Hello! I would like to buy an action figure (maybe more than one) of Mihawk but searching online is confusing due to aliexpress. I can’t understand which figure is real or fake. Anyone can suggest me some figures? Possibly good ones.

I'm not an online dating kind of guy but the thought of friends-with-benefits was intriguing....of course it is!
I don't know where I got invited to this website from, but I found myself there. Lots of good-looking women (obviously!), so I signed up and paid $49 to be able to send messages to the women on the site.
In hindsight, I could have figured it out easily and should have done this before I paid for message credits but didn't....duh. Photo searches!
The scam is simple - the women on this site are not from my area. In fact (after the fact, actually), doing a photo search with tineye.com or yandex.com or even Bing or Google showed that out of 50 "women" that contacted me, every single one of them was a fake profile. Their photos come from foreign websites lots of old Russian pictures and other websites. They are definitely NOT local and there will be no friending or benefitting from this website....
Every time the guy sends a message, the message credits get used up. Messages are limited to 500 characters (not words!) and the "girls" want to keep talking - lots of messages back and forth to use up the credits.
I call it a scam as this is purely a money draining website. The pictures of the attractive women are to entice us guys who might think we have a chance of meeting in person. But in reality, all they want you to do is keep messaging, keep buying credits and spending more money.
I feel pretty stupid that I didn't check the images first (I have the knowledge!). Bringing forward my experience with this scam site may save another sucker like me from making a similar mistake.

🛠 UNDER CONSTRUCTION ⚒️

The information detailed in this narrative is undergoing review and in the process of being updated.
Our philosophy within the SSDI_SSI Subreddit is to share our experiences to try to assist others. It does not necessarily mean that any shared experience will be a duplicate of your current experiences or outcomes.
Sometimes?
Just knowing that someone else has made it through similar difficult processes may make a huge difference to the stress you are currently (or soon will be) experiencing.
While I was going through some really rough times? I kept notes regarding some of the issues I was having, the numerous helpful resources I came across, and the search techniques I utilized.
Some of the resources I came across had nothing to do with a specific issue that I was experiencing.
However? If I thought the resources could be:

■ helpful to others?	■ relevant?
■ informative?	■ significant?

I kept track just in case the resources could be of assistance to others.
I gathered all of the notes / links I had collected and created this narrative through the years.
These resources are relative to people who live in the USA.
Although other countries may have such programs, they would (most likely) not share the same links.
You could utilize similar techniques (not the exact same links found here) to search for helpful resources in your community, perhaps.
In the USA? If you have a SmartPhone or a computer? You can actually call / locate sites that offer assistance and / or let your fingers do the walking!

This is a living document and will be changed as needed.

In your browser, type your zip code, the word "free" (if needed), and the particular assistance that you need.

12345 affordable housing	12345 eye glasses / lens
12345 electricity assistance	12345 therapy
12345 housing	12345 transportation
12345 dental care	12345 paratransit services

You get the idea!
You can use different terminology during your search.
I have found that each city / state is different throughout the USA.
You never know what your community has already established for people who need help.
You will find that some communities offer more assistance than others.
If you don't have a SmartPhone or a computer?
Go to the library. There are all kinds of resources there - most of which are free.
While there? Pick up some books!!

Always keep looking for solutions.

Reach out to others.
We are a community on Reddit - created to help each other.
Don't give up!
No matter what!
I've compiled a list of helpful information / sites that I add to periodically. Some may help you now / some may not (but could nevertheless provide assistance in the future).
It's always good to know about these resources in case you ever need them.
Programs / headings are in alphabetical order:

Children

There are organizations specifically geared towards the needs of children. A few are detailed below.
National Diaper Network.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrtion Services - Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) - WIC Eligibility Requirements.

Disability Eligibility Requirements

If you or a loved one are 💯% disabled? You should consider applying for SSA disability benefits.
All SSA disability programs have the same criteria in regards to eligibility. If unable to work because of a medical / psychological condition, you are eligible for SSA disability benefits.
■ You have to be 💯% disabled (SSA does not award benefits for partial disabilities).
■ Unable to work.
■ Have a disability that will last for at least a year or end in your death.

We pay disability benefits to people who can't work because they have a medical condition that's expected to last at least one year or result in death. Federal law requires this very strict definition of disability. While some programs give money to people with partial disability or short-term disability, we do not.

If you have not already done so? Sign up for mySocialSecurity, with the ability to provide secure online access to your current earnings record and history. Information regarding your retirement, disability, and any survivor benefits that you and your family may be eligible for will also be accessible. Also? Your potential monthly benefits will be calculated.

Education

Continuing your education is a great way to learn.
You can go to school online and not even leave your home. Take a class here and there. Go to school at 3:00 am on a Wednesday or 4:00 pm on a Saturday.
There are no worries about parking, transportation, or rushing to make it to a class from your job.
Some states offer free college tuition for the first two years. There are other charges like room and board, textbooks and transportation (which will need to be paid for out of pocket).
Apply for Pell Grants or other types of assistance. Ask the school for whatever other programs may be avaliable to you.
Accredited Online Colleges.
Apply for Financial Aid.
Avoid fake degree burns by researching academic credentials.
The Best Online Colleges 2022.
Is Community College Free? In These 19 States, Yes.
Federal Pell Grants Are for Undergraduate Students.
Top 35 Tuition-Free Colleges For 2022

Food Assistance / Food Pantries

There are numerous resources available for food shotages. You do not have to go hungry. Don't be afraid (or ashamed) to ask for help.
14 Companies That Will Give You Food and Other Products For Free.
16 of the Absolute Best Freebies We’ve Ever Found Online.
23 Restaurant Apps That Get You Free Food.
60+ places to get FREE food via app or email signup!.
Find Food Pantries.
Find Your Local Food Bank.
Food Stamps - SNAP Food Benefits.
SNAP Eligibility Requirements for your family. In your state? There may be requirements that you have to work or other eligibility criteria that have to be met before SNAP is provided.
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrtion Services Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrtion Services Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Facts About SNAP.

Health Insurance

If you need health insurance? You might want to consider applying for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which is income based. Benefits are different for each state. Depending on:
■ what agreement your state's Governor signed and your state's legislatures approved?
■ if the last administration allowed insurance policies (that cover nothing) to proliferate your state?
Your options are variable. Meaning? Your benefits will be uniquely tailored for your financial qualifications and your state.
A lot of people are turning to the reliable ACA because of everything that has transpired.
The ACA mandates that therapy be covered, too.
Affordable Care Act (ACA) Guarantees.
Apply for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare.
Everything to Know About Obamacare (ACA) Subsidies.
Health Care Rankings - Measuring how well states are meeting citizens' health care needs.

Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid Expansion and What it Means for You
Red states that have resisted Medicaid expansion are feeling pressure to give up.
Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map.
What Marketplace Health Insurance Plans Cover.

Homelessness

HH Help for Every Casualty of Homelessness: Including Disabled SSA Applicants, Disability Recipients, and Veterans.

Housing Issues

Sometimes, there are huge differences in the types of housing / assistance you may be eligible for (depending on the state or community that you live in).
There may be a waiting list in your area, but you should at least apply for all programs.
Concerned About Eviction.
Find Your Local Public Housing Agency (PHA).
HUD Eviction Guidance.
Learn More About Renting and HUD Rental Assistance Programs.
Rent Relief Resources.

Interested in Moving?

We decided we needed to move when we noticed that the community we lived in did not provide the support we needed to have a better life.
We wanted to move to a location that offered exposure to better healthcare, health insurance, housing and paratransit services.
So?
Make a list of items that are important to you and your family. Rank them in order of importance.
Remember? Each community is different and offers different services.
Each jurisdiction has a Chamber of Commerce page or other similar resource that lists issues you might be interested in.
I searched the internet, made lists, and came up with the following resources (presented in alphabetical order) that were important to our family. You and your family might have other criteria.

(1) Helping Hands

Helping Hands Action Group monitors the benefits landscape for updates and changes to policies and programs. Depending on the jurisdiction? They offer transportation and other services. You should check 12345 Helping Hands in your area.
Check out the Helping Hands Action Group - click here.

(2) Medicaid Expansion

The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Medicaid expansion expanded Medicaid coverage to nearly all adults with incomes up to 138% of the Federal Poverty Level ($20,783 for an individual in 2024) and provided states with an enhanced federal matching rate (FMAP) for their expansion populations.

To date, 41 states (including DC) have adopted the Medicaid expansion and 10 states have not adopted the expansion. Current status for each state is based on KFF tracking and analysis of state expansion activity.

Check out the Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map - click here.

(3) Paratransit / Transportation

Another thing you should consider adding to the list? Check to see what type of transportation services are offered.
You never have to worry about parking, blizzards, running out of fuel or parking meter money, taffic or anything else that would be a hindrance.
If your community has bus routes? You might have paratransit services available to you.
The fair is reasonable (much better than ubers, taxis or something else).
You do not need to be in a wheelchair for paratransit services.
The driver will walk you to and from the door of the building (your home and the appointment and vice versa).
You can use the services for anything you want to, such as vists to:

beauty parlors	parks
community events	physical therapy
library visits	school events
medical appts	shopping excursions
movies	veterinarian appts
museums	volunteer work

Anything you can think of - it is such a blessing.
I have lived in areas that had paratransit and areas that did not offer paratransit. It makes a huge difference in your sense of independence to be able to attend appointments and go places you need to. Without the interference of worrying about reliable transportation.

(4) Social Security Taxes

Moving to a state where they do not charge social security taxes dramatically increased our overall income. If you are interested in moving to states that do not require taxes on SSA benefits?
Check out 39 states that do not tax Social Security benefits - click here. Consider moving. It saved us a lot of money every single month.

(5) State Income Taxes

Moving to a state where they do not charge state income taxes dramatically increased or overall income. If you are interested in moving to states that do not require state income taxes?
Check out 9 states with no income tax - click here. Consider moving. It saved us a lot of money every single month.

Miscellaneous

Dial 211 Not sure where to turn? We are here for you.
Dial 988 Suicide and Crisis Support Lifeline.
Affordable Connectivity Program - Broadband Connection.
Ask Your Free Legal Question (licensed attorneys in your state / free).
Assurance Wireless - Lifeline Free Government Phone Program.
Find Help.
Go Fund Me.
Help with Bills.

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A vertical line to the left of all of the statements are "actual quotes" from the sources detailed throughout this narrative.
06-12-2018 Created 05-16-2024 Updated

Emer O'Loughlin was a 23 year old Irish woman who was brutally murdered on April 8th 2005. Despite a known suspect, no motive has ever been uncovered and the person of interest hasn't been located, leaving this case unresolved.
Emer O'Loughlin was a student from Galway. She was studying art at college in the city and was described as a "talented artist with a love for photography and drawing". Her family also described her as a "gentle soul who loved living in the rural country". Emer and her long-term boyfriend, Sean, had arrived back in Ireland after a year long world trip and were sharing a caravan in an effort to save money. They planned to live on the site in Ballybornagh, County Clare until they could save enough to build their own house. Friday the 8th of April 2005 was a bit different for Emer as normally she would be at college but it was a public holiday due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II so she was off. Sean had to leave for work that morning but recalled that the electricity supply to their caravan had encountered a fault and so wasn't working. Emer's phone had died and she needed to charge it so he suggested that she go and ask their neighbour in an adjoining field to charge it for her. He then left for work, not knowing he wouldn't see Emer again.
At some stage during the day, while at work, Sean got a call to inform him that there was a caravan on fire at his site. He rushed back home to discover that the caravan owned by his neighbour, a man called John Griffin, was fiercely ablaze. Horrifically, after the fire was extinguished, human remains were found among the wreckage. It was stated that the body was so disfigured and mutilated, investigators couldn't tell if they were male or female. A week later, the remains were positively identified as Emer O'Loughlin. John Griffin, the owner of the caravan, was nowhere to be found however and a Garda search began. He was eventually located in Galway City and when interviewed, stated that he had stayed with a relative the night before and had no idea about the fire.
Two days after being interviewed, John travelled to the island of Inis Mór and barricaded himself inside the ancient fort of Dun Aengus. After a 9 hour standoff with Garda, he was eventually subdued and taken to a psychiatric hospital in Galway city. However, only 5 days later, John walked out of St Bridgid's psychiatrist hospital in Ballinasloe. He had shaved his head and beard and was last seen boarding a ferry back to the island of Inis Mór. Garda later found a pile of his clothes, neatly folded, at the edge of a cliff on the island.
At the time of Emer's demise, the coroner was unable to accurately determine a cause of death due to the condition of her remains. However, her family were adamant she had met foul play and that this wasn't an accidental death. After much campaigning on their behalf, her body was eventually exhumed in 2010 and a second autopsy was conducted. This investigation revealed some very concerning things, most notably numerous cuts on the skull and spine. It was concluded that Emer had met a very violent and aggressive death with a machete-like knife prior to the fire and that the caravan was destroyed to conceal the crime scene. It was also revealed that a traditional Nepalese knife had been recovered from the wreckage at the time. The case was immediately upgraded to a murder investigation and an Interpol notice for John's arrest was sent out.
Garda and Interpol don't believe that John ended his own life and that he faked his own death before fleeing the country. It has now been over 19 years since Emer's life was cruelly cut short and the key suspect has never been caught. However, there have been numerous alleged sightings in that time. It's believed that he is living under an alias somewhere in Europe. He had previously lived in Scotland under the name 'John McDermott' prior to returning to Ireland. In 2014, it was revealed that Griffin might have been living in Edinburgh after an alleged paper trail was discovered. Then, in 2022, he was tracked down to a drug rehabilitation facility in Scotland following co-ordination between gardaí, Scottish police and Interpol. However, by the time his whereabouts were revealed, he had been discharged. He has not been seen or heard from since. Emer's family has still not received any justice and believe that he may not be caught, stating that "He could be anywhere in the world now, using any name". The Garda investigation continues to this day but unless John Griffin is apprehended, Emer's case won't be closed and her family will never receive the peace and justice they so desperately deserve.
Sources: https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/family-of-emer-oloughlin-appeal-for-information-on-19th-anniversary-of-her-violent-death/a902392677.html
https://m.sundayworld.com/crime/irish-crime/sister-of-murdered-emer-oloughlin-publishes-last-known-image-of-chief-suspect/a176727619.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13287177/The-tragic-murder-Emer-OLoughlin-suspect-faked-death-19-years-later.html

I am in California and I bought a car off FB marketplace from a private seller whose name wasn't on the title. He said he buys cars and resells them for profit and I didn't want to purchase the car until he could assure that the car was able to be under my name.
Private seller suggested a smog and registration service that is DMV approved because he knows the people that work there. I searched the location and everything seemed legit and had good reviews.
The day we went to transfer the title under my name, I asked the person doing the transfer if everything was correct that there were no issues and he assured me that nothing was wrong and to just wait for the title in the mail in 2 weeks.
Fast forward 1 week later I see that the title says Not Actual Mileage. So I run a Carfax ( I know I should have done this beforehand but this was my first time buying a car so now I'm paying the consequences) and found out that the car has 280,000 miles and not 86,000 like I thought it had. I messaged the seller and obviously he didn't reply and used a fake profile and blocked me.
I did some investigation and found his real social media and real name so I will provide that to the police when I file a police report on him. I also see other that a lot of his friends are mechanics and registration services which makes me believe that this is a group of people working to scam people of their money in that area.
I also found out that the registration place I transferred my title at had another yelp reviewer this year say that that place does fraud and works with scammers in the area trying to sell cars that do not work, so I am not the first person this has happened to. Like I said, this is a legit business.
At this point I am not sure what to do and how to go about this. I am assuming my first step be to file a police report. But since I cannot reach the private seller can I also make a report on the business for fraud?
Any information is appreciated.

I am in California and I bought a car off FB marketplace from a private seller whose name wasn't on the title. He said he buys cars and resells them for profit and I didn't want to purchase the car until he could assure that the car was able to be under my name.
Private seller suggested a smog and registration service that is DMV approved because he knows the people that work there. I searched the location and everything seemed legit and had good reviews.
The day we went to transfer the title under my name, I asked the person doing the transfer if everything was correct that there were no issues and he assured me that nothing was wrong and to just wait for the title in the mail in 2 weeks.
Fast forward 1 week later I see that the title says Not Actual Mileage. So I run a Carfax ( I know I should have done this beforehand but this was my first time buying a car so now I'm paying the consequences) and found out that the car has 280,000 miles and not 86,000 like I thought it had. I messaged the seller and obviously he didn't reply and used a fake profile and blocked me.
I did some investigation and found his real social media and real name so I will provide that to the police when I file a police report on him. I also see other that a lot of his friends are mechanics and registration services which makes me believe that this is a group of people working to scam people of their money in that area.
I also found out that the registration place I transferred my title at had another yelp reviewer this year say that that place does fraud and works with scammers in the area trying to sell cars that do not work, so I am not the first person this has happened to. Like I said, this is a legit business.
At this point I am not sure what to do and how to go about this. I am assuming my first step be to file a police report. But since I cannot reach the private seller can I also make a report on the business for fraud?
Any information is appreciated.

Alright so this is gonna be a long story but just read and plz give me your opinion So im 25F my boyfriend is 36M yes i know its a big age gap. So it all started when i was 21F he was 34M i used to work at a hotel as a receptionist so checking in guests in to their room. it was August 2020 when a random guy came to check in into his room (my now bf) didnt think to much of him while checking him in he was gonna stay at the hotel for 3 days i give him his keys to his room and that was that, the very next day he stoped by the front desk and asks me for my number i give it to him and we start texting for about 2 weeks we finally hang out yes we had sex we start getting to know each other come to find out the reason why hes staying at the hotel was becuase he just left his babymomma and the apartment where they lived together at the time (at the time his daughter was 3 years old they had been together for 4 years) so that was already was a red flag for me for the simple fact that i dont have kids, anyways we keep getting to know eachother and he one day tells me the long toxic relationship story of him and his bm she apparently was this crazy controlling woman who did a whole bunch of crazy stuff so i would ask him why wouldnt he just leave his answer has always been that it was becuase of his daughter he didnt want to leave his child becuase according to him his bm would tell him if he left she would not allow him to see his daughter wich infact he hasnt been able to see his daughter since the day he left the apartment back in August 2020 fast forward but i feel like be also wouldn’t leave because he loved her , 8 months later we move in together into out first apartment a couple months into us living together i go through his phone and find out he has the Facebook app which i found odd because he has 0 social medias , i click on the Facebook app and found out it was a fake page with a random name i look to see who he searches up and the first account was his babymomma i was pissed i confronted him about got into a huge heated argument becuase thats weird as fuck why are you stalking her , your with me now and his argument was that he hasnt seen his daughter s in years and that thats the only way he can see her whenever she posts pictures of his daughter but i just cant seem to get over the fact that hes looking a her page becuase i know he once loved her and it drives me crazy to think he still might love her we’ve gotten into sooooo many arguments about him looking at her Facebook and he’s literally almost left me becuase he says hes tired of arguing and explaining to me that its not about her but that its about his daughter and thats not all i later went on the Facebook again and saw that he searched up his babymommas new boyfriend i was livid!!! Becuase why are you soo worried about whos shes with and again got into a HUGGEE argument about it and he said becuase he wants to know what type of guy if around his daughter but yea thats it idk if im in the wrong for always starting arguments about that but i cant help to feel how i feel maybe i don’t understand him becuase i dont have kids but it infuriates me knowing hes watching her page ill stop here and hope to get yalls opinions i couldve gotten in to more details but this post is already long enough let me know what yall think

You know, some people like to say that you have to find your own meaning to life, but that's the thing. It may be comforting to them, but it's not comforting to me because it feels fake, almost like I may have found my meaning or You know, meanings of life. But to me it feels fake because I know that I was searching for that meaning and desire, so it feels like I'm putting on an act. It just feels fake. And it doesn't seem genuine at all. Knowing that the truth is that it's not truly the meaning, it's actually a subjectible meaning that you're living by. And there's no true answer in that.it's so annoying I think I just struggle with the fact that life is fleeting and complex and as I mentioned before humans like to try to dumb things down or put it on a certain scale to try to understand it better but with life you can’t do that there’s no stability. It’s forever changing and forever moving, so that part is hard to come to terms with for me! any insight helps! thanks 😊

I have some questions specifically for all the Mediums, Psychics, and all other types of spirituality-connected individuals who have watched Living for the Dead.
Did any of you experience any strong spiritual messages, inspiration, images, or anything while watching any of the episodes? If so, what were they?
Did any of the messages confirm what was happening in the show was true and wasn't faked for the sake of entertainment in the show? On the other hand, were there any messages that denied what was shown and if a particular moment in the show was faked? I am interested and open to hearing everyone's spiritual messages, both confirmations and denials!
If you have anything else you want to share about being a spiritually connected individual and your thoughts about the show, please share!
I just started watching Living for the Dead, and I am hooked! I love how personal and vulnerable the cast is willing to be in front of the cameras because it makes the show seem more realistic. It is validating to see that the cast has experienced the same thoughts, emotions, and experiences they spoke about. I am asking these questions because I know TV shows will fake many things for the sake of entertainment. I have had spiritual experiences myself, and I know some individuals can talk to people/spirits who have passed away. I also believe tarot card readings and spiritually connected people can help other people process their personal demons. If the reading is done right and truthfully, it can predict positive possibilities that can happen in the future for the individuals that they do a reading for. I don't understand everything about the spiritual world, but I know it's there. However, I also know there are fakes and people who will take advantage of vulnerable individuals who need and are in search of some help and peace.
That is why I am so curious if any of you experienced anything while watching the show.

I 22(F) am a university student and African(relevant) and we have our graduation parties after university instead of highschool and they end up being more about parents and their bragging rights, than the graduate. I have a 28 year old sister who had her graduation party immediately i wrapped up highschool. My academic journey has had its ups and downs, I eventually transferred university's something my parents and extended family haven't hesitated to throw in my face multiple time( African logic is that failing a unit shows you cant handle the course work and you should pick something "lighter") which led to fake concerns over my academic life and constant "maybe its not for you" comments from everyone my parents included. My sister recently went abroad for her masters and is due back next year almost at the same time as my degree graduation, i did some soul searching and came to a conclusion that i dont want a graduation party because it will eventually end up being about my sisters masters and my retake. I told my family about it my mum wasn't all that bothered but my sister and father insist that im taking a big thing away from my mum as im the last born and she'd want to brag to her friends. I just dont want to have a party in my name that ends up being not about me. AITA?
sidenote i know this may seem small but it keeps bothering me

Does anyone remember a guy on YT who rewatched the TCAP episodes and made commentary videos on it ? He was a young guy, I think he would wear a fake mustache ? He had quite a few episodes. I watched them all during the pandemic.
I've tried searching his videos to rewatch but I can't find them anywhere ! 😫

Were these entered into evidence? Are they public? Are they even real?
All of these documentaries keep eluding to the claim that the search for Kaitlin was on its last leg before police posted a fake Facebook ad seeking a yoga instructor that Kaitlin answered to. For whatever reason, that has always sounded sketchy and made up for dramatization to me, but idk. You’d think if there was an ad and Kaitlin had correspondence with police regarding it, that evidence would’ve been entered and brought up at trial, but I do not recall hearing or reading anything about that other than what I’ve heard in documentaries. Anyone else find this odd or am I missing something?

Hi everyone, I was searching for a movie/TV series that I saw a long time ago.
This film was quite surreal if I recall correctly, and one of the plot points (If not the main plot point) revolved around recovering a small tube that protects from being executed by rope to neck.
There was also a fake version of this object that would break when the user was executed in the film.

As the last orange light of day drained from the sky, the living dead in Club Vlad rose. Max the skeleton and Jessie the…not skeleton…sewed up the gaping Y-shaped incision on Dom’s chest under Merrick’s direct supervision. Dom sat there, feeling nothing, thinking nothing. He’d woken with a headache and a feeling of cold, and even now, he could feel the dull throb above his left eye. It felt like someone was tearing his brain apart with a fork. He had told Merrick, and Merrick had nodded sadly. “Is my brain rotting?”
“Most likely,” Merrick had said.
There was a certain peace in the idea of losing his cursed humanity. As Merrick had said, he would feel no pain, know no quandaries. He would live only for the night and for his master. On the other hand, watching someone like Matt sit and stare into the distance, drool coursing down his chin and nothing happening behind his dead eyes, scared Dom. He didn’t want to be a braindead idiot. He didn’t care about keeping his emotions, he just wanted to function.
Like Merrick.
There wasn’t much he could do, however. He was dead and that was the end of it.
Once Dom was patched up and dressed in a pair of jeans and a hoodie, Merrick called his children before him. “I have done my best to love and protect all of you,” he began. “Jessie, you were miserable with your grandmother, were you not?”
“Yes,” Jessie said tonelessly.
“You were depressed, bipolar, and cut yourself. Now you’re happy.”
“Yes,” she replied again.
“Joe, you were a two bit nobody staring down a ten year stretch in jail.”
“Yes.” Thin yellow liquid dripped from his nose.
“But now you are free.”
“Yes.”
“You appreciate what I’ve done for you.”
“Yes.”
Merrick flashed then, slamming his fist onto the arm of his wheelchair. “Then why do you keep fucking up? The police were here earlier. They have messages between you and Jessie. I told both of you to delete those. Then I find out that you bit someone and turned them despite my orders. We have an endless supply of blood here but you still went off on your own. How many are there?”
“Just one,” Joe said.
“Are you being honest with me?”
“Yes.”
Merrick sagged back in his chair, looking somehow older. “Joe, take Matt and go to her. Bring her back here before she causes any more problems. God alone knows how many people she’s changed. Too many vampires without a father will bring heat on us, and you know what happens in that case? We get pieces of wood shoved in our chests.”
Turning to Dom, Merrick said, “I have a job for you and Jessie. We’re nearly out of embalming fluid. You haven’t had your first dose and the rest of us are starting to get ripe as well. I have a contact at a funeral home. He texted earlier that the order he placed on my behalf has come in. I want you to pick it up and to pay him.”
Dom had never been picked for anything in his whole life. No one had ever wanted him on their team and no one had ever placed their trust in him the way Merrick was now. He was honored, proud, and would do anything to not let Merrick down.
“That cop who came here might be a problem,” Merrick went on. “We may have to deal with him, but we’ll leave that for another night. In any case, I want this place cleaned from top to bottom. If the police come, I want them to see nothing out of the ordinary.”
Now that everyone had their marching orders, they dispersed. Merrick handed Dom an evelope stuffed with cash, and Dom slipped it into the pocket of his hoodie. The other team - Joe and Matt - left, while the remaining vampires began tidying up.
A fleet of vehicles waited in the parking lot behind Club Vlad. Dom and Jessie took a black pedo van with no back windows. They drove in silence, the radio off. Dom did not want to hear music, nor did he wish to speak to Jessie. Their kinship was one of blood and circumstance, not one of words and emotions. He had no questions for her and wished to answer none of his own. The only thoughts he had were of the mission ahead and of the growing pain in his skull. He thought of the staring stupid Matt, of the decayed Max, and a shiver went down his spine.
What was left of his humanity recoiled at the idea of becoming like them.
The pain grew hotter, more intense. He forced it away and focused on driving.
The funeral home was on North Allen Street, next to a restaurant called Pepperjack’s. A tall, white house with dark shutters and a sign out front, it looked like a quiet, peaceful place. “Pull around back,” Jessie said.
Dom pulled the van around back and parked under a balcony, killing the headlights. They got out and went to the back door, Jessie in the lead. He assumed that she had done this before and that the seller would recognize her. She knocked, and a few moments later, the door opened. A youngish man with a shaved head appeared, wearing an apron and gloves. He saw them and tensed a little. Dom could smell, rather than sense, his fear, and his throat panged with thirst. “Come on,” the man said quickly. He stepped aside and allowed them to enter. Dom noticed that he walked behind them, wary of putting his back to them. “Do you have the money?”
“Do you have our order?” Jessie countered.
“Yes,” the man said, “I’m really risking my neck for this. They don’t just give embalming fluid away, you know. They keep track of it and if they realize I’m over ordering, someone from the state’s going to come down here and check.”
He led them into an embalming room. Three boxes sat on a table. Dom gave the man his money, and he and Jessie carried the boxes outside, loading them into the van. The whole time they were there, the man was edgy, like he was afraid they were going to attack him. Dom would be a liar if he said that the hot smell of the man’s blood didn’t excite him. Perhaps once his brain rotted away, he wouldn’t be able to control himself, but for now, he could.
A lightning bolt of pain shot through his head and he nearly dropped the last box onto the ground.
Once the man was paid, Dom and Jessie drove back to Club Vlad. In fifteen minutes, they were drinking side by side from two passed out partygoers, their reward for a job well done.
Meanwhile, across the city, Joe and Matt weren’t doing as well. They were standing outside of Heather’s apartment. Joe, slightly annoyed (anger being another emotion vampires could feel, along with fear) pounded on the door. He knew she was in there; he could smell the putrid odor of decay. “Let us in,” he said. “We won’t hurt you.”
Joe could barely remember changing her. He didn’t mean to, it just…happened. Like an unwanted pregnancy. You can bite someone as much as you want and drink as much as you want, but if you take too much at once and they die, you get the vampire equivalent of a baby. Joe liked the hunt. It was exciting. Having his meals brought to him Club Vlad didn’t arouse the same level of excitement. It was like shooting an animal tied to a tree. Or hiring a prostitute instead of wooing someone. No real satisfaction to it.
That was probably his greatest downfall. He had lured Jessie the same way, though Merrick was indeed interested in rescuing her from her grandmother. People you have saved obey just as well as people with no brains.
He felt fluid on his upper lip and sniffed. “Come on, let us in,” he said.
No response.
He looked at Matt and nodded to the door. Together, they rammed their shoulders against it. It shook in its frame. They were both dead and weak, but modern American architecture is even weaker, and the door eventually slammed open. The apartment beyond was dark, messy, and reeked of death. They searched high and low, and eventually found Heather huddled in a corner, trying to hide. She was naked save for a pair of panties, her body bloated and beginning to turn black. Her skin hung from her frame and her eyes were filled with blood and fear. It was a wonder no one had called the police yet. The smell was overpowering. “We’re here to help,” he said. “You have to come with us.”
She shook her head and trembled. Maybe she remembered that he was the one who did this to her. Maybe her memories had rotted away. Those were usually the first to go. Then your emotions, then your personality. Finally, your capacity for higher reasoning. “I’m sorry I did this to you,” he said. That was a lie. He was not remorseful. Nor was he proud, for that matter. It just happened. Like rain. “But I want to help you. We can fix you.”
No amount of coaxing or conjoling could induce her to move. Joe weighed his options. He doubted anyone would call the cops even if they heard the door coming down - people who lived in places like this rarely called the cops, which helped Joe and his cause immensely. Even so, there was the possibility. Every minute they spent here was a minute that something could go wrong, and Joe had a lot to lose.
So, too, did Merrick.
Giving up, Joe took out his cellphone and called Merrick. “She refuses to come,” he said simply.
The line was quiet for a moment, then Merrick’s voice came back. Cold. Calculating. “Then do what you must.”
That was the go ahead.
Hanging up, Joe looked around the apartment and found a wooden chair in the kitchen. He lifted it over his head and slammed it on the counter, shattering it into a million pieces. He selected the longest, sharpest, and sturdiest looking one. He went back into the room and directed Matt to hold her down. She fought, kicked, and spat, but she was weaker than even they were. They had been embalmed. She hadn’t.
Matt pinned her hands above her head and Joe straddled her. Animal terror filled her eyes and she whipped her head from side to side. Joe lifted the makeshift stake with both hands, and brought it down as hard as he could, driving it deep into her heart. Her eyes bulged from their sockets and a high, otherworldly scream ripped from her throat. She bucked, thrashed, and kicked her feet. Her resistance began to ebb away until she was twitching…until she was still.
Heather from OKCupid was dead.
Truly dead.
Joe couldn’t help wondering what it was like.
Pulling the stake out, he tossed it aside and got to his feet, Matt doing likewise. A soul petrifying scream might be cause for even the tightest of lips to start talking. “Let’s go,” he said. And together, he and Matt fled, leaving the poor, dead body of Heather behind.
***
As it turned out, one of Heather’s neighbors did call the cops. At 10;13pm, Vanessa Rodregiez arrived with two patrolmen and found the front door of Apartment 237 knocked down. Guns drawn, they entered, Vanessa at the head. The first thing she noticed was the smell. It jammed itself into her nostrils, shoved its tongue down her throat, and violated her - all without even buying her dinner first.
Vanessa hadn’t been at this as long as her buddy Bruce had, but she knew a dead, rotting body when she smelled one. They searched the premises, and sure enough, they found a vic in the bedroom, lying in the gap between the bed and the wall; it looked like the former had been moved, perhaps in a struggle. Vanessa knelt down to check the vic’s pulse, but stopped.
There was no need.
The vic - who looked like a female but could have been an overweight male - hadn’t had a pulse in a very long time.
Examining the body, Vanessa found a wound in the chest, just above the heart. Black, stinking goo leaked from it, and Vanessa gagged. She fisted her hand to her mouth, retched, and then ran for the kitchen sink. Her partner for the night, Jim Walsh, stared down at the stiff before him, and his face turned a sickly shade of green. He avoided puking because he didn’t nose fuck the wound like Vanessa had, but he wasted no time in getting out there, dry heaving in the hallway where the air was somewhat fresh.
After leaving her lunch in the sink, Vanessa radioed back to headquarters, and before long, the place was crawling with cops. The assistant medical examiner - who had taken over after Ed Harris quit the previous night - knelt over the body and studied it. A solidly built black man with a mustache, his name was Leon and he knew death just as well as his old boss, so when he said the vic had been dead nearly two weeks, Vanessa accepted it.
That begged the question: Who broke in and screamed just now? A relative? The caller clearly heard screaming and peeked out her door to see two males fleeing on foot. Maybe they found the vic and freaked out? Or maybe they were the killers returning to the scene of the crime. After all, the vic had clearly been murdered.
In fact, they found a likely murder weapon. A long sliver of wood soaked in black goo. Blood turns black after a while, but there was something different about this stuff. “What is it?” Vanessa asked Leon.
“I’m not sure,” Leon said and pulled off a pair of Latex gloves he’d donned to examine the vic, “could be blood or…”
“Or what?” Vanessa asked.
“Or something,” Leon said. “Give me a few hours.”
And a few hours it was. Just before 1am, Leon called Vanessa at her desk. “I think you should come down here,” he said.
Fifteen minutes later, Vanessa stood over Leon as he pulled the vic’s chest open with a pair of tweezers. “That’s the heart,” he said, “whoever stabbed her scored a direct hit, but this…this is what concerns me.”
He prodded a furry lump with the tip of his scalpel.
“What is it?” Vanessa asked.
“I don’t know,” he said, “it looks like mold.”
That word - mold - triggered a memory in her brain. “Ed said something about mold last night. He found it in -”
“The Mason boy,” Leon finished.
“Yeah. The one who got up and ran off.”
Leon turned away from Vanessa and looked at the dead woman - for it was a woman. Vanessa got the impression that he didn’t want her to see his expression. “I’ve known Ed ten years. I know something happened last night, but a stiff getting up and walking off? I thought he was confused. Now…I don’t know. That makes two bodies in 24 hours. And get this. The chest wound? It was done post-mortem. I can’t find a cause of death anywhere. Except maybe blood loss but it’s hard to tell at this point. And speaking of blood…”
“What?” Vanessa asked quickly.
“When I opened her stomach up, a whole shit load of blood spilled out. And a lot of it was a lot fresher than she is.”
Vanessa furrowed her brow in confusion. “You mean…?”
“It’s not hers,” Leon said. “I can’t be 100 percent sure until I run tests, but I’d put money on it.”
Vanessa’s head spun with information both new and old. You know that full, heavy feeling you get when a poo is brewing in your guts? That’s kind of what Vanessa was feeling, only in her head instead of her stomach.
Leon was just as mystified by the whole thing as she was and stayed up late to run a few preliminary tests. By sunrise, he had confirmed that the blood inside of Heather’s stomach was not hers. In fact, it had come from at least three different sources. “Is it human?” Vanessa asked over the phone.
“Yes,” Leon said, sounding troubled, “it’s human.”
In the cobalt hour before sunrise, Vanessa sat at her desk and tried to piece this whole thing together. They had:

1. A corpse that (allegedly) woke up and dipped out
2. A dead girl who’d been stabbed in the heart with a piece of wood after somehow ingesting the blood of three different people.
3. Some missing kids
4. Oh, and both bodies - the girl’s and the runaway corpses’ - had the same weird fungus in their heart cavities.

All of this - even the missing kids, Vanessa felt - was related. She just didn’t know how. The only answer that half way fit was that both of those bodies were vampires. Like…what’s a vampire but a dead body that gets up and walks around at night? And how do you kill a vampire? Why, you drive a piece of wood through its heart.
The idea that vampires were real was dumb, but the more she turned it over in her mind, the more she became convinced that it was at least an option. A lot of things people thought were fantastic and made up turned out to be real, so why not vampires too?
Shortly after 8, Bruce came in. He was just sitting down when Vanessa came in and slapped her report on the desk. “Buckle up, bitch,” she said, “things just got weirder.”
He stared up at her with one of those grumpy - but cute -expressions he was so good at putting on. As he read, however, his brow knitted. “Jesus,” he muttered to himself. He pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a weary sigh.
“I have a theory - kind of,” Vanessa said, “but I don’t want to say it.”
“You might as well,” Bruce said. “It can’t be more kooky than reality these days.”
“Okay,” Vanessa started, “what if - and I’m just thinking out loud here - what if there are vampires in Albany?”
She expected Bruce to give her a dirty look, but he chewed it over, actually taking it seriously. “And those missing boys are victims?” he asked finally.
“Yeah,” Vanessa said. “That girl’s been dead two weeks. Maybe she bit Dominick Mason and he came back for revenge after realizing he was cursed to be a goddamn shit sucking vampire forever.”
Bruce nodded. “Yeah, but who turned her?”
“I don’t know,” Vanessa said, “I don’t know.”
***
Before dawn painted the eastern sky, Merrick Garvis sat in his chamber like a withered king, a mess of IVs hooked into his arms and neck. The vault was silent save for the soft noise of the machines as they filtered out the old embalming fluid and replaced it with new embalming fluid. Embalming fluid always made him spacy, like a drug. The others had gone first, and even now lay near comatose around him like addicts in an opium den.
As far as he knew, Merrick was the oldest vampire in the world, perhaps, even, the oldest vampire to ever live. Though he was not fully honest with Dom, he was not lying when he said that vampires rotted like any other dead thing. Conditions considered, you had a few weeks tops if left untreated. There may be living vampires in remote corners of Egypt or the northern most reaches of Russia, where the climate preserved dead things, but unless you made it to one of those places, you were pretty well fucked.
Merrick was not a proud man, nor was he concerned with saving face - the dead have no need for that. He was being truthful when he said that he feared death. What’s more, he feared being helpless. Deep down, vampires are people, and people don’t exactly have the greatest track record with caring for their infirm. He read once that the first sign of a civilization was a broken leg that had healed, as it showed that someone stayed with and cared for a fellow human long enough for them to get well again. In Merrick’s opinion, that was true…and thus there was no civilization. Merrick was fifty-one when he died in the year 1982. In his lifetime, he had seen The Great Depression, World War II, and a million small acts of cruelty and selfishness in between. He’d seen beggars starving in the streets, abused children shuffled out of sight and out of mind, and disdain for the poor and the weak.
The living were awful, and the living dead were no different. Once their humanity rotted away, they cared only about filling their stomachs. They were like ticks - they would drink until their bellies literally ruptured…and then keep on drinking.
That left him in a precarious position. He was old, his body was weak. He couldn’t stand unassisted and if left to fend for himself, he would decay into a pile of bones within days. He would be cursed to lay in one spot for all eternity, aware and hungry, little more than a ghost tethered to a black and still beating heart.
He refused to let that happen to him. Thus, he had created a family, a clan of vampires loyal to him and to him alone. He did this through acts of simple kindness and understanding…but also through deception. He knew, for instance, how to preserve the brain. He’d figured out how to do it early on - you pickle it. Like a fetus preserved in a jar. He sawed off the top of his own head and filled it with a special solution that kept his brain - and his intelligence - intact. It slowly drained out through the nose and ears in a thin, yellow liquid, but it worked well enough. He couldn’t save everything, however, and had lost vital things in the process, such as most of his human memories, his sense of humor, and some motor functions. He shared this secret with only Joe, and a few others before, because he needed a strong captain. He kept the others in the dark because vampires - like people - are easier to control when they don’t think for themselves.
Right about now, however, Merrick was beginning to regret sharing the formula with even Joe. Joe had brought him nothing but grief. Joe, you see, could think for himself. He could make decisions. He could go behind Merrick’s back. Joe had something called free will, and free will is a worse affliction than vampirism. Free will is messy, free will is dangerous.
Free will could very well turn Merrick into a pile of bones.
That was, of course, if they weren’t discovered first. Joe had made several mistakes lately, not least of which was the turning of Heather. Sitting there in the predawn hour, attended by Tony, his gay bartender and human familiar, Merrick decided to have Joe killed. There are only two ways to kill a vampire: The stake and the flame. The latter seemed somehow appropriate in this case. After Joe, there would be no more captains, only him, one father with absolute power. That was how it had to be. One man, one vision. Democracies didn’t work. That was especially clear today. Everyone was so divided and nothing ever got done. If the humans had one strong leader, they might go in the wrong direction, but at least they would go somewhere. Instead, they stagnated.
Merrick didn’t particularly look forward to killing Joe, but it had to be done. To protect the family. To protect him.
And Merrick would do anything…anything at all…to protect himself.
***
Vampires.
Bruce kept coming back to that single wor, hoping each time that he would chuckle at the absurdity of it.
But he never did.
Did that mean he believed it? Not necessarily, but damn it, he considered it a possibility, and that alone was enough to make him feel like a fucking clown. All the evidence he had pointed to vampires, but then again, it might point to other things as well. Like aliens.
But let’s say the whole vampire thing was real. Who, like Vanessa asked, was patient zero? Who started this whole mess?
A name came to mind.
Merrick Garvis.
He had not had time to check into Garvis the previous day, but by God, he was going to do it now. He ran his name and social through the system and everything seemed to check out. Merrick Garvis was born on June 31, 1963 in -
Wait a minute. Weren’t there only 30 days in June?
Bruce checked, and there were, indeed, only 30 days in the month of June. Hm. Bruce did a little digging and found something out. Before 1987, social security numbers weren’t issued at birth. You had to sign up, using other forms of ID. Merrick Garvis applied for his in April 1984 and the date of birth on his state issued driver’s license was June 31. Bruce spent an hour on the phone with the DMV and learned that they had never issued a license to a Merrick Garvis. He then spoke to the Social Security Administration, and after much wrangling and frustration, he managed to get a photocopy of the license Garvis used to get his social security number. It was dated 1983.
The face staring back at him was almost exactly the same face he’d seen at Club Vlad, except maybe a touch less stiff and waxy. Though not as rough looking, there was no way in hell Garvis was 20 in that picture. It had to be a fake,
Bruce thought back to the events of the previous two days. Missing bodies, staked corpses, hearts that still beat after death.
Vampires didn’t seem like such a crazy explanation.
And if anyone was a fucking vampire around here, it was Merrick Garvis.