’t real. None of you, none of this! None of it is real!” Soon after realizing everything is fake, all of Nathan’s surroundings start changing. Everything around him becomes morbidly dark and people become mutated corpses, all of which walk over to him. They all start screaming at Nathan, resulting in him breaking and he loses his mind to the brink of insanity. Out of the dark shadows, Subject Zero walks into the area as if he were a dark god who created him and was ready to destroy him. Suddenly, everyone surrounding Nathan abruptly stops screaming and looks at him. Then they all in perfect sync say, “You’re losing control, Nathan.” Nathan angrily stands tall and yells, “Leave me alone!” After this fierce scream with his eyes shut, Nathan suddenly hears nothing but the sound of running water. He opens his eyes only to find he was still in the town under the dome. Only, now, it is somehow nighttime. Suddenly, he’s startled by the sound of splashing water. Nathan quietly looks up from the inside of the tunnel he’s lying in. In a decent distance away, Nathan sees two mannequins throwing multiple bodies into the already corpse-filled creek. Although, one body stands out amongst the rest. Charlie's. His body is mangled and mutilated. Nathan feels sick and guilty as he stares at his dead friend. Soon, Subject Zero’s voice is heard, resulting in Nathan realizing he needs to sneak out of the area. He quickly climbs out of the tunnel and looks around. He decides his best option is to go in one direction until he hopefully reaches an edge of the dome. He believes it may help him reach the overseer’s office where the self-destruct button is. With his new plan, Nathan quietly sneaks away until he accidentally rams into the edge of the dome. He becomes angry at first for being dumb enough to run into it, but eventually realizes he could be on his way to salvation. Nathan, still tired, stumbles around the edge of the dome and looks strange considering the walls are simulated to look like more land. Even though Nathan can barely handle all the stress, he still forces himself to keep moving with high hopes to avenge his deceased friend. He keeps going until he stumbles over a small brush pile. He falls onto his face and notices blood pouring from his nose. Assuming his nose has broken from the fall, Nathan quickly checks it but oddly there is no pain and the bleeding has already stopped. He’s confused but doesn’t care as he’s determined to escape. He gets up and eventually reaches an odd looking spot of the dome wall. With a closer look, he realizes it’s a door. Full of hope, Nathan quickly opens it and discovers a staircase leading to the overseer’s office. Nathan runs up without hesitation. He reaches the top of the stairs and makes it to the controls. Being dark, Nathan feels around for a light switch but as he thinks it, the lights come on. Now with light, he sees papers lying everywhere, all with information of the dome. Apparently, the government had the technology to make all this without ever letting the public know. It was built with a self-destruct button as safety measures if anything within the dome went horribly wrong. Although Nathan thought it would be an explosion as most self-destruct buttons cause, the dome was made to disassemble itself as it counted down, allowing the slight possibility of reaching the only entrance and exit doors of the facility. Nathan realizes he may actually have a chance to escape this hell and avenge his friend. After a small pause, he gets back to searching for the self-destruct button. He stumbles across a glass casing labeled ‘FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY’. Nathan opens the casing and prepares to press the button but is quickly distracted as a voice breaks the silence. “This place hasn’t been real after all these damned years?” Subject Zero reacts angrily as he slowly walks toward Nathan. “I knew this place seemed a bit small, but now that I know I can get out of here, I’ll bring my tests to the whole damn world!” “Why would you even want that?! Every single test you have done with that fucking serum has been a failure!” “No… No, I’ve perfected my serum.” “What the FUCK do you mean?” Without a single other word, Subject Zero rushes toward Nathan. Nathan quickly reacts and raises his arms in defense. Suddenly, Subject Zero flies backwards as if he was shoved with incredible force. They both now know Nathan was the cause. “That. That is what I mean.” Subject Zero says with a grin on his face. “No, no, what the fuck. How?!” “You really think I didn’t take the opportunity to inject a new version of the serum into you.” “But- but there wasn’t an injection hole. Everyone else had one.” “That’s the great thing about it. I perfected it so much that your healing is far greater than even mine AND you didn’t lose your mind like I did. That’s all I ever wanted…” “Screw you…” Nathan clenches his fist and swings a punch at Subject Zero. Realizing things move just from his thought now, Nathan opens his hand and telekinetically throws things at Subject Zero. The two begin to have an all-out super powered brawl as Subject Zero explains to Nathan that the serum is why every pain he’s felt while in the dome went away nearly immediately. The telekinesis just happened to come into play later on. Then suddenly, Nathan is slammed through and out the overseer’s office windows. Subject Zero jumps down onto him. Nathan gets weaker with each hit he takes but still fights on. Before he gets up, he notices that where the broken window is, the walls show their true colors of concrete gray and glass. Aside from the window, Nathan notices the door to the office is still wide open. He quickly gives Subject Zero a powerful kick to his abdomen and jumps up to run. Nathan runs quickly up the stairs and to the self-destruct button after leaving his enemy on the ground outside. As he reaches the button, Nathan looks out the broken window at Subject Zero and prepares to press the button. Nathan slams his hand onto the button as Subject Zero yells out in hatred. Nathan, expecting something to happen, waits. Subject Zero laughs hysterically but then suddenly is cut off by a loud voice projecting across the whole dome. “COMMENCING SELF-DESTRUCTION SEQUENCE.” Nathan notices Subject Zero is distracted and uses this as his chance to escape. 10, 9, 8…… The countdown begins and the sun begins to rise as Nathan runs out of the office and past the unaware Subject Zero. 7, 6, 5…… The countdown continues and the facility begins to collapse as Nathan passes through the woods where he drank from the creek and soon passes the concrete room where the other people were held captive. 4, 3, 2…… The countdown gets closer to an end as the dome collapses quicker and Nathan rushes past the old house he was stuck in before. Soon enough, he gets onto the road that led him and Charlie to the town inside the dome and gets even closer to the door but suddenly Subject Zero is following behind. This time, he’s so angry and determined, Subject Zero uses his telekinetic powers to control the mangled corpses that he’s kept. He’s headed for either the door or Nathan, but Nathan doesn’t care. 1…… The countdown comes to an end and the entire dome collapses above. Subject Zero, far behind with his army of corpses, stops and accepts what is coming but Nathan keeps running in hopes to escape before the weight of a million tons comes crashing down onto him. Soon enough, the dome becomes nothing but rubble. The entire area where the dome once stood, is now a ginormous pile of rubble and all that stands are a few trees and small bits of buildings. Nothing could have lived from inside. Unless you were close to the doors. Nathan, barely standing or even really alive, stumbles around the rubble. With his new powers, he uses his telekinesis to move a large piece of steel revealing a small group of men nearby. Within this group are a couple of men who are clearly scientists of some sort but the others are clearly military. Nathan runs to them with hopes of help but suddenly… “Stop right there!” One of the men yells out angrily but with a quiver in his voice. “Put your heads above your head and don’t speak!” “Wait! I just need help!” “I said put your hands above your head!” Nathan is confused so he looks around in the hopes that maybe Subject Zero is who he spotted. Sadly, the guns are all being aimed straight for him.

Seriously what are they?
Felids have low bite force compared to the bone-cracking strength of canids or bears. I can't see cats being able to hunt large prey unless the cats are close to their weight. Now you might point out mammals like Smilin' Dan, the Great White Sharks, and Allosaurs all have weak bite force but still take down large prey but the difference is they had gumption and a good attitude which cats are sorely lacking. Smilin' Dan wrestles his prey to the ground and then wows the crowd with his showmanship (Felids don't have thumbs nor can they work a crowd) while classic mammals like the Great White Shark and Allosaurus would rip off the flesh of their prey or hold them with their teeth. And animals that lack many or most of their teeth, like eagles, hippos and giant squid, have no way to rip flesh from other animals.
Cats' reduced lung capacity mean they can't chase prey to exhaustion and can only bite with its teeth unlike mammals that can wrestle with all 4 limbs, like luchadores or Samoans. Cats can hold prey with their mouths but that only works for prey small enough for them to hunt. Consider that male leopards (~60 kg) can only carry 100 kg of meat up a tree. If humans tried to carry 166 % of their own body weight up a tree, they'd use a more efficient strategy like ropes & pulleys or stealing fire from the gods.
Stealing fire from the gods is perfectly sound strategy, because the eagle they send after you doesn't have any teeth and so it can't hurt you.
From a Quora article I glanced at, felines hunting strategy consists of ambushing the prey with diss tracks and/or "Gotcha"-style questions, which is not very effective against prey with thick skin who can take that punishment and just clap back the cats (for example, African elephants can often dispel entire prides of cats with a well-placed "Yo Mama" dig.) Compare that to mammals like the Blue Whales who can swallow 80,000 gallons of krill in one gulp. Which is a much more efficient way of killing prey and less risky.
There's also no known evidence of pack hunting amongst cats. Because lions are too proud to sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves, they can only form prides, never packs. For example, African lions never join Doctors Without Borders.
Cats also tend to be different sizes than than mammalian predators. P. t. tigris (up to 300 kg) coexisted with Ursus maritimus (800 kg). Felis nigripes (2 kg) coexisted with Struthio camelus (up to 145 kg).
I guess cats could claim to have great visual acuity, and some people have claimed that cats are the fastest land mammal on record.
Related Question: How do you think of the 40+ species of "cat" would take down a 678 kg Atlantic bluefin tuna?

Hello Everyone! I have never shared my work with anyone, however I feel as though these lyrics I wrote are genuinely good. So, I'd like to share them with all of you! I also do not have a title for the song so any suggestions in the comments would be appreciated!
I am the echoes of a misinformed ideal sentimentality. I am no one’s handsome toy, no one’s favorite carnality. My body now blossoming is weeded away, as fairer fruits ripen in a seductive array. Oh blessed rain of old, thy tender drops I’ve never known. For unto the fairer blooms you give way. You, oh rain, ignore me in my parched soil; I am withering away.
Dissolving, dissipating, disintegrating right before your eyes. I’m as soft as the nostalgic fetish of days gone by. I am a gentle reminder of the fate of man. I am everything you want in your hands.
I am a confused misanthropic excuse of apologies. I am the reeking odor emitting from the toils of humanity. I am sex, I am purity. I am hate, and I am love, just not love for me. I am the sacred image in the riverbed. I am the burning zealous hatred in my head. I am the epitome of unfortunate looks. I am the kind of person they tell people to fear in storybooks. Because if not beautiful, then please be dead. If not consumable, then to loneliness, thou shalt be wed. Oh, my spirit is evaporating, and escaping to imaginary blissful peace. And on the winds, fragranced with sweet melancholy memories, I leave my dissolving youth behind. I never was worth the time. The time it takes to be young and beautiful, instead I am something pitiful. My weary eyes weep for what never was and for what I have become.
Dissolving, dissipating, disintegrating right before your eyes. I’m as soft as the nostalgic fetish of days gone by. I am a gentle reminder of the fate of man. I am everything you want in your hands.
The gentle doves, graceful and ravishing, flutter by as I’m ignored in my diminishing. The freedom in their holy wings, and the iridescent morbidity of being a spectacle. How deeply I want to be a spectacle. Oh, I long for their eyes to fall on me, and their lips to hail my beauty. Yet I am below those gentle doves. They, on the words of admiration, are lifted high above. Melting off my bones is the semblance of my days, realizing they are quickly fleeting away. I gorge myself to remedy the misery of being empty of connection with humanity. Foolishly I weep for the consequences of my gluttony. How lonely I am. How very lonely I am. Oh, the bitter juxtaposition taunts me. The raging desire to be desired. Yet I fear your eyes, and the thoughts of your mind in regards to my body. In regards to my laughter, to my abilities. Please, dear God, please, let me be invisible, unperceivable completely.
Dissolving, dissipating, disintegrating right before your eyes. I’m as soft as the nostalgic fetish of days gone by. I am a gentle reminder of the fate of man. I am everything you want in your hands.
Every smile, every hour that I’m happy adds to my demise. Every moment of joy realized on my face. And in its place old age shall take what once was youth. The dissipating collagen no amount of sunscreen may soothe. I am aging, I am the deprecating form of what once was a man. What once was grand slipped out of my hands and now on my being are the marks of disgrace and a life lived hard. The marks of a life lived through hardship. The marks of a life lived through the laughter of lips. The marks of a life that was mine, married to sacred time.
Dissolving, dissipating, disintegrating right before your eyes. I’m as soft as the nostalgic fetish of days gone by. I am a gentle reminder of the fate of man. I am everything you want in your hands, I am absolutely nothing but a man.

When I (21M) got into a relationship with my partner (20F), it was awesome. Then she involved her friends in the relationship. She came off as very codependent (“I’m very attached”) to her friends, even saying her friends (20F) are never wrong (you’re gonna see some red flags here that I was stupid to ignore). Met one of her friends - wonderful guy not a bad bone in his body, hope all of them could be Ike that. She expressed (I don’t even know jokingly) that her girl friends were jealous that she got a boyfriend - yet she wanted us to be friends.
I have never met such hypocritical people in my life on first meet. They would neg me constantly. My career (I earn decent money in school), my race (they’re the same race as me), the fact I didn’t drink underage, they would question my validity as a partner in earshot much to my partner’s silence. They would criticize my colloquialism after poking fun at me- I would say “shut the fuck up” when a funny story came up while laughing. They would tell my partner (not me) that they didn’t like it (happy to not say it if it makes them feel uncomfortable) but then they proceeded to tell me to shut the fuck up with impunity. The double standards sucked. The dishing out but not being able to take it sucked. I was always made to be the villain. When I brought these up to my partner - “Oh you feel that way because they have siblings, and you’re an only child”. They showed up to my apartment unannounced when I was on a date with my partner (I live on the 3rd story). After the date was over, they would make plans to go out and say “This is a friends only thing”.
I held my tongue for a lot of disrespect. The people were openly known in their friend group to be third wheels in the relationship. They used to call me a b-word and a groomer (because I had friends who were 2 years younger than me). I used to call the main instigator a horseface after she made fun of my forehead and looks. But then it was too far. They could say whatever to me but the moment I come back I’m in the wrong.
They would openly ask my partner “Did he even get girls before you” to which my partner felt she had to defend her “choice” in me. My partner had told me that we won’t talk about our sex life. I was like yeah ofc. Her friends then started to tease me with info from our sex life - and they didn’t hear it from me. I confronted her on this and she was like “Oh it was a wine night and we started talking”. It was all ok until she started downplaying my skills. Then when her friends made fun of me with this info - I would then make fun of myself and then they would go to her saying that THEY were feeling uncomfortable about ME making fun of MYSELF.
They would cause fights to the point where I’m crying and hoping I’m no more. I would dream they would make fun of me so much - I would get up and walk out (I actually did this once but chalked it up to having to take a phone call).
They would compare me to their brothers and fathers. Token me for my race but then ask me to set them up with someone from my race. They would make fun of my career, yet ask me to get them a job. I tried to play nice with these people. On my own birthday, one of these girls was stressing out over organizing a career fair, I walked 40 minutes to help her out. These people would cause fights between us and I would apologize to them about stuff they do to me all the time saying “I just want to be accepted by the group”.
Worst part came when her friends pulled switchblades out on a moving bus as a joke and were brandishing it. I was the only voice of reason telling these people to stop, protecting my partner, motioning others to sit down and telling them that the group can get in so much trouble because of their idiotic behavior. Yet all her friends laughed at the fact I was getting serious. One of her friends had come up to me afterwards and showed me her palm, laughing. It was blood- she had cut her hands on the blades trying to play with the knives. Laughing.
Whether it was them blacking out drunk, headbutting each other, and touching each other inappropriately- I need to make sure no one falls behind or gets in trouble. Her friends would smack me for sitting on their bed by accident just to charge my phone near the wall. Everyone would laugh.
Her friends dressed up during Halloween as red flags (can’t make this up) and they kept making racial remarks to my friend. “Dance white boy”, “bathroom’s over there white boy”, etc. He took it as a joke the first few times but then started to feel uncomfortable. He told me wayyyy too late that this is what he experienced.
One day, I had fallen through my chair and winced in pain to which they laughed. I had enough of their immaturity, their laughter at my pain, their double standards, and their unresolved hatred. I thought since these people frequently call me out for every small thing (albeit behind my back), I can confront them directly and fairly (never confronted them on their behavior before). I asked them to treat me with some respect and just apologize. My partner stood silent as they continue to make insulting and demeaning faces at me and avoid the issue. I had a freeze response. I could not get any more words out of my mouth. Then my hypervigilance took a toll on me 30 seconds later in the form of an extreme panic attack (first one ever) where I cried and clutched my chest on a train. They stared indifferently. I sat crying with the doctor hugging me, while they called an Uber to go to a bar. They called the paramedics- they were heroes. I had enough, went up and yelled some disgusting things at the main instigator, who was making disgusting invalidating faces at me while I was approaching her for accountability. Called her a horsefaced. Told her “Why should I die on the train? You go kill yourself!”
My partner threatened to break up with me if her friends had told her to and told me I wasn’t fit to meet her dad. The next day, her friends guilt tripped her “You made a choice to go home with him instead of come with us to the bar”. They talked about how it was “bizarre” why I was so kind to the doctors and the paramedics yet yelled at them.
Partner said “Oh they have panic attacks all the time”. “It must have been caused by something else”. “They make those faces even when their relative died”. “There was a girl who doesn’t like her because she didn’t apologize to her properly”. “She thinks you’re attacking her face - just like her dad and uncles”.
What do I do…

Suddenly, Johnathan saw a picture of his father training him and Kane. ‘I wonder where he is’ was what he thought. His presence disappeared the same day Carl’s got fierce. He thought the legendary marine might be dead, but ruled it out due to it seemingly being impossible. However, after seeing his father’s sword with its god in front of him today, this scenario became much more likely. But simply stealing the power of a god would be impossible. After all, if a host died, their god would leave the Earth. This must’ve meant his father was alive for the time being.
After this, he remembered what Shin said about Carl. He realized it was too early to die, but could do nothing about it. His spirit was drawing close to its end by the moment. When he noticed how little life was left in him, his heart stopped, and he began his took his final breath. What stopped him from going over to the other side was a female voice behind him.

• Are you done? – it was woman, with pure white skin and clothes
  
• I am not, but there is nothing left in me – he answered – I am very sorry for wasting your power, Luna.
  
• Don’t be sorry, after all, this is our final time seeing each other, – she sounded resigning
  
• So, you don’t have anything left for me? Like some crazy power up, that could restart my body? – he was asking doubtfully, but with still some hope
  
• There is a way for you to return back to life. But that means our parting as well. If you trade your powers with me, I can save you, but that would mean you have to find a way to defeat a goddess all alone.
  
• If that is what must be done, it must be done. How can we do this trade?
  
• You have nothing else to do, but to wish for what your heart wants most at the moment and nothing more. If that happens, I can complete our exchange.
  
• Is there a way for me to make a contract with you after I’ve lost your powers? – he wanted to ask whether there was any chance of them meeting up again
  
• You may prove your worth once more, but even then, a contract broken might be never prepared again.
  

Johnathan didn’t say anything more and closed his eyes. The only thing on his mind was him standing in front of Themis once more. There was nothing he wanted more. Not his own ambitions, but only revenge for what she has done. When this thought took over his mind, he found himself as a spirit above his body. He knew if he wanted to win, he had to re-enter his body. He saw that the flame was gone and his bones were repaired, but the Moonlight Eclipse wasn’t there either, only a plain sword. He saw these as a parting gift from Luna. He also saw, that the other two were hardly living. If he wanted to finish it, he had to do it fast.
When he opened his eyes and grabbed the new sword, Themis’ laughter stopped. She watched in disbelief, as a man, who once died woke up again. She also noticed that his goddess disappeared, making his presence much weaker, but somehow still stronger the other two with their peak strength. She realized, he must’ve made an exchange, saving his life, but losing his deity. She was a little happy, that she got to toy with him a little more.

• It’s good to see that you can still stand up – she was smiling – but what can you without her?
  
• I will prove that us humans don’t need gods. Not against a pitiful creature like you. You are the goddess of nothing. A powerless creature. Why can’t I create my own justice, and see which prevails.
  
• Insolent human! – her joy switched to anger. It was the first time a mortal has ever made fun of her – you shall pay for your foul mouth as well!
  

Themis swung her sword at Johnathan, who stopped it with his bare hand. Themis jumped backwards while she grabbed her opponent and slammed him to the ground. She tried using fire again, but it was as ineffective, as the sword. However, her punches still managed to inflict heavy injuries. With just a few, she already broke six ribs.
With his body bleeding from the inside, Johnathan knew, he didn’t stand any chance, but still pushed forward, shouting things like ‘unjust’ and ‘false justice shall be prover guilty’. With each of his shout, it seemed like Themis’ sword was becoming smaller, like it knew the human was right. When the sword disappeared, Themis let out a fiendish screech, making Johnathan’s ears ring.
Using this distraction, she broke free of the crushing words and went to Carl’s dying body. She stepped on his head, laughing like she already won.

• Make another move, and I will crush his head. Although, if you stay there, you will die of internal bleeding. What is worse? To be responsible for you ally’s death, or to watch, while you diem knowing you might have stood a chance – her laugh became like a maniac’s.
  
• You see, this is what I was talking about.
  
• What? I’ve never heard you admitting your defeat – she shoved her feet even deeper into Carl’s face
  
• You know, if you kill that man, you will die as well, so I have nothing to lose.
  
• Is it that other being inside of him? Don’t worry, if it didn’t come out yet, it will remain lying dormant forever – she didn’t seem fazed by the threat
  
• And I wasn’t talking about admitting defeat. It was you, abusing your power, betraying it – he walked closer
  
• What are you doing? Don’t move! – She tried to crush Carl’s skull but didn’t have the strength for it
  
• And how would you stop me – He saw an opening
  
• Stop right there! You can’t do this! I am a goddess! No mortal shall attempt to harm me! – her voice was filled with fear
  
• Then you shouldn’t consider me a mere human – this time, it was him, who was smiling
  

Naturally, gods don’t fear death. None of them has died for millennias. Most of them weren’t even alive then, including Themis. They grew up, being taught that they must only enter the world of the humans if one of them is their host and tries to use the powers of Death against the rest. The ones who knew, that the humans were ruthless creatures tried to avoid forming pacts with them, but some of them especially liked to. Luna of the Moon and Themis of Justice were the perfect examples of the latter, while gods like Mars of War was counterpart to his Greek brother, Ares, never talking to humans. He never wanted to get involved with Death, because he knew that some special humans might be the end of him.
This is what Themis was experiencing. She felt the metal pass through her heart, while it started taking on a different shape. Johnathan tore her blindfold off, to see the eyes filled with the fear of death and despair. Her poison and mutilation became reverted on the two lying on the ground. She could see the one holding it regain the silver eyes and armor. She felt the blade taking on a shape, that it might’ve had had before. With her dying breath, she uttered her final words:

• Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

She fell onto the ground, leaving the corpse of a once glorious goddess behind. With this, Johnathan Teach became the first human in history to ever bring a divine to its knees and end their life.
Check out the full story: https://www.wattpad.com/story/365789475-seas-of-change

[INDEX]
Blackheart Bill stared at us from the porch of the tiny cabin, his eyes filled with murder. A cruel smile crept across his face, causing me to break into a sweat — this was a man who enjoyed the suffering of others.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the two bounty hunters that killed half my gang,” Bill drawled, his voice dripping malice. “What do ya think we should do with them, boys?”
“Face me like a man,” I shouted at him. “I refuse to be hung like a criminal!”
Bill’s lips twisted into a grin. “Is that so?” He said. “You think I had you brought here so you can challenge me to a duel? You’re mistaken kid.”
“I don’t want to be hung,” I said, mentally instructing Horse edge closer to Silas’ mount.
“What you want and what I want are different things, boy,” Bill said, his face relaxing into an unreadable mask. “And what I want is for you to suffer for killing my men. Jim, get a rope.”
Gap-tooth laughed like a drunken donkey and swung down from his horse.
I brushed against Silas, pulling his gun from my Inventory. Silas was fast, insanely fast. The gun appeared in my hand for a split-second before Silas had it pointed at the outlaw and was firing sizzling black bolts of energy.
Blackheart Bill was faster.
The outlaw dodged to the side in a blur, firing off three wild Kinetic bolts, one passing on each side of Silas before the final one tagged the man in the chest with the sound of shattering glass.
I pulled my gun from inventory a moment later, regretting my decision to load it with Lightning rounds as I pulled the trigger. Thunder roared as I shot the bandit behind me, then I squeezed the trigger again, clipping the other with a finger-thick bolt of electricity. Stone bullets whizzed around me as Horse hightailed it around the corner of the shack. Triggering [Aimed Shot] I fired a third round and a clap of thunder fried the man guarding the wood door set into the canyon wall.
Silas rounded the building a second later, his gun firing wildly at the remaining bandits. Quick as a flash, he ejected the spent brass and reloaded from his gun belt, picking off two more as they rounded the corner.
A Metal bullet burst from the wood next to my face, grazing my temple. I shoved my Mongoose into a gap between the weathered boards and fired off the remainder of my Lightning rounds, setting the front of the shack on fire. My fingers flickered as I reloaded unprimed rounds into the gun, slamming the cylinder closed.
Silas took one edge of the cabin and I took the other, shooting at anyone who moved, trapped in a standoff with the remaining five bandits and Bill, who continued shooting through the walls at us while screaming obscenities.
“Told you I didn’t want to hang, you scar-faced freak,” I taunted the man, firing a shot at one of the bandits scurrying to find better cover behind a broken wagon missing its rear axle. The Kinetic Bolt spread as it covered the distance, growing from a finger-sized bolt of blue energy into a basketball sized cloud that dispersed with a crackle and pop. Somewhere in the back of my head I knew the range was only about twenty yards and chastised myself for wasting the bullet.
I had less than 550BP remaining, which was a lot for unprimed shots, but only 54 [Aimed Shots] or about 100 primed shots. If I needed to use any of my other Utilities, it would drop fast. The bandit I had missed popped off a shot from his new vantage point, punching a hole in the wall above my head. I sent a Stone bullet in reply, causing him to duck from sight.
\Ding**
A popup blocked the lower half of my vision.
-=-=-
📱 [New Power-Up Available!] 📱
🔫 Pinned down behind an old shack? Bullets not packing enough punch? Try [Overcharge]! 🔫
💥 Just 500 credits, Limited time only! 💥
🌟 Features Include: - [Overcharge] Utility**: Infuse your bullets with extra battery points and surprise everyone! - Costs 500 credits - Requires 82 Memory
⚠️ Important Notes: - Cannot be stacked with active Utilities - Overcharge can severely damage firearms
[Get Overcharge Now ✅] [Maybe Later ❌]
-=-=-
The 60 second timer counted down 2 seconds before I punched accept.
[Downloading…20%…32%…68%…87%…Done!] [Installing…8%…12%…49%…52%…91%…Done!]
“You get shot?” Silas asked, sparing me a glance while I was stuck waiting for my upgrade to finish.
I shook my head. “Psychic thing,” I said once the System was done shoving data in my head. The knowledge of how to use [Overcharge], was simple enough — just push extra BP through the runestone and increase the destructive power of the bullet.
I triggered [Overcharge] and pushed an extra 5 Battery Points into the runestone, bringing the total cost of the Stone bullet to 6BP, then squeezed the trigger. The projectile impacted the broken wagon like a grenade, sending fragments of wood flying everywhere.
The screaming started a second later, followed by the bandit whose face was covered in blood and splinters. Selecting [Aimed Shot] I put a Stone bullet into his head, shocked by the spray of gore that filled the air. Hot bile burned the back of my throat, forcing me to swallow hard and refocus on the immediate situation.
The sound of hooves reached my ears, followed by Silas swearing. “They’re escaping,” He said, turning to mount his horse and swearing again. The animal was trembling in shock, bloody froth covering its mouth as it struggled to breathe. I noticed the blood covering its side then, where it had been shot when we had retreated behind the shack.
The shack was now burning quite impressively. The flames had grown to the point that it was uncomfortable to remain close, so I moved to a cooler spot and took a seat on the sandy ground. Pulling the Marlin from inventory, I popped off the leather caps that protected the scope lenses and took aim at the fleeing bandits. The scope pulled them in close enough that I felt I could reach out and snatch them with my hand even though they were over a hundred yards away now.
Bracing the rifle on my knee, I sighted through the scope and pulled the trigger, worked the lever to eject the shell and fired again. On the fourth shot I watched as Blackheart Bill’s horse stumbled and dropped to the dirt. I was aiming at Bill, but taking out his horse was good enough.
I watched as Bill took cover behind his downed horse and yelled at his men to come back and get him. They didn’t even look back, hunkering down as he started shooting at them, hitting one and dropping him from the saddle. Taking aim through the scope, I shot a few more rounds at Bill, causing him to turn his attention back to me and return fire.
A gunshot from behind me caused me to jump. Turning to see the source of the gunfire I saw Silas standing over the body of his horse. I guess he decided to end its misery.
Holstering his weapon, Silas yelled at the outlaw. “It’s over, Bill! Throw down your guns!”
Bill fired off another few rounds, none of them even coming close. A gunslinger like Bill might be deadly at close range, but he was just as accurate with a pistol as everyone else at a hundred yards.
I fired off a Metal slug from the Marlin and Bill returned fire. Our standoff continued, none of us wanting to commit to a move.
“How far you think that is?” I asked Silas.
“About a hundred ten, hundred twenty yards. Why?”
“Long as I’m here I might as well try to zero in this scope,” I replied, sighting down the barrel while adjusting the stupidly expensive piece of equipment.
“It’s a nice scope,” Silas admitted, rolling a cigarette. “You’re only as good as your gun.”
I nodded, fired off another shot, adjusted the scope, then fired off another. Until I got this thing in a vise and did it properly, this was as good as I was going to get.
The top of Bill’s hat was just visible over the ribs of the dead animal, so I used [Aimed Shot] and fired, eliciting a string of curses from the outlaw as it was knocked from his head.
I grinned at Silas, who returned it with a smile of his own. “You think this is gonna take long?” I asked.
“Put a few of those explosive rounds into that horse. That should get ‘em moving,” Silas answered.
“That was an [Overcharged] stone bullet,” I said. “Not sure it’ll have the same effect with a Metal slug.”
Silas nodded his head. “Be careful you don’t Overcharge too much, you can damage the core of your gun or even cause it to explode,” he said.
I sighted down the scope and triggered [Overcharge] with 5BP, sending another five Metal slugs downrange just as quick as I could work the lever-action. The slugs tore through the carcass, kicking up little puffs of dust as they tore into the ground beyond it.
Bills hat began to wave over the remains of the horse, then it dropped from sight.
“Let’s give him a few minutes,” Silas suggested. “If he’s playing games, he’ll lose patience. No sense endangering ourselves if he decides to pop up and start firing.”
I shot a few more [Overcharged] Metal slugs into the carcass, the last one causing the hat to fall out of Bills hand. Through the scope I could see his limp arm draped over the side of the horse.
Pushing the Marlin back into Inventory, I rose from the ground and looked at Silas. “You take the left and I’ll take the right?” I offered.
Silas loosened his pistol in its holster and began walking.
“Is it always like this?” I asked the bounty hunter.
“Like what?”
“So…messy.”
Silas tossed the remains of his cigarette onto the ground. “This was pretty bad,” He admitted. “Most times it’s just some guy in a small town saloon or holed up in a shack somewhere in the woods. Someone who thinks moving a few towns away will cover their tracks. Some even try to start their lives over. Bill was a two gold bounty, someone a posse would chase down, not two men.”
“So why did we go after him?”
“Because I thought he was in the Hardash forest, not running roughshod over the patriarch of Silvertown,” Silas laughed suddenly, shaking his head. “The plan was to locate his hideout, collect a few more men to handle his gang, and ambush them.”
We eased around the bullet-ridden horse to discover Blackheart Bill bleeding out. One of my bullets had gone through the horse, through his back and exited his chest. He gave us a bloody grin as we approached with guns drawn.
“There’s a healing potion in the saddle bag under the horse,” the bandit said, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “I’m worth more alive than dead and you don’t want to throw away good money, do ya?”
Silas pulled the hammer back on his gun, pointing it at the outlaw’s head.
“Wait,” Bill said, coughing weakly. “I got a dragon core, a real dragon core. I’ll tell you where to get it.”
“Now where would you get a dragon core?” Silas asked.
“From the Silvertown mines,” Bill rasped. “One of my boys, his brother works the mines and told him that they found dragon bones. That’s when I took the girl and made her daddy my bitch. He’d do anything to get her back.”
Silas pulled the trigger, splattering the outlaws head all over the remains of the horse.
“I’ve heard enough,” He said, holstering his pistol. “He kidnapped the girl and the others, holding them hostage so the Patriarch and other townsfolk wouldn’t interfere with his scheme. Let’s find the girl and get back to town.”
“Damn, Silas. In cold blood,” I said, turning my head from the sight of the gore. This is twice today I’ve seen the inside of a man’s skull. I should be bothered by this, like really bothered, but I’m not. Not really. It’s like there’s a disconnect and the only thing my brain can process is how smooth and efficient Silas was when he pulled the trigger. I can still taste bile in the back of my throat though.
“You want to do that thing of yours? Or you want me to dig his core out?”
“I’ll handle it,” I said, kneeling to touch the man so I could trigger [Disassembly]. “You should go see about the girl, she’s trying to use my Horse to get away and is having a nervous breakdown because he won’t move.”
I asked Horse to mosey around the burning remains of the shack with his new rider and to meet Silas. He sent back an image of him riding in a wagon with me pulling it. I’m guessing that he’s not enthused about being a taxi service.
The girl, Loretta Jurgens, was not in good shape.
The door set into the wall of the canyon covered the dead-end shaft of an abandoned moon silver mine left behind by some prospector. Loretta had been kept in there for the better part of a month and was in hysterics trying to get Horse to move. I'll let Silas deal with her while I process everything.
I collected 2100 credits for the all bandits, another 130 silver that I split with Silas, and of course, all their cores which would need to be turned in for bounties. A dozen pistols and several score of bullets were added to my inventory as well, including several knives and other personal effects that Silas assured me would fetch a few coin at a local pawnshop or general store. And gold teeth.
All that remained now was to locate the loot and leave this hell hole.
[INDEX]

36M. Background info: I served 8 years in the military. Hurt my back during exercise a couple of years into my career. I ended up developing recurring pain from it that would flare up now and then. The military doctors claimed was a muscular issue that needed some stretching or physical therapy every time I brought it up. They never really looked into it any further than that. The pain got worse over time and would come back more often. Not too long after leaving the military, it got to the point where my left leg would start going numb if I sat down for longer than 30 min. I ended up going to an urgent care clinic once the pain became too much. There, I finally got some imaging done in my lower back and that's when I first found out I had a herniated disc (L5-S1), years after the issue first began. But at least I could finally get some actual useful guidance for the condition. This was back in 2015.
Now, for my current issue: I developed some neck pain after my back injury. It was always in the same location, left side, base of the skull. But I only brought it up a couple of times during my military career because even if it was pretty bad, it was a rare occurrence. For that same reason I never thought it could be related to my back injury.
Fast forward to the present. The neck pain started to become a regular occurrence. And sometimes it's bad enough I felt it on the entire left side of my head. Turning my head left can be painful and difficult. The VA referred me to a chiropractor to help with that. After the chiropractor took some x-rays of my spine/neck, he said there were bone spurs on my neck vertebrae that might be causing my neck to "lock up" and pinch some nerves, which is the most likely cause for the pain. Not only that, but my entire spine seems to be slightly twisted as if I had scoliosis, even though that's never been an issue in my life. And there's also a bone spur growing out of the back of my skull, possibly due to excess pull on the muscles there due to my spine not curving the right way at the neck section.
My question is: could all these issues have developed due to my herniated disc not having been diagnosed and treated sooner? It's been almost 10 years since I left the military. So that's at least 10 years my neck situation went untreated, plus several years where my whole body had to pick up the slack from my injured lower back, which could be what caused or exacerbated these other issues. It would suck if these problems- the neck pain in particular- are now a life long issue due to them not being diagnosed earlier as related to my lower back injury, which was itself already not diagnosed earlier because it wasn't looked into properly when I first injured my back in active duty. See the link below for pictures of my recent x-rays and let me know what you think. And thank you for taking the time to read this.
https://imgur.com/a/owCzvNI

Recently I was sorting through my stuff and I have a bunch of pewter skeletons from Vamp Counts which could easily form a new unit of it's own. I figure 'they're captured/converted soldiers'.
I also have a Corpse Cart and Winged Nightmare (old pewter version) which I would like to convert as captured 'spoils of war' type items but don't know the best way to go about it. Maybe as unit fillers? I'm unsure.
I know I will have some skeleton bits leftover after some work on the TK stuff I already have, so I will be able to populate them with some boney boys at some point in TK regalia.
Has anyone done this before and if so, what did you run them as/convert them into?
I've also considered stripping a basic giant down to just general body shape then wrapping in thin plastic strip/sheets softened with tamiya extra thin to make bandage wraps, and make a 'giant mummy' to run as a bone giant. That would take quite a bit of work with the strips but the end result I think would be humorous. And I wholly admit I'm in TOW for the whimsey side of things (skaven doomwheel, anyone?)

WINNER: Twila Tanner (Vanuatu - 2nd)

and it wasnt even fucking close
u/SMC0629:
Twila is an excellent character, full-stop. Although I used to have her slightly character, I never stopped loving her. She's got an excellent personality, she doesn't take shit from anyone, and her dominant run in the post-merge is so entertaining. The true centerpiece of her character is when it all comes back to bite her in the end, as she's basically torn apart by the jury. It's honestly heartbreaking, even if she takes it well, but it's still a great downfall to her character.
~
u/DryBonesKing:
Which casting director found Twila? And which producer decided to go forward with her specifically on a gender divided season? I hope everyone involved in this decision is set for life! Twila is probably always guaranteed to be a perfect casting choice every time she’s cast, but in Vanuatu, she provides so much amazing content. Like, I don’t even know where to start on this; her relationship with Scout, her feud with Elizas, the dynamic between her and Ami, her friendship with Sarge that she promptly destroyed, everything about her relationship with Chris… I could go on. Honest to god, if I were doing her writeup, I’d be concerned it would not end. She might be one of the densest characters in Survivor history when it comes to meaningful content to discuss.
For the sake of these little “condensed” write-ups, I suppose it’s mostly fitting to just focus in on the moral dilemmas she faced when it came to swearing on her son. Twila’s story could probably be best described as Faustian as she digs herself multiple holes for the bodies of the Vanuatu castaways she ruthlessly slaughters on her quest for a million dollars, only to realize she had actually been digging her own grave alongside it. Twila really helps sell the idea that the road to hell is paved in good intentions, as you truly leave the season understanding why she did everything she did for her son, but also completely understand why nearly the whole jury – from Sarge to Leann to Eliza – just want to watch her suffer.
Vanuatu is actually my mother’s favorite season and the dynamic between both Twila and Scout is my Mom’s personal favorite. One of our favorite moments in Survivor history occurs right before Final Tribal Council when Chris and Twila are laying in the hammock and it just snaps on them. And then it cuts to Twila just belly-laughing the most genuine, sincerest laugh. After literally going through hell, and right before the hell gets worse, Twila is just shown smiling and laughing and relaxing, and it’s probably one of the single most endearing moments in the show’s history. Twila has a credible claim to the most tragic tale in the show’s history, and I will always love her forever for it. Even though she is only my number five of all time, I am fully expecting her to win this Rankdown, and I’ll be very very sad if she doesn’t. Cause goddammit, she deserves it.
Overall Rank – 5/821
~
u/Tommyroxs45:
Twila is a huge badass and absolutely drives so much of the conflict that Vanuatu is known for. She’s is an incredibly entertaining character and never misses with her fights with people like Mia or Eliza, which also really culminate into a great story and a downfall for Twila.
~
u/Regnisyak1:
Twila, Twila, Twila. A beautiful story on Vanuatu, she quickly becomes the heart and soul of the season, with her attitude on the season and the complexity around her storyline in bonding with the women on the tribe. She was never able to fit in, so her flip felt powerful and tragic for the women on the tribe, creating a tense endgame. However, Twila and her status as a villain is centralized by the concept of her swearing on her son’s life and it affects her entire game. “I Swear” effectively ruined Twila’s game, but also her character and how people perceive her, and watching her realize she lost the million dollars over such a critical mistake leads to one of the most fascinating FTC performances.
Personal Rank: 3/821. 10/10
~
u/ninjedi1:
The real queen of Survivor! Twila is clearly one of the best character's on Survivor, and is the best part of Vanautu. Her not really connecting with the women on her tribe which causes the divide, her bonding with the men at the swap only to jump ship at merge to vote with the women, and then burning them later down the line after swearing on her son, all iconic. Then her FTC is so good to watch as she has to come to terms with what she's done with the game. Twila's whole story that season is just a roller coaster I never want to get off of!
~~~~~
u/Zanthosus:
Twila is one of a kind in the best way possible. I absolutely adore everything about her. She’s one of very few “perfect” characters in the show’s history that I can really point to. There’s no part of her story that leaves me wanting or disappointed. It’s an excellently crafted narrative built around an endlessly intriguing person who is my favorite runner-up in the history of the show. And for me, the thing that really makes her stand out above so many others is the way she’s unabashedly and unapologetically herself the entire time. All too often on Survivor, you see people putting on a mask or an act. And that can be fun in its own right from time to time, but Twila is genuine through and through and she’s all the better for it in my opinion.
Twila’s personality really drives conflict throughout her Survivor journey. We see this early on in the way you’d expect. She’s a hard worker who wants to get everything done right away while most of the rest of her tribe would rather spend the first day or two resting. This isn’t anything groundbreaking. Even at this point in the show, this is pretty standard early game conflict. But it is indicative of the kind of person that Twila is, and it sets a good baseline for how she plans to play the game. That being to her own tune; she’s not playing for anyone but herself. And during these early episodes on Yasur, Twila ends up in many spats with her tribemates. Notable examples are Dolly, Mia, and of course Eliza. These “sorority girls” as she calls them get on her nerves like nothing else. These conflicts are, again, pretty standard Survivor faire. Don’t get me wrong, they’re entertaining. But it’s nothing revolutionary. In fact, that’s how I’d describe the pre-merge of Vanuatu as a whole. Good, but not particularly remarkable in any significant way. But once the merge hits, all hell breaks loose. And this is where Twila really steps into her own and becomes one of the best characters in the history of the show.
After the swap, Twila had gotten a chance to bond with a few of the guys, namely Chris and Sarge. They had bonded fairly deeply on Lopevi and had gotten close. So when the time comes for her to choose a side at Alinta inaugural tribal, she sides with the women and takes out Rory. It’s this decision that sends shockwaves through most of the cast. The men are distraught that the person they thought they could trust just betrayed them. Meanwhile many of the women are surprised that Twila is even still interested in working with them after the time she spent on Lopevi. In fact, aside from Scout and Ami, she shocks everyone with this decision. And it’s this choice that kick starts her journey through the post-merge.
The fallout from the Rory vote is incredibly TV. There’s really no other way to put it. Seeing Twila butting heads with the likes of Chris and Sarge, two people she got so close with before, is incredibly engaging. And it doesn’t bubble over into anger or rage, but rather disappointment. Seeing these two guys express sadness and wishing for what could have been with Twila as part of their numbers is a legitimately interesting thing to see unfold and it helps to add layers to both of these men that we otherwise wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see. And its in these moments that we get a bit of insight as to how Twila sees the game. She’s not letting her emotions get in the way of what she believes that she needs to do in order to make it further. In stark contrast to the older women archetype you’d expect like T-Bird or Trish Hegarty, she’s willing to make the tough decisions if it means she survives another day. Maybe the best comparison would be to Sandra and her “anyone but me” mentality, but even then Twila takes a comparatively much more hands-on and active role during the season.
Because even despite Sarge and her taking a moment to reconnect a bit, and him reiterating that he wants her as part of his and Chris’s final four alliance, Twila sticks to her guns and takes him out, continuing the Pagonging of the men. At this point, Chris has largely given up hope of repairing the bridge that Twila burned, and instead finds himself scrambling, doing whatever he can to just not be the next casualty. Whether that’s winning immunity for himself, or making another player seem like a juicier target. And initially, this isn’t too much of a tall task for him. Chad is a fairly obvious next choice for elimination. But after that, he’s the sitting duck as the final man on the island. He’s a prime candidate for an easy vote. But Twila sees an opportunity there where others don’t. You see, even despite working with the women during the post-merge, she still hasn’t been getting along all that well with either Ami or Eliza. As a result, she’s interested in making sure they’re the next two eliminated. After all, Chris is an easy vote down the line. He can just be taken out at any point that’s convenient. But Ami? She’s dangerous. She has power in the game and has started to catch wind of Twila’s distrust of her. So the solution? Ami needs to be taken down a peg. However instead of actually going all the way and taking out Ami herself, they decide to target her right-hand-woman, Leann. To Chris, this accomplishes the same thing. He’s still in the game. But for Twila, this really doesn’t accomplish what she had hoped it would.
The fallout from the Rory vote was impactful and a wake up call to much of the cast. The fallout from Leann’s elimination though is a whole other beast in and of itself. Immediately, of course, there’s the fight that occurs between Ami and Twila back at camp. But in a more broad perspective, this is showing to both the jury and her tribesmates that she’s not afraid to cut throats and burn bridges if it means getting her way. Her loyalty lasts for as long as it’s convenient for her, and that’s a scary proposition for those sitting beside her and an unflattering look to those on the jury. “You’ve been had. Get over it. Screw you.” is a quote that particularly sticks out to me, both as a hilarious quip out of context, but also in showing how Twila’s character has stayed congruent to how we saw her even at the start of the game. It’s astonishing how brazenly herself she is willing to be, even to the detriment of her own game. Maybe even more unbelievable though is how she fails to see how with every decision and statement like this, her already miniscule chances of winning dwindle more and more. Swearing on her son’s life in particular puts her in the bad graces of everyone once she breaks that promise, and that’s really just the tip of the iceberg.
And I know that this is where many detractors of Twila point to when explaining why she doesn’t work for them. “She’s way too mean-spirited and negative” is one that I hear most often as a point against her. And I do understand where that is coming from. One of my earliest writeups was talking about how Corinne’s ceaseless negativity in Gabon makes her insufferable to me. So I get why that would be a deal breaker in theory. But when it comes to Twila herself, there’s something so authentic about her that players like Corinne never manage to replicate. Twila is making these choices to further her game, and that is in line with not just her established motivations and personality, but it builds upon what we already know about her in ways that we’d otherwise be unlikely to see. Meanwhile with Corinne, it feels like she’s being cruel and nasty for the sake of it in a desperate attempt to get more screen time. So while I understand and can empathize to an extent with those who don’t find Twila to be as amazing a character as I do, I simply can’t agree. Because when all is said and done, Twila’s story is a masterpiece. And the magnum opus is the final five of Vanuatu.
Everything immediately after the Ami elimination is utter chaos. Twila and Eliza are constantly at each other’s throats, with Julie frequently joining Eliza in ridiculing and insulting Twila. Meanwhile, Chris is adamant on keeping the bond between himself, Scout, and Twila strong and steady, as that’s his only real option forward. Even if Eliza would be willing to work with him for one vote to take out Twila, he’s certain she'd immediately flip on him and take him out at four instead. After Eliza wins an important immunity, Chris decides that there’s value in letting chaos continue at camp and opts to vote for Julie, resulting in her elimination.
This final four is so fucking funny when you really think about it. You have Chris, the final guy who, realistically, should have been gone ages ago but has survived due to the women being at each other's' throats at every turn. Then there’s Eliza, the one who is seen as wholly undeserving of having even made it that far. Scout is perhaps the least intriguing of the bunch, though she herself isn’t very respected by most of the cast due to her general hands-off approach and seemingly apathetic attitude towards the game. And then there’s Twila. The one who nobody truly wants to win. Someone who has burned just about every bridge possible because she’s going to play the way she deems necessary. To those sitting on the jury, this is the worst case scenario. And it’s only going to get crazier. Because that beef between Eliza and Twila? It’s not stopping any time soon! The finale may be the crescendo of the rivalry between the two of them, but nothing truly gets resolved. By the end, they still hate each other's' guts, and that bitterness will carry into the FTC.
But before that, Twila has one last bridge to burn. You see, she wins the final immunity challenge and thus has the ability to choose whether she wants to take Scout, her constant ally throughout the game. Even if she couldn’t count on anyone else, she knew that Scout would have her back. Or, she could choose Chris. Someone that, if you asked any of the women, should have already been gone over a week ago. Someone who survived due to his ability to build relationships and keep in peoples’ good graces while Twila actively chose to do the opposite. It’s one of the starkest juxtapositions between two finalists we’ve maybe ever seen. Not just in how they got to the end, but in how their performances at FTC are so starkly different. Twila is still her same blunt self, not caring if what she says hurts feelings. She’s going to tell it as it is, and if you don’t like it, then that’s your problem. But with Chris, he’s willing to tell people exactly what they want to hear. He’ll lie to them and butter them up if it means it gives him a better chance to win. He uses those relationships he built, the very same ones that Twila refused to forge, to defeat her in a 5-2 vote. This FTC is a perfect encapsulation of Twila’s story this season. Vanuatu is a season that I have a lot of love for. The post-merge is damn near perfect, and Twila holds so much responsibility as for why that is. She’s one of few perfect characters, and is well deserving of a spot in endgame.
Well, there it is. My final writeup for Survivor Rankdown VIII. Not gonna lie, I’m kinda burnt out, but this was one hell of a fun ride. And what better way to cap off this incredible experience than one final love letter to one of my favorite characters of all time. Even through all the ups and downs of this rankdown, I had an absolute blast taking part in it. Thank you to everyone who has followed this experience and cheered us on throughout. It wouldn’t be the same without you. Love and cheers to you all!
SMC0629: 2
DryBonesKing: 5
Zanthosus: 7
Tommyroxs45: 4
Regnisyak1: 3
DavidW1208: 3
ninjedi1: 4
Average Placement: 4.000
Total Points: 28
Standard Deviation: 1.633 (Lowest)

26 y.o. AFAB 5”5 155lbs

TLDR;

In November 2023, I started being unable to keep food down. I also was experiencing diarrhea, itchy skin, restless legs, and nausea. I went from 190lbs to 160lbs in a couple of months. I had previously dealt with this in 2020. All the exact same symptoms, including drastic weight loss. I am still unaware of the cause or reasoning for this but have an upcoming doctor’s appointment to hopefully find out.

Question:

Based on symptoms, is there anything in particular I should ask my gastroenterologists, general practitioner, or rheumatologist to look into?

Medical History:

CREST, GERD, IBS, Endometriosis, Asthma, Depression, Anxiety, ADHD

Medications:

Albuterol Inhaler, Prozac, Prazosin, Adderall, Nexium, multivitamin, Vitamin D supplement As Needed: Dramamine, Rolaids, Tylenol, Excedrin Migraine, Midol

The Issue:

Starting in November of 2023, I was unable to keep food down. I weighed 190lbs at the time. It didn’t matter the type; it could be low in fat and sugar, not have a lick of seasoning, or even be apart of the BRAT diet. Sometimes I would even throw up water. Usually within 10-20 minutes of ingesting food, I would start to have a reaction.
First, I would get a full body sweat and break out into goosebumps. Then, I would start belching uncontrollably. Finally, within minutes of all this, I’d be puking up whatever it was that I had just ate. Occasionally diarrhea would accompany this, but that tend to hit later.
I was able to get some nutrients from meal replacement smoothies and Pedialyte, but they only stayed down about 50%. Around the end of the 2nd month, they began to stay down. After a week of keeping the smoothies down, I slowly worked the following into my diet; unseasoned scrambled eggs, bone broth, and occasionally, unseasoned baked fish, such as tilapia or salmon. I would occasionally have the same reactions as before, either puking or diarrhea, but it seemed to lessen for some reason. Regardless, I still have a tremendous stomach ache every time I eat, doesn’t matter the contents.
Along with all this, the skin on my arms and legs would flush pink, almost like a rash, and itch uncontrollably. It felt as if my skin was extremely dry, probably due to the lack of nutrients. I tried numerous eczema creams, thinking that would be my safest bet, but nothing helped. On top of all this, I was having restless legs, sometimes affecting my arms or entire body, almost nightly. Magnesium sprays, creams, and capsules didn’t make a difference.
Due to all this, as you can imagine, I lost a significant amount of weight, even though I was mostly bedridden. Currently, I weight 155lbs. I went from a US size 16 in pants to a size 8 in under three months.

History:

This exact same thing happened to me once before in 2020. Couldn’t keep food down and lost a tremendous amount of weight in a short time period. My gastroenterologists was perplexed and wasn’t sure what the issue was. I had an upper GI done, and he had found undigested food in my stomach. Which, I personally find very strange considering I had last ate at 8pm the night before and my scope was done at 11am the next morning. Could my stomach not be digesting food properly and taking longer than it should to do so for some reason? My mother and I both stressed that I hadn’t eaten past midnight but he didn’t believe us. Due to my stomach being full of food, he was only able to see a very small portion, but still took a biopsy. He could find nothing abnormal and diagnosed me with GERD, recommending I take Nexium daily.
The issues finally seemed to subside by summer of 2021, only to return once again in 2024.
Cue Stomach Issues Part 2: Electric Boogaloo.

Notes:

I finally saw my general practitioner about this in February, she was concerned about the weight loss and recommended a new gastroenterologist. It’s taken me so long to seek treatment due to depression and fear that there wasn’t anything actually wrong with me since my previous gastroenterologist couldn’t find anything back in 2020. It made me feel like it was all in my head; especially since things seemed to go away on their own. My loved ones urged me I was not and to finally seek treatment once again. In preparation for my upcoming appointment, I thought I would post here to see if my symptoms ring any bells for anything in particular. I genuinely really appreciate anyone whose taken the time to read this far.
Thank you for your time!

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Aliens [1986] (iTunes/ports)
Avengers: Infinity War (MA + 200 points)
Beauty & The Beast [2017] (MA + 200 points)
Captain Marvel [2019] (MA + 200 points)
Frozen 2 [2019] (MA + 200 points)
Halloween [2018] (MA)
Mission: Impossible [1996] (Vudu)
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Ralph Breaks The Internet [2018] (MA + 200 points)
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Hunchback Of Notre Dame, The [1996] (MA + 150 points)
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Lady & The Tramp II: Scamps Adventure [2001] (MA + 150 points)
Mickey's Christmas Carol [1983] (MA + 150 points)
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Creator, The [2023] (MA + 150 points)
Day After Tomorrow, The [2004] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Hitman [2007] (MA or Google Play/ports)
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Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Huntsmen Part One [2023] (MA)
Locke [A24] (Vudu)
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Monsters vs. Aliens [2009] (MA)
Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
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Aladdin [2019] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Alien [1979] (iTunes/ports)
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Back To The Future Part II [1989] (iTunes/ports)
Back To The Future Part III [1990] (iTunes/ports)
Big Hero 6 (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
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Cinderella [2015] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Dracula Untold (MA)
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Jurassic Park III [2001] (MA)
Little Mermaid, The [1989] (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
Logan Lucky [2017] (iTunes/ports)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Vudu)
Moana (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
mother! [2017] (iTunes)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (iTunes)
Prometheus (iTunes/ports)
Rango [2011] (iTunes)
Revenant, The [2016] (iTunes/ports)
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Spiral: From The Book Of Saw (Vudu or iTunes)
Star Wars: Rise Of Skywalker (iTunes/ports + 150 points)
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Toll, The [2021] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
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Birth Of The Dragon [2017] (MA)
Black Adam [2022] (MA)
Breaking Bad season 6 (Vudu)
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Chronicle [2012] (MA)
Color Purple, The [2023] (MA)
Desperation Road [2023] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Friday The 13th, The [1980] [Theatrical] (Vudu HD or iTunes 4K)
Fruitvale Station (Vudu)
Ghostbusters II [1989] (MA + Sony points)
Goosebumps 2 [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Grown Ups 2 (MA + Sony points)
I Am Vengeance: Retaliation [2020] (Vudu or iTunes)
I, Tonya [2017] (MA)
Line Of Duty [2019] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Little House On The Prairie season 5 (Vudu)
Lone Ranger, The [2013] (MA + 150 points)
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Project Ithaca [2019] (Vudu or Google Play)
Promised Land [2012] (iTunes/ports)
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Rambo III [1988] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Ray [2004] (MA or iTunes/ports)
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Slender Man [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs [1937] (MA + 150 points)
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Stoker [2013] (MA)
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Whiplash [2014] (MA + Sony points)
White Boy Rick [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Wolverine, The [2013] [Unleashed Extended Edition] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
World's End, The [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Yesterday [2019] (MA)

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1917 [2019] (MA)
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31 [2016] (Vudu)
About Last Night [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (MA)
Action Point [2018] (Vudu)
After Earth [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Age Of Adaline, The (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
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All Eyez On Me [2017] (iTunes)
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Before I Fall [2017] (MA)
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Book Club [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Boss Baby, The [2017] (MA)
Bourne Identity, The (MA)
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Boy, The [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Breakthrough [2019] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Bridesmaids [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
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Captain America: Civil War (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Captain Phillips [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (MA)
Carrie [2013] (Vudu or Google Play)
Case For Christ, The [2017] (MA)
Christopher Robin [2018] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Contraband (iTunes/ports)
Counselor, The [2013] [Theatrical] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Croods, The [2013] (MA)
Curse Of Chucky [2013] [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Daddy's Home (Vudu)
Daddy's Home 2 (Vudu)
Danny Collins (iTunes/ports)
Darkest Hour [2017] (MA)
Darkest Minds, The [2018] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Dark Tower, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Dead In Tombstone [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Deadpool 2 [2018] (MA)
Deepwater Horizon (iTunes 4K)
Despicable Me 2 (iTunes/ports 4K)
Despicable Me 3 [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Devil's Due [2014] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Die Hard [1988] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Divergent Series: Allegiant, The (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Django Unchained (Vudu)
Doctor Strange [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Dolittle [2020] (MA)
Dom Hemingway (MA or Google Play/ports)
Downton Abbey [2019] (MA)
Dracula Untold [2014] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Dream House [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Dredd [2012] (Vudu or Google Play)
Duff, The (iTunes or Google Play)
Edward Scissorhands (MA or Google Play/ports)
Emoji Movie, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Ender's Game (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Endless Love [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Epic [2013] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Equalizer, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Equalizer 2, The (MA + Sony points)
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Ex Machina (Vudu)
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Fences [2016] (iTunes 4K)
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Fifty Shades Darker [2017] [Unrated] (MA 4K)
Fifty Shades Freed [2018] [Theatrical] (MA)
Fifty Shades Of Grey (iTunes/ports 4K)
Fighter, The [2010] (iTunes)
Flight [2012] (Vudu or iTunes)
Footloose [2011] (Vudu or iTunes)
Frozen Ground, The [2013] (Vudu)
Fury [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Game Of Thrones season 2 (Vudu)
Get Out [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Ghostbusters [2016] [Theatrical & Extended] (MA + Sony points)
Ghost Team One [2013] (Vudu or iTunes)
Gifted [2017] (MA or Google Play/ports, iTunes option is expired)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (iTunes 4K)
Gods Not Dead 2 [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Gods Of Egypt (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Greatest Showman, The [2017] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Grey, The [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol.2 (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Hacksaw Ridge (Vudu or Google Play/iTunes option expired)
Hail, Caesar [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Halloween [2018] (MA)
Hanna [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters [Unrated] (Vudu)
Happytime Murders, The [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Hateful Eight, The (Vudu or Google Play)
Heat, The [2013] [Theatrical] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Heaven Is For Real [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Hell Or High Water (iTunes 4K)
Hercules [2014] (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Hitman's Bodyguard, The (Vudu or Google Play/iTunes option is expired)
Homefront [2013] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Honey 2 [2011] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hop [2011] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Host, The [2013] (iTunes/ports)
How To Train Your Dragon 2 (MA)
Hugo [2011] (Vudu or iTunes)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, The (iTunes 4K or Vudu or Google Play HD)
I Can Only Imagine [2018] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Ides Of March, The [2011] (MA)
Imitation Game, The (Vudu)
Impossible, The [2012] (Vudu)
Indiana Jones & The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (Vudu)
Inside Out [2015] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Instant Family [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Into The Woods [2014] (MA + 150 points)
Invisible Man, The [2020] (MA)
I Still Believe [2020] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Jackass 3 [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (Vudu)
Jarhead 2: Field Of Fire [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Jason Bourne [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Jigsaw [2017] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
John Wick (iTunes 4K)
John Wick 1 & 2 (Vudu or Google Play)
John Wick: Chapter 2 (iTunes 4K)
John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (iTunes 4K) or all 3 iTunes for $5
Joy [2015] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle (MA + Sony points)
Jurassic Park III (MA)
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (MA)
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Labor Day [2014] (Vudu or iTunes)
La La Land (iTunes 4K)
Last Knights [2015] (Vudu)
Last Witch Hunter, The [2015] (iTunes 4K or Google Play)
Les Misérables [2012] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Life [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Life Of Pi [2013] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Lockout [2012] [Unrated] (MA + Sony points)
Logan [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Logan Lucky [2017] (MA)
Longest Ride, The (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Looper [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Lorax, The [2012] (MA)
Love, Simon [2018] (MA)
Lucy [2014] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Magnificent Seven, The [2016] (Vudu)
Mama [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again [2018] (MA)
Marauders (Vudu)
Marine 4: Moving Target, The [2015] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Mechanic: Resurrection (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Men In Black 3 (MA + Sony points)
MI-5 [2015] (Vudu)
Mile 22 (iTunes 4K)
Million Ways To Die In The West, A [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Mindgamers [2017] (MA)
Minions [2015] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Mission Impossible: Fallout (iTunes 4K)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (iTunes 4K)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (iTunes 4K)
Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Miss You Already [2015] (Vudu)
Moneyball [2011] (MA + Sony points)
Money Monster [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Monuments Men, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Mother's Day [2016] (MA)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman [2014] (MA)
Mummy, The [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Murder On The Orient Express [2017] (MA or Google Play/ports)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (iTunes/ports)
Neighbors [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Noah [2014] (Vudu or iTunes)
Non-Stop [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Now You See Me 2 (iTunes 4K)
Nurse Jackie season 7 (Vudu)
Nut Job, The [2014] (iTunes/ports)
Oblivion [2013] (iTunes/ports 4K)PENDING
Orange Is The New Black season 2 (Vudu)
Oranges, The [2012] (MA)
Ouija [2014] (MA)
Pain & Gain [2013] (Vudu)
Paranormal Activity [2009] [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 2 [Unrated Director's Cut] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 3 [Extended] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranormal Activity 4 [Unrated] (iTunes)
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension [Unrated] (Vudu)
Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones [Theatrical] (Vudu or iTunes)
Paranorman [2012] (iTunes)
Passengers [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Patriots Day (Vudu or Google Play/iTunes option is expired)
Paul [2011] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Pet Sematary [2019] (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Pitch Perfect (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pitch Perfect 2 (iTunes/ports 4K)
Pitch Perfect 3 (MA)
Planes [2013] (MA + 150 points)
Prince, The [2014] (Vudu)
Prometheus (MA or Google Play/ports, no iTunes option)
Proud Mary [2018] (MA)
Quiet Place, A [2018] (iTunes 4K)
Ralph Breaks The Internet [2018] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Rambo: Last Blood (Vudu 4K or iTunes 4K)
Redemption [2013] (Vudu)
Red Dawn [2012] (Vudu or Google Play)
Replicas [2019] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Riddick [2013] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Rings [2017] (Vudu or iTunes)
Risen [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Rise Of The Guardians [2011] (MA)
Risen [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Robin Hood [2018] (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Rock Dog (iTunes)
Rocketman [2019] (iTunes 4K)
Roger Corman's Death Race 2050 [2017] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Runner Runner [2013] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Rush [2013] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Saban's Power Rangers (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Safe House [2012] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Scoob! [2020] (MA)
Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption (iTunes/ports)
Scrooged (Vudu)
Search Party [2013] (iTunes/ports)
Secret: Dare To Dream, The [2020] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (MA 4K or iTunes/ports 4K)
See No Evil 2 [2014] (Vudu)
Sex Tape [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Show Dogs [2018] (MA)
Sicario (iTunes 4K)
Silent House [2012] (iTunes/ports)
Sing [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Sinister (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Smurfs: The Lost Village [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Snow White & The Huntsman [2012] [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Sparkle [2012] (MA)
Spider-Man: Homecoming [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Spy [2015] [Unrated] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Star Trek [2009] (iTunes 4K)
Star Trek: Beyond (iTunes 4K)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA + 150 points)
Step Up All In [2014] (Vudu)
Step Up Revolution (Vudu or Google Play)
Straight Outta Compton [Unrated] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Super 8 (Vudu)
Super Buddies (MA without points)
Taken 3 [Unrated] (MA, iTunes or Google Play/ports)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows (iTunes 4K)
Terminator: Genisys (iTunes 4K)
Texas Chainsaw [2013] (Vudu)
Thing, The [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Think Like A Man Too [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Titanic (Vudu)
Top Gun (Vudu)
Tower Heist [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Tremors: A Cold Day In Hell (MA)
Tremors: Shrieker Island (MA)
Trolls: World Tour [2020] (MA)
True Grit [2010] (Vudu or iTunes)
Turbo [2013] (MA)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (iTunes 4K)
Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Underworld: Awakening [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Underworld: Blood Wars [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Valerian & The City Of A Thousand Planets (Vudu)
Venom [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Vice [2015] (Vudu)
Walk Among The Tombstones, A (iTunes/ports)
Warcraft [2016] (iTunes/ports 4K)
War For The Planet Of The Apes [2017] (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
War Room [2015] (MA + Sony points)
We Die Young [2019] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
When The Game Stands Tall [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Wolf Of Wall Street (iTunes 4K)
Wonder [2017] (Vudu/GP HD or iTunes 4K)
Wonder Park [2019] (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Woodlawn [2015] (MA)
World War Z (iTunes 4K)
X-Men: Apocalypse (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
X-Men: Days Of Future Past (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA)
Zero Dark Thirty (MA + Sony points)
Zootopia (MA without points)

🦝

💲2️⃣ SD

127 Hours (iTunes/ports)
All About Steve (iTunes/ports)
Black Swan (iTunes/ports)
Bride Wars (iTunes/ports)
Crazy On The Outside (iTunes/ports)
Dragonball: Evolution [2009] (iTunes/ports)
Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who! (ITunes/ports)
Hitman [2007] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Love & Other Drugs (iTunes/ports)
Max Payne [2008] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Texas Rising season 1 (Vudu)
This Means War (iTunes/ports)
Unstoppable [2010] (iTunes/ports)

🦝

$1 Codes

💲1️⃣ HD

Alex Cross (Vudu)
Bad Moms [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Battleship [2012] (MA)
Book Club (Vudu)
Butler, The [2013] (Vudu)
Deadpool (iTunes/ports 4K or HD MA/GP)
Despicable Me 2 (MA)
Despicable Me 3 (MA)
Divergent (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Divergent Series: Insurgent, The (iTunes 4K or Vudu HD)
Duff, The [2015] (Vudu)
Expendables 2, The (iTunes 4K or Vudu/GP HD)
Expendables 3, The [Theatrical] (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Fast & Furious [2009] (MA)
Fast & Furious 6, The [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Fast Five [Extended] (MA)
Fate Of The Furious, The [8] [Theatrical] (MA)
Fences [2016] (Vudu)
Frozen [2013] (MA + 150 points/no iTunes option)
Furious 7 [Extended] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Girls Trip [2017] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Good Day To Die Hard, A (MA or Google Play/ports)
Hell Or High Water (Vudu or Google Play)
Hillsong: Let Hope Rise [2016] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Hunger Games, The [2012] (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (iTunes 4K or Google Play HD)
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, The (Vudu)
I, Frankenstein (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Vudu)
Jason Bourne (MA)
Jurassic Park [1993] (MA)
Jurassic World (iTunes/ports 4K)
Leprechaun: Origins (Vudu)
Les Misérables [2012] (MA)
Lone Survivor [2013] (iTunes/ports 4K)
Lost World: Jurassic Park, The (MA)
Maggie [2015] (Vudu)
Minions [2015] (MA)
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (Vudu)
Mud (Vudu)
Now You See Me [Extended] (Vudu or Google Play) or [Theatrical] (iTunes)
Other Woman, The [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Parental Guidance [2012] (MA)
Purge: Anarchy, The (MA)
Red 2 (iTunes 4K)
Ride Along 2 (MA or iTunes/ports)
RIPD Rest In Peace Department (MA)
Safe [2012] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Secret Life Of Pets, The (MA)
Shack, The [2017] (Vudu, iTunes or Google Play)
Skyfall (Vudu or Google Play)
Snitch (iTunes 4K or Vudu/Google Play HD)
Son Of God [2014] (MA or Google Play/ports)
Star Trek: Beyond (Vudu)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (iTunes 4K)
Taken 2 (MA)
Ted [Unrated] (MA or iTunes/ports) or [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014] (Vudu)
Terminator: Genisys (Vudu)
Transformers: The Last Knight (Vudu)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (iTunes 4K)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection (iTunes)
Tyler Perry's Temptation: Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor (Vudu or Google Play)
Unbroken [2014] (MA or iTunes/ports)
Warm Bodies (Vudu)
XXX: Return Of Xander Cage (Vudu)
Zootopia (Google Play/ports)

🦝

💲1️⃣ SD

22 Jump Street (MA + Sony points)
Act Of Valor (iTunes)
After Earth [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Alpha [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Alvin & The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (iTunes/ports)
Amazing Spider-Man, The [2012] (MA)
Amazing Spider-Man 2, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
American Hustle [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Arthur Christmas [2011] (MA + Sony points)
A-Team, The [2010] [Theatrical] (iTunes/ports)
Blood Father [2016] (Vudu)
Bourne Identity, The (MA or iTunes/ports)
Call, The [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Call Me By Your Name [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Captain Phillips (MA + Sony points)
Chappie [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Charlie's Angels [2019] (MA + Sony points)
Date Night [2010] [Extended Edition] (iTunes/ports)
Day The Earth Stood Still, The [2008] (iTunes/ports)
Deliver Us From Evil [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Elysium [2013] (MA + Sony points)
Equalizer, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Expendables, The [2010] [Extended Director's Cut] (iTunes)
Goosebumps [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Here Comes The Boom [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Hotel Transylvania [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Hotel Transylvania 2 (MA + Sony points)
Hotel Transylvania 3 (MA + Sony points)
Hours [2013] (Vudu)
House At The End Of The Street, The [2012] (iTunes)
Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs (iTunes/ports)
Immortals [2011] (iTunes)
Insidious: Chapter 2 (MA + Sony points)
Insidious: The Last Key (MA + Sony points)
Looper [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Men In Black III [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Monte Carlo [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Monuments Men, The [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Mortal Instruments: The City Of Bones (MA + Sony points)
Nerve [2016] (Vudu)
Olympus Has Fallen (MA + Sony points)
Orange Is The New Black season 1 (Vudu)
Paranoia [2013] (iTunes)
Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief (iTunes/ports)
Perfect Guy, The [2015] (MA + Sony points)
Peter Rabbit [2018] (MA + Sony points)
Predators [2010] (iTunes/ports)
Raven, The [2012] (iTunes)
Rio [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Risen [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (iTunes/ports)
Rite, The [2011] (iTunes/ports)
Robin Hood [2010] [Unrated] (iTunes/ports)
Safe Haven (iTunes)
Sausage Party [2016] (MA + Sony points)
Shark Night [2011] (iTunes)
Sparkle [2012] (MA)
Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse (MA + Sony points)
Star, The [2017] (MA + Sony points)
Taken [2009] [Extended Cut] (iTunes/ports)
That Awkward Moment [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Think Like A Man Too [2014] (MA + Sony points)
Tyler Perry's Madea's Tough Love (Vudu)
Underworld: Awakening (MA + Sony points)
Vow, The [2012] (MA + Sony points)
Wanted [2008] (iTunes/ports)1
Warrior [2011] (iTunes)
Water For Elephants (iTunes/ports)
Wedding Ringer, The [2015] (MA + Sony points)
When The Bough Breaks [2016] (MA + Sony points)
White House Down [2013] (MA + Sony points)
X-Men: First Class (iTunes/ports)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (iTunes/ports)

🦝

Super Cheap SD & HD Codes

All movies are 3 for $1 but must spend at least $1 on total order.
🦝
Dirty Grandpa (Vudu SD only)
Expendables 2, The (Vudu SD only)
Expendables 3, The [Unrated] (iTunes HD only)
Fast Five [Extended] (iTunes/ports HD)
Furious 7 [Extended] (MA ports HD)
Hunger Games, The (Vudu SD or iTunes SD only)
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (Vudu SD only)
John Wick 3 (Google Play HD only)
Life Of Pi (iTunes/ports SD)
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (Vudu HD only)
Perks Of Being A Wallflower (iTunes SD only)
Skyfall (iTunes SD only)
Star Trek: Into Darkness (Vudu HD only)
Taken 2 (iTunes/ports SD)
Transformers: Age Of Extinction (Vudu HD only)
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 2 (Vudu SD only)

I don’t really know how to do a proper intro to this type of thing. I just want to get to the point. My cousin Peter wasn’t returning my aunt’s phone calls and texts for 2 days straight, so she went to his house and used the spare key to get inside after Peter didn’t come to the door.
What she told the officers (and my mom) was that she found all his things untouched. His car was still parked in the driveway, none of his things were taken, and there were no signs of a break-in.
Basically, it was like he vanished into thin air. The only out of place thing that was found was Peter’s phone laying face-down in the hallway upstairs.
Authorities searched his phone, but all they found was a bunch of missed voicemails and texts from friends and relatives begging him to answer. The phone was returned to my aunt, and with her too distraught to notice, I took the phone.
I know it was wrong, but I was six at the time and barely understood what had happened to my cousin anyway. I just saw a free phone and took my opportunity to take it and download some games and watch YouTube. After a while of using the phone for dumb kid stuff, I got a notification from the “notes” app telling me to pick up where I left off.
I hadn’t used the notes app since getting my hands on the phone, so I was curious as to what my cousin had been writing before he lost his phone. I didn’t understand the weight of my findings at the time, but I’ve recently heard of an internet phenomenon known as the Backrooms, and it brought back memories of what Peter had described in his final set of notes.
I’ve since grown up and moved out of my old family house, but I managed to find the old phone and get it charged up again. It took an awkward text to my aunt asking what the password to Peter’s old phone was, but I managed to unlock the phone and reread my cousins’ last few messages before he… well, you’ll know what I mean after I share them with you.
But why am I posting this here of all places? Well, for starters, the messages sound like some sick prank, so the authorities and my relatives wouldn’t believe me even if I showed them the messages. It also might cause my aunt unwanted grief over something that happened so long ago, which leads me to my final reason: it’s just been too much time. The case has been closed, and my aunt has finally recovered all that she can.
But even if I can’t tell anyone my findings, I can still make sure Peter’s last messages to the world don’t go unseen. I can’t help but feel some guilt for not telling anyone what I found, so maybe I’m also doing this to clear my conscience.
But I’ve been on about this too long. Let me just show you what I found.


July 3, 2003
I’ve tried telling my friends about the door, but they just don’t believe me. It doesn’t help that the door always disappears whenever I try to show them. It doesn't appear in pictures either, and after a quick examination of my house from the outside, there doesn’t seem to be a room behind the door. It’s just not possible. I want to see what’s behind it. I really do. I just get this feeling of… dread when I go to open it. I need some sleep

July 4, 2003 (This was written past midnight, so it’s counted as a new day)
I can’t sleep. Every time I do, I have the same dream. It starts off fine, normal, actually. I’m downstairs watching something on TV, I can’t remember what. For some reason, I can’t help but feel like I’m being watched from my staircase, but I can’t turn to look. Eventually, the power goes out, and I can move. I go upstairs to get a flashlight from my room, and the door is wide open. It’s so dark that I can’t see what’s on the other side, but I feel whatever it is calling me. My legs start to carry me towards the door, and I wake up. I’m so fucking tired.

July 6, 2003
I can’t. I just can’t. I want to cover the door, but I’m scared to get close to it. I keep having the same dream, but when I wake up I’m in my hallway in front of the door. One time, I woke up with my hand moving towards the handle. I told my mom about it, but I couldn’t show her any pictures. I’m scared.

July 9, 2003
No one can help me. No one believes me. I’ve been staying in a motel for the past few days. I can’t be in the same house as that door, but I see it in my dreams. Now the dream doesn’t even start off fine, It’s just me standing in front of the door in a dark hallway. I’m fucking done. I’m opening the door, and I’m ending this shit.


July 10, 2003
I’m in a new place now. The rooms keep repeating. How is this even possible? There is no time in this place. My only way of measuring time is my phone’s clock. No one can help.

July 10, 2003 (All his new messages are written on the same day, but he writes them like it’s been days since the last)
Every door leads to a new room. There are kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms and bathrooms. There are no clocks, but there is food and water. There is no windows, but there are places to sleep and use the bathroom. Hell, there’s even toothbrushes and toothpaste here. Someone could get lost in here forever.

July 10, 2003
I’ve mapped out as many rooms as I can. I’ve got a bit more knowledge on the layout of this place. It’s an infinite place. It provides for those inside it. But it never lets them leave.


July 10, 2003
Something is wrong. I know now which rooms I’ve already been in, but things have been moved around. Beds that I’ve slept in already have been made, fridges have been left open with food missing. Someone is here with me. I need to find them.

July 10, 2003
I saw them. I chased them. I lost my way. I’m lost again, but this time it’s different. The rooms are cold. The carpets are damp. The lights are dim. The fridges are empty. The shower curtains are filled with mold. I’m being watched.

July 10, 2003
This place isn’t the same. The rooms are entirely different. They are dark concrete chambers with barely any light. I’m going to die here. Im going to die here Im going to die here Im going to die


July 10, 2003
They keep scratching at the walls. Their screams ring in my ears. Im so cold. Their hands grab at my arms, my feet, my neck, they want to keep me here with them.

July 10, 2003
Something has changed. They seem more desperate to keep me here. They tell me to turn back, that Im going to get hurt. But I think I’m getting close to the end. God help me.

July 10, 2003
I found my way back to the door. Not the one from my house, but the one from my dream. And I know now what’s on the other side. It’s… horrifying. Their bodies writhe in agony, their cries for mercy echo into the void. They yell as if anyone can hear them. And on top of his throne of mangled flesh and bone, there he sits. The one who’s been calling me back to the door. I can barely even describe him. He almost looks like

July 10, 2003
Sv dsl szh ilznvw gsv hkzxv yvgdvvm dliowh, lfghrwv gsv uzyirx lu ivzorgb rghvou, szh urmzoob nzwv srh dzb gl nv. Gsrh rh dszg R dzmgvw gl hsld srn. Gsrh rh gsv zugvioruv blf hzb droo yv kzizwrhv. Blfi ylwrvh droo yv vgvimzoob uozbvw, blfi nrmwh dsrggovw wldm fmgro mlgsrmt ivnzrmh. Zmw sviv R droo dzrg. Sviv R droo dzrg uli blf, Qlhsfz.


I don’t even know what to think. I don’t remember the messages sounding like that. I don’t know what even happened to Peter anymore. I think he must’ve had some kind of mental breakdown, unless I want to believe what he wrote about in his final messages is really true. I just don’t know anymore.
My findings have only reinforced my decision not to tell anyone in my family about this. This is my weight to carry, since maybe we could’ve tracked him down in time to stop him from disappearing completely if I had just told my family about what I found all those years ago.
I don’t even think it matters much now anyway. As much as I want to believe that everything Peter described wasn’t true, I just can’t convince myself anymore. It may have been coincidence, but last night I fell asleep and had one of the worst nightmares I’ve had in a while.
I’m standing in front of a blood red door, with darkness all around me. It’s cold in this place, so cold I want to shiver, but I can’t. I’m paralyzed. I’m helpless to do anything but watch as the door swings open, and I gaze into what’s beyond. A swirling void of madness and tortured souls, begging me to turn back.
And in the center of it all, there he sits.

Going to try and keep this as short as possible, because I hate being long winded.
Tldr: my injury that got me med boarded out of my litteral dream job is still deteriorating. Foot injury which has caused knee, hip and back issues. I'm still young (34) and have 2 young kids.
I am being seen thru community care for va Healthcare for regular care. Main question is how hard is it to get the approval or auth to be seen by someone for mental health, as watching my body somewhat fail me this early I'm life is messing with my head.
I am already rated for anxiety as well... and I know that along with my overall mental health has tanked as I watch my foot deteriorate (I have a bone that's now deemed to have active necrosis so it's slowly dying over time, thanks to the original surgery a military orthopedic doc wanted to try to fix the bone years ago).
Do I just ask my primary doc for the referral or is it different being on community care? Only even have questions because I've been on my husband's Healthcare and now that he's DOD civilian we have a high deductible and id like to not have to pay more than we already are with trying to stop the progression of my foot injury (we are using his health care since I can litterally walk in to any specialist I want to with that).
(IF interested check my post history I have the current xray posted in a xray group cause it's interesting lol)

After watching Castle, Leverage, Body of Proof and Bones a lot of plot points seem to be popping up in several shows. Elementary does that too, but mostly manages to develop episodes in an unexpected directions instead of focussing on the gimmick of the week (like the killer clown episode). What other stereotypical crime procedural plots could have been fun in Elementary?
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Previous chapter - https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1d8xfng/from_the_ashes_chapter_4_new_home/
Since childhood, I had an aversion to magic.
I was taught from an early age that it was something dangerous and violent. Something that cannot be controlled, that cannot be wielded by human hands. Something that cannot be explained. And that aversion persisted into my adulthood.
I was taught that yes... But what put the nail in the coffin of my childhood curiosity was that day when my parents were laid to rest.
I remember it much more vividly now. Slowly but steadily, I feel like I am digging something out from the depths of my mind. And the peculiar thing is... It started happening when I met Kye. Sometimes when I look at her I feel a sense of deja vu which I cannot explain. A nostalgic feeling that is almost comforting... Maybe that's one of the reasons I hadn't left in these weeks. I had many chances.
Without much conversation, she helped me dig out some of my memories. By what method or means... I do not know. She awoke something I had hidden inside of me, my essence which I had inherited.
And that same child-like wonder for magic which now pushes me ever forward like a moth to a flame. Dangerous and violent, but endlessly fascinating and useful all the same.
A force of nature.
A force that can be studied through a scientific lens.
And study with scientific vigor I shall.

#
„Hold your concentration.“ Kye whispered to me.
We stood in the depths of the forest unmoving, camouflaged in green cloaks. In the distance just beyond the shrubbery stood a deer that was drinking from a small stream.
I held my hand out palm stretched wide open. Centimeters away from it was a medium-sized pebble, it was smooth and oval in shape. It levitated, though its levitation was far from stable. It bobbed like a ship at sea. I had difficulty holding it still in mid-air.
„Shoot before it notices us.“ Kye whispered once more.
I took a deep breath.
I felt the surge of energy concentrate in my palm. I imagine a pressurized tank of air...
Then I let go...
The pebble shook violently for a second then with a whoosh it flew at great speed, missing the target completely. Instead of hitting the water beside it spooking the animal. The deer raised its head abruptly in the direction where the pebble hit. Then subsequently ran off into the forest.
Kye sighed.
„Better than before, but you still can't aim precisely. You need to hold it steady in the air.“ She said standing up with her crossbow.
„Will we follow it?“ I asked.
„No, let it go. We have to check the traps, they ought to have caught something by now.“ She replied. I stood up as well, dusting myself off and picking up the rifle I had from the ground.
Kye says it only weighs me down... But I feel safer with it
Kye started walking back to where she set the traps, maybe a 30-minute trek back.
„We went pretty deep in today.“ I commented.
„Yes, that's why we're going back earlier. We don't want to be caught in the forest after sundown.“ She had a point. And I was pretty tired from walking through the damn forest all day. Hunting is no easy matter.
„Once we get back I'll get one grimoire we have in the library. It might help you with levitating objects steadily.“ She added.
„May I ask in what language is it?“ I inquired. She remained silent for a few moments.
„Kye you know I can't speak or read Elvish. Of all the books in that library you took out two are in a human language. One in Weserian surprisingly enough, which I can read... The other is Turian which I can probably get a few words here and there.“ I explained. I couldn't see Kye's face but I could guess it expressed mild annoyance.
„Alright, I'll read it to you again. But I'll have to teach you Almaganda at some point. You'll need it.“ She said, however much I did not look forward to it. I still needed to learn the language and script to learn on my own. Because it was frankly embarrassing that she needed to read it to me out loud like she would a child... Well, I am still a child in Elven years I guess.
I had to give her props she learned to speak Weserian with native fluency. She has my grandfather to thank for that... And I thank him as well. Because I would've probably had a bolt in my skull if she didn't know Weserian.

#
I realized the forest during the day was a tranquil and peaceful place. It held within it an ancient beauty that I was thankful to be able to witness and experience. However, after some time you get used to it and it simply fades into the background.
Kye and I chit-chatted during our walk briefly. Mostly about what were going to eat for dinner. But also she reiterated her points where I had to improve with my magic. Nothing new to my ears.
Finally, we arrived at the first trap, which was unfortunately empty. But we had set a few more of them so we continued. The second and third were also empty, I saw Kye was a bit perplexed at this, but she didn't comment on it. Once you are around her enough you can catch the small expressions she does as subtle as they are.
The fourth trap caught something.
„Finally!“ I said happily. We approached the trap and saw it caught a rabbit. Enough to feed us for the night. But we would need something bigger to sustain us during the week.
„We're going back to the house. We will go hunting first thing tomorrow to catch something bigger.“ Kye said, now this was something that raised a question mark above my head. Every previous time she was insistent we don't go back empty-handed, or with something too small.
„Kye, can you share your thoughts, please? I think you're not telling me something.“ I asked her.
She bit her lip.
„I think there might be something scaring off the animals.“
I felt a pit in my stomach form.
„Mages? Bandits?“ I asked.
„No... I'd know if it were either of those. A monster.“ She picked up the dead rabbit by its ears and put it in a large pouch. „And it is probably close by...“ She added.
I remember that Owen told of that the wildlife tends to be aggressive in these parts. Up until this point, I saw that the fauna was more or less the same as back home.
„What's the difference between a normal animal and a monster exactly?“ I asked Kye. I have heard of monsters before... But I didn't look too much into them. I knew they mostly lived in the east.
„A monster has a large amount of essence usually. They tend to be large and aggressive. However, there are exceptions to the rule. There is a species of large herd animals native to the plains of the east called Mulson. They have essence and are considered monsters, but are quite docile unless provoked. Some tribes even domesticated them and used them as pack animals.“ She explained. She looked deeper into the forest, but her gaze lingered before she continued. „I didn't suspect a monster at first because they usually go in small groups. I would've seen evidence of such a group... That only leaves one option left.“ She paused.
„A lone monster.“ She looked back at me. „We should get going now.“
She began walking and I followed her once again.
„A lone monster is more dangerous than a pack?“ I asked.
„Yes and no. If one were to attack us we could deal with it, but it is best to avoid it. Most of the time lone monsters are outcasts from their groups. They tend to be a lot more violent and unpredictable. That's what makes them a bigger risk than an entire group.“ She answered. I looked out into the forest as I walked. It didn't seem as tranquil and peaceful anymore. It was scarily quiet and still.


The same lingering feeling crept up as we continued to walk through the forest. I knew we were nearing the house, shelter. But with each step we took I felt as if we were being watched... The same feeling I had back in the wagon.
I kept my head on a swivel, looking around constantly, the sun was slowly starting to set and visibility became ever so scarce a resource. Kye was silent most of the trek. She was concentrating as well, but not in the same way as I. She told me she could 'sense' if there was an increase of essence in the area. It takes a lot of practice, of course, as she said. But she can do it.
She was a few paces in front of me when I turned my head back to face what was in front. I saw she stopped.
„What is it?“ I asked her in a whisper.
„Can you smell that?“ She asked right back. I made a few steps forward and then it hit me. A foul stench of rot. Before I could locate where it was coming from I felt something wet drop on my head. I instinctively went to touch it with my hand, and when I lowered it to inspect the wet substance, I realized what it was.
It was blood.
Looking up into the thick tree branches that blocked most of the sunlight I couldn't see much, but there were obvious shapes in there that didn't look natural. Kye manifested one of her light orbs and somehow managed to concentrate the light on the tree branches above us.
When she shone the light we finally saw them... Two horses strung up on the tree branches. They were disemboweled and had half their limbs missing.
They were half-eaten.
„How... That's...“ I muttered.
„Not our horses... Whose?“ Kye replied.
„Owen's“ I replied.
„We have to move, quickly.“ Kye said, de-manifesting the orb and beginning to walk at an increased pace. I followed, but that jog soon turned into a full-out sprint.
We ran through the forest with no regard for the sound we made. I could barely keep up, then I heard it. Shuffling behind us, it sounded rhythmic and slow... But it was quick enough to keep up with us. At that moment the only thought in my mind was that it wasn't something small most certainly.
Adrenaline kicked in and I ran as fast as my legs could let me while also trying not to trip.
I then made a foolish decision.
I looked back.
I saw something, but I couldn't quite make it out... But it towered over the both of us. And the thing was as agile as Kye.
When I turned my head back, I didn't see Kye.
Panic set in, but I couldn't stop, I knew if I made a turn I would quickly get lost.
I ran straight for as long as I could, but I heard the thing behind me quickly close the distance. I heard it panting. It sounded... human. But at the same time, it didn't. It sounded too deep to be that of a human or elf for that matter. No, this was something entirely different.
And it was big.
My legs started to give in, I felt them sting. I felt my lungs burn from the exertion. Soon enough I needed to stop, I needed to catch my breath. I heard the thumps behind me get closer and closer, I heard the thing roar... Gods, it was deafening. I heard it knock down trees as it began running even faster toward me.
And just as I thought I was doomed, something grabbed me and yanked me hard into a large hollowed-out tree. I tried to scream, but a hand was firmly placed over my mouth. Then I heard someone speak.
„Don't make a sound“ I heard a demanding whisper. It was Kye.
I stared wide-eyed as the thing passed by running. I saw its feet pass us. The ground shook slightly, and pieces of wood fell on our heads.
„Ju Mo...“ Kye said, I didn't understand what she said.
She released my mouth, and I peeked behind me to see her face.
Even though it was dark and hard to see, I could see her red eyes were wide open.
Terror.
She was afraid.
Shit, I thought to myself, I never saw her show a hint of fear, even when she face three goddamn mages by herself.
„Why is it here...“ She muttered to herself.
She looked at me with a terrified expression.
„You don't have any blood on you? Any scent?“ She whispered.
„No, I...“ Then I remembered. Horse blood. „Shit.“ I muttered as I started to go through my hair, I felt the blood stick to my fingers.
Kye looked at me like she saw a ghost.
Then we heard it come back with a quick pace. We heard it sniff the air.
Kye and I huddled in the hollowed tree, I saw her extend her arm. Her breath was quick and erratic.
Then the monster stepped right in front of the opening, it growled so deep I could feel it in my chest. I saw the monster was standing on two feet, its legs were hairy. And I could smell it, a foul stench of rot and Gods know what else. It was overpowering.
The monster started to crouch, and the moment it showed its face, I felt a strong force pull us to the back with such force we broke through the tree and flew right into the one behind it. Both of us hit the tree at the same time.
My spine felt like it snapped from the impact, but I couldn't grovel in pain just yet. Kye quickly stood up and grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.
„Get up!“ She yelled, I could hear the monster release another deafening roar, I looked back and saw it was holding its face. Whatever Kye did hurt it, and us...
We ran again through the forest, each moment the sun set farther and farther down below the horizon. And the forest was getting darker by the minute.
I heard the monster kept at it, it was behind us again. Kye stopped abruptly at a small open patch where trees weren't as densely packed together. She extended both her hands and broke of dozens of thick branches of the trees. In mere moments she managed to straighten all the branches into spears. I could see she was using all her strength to do that. I know how hard it is to hold a single small damn pebble still in the air, let alone dozens of heavy branches.
I saw the creature emerge from between the trees.
Right then Kye jabbed the air with her fist, the branches went flying straight at the monster.
When they hit, I thought for a moment everything was over. But then that thing... This monstrosity raised its damn hand, and with a flick of its wrist, all the spears flew out of it, some of them right back at us. Thankfully all of them missed.
But I could see the thing was now even more pissed than before. But it was staggered, but only for a short while. And it could use magic.
I had to think of something. We could use magic... Fire magic.
„Kye will fire hurt it?“ I asked quickly.
„Probably, but it won't kill it. If we use it then we'll have to deal with it and a forest fire!“ She replied.
Goddamn it - I thought to myself. I looked around, maybe there is something we can use. But it was futile, I couldn't see shit. We had to run.
Kye was already doing the same, I caught up to her. The thing was still tailing us. I saw she tried everything to hamper the monster's advance. She fell smaller trees as we ran, I could hear her grunt under the strain of each action she did.
I was in no better position, I couldn't feel my legs anymore. And I was on the verge of suffocating from exertion.
We managed to make some distance between it and us. Kye stopped, grabbing her knees, and panting heavily. I did the same.
I heard it in the distance charging forward still.
„Any bright ideas, Wyatt?“ She asked between pants.
Then I remembered... I still had the rifle. Though it would probably do jack shit to the thing...
I had to think rationally. The monster, though it possesses essence and magic is still a living being. It needs food, water, and air to survive.
My mind raced... Then I had it.
Air!
„Kye, for how long can you distract the thing?“ I asked her.
„Not long.“ She replied.
„I'll need 10 seconds, tops. Can you get a shield up? The same one as last time?“ I said.
„I can... What are you thinking?!“ She yelled back at me.
Just then we saw the monster emerge from the beyond the trees, charging right at us.
„DO IT!“ I yelled at her. Without missing a beat she turned around and erected the same transparent wall in front of us. A much larger one.
I grabbed the rifle from my shoulder and fiddled with it for a second to check if the round is chambered. It was, I closed it back up and aimed.
I was aiming for the jugular. The thing had thick fur, so any other part of the body was out of the question. Head, the skull is probably too thick. Chest, fur, and bone are in the way. Limbs are out of the question.
I was no marksman, but I had to make it work.
My hands shook, my breath uneven and erratic, I struggled to keep the rifle steady. I took a deep breath in and held it.
My hands calmed ever so slightly. The sights lined up with my eye.
I saw the thing hit the wall, Kye grunted. She felt it.
The monster was confused for a moment but then it started hitting the wall, with each hit I heard Kye was struggling to keep the barrier up. I heard her cough and wheeze.
I lined up my shot.
The monster roared.
My eardrums felt like they would burst at any moment.
„LIFT IT!“ I yelled. That moment the wall disappeared and the creature started running toward us again, I felt the ground shake. The monster roared.
My heart pounded like cannons mid-siege.
I felt sweat pour down my face.
I saw the thing open its mouth and extend its arms, ready to devour us.
Then I pulled the trigger.

BANG
I felt the rifle kick into my shoulder. The recoil was stronger than I'd anticipated.
The sound reverberated through the forest but it was drowned out by the monster's roar.
Then abruptly it stopped.
The monster slowed down to a jog, then to a slow walk. It grabbed its neck, I heard it gurgling.
I stepped back, it was getting closer.
Then mere feet from us it collapsed to its knees. It was in that position there, staring at us for a moment before I saw the flicker in its eyes disappear.
Then it collapsed to the ground with a resounding thump. Two mere steps from where I stood.
I stared at it, panting heavily I kicked its head.
It didn't react.
It was dead.
It was dead!
I turned around to look at Kye, she collapsed to her knees. She looked like she was bleeding from somewhere on her face, trails of blood were coming from her eyes and nose. But she was alive.
She looked at me.
The horrified expression quickly turned into a neutral one. Then, for the first time since I met her.
I saw her smile.
And I couldn't help but smile back. Letting out a small laugh.
Then she collapsed to the ground.
Next Chapter - (Coming soon, check Royal Road for schedule)

I had a very difficult ceremony last week. I saw horrific things such as my dad raping me, and other images of the collective pain and suffering of the world. There were glimmers where I felt strength and courage but overall, it was disturbing.
My prayeintention was strength to let go of what I cannot control and have felt nothing but weakness and fear in every bone of my body ever since.
Before the ceremony, the love of my life decided that he may not want to be in a relationship anymore. 8 years. Many of my friendships and my job (despite being in the mental health field) feel unfulfilling and hollow. My family life is strained. I constantly feel that I give a lot of thought toward others that is not returned. I'm often the friend who is helping other out of serious shit.
On the surface, people see my love of nature, my hobbies such as pottery, my care for my plants, my kindness, my openness, my wisdom etc. Everyone else can see wonderful things while I feel nothing, or that I haven't really earned anything, or that my accomplishments are nothing special.
I feel absolutely gutted about all this and the integration has not made things easier. My life feels meaningless and all the things I try to do for my well-being (acupuncture, art, therapy, exercise, massages, reading self-help) do not seem to help in the long term. I truly feel I'm living in a personal hell and that there is something fundamentally damaged and wrong beyond repair. I've felt this way since I was a child.
I know I'm the only one that can get myself out of this hole but I truly don't know what to fight for anymore. I don't know what to make of this. I'm so tired sometimes I just want to opt-out of life.
EDIT: my dad never actually raped me and I'm sure of that. He was emotionally neglectful but not dangerous. I just had an image of it during this trip. Really scary.

September 2nd - 07:00 Service to London
The morning commute always felt too early for Simon. Now autumn was rolling in, and the night ate further into the morning, he could barely keep his eyes open. So when he saw it standing across the platform, he was happy to blink and rub his eyes until it was gone.
September 9th - 07:00 Service to London
The same platform, the same spot, shivering. Why had he been this stupid not to bring a jacket? Oxford station was as nondescript as you could get, for a city so beautiful and ancient, it stood out like a big grey concrete thumb. He stood under the canopy sheltering from the rain, sadly it wasn't doing much in the way of protection. Every gust of wind brought icy shards of rain scratching at his face. Looks like he wasn't the only one suffering.
Across from him stood a man. Drenched to the bone, his white shirt clung to him, a tie stained blood red cutting through his torso. With every gust he stood still. Not flinching. Not moving. His eyes locked on Simon. Simon scanned him from head to toe, like a mirror the man responded, tracing his every move. Feeling the rush of a train approaching, Simon took a step back and like a child discovering their legs for the first time, the man stumbled forwards.
Feeling anxious warmth flooded his face, Simon scrambled onto the train. He was safe here. He was safe.
September 16th - 07:00 Service to London
He approached the platform with caution today, yes last week was weird, but it was early and he was tired. When he looked up at the departures the bad mood started. 20 minutes delayed. It was as grey as usual this morning, not raining though, that was a bonus he thought. He stood endlessly scrolling through social media, head locked down. Then he heard it, a high-pitched whistle. His head shot up, and then across from him, there he stood. The same white and red clothed man staring. Simon could feel his heart beating in his throat, his stomach turning in knots. Dark cold eyes were tied to his from across the void of the platform, sucking the warmth from his body. Simon knew he couldn't move, he couldn't bear to watch the man copy him. Breathing heavily he dragged his eyes to the departures, not daring to move a single limb. 3 minutes. He had to hold out for three minutes. He was alone out there, the platform was a lonely headland out at sea, it was just him and the man.
They stayed eyes locked, standing stock still. Simon didn't dare to breathe too heavily. Time was moving, he knew that, but every second was an eternity. Out the corner of his eye he could see a faint light growing brighter and brighter. The train was coming. He would be safe. Then in a split second the man broke his gaze. He was running. His body moved in perfect symmetry flying along the platform, getting closer and closer to the passenger bridge. He can get me. He can get me! Simon's mind was screaming. Alarm bells ringing. The man was getting closer. There was a hollow thud of thunder as the man's feet stormed across the bridge.
The train was pulling in now, its brakes hissing as it glided to a stop. Simon slammed his hand against the button frantically waiting for the doors to slide open, and they did. Inviting him into the warm comfort of the carriage. The man arrived at the bottom of the steps, fixed his gaze on Simon and ran. Gaining on him, 10 metres, 5 metres, 1 metre. The doors slid shut. And the man slammed against them. Simon’s stomach clamped in on itself; he could feel the sour taste of vomit flood his throat and mouth, pouring out onto the floor. His eyes stayed fixed on the glass of the train door. He was looking at his reflection. But this was no trick of the light. The man had his face and he was smiling.
September 16th - 16:34 Service to Worcester
Simon spent his entire day scanning faces. Anyone who crossed his path was a potential threat. He made it through the work day, he would get home, call the police and get answers. Boarding the train with hundreds of other passengers he was shielded, nothing could get him. Every station they passed he checked every face twice. But his mind and body grew tired, he’d spent the day on high alert and he was feeling the effects. His breathing was slowing down, every thought came at half speed and his eyes drooped and drooped until he slipped into a dark dreamless sleep.
The thud of closing doors ripped him from his sleep. He was awake, alert, heart pounding. He could see a station by the window. Charlbury. He'd gone too far, three stations too far. He got up and looked around the cabin and not a single face turned to meet him. He was alone. It’s fine, he thought. He'd get off at the next station and turn around. He'll be home in no time. He sat there pushing every bad thought from his mind, humming a tune he didn't even recognise for comfort. Then in a matter of minutes they were pulling into a station. Standing at the door he surveyed the platform as they slowed. Empty. Completely empty. Then from the corner of his eye he saw it, a flash of white then red, and finally that face. His face. Shit. Shit. Shit. He had to hide. He ran back into the carriage and fell to the floor between two seats, making sure no part of him could be seen above the window. He heard the door hiss shut, and they were moving. He didn't dare to move. Was he alone? He sat still, not allowing a single muscle fibre to twitch. Then like rolling thunder the sound of heavy boots progressed down the carriage. Slow and methodical, they stopped at every row before moving to the next. Fuck it was coming. They were just inches from him. He craned his head up to look.
The eyes staring down at him were pure black. Obsidian marbles studded in the face he saw every day. He tried to scream but his throat clenched shut. A smile stretched across that familiar face. It was no smile he'd ever given. His breath felt like it was coming out in chunks. He couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't move. Then out of its pocket something glinted in the light. He saw his own cowering reflection in the blade. Tears streamed down his face. He knew the pain about to follow would be the last thing he'd ever feel.

My hands are trembling to the point where I've had to restart this several times. I'm a guy who doesn't scare easily, but this encounter has me shaking like a hit dog. I'm still sitting in my work truck, trying to work up the courage to step outside again. Worse, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to tell my boss what happened. I was already on thin ice with him, and this shit might cause me to break through to the freezing water below.
But fuck it, because this was weird.
I install cable for a living. I didn't have dreams of stringing cable when I was a little kid, but my previous life choices left me with few options. In high school, I fell in with the wrong crowd. It started with skipping school, sneaking alcohol at weekend parties, and some petty theft, but it didn't stay that way for long. Soon, I dropped out and dedicated my life to committing robberies to pay for my pill addiction. I wasn't living as much as I was running on a treadmill. I did whatever I could to stay on my feet but constantly felt myself slipping.
My bottom came when I was jumped by two guys who sold me pills. I had bought from them before and trusted them, but the feeling was not mutual. Someone had dimed a buddy of theirs out to the police, and he was looking at real jail time. They assumed it was me and beat me senseless.
I was greeted at the door with a punch to the jaw that sent me reeling. My brain, already addled and slowed by Oxi, was in the middle of putting together what was happening when the next punch caught me in the temple. I collapsed to the ground and covered my neck and face as best as I could. The next few minutes were a flurry of punches, kicks, and stomps. When it was all over, I had a broken jaw, a shattered wrist, several wounds that required fifty total stitches, and a concussion.
That's how I kicked my painkiller addiction.
I can joke now, but the next six months were the hardest in my life. The withdrawals I had were the worst thing I've ever experienced. Having them while I was recuperating from my injuries was a circle of hell I didn't think existed. I wanted to die most days and felt lost in the darkness. But sobriety was the beacon on the horizon. Even during my darkest moments, I could still see the fuzzy spark of white light off in the distance. It kept me going. Six months from my beat-down day, I came out the other side healthier but weaker.
I needed a job but had limited skills. Thankfully, I had a former pill buddy who managed to keep steady employment with the cable company. We always got along, and he called in a few favors and hooked me up. I got hired, but it was a struggle. Not the work, which was easy to learn, but dealing with the public without telling them to fuck off. Worse, was trying to avoid the flood of illegal substances that are around you at all times. Customers will offer you weed or pills for all the channels, or bored co-workers will have something to "make the day pass by." It's a lot to dodge, especially if you're in recovery. Whenever I felt the itch again, I'd feel the scar tissue from my wrist surgery, and the itch would pass.
The last week has been one of those "Shit, is it Friday yet?" weeks that seem to be growing in frequency these days. I don't want to bore you with the details, but needless to say, most nights, I needed to reach out to my sponsor and have them talk me off the ledge. We recently had a turnover at the executive level, and my new boss Rory was a tremendous cock. A rager at levels science hasn't ever seen before. Just the worst dude imaginable.
Part of Rory's new crusade was coming in and firing a bunch of guys. The company called it "checking for redundancies in the labor force," but we all knew what it was. He was picking off two classes of people: high earners and guys with spotty pasts. I was in the latter group and imagined it was just a matter of time before my number got pulled. I was on pins and needles all week. I made sure I was the greatest cable installer you'd ever meet. So far, I was getting high marks but the forced joviality was wearing thin.
It's safe to say my joy had left on a one-way ticket. I have no clue when—or if—she'd return.
Back to this shit. I had just finished up my last job of the day when my work phone started buzzing. I cursed and thought about not answering, but the threat of unemployment loomed too large for me to do that. I picked up and knew from the jump my day was far from over. Denise from dispatch asked if I could cover a job left hanging because of "scheduling conflicts" (see: the original installer had been let go). It was near where I was and was a simple install.
I gritted my teeth and agreed. I liked Denise and knew she was worried about the hammer falling on her, too. She thanked me profusely, and promised to bring me cookies tomorrow. Since she's a hellcat in the kitchen and getting close to a dispatcher never hurts, I said no worries. I hung up, balled up my jacket, and screamed into it. I felt better after that.
981 Maple Street was about five minutes away, but it felt like a world away. Maple Street was at the end of the neighborhood where large swaths of grass fields faded into a thicket of woods. The woods rose up into the foothills until they graduated to mountains. To borrow a phrase from Shel Silverstein, the house resided where the sidewalk ends.
The house, an off-white birdhouse ranch type, was a little run-down but no worse than any of the others that populated this neighborhood. This place had been hit hard by economic times, and property values had plummeted. It was slowly recovering. In five years, this would be a place most current residents wouldn’t be able to afford. The front yard had a large oak tree that looked amazing but had killed the grass under its canopy. The rest of the yard looked well cared for.
I knocked and heard a few voices talking on the other side of the door. It opened, and a man in his late 40s stood there with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand. He was tall and thin, save for a middle-aged paunch. His face was starting to crinkle at the edges, but he was southern California middle-aged, which meant he was holding up pretty well. He did look tired, though—the bags under his eyes were full-on steamer trunks.
"You with the cable company?" he asked, knowing I was.
I nodded. "You requested an install, right?"
"Yes, I did. Please, come in."
He opened the door wide, and I walked in. The house was pretty bare with a bachelor pad aesthetic. That didn't make much sense since I heard a female voice talking to him. I assumed it was his wife. I believe in a lot of wild shit, but to think that a wife would be fine with their house decorated like a 23-year-old bachelor lived there was a bridge too far.
"I'm Tom," the guy said, extending his hand. I shook it. "What did you need from my end?"
"Do you know if there was a previous hookup here?"
"Ugh, yeah. There is one in this room and another in the back bedroom."
"Okay. I should put the modem in a spot that'll hit the whole house. The signal can get wonky if it's in a room behind a wall or bricks or anything."
"This room is probably the best spot then," he said.
"Perfect. I have to get under the house, check the old connections, and replace some parts. Where's your hatch to get under the house?"
"Oh, it's around back. You can exit out this side door and walk through the backyard. It's on the eastern side. You might need a screwdriver to remove the grate. Do you need one?"
I pulled a screwdriver from my pocket and showed him. "I should be good. Thank you, though."
"I should've guessed you'd have one."
"I appreciate your concern. Is there anything in the backyard I should be worried about? Dogs? Kids? Wild dogs? Wild kids?"
It was standard banter, and it always got a chuckle out of people. Same thing happened here. "Nothing to worry about," he said. "You should be good."
"Alright. I'll get started so you can get online as soon as possible."
"Great! If you need anything, I'll be doing some work in the back bedroom."
I nodded and headed for the side door. The dining room door led to the pie wedge-shaped backyard, which was larger in the back than the front made it look. The grass was as cooked as its kin in the front, but islands of green weeds seemed to be thriving. In the corner of the lot, an old metal shed stood, rusted to the point where I assumed divine intervention kept it standing. It seemed to have been there since the house had been built – or maybe several decades before.
When I turned the corner of the house, I spotted a woman and child staring into the corner of the yard, their backs facing me. The Woman wore a faded blue dress that fit her well. Tom had, it seemed, out-kicked his coverage with her. I didn't want to startle them, so I offered a friendly "hello" to the pair. The kid started to turn, but the mother placed a hand on their shoulder and kept their heads facing away from me. I squinted along the treeline, trying to see what they were concentrating on, but I didn't see anything unusual.
Just wanting to be done with the job, I let them be and moved on. I turned another corner to the house's short side and spotted the grate leading to the crawlspace. The grate looked as old as the shed, and I wasn't sure I would even need the screwdriver to open it. Hell, I was sure the thing would disintegrate in my hands as soon as I touched it.
I crouched and was about to pull it off when I heard something rustling near me. I glanced back to where I had seen the mom and kid, but they were gone. I assumed I had heard them leaving. I pulled the grate off – I was right, no screwdriver necessary – and as I set it aside, something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.
It was the kid. A boy around eight or so. But they weren't staring at me exactly. They were looking away from me, staring up at the roof line. I found it odd. Clearly, the kid wanted to talk to me but had turned their back on me. I coughed to let them know that I knew they were there, but they didn't respond.
"Hey man, what's up there?" I said.
"Nothing nice," he said, still keeping their gaze away from me.
"Oh," I said, "Not going to hurt me, is it?"
"Maybe," he said.
Not the answer I was expecting. "What is it?"
"They told me you'd know soon enough."
As he said that, I felt something crawling across my hand. I pulled my hand away from the house and shook it. I saw a spider land in a pile of leaves and scurry away. I let out a nervous laugh. I'm not scared of spiders or anything, but the shock of being told some unseen thing was watching me and didn't look pleased, coupled with the sensation of something on my skin, was enough to justify a quickened heartbeat.
I looked back at where the kid had been standing, but he was gone. I chalked it up to kids being little weirdos and went back to work. The faster I could get this installation done, the quicker I could go home and smoke a bowl. I let Kush be my guide. I put up my hood, turned on my small flashlight, and shimmied through the opening under the house.
I know guys who've worked for the company for years and still dread going into a crawl space. Granted, it's not my favorite thing to do, but I don't mind either. The bugs can be a nuisance but if you don't bother them, they tend to not bother you. Same with rats and mice. Raccoons, though? I crawl out and call animal control. Those little dudes are cute but nasty as all get out. My path today was nothing but cobwebs, so I was okay.
I flashed my light around and saw where the cable line went up into the living room floor. My job here was to ensure the coaxial line's integrity was still good. If it had been chewed on or anything, I'd replace it. Sometimes, I just replaced it anyway—saving myself a potential job later down the line.
I crawled over to where the line came in from the pedestal and started my once-over. I not only looked for any damage but also ran the line through my hands to make sure my eyes didn't miss anything. I was under the dining room area when I heard that side door close.
I stopped. Tom said something, but it was muffled. I wanted to be nosy, so I waited a beat to hear if anyone spoke back to him. Someone did. It was soft and quiet – I assumed it was the Boy – and I didn't make out what they asked, but I did hear Tom's response. In a firm voice, he said, "No, not right now. Run along."
There were footsteps over me that faded into another section of the home. Tom said, "He always wants to jump the gun. How many times do I have to tell him?"
I suppressed a laugh at the last line. It's the official father's lament. I kept moving my hand down the line and didn't feel nicks along the cable. In fact, on closer inspection, the line looked almost new. I was planning to change it, but this looked like it had been installed last week.
I could hear someone walk into the living room as I reached the spot where the line went through the house. Another pair of footsteps followed the first, and I heard a breathy but detached woman's voice ask, "Can we show our faces now?"
"I just told the boy 'no.' What makes you any different?" Tom said, an edge to his voice.
A chill raced through my body. I knew those words, but this conversation made me feel like I spoke another language. Can we show our faces? Why would you not?
"Do you think he'll see us?"
"If I have my way," he said, not finishing that thought. "Leave me be. I must try to get some things done before he leaves, and you two keep bothering me."
What did Tom mean to get some things done before I left? What did he have in mind? While trying to process all this, I heard something shuffle in the darkness just beyond my flashlight beam. I moved it around, trying to see the telltale glowing eyes of varmints, but nothing flashed back at me.
I heard something shuffling again, this time down by my feet. I cocked my head as best as I could and shone the flashlight into that corner of the house but, again, there wasn't anything else down here but me and a thousand spiders. I sighed and finished my inspection of the wire.
As I turned to crawl back out from under the house, I heard somebody sneaking around on the floor above me. The wood groaned as the person moved slowly. I wasn't sure what they were doing, but they wanted to keep it a secret. A shadow fell over the pinprick of light from where the cable went into the house. Someone was standing over it.
"Can you hear them down there? Moving in the dark?" It was the Boy. “They like the dark.”
"What are you saying?"
"The little shadows," he said, "They live down there. Do you hear them?"
This kid was creepy as hell. "I, ugh, I can't hear you, dude," I said, inching my body away from the wire, "We can talk inside."
"They're going to get you, but that's okay," he said, "It only hurts for a little bit, and then you're fine."
Fuck. That. I had no desire to respond to that nightmare of a statement. I hastened my inch-worming, heading back towards the open hatch. As I did, I heard more movement in the darkness around me. I tried to ignore it, but it was a fool's gambit. It was impossible to ignore.
I was getting closer to the opening when I saw a pair of tiny legs walk in front of the hatch. It was the Boy. How did he get there so quickly and without me hearing him run on the floor? I didn't have time to run through the scientific method because the Boy leaned down and placed the metal grate back over the hatch.
"Hey! Hey!" I yelled. "I'm still under here!"
The Boy didn't stop. Instead, he placed a trashcan in front of the grate, enshrouding the entire crawlspace in darkness and trapping me inside.
"Hey! I need you to move that!" I screamed. No response. I raised my fist as high as possible and punched the floor above me to hopefully get Tom’s attention. That was a mistake, as I managed to punch straight into an old nail. I felt it puncture in between my knuckles. The pain was instant, and I let out a howl.
I shook my hand and swore a blue streak. I reached up with my other hand, felt the tip of the nail I had managed to punch, and found a flat spot next to it. I banged hard on the floor and yelled again for some help. Nobody responded. Not at first.
Then I heard someone chuckle under the house.
I couldn't locate where it had come from because it sounded like it was all around me. I swung my light around as best as I could but didn't see anything. No glowing eyes, nothing. I inched forward a bit, and someone laughed again – this time, it was to my right. I turned my light in that direction and saw a sudden flood of light fill the space under the house.
"What the hell?" I said, my desire to leave overtaken by a desire to know what was unfolding next to me.
A pair of kid legs dropped down from the hole in the floor. I realized then that the hole must be an interior crawlspace. The kid had blocked off the metal grate and opened this hatch for some reason. While he dropped his legs down, he didn't move any further.
"Hey, you have to open that metal grate," I yelled. "I don't want to be trapped down here."
"They told me they needed you," he said, followed by a slight chuckle.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" I said, not caring that I was talking to a child. "Open the goddamn grate!"
"The shadows are approaching," he said, pulling himself back into the house. He placed the lid back on the hole, and I was trapped in the dark again. I cursed to myself and started pounding on the floor again.
"Hey! Someone come help me!"
That's when I felt something run across my legs. I nearly jumped out of my skin. It didn't feel like the tiny claws of a passing rat. It was cold to the touch, but as it hit my skin, I felt a burn in my bones. It's hard to explain, but I felt both extremes simultaneously. Whatever it was skittered off into the darkness of the other side of the crawl space.
The kid started laughing again, which brought me back to reality. I army crawled as fast as I could to the grate. I balled up my fist and punched in the middle of the metal. The blow knocked the old nails out of the wall, and the grate broke up. I was about to push away the garbage can when it suddenly wheeled out of the way.
I saw Tom's legs standing there.
"You okay?" he asked, concern in his voice.
I got out from under the house so fast that I left a me-sized dirt cloud in my place. Once out, I shook my body loose as if I had things crawling all over me. Tom watched but didn't say anything at first. We finally locked eyes, and he could see the rage, fear, and confusion on my face. He wisely waited until I spoke first.
"What the hell is wrong with your kid? He blocked me under there and taunted me from the indoor crawlspace."
"What are you talking about?"
"He told me the shadow people or something were watching, and then he blocked me under the house!"
Tom's face twisted up into confusion. "I...I don't understand."
"I can't make it any simpler, Tom!" I screamed, letting unprofessionalism take root.
"I don't have a kid."
It hit me like an Ali right cross. My vision got dizzy, and I struggled to catch my breath. I stared at his face, looking for the sign of a lie or a joke, but he was as stone-faced as an Easter Island statue. After a beat, I found my sense again. "I heard you talking to him in the living room when I was under the house."
"One, I was on a phone call. Two, are you spying on me? What the hell, man?"
"I wasn't spying, and you weren't on the phone," I said. I also heard you talking to your wife. She asked you if she could show her face or something."
"I don't have a wife either."
I shook my head. "I fucking saw them in the backyard! They were staring at the fence!"
Tom paused and cocked his head to the side. When he spoke, it was softly, trying to calm me down. "Are you...did you have a few drinks before the appointment? Or a pill or something? No judging – I know pill heads. I won't report you or anything, but I understand if you need to come back tomorrow with a clearer head."
"I'm sober," I said, gritting my teeth. "But I know what I saw. What I heard."
"As the tree said to the lumberjack, I'm stumped," Tom said. "You look a little flush. You want a bottle of water or something? I can show you I'm here all alone."
My adrenaline had seeped out of my body, and I was starting to feel like myself again. I nodded at Tom, and he smiled. "I'll go grab you one. Do you want to come into the AC?"
"No, I'm okay. I need to double-check the connection to the pedestal."
"Sure. Be bright back," Tom said as he walked off.
But I had no intention of checking the connections. I was going to check on Tom. I didn't believe him at all. Something weird was going on, and I needed to know what. As soon as he turned the corner around the house, I broke out my flashlight and headed back to the crawlspace.
I dropped to the ground and shone my beam into the darkness. Something had crawled on me, and I wanted to see what it was. I moved my light into every section of the crawlspace but saw no eyes glowing back at me.
"If you're under there, call back."
There was nothing. I was starting to feel like a paranoid idiot. I called out once again just to be sure, but again, nothing called back. I shut off my light and sighed. I started pushing myself back to my feet when I heard a faint woman's voice call out, "Can we show our faces now?"
"Not yet," someone hissed from the trees above me. I snapped my head up, expecting to see someone hanging on a branch over my head, but I just saw green leaves.
"Can we show our faces now?" It was the Boy. It sounded like he was on the roof. I shielded my eyes and glanced at the roof but didn't see him.
"No. He's not ready yet," someone whispered in my ear. I snapped around, throwing a punch as I did, only to slam my fist into the fence. I felt one of my knuckles crack as it hit the wood, and the pain shot up my arm like lightning. Within seconds, my hand started to puff up, and blood dripped out the wounds.
The Boy chuckled again. It came from under the house. I looked down at the grate and saw his legs disappear into the darkness.
"Hey!" I called and dropped to the ground. I pulled out my flashlight and shone into the darkness again. I was confident I'd see him, but he wasn't there. Nobody was.
I sat up and felt goosebumps turn my arms into braille. I glanced over to the corner of the house and was surprised to see the disappearing hemline of the faded blue dress. I rushed over to the corner and didn't see the Woman. I saw Tom with a bottle of water.
"You okay?"
"Where did that woman go?" I asked, my voice panicking. "She was just here."
"Sir, do you need me to call your boss for you? You're starting to scare me."
"What's up with this house? Is it haunted?"
Tom started laughing. "I hope not. I just moved in. I'd hate to have roommates again, especially ones who leave ectoplasm all over the place."
As I stared at him, I saw the Woman and the Boy emerge from the other corner of the house. They looked up on the roof, their faces obscured by their hands and the sun. I pointed a finger at them and screamed, "They're right there!"
Tom spun around and looked, but there wasn't anything there. He turned back to me, not sure what to say. Instead, he handed me the bottle of water. "I gotta be honest. I didn't see anything. Drink the water...you might have heat stroke."
I threw the bottle on the ground. "I don't have fucking heat stroke. I have a man that's lying about these things." I got close to him. "What did you have planned for me? Why do they keep asking to show their faces?"
"I don't," he said, but I didn't stay to hear him finish his thought. I walked right past him and turned the corner of the house. As I did, I saw the blue hem disappear through the door that led to the kitchen. I followed right behind her.
I walked into the house, which was as silent as a corpse. The Woman and Boy were nowhere to be seen. "Hello?" I called out. "I just saw you guys walk in here. Where are you?"
The door behind me opened up. Tom walked in, his face reddening with anger. "You can't just walk into my house."
"I saw them walk in. Where are they?"
"I keep telling you, it's just me and you here. Now, if you want to finish your work…."
I walked away from him and headed toward the bedroom where I had seen the Boy standing. I wanted to check that crawl space. The room was empty, not even a moving box in there, so finding the hatch that led under the house was easy. I went into the closet and pried the hatch open.
Tom entered the room behind me, more confused now than angry. "I don't want a line run through here."
"The Boy was standing in this spot. I saw his legs. I spoke to him. He told me the shadows needed me for something." I glared down into the darkness under the house. Despite Tom's feigned declarations that there wasn't another person in the house, I knew he wasn't being honest.
"Okay, I'm pretty sure you're back on pills and in the middle of a delusion," he said.
"How did you know I had a pill addiction?"
"The way you're acting, it wasn't a hard guess."
"I'm sober, but I did have a problem with pills. I never told you. I don't tell anyone."
Tom stood there, confused about how to answer. I stood up and stared him down. He looked away, but I didn't move my gaze. "Who are you? Who put you up to this? Was it Rory? He trying to get me fired?"
Tom's shoulders sagged. "You got me," he said. "Rory hired me to get you in trouble. I'm... I'm sorry. He offered me free cable for a year and assured me you were a bad guy and, well…. I'm weak."
"That's really fuc…," I stopped. "You're lying. Right now. You're lying. Why?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something dash past the open crawlspace hatch. I turned to the hatch opening and then back to Tom.
"Are you trying to stop me from looking in there?"
He didn't respond.
"What's under there?"
"He is," he said. "The Boy. He hides under there all the time. He has...friends down there."
"The shadow people?"
Tom shrugged, "What he calls them. I call them a menace. Impossible to get my work done with them causing a racket."
"What work?"
"Things you'd never understand in a million years," he said, "Things beyond your brain's capacity to imagine. Things that will help usher in a new world. Your kind's time is coming to a close. My work represents the new order."
I stared at him. I wasn't sure if I should run away or punch his lights out. Instead, I just spat out, "Bro, what the fuck?"
"Can we show our faces now?" the Boy called out from under the house.
I looked down at the hatch and then back at Tom. He nodded toward the opening. "Do you want to see your future?"
"Fuck it," I said. I got down, grabbed the sides of the opening, and lowered my head under the house.
I kept my eyes closed for a second, assuming I'd either see something horrifying or something would hit me in the face. When nothing struck me, I opened my eyes. It was dark, and I couldn't make out anything.
"There's nothing under here," I said.
"Can we show our faces now?" said the Boy from somewhere under the house.
"Show him," Tom said.
I sat back up, grabbed my flashlight from my pocket, and flipped it on. I looked at Tom, "If you try anything, so help me, God."
Tom just smiled. I looked back down at the hatch and sighed. I was suddenly hit with a bolt of common sense. What was I doing? My internal alarms were going off and I was ignoring them. Curiosity had gotten me this far, but my fight instincts were starting to lose to my flight. No job was worth this.
"Man, fuck this," I said, reversing course and standing. I turned to confront Tom, but he was gone. I hadn't heard him leave, but there wasn't a trace of him there. "Tom? Where the hell are you?"
He didn't respond, and I decided that I had hit my "weird shit" quota for the day. I closed the closet door and headed back into the living room to grab my gear. I'd call dispatch and tell them someone else had to come out and finish the….
The wood floor cracked, splintered, and gave way when I put my weight on it. I fell through the floor and landed with a thud on the dirt in the crawl space. On the way down, I hit my ribs on a crossbeam and heard them crack and knock the wind out of me. As I lay on the dirt, writhing in pain, my lungs did their damnedest to find a breath. It couldn't, and my vision started to blur at the edges. For a fleeting few seconds, I envisioned my death on a dirty crawlspace floor. It wasn’t comforting.
I rolled onto my back and finally took in a massive gulp of life-saving air. The blurring vision subsided, and all that remained was the aching pain of a busted rib. My muscles around my rib cage spasmed and pulled tight against my lungs. After the initial big breath, I could only take shallow gulps because the pain was searing.
I lay there for a few seconds, collecting my thoughts, when I felt something skitter across my legs again. I kicked out of instinct but didn't hit anything. Instead, I heard the chuckling again. My flashlight had fallen out of my hand. I found it and turned it on.
This time, I did see something. Pairs of eyes—dozens of them—watched me from the darkness that surrounded me. These weren't possums or rats. I never hoped to find a raccoon under the house more than I did at that moment. I knew whatever these things were, they weren't natural and they wanted to harm me.
"Still want to know what they plan to do to you?" the Boy asked from behind me.
I turned around and shone the light where I heard the voice. The Boy was lying on his stomach, his face looking down at the ground. All I could see at the moment was the top of his head.
"Wha-what's going on?" I said, the light bouncing from my trembling hand.
"I can show you my face now," he said. He raised his head and….
The Boy didn't have a face.
He had the space for a face, but there were no features whatsoever—nothing but pale pink skin pulled tight across the front of his head. At that moment, the image of a wooden art figure came to me.
“What the ever-loving fuck?"
"Want to see something really scary?" the Boy said, his lack of a mouth not stopping him from speaking. He raised himself onto the tips of his fingers and toes and started skittering toward me, laughing as he did.
I clambered out of the crawlspace as fast as my battered body could carry me. I got out of the hole and onto my feet and let out an ear-splitting scream.
The Woman in the blue dress was standing next to the hole in the floor. Like the Boy, she didn't have a face either. But I could feel her eyes on me. Looking into my mind. Into my soul. She stepped toward me, and I bolted for the front door.
I whipped it open and was greeted by Tom standing there, blocking me. He grinned. "Leaving so soon?"
"What the hell is going on?" I asked, checking behind me to see if the Woman was still coming toward me. She was, and she was gaining quickly.
"Can we show our faces now?" he asked with a laugh.
I turned back to Tom and nearly had a heart attack. His face was gone. I could feel my heart beating in my ears. My legs were jelly, but I kept myself propped up. The human desire to survive can perform miracles.
Tom reached out and pointed at a spot on the far side of the living room wall. I turned and saw three skinned human faces hanging from old nails: a man, a woman, and a boy.
"You're turn to join us," Tom whispered. But the voice wasn't said out loud. It came from inside my own head. "We can always use another body around here."
My brain clicked into action and sent an all-points bulletin to my limbs. The message was simple and actionable – "Get the fuck going, you dope."
I felt my hand ball into a fist and spun. It landed where Tom's nose would've been. It should've knocked him back, causing him to stumble and giving me time to run. But that didn't happen. Instead, his face pulled apart, letting my fist slide right through. It closed on my arm, trapping me.
I yanked and yanked, but my arm would not dislodge from his face. I glanced back and saw the Woman nearly next to me. The Boy was climbing out of the hole, moving like a cockroach. I looked back at the wall and saw Tom's hanging face silently laughing.
Something about those silent laughs cut me to my core. They were laughing because Tom thought he had outsmarted me. He had beat me. That my face would soon be hanging on the wall next to theirs. I wasn't going to let that happen.
I saw a loose brick on the walkway, and a plan flashed in my mind. I yanked hard, sending Tom stuttering forward enough for me to wrap my finger around the brick. I brought it up and sent it towards his face. As expected, the face parted again, and the brick flew through easily.
But as soon as the face curtains pulled aside, I yanked my arm free. With my limb free, I took off in a mad sprint for my truck. I got inside and fumbled my keys as I tried to start the engine. Tom, the Woman, and the Boy stood together at the front door and watched as I got the van going and rocketed down the street.
I drove like a madman for ten minutes, trying to put as much space between me and the house as possible. I finally stopped at a gas station to collect my thoughts. I was jittery, and my mind was swimming, but I was also relieved. I had gotten out.
I collected myself and called Denise to tell her I couldn't finish the installation at 981 Maple Street. I was going to suggest we cancel the order and not send another installer there. That's when the conversation took a turn I wasn't expecting.
"Where have you been? You were supposed to be off an hour ago," Denise said when I called her.
"I was trying to finish the install at 981 Maple, the one you sent me to."
"I didn't send you anywhere," she said. "With how insane Rory is being about overtime hours, I'm trying to keep everyone below the threshold."
"What are you talking about? You called and asked me. You don't remember," I said, a bad feeling growing in the pit of my stomach.
She gave me a nervous chuckle, "I swear I didn't. Are you feeling okay? You gotta come back. People are waiting for the van."
"I can prove it. I have a record of you calling me on my phone," I said. I opened my call log, and my jaw dropped. There was no call from Denise. She was telling me the truth. But if she didn't call me, who did?
"Rory wants to talk to you when you get in. I wouldn't mess around, he seems pissed" she said before hanging up.
I haven't moved since. I wanted to write this down because I felt like it needed to be recorded. Something supremely fucked up is happening at 981 Maple Street. It nearly got me. It still might. To think, on any other typical day, a surprise conversation with my boss would be the scariest thing that could happen to me. Funny how seeing a faceless ghoul can prioritize your problems. If you're hired to do work there, turn it down. Trust me, it's not worth it.
"Can we show our faces now?" they asked. "Fuck no," should be the only response.

September 2nd - 07:00 Service to London
The morning commute always felt too early for Simon. Now autumn was rolling in, and the night ate further into the morning, he could barely keep his eyes open. So when he saw it standing across the platform, he was happy to blink and rub his eyes until it was gone.
September 9th - 07:00 Service to London
The same platform, the same spot, shivering. Why had he been this stupid not to bring a jacket? Oxford station was as nondescript as you could get, for a city so beautiful and ancient, it stood out like a big grey concrete thumb. He stood under the canopy sheltering from the rain, sadly it wasn't doing much in the way of protection. Every gust of wind brought icy shards of rain scratching at his face. Looks like he wasn't the only one suffering.
Across from him stood a man. Drenched to the bone, his white shirt clung to him, a tie stained blood red cutting through his torso. With every gust he stood still. Not flinching. Not moving. His eyes locked on Simon. Simon scanned him from head to toe, like a mirror the man responded, tracing his every move. Feeling the rush of a train approaching, Simon took a step back and like a child discovering their legs for the first time, the man stumbled forwards.
Feeling anxious warmth flooded his face, Simon scrambled onto the train. He was safe here. He was safe.
September 16th - 07:00 Service to London
He approached the platform with caution today, yes last week was weird, but it was early and he was tired. When he looked up at the departures the bad mood started. 20 minutes delayed. It was as grey as usual this morning, not raining though, that was a bonus he thought. He stood endlessly scrolling through social media, head locked down. Then he heard it, a high-pitched whistle. His head shot up, and then across from him, there he stood. The same white and red clothed man staring. Simon could feel his heart beating in his throat, his stomach turning in knots. Dark cold eyes were tied to his from across the void of the platform, sucking the warmth from his body. Simon knew he couldn't move, he couldn't bear to watch the man copy him. Breathing heavily he dragged his eyes to the departures, not daring to move a single limb. 3 minutes. He had to hold out for three minutes. He was alone out there, the platform was a lonely headland out at sea, it was just him and the man.
They stayed eyes locked, standing stock still. Simon didn't dare to breathe too heavily. Time was moving, he knew that, but every second was an eternity. Out the corner of his eye he could see a faint light growing brighter and brighter. The train was coming. He would be safe. Then in a split second the man broke his gaze. He was running. His body moved in perfect symmetry flying along the platform, getting closer and closer to the passenger bridge. He can get me. He can get me! Simon's mind was screaming. Alarm bells ringing. The man was getting closer. There was a hollow thud of thunder as the man's feet stormed across the bridge.
The train was pulling in now, its brakes hissing as it glided to a stop. Simon slammed his hand against the button frantically waiting for the doors to slide open, and they did. Inviting him into the warm comfort of the carriage. The man arrived at the bottom of the steps, fixed his gaze on Simon and ran. Gaining on him, 10 metres, 5 metres, 1 metre. The doors slid shut. And the man slammed against them. Simon’s stomach clamped in on itself; he could feel the sour taste of vomit flood his throat and mouth, pouring out onto the floor. His eyes stayed fixed on the glass of the train door. He was looking at his reflection. But this was no trick of the light. The man had his face and he was smiling.
September 16th - 16:34 Service to Worcester
Simon spent his entire day scanning faces. Anyone who crossed his path was a potential threat. He made it through the work day, he would get home, call the police and get answers. Boarding the train with hundreds of other passengers he was shielded, nothing could get him. Every station they passed he checked every face twice. But his mind and body grew tired, he’d spent the day on high alert and he was feeling the effects. His breathing was slowing down, every thought came at half speed and his eyes drooped and drooped until he slipped into a dark dreamless sleep.
The thud of closing doors ripped him from his sleep. He was awake, alert, heart pounding. He could see a station by the window. Charlbury. He'd gone too far, three stations too far. He got up and looked around the cabin and not a single face turned to meet him. He was alone. It’s fine, he thought. He'd get off at the next station and turn around. He'll be home in no time. He sat there pushing every bad thought from his mind, humming a tune he didn't even recognise for comfort. Then in a matter of minutes they were pulling into a station. Standing at the door he surveyed the platform as they slowed. Empty. Completely empty. Then from the corner of his eye he saw it, a flash of white then red, and finally that face. His face. Shit. Shit. Shit. He had to hide. He ran back into the carriage and fell to the floor between two seats, making sure no part of him could be seen above the window. He heard the door hiss shut, and they were moving. He didn't dare to move. Was he alone? He sat still, not allowing a single muscle fibre to twitch. Then like rolling thunder the sound of heavy boots progressed down the carriage. Slow and methodical, they stopped at every row before moving to the next. Fuck it was coming. They were just inches from him. He craned his head up to look.
The eyes staring down at him were pure black. Obsidian marbles studded in the face he saw every day. He tried to scream but his throat clenched shut. A smile stretched across that familiar face. It was no smile he'd ever given. His breath felt like it was coming out in chunks. He couldn't think, couldn't speak, couldn't move. Then out of its pocket something glinted in the light. He saw his own cowering reflection in the blade. Tears streamed down his face. He knew the pain about to follow would be the last thing he'd ever feel.