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The Righteous Gemstones on HBO
2018.06.23 01:16 The Righteous Gemstones on HBO
Subreddit for the HBO Comedy Series The Righteous Gemstones, created by Danny McBride. The show follows a world-famous televangelist family with a long tradition of deviance, greed and charitable work. Season 3 currently airing on HBO (10pm EST)
2024.05.16 20:00 Spartawolf Galactic High (Chapter 122)
First/Previous
"Watch out!" Jack yelled out to the crowd as the now-glowing overhead turrets, long dormant and forgotten, suddenly whirred to life with a mechanical hum, tracking his movements as he ran, shoving past a group of unsuspecting Xarak to the side as he moved to dodge the torrent of rapid fire aimed right at him, kicking up smoke as the superheated plasma churned the ground underneath him, before the sound of gunfire abruptly stopped.
"Fucking overheating shittubes!" the voice on the speakers cursed. "The Outsider is by the two broken pillars!"
"I see him!" a voice replied from out of the crowd as Jack got his bearings, spotting a group of three uniformed soldiers rushing towards him. As the leader moved to stab him with a nasty-looking barbed shortspear, Jack quickly juked the direction he intended to dodge, dipping to the right as he smashed the avian in the stomach with a vicious kick, shuffling back as he caught the blade of the second soldier with his bracer before throwing them off balance, lashing back at the first with his elbow as he did.
He moved to check the third that was moving to take a swing at him with a bat, but before Jack could do so the soldier was suddenly yanked back as a long, coiled leather whip snapped around them. Following along, Jack spotted an older grey-skinned ganger in black leathers with a coarse, black beard to match his scraggly hair sat down with his back to a wall, casually drinking a beer as he observed the chaos with a mischievous smirk.
As the soldier pulled back his bat to strike the interloper, the ganger grinned and looked down where his legs were already spread wide, revealing a strange metal crotch plate. Suddenly making a jerking motion with one of his legs, the plate flipped up to reveal the barrel of a huge codpiece gun that flipped up to point directly at the soldier, before it fired once, catching the solder completely by surprise as the top of their body was utterly obliterated by a bolt of powerful plasma energy. Smirking, the ganger gave Jack a wink, chugging down the rest of his drink, before charging into the brawl.
Hearing an almighty roar, Jack turned around only to be knocked back yet again as a broken, avian body was roughly lobbed at him, staggering him backwards as the Redeemer turned to the last of the bird-like gangsters, picking him up with immense strength and smashing them to the ground before advancing towards the human more cautiously this time, shoving drunken brawlers out of the way.
“I have long waited for this moment, Outsider. With your death, my King shall grant you redemption!” The Redeemer snarled. Now having a good look at him, Jack couldn’t see any visible weapons on him, which was strange. Last time, he’d brought a gunship and was taking potshots at him with some kind of high-powered rifle. Then again, considering what happened last time, maybe The Redeemer wanted the satisfaction of using his bare hands to beat him to death.
It wouldn’t be a terrible plan considering everything the Ogar had pulled off so far…
While sports on Earth were often separated by gender, despite some resistance from the more liberal-minded, due to biological differences between men and women, combat sports were a whole different game, with mixed martial arts organisations having very specific weight classes for fair competition between athletes, with two fighters of similar size and weight less likely to cause serious injury to each other.
But if you placed an experienced lightweight against even a novice heavyweight? That would introduce major problems for the smaller fighter, who would need to contend with the extra size, reach and power of their larger opponent. Not an impossible fight, but a tough one.
And Jack very much felt like a lightweight here.
Though of course, he had faced larger opponents before. Even an Ogar, though they had defeated the Laird with a cunning trap. However, he didn’t know how well matched he and The Redeemer were in a fair close-range fight outside of the opening moments of the ambush.
Still, he had little choice but to find out. He didn’t have an easy way to escape, and he didn’t know what the status of the others was. If he ran while they were still here then The Redeemer and the Regulators would simply go after them instead to get to him…
No. He couldn’t allow those thoughts to shake him. His friends knew what the hell they were doing, and they could handle themselves just fine. He had to worry about himself right now.
He couldn’t run, so he had to fight.
With a speed he didn’t expect from The Redeemer, they grabbed a nearby chair and lobbed it right at Jack in one smooth motion before following through with another charge.
‘Aegis!’ Jack yelled as he brought his forearm up, as his new and improved shield eagerly sprung up to take the hit from the chair, before a fist smacked into the side of his head as The Redeemer used the chair as a distraction to change his angle of attack.
Spinning with the blow, Jack fought in his mind to stay in the fight as his vision blurred, with the powerful strike threatening to knock him out then and there, before another fist caught him in the stomach, with his battleskin dispersing a hit that would have otherwise easily taken the air out of his lungs.
Retracting his shield, Jack ducked another punch that threatened to decapitate him as he skidded under the blow, parrying a backfist with his forearm that tingled painfully as he ate the blow, before clocking the Redeemer with a punch to the jaw, his gauntlet extending to cover his knuckles with a well-forged plate of metal to add their power to the strike, before the Redeemer threw out a punch that caught him on the shoulder, sending the deathworlder reeling back.
Jack grit his teeth as he fought through the pain, adrenaline rushing through him. He wasn’t out of the fight yet, but he knew he’d gotten the worst of that engagement.
The Redeemer clearly understood this as well, as the zealot strode towards the human with a confident, wicked grin.
But this time, Jack was ready.
‘Caltrops’ Jack whispered the command word, as his gauntlets gave him a good handful of them, subtly tossing them in front of him with an underhand throw, which had gone unnoticed by the Redeemer as they stared at the human with hatred.
Suddenly dashing forward to quickly close the remaining distance between them, the Redeemer roared as he charged Jack again, suddenly grunting in pain and stumbling as his full, heavy mass sent a sharp, painful spike straight through his armoured boot, causing him to lose focus as he looked down at his foot for just a moment to see what had happened.
A moment of distraction that Jack used to its fullest, as he quickly swung his axe down right at The Redeemer’s head.
However, the Ogar reacted with surprising dexterity as he used his forward momentum to avoid the full force of the axeblade, his metal helmet taking a glancing blow as he shoved Jack off balance, causing him to stumble. Quickly predicting what would come next, Jack dropped his axe on purpose as he prepared for a takedown attempt, dropping low and widening his stance as the Redeemer tackled him around the waist to try and bring him to the ground for a quick finish.
“There will be no salvation for you, human!” The Ogar growled through his pain as Jack was forced back by the Redeemer’s superior strength.
“Aww, did you miss me?” Jack taunted, holding on and walking back with the ever increasing momentum The Redeemer was building as he was pushed back along the dancefloor. “I saw your tantrum on the TV afterwards, didn’t know you were a bitch too!”
‘That’s it, asshole.’ Jack thought to himself as he felt his axe clip back onto his back. ‘Get mad. You showed me last time that you like to talk too much. I need to time this right…'
“Your blasphemy ends here Outsider! I shall smite you in the name of my King!” The insane zealot roared out in an enraged challenge.
With a roar the Redeemer pushed with much greater strength, forcing Jack to change his slow backpedalling into a full on sprint as he scrambled to stay on his feet, fighting to keep his grip above that of the Redeemer’s to maintain his control of the grapple for as long as he could as he was gradually being put off-balance, almost being lifted upwards.
‘I’ve got to hold on until the last possible moment…’ Jack thought to himself, as tables, chairs and people alike were battered to the side.
‘Now!’
As the wooden pillar supporting the balcony passed them in a blur, Jack shifted his weight to the left and relinquished the grapple, using the Redeemer’s momentum against him as he shoved the Redeemer off balance, as they smashed into the crumbling brick wall head first with an almighty crash.
As they stumbled back, yanking their head back out through the newly formed hole, Jack growled as grabbed the Redeemer around the top of one of his legs, yelling with effort as he was only just able to lift the Redeemer up and over him, slamming the Ogar down on the top of his head as hard as he could in a vicious suplex that gave a satisfying crack.
Growling with effort, the Redeemer pushed himself back into a crouch and looked up just in time as Jack’s foot smacked into the side of his head in a savage kick that cracked his metal helmet and dislodged one of his fangs. Roaring in rage and pain, the Redeemer got to his feet only to meet a flying knee that shattered his nose as his helmet cracked and dented with the heavy impacts.
“Redeem that you ugly cunt!” Jack growled, moving in for another strike as the Redeemer shoved him away, showing no signs of faltering as he slowly got to his feet, even after the devastating blows he just took. The Redeemer simply gave Jack a wicked grin of satisfaction, before it fell slightly upon seeing something to Jack’s side.
As Jack’s Ring of the Berserker vibrated again, he spun around to spot a large, lanky Vivren with several piercings in overt heavy armour grinning at him with malicious intent as she pointed a wand at him and cast a word of power.
Before he had any time to react, Jack’s entire body erupted in a wave of agony unlike anything he had ever felt before…
*****
“Fuck! Alora! Sephy? Chiyo? Dante?” Nika coughed as she got up from where the balcony had collapsed from under them.
Looking around, she could see even more patrons fighting around them, revelling in the chaos of the brawl, but she couldn’t spot any of her friends in the immediate aftermath, as thick dust plumed out from the wreckage below her.
‘At least the crew of the ship we’re meant to be travelling on are probably out by now.’ The Kizun thought to herself. ‘Can’t go back, the CorvMart crew will have moved on by now, so sticking to the original plan is probably the best move, unless we can steal a vehicle one of us knows how to pilot.’
Assessing the situation before her, Nika went for her bo staff, though made sure that her shotgun was well within easy reach. Though many of the people fighting around her looked rough, they weren’t attacking her or her friends, and until that changed they could make good allies of convenience, or for a smokescreen to give their enemies the slip if they had to run.
Though slaying as many of their attackers as they could would be preferable.
‘Best way to do that is link up with the others, we’re better as a unit.’ She reasoned, hearing an almighty crash. ‘Well, that’s probably Jack.’
Dodging a thrown bottle as a Squarri ganger missed their intended target - a pissed-off looking quadrupedal furry species that Nika didn’t recognise - before dodging a swing of a bat from a Xarak that saw her as an easy target. Quickly raising her staff she parried the backswing before cracking the other end of the staff across the reptilian’s face, knocking the rough-looking thug out as he collapsed to the ground.
Yet before Nika could think to move on from the conflict, she had to dodge out of the way using her tail as a large Balnath with some kind of cleaver-like sword took a swing at her. Recognising the sigil of the Regulator group Chiyo had told them to watch out for - a stern-looking demonic rune surrounded by a neon-red triangle - Nika parried the next sword swipe from the figure.
“Let me guesth, you want to get to the Outthider?” The Balnath sneered at the Kizun with a lisp so thick that in any other situation she’d have to stop herself from laughing. “I’m stho thorry, but we can’t let you have sthilly ideas like that!”
“Are you for fucking real?” Nika asked as she dodged to the side and put some space between them before quickly switching to her shotgun, letting loose a powerful blast that the Balnath was able to raise his shield up to block.
‘Skill like that? Probably the leader or an officer of some kind.’ The Kizun noted to herself. ‘No choice. I’ve got to kill him.’
“Yeah, I know that you’re finking! You fink my teef make me sound sthupid?” The Balnath growled, with a few experimental chomps. “Well these teef like to gnaw and gnasth on Kizun flesth!”
“Come and try it!” Nika snarled as she twirled her staff around her in a well-practised flourish, eagerly accepting the challenge.
The Balnath charged forward with lightning speed as it came at Nika with a series of feints, before swiping at her with a brutal overhand chop, using both hands. The Kizun was able to deftly parry with her staff, the kinetic modules battering her opponent’s grip to the side, though she felt the strength behind the blow and knew that the Balnath was stronger.
Still, she knew she could take him.
Ever since she was little she had roughhoused with her brothers and the local boys in fights around their ranch, and had learned the hard way from an early age that her gender and short build worked against her when facing her peers, so she had trained to be the strongest she could be, and learned to be quick and tactical to make the best use of that.
She had eventually kept up with the neighbourhood boys, using holds and precise strikes until her elders found out what she was doing when she was meant to be working on the ranch to help the family scrape by, and quickly put a stop to the shenanigans.
When she moved to the city, she only got better from there.
The tip of her staff thundered against the Balnath’s shield like the striking of a gong, forcing the larger being back as Nika could tell he was already tiring. Though she wanted to finish this fight quickly and get to her friends, she knew she couldn’t allow herself to give her opponent an opening, even as she sought to exploit an opening of her own. She had to be patient.
Her staff rattled against the shield again and again, as she felt her opponent’s defence get weaker and weaker, with the powerful force of her kinetic module focusing the strength of her strikes into a single point. Eventually something would break, his shield of his arm. Once his defences were finally down, she would go in swiftly for the kill.
Her opponent’s frustration won out as his shield shattered and fell to the floor, forcing him to attack Nika with a vicious two handed swipe. She blocked the strike handily, before the Balnath grabbed her staff, locking them in a clinch.
“Giff me sthome help over ‘ere!” The Balnath called out, as Nika reached for a knife, forcing the Balnath to adjust his stance as she stabbed blindly, glancing off armoured plates before finding purchase somewhere, causing her attacker to grunt with pain as he shoved her back, holding her up against a wall.
‘Shit.’ She cursed in her mind. ‘He’s stronger than me, but all I need is a moment to take him by surprise and I can break away and kill him!’
She held strong with her arms, holding the Balnath back as his jaws snapped shut barely an inch away from her neck. He tried again, and she pushed back harder, the jaws snapping shut around nothing, but much closer this time.
He tried again, bringing his vicious maw even closer still…
‘Gotcha!’ Nika thought to herself, as she jerked her head forward in a headbutt, catching the Balnath by surprise and giving the Kizun the space she needed to bring her knees up to her chin, before kicking out as hard as she could into the face of the Balnath, knocking him back with a roar of pain, before he leapt forward with a side swipe that Nika used her tail to quickly dodge, before in the same motion she brought the tip of her staff round and smacked the Balnath as hard as she could, right in the face, the powerful strike shattering its lower jaw completely.
“My fathce!” the attacker got out, clutching what little remained of his lower jaw, before looking up in the next moment as they stared down the barrel of Nika’s shotgun.
“Plea-” They got out, before their head was obliterated in an explosion of dark, blackish blood as their body clattered uselessly to the ground.
“Fuck you.” The Kizun retorted. Using her tail to quickly clip the sword to the magnets of her armour, Nika could see more Regulators in the crowd heading towards the DJ booth. Quickly checking her weapons, she headed right into the brawl!
*****
“You don’t belong here, girlie!” the thug cackled as their cybernetic arm crackled with electric discharge.
“Replacto!” Alora snarled as she swiped her wand out, blasting her attacker with a sudden flash of light that sent him stumbling back, clutching at his eyes.
“Anyone else?” Alora asked, trying her best to channel Nika’s cool, calm demeanour, crossed with Jack’s intimidating presence as the cluster of gangers and mercenaries all looked around at each other for just a moment, before deciding that the Eladrie wasn’t actually that intimidating, as one tried to rush her with a broken chair.
‘Oh by the Mother Tree! How do those two do it?’ Alora cursed in her mind as she summoned her spiritual weapon - a spear of light - that she quickly stabbed at the fish-like Osi, gutting them in the stomach which quickly made them drop the chair, while Alora wisely moved to the side to get out of the vicious melee happening all around her. Where were the others?
‘I have to make sure they’re all right.’ the Eladrie determinedly told herself as she began casting another, more complicated spell…
“Attention all idiots!” The voice over the speakers sneered out over the ever-changing music that the DJ didn’t seem to have any control over. “We discussed this. Though the Outsider is a priority, you target the spellcasters first if you can! Must I do everything myself?”
Thrumming with sudden power, the turrets above them finally opened fire, shooting almost indiscriminately at the crowd below, cutting several of the brawling patrons down before they even knew what hit them.
Chanting and waving her hands around as quickly as she dared, Alora maintained her concentration of her spell, completing it just in time as the turrets finally tracked her as she summoned a great holy aura of light to cover herself that would give her the protection she needed, the Armour of Faith deflecting the lights of the laser turrets harmlessly aside.
A loud bark sounded out, and knowing Dante’s warning for what it was, Alora spun around to see two Regulators, who were both Vulstas fighting through the brawl to get to her. Unlike Rena, these two were males, both carrying plasma shotguns but unable to get effective shots off through the crowd. Not that something like that stopped them from trying…
“Stevarin!” she yelled out, pointing her wand at one of the two who was about to open fire on a downed ganger, as with a flash of yellow light their movements slowed, quickly freezing stiff as a board as they failed to resist the Holding spell, their eyes widening in sheer terror as the gang-mates of their would-be-victim set upon them in a fury with fists and clubs, before a spell cast from the rafters sent all of them clattering to the ground clutching at their minds.
‘One of the enemy mages providing overwatch.’ Alora noted as she quickly looked up for any sign of them, but not seeing them. ‘Under a veil of invisibility no doubt.’
Feeling the dull impact of a shotgun blast dissipate harmlessly against her magical armour, Alora spun round to the other Regulator, cursing her moment of hesitation as the Vulsta drew a long knife with which to get in close with.
Remembering her fight with Izadora all those weeks ago, Alora waved her arms around quickly to summon a bubble of light to engulf her, before quickly following it up with an explosive flash that thundered all around her like a flashbang grenade, while leaving her unharmed.
As the light dissipated, she deftly avoided the blind lunge from the temporarily blinded Regulator, before jamming her spear into his stomach, using her reach advantage to dodge the desperate swipes he sent her way.
“Garrash!” Alora spoke a quick cantrip, using her affinity with life magic to channel poison through the top of her spear. Her already-weakened attacker quickly slumped to the ground as the debilitating effects took hold, but before Alora could pull her spear back, she was hit by a spell that came from above, disrupting her magic and causing her magical spear and armour to disappear.
‘Damn! It’s that mage above me!’ Alora cursed to herself as she quickly ran underneath one of the balconies, as the turrets chased after her with gunfire. ‘You want to hide in the shadows like a coward? I’ve got something to fix that!’
Quickly making sure there weren’t any immediate threats around, Alora quickly rummaged through her pockets for a wand of white crystal she had prepared about a year ago that still had a few charges. Casting quickly, she levelled it towards the ceiling and prayed to all the gods that she was aiming it at where the enemy mage was hiding,
“Glitasha!”
A spray of shining, sparkling particles of light shot out of her wand, puffing out to cover a good half of the ceiling, and as they began to fall to the floor and latch on to the people below, Alora spotted a huddled form by one of the rafters.
‘Got you!’ She thought with satisfaction.
“Ilthax! Get out of there!” The voice over the speakers warned, presumably the name of her target, but it was too late…
“Solaris!” Alora yelled, throwing her palms out in a thrust as a great javelin of light shot out of her palms. The enemy mage had barely moved before it impaled their centre of mass, sending what must have been a fireball spell way off target which blasted apart a huge, gaping hole in the back wall.
The invisible form of the glitterdust-covered mage slowly began to materialise as the blue-furred, ape-like Regulator clutched at their chest in pain, with wide eyes of disbelief at the spear of hard light that had gone right through their torso. As their flight spell dissipated, their lifeless body fell three stories from the rafters to slam down on the ground floor below.
“Nice one Alora!” the Eladrie heard the voice call from behind her as Nika came up next to her, the Kizun bleeding from a cut on her face. “Where are the others?”
“I don’t know. But we need to find them now!” Alora frantically told them as she took in the sheer state of chaos around them. Many broken bodies lay amongst the carnage, and though the Eladrie knew some would likely be still alive at the end of the night, she knew that many would not.
“You don’t need to tell me twice!” Nika agreed with a grim expression.
*****
First/Previous
Looks like Jack, Nika and Alora are holding on for now! But how long can they keep it up?
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"Watch out!" Jack yelled out to the crowd as the now-glowing overhead turrets, long dormant and forgotten, suddenly whirred to life with a mechanical hum, tracking his movements as he ran, shoving past a group of unsuspecting Xarak to the side as he moved to dodge the torrent of rapid fire aimed right at him, kicking up smoke as the superheated plasma churned the ground underneath him, before the sound of gunfire abruptly stopped.
"Fucking overheating shittubes!" the voice on the speakers cursed. "The Outsider is by the two broken pillars!"
"I see him!" a voice replied from out of the crowd as Jack got his bearings, spotting a group of three uniformed soldiers rushing towards him. As the leader moved to stab him with a nasty-looking barbed shortspear, Jack quickly juked the direction he intended to dodge, dipping to the right as he smashed the avian in the stomach with a vicious kick, shuffling back as he caught the blade of the second soldier with his bracer before throwing them off balance, lashing back at the first with his elbow as he did.
He moved to check the third that was moving to take a swing at him with a bat, but before Jack could do so the soldier was suddenly yanked back as a long, coiled leather whip snapped around them. Following along, Jack spotted an older grey-skinned ganger in black leathers with a coarse, black beard to match his scraggly hair sat down with his back to a wall, casually drinking a beer as he observed the chaos with a mischievous smirk.
As the soldier pulled back his bat to strike the interloper, the ganger grinned and looked down where his legs were already spread wide, revealing a strange metal crotch plate. Suddenly making a jerking motion with one of his legs, the plate flipped up to reveal the barrel of a huge codpiece gun that flipped up to point directly at the soldier, before it fired once, catching the solder completely by surprise as the top of their body was utterly obliterated by a bolt of powerful plasma energy. Smirking, the ganger gave Jack a wink, chugging down the rest of his drink, before charging into the brawl.
Hearing an almighty roar, Jack turned around only to be knocked back yet again as a broken, avian body was roughly lobbed at him, staggering him backwards as the Redeemer turned to the last of the bird-like gangsters, picking him up with immense strength and smashing them to the ground before advancing towards the human more cautiously this time, shoving drunken brawlers out of the way.
“I have long waited for this moment, Outsider. With your death, my King shall grant you redemption!” The Redeemer snarled. Now having a good look at him, Jack couldn’t see any visible weapons on him, which was strange. Last time, he’d brought a gunship and was taking potshots at him with some kind of high-powered rifle. Then again, considering what happened last time, maybe The Redeemer wanted the satisfaction of using his bare hands to beat him to death.
It wouldn’t be a terrible plan considering everything the Ogar had pulled off so far…
While sports on Earth were often separated by gender, despite some resistance from the more liberal-minded, due to biological differences between men and women, combat sports were a whole different game, with mixed martial arts organisations having very specific weight classes for fair competition between athletes, with two fighters of similar size and weight less likely to cause serious injury to each other.
But if you placed an experienced lightweight against even a novice heavyweight? That would introduce major problems for the smaller fighter, who would need to contend with the extra size, reach and power of their larger opponent. Not an impossible fight, but a tough one.
And Jack very much felt like a lightweight here.
Though of course, he had faced larger opponents before. Even an Ogar, though they had defeated the Laird with a cunning trap. However, he didn’t know how well matched he and The Redeemer were in a fair close-range fight outside of the opening moments of the ambush.
Still, he had little choice but to find out. He didn’t have an easy way to escape, and he didn’t know what the status of the others was. If he ran while they were still here then The Redeemer and the Regulators would simply go after them instead to get to him…
No. He couldn’t allow those thoughts to shake him. His friends knew what the hell they were doing, and they could handle themselves just fine. He had to worry about himself right now.
He couldn’t run, so he had to fight.
With a speed he didn’t expect from The Redeemer, they grabbed a nearby chair and lobbed it right at Jack in one smooth motion before following through with another charge.
‘Aegis!’ Jack yelled as he brought his forearm up, as his new and improved shield eagerly sprung up to take the hit from the chair, before a fist smacked into the side of his head as The Redeemer used the chair as a distraction to change his angle of attack.
Spinning with the blow, Jack fought in his mind to stay in the fight as his vision blurred, with the powerful strike threatening to knock him out then and there, before another fist caught him in the stomach, with his battleskin dispersing a hit that would have otherwise easily taken the air out of his lungs.
Retracting his shield, Jack ducked another punch that threatened to decapitate him as he skidded under the blow, parrying a backfist with his forearm that tingled painfully as he ate the blow, before clocking the Redeemer with a punch to the jaw, his gauntlet extending to cover his knuckles with a well-forged plate of metal to add their power to the strike, before the Redeemer threw out a punch that caught him on the shoulder, sending the deathworlder reeling back.
Jack grit his teeth as he fought through the pain, adrenaline rushing through him. He wasn’t out of the fight yet, but he knew he’d gotten the worst of that engagement.
The Redeemer clearly understood this as well, as the zealot strode towards the human with a confident, wicked grin.
But this time, Jack was ready.
‘Caltrops’ Jack whispered the command word, as his gauntlets gave him a good handful of them, subtly tossing them in front of him with an underhand throw, which had gone unnoticed by the Redeemer as they stared at the human with hatred.
Suddenly dashing forward to quickly close the remaining distance between them, the Redeemer roared as he charged Jack again, suddenly grunting in pain and stumbling as his full, heavy mass sent a sharp, painful spike straight through his armoured boot, causing him to lose focus as he looked down at his foot for just a moment to see what had happened.
A moment of distraction that Jack used to its fullest, as he quickly swung his axe down right at The Redeemer’s head.
However, the Ogar reacted with surprising dexterity as he used his forward momentum to avoid the full force of the axeblade, his metal helmet taking a glancing blow as he shoved Jack off balance, causing him to stumble. Quickly predicting what would come next, Jack dropped his axe on purpose as he prepared for a takedown attempt, dropping low and widening his stance as the Redeemer tackled him around the waist to try and bring him to the ground for a quick finish.
“There will be no salvation for you, human!” The Ogar growled through his pain as Jack was forced back by the Redeemer’s superior strength.
“Aww, did you miss me?” Jack taunted, holding on and walking back with the ever increasing momentum The Redeemer was building as he was pushed back along the dancefloor. “I saw your tantrum on the TV afterwards, didn’t know you were a bitch too!”
‘That’s it, asshole.’ Jack thought to himself as he felt his axe clip back onto his back. ‘Get mad. You showed me last time that you like to talk too much. I need to time this right…'
“Your blasphemy ends here Outsider! I shall smite you in the name of my King!” The insane zealot roared out in an enraged challenge.
With a roar the Redeemer pushed with much greater strength, forcing Jack to change his slow backpedalling into a full on sprint as he scrambled to stay on his feet, fighting to keep his grip above that of the Redeemer’s to maintain his control of the grapple for as long as he could as he was gradually being put off-balance, almost being lifted upwards.
‘I’ve got to hold on until the last possible moment…’ Jack thought to himself, as tables, chairs and people alike were battered to the side.
‘Now!’
As the wooden pillar supporting the balcony passed them in a blur, Jack shifted his weight to the left and relinquished the grapple, using the Redeemer’s momentum against him as he shoved the Redeemer off balance, as they smashed into the crumbling brick wall head first with an almighty crash.
As they stumbled back, yanking their head back out through the newly formed hole, Jack growled as grabbed the Redeemer around the top of one of his legs, yelling with effort as he was only just able to lift the Redeemer up and over him, slamming the Ogar down on the top of his head as hard as he could in a vicious suplex that gave a satisfying crack.
Growling with effort, the Redeemer pushed himself back into a crouch and looked up just in time as Jack’s foot smacked into the side of his head in a savage kick that cracked his metal helmet and dislodged one of his fangs. Roaring in rage and pain, the Redeemer got to his feet only to meet a flying knee that shattered his nose as his helmet cracked and dented with the heavy impacts.
“Redeem that you ugly cunt!” Jack growled, moving in for another strike as the Redeemer shoved him away, showing no signs of faltering as he slowly got to his feet, even after the devastating blows he just took. The Redeemer simply gave Jack a wicked grin of satisfaction, before it fell slightly upon seeing something to Jack’s side.
As Jack’s Ring of the Berserker vibrated again, he spun around to spot a large, lanky Vivren with several piercings in overt heavy armour grinning at him with malicious intent as she pointed a wand at him and cast a word of power.
Before he had any time to react, Jack’s entire body erupted in a wave of agony unlike anything he had ever felt before…
*****
“Fuck! Alora! Sephy? Chiyo? Dante?” Nika coughed as she got up from where the balcony had collapsed from under them.
Looking around, she could see even more patrons fighting around them, revelling in the chaos of the brawl, but she couldn’t spot any of her friends in the immediate aftermath, as thick dust plumed out from the wreckage below her.
‘At least the crew of the ship we’re meant to be travelling on are probably out by now.’ The Kizun thought to herself. ‘Can’t go back, the CorvMart crew will have moved on by now, so sticking to the original plan is probably the best move, unless we can steal a vehicle one of us knows how to pilot.’
Assessing the situation before her, Nika went for her bo staff, though made sure that her shotgun was well within easy reach. Though many of the people fighting around her looked rough, they weren’t attacking her or her friends, and until that changed they could make good allies of convenience, or for a smokescreen to give their enemies the slip if they had to run.
Though slaying as many of their attackers as they could would be preferable.
‘Best way to do that is link up with the others, we’re better as a unit.’ She reasoned, hearing an almighty crash. ‘Well, that’s probably Jack.’
Dodging a thrown bottle as a Squarri ganger missed their intended target - a pissed-off looking quadrupedal furry species that Nika didn’t recognise - before dodging a swing of a bat from a Xarak that saw her as an easy target. Quickly raising her staff she parried the backswing before cracking the other end of the staff across the reptilian’s face, knocking the rough-looking thug out as he collapsed to the ground.
Yet before Nika could think to move on from the conflict, she had to dodge out of the way using her tail as a large Balnath with some kind of cleaver-like sword took a swing at her. Recognising the sigil of the Regulator group Chiyo had told them to watch out for - a stern-looking demonic rune surrounded by a neon-red triangle - Nika parried the next sword swipe from the figure.
“Let me guesth, you want to get to the Outthider?” The Balnath sneered at the Kizun with a lisp so thick that in any other situation she’d have to stop herself from laughing. “I’m stho thorry, but we can’t let you have sthilly ideas like that!”
“Are you for fucking real?” Nika asked as she dodged to the side and put some space between them before quickly switching to her shotgun, letting loose a powerful blast that the Balnath was able to raise his shield up to block.
‘Skill like that? Probably the leader or an officer of some kind.’ The Kizun noted to herself. ‘No choice. I’ve got to kill him.’
“Yeah, I know that you’re finking! You fink my teef make me sound sthupid?” The Balnath growled, with a few experimental chomps. “Well these teef like to gnaw and gnasth on Kizun flesth!”
“Come and try it!” Nika snarled as she twirled her staff around her in a well-practised flourish, eagerly accepting the challenge.
The Balnath charged forward with lightning speed as it came at Nika with a series of feints, before swiping at her with a brutal overhand chop, using both hands. The Kizun was able to deftly parry with her staff, the kinetic modules battering her opponent’s grip to the side, though she felt the strength behind the blow and knew that the Balnath was stronger.
Still, she knew she could take him.
Ever since she was little she had roughhoused with her brothers and the local boys in fights around their ranch, and had learned the hard way from an early age that her gender and short build worked against her when facing her peers, so she had trained to be the strongest she could be, and learned to be quick and tactical to make the best use of that.
She had eventually kept up with the neighbourhood boys, using holds and precise strikes until her elders found out what she was doing when she was meant to be working on the ranch to help the family scrape by, and quickly put a stop to the shenanigans.
When she moved to the city, she only got better from there.
The tip of her staff thundered against the Balnath’s shield like the striking of a gong, forcing the larger being back as Nika could tell he was already tiring. Though she wanted to finish this fight quickly and get to her friends, she knew she couldn’t allow herself to give her opponent an opening, even as she sought to exploit an opening of her own. She had to be patient.
Her staff rattled against the shield again and again, as she felt her opponent’s defence get weaker and weaker, with the powerful force of her kinetic module focusing the strength of her strikes into a single point. Eventually something would break, his shield of his arm. Once his defences were finally down, she would go in swiftly for the kill.
Her opponent’s frustration won out as his shield shattered and fell to the floor, forcing him to attack Nika with a vicious two handed swipe. She blocked the strike handily, before the Balnath grabbed her staff, locking them in a clinch.
“Giff me sthome help over ‘ere!” The Balnath called out, as Nika reached for a knife, forcing the Balnath to adjust his stance as she stabbed blindly, glancing off armoured plates before finding purchase somewhere, causing her attacker to grunt with pain as he shoved her back, holding her up against a wall.
‘Shit.’ She cursed in her mind. ‘He’s stronger than me, but all I need is a moment to take him by surprise and I can break away and kill him!’
She held strong with her arms, holding the Balnath back as his jaws snapped shut barely an inch away from her neck. He tried again, and she pushed back harder, the jaws snapping shut around nothing, but much closer this time.
He tried again, bringing his vicious maw even closer still…
‘Gotcha!’ Nika thought to herself, as she jerked her head forward in a headbutt, catching the Balnath by surprise and giving the Kizun the space she needed to bring her knees up to her chin, before kicking out as hard as she could into the face of the Balnath, knocking him back with a roar of pain, before he leapt forward with a side swipe that Nika used her tail to quickly dodge, before in the same motion she brought the tip of her staff round and smacked the Balnath as hard as she could, right in the face, the powerful strike shattering its lower jaw completely.
“My fathce!” the attacker got out, clutching what little remained of his lower jaw, before looking up in the next moment as they stared down the barrel of Nika’s shotgun.
“Plea-” They got out, before their head was obliterated in an explosion of dark, blackish blood as their body clattered uselessly to the ground.
“Fuck you.” The Kizun retorted. Using her tail to quickly clip the sword to the magnets of her armour, Nika could see more Regulators in the crowd heading towards the DJ booth. Quickly checking her weapons, she headed right into the brawl!
*****
“You don’t belong here, girlie!” the thug cackled as their cybernetic arm crackled with electric discharge.
“Replacto!” Alora snarled as she swiped her wand out, blasting her attacker with a sudden flash of light that sent him stumbling back, clutching at his eyes.
“Anyone else?” Alora asked, trying her best to channel Nika’s cool, calm demeanour, crossed with Jack’s intimidating presence as the cluster of gangers and mercenaries all looked around at each other for just a moment, before deciding that the Eladrie wasn’t actually that intimidating, as one tried to rush her with a broken chair.
‘Oh by the Mother Tree! How do those two do it?’ Alora cursed in her mind as she summoned her spiritual weapon - a spear of light - that she quickly stabbed at the fish-like Osi, gutting them in the stomach which quickly made them drop the chair, while Alora wisely moved to the side to get out of the vicious melee happening all around her. Where were the others?
‘I have to make sure they’re all right.’ the Eladrie determinedly told herself as she began casting another, more complicated spell…
“Attention all idiots!” The voice over the speakers sneered out over the ever-changing music that the DJ didn’t seem to have any control over. “We discussed this. Though the Outsider is a priority, you target the spellcasters first if you can! Must I do everything myself?”
Thrumming with sudden power, the turrets above them finally opened fire, shooting almost indiscriminately at the crowd below, cutting several of the brawling patrons down before they even knew what hit them.
Chanting and waving her hands around as quickly as she dared, Alora maintained her concentration of her spell, completing it just in time as the turrets finally tracked her as she summoned a great holy aura of light to cover herself that would give her the protection she needed, the Armour of Faith deflecting the lights of the laser turrets harmlessly aside.
A loud bark sounded out, and knowing Dante’s warning for what it was, Alora spun around to see two Regulators, who were both Vulstas fighting through the brawl to get to her. Unlike Rena, these two were males, both carrying plasma shotguns but unable to get effective shots off through the crowd. Not that something like that stopped them from trying…
“Stevarin!” she yelled out, pointing her wand at one of the two who was about to open fire on a downed ganger, as with a flash of yellow light their movements slowed, quickly freezing stiff as a board as they failed to resist the Holding spell, their eyes widening in sheer terror as the gang-mates of their would-be-victim set upon them in a fury with fists and clubs, before a spell cast from the rafters sent all of them clattering to the ground clutching at their minds.
‘One of the enemy mages providing overwatch.’ Alora noted as she quickly looked up for any sign of them, but not seeing them. ‘Under a veil of invisibility no doubt.’
Feeling the dull impact of a shotgun blast dissipate harmlessly against her magical armour, Alora spun round to the other Regulator, cursing her moment of hesitation as the Vulsta drew a long knife with which to get in close with.
Remembering her fight with Izadora all those weeks ago, Alora waved her arms around quickly to summon a bubble of light to engulf her, before quickly following it up with an explosive flash that thundered all around her like a flashbang grenade, while leaving her unharmed.
As the light dissipated, she deftly avoided the blind lunge from the temporarily blinded Regulator, before jamming her spear into his stomach, using her reach advantage to dodge the desperate swipes he sent her way.
“Garrash!” Alora spoke a quick cantrip, using her affinity with life magic to channel poison through the top of her spear. Her already-weakened attacker quickly slumped to the ground as the debilitating effects took hold, but before Alora could pull her spear back, she was hit by a spell that came from above, disrupting her magic and causing her magical spear and armour to disappear.
‘Damn! It’s that mage above me!’ Alora cursed to herself as she quickly ran underneath one of the balconies, as the turrets chased after her with gunfire. ‘You want to hide in the shadows like a coward? I’ve got something to fix that!’
Quickly making sure there weren’t any immediate threats around, Alora quickly rummaged through her pockets for a wand of white crystal she had prepared about a year ago that still had a few charges. Casting quickly, she levelled it towards the ceiling and prayed to all the gods that she was aiming it at where the enemy mage was hiding,
“Glitasha!”
A spray of shining, sparkling particles of light shot out of her wand, puffing out to cover a good half of the ceiling, and as they began to fall to the floor and latch on to the people below, Alora spotted a huddled form by one of the rafters.
‘Got you!’ She thought with satisfaction.
“Ilthax! Get out of there!” The voice over the speakers warned, presumably the name of her target, but it was too late…
“Solaris!” Alora yelled, throwing her palms out in a thrust as a great javelin of light shot out of her palms. The enemy mage had barely moved before it impaled their centre of mass, sending what must have been a fireball spell way off target which blasted apart a huge, gaping hole in the back wall.
The invisible form of the glitterdust-covered mage slowly began to materialise as the blue-furred, ape-like Regulator clutched at their chest in pain, with wide eyes of disbelief at the spear of hard light that had gone right through their torso. As their flight spell dissipated, their lifeless body fell three stories from the rafters to slam down on the ground floor below.
“Nice one Alora!” the Eladrie heard the voice call from behind her as Nika came up next to her, the Kizun bleeding from a cut on her face. “Where are the others?”
“I don’t know. But we need to find them now!” Alora frantically told them as she took in the sheer state of chaos around them. Many broken bodies lay amongst the carnage, and though the Eladrie knew some would likely be still alive at the end of the night, she knew that many would not.
“You don’t need to tell me twice!” Nika agreed with a grim expression.
*****
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Looks like Jack, Nika and Alora are holding on for now! But how long can they keep it up?
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2024.05.11 08:12 jossmilan7412 Revelation 12 The woman, the child and the Dragon
Recently I have seen some people thinking that Mary, Jesus mom, does represent the woman present in Revelation 12, but that’s not the case, it does depict Israel. Is easy to get fooled if you don't know exactly was being told in Revelation 12, but still that’s not the case. Let me tell you why. First, in order to understand the Bible and make an association between one part of it and something else we need the relation bible-bible that is going to help to us to contrast our verses.
In this case Revelation 12 says:
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth
As seen here, there is a sun, his father Israel, the moon, his mother, and 11 stars, which represent all his brothers, while he, Joseph, is the star #12, just like his brothers. So all this Sun, Moon and 12 stars represent Israel. But I know you can still see Mary here, because the bible is talking about a woman that is pregnant and is about to give birth and is easy to think about Mary once again, but slow down a little bit more. If you read (Isaiah 54:1-6, Jeremiah 3:20, Ezequiel 16:8-14, y Hosea 2:19-20) you'll see that Israel is represented as a woman. Then why is Israel and not Mary crying out in pain? How can this be Israel? Well, Revelation talks about the ending times, in this case this crying in pain represents the great tribulation that is going to be present at the ending times. And Israel (the woman) coming from Heaven is going to give birth to Jesus (his second coming) See a little bit further the 144000
So, who is this dragon? Well this dragon is Satan himself, some say that he is going to lead the Roman Empire of this era (The European Union) The 7 heads are 7 hills or countries/territories and also 7 kings, 5 have fallen, one is and the other one has not yet come, the 7 horns are 7 kings that haven’t received a kingdom yet, but they will, as seen in Revelation 17:7-12. But why is this Satan? Easy, the verse 9 let us know that: 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Now who are these 1/3 of the stars. Once again, easy, the verse 7 let us know that, these are Satan’s angels, the ones who rebelled against God. Regarding this, remember Satan being called the Morning Star in Isaiah 14:12.
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Here, before Jesus mentioned this part, he pointed out all the signals of the end times and then you can see his sign appearing in heaven, the same mentioned in Revelation 12; but also you can see the final part "this generation will certainly not pass until all this things have happened" Which is this generation? People from Israel who do not believe him and not recognize Jesus as their King. Regarding this, you can see in the Old Testament in the book of 1 Kings (chapters 14 from 1 Kings until 2 Kings 23) a lot of "generations"; a "generation" that followed God and right after another "generation" that worshipped false gods, another "generation" following God and another one worshipping statues, until they lose the war against Babylon in 2 Kings 24. The current “generation” that “is not going to past until the end times” is the people from Israel that we have in this present day (and since Jesus came and will be until the end times) that does not believe in Jesus as the son of God.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
As we can see in this part this child is Jesus, who is going to “rule all the nations with an iron scepter” as seen in Psalms 2:7-9: I will proclaim the LORD’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery and also in Revelation 19:15: 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He is taken by God and the woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God.
Let’s see Revelation 7:4-8
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000
Revelation 14
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless
As seen here, once Jesus comes back he is going to do so with 144000 virgins of Israel (just like Mary). Satan or the Dragon is trying to kill him right after he comes back with a third of the stars of the sky (1/3 of the angels in Heaven, in this case, the fallen ones who followed Satan is his rebellion against God). And the woman (144000) goes to a selected place in which God is going to guard his people for 3.5 years (42 months or 1260 days). The Angel Michael and the remaining 2/3 stars in Heaven (God’s Angels) fight and defeat Satan and his angels, who are send to earth and the final part of the end times starts.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.*
Let’s separate this a little bit, in verses 10-12 the loud voice is celebrating that Satan has no more business with heaven, as he can’t keep accusing people before our God – Regarding this you can see Zechariah 3:1-2 - (1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan[a] standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”), but warns the people on earth as he is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short. Verses 13 and 14 are a continuation of verse 6: “The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days”. In verse 14 the woman is given two wings of a great eagle (this is not United States btw) which represents God’s protection, a similar part is mentioned in Exodus 19:4: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. After he liberate Israel from Egypt. He keep them in the wilderness for 1 time=1 year, times=2 years and half a time=0.5 years (1+2+0.5=3.5 years, 42 months or 1260 days). In verse 15, Satan, now on earth, spewed water like a river, what does this river represents? Thanks to Revelation 17:15 we can see that the water represents a lot of people: 15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” But this people couldn’t reach this 144000 because (now in verse 16) God is going to send an earthquake that is going to kill that people, as seen in Revelation 11:13 after Elijah and Moses, the two witnesses, died: 13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. This is the earth opening his mouth and swallowing the water. And finally, we can see in verse 17 that Satan leave Israel alone and goes after the rest of the world in order to start the great tribulation, by setting himself as God and putting the abomination of desolation in place that people is going to be forced to worship or Satan is going to kill them, in this same period is he going to put the mark of the beast on the people or they are not going to able to buy things as seen in Revelation 13:14-18: “Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
Finally, why the witnesses are Moses and Elijah?
In Revelation 11:6 we can see that ”6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying (just like Elijah did in 1 Kings 17:1); and they have power to turn the waters into blood (just like Moses did in Exodus 14:25) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want (just like Moses did in Exodus chapters 7-11). They were the only ones who could divide the waters, Moses in Exodus 14:23-31 and Elijah in 2 Kings 2:8 (Elisha did the same in 2 Kings 2:14, but it was because he “inherit a double portion” of Elijah’s spirit, also, the waters of the Jordan River were separated before the ark of the Lord in Joshua 3:1-17) Also, both, Moses (Exodus 34:28) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) were the only ones who fasted for 40 days, just like Jesus did in Matthew 4:2-4. They also appeared with Jesus in Matthew 17:1-8 when Jesus transfigured before Peter, James, John and the brother of James. And most importantly Jesus announced that Elijah will come once again and will restore all the things in Matthew 17:10-11 and we also know that Michael fought against the devil in order to retrieve Moses body in Jude 1:9.
As seen here, Elijah and Moses are going to come back to this world, as seen in Revelation 11, just before the second coming of Christ, as they are going to be the 2 witnesses necessaries to put to death Satan and his followers, as seen in Deuteronomy 17:6-7
6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.
Also, if you remember, in Genesis 19, which contains the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, 2 angels were sent to see what was happening in the cities, as they were the 2 witnesses that were needed to put the city and its people to death. In this story, Abraham asked to God for mercy for the cities and asked him what he would do if he found 10 righteous people in there and God (Jesus) said that for the sake of ten he would not destroy it, as seen in Genesis 18:20-33
20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
When the 2 angels went to the city they only found 4 righteous people: Lot, his wife and his 2 daughters, and once the angels help them to get out of the city (Lot’s wife was converted in a statue of salt for turning back and seeing what happened to the city, for not abandoning its sinful ways), fire came from heaven and the 2 cities, Sodom and Gomorrah and its people were "put to death". A similar situation can be found in Revelation 19:4-8 with the destruction of Babylon the great (USA, the Catholic Church and the deity of Mary -not the person who gave birth to Jesus, but the deity that was created after her, without her consent-). In the ending times, this city who was used for everyone to become rich, the city who killed many prophets and the great prostitute after who all the kings of the earth committed adultery is going to be destroyed by fire coming from heaven, but first, all the righteous were called to get out of the city, just like Lot, (his wife) and his daughters did in Genesis 19.
Revelation 19:4-8
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’ 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Related to all this, Jesus said in the New Testament, in John 8:54-59
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
This day, which is a day that happened and is going to happen again (as seen in Revelation 18-19) can be seen in Genesis 19:27-29, just after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
As seen here, the one who talked with Abraham in Genesis 18 is Jesus (God) and he showed him his day, the day that happened and is going to happen again, because if you pay attention and you take Genesis from the end to the beginning (chapters 50 to 1) and Revelation from the beginning to the end (chapters 1 to 22) they match perfectly.
In Genesis the world starts with God creating the earth and heaven and the man free of sin, humans become wicked and God destroyed the whole world with the flood (Genesis 7 and 8), the city of Babel (after which comes, Babylon –which conquered Israel in the times of the prophet Daniel- and Babylon the great, which is a city, a religious system –the catholic church- and a deity, in this case Mary) was created, in this days the world only talked one language and they were building a "tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and the world" and the world suffered famines, earthquakes, (as the world was divided after the flood, as seen in 1 Chronicles 1:19 which ties Genesis 11:16, which happened after the flood and the confusion of languages in Babel) and wars and in the book of Revelation the world is going to suffer famines, earthquakes and wars (Matthew 24:7), there is going to be a nation that is going to make the whole world rich, that is going to be the mother of all abominations (Revelation 17:5), just like USA (biggest producer of porn, drugs are legal now, abortions are legal now, guns are everywhere, all TV shows feature as many blasphemies as possible, allow procedures that "change" the sex of kids, the whole country is build around money and we cannot follow God and money at the same time, as we are going to value one more than the other -Matthew 6:24-) that is going to kill many saints (just like the catholic church has been doing –and will do- across the story) that sits over 7 mountains (Revelation 17:9) just like Rome, city in which is located the Vatican, she "was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries" (Revelation 17:4) just like the deity of Mary is portrayed in many paintings and statues about her, she is also described as a great prostitute, just like the deity of Mary, because when Israel was following other gods, they were, according to God, prostituting themselves with these gods (an example of this can been in Judges 2:16-19.
16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
Something similar can be seen in the book of Hosea, when God said to Hosea to go and marry a promiscuous woman and to have kids with her and to even love her when she commit adultery against Hosea, just like God was going to do with Israel even after they turn to other gods, as seen in Hosea 3:1-3) and is a city that is going to rule over the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:18), just like USA does now and how Babylon did when they conquered Israel when the Israelites forgot about God and the Israelites were sent to exile. This kingdom of Babylon was this big that when Daniel interpreted a dream of his king Nebuchadnezzar he said in Daniel 2:37-38
37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
USA is the country of the skyscrapers (just like the tower of Babel, which was trying to reach the heavens) they have a language that is the universal language, English, and once that every one talk it, they are going to follow the steps of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Babylon the Great is going to die, as fire coming from heaven is going to destroy it, as seen in Revelation 18:8 (just like it happened in Genesis 19 in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah).
Later, Jesus is going to come back and is going to execute judgment over the world and all the wicked ones are going to die, as seen in Revelation 19:11-21 (just like it happened in Genesis 7 and 8 during the flood) and finally, the world is going to be reunited with God, all the saints, free of sin, after accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our LORD are going to take possession of the world, and all of us, the saved, are going to be reunited with the LORD once again for 1000 years, as seen in Revelation 20:1-6 and in Genesis 2:7-25 when God rested in the 7 day:
2 Peter 3:8
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
After that, Satan is going to be freed from his prison and is going to fool the nations, as seen in Revelation 20:7-10 when Satan was freed and in Genesis 3 when Satan tempted Eve to sin against God and finally, the whole heaven and earth are going to disappear, as seen in Revelation 20:11, and a new heaven and earth are going to be created, as seen in Revelation 21:1 and in Genesis 1:1 when God created the heavens and earth.
What do you think?
submitted by jossmilan7412 to Christians [link] [comments]
In this case Revelation 12 says:
A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head
In this section we can see that this woman is clothed with the sun, the moon and 12 stars, just as Mary is depicted in most pictures, figures, paintings, etc. Which can fool anyone, but don't be deceived by Satan, because he is playing with these paintings to fool the people, why? Well, as i told you before in order to understand the Bible we need the Bible itself, in this case, where is another reference to the sun, the moon and 12 stars in the Bible? In Genesis 37:5-11 we see:Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers they hated him even more. 6 He said to them, “Hear this dream that I have dreamed: 7 Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf.” 8 His brothers said to him, “Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us?” So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. 9 Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, “Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” 10 But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, “What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you?” 11 And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the saying in mind.
2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth
As seen here, there is a sun, his father Israel, the moon, his mother, and 11 stars, which represent all his brothers, while he, Joseph, is the star #12, just like his brothers. So all this Sun, Moon and 12 stars represent Israel. But I know you can still see Mary here, because the bible is talking about a woman that is pregnant and is about to give birth and is easy to think about Mary once again, but slow down a little bit more. If you read (Isaiah 54:1-6, Jeremiah 3:20, Ezequiel 16:8-14, y Hosea 2:19-20) you'll see that Israel is represented as a woman. Then why is Israel and not Mary crying out in pain? How can this be Israel? Well, Revelation talks about the ending times, in this case this crying in pain represents the great tribulation that is going to be present at the ending times. And Israel (the woman) coming from Heaven is going to give birth to Jesus (his second coming) See a little bit further the 144000
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.
Now, here comes the fun and the trickiest part that can eat you alive if you don't pay attention. Revelation 12:3-4 lets us know that this moment is also tied with the birth of Jesus, as seen in the gospels. It is describing all the demons that were present when Jesus started his ministry in this world (as seen in Matthew 8:28-34 and Mark 5:1-17), but weren't present anywhere else in the bible, as just when Jesus came to this world demons manisfested in this way (aside from Genesis 6:1-8). If we continue with the gospels then we can say that this dragon was Herod (who represented the Roman Empire) who tried to kill Jesus as soon as he was born by killing every single kid who was two years and under in Israel, as seen in Matthew 2:13-16; and this part also explains the first part of verse 4 “Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.”So, who is this dragon? Well this dragon is Satan himself, some say that he is going to lead the Roman Empire of this era (The European Union) The 7 heads are 7 hills or countries/territories and also 7 kings, 5 have fallen, one is and the other one has not yet come, the 7 horns are 7 kings that haven’t received a kingdom yet, but they will, as seen in Revelation 17:7-12. But why is this Satan? Easy, the verse 9 let us know that: 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. Now who are these 1/3 of the stars. Once again, easy, the verse 7 let us know that, these are Satan’s angels, the ones who rebelled against God. Regarding this, remember Satan being called the Morning Star in Isaiah 14:12.
The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born
What does this mean? As we know, people from Israel killed Jesus back in the day and even today they do not believe that he is the son of God, and therefore his King. So, in this same vein this son being born is not Jesus being born once again as a Baby, is the 2nd coming of Jesus. Is Jesus being recognized as the son of God, as their King and savoir. Israel (144000) is the one “giving birth” to him. Where we can see this? In Revelation 14:1: Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. Revelation 14:4-5 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless. And also in Matthew 24:30-35.30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. 32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Here, before Jesus mentioned this part, he pointed out all the signals of the end times and then you can see his sign appearing in heaven, the same mentioned in Revelation 12; but also you can see the final part "this generation will certainly not pass until all this things have happened" Which is this generation? People from Israel who do not believe him and not recognize Jesus as their King. Regarding this, you can see in the Old Testament in the book of 1 Kings (chapters 14 from 1 Kings until 2 Kings 23) a lot of "generations"; a "generation" that followed God and right after another "generation" that worshipped false gods, another "generation" following God and another one worshipping statues, until they lose the war against Babylon in 2 Kings 24. The current “generation” that “is not going to past until the end times” is the people from Israel that we have in this present day (and since Jesus came and will be until the end times) that does not believe in Jesus as the son of God.
5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.
As we can see in this part this child is Jesus, who is going to “rule all the nations with an iron scepter” as seen in Psalms 2:7-9: I will proclaim the LORD’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. 8 Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. 9 You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery and also in Revelation 19:15: 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. He is taken by God and the woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God.
Now, the most polemic part of this, why this 144.000 do represent Israel giving birth to Jesus?
6 “The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.Let’s see Revelation 7:4-8
Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, 6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, 7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, 8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000
Revelation 14
Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they remained virgins. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among mankind and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless
As seen here, once Jesus comes back he is going to do so with 144000 virgins of Israel (just like Mary). Satan or the Dragon is trying to kill him right after he comes back with a third of the stars of the sky (1/3 of the angels in Heaven, in this case, the fallen ones who followed Satan is his rebellion against God). And the woman (144000) goes to a selected place in which God is going to guard his people for 3.5 years (42 months or 1260 days). The Angel Michael and the remaining 2/3 stars in Heaven (God’s Angels) fight and defeat Satan and his angels, who are send to earth and the final part of the end times starts.
10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.*
Let’s separate this a little bit, in verses 10-12 the loud voice is celebrating that Satan has no more business with heaven, as he can’t keep accusing people before our God – Regarding this you can see Zechariah 3:1-2 - (1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan[a] standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”), but warns the people on earth as he is filled with fury, because he knows his time is short. Verses 13 and 14 are a continuation of verse 6: “The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days”. In verse 14 the woman is given two wings of a great eagle (this is not United States btw) which represents God’s protection, a similar part is mentioned in Exodus 19:4: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. After he liberate Israel from Egypt. He keep them in the wilderness for 1 time=1 year, times=2 years and half a time=0.5 years (1+2+0.5=3.5 years, 42 months or 1260 days). In verse 15, Satan, now on earth, spewed water like a river, what does this river represents? Thanks to Revelation 17:15 we can see that the water represents a lot of people: 15 Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.” But this people couldn’t reach this 144000 because (now in verse 16) God is going to send an earthquake that is going to kill that people, as seen in Revelation 11:13 after Elijah and Moses, the two witnesses, died: 13 At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. This is the earth opening his mouth and swallowing the water. And finally, we can see in verse 17 that Satan leave Israel alone and goes after the rest of the world in order to start the great tribulation, by setting himself as God and putting the abomination of desolation in place that people is going to be forced to worship or Satan is going to kill them, in this same period is he going to put the mark of the beast on the people or they are not going to able to buy things as seen in Revelation 13:14-18: “Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, 17 so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.
Finally, why the witnesses are Moses and Elijah?
In Revelation 11:6 we can see that ”6 They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying (just like Elijah did in 1 Kings 17:1); and they have power to turn the waters into blood (just like Moses did in Exodus 14:25) and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want (just like Moses did in Exodus chapters 7-11). They were the only ones who could divide the waters, Moses in Exodus 14:23-31 and Elijah in 2 Kings 2:8 (Elisha did the same in 2 Kings 2:14, but it was because he “inherit a double portion” of Elijah’s spirit, also, the waters of the Jordan River were separated before the ark of the Lord in Joshua 3:1-17) Also, both, Moses (Exodus 34:28) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:8) were the only ones who fasted for 40 days, just like Jesus did in Matthew 4:2-4. They also appeared with Jesus in Matthew 17:1-8 when Jesus transfigured before Peter, James, John and the brother of James. And most importantly Jesus announced that Elijah will come once again and will restore all the things in Matthew 17:10-11 and we also know that Michael fought against the devil in order to retrieve Moses body in Jude 1:9.
As seen here, Elijah and Moses are going to come back to this world, as seen in Revelation 11, just before the second coming of Christ, as they are going to be the 2 witnesses necessaries to put to death Satan and his followers, as seen in Deuteronomy 17:6-7
6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. 7 The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting that person to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you.
Also, if you remember, in Genesis 19, which contains the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, 2 angels were sent to see what was happening in the cities, as they were the 2 witnesses that were needed to put the city and its people to death. In this story, Abraham asked to God for mercy for the cities and asked him what he would do if he found 10 righteous people in there and God (Jesus) said that for the sake of ten he would not destroy it, as seen in Genesis 18:20-33
20 Then the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.”
22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord. 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
26 The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”
27 Then Abraham spoke up again: “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five people?”
“If I find forty-five there,” he said, “I will not destroy it.”
29 Once again he spoke to him, “What if only forty are found there?”
He said, “For the sake of forty, I will not do it.”
30 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?”
He answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”
31 Abraham said, “Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?”
He said, “For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it.”
32 Then he said, “May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?”
He answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.”
33 When the Lord had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
When the 2 angels went to the city they only found 4 righteous people: Lot, his wife and his 2 daughters, and once the angels help them to get out of the city (Lot’s wife was converted in a statue of salt for turning back and seeing what happened to the city, for not abandoning its sinful ways), fire came from heaven and the 2 cities, Sodom and Gomorrah and its people were "put to death". A similar situation can be found in Revelation 19:4-8 with the destruction of Babylon the great (USA, the Catholic Church and the deity of Mary -not the person who gave birth to Jesus, but the deity that was created after her, without her consent-). In the ending times, this city who was used for everyone to become rich, the city who killed many prophets and the great prostitute after who all the kings of the earth committed adultery is going to be destroyed by fire coming from heaven, but first, all the righteous were called to get out of the city, just like Lot, (his wife) and his daughters did in Genesis 19.
Revelation 19:4-8
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven say:
“‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; 5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. 6 Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. 7 Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’ 8 Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.
Related to all this, Jesus said in the New Testament, in John 8:54-59
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” 59 At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.
This day, which is a day that happened and is going to happen again (as seen in Revelation 18-19) can be seen in Genesis 19:27-29, just after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
27 Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace.
29 So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.
As seen here, the one who talked with Abraham in Genesis 18 is Jesus (God) and he showed him his day, the day that happened and is going to happen again, because if you pay attention and you take Genesis from the end to the beginning (chapters 50 to 1) and Revelation from the beginning to the end (chapters 1 to 22) they match perfectly.
In Genesis the world starts with God creating the earth and heaven and the man free of sin, humans become wicked and God destroyed the whole world with the flood (Genesis 7 and 8), the city of Babel (after which comes, Babylon –which conquered Israel in the times of the prophet Daniel- and Babylon the great, which is a city, a religious system –the catholic church- and a deity, in this case Mary) was created, in this days the world only talked one language and they were building a "tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and the world" and the world suffered famines, earthquakes, (as the world was divided after the flood, as seen in 1 Chronicles 1:19 which ties Genesis 11:16, which happened after the flood and the confusion of languages in Babel) and wars and in the book of Revelation the world is going to suffer famines, earthquakes and wars (Matthew 24:7), there is going to be a nation that is going to make the whole world rich, that is going to be the mother of all abominations (Revelation 17:5), just like USA (biggest producer of porn, drugs are legal now, abortions are legal now, guns are everywhere, all TV shows feature as many blasphemies as possible, allow procedures that "change" the sex of kids, the whole country is build around money and we cannot follow God and money at the same time, as we are going to value one more than the other -Matthew 6:24-) that is going to kill many saints (just like the catholic church has been doing –and will do- across the story) that sits over 7 mountains (Revelation 17:9) just like Rome, city in which is located the Vatican, she "was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries" (Revelation 17:4) just like the deity of Mary is portrayed in many paintings and statues about her, she is also described as a great prostitute, just like the deity of Mary, because when Israel was following other gods, they were, according to God, prostituting themselves with these gods (an example of this can been in Judges 2:16-19.
16 Then the Lord raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. 17 Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands. 18 Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented because of their groaning under those who oppressed and afflicted them. 19 But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their ancestors, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.
Something similar can be seen in the book of Hosea, when God said to Hosea to go and marry a promiscuous woman and to have kids with her and to even love her when she commit adultery against Hosea, just like God was going to do with Israel even after they turn to other gods, as seen in Hosea 3:1-3) and is a city that is going to rule over the kings of the earth (Revelation 17:18), just like USA does now and how Babylon did when they conquered Israel when the Israelites forgot about God and the Israelites were sent to exile. This kingdom of Babylon was this big that when Daniel interpreted a dream of his king Nebuchadnezzar he said in Daniel 2:37-38
37 Your Majesty, you are the king of kings. The God of heaven has given you dominion and power and might and glory; 38 in your hands he has placed all mankind and the beasts of the field and the birds in the sky. Wherever they live, he has made you ruler over them all. You are that head of gold.
USA is the country of the skyscrapers (just like the tower of Babel, which was trying to reach the heavens) they have a language that is the universal language, English, and once that every one talk it, they are going to follow the steps of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9). Babylon the Great is going to die, as fire coming from heaven is going to destroy it, as seen in Revelation 18:8 (just like it happened in Genesis 19 in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah).
Later, Jesus is going to come back and is going to execute judgment over the world and all the wicked ones are going to die, as seen in Revelation 19:11-21 (just like it happened in Genesis 7 and 8 during the flood) and finally, the world is going to be reunited with God, all the saints, free of sin, after accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our LORD are going to take possession of the world, and all of us, the saved, are going to be reunited with the LORD once again for 1000 years, as seen in Revelation 20:1-6 and in Genesis 2:7-25 when God rested in the 7 day:
2 Peter 3:8
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
After that, Satan is going to be freed from his prison and is going to fool the nations, as seen in Revelation 20:7-10 when Satan was freed and in Genesis 3 when Satan tempted Eve to sin against God and finally, the whole heaven and earth are going to disappear, as seen in Revelation 20:11, and a new heaven and earth are going to be created, as seen in Revelation 21:1 and in Genesis 1:1 when God created the heavens and earth.
What do you think?
2024.05.09 18:40 These-Ad-3333 Whats up with these prices on the marketplace
 | submitted by These-Ad-3333 to Rainbow6 [link] [comments] |
2024.05.06 22:41 DiscoverDurham Things to do in Durham this week!
If you’d like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great week!
See the full weekly calendar on our website.
Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6 p.m.
Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug in RTP
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
Singles Night at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
8 p.m.
Blondshell at Motorco Music Hall (sold out)
All Black Masquerade Party at Rubies on Five Points
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
12 p.m.
Native Plant Solutions: Clay Soils (Online) at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
5:45 p.m.
Community Fitness Classes with YMCA at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Queer Bachata at Arcana
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:30 p.m.
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
Live Piano Karaoke at Congress Social Bar
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
TBS 1st Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Sip & Strum Ukulele Class at Bull City Solera and Taproom
8 p.m.
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets at Motorco Music Hall
Tommy Emmanuel, CGP at The Carolina Theatre
Open Stage at The Pinhook
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
4 p.m.
Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
5:30 p.m.
Wined Down Wednesday: Alcohol Ink Coasters at Guglhupf
6 p.m.
Figure Drawing and Tarot with Devon at Arcana
Witches Brew at Fullsteam Brewery
6:30 p.m.
Eric Hirsh Solo Piano at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Trivia Night with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Universus TCG: Local Championship at Atomic Empire
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Stand-Up with Rhizome Comedy at The Durham Hotel
8 p.m.
Air Hockey Tournament at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery
Pachyman / Combo Chimbita at Motorco Music Hall
Cindy Lee / Freak Heat Waves at The Pinhook (sold out)
Taking Back Thursday: Mysti Mayhem at Boxyard RTP
1 p.m.
Meet the Keepers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
5:30 p.m.
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Keegan Heron and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
Colorful Flower Arranging Class at DSSOLVR
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Candlelight: A Tribute to Whitney Houston at Hayti Heritage Center
Summer Jazz Jam (Curated by Al Strong) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Jazz Jam Sessions at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
The DPAC Rising Star Awards at DPAC
Katie Basden with Emily Musolino at The Blue Note Grill
Praying in Bronze: A Handbell Concert at Trinity United Methodist Church
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Ben Beal w/ Delivery Boys at The Pinhook
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern
Forest Bathing Walk at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
10 a.m.
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
12 p.m.
Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
5:30 p.m.
Friday Night Live: Bull Dirtys at Boxyard RTP
Kids Night Out at Museum of Life and Science
6 p.m.
DJ Marrs and Tarot with Joy at Arcana
Friday Night Makes at Durham Arts Council
The Duke Street Dogs at The Blue Note Grill
Cocktails & Cheeseperience Design at The Blue Ridge Room inside Frontier RTP
6:30 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
SUB: Terranean at The Fruit
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Magic: Standard Showdown at Atomic Empire
Live Vinyl Spinning by PhDJ at Beer Study Durham
Freedom Friday w/ DJ Mayor at Congress Social Bar
7:30 p.m.
Film Screening: Shorts Night at Shadowbox Studio
Jake Hart & John Hart Trio at Sharp 9 Gallery
Leonid & Friends – A Tribute to the Music of Chicago at The Carolina Theatre
8 p.m.
KEM at DPAC
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham
9 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Mk.Gee at Motorco Music Hall (sold out)
¡Tumbao! / Cinematheque / Ancestor Piratas at The Pinhook
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
9:30 a.m.
Guide Supported Canoeing, Kayaking, and Standup Paddleboarding at Eno River
10 a.m.
Dig into Compost at Museum of Life and Science
Roots and Soul: Walking with Pauli Murray at Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice
10:30 a.m.
Mother's Day Brunch at The Durham Hotel
12 p.m.
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
Sylvan Esso 10 year Anniversary Release at Psychic Hotline Pop-up
1 p.m.
Documentary Screening: Puerto Rican Hibiscus at The Fruit
2 p.m.
Mother Daughter Self Defense seminar Women Empowered at Gracie Durham
6 p.m.
Trio Factual Jazz and Tarot with Kathleen at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Weymouth / North By North / Plastic Giants at The Pinhook
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
ADF Showings at Scripps: Tony C. Johnson at ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios
Prints-4-Prince Art Show at PS37
Dexter Moses Trio with Lillian Park at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Ghost Town Blues Band at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
The Decemberists at DPAC
8:15 p.m.
Let's Chat About the Stars Paddle at Falls Lake Durham
9 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Women's Kayaking 101 at Falls Lake
10 a.m.
Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
10:30 a.m.
Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six
Yoga on Tap at Fullsteam Brewery
Mother's Day Brunch at The Durham Hotel
11:30 a.m.
Pokémon TCG: Twilight Masquerade Prerelease Tournament at Atomic Empire
12 p.m.
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
1:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
2 p.m.
Hammered Trivia with Casey at Durty Bull Brewing Company
Hillandale Golf Beginner Clinic at Hillandale Golf Course
Feel Good, Do Good: FREE Circl Mobility Group Exercise Class at Jewish for Good
Mother's Day Flower Arranging Class at Weldon Mills Distillery
3 p.m.
Lore, Yore, and the In Between at The Carolina Theatre
6 p.m.
DJ Parkside and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
7:30 p.m.
Somesurprises at The Pinhook
8:30 p.m.
Cloud Nothings at Motorco Music Hall
submitted by DiscoverDurham to bullcity [link] [comments]
See the full weekly calendar on our website.
Noteworthy Events
Beats N Bars Festival 2024 at American Tobacco Campus- Get ready to vibe to the scene of hip hop culture and enjoy food while mingling with fellow music lovers. Don't miss out on this epic event that promises to be a music festival & conference to remember.
- Fri, May 10 at 6 p.m.
- Sat, May 11 at 12 p.m.
- $150 for both days
- The Duke community is excited to celebrate the Class of 2024 with a commencement ceremony held in Wallace Wade on Sun, May 12 2024.
- Comedian Jerry Seinfeld will be the commencement speaker.
- Fri, May 10 - Sun, May 12
- Tue, May 7 - Sun, May 12
- $10+
- Drop your little ones off for a kids-only evening of hands-on fun. They’ll eat pizza, play games, explore exhibits, and work together on science experiments.
- Fri, May 10
- 5:30-8:30 p.m.
- $40+
- Internationally renowned R&B singesongwriter KEM brings his tour to DPAC. Capable of connecting romantic joy with spiritual renewal, KEM has a unique place in musical culture. Five albums and three million sales later, he has established himself as a prominent voice articulating critical matters of the heart and soul.
- Fri, May 10
- 8 p.m.
- $59.50+
Multi-Day Events
ACC Softball Tournament at Duke Softball Stadium- Wed, May 8 - Sat, May 11
- All Day
- Celebrate Mother’s Day this year in the most relaxing way possible: by enjoying drinks and throwing axes! Your booking includes 1 drink per-person and 1-on-1 coaching to get everyone throwing safety and comfortably.
- Fri, May 10 - Sun, May 12
- To toast the grads, the Restaurant will feature special dinner and brunch menus during Graduation Weekend. Enjoy a three-course prix fixed dinner.
- Fri, May 10 - Sun, May 12
- $45+
- Enjoy a look inside the historic McCown-Mangum House, Photography Museum, and Mill.
- Sat, May 11 and Sun, May 12
- 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Free admission
- This mouthwatering event promises to tantalize taste buds while supporting a meaningful cause, with all proceeds benefiting Jewish for Good's Food Pantry.
- Mon, May 6 - Sun, May 12
- $5+
Monday, May 6
5 p.m.Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6 p.m.
Disc Golf Putting League at The Glass Jug in RTP
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
Singles Night at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
8 p.m.
Blondshell at Motorco Music Hall (sold out)
All Black Masquerade Party at Rubies on Five Points
Tuesday, May 7
Events at Boxyard RTP- 5:30-6:30 p.m. - Boxyard Run Club
- 6-8 p.m. - Trivia Night
- 12-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
- 7-9 p.m. - Bull City Beer Runners Run Club
- 6 p.m. - Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar
- 8 p.m. - Night! Night!
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
12 p.m.
Native Plant Solutions: Clay Soils (Online) at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
5:45 p.m.
Community Fitness Classes with YMCA at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Queer Bachata at Arcana
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:30 p.m.
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
Live Piano Karaoke at Congress Social Bar
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
TBS 1st Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Sip & Strum Ukulele Class at Bull City Solera and Taproom
8 p.m.
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
Psychedelic Porn Crumpets at Motorco Music Hall
Tommy Emmanuel, CGP at The Carolina Theatre
Open Stage at The Pinhook
Wednesday, May 8
Events at Boxyard RTP- 12-2 p.m. - Hear & There: Daniel Delorenzo
- 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Game Night
- 7-8 p.m. - Signature Wine Tasting
- 7-8:30 p.m. - Laughs Comedy Night
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
4 p.m.
Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
5:30 p.m.
Wined Down Wednesday: Alcohol Ink Coasters at Guglhupf
6 p.m.
Figure Drawing and Tarot with Devon at Arcana
Witches Brew at Fullsteam Brewery
6:30 p.m.
Eric Hirsh Solo Piano at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Trivia Night with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Universus TCG: Local Championship at Atomic Empire
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Stand-Up with Rhizome Comedy at The Durham Hotel
8 p.m.
Air Hockey Tournament at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery
Pachyman / Combo Chimbita at Motorco Music Hall
Cindy Lee / Freak Heat Waves at The Pinhook (sold out)
Thursday, May 9
Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company- 12-8 p.m. -Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
- 7-9 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick
Taking Back Thursday: Mysti Mayhem at Boxyard RTP
1 p.m.
Meet the Keepers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
5:30 p.m.
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Keegan Heron and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
Colorful Flower Arranging Class at DSSOLVR
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Candlelight: A Tribute to Whitney Houston at Hayti Heritage Center
Summer Jazz Jam (Curated by Al Strong) at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Jazz Jam Sessions at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
The DPAC Rising Star Awards at DPAC
Katie Basden with Emily Musolino at The Blue Note Grill
Praying in Bronze: A Handbell Concert at Trinity United Methodist Church
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Ben Beal w/ Delivery Boys at The Pinhook
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern
Friday, May 10
Events at Durty Bull Brewing Company- 5-9 p.m. - Food Truck: Tacos Paraiso #1
- 8-11 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy
- 9-10 p.m. - Well Seasoned
- 9-10 p.m. - Hush Hush
- 7:30 p.m. - Blues Lesson + Dance
- 8 p.m. - 19 Miles From Davis
- 5-8 p.m. - Food Truck Friday
- 6-8 p.m. - Mel Melton & the Wicked Wojos
Forest Bathing Walk at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
10 a.m.
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
12 p.m.
Co-Working Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
5:30 p.m.
Friday Night Live: Bull Dirtys at Boxyard RTP
Kids Night Out at Museum of Life and Science
6 p.m.
DJ Marrs and Tarot with Joy at Arcana
Friday Night Makes at Durham Arts Council
The Duke Street Dogs at The Blue Note Grill
Cocktails & Cheeseperience Design at The Blue Ridge Room inside Frontier RTP
6:30 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
SUB: Terranean at The Fruit
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Magic: Standard Showdown at Atomic Empire
Live Vinyl Spinning by PhDJ at Beer Study Durham
Freedom Friday w/ DJ Mayor at Congress Social Bar
7:30 p.m.
Film Screening: Shorts Night at Shadowbox Studio
Jake Hart & John Hart Trio at Sharp 9 Gallery
Leonid & Friends – A Tribute to the Music of Chicago at The Carolina Theatre
8 p.m.
KEM at DPAC
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham
9 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Mk.Gee at Motorco Music Hall (sold out)
¡Tumbao! / Cinematheque / Ancestor Piratas at The Pinhook
Saturday, May 11
Events at Atomic Empire- 11 a.m. - Magic: Store Championship
- 11:30 a.m. - Pokémon TCG: Twilight Masquerade Prerelease Tournament
- 11:30 a.m. - Marvel: Crisis Protocol
- 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. - Bark & Bond Social: National Dog Mom Day Festival
- 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Saturdaze: DJ k.ward
- 12-7 p.m. - Gold Clover Company: Mother’s Day Blooms
- 4-5 p.m. - SoapBox: Improv
- 2-9 p.m. - Food Truck: Copperhead's Burgers
- 4-6 p.m. - Live Music: Taxicab Preachers
- 7-10 p.m. - Beer Pong Tournament
- Every Saturday, 10-10:30 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.
- 8-9 p.m. - Golden Age
- 9-10:30 p.m. - Secret Society Showcase
- 3-5 p.m. - Irish Music Jam
- 8-11 p.m. - A Metal Show: GLASS, Hemlock Theory, Hermaeus Mora
- 7 p.m. - Adulting: An Early Dance Party
- 10 p.m. - Shallow Cuts Presents: Pinque Saturday
- 11 a.m. - Bailes Afro Latinos
- 7 p.m. - Joe Bob Briggs Indoor Drive-In Geek-Out
- 2 p.m. - Downtown Durham Walking Tour
- 4 p.m. - Durham African American History Tour
- 6 p.m. - Downtown Durham True Crime Tour
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
9:30 a.m.
Guide Supported Canoeing, Kayaking, and Standup Paddleboarding at Eno River
10 a.m.
Dig into Compost at Museum of Life and Science
Roots and Soul: Walking with Pauli Murray at Pauli Murray Center for History and Social Justice
10:30 a.m.
Mother's Day Brunch at The Durham Hotel
12 p.m.
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
Sylvan Esso 10 year Anniversary Release at Psychic Hotline Pop-up
1 p.m.
Documentary Screening: Puerto Rican Hibiscus at The Fruit
2 p.m.
Mother Daughter Self Defense seminar Women Empowered at Gracie Durham
6 p.m.
Trio Factual Jazz and Tarot with Kathleen at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Weymouth / North By North / Plastic Giants at The Pinhook
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
ADF Showings at Scripps: Tony C. Johnson at ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios
Prints-4-Prince Art Show at PS37
Dexter Moses Trio with Lillian Park at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Ghost Town Blues Band at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
The Decemberists at DPAC
8:15 p.m.
Let's Chat About the Stars Paddle at Falls Lake Durham
9 p.m.
Keyon Harrold Presents "Foreverland" Presented by WUNC Music at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Sunday, May 12
9:30 a.m.Women's Kayaking 101 at Falls Lake
10 a.m.
Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
10:30 a.m.
Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch at Alley Twenty Six
Yoga on Tap at Fullsteam Brewery
Mother's Day Brunch at The Durham Hotel
11:30 a.m.
Pokémon TCG: Twilight Masquerade Prerelease Tournament at Atomic Empire
12 p.m.
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
1:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Nashville at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
2 p.m.
Hammered Trivia with Casey at Durty Bull Brewing Company
Hillandale Golf Beginner Clinic at Hillandale Golf Course
Feel Good, Do Good: FREE Circl Mobility Group Exercise Class at Jewish for Good
Mother's Day Flower Arranging Class at Weldon Mills Distillery
3 p.m.
Lore, Yore, and the In Between at The Carolina Theatre
6 p.m.
DJ Parkside and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
7:30 p.m.
Somesurprises at The Pinhook
8:30 p.m.
Cloud Nothings at Motorco Music Hall
Running Art Exhibits
Jenny Blazing: Scapes - 5 Points Gallery Featured Artist Exhibition at 5 Points Gallery- Jenny’s acrylic and collage paintings are her response to the diverse landscapes surrounding us. Each stroke of color, each layer of texture, is a tribute to the breathtaking natural panorama of our state—from our rolling hills and sundrenched fields to our skies bursting with drama.
- Fri, Apr 19 - Sat, May 11
- Fri, 5-9 p.m. and Sat, 1-9 p.m.
- Free admission
- This project examines the changing landscape of our city through a series of forty mixed media pieces the artist has created since 2014.
- Third Friday openings on Apr 19 and May 17, 6-9 p.m.
- Drop-in by appointment and Wednesdays 4-7 p.m.
- Free admission
- Each piece begins as a photograph, which is then printed on acrylic and worked with a variety of paints and compounds to create a unique surface.
- Sat, May 4 - Sat, May 18
- Free admission
- Sacred Geometry is an ancient field of physics whose equations are expressed through shape. Shape is a way to explore the universal fabric of our existence.
- Sat, May 4 - Sat, June 1
- Free admission
- It Ain’t All Black and White is a photography exhibition that encourages us to consider emotions such as serenity, apprehension, yearning, and more.
- Captured by 11 dynamic photographers dedicated to documenting the fullness and complexity of Black life, this exhibition offers each of us an opportunity to see ourselves with renewed attention.
- Thu, Apr 25 - Sun, June 2
- María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold is a monographic exhibition of a visionary voice in photography, immersive installation, painting and performance.
- Thu, Feb 15 - Sun, Jun 9
- Every week, Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m.
- Free admission
- Counterpoints is a curated showcase of local AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) artists, delving into the convergence of AAPI identity and mental health. Inspired by the intricate layers of musical counterpoint, its purpose is to weave together diverse narratives and confront the stigma surrounding mental health within our communities.
- Wed, May 1 - Sun, June 16
- Mon - Fri, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- The Divine Nine Legacy Memoir delves deep into the history of the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) or "Divine Nine," a collective of nine Greek Letter organizations founded on May 10th, 1930.
- These organizations were born out of the necessity to provide a voice for Black American students within the collegiate space. United by principles of service, community, brotherhood, and sisterhood, the Divine Nine work collectively to uplift society through acts of service to underserved areas across the nation.
- Fri, Apr 19 - Sat, June 1
- Free admission
2024.05.06 12:14 EssenseOfMagic Daily Releases (May 04, 2024)
| Game | Group | Stores | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneers of Pagonia Supporter Edition Early Access | ELiTE | - | |
| No Rest for the Wicked Early Access | ELiTE | - | |
| Disney Dreamlight Valley | RUNE | Steam | 91.36% (16.1k) |
| Baldurs Gate 3 Language Pack | RUNE | - | |
| EVERSPACE 2 Incursions | Razor1911 | - | |
| Baldurs Gate 3 | Razor1911 | Steam, GOG | 96.78% (603.8k) |
| Age of Wonders 4 Primal Fury | Razor1911 | Steam, GOG | 78.95% (90) |
| Surmount A Mountain Climbing Adventure | TENOKE | Steam | 100.00% (42) |
| Mareld | TENOKE | Steam | 91.49% (43) |
| KUNKUN Defender | TENOKE | Steam | 98.68% (225) |
| Chrono Ark | TENOKE | Steam | 90.17% (7.6k) |
| Armed and Gelatinous Couch Edition | TENOKE | Steam | 100.00% (6) |
| Galactic Starfire Squadron | TiNYiSO | Steam | - |
| Zombie Survivor | bADkARMA | Steam | 68.06% (49) |
| Update | Group | Stores | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn_Of_Man_Update_v1.8.2-DINOByTES | DINOByTES | Steam, GOG | 86.84% (16.3k) |
| Stardew_Valley_Update_v1.6.8-DINOByTES | DINOByTES | Steam, GOG | 98.26% (699.1k) |
| The.Thaumaturge.Update.v1.0.3-RUNE | RUNE | Steam, GOG, Epic | 82.08% (1.9k) |
| Last.Train.Home.Legion.Tales.Update.v1.0.0.32413-RUNE | RUNE | Steam, GOG | 67.86% (19) |
| Expeditions.A.MudRunner.Game.Update.3-RUNE | RUNE | Epic | - |
| Baldurs.Gate.3.Update.v4.1.1.5022896-RUNE | RUNE | Steam, GOG | 96.78% (603.8k) |
| No_Mans_Sky_Orbitals_Update_v4.65-RazorDOX | RazorDOX | - | |
| Teardown.Update.v20240502-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 95.58% (88.4k) |
| Osiris.New.Dawn.Update.v1.5.66-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 54.36% (14.8k) |
| Lords.of.the.Fallen.Master.of.Fate.Update.v1.5.36-TENOKE | TENOKE | - | |
| Icarus.Complete.the.Set.Update.v2.2.1.122387-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | - |
| Barotrauma.Update.v1.4.6.0-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam, Epic | 93.55% (63.0k) |
| Remnant.II.Ultimate.Edition.Update.24.MULTi10-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Epic | - |
| No.Mans.Sky.ORBITAL.Update.2.MULTi14-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - | |
| Lords.of.the.Fallen.2023.Deluxe.Edition.Update.40.MULTi12-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - | |
| Classified.France.44.Overlord.Edition.Update.2.MULTi10-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Epic | - |
| Age.of.Wonders.4.Premium.Edition.Update.21.MULTi9-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | GOG, Epic | - |
Q: When will [insert game name here] be cracked?
A: STOP! CrackWatch members are not psychic. Games get cracked by completely ANONYMOUS SCENE GROUPS who don't disclose their progress or plans to the general public so NO ONE knows WHEN and IF a certain game will be cracked.
Q: What are all these NFO thingies? Where do I download?
A: NFOs are text files included with game releases which contain information about the releases. CrackWatch only informs which games have been cracked. To download look for the releases on CS.RIN.RU's forum or torrent websites. Useful websites can be found in The Beginners Guide or PiratedGames's Mega Thread.
Q: WTF is Denuvo?
A: Denuvo is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology used to protect games from being cracked. Games that have Denuvo are harder to crack and usually take much longer. See Pinned Post for a list of Denuvo games.
Q: An update is out, but it includes the base game as well! Can I only download the update without redownloading the entire game?
A: Yes. CS.RIN.RU is your friend.
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morgan on X: "is it really that serious??? https://t.co/hi7ZhgKa9Z" / X (twitter.com)
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2024.05.04 04:26 Humblechild90 True faithfulness to Christ
I do not believe that Christianity is faithful to Christ and his teachings as it only honours Christ with it’s lips but it’s heart is far from him. Christianity will reject and disregard Christ’s teachings to accept human teachings which it calls “Scripture”.
A few examples of human teachings in the New Testament that nullify Christ ‘s spoken word:
John 14:12 ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing.’
John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’
Matthew 9:13 ‘But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’
Luke 5:32 ‘I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’
Matthew 7:21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’
Luke 6:46-49 ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.’
As the above three examples of human teachings reject the Son’s spoken words, a person cannot accept both the human teachings and the Son’s teaching. A person cannot serve two masters:
Matthew 6:24 ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.’
This results in a person worshipping Christ in vain:
Matthew 15:8-9 ‘“These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”’
A person will never be able to accept Christ’s teaching as long as they are wise and learned. This is because God does not toss the children’s bread to the dogs:
Matthew 15:26 ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’
The solution to this is for a person to humble themselves by changing and becoming like a little child by only having one teacher, the Christ:
Matthew 18:3 ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’
Matthew 23:10 ‘Nor be called teachers, for you have one Teacher, the Christ.’
submitted by Humblechild90 to Catholicism [link] [comments]
A few examples of human teachings in the New Testament that nullify Christ ‘s spoken word:
- Ephesians 2:8-9 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.'
John 14:12 ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing.’
John 3:16 ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’
- Romans 3:25 'God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood – to be received by faith.'
Matthew 9:13 ‘But go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’
Luke 5:32 ‘I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.’
- Romans 10:9 'if you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.'
Matthew 7:21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’
Luke 6:46-49 ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord,” and do not do what I say? 47 As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. 48 They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.’
As the above three examples of human teachings reject the Son’s spoken words, a person cannot accept both the human teachings and the Son’s teaching. A person cannot serve two masters:
Matthew 6:24 ‘No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.’
This results in a person worshipping Christ in vain:
Matthew 15:8-9 ‘“These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”’
A person will never be able to accept Christ’s teaching as long as they are wise and learned. This is because God does not toss the children’s bread to the dogs:
Matthew 15:26 ‘It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.’
The solution to this is for a person to humble themselves by changing and becoming like a little child by only having one teacher, the Christ:
Matthew 18:3 ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’
Matthew 23:10 ‘Nor be called teachers, for you have one Teacher, the Christ.’
2024.05.03 05:29 queenofthebored Things to do this weekend 5/3-5/5
Friday May 3, 2024
The Beast, Free Time at Bookhouse Cinema
Rummage Sale to Benefit Wildcat Glades at IBEW
Late Night Open Gaming at Changing Hands Book Shoppe
Friday Night Magic at Hurley's Heroes
Karaoke Friday Night at Brew Pub & Parlor
Mother Road Mayhem at the 4-States Moto Complex (Neosho, MO)
Plain White T's at MSSU Fred Hughes Stadium
The Fall Guy, Abigail at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Friday Fun Drags at Mo-Kan Dragway (Asbury, MO)
Pete Pan presented by Dream Theatre Company at Studio 124
Downtown Joplin Alliance First Friday Wineshare at Pennington Lofts
May First Friday with Vintage Swing Movement at Nexus Event Center (formerly Just a Taste) (Webb City, MO)
Wicked Temptations Burlesque Showcase at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Saturday May 4, 2024
Joplin Empire Market
May the Fourth Be With You Market at Joplin Empire Market
Webb City Farmer's Market (Webb City, MO)
Mother Road Mayhem at the 4-States Moto Complex (Neosho, MO)
4th Annual Fast and the Furriest at King Jack Park (Webb City, MO)
Joplin Collectors Mini Expo at Irving Elementary
May the Fourth Be With You Page-a-palooza Fest at Front Page Inc.
Game-a-thon at Changing Hands Book Shoppe
Rummage Sale to Benefit Wildcat Glades at IBEW
Buffalo Soldiers: From Slaves to Soldiers hosted by the Buffalo Soldier Chapter of Kansas City at Crowder College
Pete Pan presented by Dream Theatre Company at Studio 124
Backyard Brews & Tunes: Alyssa Galvan at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Girls Day at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Kentucky Derby Party at Club 609
Saturday Night Comedy at Bookhouse Cinema
The Beast, Free Time at Bookhouse Cinema
Power Tool Ninja and Alkyvad at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Bill and Monica's Excellent Adventure at Whiskey Dick's
The Fall Guy, Abigail at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Sunday May 5, 2024
Swan Songs: A North Heights Porchfest teaser concert at Landreth Park
Cinco de Mayo Cornhole Tournament at Whiskey Dick's
Flute Circle at Unity of Joplin
Who Was George Washington Carver at George Washington Carver National Monument (Diamond, MO)
Free Time at Bookhouse Cinema
Mother Road Mayhem at the 4-States Moto Complex (Neosho, MO)
Pool Tournament at Brew Pub and Parlor
Comedy Open Mic Night at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
The Fall Guy, Abigail at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Looking for events during the week or things not listed here? Check out:
Connect2Culture
What's Happening in Joplin Facebook Group
Visit Joplin MO
submitted by queenofthebored to joplinmo [link] [comments]
The Beast, Free Time at Bookhouse Cinema
Rummage Sale to Benefit Wildcat Glades at IBEW
Late Night Open Gaming at Changing Hands Book Shoppe
Friday Night Magic at Hurley's Heroes
Karaoke Friday Night at Brew Pub & Parlor
Mother Road Mayhem at the 4-States Moto Complex (Neosho, MO)
Plain White T's at MSSU Fred Hughes Stadium
The Fall Guy, Abigail at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Friday Fun Drags at Mo-Kan Dragway (Asbury, MO)
Pete Pan presented by Dream Theatre Company at Studio 124
Downtown Joplin Alliance First Friday Wineshare at Pennington Lofts
May First Friday with Vintage Swing Movement at Nexus Event Center (formerly Just a Taste) (Webb City, MO)
Wicked Temptations Burlesque Showcase at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Saturday May 4, 2024
Joplin Empire Market
May the Fourth Be With You Market at Joplin Empire Market
Webb City Farmer's Market (Webb City, MO)
Mother Road Mayhem at the 4-States Moto Complex (Neosho, MO)
4th Annual Fast and the Furriest at King Jack Park (Webb City, MO)
Joplin Collectors Mini Expo at Irving Elementary
May the Fourth Be With You Page-a-palooza Fest at Front Page Inc.
Game-a-thon at Changing Hands Book Shoppe
Rummage Sale to Benefit Wildcat Glades at IBEW
Buffalo Soldiers: From Slaves to Soldiers hosted by the Buffalo Soldier Chapter of Kansas City at Crowder College
Pete Pan presented by Dream Theatre Company at Studio 124
Backyard Brews & Tunes: Alyssa Galvan at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Girls Day at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Kentucky Derby Party at Club 609
Saturday Night Comedy at Bookhouse Cinema
The Beast, Free Time at Bookhouse Cinema
Power Tool Ninja and Alkyvad at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Bill and Monica's Excellent Adventure at Whiskey Dick's
The Fall Guy, Abigail at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Sunday May 5, 2024
Swan Songs: A North Heights Porchfest teaser concert at Landreth Park
Cinco de Mayo Cornhole Tournament at Whiskey Dick's
Flute Circle at Unity of Joplin
Who Was George Washington Carver at George Washington Carver National Monument (Diamond, MO)
Free Time at Bookhouse Cinema
Mother Road Mayhem at the 4-States Moto Complex (Neosho, MO)
Pool Tournament at Brew Pub and Parlor
Comedy Open Mic Night at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
The Fall Guy, Abigail at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Looking for events during the week or things not listed here? Check out:
Connect2Culture
What's Happening in Joplin Facebook Group
Visit Joplin MO
2024.05.02 04:36 Purified-water2020 AWQA will wear maid outfit at 250 subs!
 | submitted by Purified-water2020 to memeframe [link] [comments] |
2024.04.30 01:34 onesongfootlong Vegas Itinerary Sept 15-21, doable? Thoughts?
Formatting might be a little weird due to copying from a spreadsheet.
Busy busy busy itinerary. Seeing 5 evening shows. Times are obviously just guidelines. It feels like I'm over planning but we are not so much for relaxing (playing blackjack would be as relaxing as we get, we don't do slots)
Does this sound like a decent plan? What would you change?
We will likely stay at Aria for first 2 (depending on rewards; we might also do PARK MGM instead), and then moving to horseshoe nights 3-6 which is non refundable. My mistake and it was booked before I knew about the MYVEGAS apps. But I'm ok with it since we'll be near Ellis Island and center of the strip.
+++++++++ Sun Sept 15 +++++++++
1:25-3:05p - BUFFALO TO LAS DIRECT SOUTHWEST - PURCHASED
3:30p - UBER to ARIA from airport
3:45p - 2 nights comped room ARIA - MYVEGAS APP - pay resort fees
4p - WALK to PARK MGM
4:30p - Best Friend Restaurant at PARK MGM + free myVegas appetizer
5:30p - park mgm $25 match play x 2 myVegas app
7:30p - WALK from Park MGM to NYNY
9:30p - Mad Apple @ NY NY - PURCHASED
11p - WALK from NYNY to Aria
++++++++++ Mon Sept 16 +++++++++++
8a-3p - WALK from ARIA to Cosmopolitan
8a-3p - WALK TO BRUNCH @ COSMO - Wicked Spoon
3p-7p - EXPLORE STRIP / BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY / GAMBLE
7:30p - WALK (?) to MGM GRAND
9:30p - Ka @ MGM GRAND - PURCHASED
11p - Transportation (how?) from MGM GRAND to Aria to sleep
++++++++++ Tue Sept 17 ++++++++++
11a - hotel switch from Aria to horseshoe for rest of trip. Uber to HORSESHOE drop off luggage
after 10:30a - lunch at RAMEN-YA / or other food in area for Amanda
after lunch - WALK TO ELLIS ISLAND / GAMBLE
anytime after 3p - HORSESHOE HOTEL -- TAW - PURCHASED
after 3p - horseshoe resort fees
after 4p - BBQ Dinner @ ELLIS ISLAND?????
8p - Uber to WYNN
9:30p - Awakening Show @ WYNN casino -- PURCHASED
11p - Uber back to HORSESHOE to sleep
++++++++++ Wed Sept 18 ++++++++++
11a - UBER to DOWNTOWN / Fremont
11:30a - DOWNTOWN / LUNCH @ LE THAI (11-3p) [no reservations]
12p-5:30 - DOWNTOWN / EL CORTEZ ETC. / GAMBLING
afternoon - either Uber to SAW escape room or go direct to Flamingo
afternoon - Saw Escape Room (check Groupon)
6-6:30p - WALK TO: Piff the magic dragon show @ 7 @ Flamingo (TAW) - PURCHASED
9p-Late - WALK TO: HORSESHOE / LATE ELLIS ISLAND / GAMBLING / sleep/ FOOD(?)
+++++++++ Thur Sept 19 ++++++++++
10a - light breakfast downstairs / duck donuts
10:40a - Uber to Meow Wolf / Area15
11a - Meow Wolf Omega Mart - need to reserve
afternoon - Lunch/Dinner at THE BEAST (+ explore area15 attractions)
eve - skyjump at STRAT for Amanda ($127.95 -- tickets at work)
eve - Uber to ?????????????
+++++++++ Fri Sept 20 +++++++++
9:30a - BREAKFAST Mon Ami Gabi @ Paris -- RESERVED
morn/aftn - ????????????
5:15p - Uber to theatre district
5:30p - Dinner tacotarian (cheaper) --or-- Esther's Kitchen
8p - Scream'd Comedy Show Musical
10p - Uber to Horseshoe to sleep
+++++++++ Sat Sept 21 +++++++++
11a - CHECKOUT leave luggage
11:15a - Uber to hamburger Mary's
12p - Drag Brunch @ Hamburger Mary's
1:15p - Uber to pinball Hall of Fame
1:30p - Pinball Hall of Fame
afternoon - ?????????????
8:30p - get luggage from HORSESHOE
8:45p - UBER to LAS AIRPORT
11:25p - Flight leaves LAS
SUN 8:51 AM - Flight arrives BUF
Thoughts?
++++++++ Also, some potential things to switch out or add? +++++++++
BattleBots (probably not taping)
antelope canyon
karaoke 9p-3a @ Ellis Island
treasure Island 3:2 blackjack
player 1 video game bar Vegas
stand-up: wise guys, comedy cellar, etc
+++++ Food ++++++
tacos & beer
Bajamar Seafood & Tacos
Wynn buffet
wicked spoon brunch buffet @ Cosmopolitan
Ellis Island breakfast village cafe + root beer
Ellis Island (drink the root beer!)
bavettes park mgm
nomad library Park mgm $$$ anything for Amanda?
mitzumi wynn
best friend park mgm
gonzalez y Gonzales at NY NY
submitted by onesongfootlong to vegas [link] [comments]
Busy busy busy itinerary. Seeing 5 evening shows. Times are obviously just guidelines. It feels like I'm over planning but we are not so much for relaxing (playing blackjack would be as relaxing as we get, we don't do slots)
Does this sound like a decent plan? What would you change?
We will likely stay at Aria for first 2 (depending on rewards; we might also do PARK MGM instead), and then moving to horseshoe nights 3-6 which is non refundable. My mistake and it was booked before I knew about the MYVEGAS apps. But I'm ok with it since we'll be near Ellis Island and center of the strip.
+++++++++ Sun Sept 15 +++++++++
1:25-3:05p - BUFFALO TO LAS DIRECT SOUTHWEST - PURCHASED
3:30p - UBER to ARIA from airport
3:45p - 2 nights comped room ARIA - MYVEGAS APP - pay resort fees
4p - WALK to PARK MGM
4:30p - Best Friend Restaurant at PARK MGM + free myVegas appetizer
5:30p - park mgm $25 match play x 2 myVegas app
7:30p - WALK from Park MGM to NYNY
9:30p - Mad Apple @ NY NY - PURCHASED
11p - WALK from NYNY to Aria
++++++++++ Mon Sept 16 +++++++++++
8a-3p - WALK from ARIA to Cosmopolitan
8a-3p - WALK TO BRUNCH @ COSMO - Wicked Spoon
3p-7p - EXPLORE STRIP / BELLAGIO CONSERVATORY / GAMBLE
7:30p - WALK (?) to MGM GRAND
9:30p - Ka @ MGM GRAND - PURCHASED
11p - Transportation (how?) from MGM GRAND to Aria to sleep
++++++++++ Tue Sept 17 ++++++++++
11a - hotel switch from Aria to horseshoe for rest of trip. Uber to HORSESHOE drop off luggage
after 10:30a - lunch at RAMEN-YA / or other food in area for Amanda
after lunch - WALK TO ELLIS ISLAND / GAMBLE
anytime after 3p - HORSESHOE HOTEL -- TAW - PURCHASED
after 3p - horseshoe resort fees
after 4p - BBQ Dinner @ ELLIS ISLAND?????
8p - Uber to WYNN
9:30p - Awakening Show @ WYNN casino -- PURCHASED
11p - Uber back to HORSESHOE to sleep
++++++++++ Wed Sept 18 ++++++++++
11a - UBER to DOWNTOWN / Fremont
11:30a - DOWNTOWN / LUNCH @ LE THAI (11-3p) [no reservations]
12p-5:30 - DOWNTOWN / EL CORTEZ ETC. / GAMBLING
afternoon - either Uber to SAW escape room or go direct to Flamingo
afternoon - Saw Escape Room (check Groupon)
6-6:30p - WALK TO: Piff the magic dragon show @ 7 @ Flamingo (TAW) - PURCHASED
9p-Late - WALK TO: HORSESHOE / LATE ELLIS ISLAND / GAMBLING / sleep/ FOOD(?)
+++++++++ Thur Sept 19 ++++++++++
10a - light breakfast downstairs / duck donuts
10:40a - Uber to Meow Wolf / Area15
11a - Meow Wolf Omega Mart - need to reserve
afternoon - Lunch/Dinner at THE BEAST (+ explore area15 attractions)
eve - skyjump at STRAT for Amanda ($127.95 -- tickets at work)
eve - Uber to ?????????????
+++++++++ Fri Sept 20 +++++++++
9:30a - BREAKFAST Mon Ami Gabi @ Paris -- RESERVED
morn/aftn - ????????????
5:15p - Uber to theatre district
5:30p - Dinner tacotarian (cheaper) --or-- Esther's Kitchen
8p - Scream'd Comedy Show Musical
10p - Uber to Horseshoe to sleep
+++++++++ Sat Sept 21 +++++++++
11a - CHECKOUT leave luggage
11:15a - Uber to hamburger Mary's
12p - Drag Brunch @ Hamburger Mary's
1:15p - Uber to pinball Hall of Fame
1:30p - Pinball Hall of Fame
afternoon - ?????????????
8:30p - get luggage from HORSESHOE
8:45p - UBER to LAS AIRPORT
11:25p - Flight leaves LAS
SUN 8:51 AM - Flight arrives BUF
Thoughts?
++++++++ Also, some potential things to switch out or add? +++++++++
BattleBots (probably not taping)
antelope canyon
karaoke 9p-3a @ Ellis Island
treasure Island 3:2 blackjack
player 1 video game bar Vegas
stand-up: wise guys, comedy cellar, etc
+++++ Food ++++++
tacos & beer
Bajamar Seafood & Tacos
Wynn buffet
wicked spoon brunch buffet @ Cosmopolitan
Ellis Island breakfast village cafe + root beer
Ellis Island (drink the root beer!)
bavettes park mgm
nomad library Park mgm $$$ anything for Amanda?
mitzumi wynn
best friend park mgm
gonzalez y Gonzales at NY NY
2024.04.27 01:02 EssenseOfMagic Daily Releases (April 24, 2024)
| Game | Group | Stores | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scars Above | DINOByTES | Steam, GOG | 77.80% (1.7k) |
| No Rest for the Wicked Early Access | ELiTE | - | |
| Laysara Elevation Edition Early Access vPatch 1 | ELiTE | - | |
| The Last Spell | ElAmigos | Steam, GOG | 91.82% (9.9k) |
| Might and Magic Heroes VII Complete Edition | ElAmigos | - | |
| House Builder | ElAmigos | Steam, GOG | 80.39% (2.0k) |
| Remnant II Ultimate Edition | ElAmigos | Epic | - |
| Rescue Team Clouded Mind Collectors Edition | RAZOR | - | |
| Secret Diaries Manage a Manor | RAZOR | Steam | 80.00% (16) |
| Spellarium 10 | RAZOR | Steam | 100.00% (7) |
| The Last Spell Dwarves of Runenberg | Razor1911 | Steam, GOG | 91.67% (11) |
| Wild Card Football Legacy WR Pack | TENOKE | Steam | - |
| The Hungry Lamb Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty | TENOKE | - | |
| Sucker for Love Date to Die For | TENOKE | Steam | 91.43% (128) |
| Phantom Fury | TENOKE | Steam, GOG | 62.75% (96) |
| Lunar Lander Beyond | TENOKE | Steam, Epic | 100.00% (2) |
| April 24th | TiNYiSO | Steam | 96.30% (26) |
| Land Of The Survivors | TiNYiSO | Steam | 100.00% (1) |
| Underground Blossom | rG | Steam, GOG | 98.27% (5.1k) |
| Update | Group | Stores | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellwright.Early.Access.Build.14150461-ELiTE | ELiTE | - | |
| Lords.of.the.Fallen.2023.update.1.1.664-1.5.17-ElAmigos | ElAmigos | - | |
| Millennia.update.1.0.1-1.0.12-ElAmigos | ElAmigos | Steam | 68.51% (2.4k) |
| We.Are.Football.2024.update.23.04.2024-ElAmigos | ElAmigos | Steam, GOG, Epic | 81.74% (367) |
| Horza.Verizon.5.update.1.640.62-1.642.644-ElAmigos | ElAmigos | Steam | 88.14% (173.6k) |
| Last.Epoch.update.1.0.3.3-1.0.7.2-ElAmigos | ElAmigos | Steam | 77.25% (92.7k) |
| United.Penguin.Kingdom.Update.v1.004-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 80.42% (152) |
| Kingsgrave.Update.v1.0.1.9-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam, GOG, Epic | 75.76% (150) |
| Contraband.Police.Update.v10.4.7-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 94.93% (14.5k) |
| blurred.weird.night.Update.v20240423-TENOKE | TENOKE | - | |
| Against.the.Storm.Update.v1.3.2R-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam, GOG | 95.24% (23.7k) |
| Alone.in.the.Dark.Deluxe.Edition.Update.2.MULTi2-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - | |
| Forizon.Verbidden.Crest.Complete.Edition.Update.5.MULTi2-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam | 91.80% (10.2k) |
| Millennia.Premium.Edition.Update.3.MULTi7-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - | |
| Outcast.A.New.Beginning.Update.3.MULTi12-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam, GOG | 83.73% (525) |
Q&A
Q: When will [insert game name here] be cracked?
A: STOP! CrackWatch members are not psychic. Games get cracked by completely ANONYMOUS SCENE GROUPS who don't disclose their progress or plans to the general public so NO ONE knows WHEN and IF a certain game will be cracked.
Q: What are all these NFO thingies? Where do I download?
A: NFOs are text files included with game releases which contain information about the releases. CrackWatch only informs which games have been cracked. To download look for the releases on CS.RIN.RU's forum or torrent websites. Useful websites can be found in The Beginners Guide or PiratedGames's Mega Thread.
Q: WTF is Denuvo?
A: Denuvo is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology used to protect games from being cracked. Games that have Denuvo are harder to crack and usually take much longer. See Pinned Post for a list of Denuvo games.
Q: An update is out, but it includes the base game as well! Can I only download the update without redownloading the entire game?
A: Yes. CS.RIN.RU is your friend.
2024.04.26 23:51 queenofthebored Things to do this weekend 4/26-4/28
Friday April 26, 2024
The Beast, Wicked Little Letters at Bookhouse Cinema
Sing-Along Music Bingo at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Late Night Open Gaming at Changing Hands Book Shoppe
Friday Night Magic at Hurley's Heroes
Pirates of Penzance and an evening of Gilbert & Sullivan Favorites at Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex
Karaoke at Brew Pub and Parlor
Blues City Limits at Rumors Cocktail Lounge
Friday Night with DJ Tae at Whiskey Dick's
Dirty Dancing, Grease at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Dalia Neale with Maddie J Mae and Logan Williams at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Saturday April 27, 2024
Joplin Empire Market
6th Birthday Bash at the Joplin Empire Market
Webb City Farmer's Market (Webb City, MO)
May the Forest be with You at Wildcat Glades
Backyard Benny book reading at Joplin Public Library
Lego Build-a-thon at Joplin Public Library
Art in the Park & National Junior Ranger Day at George Washington Carver National Monument
Sip & Stroll at the Rotary Sculpture Garden - Mercy Park
Annual Plant Sale at Carl Junction Memorial Park (Carl Junction, MO)
LARP Event at Mandalor's Dream
Puff Puff Laugh at JB's Downtown
Dirty Dancing, Grease at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Throwback Saturday Board Games at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Open Mic Night at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
The Beast, Wicked Little Letters at Bookhouse Cinema
Tao of Lucy, City Grey, Fawn at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Sunday April 28, 2024
An Uncommon Life at George Washington Carver National Monument
Pool Tournament at Brew Pub and Parlor
Dirty Dancing, Grease at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
The Beast, Wicked Little Letters at Bookhouse Cinema
Looking for events during the week or things not listed here? Check out:
Connect2Culture
What's Happening in Joplin Facebook Group
Visit Joplin MO
submitted by queenofthebored to joplinmo [link] [comments]
The Beast, Wicked Little Letters at Bookhouse Cinema
Sing-Along Music Bingo at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Late Night Open Gaming at Changing Hands Book Shoppe
Friday Night Magic at Hurley's Heroes
Pirates of Penzance and an evening of Gilbert & Sullivan Favorites at Cornell Arts & Entertainment Complex
Karaoke at Brew Pub and Parlor
Blues City Limits at Rumors Cocktail Lounge
Friday Night with DJ Tae at Whiskey Dick's
Dirty Dancing, Grease at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Dalia Neale with Maddie J Mae and Logan Williams at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Saturday April 27, 2024
Joplin Empire Market
6th Birthday Bash at the Joplin Empire Market
Webb City Farmer's Market (Webb City, MO)
May the Forest be with You at Wildcat Glades
Backyard Benny book reading at Joplin Public Library
Lego Build-a-thon at Joplin Public Library
Art in the Park & National Junior Ranger Day at George Washington Carver National Monument
Sip & Stroll at the Rotary Sculpture Garden - Mercy Park
Annual Plant Sale at Carl Junction Memorial Park (Carl Junction, MO)
LARP Event at Mandalor's Dream
Puff Puff Laugh at JB's Downtown
Dirty Dancing, Grease at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
Throwback Saturday Board Games at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
Open Mic Night at Flag City Brewing (Webb City, MO)
The Beast, Wicked Little Letters at Bookhouse Cinema
Tao of Lucy, City Grey, Fawn at Blackthorn Pizza & Pub
Sunday April 28, 2024
An Uncommon Life at George Washington Carver National Monument
Pool Tournament at Brew Pub and Parlor
Dirty Dancing, Grease at 66 Drive-in (Carthage, MO)
The Beast, Wicked Little Letters at Bookhouse Cinema
Looking for events during the week or things not listed here? Check out:
Connect2Culture
What's Happening in Joplin Facebook Group
Visit Joplin MO
2024.04.23 23:51 EssenseOfMagic Daily Releases (April 22, 2024)
| Game | Group | Stores | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supermarket Simulator Early Access | ELiTE | - | |
| Enshrouded Early Access | ELiTE | - | |
| No Rest for the Wicked Early Access | ELiTE | - | |
| StarCraft Remastered | ElAmigos | - | |
| Warcraft III Reforged | ElAmigos | - | |
| Diablo II Resurrected | ElAmigos | - | |
| The Past Within | I_KnoW | Steam, GOG | 94.85% (13.3k) |
| LunarLux | I_KnoW | Steam, GOG, Epic | 96.38% (213) |
| Outlanders The Keepers Shanty | SKiDROW | Steam | - |
| Sweet Transit | SKiDROW | Steam | 74.74% (654) |
| Graviteam Tactics The Far Escape | SKiDROW | Steam | - |
| SGS Battle For Hue | TENOKE | Steam | 80.00% (4) |
| Monstronomy | TENOKE | Steam | 100.00% (6) |
| Koe Part 1 | TENOKE | - | |
| Internet Cafe Evolution | TENOKE | Steam | 70.79% (143) |
| ColorBlend FX Desaturation | TENOKE | - | |
| AVOPUG SHOW | TENOKE | Steam | 71.43% (5) |
| The Dwarf | TiNYiSO | Steam, Epic | 66.67% (2) |
| Update | Group | Stores | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI.War.2.The.Neinzul.Abyss.Update.v5.597-I_KnoW | I_KnoW | Steam, GOG | 96.43% (27) |
| ReMix.Update.v1.01.07-TENOKE | TENOKE | - | |
| Peaks.of.Yore.Update.v1.6.5d-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam, GOG | 97.93% (1.1k) |
| Goblin.Stone.Update.v1.2.0-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 52.81% (320) |
| Artifact.Seeker.Update.v1.0.14-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 80.84% (654) |
| Apocalypse.Party.Update.v20240419-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 68.84% (3.8k) |
Q&A
Q: When will [insert game name here] be cracked?
A: STOP! CrackWatch members are not psychic. Games get cracked by completely ANONYMOUS SCENE GROUPS who don't disclose their progress or plans to the general public so NO ONE knows WHEN and IF a certain game will be cracked.
Q: What are all these NFO thingies? Where do I download?
A: NFOs are text files included with game releases which contain information about the releases. CrackWatch only informs which games have been cracked. To download look for the releases on CS.RIN.RU's forum or torrent websites. Useful websites can be found in The Beginners Guide or PiratedGames's Mega Thread.
Q: WTF is Denuvo?
A: Denuvo is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology used to protect games from being cracked. Games that have Denuvo are harder to crack and usually take much longer. See Pinned Post for a list of Denuvo games.
Q: An update is out, but it includes the base game as well! Can I only download the update without redownloading the entire game?
A: Yes. CS.RIN.RU is your friend.
2024.04.23 23:50 EssenseOfMagic Daily Releases (April 21, 2024)
| Game | Group | Stores | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| MechCommander 2 CloneCD | ELiTE | - | |
| MechCommander | ELiTE | - | |
| MechCommander GOLD CloneCD | ELiTE | - | |
| MechCommander 2 | ELiTE | - | |
| Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes Deluxe Edition | ElAmigos | Epic | - |
| Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes | RUNE | Steam, GOG | - |
| My Dream Setup | TENOKE | Steam | 89.83% (2.8k) |
| Kakuriyo Village Moratorium of Adolescence | TENOKE | Steam | 92.39% (85) |
| Heros Adventure Road to Passion | TENOKE | - | |
| Good Pizza Great Pizza Cooking Simulator Game | TENOKE | Steam | 91.08% (3.9k) |
| Chillas Art Shinkansen 0 | TENOKE | - | |
| WW2 Bunker Simulator Origins | TENOKE | Steam | 33.33% (1) |
| Eclipse Echo Of Dimension | TiNYiSO | Steam | - |
| Case Files Behind Closed Doors | TiNYiSO | Steam | 100.00% (6) |
| Omega Mouse Zero | TiNYiSO | Steam | - |
| Hades II Technical Playtest | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - |
| Update | Group | Stores | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stargate.Timekeepers.Update.v1.00.34-RUNE | RUNE | Steam, GOG | 57.31% (98) |
| The.Last.Soldier.of.the.Ming.Dynasty.Update.v1.2.0-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 84.04% (279) |
| Pepper.Grinder.Update.v20240419-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam, GOG, Epic | 87.70% (385) |
| Lotus.Lantern.Rescue.Mother.Update.v20240419-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 83.51% (466) |
| Kingsvein.Update.v1.1.11-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 92.22% (166) |
| Fort.Solis.Update.v20240419-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam, GOG, Epic | 70.90% (1.3k) |
| Postal.4.No.Regerts.Update.15.MULTi4-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam, GOG | 72.03% (10.8k) |
| Marble's.Arcachnoman.2.Leaked.PC.Port.Update.4.MULTi2-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - | |
| House.Builder.Update.3.MULTi35-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam, GOG | 80.32% (2.0k) |
| Grounded.Update.16.MULTi16-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam | 88.88% (71.5k) |
| No.Rest.for.the.Wicked.Early.Access.Incl.Update.2.MULTi12-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - | |
| No.Rest.for.the.Wicked.Early.Access.Incl.Update.1.MULTi12-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - |
Q: When will [insert game name here] be cracked?
A: STOP! CrackWatch members are not psychic. Games get cracked by completely ANONYMOUS SCENE GROUPS who don't disclose their progress or plans to the general public so NO ONE knows WHEN and IF a certain game will be cracked.
Q: What are all these NFO thingies? Where do I download?
A: NFOs are text files included with game releases which contain information about the releases. CrackWatch only informs which games have been cracked. To download look for the releases on CS.RIN.RU's forum or torrent websites. Useful websites can be found in The Beginners Guide or PiratedGames's Mega Thread.
Q: WTF is Denuvo?
A: Denuvo is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology used to protect games from being cracked. Games that have Denuvo are harder to crack and usually take much longer. See Pinned Post for a list of Denuvo games.
Q: An update is out, but it includes the base game as well! Can I only download the update without redownloading the entire game?
A: Yes. CS.RIN.RU is your friend.
2024.04.23 12:18 Willy_Fisher Squire Toby’s Will.
Many persons accustomed to travel the old York and London road, in the days of stage-coaches, will remember passing, in the afternoon, say, of an autumn day, in their journey to the capital, about three miles south of the town of Applebury, and a mile and a half before you reach the old Angel Inn, a large black-and-white house, as those old-fashioned cage-work habitations are termed, dilapidated and weather-stained, with broad lattice windows glimmering all over in the evening sun with little diamond panes, and thrown into relief by a dense background of ancient elms. A wide avenue, now overgrown like a churchyard with grass and weeds, and flanked by double rows of the same dark trees, old and gigantic, with here and there a gap in their solemn files, and sometimes a fallen tree lying across on the avenue, leads up to the hall-door. Looking up its sombre and lifeless avenue from the top of the London coach, as I have often done, you are struck[21] with so many signs of desertion and decay,—the tufted grass sprouting in the chinks of the steps and window-stones, the smokeless chimneys over which the jackdaws are wheeling, the absence of human life and all its evidence, that you conclude at once that the place is uninhabited and abandoned to decay. The name of this ancient house is Gylingden Hall. Tall hedges and old timber quickly shroud the old place from view, and about a quarter of a mile further on you pass, embowered in melancholy trees, a small and ruinous Saxon chapel, which, time out of mind, has been the burying-place of the family of Marston, and partakes of the neglect and desolation which brood over their ancient dwelling-place. The grand melancholy of the secluded valley of Gylingden, lonely as an enchanted forest, in which the crows returning to their roosts among the trees, and the straggling deer who peep from beneath their branches, seem to hold a wild and undisturbed dominion, heightens the forlorn aspect of Gylingden Hall. Of late years repairs have been neglected, and here and there the roof is stripped, and "the stitch in time" has been wanting. At the side of the house exposed to the gales that sweep through the valley like a torrent through its channel, there is not a perfect window left, and the shutters but imperfectly exclude the rain. The ceilings and walls are mildewed and green with damp stains. Here and there, where the drip falls from the ceiling, the floors are rotting. On stormy nights, as the guard described, you can hear the doors clapping in the old house, as far away as old Gryston bridge, and the howl and sobbing of the wind through its empty galleries. About seventy years ago died the old Squire, Toby Marston, famous in that part of the world for his hounds, his hospitality, and his vices. He had done kind things,[22] and he had fought duels: he had given away money and he had horse-whipped people. He carried with him some blessings and a good many curses, and left behind him an amount of debts and charges upon the estates which appalled his two sons, who had no taste for business or accounts, and had never suspected, till that wicked, open-handed, and swearing old gentleman died, how very nearly he had run the estates into insolvency. They met at Gylingden Hall. They had the will before them, and lawyers to interpret, and information without stint, as to the encumbrances with which the deceased had saddled them. The will was so framed as to set the two brothers instantly at deadly feud. These brothers differed in some points; but in one material characteristic they resembled one another, and also their departed father. They never went into a quarrel by halves, and once in, they did not stick at trifles. The elder, Scroope Marston, the more dangerous man of the two, had never been a favourite of the old Squire. He had no taste for the sports of the field and the pleasures of a rustic life. He was no athlete, and he certainly was not handsome. All this the Squire resented. The young man, who had no respect for him, and outgrew his fear of his violence as he came to manhood, retorted. This aversion, therefore, in the ill-conditioned old man grew into positive hatred. He used to wish that d——d pippin-squeezing, hump-backed rascal Scroope, out of the way of better men—meaning his younger son Charles; and in his cups would talk in a way which even the old and young fellows who followed his hounds, and drank his port, and could stand a reasonable amount of brutality, did not like. Scroope Marston was slightly deformed, and he had the lean sallow face, piercing black eyes, and black lank hair, which sometimes accompany deformity.[23] "I'm no feyther o' that hog-backed creature. I'm no sire of hisn, d——n him! I'd as soon call that tongs son o' mine," the old man used to bawl, in allusion to his son's long, lank limbs: "Charlie's a man, but that's a jack-an-ape. He has no good-nature; there's nothing handy, nor manly, nor no one turn of a Marston in him." And when he was pretty drunk, the old Squire used to swear he should never "sit at the head o' that board; nor frighten away folk from Gylingden Hall wi' his d——d hatchet-face—the black loon!" "Handsome Charlie was the man for his money. He knew what a horse was, and could sit to his bottle; and the lasses were all clean mad about him. He was a Marston every inch of his six foot two." Handsome Charlie and he, however, had also had a row or two. The old Squire was free with his horsewhip as with his tongue, and on occasion when neither weapon was quite practicable, had been known to give a fellow "a tap o' his knuckles." Handsome Charlie, however, thought there was a period at which personal chastisement should cease; and one night, when the port was flowing, there was some allusion to Marion Hayward, the miller's daughter, which for some reason the old gentleman did not like. Being "in liquor," and having clearer ideas about pugilism than self-government, he struck out, to the surprise of all present, at Handsome Charlie. The youth threw back his head scientifically, and nothing followed but the crash of a decanter on the floor. But the old Squire's blood was up, and he bounced from his chair. Up jumped Handsome Charlie, resolved to stand no nonsense. Drunken Squire Lilbourne, intending to mediate, fell flat on the floor, and cut his ear among the glasses. Handsome Charlie caught the thump which the old Squire discharged at him upon his open hand, and[24] catching him by the cravat, swung him with his back to the wall. They said the old man never looked so purple, nor his eyes so goggle before; and then Handsome Charlie pinioned him tight to the wall by both arms. "Well, I say—come, don't you talk no more nonsense o' that sort, and I won't lick you," croaked the old Squire. "You stopped that un clever, you did. Didn't he? Come, Charlie, man, gie us your hand, I say, and sit down again, lad." And so the battle ended; and I believe it was the last time the Squire raised his hand to Handsome Charlie. But those days were over. Old Toby Marston lay cold and quiet enough now, under the drip of the mighty ash-tree within the Saxon ruin where so many of the old Marston race returned to dust, and were forgotten. The weather-stained top-boots and leather-breeches, the three-cornered cocked hat to which old gentlemen of that day still clung, and the well-known red waistcoat that reached below his hips, and the fierce pug face of the old Squire, were now but a picture of memory. And the brothers between whom he had planted an irreconcilable quarrel, were now in their new mourning suits, with the gloss still on, debating furiously across the table in the great oak parlour, which had so often resounded to the banter and coarse songs, the oaths and laughter of the congenial neighbours whom the old Squire of Gylingden Hall loved to assemble there. These young gentlemen, who had grown up in Gylingden Hall, were not accustomed to bridle their tongues, nor, if need be, to hesitate about a blow. Neither had been at the old man's funeral. His death had been sudden. Having been helped to his bed in that hilarious and quarrelsome state which was induced by port and punch, he was found dead in the morning,—his head hanging[25] over the side of the bed, and his face very black and swollen. Now the Squire's will despoiled his eldest son of Gylingden, which had descended to the heir time out of mind. Scroope Marston was furious. His deep stern voice was heard inveighing against his dead father and living brother, and the heavy thumps on the table with which he enforced his stormy recriminations resounded through the large chamber. Then broke in Charles's rougher voice, and then came a quick alternation of short sentences, and then both voices together in growing loudness and anger, and at last, swelling the tumult, the expostulations of pacific and frightened lawyers, and at last a sudden break up of the conference. Scroope broke out of the room, his pale furious face showing whiter against his long black hair, his dark fierce eyes blazing, his hands clenched, and looking more ungainly and deformed than ever in the convulsions of his fury. Very violent words must have passed between them; for Charlie, though he was the winning man, was almost as angry as Scroope. The elder brother was for holding possession of the house, and putting his rival to legal process to oust him. But his legal advisers were clearly against it. So, with a heart boiling over with gall, up he went to London, and found the firm who had managed his father's business fair and communicative enough. They looked into the settlements, and found that Gylingden was excepted. It was very odd, but so it was, specially excepted; so that the right of the old Squire to deal with it by his will could not be questioned. Notwithstanding all this, Scroope, breathing vengeance and aggression, and quite willing to wreck himself provided he could run his brother down, assailed Handsome Charlie, and battered old Squire Toby's will in the Prerogative[26] Court and also at common law, and the feud between the brothers was knit, and every month their exasperation was heightened. Scroope was beaten, and defeat did not soften him. Charles might have forgiven hard words; but he had been himself worsted during the long campaign in some of those skirmishes, special motions, and so forth, that constitute the episodes of a legal epic like that in which the Marston brothers figured as opposing combatants; and the blight of law costs had touched him, too, with the usual effect upon the temper of a man of embarrassed means. Years flew, and brought no healing on their wings. On the contrary, the deep corrosion of this hatred bit deeper by time. Neither brother married. But an accident of a different kind befell the younger, Charles Marston, which abridged his enjoyments very materially. This was a bad fall from his hunter. There were severe fractures, and there was concussion of the brain. For some time it was thought that he could not recover. He disappointed these evil auguries, however. He did recover, but changed in two essential particulars. He had received an injury in his hip, which doomed him never more to sit in the saddle. And the rollicking animal spirits which hitherto had never failed him, had now taken flight for ever. He had been for five days in a state of coma—absolute insensibility—and when he recovered consciousness he was haunted by an indescribable anxiety. Tom Cooper, who had been butler in the palmy days of Gylingden Hall, under old Squire Toby, still maintained his post with old-fashioned fidelity, in these days of faded splendour and frugal housekeeping. Twenty years had passed since the death of his old master. He had grown lean, and stooped, and his face, dark with the peculiar[27] brown of age, furrowed and gnarled, and his temper, except with his master, had waxed surly. His master had visited Bath and Buxton, and came back, as he went, lame, and halting gloomily about with the aid of a stick. When the hunter was sold, the last tradition of the old life at Gylingden disappeared. The young Squire, as he was still called, excluded by his mischance from the hunting-field, dropped into a solitary way of life, and halted slowly and solitarily about the old place, seldom raising his eyes, and with an appearance of indescribable gloom. Old Cooper could talk freely on occasion with his master; and one day he said, as he handed him his hat and stick in the hall: "You should rouse yourself up a bit, Master Charles!" "It's past rousing with me, old Cooper." "It's just this, I'm thinking: there's something on your mind, and you won't tell no one. There's no good keeping it on your stomach. You'll be a deal lighter if you tell it. Come, now, what is it, Master Charlie?" The Squire looked with his round grey eyes straight into Cooper's eyes. He felt that there was a sort of spell broken. It was like the old rule of the ghost who can't speak till it is spoken to. He looked earnestly into old Cooper's face for some seconds, and sighed deeply. "It ain't the first good guess you've made in your day, old Cooper, and I'm glad you've spoke. It's bin on my mind, sure enough, ever since I had that fall. Come in here after me, and shut the door." The Squire pushed open the door of the oak parlour, and looked round on the pictures abstractedly. He had not been there for some time, and, seating himself on the table, he looked again for a while in Cooper's face before he spoke.[28] "It's not a great deal, Cooper, but it troubles me, and I would not tell it to the parson nor the doctor; for, God knows what they'd say, though there's nothing to signify in it. But you were always true to the family, and I don't mind if I tell you." "'Tis as safe with Cooper, Master Charles, as if 'twas locked in a chest, and sunk in a well." "It's only this," said Charles Marston, looking down on the end of his stick, with which he was tracing lines and circles, "all the time I was lying like dead, as you thought, after that fall, I was with the old master." He raised his eyes to Cooper's again as he spoke, and with an awful oath he repeated—"I was with him, Cooper!" "He was a good man, sir, in his way," repeated old Cooper, returning his gaze with awe." He was a good master to me, and a good father to you, and I hope he's happy. May God rest him!" "Well," said Squire Charles, "it's only this: the whole of that time I was with him, or he was with me—I don't know which. The upshot is, we were together, and I thought I'd never get out of his hands again, and all the time he was bullying me about some one thing; and if it was to save my life, Tom Cooper, by —— from the time I waked I never could call to mind what it was; and I think I'd give that hand to know; and if you can think of anything it might be—for God's sake! don't be afraid, Tom Cooper, but speak it out, for he threatened me hard, and it was surely him." Here ensued a silence. "And what did you think it might be yourself, Master Charles?" said Cooper. "I han't thought of aught that's likely. I'll never hit on't—never. I thought it might happen he knew something about that d—— hump-backed villain, Scroope, that[29] swore before Lawyer Gingham I made away with a paper of settlements—me and father; and, as I hope to be saved, Tom Cooper, there never was a bigger lie! I'd a had the law of him for them identical words, and cast him for more than he's worth; only Lawyer Gingham never goes into nothing for me since money grew scarce in Gylingden; and I can't change my lawyer, I owe him such a hatful of money. But he did, he swore he'd hang me yet for it. He said it in them identical words—he'd never rest till he hanged me for it, and I think it was, like enough, something about that, the old master was troubled; but it's enough to drive a man mad. I can't bring it to mind—I can't remember a word he said, only he threatened awful, and looked—Lord a mercy on us!—frightful bad." "There's no need he should. May the Lord a-mercy on him!" said the old butler. "No, of course; and you're not to tell a soul, Cooper—not a living soul, mind, that I said he looked bad, nor nothing about it." "God forbid!" said old Cooper, shaking his head. "But I was thinking, sir, it might ha' been about the slight that's bin so long put on him by having no stone over him, and never a scratch o' a chisel to say who he is." "Ay! Well, I didn't think o' that. Put on your hat, old Cooper, and come down wi' me; for I'll look after that, at any rate." There is a bye-path leading by a turnstile to the park, and thence to the picturesque old burying-place, which lies in a nook by the roadside, embowered in ancient trees. It was a fine autumnal sunset, and melancholy lights and long shadows spread their peculiar effects over the landscape as "Handsome Charlie" and the old butler made their way slowly toward the place where Handsome Charlie was himself to lie at last.[30] "Which of the dogs made that howling all last night?" asked the Squire, when they had got on a little way. "'Twas a strange dog, Master Charlie, in front of the house; ours was all in the yard—a white dog wi' a black head, he looked to be, and he was smelling round them mounting-steps the old master, God be wi' him! set up, the time his knee was bad. When the tyke got up a' top of them, howlin' up at the windows, I'd a liked to shy something at him." "Hullo! Is that like him?" said the Squire, stopping short, and pointing with his stick at a dirty-white dog, with a large black head, which was scampering round them in a wide circle, half crouching with that air of uncertainty and deprecation which dogs so well know how to assume. He whistled the dog up. He was a large, half-starved bull-dog. "That fellow has made a long journey—thin as a whipping-post, and stained all over, and his claws worn to the stumps," said the Squire, musingly. "He isn't a bad dog, Cooper. My poor father liked a good bull-dog, and knew a cur from a good 'un." The dog was looking up into the Squire's face with the peculiar grim visage of his kind, and the Squire was thinking irreverently how strong a likeness it presented to the character of his father's fierce pug features when he was clutching his horsewhip and swearing at a keeper. "If I did right I'd shoot him. He'll worry the cattle, and kill our dogs," said the Squire. "Hey, Cooper? I'll tell the keeper to look after him. That fellow could pull down a sheep, and he shan't live on my mutton." But the dog was not to be shaken off. He looked wistfully after the Squire, and after they had got a little way on, he followed timidly. It was vain trying to drive him off. The dog ran round[31] them in wide circles, like the infernal dog in "Faust"; only he left no track of thin flame behind him. These manœuvres were executed with a sort of beseeching air, which flattered and touched the object of this odd preference. So he called him up again, patted him, and then and there in a manner adopted him. The dog now followed their steps dutifully, as if he had belonged to Handsome Charlie all his days. Cooper unlocked the little iron door, and the dog walked in close behind their heels, and followed them as they visited the roofless chapel. The Marstons were lying under the floor of this little building in rows. There is not a vault. Each has his distinct grave enclosed in a lining of masonry. Each is surmounted by a stone kist, on the upper flag of which is enclosed his epitaph, except that of poor old Squire Toby. Over him was nothing but the grass and the line of masonry which indicate the site of the kist, whenever his family should afford him one like the rest. "Well, it does look shabby. It's the elder brother's business; but if he won't, I'll see to it myself, and I'll take care, old boy, to cut sharp and deep in it, that the elder son having refused to lend a hand the stone was put there by the younger." They strolled round this little burial-ground. The sun was now below the horizon, and the red metallic glow from the clouds, still illuminated by the departed sun, mingled luridly with the twilight. When Charlie peeped again into the little chapel, he saw the ugly dog stretched upon Squire Toby's grave, looking at least twice his natural length, and performing such antics as made the young Squire stare. If you have ever seen a cat stretched on the floor, with a bunch of Valerian, straining, writhing, rubbing its jaws in long-drawn caresses, and in the absorption of a sensual[32] ecstasy, you have seen a phenomenon resembling that which Handsome Charlie witnessed on looking in. The head of the brute looked so large, its body so long and thin, and its joints so ungainly and dislocated, that the Squire, with old Cooper beside him, looked on with a feeling of disgust and astonishment, which, in a moment or two more, brought the Squire's stick down upon him with a couple of heavy thumps. The beast awakened from his ecstasy, sprang to the head of the grave, and there on a sudden, thick and bandy as before, confronted the Squire, who stood at its foot, with a terrible grin, and eyes that glared with the peculiar green of canine fury. The next moment the dog was crouching abjectly at the Squire's feet. "Well, he's a rum 'un!" said old Cooper, looking hard at him. "I like him," said the Squire. "I don't," said Cooper. "But he shan't come in here again," said the Squire. "I shouldn't wonder if he was a witch," said old Cooper, who remembered more tales of witchcraft than are now current in that part of the world. "He's a good dog," said the Squire, dreamily. "I remember the time I'd a given a handful for him—but I'll never be good for nothing again. Come along." And he stooped down and patted him. So up jumped the dog and looked up in his face, as if watching for some sign, ever so slight, which he might obey. Cooper did not like a bone in that dog's skin. He could not imagine what his master saw to admire in him. He kept him all night in the gun-room, and the dog accompanied him in his halting rambles about the place. The fonder his master grew of him, the less did Cooper and the other servants like him.[33] "He hasn't a point of a good dog about him," Cooper would growl. "I think Master Charlie be blind. And old Captain (an old red parrot, who sat chained to a perch in the oak parlour, and conversed with himself, and nibbled at his claws and bit his perch all day),—old Captain, the only living thing, except one or two of us, and the Squire himself, that remembers the old master, the minute he saw the dog, screeched as if he was struck, shakin' his feathers out quite wild, and drops down, poor old soul, a-hangin' by his foot, in a fit." But there is no accounting for fancies, and the Squire was one of those dogged persons who persist more obstinately in their whims the more they are opposed. But Charles Marston's health suffered by his lameness. The transition from habitual and violent exercise to such a life as his privation now consigned him to, was never made without a risk to health; and a host of dyspeptic annoyances, the existence of which he had never dreamed of before, now beset him in sad earnest. Among these was the now not unfrequent troubling of his sleep with dreams and nightmares. In these his canine favourite invariably had a part and was generally a central, and sometimes a solitary figure. In these visions the dog seemed to stretch himself up the side of the Squire's bed, and in dilated proportions to sit at his feet, with a horrible likeness to the pug features of old Squire Toby, with his tricks of wagging his head and throwing up his chin; and then he would talk to him about Scroope, and tell him "all wasn't straight," and that he "must make it up wi' Scroope," that he, the old Squire, had "served him an ill turn," that "time was nigh up," and that "fair was fair," and he was "troubled where he was, about Scroope."Then in his dream this semi-human brute would approach his face to his, crawling and crouching up his[34] body, heavy as lead, till the face of the beast was laid on his, with the same odious caresses and stretchings and writhings which he had seen over the old Squire's grave. Then Charlie would wake up with a gasp and a howl, and start upright in the bed, bathed in a cold moisture, and fancy he saw something white sliding off the foot of the bed. Sometimes he thought it might be the curtain with white lining that slipped down, or the coverlet disturbed by his uneasy turnings; but he always fancied, at such moments, that he saw something white sliding hastily off the bed; and always when he had been visited by such dreams the dog next morning was more than usually caressing and servile, as if to obliterate, by a more than ordinary welcome, the sentiment of disgust which the horror of the night had left behind it. The doctor half-satisfied the Squire that there was nothing in these dreams, which, in one shape or another, invariably attended forms of indigestion such as he was suffering from. For a while, as if to corroborate this theory, the dog ceased altogether to figure in them. But at last there came a vision in which, more unpleasantly than before, he did resume his old place. In his nightmare the room seemed all but dark; he heard what he knew to be the dog walking from the door round his bed slowly, to the side from which he always had come upon it. A portion of the room was uncarpeted, and he said he distinctly heard the peculiar tread of a dog, in which the faint clatter of the claws is audible. It was a light stealthy step, but at every tread the whole room shook heavily; he felt something place itself at the foot of his bed, and saw a pair of green eyes staring at him in the dark, from which he could not remove his own. Then he heard, as he thought, the old Squire Toby say—"The[35] eleventh hour be passed, Charlie, and ye've done nothing—you and I 'a done Scroope a wrong!" and then came a good deal more, and then—"The time's nigh up, it's going to strike." And with a long low growl, the thing began to creep up upon his feet; the growl continued, and he saw the reflection of the up-turned green eyes upon the bed-clothes, as it began slowly to stretch itself up his body towards his face. With a loud scream, he waked. The light, which of late the Squire was accustomed to have in his bedroom, had accidentally gone out. He was afraid to get up, or even to look about the room for some time; so sure did he feel of seeing the green eyes in the dark fixed on him from some corner. He had hardly recovered from the first agony which nightmare leaves behind it, and was beginning to collect his thoughts, when he heard the clock strike twelve. And he bethought him of the words "the eleventh hour be passed—time's nigh up—it's going to strike!" and he almost feared that he would hear the voice reopening the subject. Next morning the Squire came down looking ill. "Do you know a room, old Cooper," said he, "they used to call King Herod's Chamber?" "Ay, sir; the story of King Herod was on the walls o't when I was a boy." "There's a closet off it—is there?" "I can't be sure o' that; but 'tisn't worth your looking at, now; the hangings was rotten, and took off the walls, before you was born; and there's nou't there but some old broken things and lumber. I seed them put there myself by poor Twinks; he was blind of an eye, and footman afterwards. You'll remember Twinks? He died here, about the time o' the great snow. There was a deal o' work to bury him, poor fellow!"[36] "Get the key, old Cooper; I'll look at the room," said the Squire. "And what the devil can you want to look at it for?" said Cooper, with the old-world privilege of a rustic butler. "And what the devil's that to you? But I don't mind if I tell you. I don't want that dog in the gun-room, and I'll put him somewhere else; and I don't care if I put him there." "A bull-dog in a bedroom! Oons, sir! the folks 'ill say you're clean mad!" "Well, let them; get you the key, and let us look at the room." "You'd shoot him if you did right, Master Charlie. You never heard what a noise he kept up all last night in the gun-room, walking to and fro growling like a tiger in a show; and, say what you like, the dog's not worth his feed; he hasn't a point of a dog; he's a bad dog." "I know a dog better than you—and he's a good dog!" said the Squire, testily. "If you was a judge of a dog you'd hang that 'un," said Cooper. "I'm not a-going to hang him, so there's an end. Go you, and get the key; and don't be talking, mind, when you go down. I may change my mind." Now this freak of visiting King Herod's room had, in truth, a totally different object from that pretended by the Squire. The voice in his nightmare had uttered a particular direction, which haunted him, and would give him no peace until he had tested it. So far from liking that dog to-day, he was beginning to regard it with a horrible suspicion; and if old Cooper had not stirred his obstinate temper by seeming to dictate, I dare say he would have got rid of that inmate effectually before evening.[37] Up to the third storey, long disused, he and old Cooper mounted. At the end of a dusty gallery, the room lay. The old tapestry, from which the spacious chamber had taken its name, had long given place to modern paper, and this was mildewed, and in some places hanging from the walls. A thick mantle of dust lay over the floor. Some broken chairs and boards, thick with dust, lay, along with other lumber, piled together at one end of the room. They entered the closet, which was quite empty. The Squire looked round, and you could hardly have said whether he was relieved or disappointed. "No furniture here," said the Squire, and looked through the dusty window. "Did you say anything to me lately—I don't mean this morning—about this room, or the closet—or anything—I forget—" "Lor' bless you! Not I. I han't been thinkin' o' this room this forty year." "Is there any sort of old furniture called a buffet—do you remember?" asked the Squire. "A buffet? why, yes—to be sure—there was a buffet, sure enough, in this closet, now you bring it to my mind," said Cooper. "But it's papered over." "And what is it?" "A little cupboard in the wall," answered the old man. "Ho—I see—and there's such a thing here, is there, under the paper? Show me whereabouts it was." "Well—I think it was somewhere about here," answered he, rapping his knuckles along the wall opposite the window. "Ay, there it is," he added, as the hollow sound of a wooden door was returned to his knock. The Squire pulled the loose paper from the wall, and disclosed the doors of a small press, about two feet square, fixed in the wall.[38] "The very thing for my buckles and pistols, and the rest of my gimcracks," said the Squire. "Come away, we'll leave the dog where he is. Have you the key of that little press?" No, he had not. The old master had emptied and locked it up, and desired that it should be papered over, and that was the history of it. Down came the Squire, and took a strong turn-screw from his gun-case; and quietly he reascended to King Herod's room, and, with little trouble, forced the door of the small press in the closet wall. There were in it some letters and cancelled leases, and also a parchment deed which he took to the window and read with much agitation. It was a supplemental deed executed about a fortnight after the others, and previously to his father's marriage, placing Gylingden under strict settlement to the elder son, in what is called "tail male." Handsome Charlie, in his fraternal litigation, had acquired a smattering of technical knowledge, and he perfectly well knew that the effect of this would be not only to transfer the house and lands to his brother Scroope, but to leave him at the mercy of that exasperated brother, who might recover from him personally every guinea he had ever received by way of rent, from the date of his father's death. It was a dismal, clouded day, with something threatening in its aspect, and the darkness, where he stood, was made deeper by the top of one of the huge old trees overhanging the window. In a state of awful confusion he attempted to think over his position. He placed the deed in his pocket, and nearly made up his mind to destroy it. A short time ago he would not have hesitated for a moment under such circumstances; but now his health and his nerves were shattered, and he was under a supernatural alarm which[39] the strange discovery of this deed had powerfully confirmed. In this state of profound agitation he heard a sniffing at the closet-door, and then an impatient scratch and a long low growl. He screwed his courage up, and, not knowing what to expect, threw the door open and saw the dog, not in his dream-shape, but wriggling with joy, and crouching and fawning with eager submission; and then wandering about the closet, the brute growled awfully into the corners of it, and seemed in an unappeasable agitation. Then the dog returned and fawned and crouched again at his feet. After the first moment was over, the sensations of abhorrence and fear began to subside, and he almost reproached himself for requiting the affection of this poor friendless brute with the antipathy which he had really done nothing to earn. The dog pattered after him down the stairs. Oddly enough, the sight of this animal, after the first revulsion, reassured him; it was, in his eyes, so attached, so good-natured, and palpably so mere a dog. By the hour of evening the Squire had resolved on a middle course; he would not inform his brother of his discovery, nor yet would he destroy the deed. He would never marry. He was past that time. He would leave a letter, explaining the discovery of the deed, addressed to the only surviving trustee—who had probably forgotten everything about it—and having seen out his own tenure, he would provide that all should be set right after his death. Was not that fair? at all events it quite satisfied what he called his conscience, and he thought it a devilish good compromise for his brother; and he went out, towards sunset, to take his usual walk. Returning in the darkening twilight, the dog, as usual[40] attending him, began to grow frisky and wild, at first scampering round him in great circles, as before, nearly at the top of his speed, his great head between his paws as he raced. Gradually more excited grew the pace and narrower his circuit, louder and fiercer his continuous growl, and the Squire stopped and grasped his stick hard, for the lurid eyes and grin of the brute threatened an attack. Turning round and round as the excited brute encircled him, and striking vainly at him with his stick, he grew at last so tired that he almost despaired of keeping him longer at bay; when on a sudden the dog stopped short and crawled up to his feet wriggling and crouching submissively. Nothing could be more apologetic and abject; and when the Squire dealt him two heavy thumps with his stick, the dog whimpered only, and writhed and licked his feet. The Squire sat down on a prostrate tree; and his dumb companion, recovering his wonted spirits immediately, began to sniff and nuzzle among the roots. The Squire felt in his breast-pocket for the deed—it was safe; and again he pondered, in this loneliest of spots, on the question whether he should preserve it for restoration after his death to his brother, or destroy it forthwith. He began rather to lean toward the latter solution, when the long low growl of the dog not far off startled him. He was sitting in a melancholy grove of old trees, that slants gently westward. Exactly the same odd effect of light I have before described—a faint red glow reflected downward from the upper sky, after the sun had set, now gave to the growing darkness a lurid uncertainty. This grove, which lies in a gentle hollow, owing to its circumscribed horizon on all but one side, has a peculiar character of loneliness. He got up and peeped over a sort of barrier, accidentally[41] formed of the trunks of felled trees laid one over the other, and saw the dog straining up the other side of it, and hideously stretched out, his ugly head looking in consequence twice the natural size. His dream was coming over him again. And now between the trunks the brute's ungainly head was thrust, and the long neck came straining through, and the body, twining after it like a huge white lizard; and as it came striving and twisting through, it growled and glared as if it would devour him. As swiftly as his lameness would allow, the Squire hurried from this solitary spot towards the house. What thoughts exactly passed through his mind as he did so, I am sure he could not have told. But when the dog came up with him it seemed appeased, and even in high good-humour, and no longer resembled the brute that haunted his dreams. That night, near ten o'clock, the Squire, a good deal agitated, sent for the keeper, and told him that he believed the dog was mad, and that he must shoot him. He might shoot the dog in the gun-room, where he was—a grain of shot or two in the wainscot did not matter, and the dog must not have a chance of getting out. The Squire gave the gamekeeper his double-barrelled gun, loaded with heavy shot. He did not go with him beyond the hall. He placed his hand on the keeper's arm; the keeper said his hand trembled, and that he looked "as white as curds."Listen a bit!" said the Squire under his breath. They heard the dog in a state of high excitement in the room—growling ominously, jumping on the window-stool and down again, and running round the room. "You'll need to be sharp, mind—don't give him a chance—slip in edgeways, d'ye see? and give him both barrels!"[42] "Not the first mad dog I've knocked over, sir," said the man, looking very serious as he cocked the gun. As the keeper opened the door, the dog had sprung into the empty grate. He said he "never see sich a stark, staring devil." The beast made a twist round, as if, he thought, to jump up the chimney—"but that wasn't to be done at no price,"—and he made a yell—not like a dog—like a man caught in a mill-crank, and before he could spring at the keeper, he fired one barrel into him. The dog leaped towards him, and rolled over, receiving the second barrel in his head, as he lay snorting at the keeper's feet! "I never seed the like; I never heard a screech like that!" said the keeper, recoiling. "It makes a fellow feel queer." "Quite dead?" asked the Squire. "Not a stir in him, sir," said the man, pulling him along the floor by the neck. "Throw him outside the hall-door now," said the Squire;" and mind you pitch him outside the gate to-night—old Cooper says he's a witch," and the pale Squire smiled, "so he shan't lie in Gylingden." Never was man more relieved than the Squire, and he slept better for a week after this than he had done for many weeks before. It behoves us all to act promptly on our good resolutions. There is a determined gravitation towards evil, which, if left to itself, will bear down first intentions. If at one moment of superstitious fear, the Squire had made up his mind to a great sacrifice, and resolved in the matter of that deed so strangely recovered, to act honestly by his brother, that resolution very soon gave place to the compromise with fraud, which so conveniently postponed the restitution to the period when further enjoyment on his[43] part was impossible. Then came more tidings of Scroope's violent and minatory language, with always the same burthen—that he would leave no stone unturned to show that there had existed a deed which Charles had either secreted or destroyed, and that he would never rest till he had hanged him.
submitted by Willy_Fisher to oldstories [link] [comments]
2024.04.22 19:29 DiscoverDurham Things to do in Durham this week!
If you’d like to add an event to our calendar, submit an event here. Please check with the event organizers to see if events change due to weather. Have a great week!
See the full weekly calendar on our website.
Earth Day Pop-Up at Edison Johnson Recreation Center
5 p.m.
Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
Bike Durham Meet Up at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
OnlyUs Media Presents: The Bank at Rubies on Five Points
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
12 p.m.
Our Community Stories: Grant Street at Online
4 p.m.
Duke Softball vs Gardner-Webb at Duke Softball Stadium
5:30 p.m.
Boxyard Run Club at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
Queer Craft Night and Tarot with Rene at Arcana
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar at Rubies on Five Points
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
8 p.m.
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
An Indie Show at Moon Dog Meadery
Nervous Surface / Zealotrous / Old Suns at The Pinhook
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
4 p.m.
Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
Duke Softball vs Longwood at Duke Softball Stadium
4:30 p.m.
Staff Meal Omakase at Dashi
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
5:30 p.m.
Primavera: A Spring-inspired Wine Dinner in 5 Courses at Copa
6 p.m.
Figure Drawing and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
Valentine's Mini Market at The Durham Hotel
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
Team Trivia with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Still Skating Adult Inline and Roller Skating Class at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Old Havana Nights featuring Brevan Hampden at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
8 p.m.
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery
Lou Turner + Little Mazarn w/ Special Guest Nathan Bowles at The Pinhook
Taking Back Thursday: XOXOK at Boxyard RTP
1 p.m.
Meet the Keepers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Durham Night Market at American Tobacco Campus
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
Funguys Brewing Tap Takeover at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
5:30 p.m.
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Dyke Night and Tarot with Emily at Arcana
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
A Return to Play at The Rickhouse
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Jazzmeia Horn at Hayti Heritage Center
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Beaux Mondes at The Blue Note Grill
Gabe Lee at The Carolina Theatre
DIY Tiramisu Class at Weldon Mills Distillery
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Laurel Hells Ramblers / Three Top Serenaders / Kevin Coleman at The Pinhook
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
12 p.m.
April Japanese Tea Gathering: Children’s Day at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Co-Working & Networking Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
4:30 p.m.
Wheels Roller Skate Party at Durham Central Park
5 p.m.
Guided Museum Tours at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5:30 p.m.
Tea Cup Gin at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
Ben Lassiter Gypsy Jazz and Tarot with Kathleen at Arcana
Friday Night Makes at Durham Arts Council
Duke Baseball vs Florida State at Jack Coombs Stadium
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Live Vinyl Spinning by PhDJ at Beer Study Durham
NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble at B.N. Duke Annex New Band Room at NCCU
7:30 p.m.
Eric Williams Quintet at Sharp 9 Gallery
8 p.m.
Doric String Quartet at Baldwin Auditorium
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham
Karaoke at Fullsteam Brewery
A Rock Show at Moon Dog Meadery
Three Dog Night at The Carolina Theatre
9 p.m.
Planet Drag Show at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Taylor's Version: A Swiftie Dance Party at Motorco Music Hall
Afrobeats Night at Unscripted Durham
10 p.m.
Gorgon City at The Fruit
Angels Among Us 5k and Walk of HOPE at Duke University
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
Bull City Madness at Recity Network
9:30 a.m.
Guide Supported Canoeing, Kayaking, and Standup Paddleboarding at Falls Lake
FinFit Life 5K Challenge at Frontier Campus RTP
10 a.m.
159th Anniversary Surrender Commemoration at Bennett Place State Historic Site
11 a.m.
Kayaking 101 at Falls Lake
Art Walk at Old North Durham
12 p.m.
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
April Japanese Tea Gathering: Children’s Day at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
2:15 p.m.
April Japanese Tea Gathering: Children’s Day at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
4 p.m.
Beats n Bars Festival Block Party at American Tobacco Campus
Duke Baseball vs Florida State at Jack Coombs Stadium
6 p.m.
Tarot with Rene at Arcana
Durham Center for Senior Life 75th Anniversary Gala at Durham Center for Senior Life
6:30 p.m.
Tall Glass and Sara Jean Kelley at Huron Stage Music Venue
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Jasmine Powell & Anthony Otto Nelson, Jr. at ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios
“The Day Had Come” Emancipation & Bennett Place at Bennett Place State Historic Site
JZM Brazilian Jazz Trio at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Eagles Nest Jam featuring NCCU Jazz at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Angela Bingham Trio at Sharp 9 Gallery
Waynard & Rainbow Full of Sound at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
Andrew Cushin at Motorco Music Hall
9 p.m.
Blind Tigers: Live Karaoke! at Rubies on Five Points
Paradox: The Essence of Early Rave at The Fruit
Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
11 a.m.
Durham Underground Market at Durham Central Park
12 p.m.
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham
A Fruit Fundraiser and Audio/Visual Marketplace at The Fruit
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
1 p.m.
Spring Craft Market at Crafts & Drafts
Sip and Solder Stained Glass Workshop at Hi-Wire Brewing
Duke Baseball vs Florida State at Jack Coombs Stadium
Trinity Park Garden Tour: Celebrating Nature in City Gardens & Landscapes at Trinity Park Gazebo
1:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
2 p.m.
Soul Sunday w/ DJ Soul at Congress Social Bar
Back to the Future Fashion Show at Durham Armory
CarolinaWaves x Renaissance Brunch Presents: The Hive Hoedown at Motorco Music Hall
4 p.m.
Big Red Dance Project at ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios
Sip & Shop Market at Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge
Evensong Singers at Duke University Chapel
Seed Theory Permaculture Mini-Series: Part Two at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
5 p.m.
J. Samuel Hammond Carillon Recital Series: Jonathan Lehrer at Duke Chapel Quad
6 p.m.
Clover + Burn the Breeze and Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
submitted by DiscoverDurham to bullcity [link] [comments]
See the full weekly calendar on our website.
Noteworthy Events
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park- Tue, Apr 23 - Sun, Apr 28
- Tue: Education Da
- Wed: Winning Wednesday
- Thu: Dollar Dogs
- Fri: Fireworks
- Sat: Star Wars Night
- Sun: Kids Run The Bases
- $10+
- Building Stronger Communities through the influence of Urban Culture and Music.
- Sat, Apr 27
- 4-9 p.m.
- Free admission
- Enjoy this monthly series featuring new bands every month from Oak City Music Collective, 45+ local vendors, food trucks, workshops by Joy Worthy Co, beewine/bubbly from The Glass Jug and more!
- Sun, Apr 28
- 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
- Free admission
- Grab your cowboy boots and join us as we celebrate Beyonce's new album, “Cowboy Carter” and your favorites off the iconic “Renaissance” album.
- There will be line-dancing, Beyonce bingo, games, prizes, food, and vibes that'll keep you two-stepping all night long.
- Sun, Apr 28
- 2 p.m.
- $10+
Multi-Day Events
Bluey's Big Play at DPAC- When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag.
- Fri, Apr 26 - Sun, Apr 28
- $29.50+
- Be captivated by the timeless tale of love, bravery, and magic as our talented students bring this classic story to life on stage.
- Tickets are available for purchase at the school office or online.
- Thu, Apr 25 - Sat, Apr 27 at 6:30 p.m.
- $15, $7 for students
- A groundbreaking initiative aimed at promoting mental health awareness and strengthening community bonds through art and storytelling.
- Thu, Apr 25 - Sat, Apr 27
- Free admission
- NCCU's 33rd Annual Jazz Festival kicks off with a two-day event in partnership with the Monterrey Jazz Festival and continues with seven days of events with NCCU’s Jazz Studies program and special musical guests.
- Thu, Apr 18 - Tue, Apr 30
- Produced by its senior members, “Regeneration” explores the past, present and future of this historic company and the dancers personal experiences told through the art of tap dance.
- Sat, Apr 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sun, Apr 28 at 3 p.m.
- $18+
- Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations.
- Fri, Apr 26 - Thu, May 2
- $12
- Sandlot Revival is a weekend of games between “sandlot” teams from across the country. The teams are made of folks who just like getting together and playing baseball.
- Sat, Apr 27 - Mon, Apr 29
- Free admission
- Enjoy a look inside the historic McCown-Mangum House, Photography Museum, and Mill.
- Sat, Apr 27 and Sun, Apr 28
- 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- Free admission
- Howl’s Moving Castle
- Challengers
- Double Indemnity
- In a Lonely Place
- Touch of Evil
- Chinatown
- Conflict
- The Lady from Shanghai
- Sunset Boulevard
Monday, Apr 22
Events at The Glass Jug in Downtown Durham- 2-10 p.m. - Board Game Night
- 6-8 p.m. - Disc Golf Putting League
Earth Day Pop-Up at Edison Johnson Recreation Center
5 p.m.
Arts & Drafts at Fullsteam Brewery
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
7 p.m.
Bike Durham Meet Up at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
OnlyUs Media Presents: The Bank at Rubies on Five Points
Tuesday, Apr 23
Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company- 12-8 p.m. - Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
- 7-9 p.m. - Bull City Beer Runners Run Club
- 5:45-6:30 p.m. - Community Fitness Classes with YMCA
- 6-8 p.m. - Music Bingo
- 6-8 p.m. - The Glass Jog Run Club
- 6-8 p.m. - Stitch & Sip
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
12 p.m.
Our Community Stories: Grant Street at Online
4 p.m.
Duke Softball vs Gardner-Webb at Duke Softball Stadium
5:30 p.m.
Boxyard Run Club at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
Queer Craft Night and Tarot with Rene at Arcana
Trivia at Durham Food Hall
Bring Your Own Vinyl with Jaffar at Rubies on Five Points
Women on the Wall at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
7 p.m.
Trivia at Beer Study Durham
Not Rocket Science Trivia at DSSOLVR Durham
Tuesday Blues Jam at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
8 p.m.
Jeremy 'Bean' Clemons Trio at Kingfisher
An Indie Show at Moon Dog Meadery
Nervous Surface / Zealotrous / Old Suns at The Pinhook
Wednesday, Apr 24
Events at Atomic Empire- 7 p.m. - Universus TCG Tournament
- 7 p.m. - Flesh & Blood Social Play Event
- 7-9 p.m. - Monthly Pinball Tournament
- 8-10 p.m. - Air Hockey Tournament
- 12-2 p.m. - Hear & There: Charlie Garnett Trio
- 5:30-8:30 p.m. - Game Night
- 7-8 p.m. - Signature Wine Tasting
- 7-8:30 p.m. - Laughs Comedy Night
Durham Farmers’ Market at Durham Central Park
4 p.m.
Whiskey Wednesdays at Alley Twenty Six
Duke Softball vs Longwood at Duke Softball Stadium
4:30 p.m.
Staff Meal Omakase at Dashi
5 p.m.
Free Wednesday Wine Tasting at Beer Study Durham
5:30 p.m.
Primavera: A Spring-inspired Wine Dinner in 5 Courses at Copa
6 p.m.
Figure Drawing and Tarot with Virginia at Arcana
Valentine's Mini Market at The Durham Hotel
6:30 p.m.
Trivia Night at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
Team Trivia with Pickle at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Still Skating Adult Inline and Roller Skating Class at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company
Hammered Trivia at Hi-Wire Brewing
Karaoke Night at Mavericks Smokehouse
Music Bingo at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
Brett Chambers Open Mic at The Blue Note Grill
7:30 p.m.
Old Havana Nights featuring Brevan Hampden at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
8 p.m.
Trivia Night at Bull McCabe's
Karaoke at Moon Dog Meadery
Lou Turner + Little Mazarn w/ Special Guest Nathan Bowles at The Pinhook
Thursday, Apr 25
Events at Durty Bull Brewing Brewing Company- 12-8 p.m. -Food Truck: Mike's Vegan Cookout
- 7-9 p.m. - Thursday Trivia with Nick
- 7:30-8:30 p.m. - Lab: Improv 101 Class Showcase
- 8:30-9:30 p.m. - Lab: Improv 101 Class Showcase
Taking Back Thursday: XOXOK at Boxyard RTP
1 p.m.
Meet the Keepers at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
3 p.m.
Guided Museum Tour at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5 p.m.
Durham Night Market at American Tobacco Campus
Thirsty Thursdays at Dashi
Funguys Brewing Tap Takeover at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in RTP
5:30 p.m.
Walking Club with Bull City Strollers at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
6 p.m.
Dyke Night and Tarot with Emily at Arcana
Vinyl Night with DJ Deckades at Gizmo Brew Works
A Return to Play at The Rickhouse
6:15 p.m.
Pony Run at Ponysaurus Brewing Company
6:30 p.m.
Line Dance Classes at Mystic Farm and Distillery
Boulders & Brews Meetup at Triangle Rock Club - Durham
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Trivia Night at Beer Tooth Taproom
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night at Congress Social Bar
Jazzmeia Horn at Hayti Heritage Center
Community Board Game Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Beaux Mondes at The Blue Note Grill
Gabe Lee at The Carolina Theatre
DIY Tiramisu Class at Weldon Mills Distillery
7:30 p.m.
Trivia Night with Big Slow Tom at Clouds Brewing Brightleaf Square
8 p.m.
Weekly Single Mingle at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Trivia at Fullsteam Brewery
Laurel Hells Ramblers / Three Top Serenaders / Kevin Coleman at The Pinhook
9:30 p.m.
Karaoke Night at The Tavern
Friday, Apr 26
Events at Atomic Empire- 7 p.m. - Star Wars: Unlimited Weekly Play - Premier
- 7 p.m. - Magic: Standard Showdown
- 5-9 p.m. - Food Truck: Mr Wingz and Mrs Thingz
- 8-11 p.m. - Open Mic Stand-up Comedy
- 8-9 p.m. - Well Seasoned
- 9-10 p.m. - Hush Hush
- 8 p.m. - Cameron Stenger
- 10 p.m. - AYO VIP Presents: Into The Vault
- 6-8 p.m. - The Duke Street Dogs
- 9 p.m. - The Wiley Fosters
- 5-8 p.m. - Food Truck Friday!
- 6:30-9 p.m. - DJ Night with Three Count Records
- 8 p.m. - Max Lane
- 10 p.m. - VSPRTN Presents: Renaissance Disko
Tasting at Ten at Counter Culture Coffee
12 p.m.
April Japanese Tea Gathering: Children’s Day at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Co-Working & Networking Social at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
4:30 p.m.
Wheels Roller Skate Party at Durham Central Park
5 p.m.
Guided Museum Tours at 21c Museum Hotels Durham
5:30 p.m.
Tea Cup Gin at Boxyard RTP
6 p.m.
Ben Lassiter Gypsy Jazz and Tarot with Kathleen at Arcana
Friday Night Makes at Durham Arts Council
Duke Baseball vs Florida State at Jack Coombs Stadium
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Live Vinyl Spinning by PhDJ at Beer Study Durham
NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble at B.N. Duke Annex New Band Room at NCCU
7:30 p.m.
Eric Williams Quintet at Sharp 9 Gallery
8 p.m.
Doric String Quartet at Baldwin Auditorium
Stereo Reveries at DSSOLVR Durham
Karaoke at Fullsteam Brewery
A Rock Show at Moon Dog Meadery
Three Dog Night at The Carolina Theatre
9 p.m.
Planet Drag Show at Boxcar Bar + Arcade
Taylor's Version: A Swiftie Dance Party at Motorco Music Hall
Afrobeats Night at Unscripted Durham
10 p.m.
Gorgon City at The Fruit
Saturday, Apr 27
Events at Atomic Empire- 10:45 a.m. - Star Wars: X-Wing Tournament
- 11 a.m. - Triangle Adventurer’s Game Day: Thayan Throwdown
- 10-11 a.m. - Drag Story Hour
- 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. - Saturdaze: DJ Wicked
- 3:30-5:30 p.m. - Live Music: Shuffle
- 5-9 p.m. - Food Truck: Chophouse BBQ
- 7-9 p.m. - Glorious Laughter Hosted By Ghettorauchi
- Every Saturday, 10-10:30 a.m. and 11-11:30 a.m.
- 5-6 p.m. - Lab: Improv 201 Class Showcase
- 6-7 p.m. - Lab: Improv 301 Class Showcase
- 7:30-8 p.m. - Bull City Press Presents
- 8-9 p.m. - Golden Age
- 9-10:30 p.m. - Secret Society: DEBUT
- 10-11 p.m. - The Improv Jam
- 1 p.m. - Improv Jam
- 8 p.m. - CoLab on Fire
- 8-11 p.m. - A Metal Show
- 7 p.m. - Bombadil "Dancing in Color" / Mark Gabriel Little
- 10:30 p.m. - Party Y2K!
- 2 p.m. - Downtown Durham Walking Tour
- 4 p.m. - Durham African American History Tour
- 6 p.m. - Downtown Durham True Crime Tour
Angels Among Us 5k and Walk of HOPE at Duke University
Durham Farmers' Market at Durham Central Park
parkrun Durham at Southern Boundaries Park
9 a.m.
South Durham Farmers' Market at Greenwood Commons Shopping Center
Bull City Madness at Recity Network
9:30 a.m.
Guide Supported Canoeing, Kayaking, and Standup Paddleboarding at Falls Lake
FinFit Life 5K Challenge at Frontier Campus RTP
10 a.m.
159th Anniversary Surrender Commemoration at Bennett Place State Historic Site
11 a.m.
Kayaking 101 at Falls Lake
Art Walk at Old North Durham
12 p.m.
Crafternoons at Gizmo Brew Works
April Japanese Tea Gathering: Children’s Day at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
2:15 p.m.
April Japanese Tea Gathering: Children’s Day at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
4 p.m.
Beats n Bars Festival Block Party at American Tobacco Campus
Duke Baseball vs Florida State at Jack Coombs Stadium
6 p.m.
Tarot with Rene at Arcana
Durham Center for Senior Life 75th Anniversary Gala at Durham Center for Senior Life
6:30 p.m.
Tall Glass and Sara Jean Kelley at Huron Stage Music Venue
6:35 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
7 p.m.
Jasmine Powell & Anthony Otto Nelson, Jr. at ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios
“The Day Had Come” Emancipation & Bennett Place at Bennett Place State Historic Site
JZM Brazilian Jazz Trio at Succotash Southern & Creole Kitchen
7:30 p.m.
Eagles Nest Jam featuring NCCU Jazz at Missy Lane's Assembly Room
Angela Bingham Trio at Sharp 9 Gallery
Waynard & Rainbow Full of Sound at The Blue Note Grill
8 p.m.
Andrew Cushin at Motorco Music Hall
9 p.m.
Blind Tigers: Live Karaoke! at Rubies on Five Points
Paradox: The Essence of Early Rave at The Fruit
SUNDAY, APR 28
Events at Atomic Empire- 12 p.m. - Community Terrain Improvement Day
- 12 p.m. - Battletech Campaign Day
- 12 p.m. - One Piece TCG Tournament
- 1 p.m. - Lorcana Draft: First Chapter
- 1-6 p.m. - Food Truck: Pull Ups Mobile Eatery
- 2-4 p.m. - Hammered Trivia with Thor
- 5-7 p.m. - Car Care Class
- 12 p.m. - Political Prisoner Letter Writing
- 8 p.m. - Secret Monkey Weekend / Brian K & The Parkway / Lonnie Rott
- 9 p.m. - The Conjure’s 7th Anniversary Party!
Jazz Brunch at Lula & Sadie's
11 a.m.
Durham Underground Market at Durham Central Park
12 p.m.
Sunday Dollar Bin Sale for Charity at Rumors Durham
A Fruit Fundraiser and Audio/Visual Marketplace at The Fruit
Farmers Market at ZincHouse Winery & Brewery
12:15 p.m.
Public Tour at Duke Chapel
1 p.m.
Spring Craft Market at Crafts & Drafts
Sip and Solder Stained Glass Workshop at Hi-Wire Brewing
Duke Baseball vs Florida State at Jack Coombs Stadium
Trinity Park Garden Tour: Celebrating Nature in City Gardens & Landscapes at Trinity Park Gazebo
1:05 p.m.
Durham Bulls vs Scranton/WB at Durham Bulls Athletic Park
2 p.m.
Soul Sunday w/ DJ Soul at Congress Social Bar
Back to the Future Fashion Show at Durham Armory
CarolinaWaves x Renaissance Brunch Presents: The Hive Hoedown at Motorco Music Hall
4 p.m.
Big Red Dance Project at ADF's Samuel H. Scripps Studios
Sip & Shop Market at Corpse Reviver Bar & Lounge
Evensong Singers at Duke University Chapel
Seed Theory Permaculture Mini-Series: Part Two at The Glass Jug Beer Lab in Downtown Durham
5 p.m.
J. Samuel Hammond Carillon Recital Series: Jonathan Lehrer at Duke Chapel Quad
6 p.m.
Clover + Burn the Breeze and Tarot with Heiltje at Arcana
6:30 p.m.
Open Mic Night at Moon Dog Meadery
Running Art Exhibits
Constellations: 40 Years of Explorations within Sacred Geometry at Horse & Buggy Press and Friends Gallery- Sacred Geometry is an ancient field of physics whose equations are expressed through shape. Shape is a way to explore the universal fabric of our existence.
- Sat, Mar 30 - Tue, Apr 30
- Free admission
- Jenny’s acrylic and collage paintings are her response to the diverse landscapes surrounding us. Each stroke of color, each layer of texture, is a tribute to the breathtaking natural panorama of our state—from our rolling hills and sundrenched fields to our skies bursting with drama.
- Fri, Apr 19 - Sat, May 11
- Fri, 5-9 p.m. and Sat, 1-9 p.m.
- Free admission
- This project examines the changing landscape of our city through a series of forty mixed media pieces the artist has created since 2014.
- Third Friday openings on Apr 19 and May 17, 6-9 p.m.
- Drop-in by appointment and Wednesdays 4-7 p.m.
- Free admission
- María Magdalena Campos-Pons: Behold is a monographic exhibition of a visionary voice in photography, immersive installation, painting and performance.
- Thu, Feb 15 - Sun, Jun 9
- Every week, Tue-Sat 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun 12-5 p.m.
- Free admission
- The Divine Nine Legacy Memoir delves deep into the history of the National Panhellenic Council (NPHC) or "Divine Nine," a collective of nine Greek Letter organizations founded on May 10th, 1930.
- These organizations were born out of the necessity to provide a voice for Black American students within the collegiate space. United by principles of service, community, brotherhood, and sisterhood, the Divine Nine work collectively to uplift society through acts of service to underserved areas across the nation.
- Fri, Apr 19 - Sat, June 22
- Free admission
2024.04.22 03:53 Beholderking House Seafyre of Witch Isle
 | House Seafyre of Witch Isle is a Cadet Branch of House Targaryen formed from the union of Lady Rhaena Targaryen and Ser Marth 'the Witchborn" Upcliff in the tail end of 134 AC during the Reign of Aegon III. submitted by Beholderking to ASOIAFWorlds [link] [comments] During Ser Marth's legitimization proceedings requested by his mother, the then current Lady of Witch Isle, Lady Ursula Upcliff III, and Ser Marth's half-brother, the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, Lord Ambrose Fisher of Misty Isle; Marth caught the eye of the stunning beauty of the brazen Targaryen Princess. As the night led into celebration, Marth and Rhaena snuck away to enjoy some "personal time" together, without a care to the facts that both Rhaena's husband, Ser Corwyn Corbray, and Marth's then-fiancée, Lady Jaehaera Celtigar, mingled with hundreds of guests a few floors away. Though they believed they had snuck away unseen, it was unfortunately untrue, as the known sycophantic and erratic Lady Jaehaera watched them leave together, much to her ire. When Lady Jaehaera burst through the door to Marth's quarters, Marth realized the full extent of what he was doing, turning to Jaehaera to beg forgiveness and discretion he noticed the wicked-looking meat cleaver raised above her head and the murderous rage in her eyes. Before Marth could react, Rhaena screamed in terror, then in surprise as the balcony connected to Marth's room exploded inwards in a fury of pink scales and stone. Her dragon, Morning, whether reacting innately to the danger to its Master or if somehow Rhaena had willfully summoned Morning to her side, is up for debate. Morning unleashed a torrent of Dragonfire into the room, engulfing Jaehaera and searing Marth as he used his body to shield the princess. In the following weeks, the scandal of Marth's and Rhaena's affair spread like Wildfire throughout the court and stoked the inner rage and phobia of King Aegon III, who promptly banished Rhaena and Morning from King's Landing and agreed with the High Septon to have her marriage to Ser Corwyn annulled. Marth barely escaped a grisly fate or a life on the wall, due to his brother Lord Ambrose, as Aegon's Regents feared it would incite Lord Fisher, who at the time controlled the largest remaining fighting force in Westeros. What came next would further bewilder the King's Court, as Lady Rhaena arranged a betrothal to Ser Marth as long as he agreed to her terms. Firstly, she wished Marth to recover a number of documents given to her father, Daemon Targaryen, giving him the authority and backing of Westeros to lay claim to the Stepstones and found his own Kingdom; she also wished to recover her father's Crown, the shamefully named Crown of the Firedrake. Secondly, she required the firstborn male child of their union to be legitimized as a full-blood member of her new Cadet Branch, with a signed decree that any other children of their union would hold no claim to any titles, lands, or grants of her House. Lastly, she demanded that Marth or any of his family could not request, leverage, or otherwise manipulate her to fly into battle atop of Morning, though she would defend herself, Marth, and any of their children if the need arose. Marth accepted these demands without question, and their marriage was performed on the spot by the Septon on Dragonstone. After almost three years, Marth was able to deliver on two of her demands, placing the Crown of her father on her head as she cradled their newborn son. Over the following years, Lady Rhaena was able to leverage her influence as the only remaining dragonrider, a Princess of House Targaryen, and self-proclaimed Princess of the Narrow Sea to force the weakened Iron Throne to recognize her as Lady Paramount of the Narrow Sea. Her demesne consisted of her Seat at Claw Isle, Witch Isle, the Pebble, the Paps, the Sisters, Sharp Point, Sunglass, and Tarth. |
2024.04.21 16:05 CIAHerpes I went high in the mountains to watch the eclipse and found a town where people scream at the Sun.
We had been driving for over two hours when the nightmare began. The anomalous behavior that would affect the area started as abruptly as a lightning strike. I felt strange and dissociated. Goosebumps rose all over arms as a smell like ozone filled the air, filtering through the air vents in thick, invisible clouds.
“I am so excited to see this!” my girlfriend Alice cried happily in the passenger seat. “Do you know I have never seen a full solar eclipse before?” I glanced over, feeling nervous. Yet Alice didn’t seem affected in the slightest. I wiped my forehead, clearing the trickles of sweat that had begun forming there.
“Do you smell that?” I asked, changing the mood abruptly. Alice glanced over at me, the smile falling off her face in a space of a moment. She shook her head.
“No, smell what?” she said. I gave her a look of disbelief. The smell of ozone was so thick that I could almost taste it at the back of my throat. I repressed an urge to gag. I rolled down the windows. The breeze cleared out some of the smell, but I still caught hints of it even on the fresh currents of air that streamed through the car.
All around us, the slit wrists of the sky shone a cyanotic blue, covering the earth like a suffocating blanket. Mountain ranges loomed overhead, their sharp peaks hidden under fresh virgin snow. We planned to hike to the top of the highest peak before the solar eclipse began.
“This whole place is so… empty,” Alice said, brushing a lock of blonde hair the color of platinum over her ear. “I can’t remember the last time I saw a house.” She took out her phone. She flicked on the screen before heaving a deep sigh. “And we get absolutely no service all the way out here. You better not get injured! We won’t be able to call for help.” I laughed nervously, wondering if she had just jinxed us.
“You’re the one who’s accident-prone,” I said, starting to relax slightly. The last trace of the foul ozone smell had dissipated by now. The clean mountain air and majestic landscapes rising all around us made the place seem like some kind of wonderland, far removed from the small sufferings and agonies of daily life.
***
After another twenty minutes of driving, surrounded on all sides by dark forests filled with evergreens and shadows, we saw a faded, brown sign reading: “TO MOUNT BLOODSTONE. 5 MILES.”
“Finally!” Alice cried triumphantly, her whole expression changing into one of excitement. “I’ve never been here before, but Kaitlyn told me this place has the best view in the county!” As the mountain loomed in front of us like a crouching giant, I could see why.
It towered over all the surrounding mountains, its sharp, white peak stabbing upwards into the blue sky like a spire. Steep cliffs of light brown stone surrounded it on all sides. Untouched forests of maple, oak and pine grew thick and vibrant on Mount Bloodstone’s rocky soil.
“We still have four hours until the eclipse starts,” Alice said, looking down at her cell phone. The pavement suddenly ended, and the road turned into a snaking path of treadmarks and loose stones. My SUV handled it easily, but it was slow going. A few minutes later, we broke out through the forests and thick brush that carpeted the land. On the driver’s side stood a cliff of jutting rectangular stones and a drop of hundreds of feet to a field of massive stones far below us if I accidentally veered off the narrow road. On the passenger’s side, there were just smooth, vertical walls of hard granite.
“The parking area is supposed to be up ahead just a few miles,” Alice said excitedly. I felt sickening waves of dread passing through my stomach as I glanced out the window at the steep drop waiting only inches away on my side of the car. I wasn’t exactly terrified of heights, and I had no problem going on planes or roller coasters, but situations like this always sent butterflies fluttering through my chest and caused my feet to tingle with anxiety. It was the idea of unsecured heights, the realization that an accidental jerk of the wheel or a tire blowing out at the exact wrong moment could send us careening over the edge.
“You’re not nervous right now?” I asked. Alice only laughed.
“Nope. I trust you, Brian,” she said, putting a warm hand on my shoulder. Her soft skin reminded me of suede, unmarked and unlined. I still couldn’t believe that such a beautiful girl wanted to be with me. We had been together for three months, and it had been one of the happiest periods I could remember.
I looked over at her with love, taking my eyes off the road for a moment. Suddenly, it felt like all of the tires exploded at once, and the car began swerving wildly out of control, the steering wheel spinning wildly in my hands with a pull like a falling stone.
***
“Fuck!” I cried. Alice screamed next to me, her voice filled with mortal terror.
The SUV nearly swerved off the edge of the cliff when the metal rims caught on something and veered hard in the opposite direction. The vehicle swung hard into the rock wall on Alice’s side. There was the tortured shredding of metal, the explosion of glass. Screams filled the car, but I didn’t realize until later that they had come from my own mouth.
My head flew forward, smashing hard into the steering wheel. I immediately tasted salty blood as I bit my tongue hard. My vision went white and pain like lightning ripped its way through my forehead. Time seemed to spiral away into something strange and alien. Stunned, I sat there, not knowing what had happened.
“Brian!” Alice’s voice rang out from next to me, sounding muted and far away. I felt someone shaking my arm gently. “Brian! Can you hear me?” I blinked fast, my vision starting to return to normal. My head felt like it was being pressed in a vice. A splitting migraine ripped its way through my skull. I groaned, raising my hands to my forehead. I tried pushing on the sides of my head, as if I could keep it from splitting apart from simple willpower alone. After a few moments, the pain subsided slightly. I inhaled deeply and spit blood on the floor.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m OK,” I said, though I wasn’t sure how true that was. I pulled my fingers away from my forehead, seeing they were slick with blood. I glanced over at Alice, but other than a small cut across her cheek, she seemed totally unhurt. “What the fuck just happened?” She shook her head, uncertainty crossing her eyes.
“We had an accident,” she said, glancing down at her cell phone. She tried calling 911, putting it up to her ear. She gave me a grim look and shook her head. “There’s no cell phone towers anywhere around here. We’re going to have to walk to find help, or at least until we can find somewhere with cell phone reception.”
“An accident? With what?! The goddamned air?” A rush of adrenaline pushed the pain away temporarily. I flung the door open, stumbling out of the SUV. I looked back on the dirt road that spiraled around its way around the mountain and out of view, seeing the glint of steel. Confused, I started over in that direction.
“Wait!” Alice yelled, quickly jumping out of the vehicle and sprinting to catch up with me. “You don’t look very steady on your feet yet. Maybe you should sit down…”
“Look at this fucking shit!” I cried, pointing to what lay stretched across the road, dug slightly into the dirt. Alice’s eyes widened in understanding as she saw it too.
Someone had set up a spike strip. The gleaming spikes of metal reaching up like claws still had pieces of my shredded tires caught on their sharp points.
***
“Someone’s out to get us,” I whispered nervously, glancing both ways down the dirt road. I had no idea what to do now. We were out in the absolute middle of nowhere. I didn’t even know which direction to go, unless I wanted to try hiking back dozens of miles to the last gas station we had seen. The SUV was blocking the narrow road.
Further down, I saw a small dirt turnaround jutting off to the side. I drove the vehicle on its rims and pulled over, locking the doors. I grabbed my backpack and filled it with my water bottle, buck knife and the small amount of food we had in the car, mostly trail mix and candy. It wouldn’t last long, I knew, and the water would run out even sooner if we didn’t find a river or stream. I grabbed my Swiss army knife and lighter and put them in my pocket, just in case of emergencies.
“Which way?” Alice asked. It was a good question. This road didn’t just lead to the trail that wound its way to the top of Mount Bloodstone, after all, but also continued down the other side and potentially to civilization. I had no map, so I just shrugged and motioned forward.
“I think we should keep moving in the same direction,” I said. “The last gas station was at least twenty miles back that way. For all we know, there could be a house or another gas station much closer if we just keep going straight.” It was weak logic, and I knew I was grasping at straws, but at that moment, straws were all we had.
Alice grabbed her backpack and, side by side, we started hiking up the winding road that ascended the steep slopes of Mount Bloodstone.
***
We had been walking for nearly an hour when I noticed a strange smell wafting on the breeze. It was an overwhelming smell of ozone, thick and cloying, just like I had noticed earlier. I nearly gagged, bending over.
“Oh God, what is that?” I asked. “It’s like a chemical factory is nearby or something.” Alice just shook her head.
From the nearby forest, a cacophony of branches snapping and trees falling started reverberating all around us. When I first heard it, it sounded distant. I looked at Alice at first, wondering if it was some sort of avalanche or earthquake on another nearby mountain.
“Is that an avalanche?” I yelled as the sound rapidly increased into deafening echoes of smashing and breaking, heading in our direction. A predatory cry rang through the mountains, full of power and energy, reminding me of the roaring of some ancient Tyrannosaurus rex. It shook the ground and mixed with the noise of destruction that came at us like a tidal wave. Alice and I started sprinting blindly up the road. She tried to say something, but I couldn’t hear her over the ringing in my ears.
Whatever was causing the racket veered away from us and deeper into the woods, angling itself straight up the side of the mountain. I glanced back, seeing trees fall and branches crash. In the middle of this path of destruction, I caught a glimpse of something massive and alien. It slithered forward like a snake, hundreds of feet long. Its body was covered in soft layers of blood-red feathers that rippled gently in the breeze. A deep turquoise line of feathers ran straight down the center of its spine.
From the top of its body, two enormous wings jutted out like the wings of some enormous dragon. They had soft, pink blood vessels spiderwebbing throughout the pale gray flesh. The wings beat at the air, and the enormous feathered snake slowly flew up, its sharp, spiked tail ripping more trees out of the ground as it slammed from side to side. Within a few seconds, it gained speed, flying up and over an enormous stone cliff and out of view.
***
The world seemed to go silent as the beast disappeared, the echoes of its destruction rapidly fading off into the valleys below. Alice had gotten far ahead of me. I sprinted up to her. She turned to me, covered in sweat, her skin looking chalk-white from terror.
“Did you see it?” I asked breathlessly. She gave me a strange look.
“See what?” she said. “When the avalanche started, I ran. I didn’t see anything.” I stared at her, mouth agape.
“You didn’t look back a minute ago? There was some massive animal causing all those trees to fall. That wasn’t any avalanche,” I said. “It sounds absolutely batshit insane, but it looked like an enormous feathered serpent.”
“That’s ridiculous, Brian,” she said condescendingly. “Are you sure you’re not still suffering from hitting your head during the accident? Sometimes that kind of stuff can cause weird side effects.”
“What, are you saying I’m tripping out? I’m telling you, I saw it as certainly as I see you here in front of me right now. It was moving away from us, and I didn’t see its face, but I saw its body. It must have been two or three hundred feet long,” I said grimly, trying to convince her. Alice only sighed and glanced forward.
“We should keep going,” she said. “We’re going to want to get out of here before nightfall. It gets cold up in the mountains in April.”
“I’ve got my lighter,” I said. “I’ll start a fire if we need to. I’m not worried about that. I am worried about who the hell spiked my tires and why there’s a giant snake slithering around the mountains, though!”
But deep down, I knew Alice was right. Regardless of whatever weird shit was going on around us, we needed to keep moving. I didn’t want to be here after dusk, either, but not because I was worried about the cold or about running out of food and water.
***
“The solar eclipse is only a couple hours away,” Alice said, glancing down at her phone.
“I really don’t care,” I said glumly. I pulled out my water from the pack and took a long swallow. I held it up to the Sun and realized with growing anxiety that my water was already mostly gone.
“Why do you think someone would put spike strips on this road?” I asked. The thought had been bouncing around my head, growing louder and more insistent. I kept coming back to the same answer: to ambush, kidnap or possibly murder them. The dark woods began to feel more sinister, the shadows deeper and darker. I kept my head on a swivel, looking constantly for any signs that we were being followed.
“It’s probably just kids or teenagers screwing around,” Alice said, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “I mean, who else would do something so dangerous and stupid?”
“Someone who wants to rob or kidnap someone, or maybe a serial killer looking for victims,” I responded, feeling sick. I had taken my buck knife out of my backpack and now held it tightly in my hand, my knuckles white. I felt better just holding it, even though I knew it would likely do no good against someone with a gun, and that it would do absolutely nothing against that enormous snake if it came back.
I looked into the woods stretching up the side of the mountain. Behind a nearby cluster of bushes, a pale face peeked out, something that looked mostly, but not entirely, human.
It had bone-white skin and slitted pupils in its glowing yellow eyes. Its hairless face split into a grin. Two obsidian fangs swiveled out like the teeth of a rattlesnake.
I stopped in my tracks, stuttering and pointing. Alice glanced over at me. She followed my finger and froze like a deer in the headlights.
The creature hissed as it crashed through the bushes, its jaw unhinging and jutting forward like a snake’s. Its black fangs looked as sharp as needles. Its hiss grew into a gurgle. In the trees behind it, I saw more movement, more pale faces rising up, their slitted pupils radiating hunger and bloodlust.
“Run!” I screamed, tearing off up the road without looking back to see if Alice would follow. On my left stood a drop of what must have been a thousand feet down to a babbling river far below. The only possible escape was forward.
I was already exhausted from my long hike, but I pushed myself forward with every ounce of my will until my head pounded and my vision turned white. I felt ready to collapse.
I heard rustling from a thick cluster of brush up ahead. I tried moving past it as fast as I could. I saw a pointed, reptilian head emerge from the leaves, the bone-white skin cracking as its lipless mouth split into a wide grin. Its fangs swiveled out, surrounded by dozens of smaller black teeth shaped like needles.
It leapt at me, its scaled white body soaring through the air. I felt its sharp talons of fingers rip into my chest as it knocked me down to the ground. Kicking and swearing, I tried to bring the buck knife up into the thing’s chest, but it grabbed my head and slammed it hard into the dirt road. My temple smashed into a rock with a cracking of bone. My ears rang as the world exploded into blackness. Everything spun around me- and then I was falling into eternal nothingness.
***
I woke suddenly, the migraine in my head now so bad that it felt like torrents of lava were burning their way through my skull. I groaned, blinking quickly. The sunlight streaming down from the sky made me feel weak and nauseous. I turned, retching, but my stomach had nothing but water in it. I ended up vomiting up water with pink streaks of what looked like blood in it. I raised my head, looking around.
“Welcome to Hell, buddy,” a middle-aged man with a face like a bulldog said from a few feet to my right. I glanced over at him, seeing he was tied down with coils of rope to a rough-hewn wooden bench. I realized I was situated the same way. My hands and feet were tightly tied together. I tried wriggling them free with no success. Dozens more people were situated in a line stretching off into the distance, each of them tied down to their own primitive table of rough planks.
I looked to my left, expecting to see Alice, but she wasn’t there. It was an elderly woman with an enormous purple bruise over her left temple. Her dark eyes fluttered as she stared at me with horror. More people were tied down on that side, too, all of them moving their heads and looking around with dead eyes and expressions of horror.
“They got you too, huh?” the old woman asked in a weak, strained voice. Her eyes looked faraway, as if she were already on the other side of the veil and no longer existed in her physical body.
“Where are we?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“You’re in the town of Nocturn,” the man on my right said, his fat face quivering with fear. “From what I’ve gathered while I’ve been held prisoner here, those creatures worship the snake god, who only comes out during the solar eclipse. Apparently they feed him, and in exchange, he lets them drink his blood, which makes them immortal.”
“They’re not creatures,” the old woman said. “Those are people.” I looked at her askance. If the situation weren’t so grave, I might have even laughed.
“Those are people?” I said sarcastically. “With the slitted eyes and the forked tongues and the fangs that come out like a rattlesnake’s? I’m not sure our definition of ‘people’ is the same thing.” The woman just shook her head.
“You don’t understand,” she said. “When they drink the blood of the serpent, they change. They started just like you and me. They’re cultists.” I raised my head and looked around, realizing that we were situated in what looked like an abandoned town cut into the forest near the peak of Mount Bloodstone.
In the center, there was a church whose walls had so many holes that they reminded me of Swiss cheese. The exterior may have once been white, but it had turned gray with age. Vines and patches of dark mold grew over its wooden walls.
Houses two and three stories tall were scattered randomly around us. Trees were growing through the walls of many, their branches and roots intertwining with the collapsing structures. All the glass of the windows had long ago been smashed and turned to dust. Many of the roofs had collapsed inwards. Bird nests and streaks of dirt covered the outside.
Next to the dilapidated structures sat what looked like hundreds of cars. Some were apparently brand new, and others were so rusted and ancient that I couldn’t even tell what make or model they were. They all had ripped open tires.
“Nocturn, huh?” I asked. “Do these people actually live here? It looks like this entire town is about to fall into the earth.” I tried to think, to formulate some sort of plan. I had no idea how I could possibly escape this apparently hopeless situation. Then I felt a lump in my pocket, suddenly remembering the Swiss army knife I had put in there. I struggled with the rope, moving my hands as close as I could. After a lot of effort, I managed to pull the Swiss army knife free.
The sky had begun to go dark. With horror, I looked up, realizing the solar eclipse had begun. The Moon slowly ate the Sun, and the feathered serpent would soon be here to drink our blood in celebration.
Dozens of the transformed snake people filtered out of the collapsing houses, the church and the surrounding forest as the eclipse rapidly progressed. They moved towards us in a circle. Among the crowd of monsters, I saw a few regular people with glassy eyes and the blank expressions of true believers. One of them was Alice.
She held the hand of one of the abominations, its sharp talons wrapped in her soft fingers. When she saw me looking in her direction, she grinned. The superficial charm and charisma was gone now, revealing the cold psychopathic determination underneath.
“My father,” she said by way of explanation, looking at the abomination with clear love and adoration. “He always said I would join the holy ones, that I would be able to drink the blood of Kulkulkan. I only needed to bring my own sacrifice for the god. So thank you, Brian. Your death will allow me to rise into immortality, into eternity, into the endless procession of eclipses and feedings that will follow.”
I was too stunned to speak. My teeth chattered in terror. But I didn’t get to think about it long, for at that moment, the trees in the nearby forest started falling with a crash. An overwhelming smell of ozone filled the air, marking the coming of the strange beast.
I heard an ancient, predatory roar that ripped its way through the mountains like thunder, and then the feathered serpent’s body appeared through a patch of trees. Its blood-red feathers shimmered in the mountain breeze as its wings beat the air.
***
I quickly ran my small Swiss army knife over the rope, trying to cut my hands free, but the rope was thick and the knife dull. It was slow going, and under the stress of the moment and the wailing of Kulkulkan, it became hard to think.
As the eclipse neared its climax, the transformed snake creatures raised their heads to the sky. Their hissing grew louder as many voices mixed together, until it rose into a wailing scream. As if called by the keening of his many followers, Kulkulan broke through the edge of the forest.
He had eyes like pools of liquid flame in his enormous, monstrous face. Two nose holes like those of a snake were situated in the center of his face. His jaw unhinged, showing off hundreds of razor-sharp teeth that glittered like opal. Inside that gaping mouth, in the place of a tongue, I saw a hairless, screaming human face with black sockets for eyes. The visage hidden inside the mouth of Kulkulkan radiated pure insanity and agony, and I wondered if this was the true face of the serpent god, the face that had lived through countless eons and seen millions of eclipses.
The feathered serpent lunged at the nearest of the more than forty bound people tied to wooden planks in the shape of crude sacrificial tables. He gnashed his shimmering, opalescent fangs together with a crack like a gunshot. Then he carefully closed his enormous mouth over the first of the sacrifices, a young woman who screamed in terror as the teeth closed in around her like a bear trap.
The blood exploded from her body, covering the hairless, pale face inside the serpent’s mouth with splotches of blood. The face twisted in a silent scream, reminding me of some sort of monstrous, eyeless infant. Its toothless mouth opened, hungry and waiting.
Kulkulkan drank with a disgusting sucking sound. As his teeth pierced her vital organs, he let the warm crimson fluid stream into his hungry mouth.
I had nearly gotten my hands free by this point. Panicked, I cut as fast as I could, accidentally slicing a deep gash into my right hand, but my adrenaline was so high I barely felt it. Finally, with a surge of hope so powerful it felt like my heart might explode, I felt the rope give way. I sat up and began cutting the rope tying my legs down as Kulkulkan moved closer, feasting on the next of the victims.
The snake abominations had slowly gathered around the long body of the serpent god. As their fangs protruded like switchblades, I saw them biting deeply into the god’s flesh and drinking the black ichor that leaked out from the many wounds. The Sun flickered overhead like a dying comet as the eclipse neared its peak.
The rope holding my legs gave way and I jumped up. An animal panic ripped its way through my chest as I looked back, wondering if Kulkulkan would see one of his tributes escaping and give chase. But the snake god was distracted by his feast of fresh blood.
The eclipse had reached its zenith by this point, and the world had gone dark. The stars came out, twinkling like chips of white ice in the endless void. The wailing of the dying and the soon to die rang out like the cries of the damned from Hell.
I sprinted towards the forest. I was almost there when Alice stepped out from behind a tree, holding a large folding knife in her hand. Her eyes seemed as cold as empty space, as dark and lifeless as a black hole.
“You’re not going anywhere,” she hissed through gritted teeth. “The god must have his fill!”
She ran at me with the knife raised high. Instinctively, I jammed the Swiss army knife out in front of me, stabbing her directly in the neck. She gave a cry like a strangled rabbit. With the last of her strength, she swung the wicked blade at my arm. With a burning agony, I felt it slice deeply through the skin and muscle. Warms rivers of blood flowed down my arm, leaving ruby drops behind me on the ground of the dark forest.
Alice collapsed to the ground, kicking and seizing. She grabbed at her throat, her eyes accusing and filled with a cold, furious hatred. I sprinted past her dying body. She choked on her own blood as it frothed and bubbled through the gaping hole in her throat. The cries of the dying and the predatory screaming of the serpent god followed me down the side of Mount Bloodstone as I ran in a panic, still shell-shocked and dissociated, my head still screaming with a burning migraine from the many injuries I had suffered this day.
***
I ended up finding the dirt road and following it back the way I had come. I hiked as far as I could that day until night fell. I wanted to put as much distance between myself and Mount Bloodstone as possible.
I had a fire in the forest that night, and I kept a constant watch. I thought I caught glimpses of pale faces with slitted pupils peeking around bushes, but whenever I looked, I saw nothing. Perhaps it was just my sleep-deprived, exhausted mind suffering from too much stress and trauma. Perhaps.
I ended up reaching a gas station the next day. I felt like a man dying of thirst in the desert reaching an oasis. With thanks, I looked up to the Sun and the sky, glad to see its light burning.
At that moment, I hoped I would never see another solar eclipse again.
submitted by CIAHerpes to stories [link] [comments]
“I am so excited to see this!” my girlfriend Alice cried happily in the passenger seat. “Do you know I have never seen a full solar eclipse before?” I glanced over, feeling nervous. Yet Alice didn’t seem affected in the slightest. I wiped my forehead, clearing the trickles of sweat that had begun forming there.
“Do you smell that?” I asked, changing the mood abruptly. Alice glanced over at me, the smile falling off her face in a space of a moment. She shook her head.
“No, smell what?” she said. I gave her a look of disbelief. The smell of ozone was so thick that I could almost taste it at the back of my throat. I repressed an urge to gag. I rolled down the windows. The breeze cleared out some of the smell, but I still caught hints of it even on the fresh currents of air that streamed through the car.
All around us, the slit wrists of the sky shone a cyanotic blue, covering the earth like a suffocating blanket. Mountain ranges loomed overhead, their sharp peaks hidden under fresh virgin snow. We planned to hike to the top of the highest peak before the solar eclipse began.
“This whole place is so… empty,” Alice said, brushing a lock of blonde hair the color of platinum over her ear. “I can’t remember the last time I saw a house.” She took out her phone. She flicked on the screen before heaving a deep sigh. “And we get absolutely no service all the way out here. You better not get injured! We won’t be able to call for help.” I laughed nervously, wondering if she had just jinxed us.
“You’re the one who’s accident-prone,” I said, starting to relax slightly. The last trace of the foul ozone smell had dissipated by now. The clean mountain air and majestic landscapes rising all around us made the place seem like some kind of wonderland, far removed from the small sufferings and agonies of daily life.
***
After another twenty minutes of driving, surrounded on all sides by dark forests filled with evergreens and shadows, we saw a faded, brown sign reading: “TO MOUNT BLOODSTONE. 5 MILES.”
“Finally!” Alice cried triumphantly, her whole expression changing into one of excitement. “I’ve never been here before, but Kaitlyn told me this place has the best view in the county!” As the mountain loomed in front of us like a crouching giant, I could see why.
It towered over all the surrounding mountains, its sharp, white peak stabbing upwards into the blue sky like a spire. Steep cliffs of light brown stone surrounded it on all sides. Untouched forests of maple, oak and pine grew thick and vibrant on Mount Bloodstone’s rocky soil.
“We still have four hours until the eclipse starts,” Alice said, looking down at her cell phone. The pavement suddenly ended, and the road turned into a snaking path of treadmarks and loose stones. My SUV handled it easily, but it was slow going. A few minutes later, we broke out through the forests and thick brush that carpeted the land. On the driver’s side stood a cliff of jutting rectangular stones and a drop of hundreds of feet to a field of massive stones far below us if I accidentally veered off the narrow road. On the passenger’s side, there were just smooth, vertical walls of hard granite.
“The parking area is supposed to be up ahead just a few miles,” Alice said excitedly. I felt sickening waves of dread passing through my stomach as I glanced out the window at the steep drop waiting only inches away on my side of the car. I wasn’t exactly terrified of heights, and I had no problem going on planes or roller coasters, but situations like this always sent butterflies fluttering through my chest and caused my feet to tingle with anxiety. It was the idea of unsecured heights, the realization that an accidental jerk of the wheel or a tire blowing out at the exact wrong moment could send us careening over the edge.
“You’re not nervous right now?” I asked. Alice only laughed.
“Nope. I trust you, Brian,” she said, putting a warm hand on my shoulder. Her soft skin reminded me of suede, unmarked and unlined. I still couldn’t believe that such a beautiful girl wanted to be with me. We had been together for three months, and it had been one of the happiest periods I could remember.
I looked over at her with love, taking my eyes off the road for a moment. Suddenly, it felt like all of the tires exploded at once, and the car began swerving wildly out of control, the steering wheel spinning wildly in my hands with a pull like a falling stone.
***
“Fuck!” I cried. Alice screamed next to me, her voice filled with mortal terror.
The SUV nearly swerved off the edge of the cliff when the metal rims caught on something and veered hard in the opposite direction. The vehicle swung hard into the rock wall on Alice’s side. There was the tortured shredding of metal, the explosion of glass. Screams filled the car, but I didn’t realize until later that they had come from my own mouth.
My head flew forward, smashing hard into the steering wheel. I immediately tasted salty blood as I bit my tongue hard. My vision went white and pain like lightning ripped its way through my forehead. Time seemed to spiral away into something strange and alien. Stunned, I sat there, not knowing what had happened.
“Brian!” Alice’s voice rang out from next to me, sounding muted and far away. I felt someone shaking my arm gently. “Brian! Can you hear me?” I blinked fast, my vision starting to return to normal. My head felt like it was being pressed in a vice. A splitting migraine ripped its way through my skull. I groaned, raising my hands to my forehead. I tried pushing on the sides of my head, as if I could keep it from splitting apart from simple willpower alone. After a few moments, the pain subsided slightly. I inhaled deeply and spit blood on the floor.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m OK,” I said, though I wasn’t sure how true that was. I pulled my fingers away from my forehead, seeing they were slick with blood. I glanced over at Alice, but other than a small cut across her cheek, she seemed totally unhurt. “What the fuck just happened?” She shook her head, uncertainty crossing her eyes.
“We had an accident,” she said, glancing down at her cell phone. She tried calling 911, putting it up to her ear. She gave me a grim look and shook her head. “There’s no cell phone towers anywhere around here. We’re going to have to walk to find help, or at least until we can find somewhere with cell phone reception.”
“An accident? With what?! The goddamned air?” A rush of adrenaline pushed the pain away temporarily. I flung the door open, stumbling out of the SUV. I looked back on the dirt road that spiraled around its way around the mountain and out of view, seeing the glint of steel. Confused, I started over in that direction.
“Wait!” Alice yelled, quickly jumping out of the vehicle and sprinting to catch up with me. “You don’t look very steady on your feet yet. Maybe you should sit down…”
“Look at this fucking shit!” I cried, pointing to what lay stretched across the road, dug slightly into the dirt. Alice’s eyes widened in understanding as she saw it too.
Someone had set up a spike strip. The gleaming spikes of metal reaching up like claws still had pieces of my shredded tires caught on their sharp points.
***
“Someone’s out to get us,” I whispered nervously, glancing both ways down the dirt road. I had no idea what to do now. We were out in the absolute middle of nowhere. I didn’t even know which direction to go, unless I wanted to try hiking back dozens of miles to the last gas station we had seen. The SUV was blocking the narrow road.
Further down, I saw a small dirt turnaround jutting off to the side. I drove the vehicle on its rims and pulled over, locking the doors. I grabbed my backpack and filled it with my water bottle, buck knife and the small amount of food we had in the car, mostly trail mix and candy. It wouldn’t last long, I knew, and the water would run out even sooner if we didn’t find a river or stream. I grabbed my Swiss army knife and lighter and put them in my pocket, just in case of emergencies.
“Which way?” Alice asked. It was a good question. This road didn’t just lead to the trail that wound its way to the top of Mount Bloodstone, after all, but also continued down the other side and potentially to civilization. I had no map, so I just shrugged and motioned forward.
“I think we should keep moving in the same direction,” I said. “The last gas station was at least twenty miles back that way. For all we know, there could be a house or another gas station much closer if we just keep going straight.” It was weak logic, and I knew I was grasping at straws, but at that moment, straws were all we had.
Alice grabbed her backpack and, side by side, we started hiking up the winding road that ascended the steep slopes of Mount Bloodstone.
***
We had been walking for nearly an hour when I noticed a strange smell wafting on the breeze. It was an overwhelming smell of ozone, thick and cloying, just like I had noticed earlier. I nearly gagged, bending over.
“Oh God, what is that?” I asked. “It’s like a chemical factory is nearby or something.” Alice just shook her head.
From the nearby forest, a cacophony of branches snapping and trees falling started reverberating all around us. When I first heard it, it sounded distant. I looked at Alice at first, wondering if it was some sort of avalanche or earthquake on another nearby mountain.
“Is that an avalanche?” I yelled as the sound rapidly increased into deafening echoes of smashing and breaking, heading in our direction. A predatory cry rang through the mountains, full of power and energy, reminding me of the roaring of some ancient Tyrannosaurus rex. It shook the ground and mixed with the noise of destruction that came at us like a tidal wave. Alice and I started sprinting blindly up the road. She tried to say something, but I couldn’t hear her over the ringing in my ears.
Whatever was causing the racket veered away from us and deeper into the woods, angling itself straight up the side of the mountain. I glanced back, seeing trees fall and branches crash. In the middle of this path of destruction, I caught a glimpse of something massive and alien. It slithered forward like a snake, hundreds of feet long. Its body was covered in soft layers of blood-red feathers that rippled gently in the breeze. A deep turquoise line of feathers ran straight down the center of its spine.
From the top of its body, two enormous wings jutted out like the wings of some enormous dragon. They had soft, pink blood vessels spiderwebbing throughout the pale gray flesh. The wings beat at the air, and the enormous feathered snake slowly flew up, its sharp, spiked tail ripping more trees out of the ground as it slammed from side to side. Within a few seconds, it gained speed, flying up and over an enormous stone cliff and out of view.
***
The world seemed to go silent as the beast disappeared, the echoes of its destruction rapidly fading off into the valleys below. Alice had gotten far ahead of me. I sprinted up to her. She turned to me, covered in sweat, her skin looking chalk-white from terror.
“Did you see it?” I asked breathlessly. She gave me a strange look.
“See what?” she said. “When the avalanche started, I ran. I didn’t see anything.” I stared at her, mouth agape.
“You didn’t look back a minute ago? There was some massive animal causing all those trees to fall. That wasn’t any avalanche,” I said. “It sounds absolutely batshit insane, but it looked like an enormous feathered serpent.”
“That’s ridiculous, Brian,” she said condescendingly. “Are you sure you’re not still suffering from hitting your head during the accident? Sometimes that kind of stuff can cause weird side effects.”
“What, are you saying I’m tripping out? I’m telling you, I saw it as certainly as I see you here in front of me right now. It was moving away from us, and I didn’t see its face, but I saw its body. It must have been two or three hundred feet long,” I said grimly, trying to convince her. Alice only sighed and glanced forward.
“We should keep going,” she said. “We’re going to want to get out of here before nightfall. It gets cold up in the mountains in April.”
“I’ve got my lighter,” I said. “I’ll start a fire if we need to. I’m not worried about that. I am worried about who the hell spiked my tires and why there’s a giant snake slithering around the mountains, though!”
But deep down, I knew Alice was right. Regardless of whatever weird shit was going on around us, we needed to keep moving. I didn’t want to be here after dusk, either, but not because I was worried about the cold or about running out of food and water.
***
“The solar eclipse is only a couple hours away,” Alice said, glancing down at her phone.
“I really don’t care,” I said glumly. I pulled out my water from the pack and took a long swallow. I held it up to the Sun and realized with growing anxiety that my water was already mostly gone.
“Why do you think someone would put spike strips on this road?” I asked. The thought had been bouncing around my head, growing louder and more insistent. I kept coming back to the same answer: to ambush, kidnap or possibly murder them. The dark woods began to feel more sinister, the shadows deeper and darker. I kept my head on a swivel, looking constantly for any signs that we were being followed.
“It’s probably just kids or teenagers screwing around,” Alice said, raising a perfectly plucked eyebrow. “I mean, who else would do something so dangerous and stupid?”
“Someone who wants to rob or kidnap someone, or maybe a serial killer looking for victims,” I responded, feeling sick. I had taken my buck knife out of my backpack and now held it tightly in my hand, my knuckles white. I felt better just holding it, even though I knew it would likely do no good against someone with a gun, and that it would do absolutely nothing against that enormous snake if it came back.
I looked into the woods stretching up the side of the mountain. Behind a nearby cluster of bushes, a pale face peeked out, something that looked mostly, but not entirely, human.
It had bone-white skin and slitted pupils in its glowing yellow eyes. Its hairless face split into a grin. Two obsidian fangs swiveled out like the teeth of a rattlesnake.
I stopped in my tracks, stuttering and pointing. Alice glanced over at me. She followed my finger and froze like a deer in the headlights.
The creature hissed as it crashed through the bushes, its jaw unhinging and jutting forward like a snake’s. Its black fangs looked as sharp as needles. Its hiss grew into a gurgle. In the trees behind it, I saw more movement, more pale faces rising up, their slitted pupils radiating hunger and bloodlust.
“Run!” I screamed, tearing off up the road without looking back to see if Alice would follow. On my left stood a drop of what must have been a thousand feet down to a babbling river far below. The only possible escape was forward.
I was already exhausted from my long hike, but I pushed myself forward with every ounce of my will until my head pounded and my vision turned white. I felt ready to collapse.
I heard rustling from a thick cluster of brush up ahead. I tried moving past it as fast as I could. I saw a pointed, reptilian head emerge from the leaves, the bone-white skin cracking as its lipless mouth split into a wide grin. Its fangs swiveled out, surrounded by dozens of smaller black teeth shaped like needles.
It leapt at me, its scaled white body soaring through the air. I felt its sharp talons of fingers rip into my chest as it knocked me down to the ground. Kicking and swearing, I tried to bring the buck knife up into the thing’s chest, but it grabbed my head and slammed it hard into the dirt road. My temple smashed into a rock with a cracking of bone. My ears rang as the world exploded into blackness. Everything spun around me- and then I was falling into eternal nothingness.
***
I woke suddenly, the migraine in my head now so bad that it felt like torrents of lava were burning their way through my skull. I groaned, blinking quickly. The sunlight streaming down from the sky made me feel weak and nauseous. I turned, retching, but my stomach had nothing but water in it. I ended up vomiting up water with pink streaks of what looked like blood in it. I raised my head, looking around.
“Welcome to Hell, buddy,” a middle-aged man with a face like a bulldog said from a few feet to my right. I glanced over at him, seeing he was tied down with coils of rope to a rough-hewn wooden bench. I realized I was situated the same way. My hands and feet were tightly tied together. I tried wriggling them free with no success. Dozens more people were situated in a line stretching off into the distance, each of them tied down to their own primitive table of rough planks.
I looked to my left, expecting to see Alice, but she wasn’t there. It was an elderly woman with an enormous purple bruise over her left temple. Her dark eyes fluttered as she stared at me with horror. More people were tied down on that side, too, all of them moving their heads and looking around with dead eyes and expressions of horror.
“They got you too, huh?” the old woman asked in a weak, strained voice. Her eyes looked faraway, as if she were already on the other side of the veil and no longer existed in her physical body.
“Where are we?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“You’re in the town of Nocturn,” the man on my right said, his fat face quivering with fear. “From what I’ve gathered while I’ve been held prisoner here, those creatures worship the snake god, who only comes out during the solar eclipse. Apparently they feed him, and in exchange, he lets them drink his blood, which makes them immortal.”
“They’re not creatures,” the old woman said. “Those are people.” I looked at her askance. If the situation weren’t so grave, I might have even laughed.
“Those are people?” I said sarcastically. “With the slitted eyes and the forked tongues and the fangs that come out like a rattlesnake’s? I’m not sure our definition of ‘people’ is the same thing.” The woman just shook her head.
“You don’t understand,” she said. “When they drink the blood of the serpent, they change. They started just like you and me. They’re cultists.” I raised my head and looked around, realizing that we were situated in what looked like an abandoned town cut into the forest near the peak of Mount Bloodstone.
In the center, there was a church whose walls had so many holes that they reminded me of Swiss cheese. The exterior may have once been white, but it had turned gray with age. Vines and patches of dark mold grew over its wooden walls.
Houses two and three stories tall were scattered randomly around us. Trees were growing through the walls of many, their branches and roots intertwining with the collapsing structures. All the glass of the windows had long ago been smashed and turned to dust. Many of the roofs had collapsed inwards. Bird nests and streaks of dirt covered the outside.
Next to the dilapidated structures sat what looked like hundreds of cars. Some were apparently brand new, and others were so rusted and ancient that I couldn’t even tell what make or model they were. They all had ripped open tires.
“Nocturn, huh?” I asked. “Do these people actually live here? It looks like this entire town is about to fall into the earth.” I tried to think, to formulate some sort of plan. I had no idea how I could possibly escape this apparently hopeless situation. Then I felt a lump in my pocket, suddenly remembering the Swiss army knife I had put in there. I struggled with the rope, moving my hands as close as I could. After a lot of effort, I managed to pull the Swiss army knife free.
The sky had begun to go dark. With horror, I looked up, realizing the solar eclipse had begun. The Moon slowly ate the Sun, and the feathered serpent would soon be here to drink our blood in celebration.
Dozens of the transformed snake people filtered out of the collapsing houses, the church and the surrounding forest as the eclipse rapidly progressed. They moved towards us in a circle. Among the crowd of monsters, I saw a few regular people with glassy eyes and the blank expressions of true believers. One of them was Alice.
She held the hand of one of the abominations, its sharp talons wrapped in her soft fingers. When she saw me looking in her direction, she grinned. The superficial charm and charisma was gone now, revealing the cold psychopathic determination underneath.
“My father,” she said by way of explanation, looking at the abomination with clear love and adoration. “He always said I would join the holy ones, that I would be able to drink the blood of Kulkulkan. I only needed to bring my own sacrifice for the god. So thank you, Brian. Your death will allow me to rise into immortality, into eternity, into the endless procession of eclipses and feedings that will follow.”
I was too stunned to speak. My teeth chattered in terror. But I didn’t get to think about it long, for at that moment, the trees in the nearby forest started falling with a crash. An overwhelming smell of ozone filled the air, marking the coming of the strange beast.
I heard an ancient, predatory roar that ripped its way through the mountains like thunder, and then the feathered serpent’s body appeared through a patch of trees. Its blood-red feathers shimmered in the mountain breeze as its wings beat the air.
***
I quickly ran my small Swiss army knife over the rope, trying to cut my hands free, but the rope was thick and the knife dull. It was slow going, and under the stress of the moment and the wailing of Kulkulkan, it became hard to think.
As the eclipse neared its climax, the transformed snake creatures raised their heads to the sky. Their hissing grew louder as many voices mixed together, until it rose into a wailing scream. As if called by the keening of his many followers, Kulkulan broke through the edge of the forest.
He had eyes like pools of liquid flame in his enormous, monstrous face. Two nose holes like those of a snake were situated in the center of his face. His jaw unhinged, showing off hundreds of razor-sharp teeth that glittered like opal. Inside that gaping mouth, in the place of a tongue, I saw a hairless, screaming human face with black sockets for eyes. The visage hidden inside the mouth of Kulkulkan radiated pure insanity and agony, and I wondered if this was the true face of the serpent god, the face that had lived through countless eons and seen millions of eclipses.
The feathered serpent lunged at the nearest of the more than forty bound people tied to wooden planks in the shape of crude sacrificial tables. He gnashed his shimmering, opalescent fangs together with a crack like a gunshot. Then he carefully closed his enormous mouth over the first of the sacrifices, a young woman who screamed in terror as the teeth closed in around her like a bear trap.
The blood exploded from her body, covering the hairless, pale face inside the serpent’s mouth with splotches of blood. The face twisted in a silent scream, reminding me of some sort of monstrous, eyeless infant. Its toothless mouth opened, hungry and waiting.
Kulkulkan drank with a disgusting sucking sound. As his teeth pierced her vital organs, he let the warm crimson fluid stream into his hungry mouth.
I had nearly gotten my hands free by this point. Panicked, I cut as fast as I could, accidentally slicing a deep gash into my right hand, but my adrenaline was so high I barely felt it. Finally, with a surge of hope so powerful it felt like my heart might explode, I felt the rope give way. I sat up and began cutting the rope tying my legs down as Kulkulkan moved closer, feasting on the next of the victims.
The snake abominations had slowly gathered around the long body of the serpent god. As their fangs protruded like switchblades, I saw them biting deeply into the god’s flesh and drinking the black ichor that leaked out from the many wounds. The Sun flickered overhead like a dying comet as the eclipse neared its peak.
The rope holding my legs gave way and I jumped up. An animal panic ripped its way through my chest as I looked back, wondering if Kulkulkan would see one of his tributes escaping and give chase. But the snake god was distracted by his feast of fresh blood.
The eclipse had reached its zenith by this point, and the world had gone dark. The stars came out, twinkling like chips of white ice in the endless void. The wailing of the dying and the soon to die rang out like the cries of the damned from Hell.
I sprinted towards the forest. I was almost there when Alice stepped out from behind a tree, holding a large folding knife in her hand. Her eyes seemed as cold as empty space, as dark and lifeless as a black hole.
“You’re not going anywhere,” she hissed through gritted teeth. “The god must have his fill!”
She ran at me with the knife raised high. Instinctively, I jammed the Swiss army knife out in front of me, stabbing her directly in the neck. She gave a cry like a strangled rabbit. With the last of her strength, she swung the wicked blade at my arm. With a burning agony, I felt it slice deeply through the skin and muscle. Warms rivers of blood flowed down my arm, leaving ruby drops behind me on the ground of the dark forest.
Alice collapsed to the ground, kicking and seizing. She grabbed at her throat, her eyes accusing and filled with a cold, furious hatred. I sprinted past her dying body. She choked on her own blood as it frothed and bubbled through the gaping hole in her throat. The cries of the dying and the predatory screaming of the serpent god followed me down the side of Mount Bloodstone as I ran in a panic, still shell-shocked and dissociated, my head still screaming with a burning migraine from the many injuries I had suffered this day.
***
I ended up finding the dirt road and following it back the way I had come. I hiked as far as I could that day until night fell. I wanted to put as much distance between myself and Mount Bloodstone as possible.
I had a fire in the forest that night, and I kept a constant watch. I thought I caught glimpses of pale faces with slitted pupils peeking around bushes, but whenever I looked, I saw nothing. Perhaps it was just my sleep-deprived, exhausted mind suffering from too much stress and trauma. Perhaps.
I ended up reaching a gas station the next day. I felt like a man dying of thirst in the desert reaching an oasis. With thanks, I looked up to the Sun and the sky, glad to see its light burning.
At that moment, I hoped I would never see another solar eclipse again.
2024.04.21 14:19 EssenseOfMagic Daily Releases (April 20, 2024)
| Game | Group | Stores | Review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcade Tycoon Simulation Game | DINOByTES | Steam, GOG | 83.78% (372) |
| No Rest for the Wicked Early Access | ELiTE | - | |
| DOOM 2016 | ELiTE | - | |
| Teardown | ElAmigos | Steam | 95.58% (87.6k) |
| Golf With Your Friends | ElAmigos | Steam | 88.48% (62.0k) |
| PixARK | ElAmigos | Steam | 72.72% (11.7k) |
| Fort Solis | ElAmigos | Steam, GOG, Epic | 70.86% (1.3k) |
| Vladce zahad Sberatelska edice | I_KnoW | - | |
| BOOK OF HOURS | I_KnoW | Steam, GOG | 92.59% (2.6k) |
| Parkitect Booms and Blooms | I_KnoW | - | |
| Hades II Technical Test | P2P | - | |
| Project Hospital Traumatology Department | RAZOR | Steam, GOG | 94.00% (47) |
| The Shell Part II Purgatorio | TENOKE | Steam, GOG | 100.00% (61) |
| Hidden Facade | TENOKE | Steam | 100.00% (2) |
| Ready Steady Ship | TENOKE | Steam, GOG | 85.29% (29) |
| Planetiles | TENOKE | Steam | 85.37% (35) |
| Moonstone Island | rG | Steam, GOG | 86.73% (2.6k) |
| Update | Group | Stores | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brothers.A.Tale.of.Two.Sons.Remake.update.19.04.2024-ElAmigos | ElAmigos | Steam, GOG, Epic | 67.95% (282) |
| Stargate.Timekeepers.update.1.0.25-1.0.34-ElAmigos | ElAmigos | Steam, GOG | 57.31% (98) |
| Myst.Masterpiece.Edition.v1.0.SVM.update.4-GOG | GOG | Steam, GOG | 85.36% (729) |
| The.Sims.4.For.Rent.Update.v1.106.148.1030.incl.DLC-RUNE | RUNE | - | |
| Twilight.Survivors.Update.v0.22-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 89.83% (159) |
| Turbo.Kid.Update.v1.0.116828-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 97.87% (184) |
| The.Lost.Village.Update.v1.08.incl.DLC-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam, Epic | 83.79% (6.6k) |
| Oblivion.Override.Update.v1.1.0.1548-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 91.37% (1.6k) |
| 30XX.Update.v1.2.2-TENOKE | TENOKE | Steam | 91.62% (2.2k) |
| Brothers.A.Tale.of.Two.Sons.Remake.Update.2.MULTi11-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam, GOG, Epic | 67.95% (282) |
| Fort.Solis.Update.4.MULTi9-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam, GOG, Epic | 70.86% (1.3k) |
| Grand.Theft.Auto.V.Digital.Deluxe.Edition.ReRelease.Update.4.MULTi11-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | - | |
| REVEIL.Funhouse.Edition.Update.1.MULTi14-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam, GOG, Epic | - |
| Stargate.Timekeepers.Update.2.MULTi9-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | Steam, GOG | 57.31% (98) |
| War.Hospital.Supporter.Edition.Update.6.MULTi11-x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | x.X.RIDDICK.X.x | GOG, Epic | - |
Q&A
Q: When will [insert game name here] be cracked?
A: STOP! CrackWatch members are not psychic. Games get cracked by completely ANONYMOUS SCENE GROUPS who don't disclose their progress or plans to the general public so NO ONE knows WHEN and IF a certain game will be cracked.
Q: What are all these NFO thingies? Where do I download?
A: NFOs are text files included with game releases which contain information about the releases. CrackWatch only informs which games have been cracked. To download look for the releases on CS.RIN.RU's forum or torrent websites. Useful websites can be found in The Beginners Guide or PiratedGames's Mega Thread.
Q: WTF is Denuvo?
A: Denuvo is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology used to protect games from being cracked. Games that have Denuvo are harder to crack and usually take much longer. See Pinned Post for a list of Denuvo games.
Q: An update is out, but it includes the base game as well! Can I only download the update without redownloading the entire game?
A: Yes. CS.RIN.RU is your friend.
2024.04.21 12:23 CIAHerpes I accidentally no-clipped to a mall from Hell in a world that rained fire
The day this all started seemed as boring and mundane as any other. My wife, Sarah, and I were going to the movies to see a comedy that she was interested in, and that I was not. We had driven across the city and parked in an overpriced parking lot, stepping over the sleeping forms of filthy homeless people and the used needles and cigarette butts that littered the sidewalks here. I was listening to Sarah talk about the recent rise of “gutter oil” and “spit oil” in China, both horrifying topics in their own right.
As Sarah went on to explain to me, gutter oil was when restaurants in China scooped up the vegetable oil from the trash cans out back of the restaurant. They would use the filthy, carcinogen-ridden oil to cook food for new customers.
Spit oil was when Chinese restaurants would just take the broth from bowls where customers had finished eating and reheat it. They would then pour the reused “spit oil” broth into new bowls with fresh pieces of meat and vegetables added and serve it to the next customer. This was broth that someone else, a total stranger, was just drooling into.
“It’s so disgusting,” Sarah said over the din of contrast traffic as she brushed a lock of hair the color of chestnuts behind her ear. The crosswalk turned green and we started ahead with Sarah in the lead. “It shows that China really is just a paper tiger, at least in terms of its economy. The people are so desperate they’re…”
I saw a blur of something pale behind us, something tall and spidery that slunk through the crowd. I quickly spun my head, but I only saw groups of people milling around. I wondered if I was hallucinating for a moment.
“Are you listening to me?” Sarah said, and I saw she was looking at me now with a queer expression on her face. Her eyes always reminded me of emeralds, the way the green irises sparkled. I shook my head.
“I thought I saw something,” I murmured as we pushed our way through the crowd and into the movie theater. We waited in line and bought our tickets. Everything seemed normal enough. I kept thinking back to that glimpse I had of the pale creature skittering through the city with its thin, jointed legs. I had never seen anything like that before, not even in my nightmares. I shuddered.
“This is our theater,” Sarah said. I followed her, silent. I felt off-balance, though little did I know that things were about to get much worse. I looked down at my arms, seeing goosebumps rise all over my skin. Everything felt freezing cold as we walked through the door into black hall parallel to the stairs in the theater.
The door closed behind me, but everything seemed wrong. There was no light coming from the front of the movie theater. No film was playing on the screen, if indeed there was a screen at all, because all I could see here was total blackness, as if we had walked into an abyss. I didn’t hear the chattering of the crowd in the seats, either. In that endless void, only the breathing of myself and Sarah rang out along with my thudding heartbeat.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shattering the silence. I took out my cell phone and turned it on, shining it around. Sarah stood in front of me, but we weren’t in the movie theater anymore.
It looked like we were standing in some sort of empty warehouse with concrete floors disappearing into the distance all around us. Deep cracks spiderwebbed their way through the floor. The walls, too, were the same bare, gray concrete. They rose high into the air, and my phone’s dim light couldn’t penetrate deep enough to find any ceiling. The air here felt cold, and the wind constantly whipped through, as if we were standing on top of a mountain.
Sarah took out her phone, too. Her eyes gleamed with panic. I turned, looking for the door we had just come through. It was there, and relief filled my heart. It looked different, cracked and ancient, the wood splintering down the middle in a jagged, lightning-bolt pattern, but it was there.
“Did we go through the wrong door or something?” Sarah whispered in a small, frightened voice. “I’m so confused right now. That was our theater, wasn’t it?” I ignored her and ran forwards, flinging the ancient door open. On the other side, though, I didn’t see the red carpeted hall for the movie theater or the cheesy posters lining its walls.
“No, it wasn’t the wrong door,” I whispered, horrified. “Something’s happened. Something bad. I don’t know what it is, but…” My voice trailed off as, side by side, we stared out into the strange world waiting before us. We each took a step outside onto the surface of the alien planet.
The nighttime sky swirled above us, blood-red and bursting with lightning that sizzled through the clouds. It whirled like a hurricane, meeting in a black eye that bubbled over with thick clouds of fiery smoke that blew across the landscape in suffocating torrents. The ground was covered in layers of fine, glossy sand that looked like obsidian.
The building we stood in stretched far above our heads, appearing hundreds of stories tall. It was of a sheer, brutalist architecture composed of thick walls of cement with no windows. The top of it disappeared in the impenetrable mist of the bloody clouds. It had only one single door on this wall as far as I could see, a wall which stretched out for what looked like thousands of feet in each direction. It almost appeared like an optical illusion with the smooth, gray concrete disappearing off in the distance. It looked like a windowless gray warehouse in my mind, though perhaps, in hindsight, it was really more of a prison.
Throughout the massive chamber of the warehouse, there was a white glare that continuously cut out and turned back on every few seconds. Hanging down on cables hundreds of feet long stood thousands of flickering fluorescent lights. They strobed on and off with an incessant tinking, pinging sound.
“So much for going back the way we came,” I said, shaking my head grimly. “Am I dead right now? Are we in Hell or something?” Sarah gave a short bark of sarcastic laughter that sounded far too loud in the eerie setting. It looked like some endless, empty warehouse built on an alien planet.
“I’ve heard of stories like this,” she whispered, her face pale and covered in sweat, her eyes wide and dilated. “Some people call it no-clipping. I thought it was all a bunch of bullshit, but how else could you explain this? It’s like we accidentally went through the wrong door into another world.”
“No-clipping?” I asked. I would’ve laughed if I weren’t petrified with terror. “That’s from some 90’s videogames, I think Doom and Duke Nukem. It’s just a cheat code that allows you to walk through walls.”
“It’s just what people call it,” she repeated, shaking her head. “I didn’t make it up.”
“I think it’s more likely someone drugged us or something,” I said. “Or probably just me. I bet you’re not even real. Maybe I’m just talking to myself, drooling on the floor somewhere with a dart of bromo-dragonFLY sticking out of my back.”
Sarah looked out onto the alien landscape and the black volcanic sands that stretched off as far as the eye could see. The swirling of the clouds in the sky seemed to grow faster. They threw off rusty streaks of bloody light that flashed in regular intervals and lit up the world with a blinding crimson radiance.
At first, I thought it had started to rain outside. I saw drops of what looked like luminescent, orange-red hail falling from the sky and raining down on the black sands below. But as it rapidly grew closer with a roaring like a tornado, I realized the sky was raining drops of liquid magma. They sizzled and popped as they fell through the air in a fiery blur. The earth greedily sucked the molten lava into its dark skin. A smell like matches and campfire smoke filled the area as clouds of choking black smoke rose high into the air.
“No, it’s real,” Sarah exclaimed in a horrified voice as she quickly backpedaled away from the door and the approaching showers of lava. “It’s coming towards us! Close the door! Close it, close it!” But my body felt sluggish and faraway. Nothing seemed to be reacting like it should. I could only stare at the flames as they filled the world with their sizzling radiance, fifty feet away, then thirty, then ten.
Sarah grabbed my shoulder, snapping me out of reverie. I stumbled back inside the warehouse and slammed the ancient-looking door closed behind me. The roar of the fire continued outside, smashing against the roof high above our heads with a sound like a hurricane. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t hear my own voice over the ear-splitting cacophony.
The fluorescent lights high above us with their cords like endless snakes stopped their flickering at that moment, shutting off abruptly and plunging us into total darkness. The sound of a siren started from all around us, ringing out from the walls and floor of the giant concrete structure itself. It reminded me of a tornado siren, rising and falling in an eerie, ghostly moan as if the spirits of the dead were themselves wailing in agony.
We took out our cellphones, shining the lights out in front of us. The bouncing shadows went skittering out across the smooth concrete floor. We stood there, huddled together and terrified.
“You know what this reminds me of?” I whispered. The firestorm had passed overhead, and though the reverberations of the molten drops hitting the roof still echoed across the endless chamber, the sound had grown faded and distant as the storm continued off into the distance.
“I heard a case in Hungary where a schoolbus full of kids were traveling in the absolute middle of nowhere. Apparently, the few people who lived in the area saw a bright light in the sky and heard an explosion. Later on, someone found the schoolbus, but all the kids and the bus driver had disappeared- except for two twin girls. But you know what the strangest part is? Both of the girls claimed they didn’t have any siblings, that they had no twins and that they had no idea who the other person was.” Sarah covered her face with her hands.
“That doesn’t help us at all,” she said, shaking her head.
“What if this kind of stuff happens all the time, though?” I continued. “What if those kids ended up in a place like this? What if they just fell through a doorway into another reality or were taken…”
“So who was the real twin? I don’t get it,” she said.
“I don’t know. Maybe neither of them. I think you’re missing the point here. Maybe there’s other people here. Maybe there’s another way back to the regular world. If there’s a doorway here, then there must be another doorway that leads back somewhere, right? Maybe there’s hundreds of doorways that lead into this place. Maybe there’s millions,” I said. Sarah opened her mouth to say something when the siren started again, followed by a deep man’s voice. He spoke like a radio broadcaster announcing a terrorist attack, using a grim, emotionless tone.
“Alert: the dead things are crawling. Alert: level five firestorm in progress. Alert: the dead things are crawling. Alert: level five firestorm is approaching in your direction. Please seek cover immediately. Remain in hiding until the danger has passed.
“Alert: the dead are rising. Alert: the dead are rising. Please take shelter immediately,” the voice repeated. The siren wail rang out for a couple seconds, and then the message started repeating again. It sounded like there were speakers built into the walls and floor of the structure all around us, but I saw no vents, no boxes or wires. The lights far overhead flickered in time with the booming alert. After about thirty seconds, the voice abruptly cut out in the middle of its sentence.
“Emergency alert: the dead are rising. Emergen-SEE alllllllllll….” it droned on before the alert and the lights both cut out at the same time. There was a whining sound as if countless hidden fans were slowly whirring to a stop. I looked over at Sarah with a panicked expression. But as I opened my mouth to say something, the booming voice gave one last deep, drawn-out warning.
“Look… behind… you…” it hissed as it deepened into something inhuman, something demonic and brimming with evil.
***
My heart felt like a block of ice as I spun on my heels, raising my phone’s light in front of me like a shield. Sarah’s face had gone pale and she wavered on her feet, looking as if she might pass out. The darkness pressed in on all sides, but the voice had been right. We weren’t alone anymore. Something that looked like an old woman stood there only a few feet away, but everything about her looked wrong.
She had a face as white as burning desert sands. Wrapped around her body, she wore a moth-eaten funeral shawl that looked as black as death. Her pale, nude body had bloody steel bars forced through her arms and chest. The steel rebar had been bent and twisted around her torso, ending in points sharp enough to skewer a human heart. The blood-stained bars formed a cage-like covering over her mutilated, bone-white flesh. Around these deep wounds, the skin hung, ragged and loose. Pieces of sharp steel jutted out from the ends of her fingers, ripping their way out of the flesh like talons. She grinned, and even her teeth were wicked points of glinting metal.
She opened her mouth. Black, clotted blood gurgled and spun within. Her jaw unhinged, showing that her tongue had been cut out. The bloody, infected stump squirmed with maggots. Her filmy eyes seemed to look through us as she stood there, as motionless as a statue. Neither Sarah nor I moved for a long moment.
I came to life then, stumbling back and away from this otherworldly abomination. As soon as I moved a single step, her neck snapped up with a cracking of bone. Her head ratcheted towards me. With twisting, jerking movements, she started towards me.
“Run!” I screamed, tearing off without looking back to see if Sarah would follow. The smell from the old woman was wretched, like the stench of putrefying meat and formaldehyde. I headed straight into the heart of the massive building, hoping that it wasn’t all just empty, bare concrete.
I heard the thudding of feet behind me. Glancing back, I saw Sarah only a few feet behind me. The corpse of the old woman was close behind her, only a couple paces away. Her slashed legs skittered forward, leaving a trail of writhing maggots and drops of black blood in her wake.
As we sprinted forward into the center of the warehouse, it seemed to open up around us like an abyss. The only wall fell further and further behind, but up ahead, there was a crimson glow in the great pool of shadows, something that shone like an emergency light. I pushed myself to the limit, but I knew I couldn’t keep up this pace much longer. Sarah and I neared the bloody glow with the pale corpse of the old woman still close behind us. I could hear the gnashing of her metal teeth and her congested breathing, smell the stink of rot and death that emanated from her like a cloud.
I realized that the red light was actually an elevator, stuck in the center of this immense abyss. Its shaft soared straight up into the air, disappearing from view in the darkness. The metal doors stood open, as if the elevator were waiting for us. I wondered where it led.
A sudden scream erupted from behind me. I turned, seeing Sarah on the ground, the undead corpse writhing on top of her. Her metal teeth snapped together with a sharp ringing sound. Sarah had her arm up and was pushing with all her strength against the old woman’s neck. But the old woman snapped and bit at the air, and with every bite, it seemed her face lowered another fraction of an inch closer to Sarah’s eyes, her nose, her lips. Sarah would be ripped to shreds, her flesh sliced to pieces as if by a woodchipper. I saw the sharp points of metal poking from the corpse’s torso biting into Sarah’s skin. Thin rivulets of blood soaked into her clothes.
I ran forwards in a blind fury, my vision turning white with adrenaline as I brought my boot up into the old woman’s chalk-white face. Her head snapped back, the neck cracking like a tree branch. Her head ratcheted up to face me, her pale cataract eyes gleaming with a rabid hunger. I backpedaled as she lunged forward, leaping through the air like a cat. Sarah lay on the ground, moaning and bleeding, temporarily forgotten by the abomination.
I reached into my pocket, frantically looking for anything to defend myself with. I only felt my car keys. I brought the fob out with its point of steel. At that moment, she tackled me to the ground. A piece of steel stab into my left shoulder as I was forced down. She wrapped her sharp claws around my throat, choking me. The points slashed into my neck, leaving deep gouges that burned like fire. It felt like thousands of needles stabbed their way into my throat as I tried to scream.
I held the fob like a knife in my right hand, clenched tightly in my fist. I brought my knee up and smashed it into her with a sudden rush of adrenaline, feeling her cold steel talons release my throat.
A moment later, the undead woman’s head snapped forward, biting deeply into my neck. I screamed as I struggled, writhing under her weight. I managed to free my right arm and brought the sharp point of the key straight up into her filmy eye.
She gave a wail as she twitched, shaking her head from side to side. The key stayed firmly implanted. As cold, thick blood dripped from her exploded eye onto my face, I reached up and smashed the end of the fob with my palm, forcing the end deeper into her skull. I felt her weight lift off me suddenly. Sarah stood next to her, pushing at the exposed ribs of her putrefying torso, shoving her to the side. The sharp end of the key remained stuck in her rotted skull.
The old woman went sprawling. Sarah reached down and helped pull me up off the ground. As the undead creature’s banshee shriek reverberated all around us, we sprinted into the elevator.
The undead woman leaked blood and gore all over the concrete in the bloody glow of the elevator’s lights as she crawled forward on all fours in our direction. Sarah frantically began slamming the buttons on the elevator. As the undead woman came within inches of the threshold, the metal doors finally slid shut with a faint whirring. I released a long breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.
Covered in blood, both my own and the old woman’s, I leaned heavily against the glass wall. The elevator began ascending up the shaft at a rapid pace. My stomach filled with butterflies as we rose.
***
“Are you OK?” I asked breathlessly as we stared out the glass panes. Sarah was grabbing her stomach. I saw trickles of blood staining her white shirt in crimson blotches. I kept one hand on my neck, trying to stem the bleeding. I felt trickles of warm blood running through my fingers.
“Nothing fatal,” she whispered, though she was clearly in pain. So was I. I groaned, grabbing my head. Sarah was crying, her tears dripping down her face like drops of wax. Still stumbling, I went over and hugged her. She put her head against my shoulder, sobbing. “We’re going to die here, aren’t we?”
“No, no, absolutely not,” I said, not believing a word of it. “The worst is behind us.”
After rising thousands of feet into the air, the elevator’s whirring gears began to slow. Above us, another level of the warehouse opened up. The shaft of the elevator rose through the center of a steel ceiling. We passed through and into something strange.
“It looks like a mall,” Sarah said as the elevator doors opened. In front of us stood a dimly lit hallway lined with dark stores on both sides. On the top, in ancient, rusted letters, I read: “The Badlands Mall”.
I didn’t recognize the names of any of the stores, and there were some odd ones. I saw a shop that said “Dahmer’s Fresh Meats,” with naked, butchered bodies strung up in the display windows, their arms, legs and heads all cut off, their skin removed to show the glistening muscle underneath. Maggots had long ago infested the putrefying meat.
Next to it was a giant department store with the bubbly name of “Perillos” engraved above the entrance. But this was no ordinary department store. Instead of mannequins showing off clothes, the entire department store was filled with torture tools. Iron maidens and roaring bulls were set up out front. Many of the tools looked used, soiled with strips of flesh and pieces of rotting gore. Flies buzzed all around them, and a fetid smell like the bowels of Hell wafted out of the department store in our direction. Perillos had mannequins in many of the soiled torture tools, naked, pale mannequins covered in gore and blood.
The fluorescent lights running overhead had power here, though they were dim. They flickered constantly, sending dancing shadows skittering across the mall.
“I think we’re in some kind of mall from Hell,” I whispered, wincing as even that echoed across the marble and off the glass panes of the stores. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Why?” Sarah asked, a deep sense of terror reflected in her eyes. “I don’t want to go out there. Let’s just wait here in the elevator and…”
“Wait for what?” I said, scoffing. “Rescue? You think anyone knows we’re here? We don’t even know where the hell we are. We need to keep moving forward. There must be some connection back to the real world. There must be.” I didn’t know if I was trying to convince myself or her. Sarah shook her head. I could see she was sweating heavily, her hands trembling.
“I don’t want to,” she said in a voice like a little girl. I took her hand and pulled her forward. We limped out of there together.
“We have to,” I insisted. “Keep an eye out for any sort of useful weapons. That bitch took my only fob for my car. It’s probably still stuck in her eyeball.”
“We could go check in there,” Sarah said, motioning to Perillos department store with its grisly array of torture devices. I shook my head quickly.
“No, not there,” I responded, casting a disgusted look at the patches of rotting skin still sticking to the open iron maidens, the burnt, melted fat leaking out of the roaring bulls. “I’m not sure we’re alone up here. And I have a bad feeling about that place.”
Every time I glimpsed one of the faceless mannequins out of the corner of my eye, it made my heart leap in my chest, thinking it was a person. The mannequins were crucified, impaled or nailed to the ceilings and walls in front of Perillos. It looked like hundreds of them filled the store. Even stranger, they all appeared to have blood crusted on their naked, plastic bodies. And it was a lot of blood.
A shiver ran down my spine as we hurried away without looking back.
***
The stores and shops lining both sides of the dark, flickering hallway got stranger and stranger. There was a run-down ice cream shop called Brownie’s. On the dust-covered menu, they advertised ice cream in many flavors, including bloody pus-flavored, maggot-flavored and tombstone-flavored ice cream. Through the clear plexiglass, I saw rancid buckets of foul-smelling sludge that might once have been ice cream.
I was staring at two broken-down vending machines. One had drinks and advertised Springie’s Lemon-Lime soda, Kanna-brand cola and Saint Kristoff’s Ginger Ale. The other had strange foods, including Overholser’s Beef Jerky, chocolate bars with caramel and peanuts called Eisenhearts, Took’s salt-water taffy and Riza’s fruit snacks.
“This is truly bizarre,” Sarah whispered, looking around furtively. “It’s like we’ve wandered into a parallel Earth with its own brands and stores. But where are all the people?” As if in answer to her question, we heard something dragging behind us.
There was a low whispering of many voices, though they formed no words. It created a low susurration more reminiscent of a den of hissing snakes. With horror, I glanced behind me and saw the mannequins from the store crawling down the hall towards us.
Their smooth, faceless heads ratcheted up as if they had gears in their necks. With jerky movements, they twisted forward, their flat palms smacking the marble floor. Drops of thick, old blood dripped from their plastic bodies. They had no mouths, but I could hear the low gurgling of their strange voices all the same. Hundreds of these pale forms slithered through the halls.
I took off running. A second later, I heard Sarah’s thudding footsteps close behind me. We passed by dozens of eerie, dark stores. In the glass displays of many, naked mannequins covered in gore came to life as we passed, their heads twisting to follow us, their arms and legs shivering with newfound energy.
At the end of the hallway, I saw a familiar sign above a massive department store. It said “Sears”. The doors opened up into a dark, mildewed chamber filled with rusted metal shelving and debris. Without any better ideas, I turned to scream at Sarah, pointing at the store.
“It’s a goddamned Sears! We need to get to it!” Her face had turned chalk-white, her eyes wide with terror. I realized the skittering mannequins were only feet behind her.
As a gurgle hissed from its mouthless face, one of the mannequins reached forward and grabbed Sarah’s ankle. She fell forward, smashing her head hard against the marble floor. I heard the bone give a crack as a blossom of blood exploded from her forehead. Moaning, she tried to crawl away as the mannequins swarmed her, ripping her skin off with their sharp plastic fingers.
I glimpsed this horror only for a moment. It was the last image I would ever have of my wife, the woman I loved. With the last of my fading strength, I pushed myself forward. Sarah’s dying screams followed me into the Sears. I heard more of the tapping limbs of the mannequins close behind me, but I dared not look back.
As I ran through the smashed glass doors leading into the abandoned department store, Sarah’s screams abruptly cut off. For a few moments, I thought I still heard the hissing whispers of the mannequins, but then that, too, went silent.
I wandered through the dilapidated Sears under water-logged ceilings and over thick layers of dust. Eventually, I found the front of the store and smashed my way out of the door. I was in the middle of a parking lot for a mall that looked like it had been abandoned since the 1990s.
***
I saw a highway stretching out nearby, filled with headlights streaming in both directions. I wandered out of the abandoned mall parking lot and down a winding ramp until I found myself on some sort of bridge. Injured and exhausted, I pushed myself forward with the last of my energy.
After a few more minutes, I finally came to a house. Frantically, I knocked on the door and asked for help. They called the police, who were totally baffled by everything I tried to tell them. Apparently, my wife and I had been missing for over two weeks, even though less than a day had passed for us.
Even stranger, however, I ended up thousands of miles away from where I started, seemingly teleported there from the procession of strange doors of the Badlands. My wife and I had started our “trip” over in Boston, and by the time I staggered out, bloody and terrified, I found myself in an abandoned mall near San Jose, California.
Now, I always check every room before I enter it. That hellish place took my wife from me and gave me enough nightmares to last an entire lifetime.
I never want to see that abandoned mall of horrors or that swirling, blood-red sky again.
submitted by CIAHerpes to stories [link] [comments]
As Sarah went on to explain to me, gutter oil was when restaurants in China scooped up the vegetable oil from the trash cans out back of the restaurant. They would use the filthy, carcinogen-ridden oil to cook food for new customers.
Spit oil was when Chinese restaurants would just take the broth from bowls where customers had finished eating and reheat it. They would then pour the reused “spit oil” broth into new bowls with fresh pieces of meat and vegetables added and serve it to the next customer. This was broth that someone else, a total stranger, was just drooling into.
“It’s so disgusting,” Sarah said over the din of contrast traffic as she brushed a lock of hair the color of chestnuts behind her ear. The crosswalk turned green and we started ahead with Sarah in the lead. “It shows that China really is just a paper tiger, at least in terms of its economy. The people are so desperate they’re…”
I saw a blur of something pale behind us, something tall and spidery that slunk through the crowd. I quickly spun my head, but I only saw groups of people milling around. I wondered if I was hallucinating for a moment.
“Are you listening to me?” Sarah said, and I saw she was looking at me now with a queer expression on her face. Her eyes always reminded me of emeralds, the way the green irises sparkled. I shook my head.
“I thought I saw something,” I murmured as we pushed our way through the crowd and into the movie theater. We waited in line and bought our tickets. Everything seemed normal enough. I kept thinking back to that glimpse I had of the pale creature skittering through the city with its thin, jointed legs. I had never seen anything like that before, not even in my nightmares. I shuddered.
“This is our theater,” Sarah said. I followed her, silent. I felt off-balance, though little did I know that things were about to get much worse. I looked down at my arms, seeing goosebumps rise all over my skin. Everything felt freezing cold as we walked through the door into black hall parallel to the stairs in the theater.
The door closed behind me, but everything seemed wrong. There was no light coming from the front of the movie theater. No film was playing on the screen, if indeed there was a screen at all, because all I could see here was total blackness, as if we had walked into an abyss. I didn’t hear the chattering of the crowd in the seats, either. In that endless void, only the breathing of myself and Sarah rang out along with my thudding heartbeat.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice shattering the silence. I took out my cell phone and turned it on, shining it around. Sarah stood in front of me, but we weren’t in the movie theater anymore.
It looked like we were standing in some sort of empty warehouse with concrete floors disappearing into the distance all around us. Deep cracks spiderwebbed their way through the floor. The walls, too, were the same bare, gray concrete. They rose high into the air, and my phone’s dim light couldn’t penetrate deep enough to find any ceiling. The air here felt cold, and the wind constantly whipped through, as if we were standing on top of a mountain.
Sarah took out her phone, too. Her eyes gleamed with panic. I turned, looking for the door we had just come through. It was there, and relief filled my heart. It looked different, cracked and ancient, the wood splintering down the middle in a jagged, lightning-bolt pattern, but it was there.
“Did we go through the wrong door or something?” Sarah whispered in a small, frightened voice. “I’m so confused right now. That was our theater, wasn’t it?” I ignored her and ran forwards, flinging the ancient door open. On the other side, though, I didn’t see the red carpeted hall for the movie theater or the cheesy posters lining its walls.
“No, it wasn’t the wrong door,” I whispered, horrified. “Something’s happened. Something bad. I don’t know what it is, but…” My voice trailed off as, side by side, we stared out into the strange world waiting before us. We each took a step outside onto the surface of the alien planet.
The nighttime sky swirled above us, blood-red and bursting with lightning that sizzled through the clouds. It whirled like a hurricane, meeting in a black eye that bubbled over with thick clouds of fiery smoke that blew across the landscape in suffocating torrents. The ground was covered in layers of fine, glossy sand that looked like obsidian.
The building we stood in stretched far above our heads, appearing hundreds of stories tall. It was of a sheer, brutalist architecture composed of thick walls of cement with no windows. The top of it disappeared in the impenetrable mist of the bloody clouds. It had only one single door on this wall as far as I could see, a wall which stretched out for what looked like thousands of feet in each direction. It almost appeared like an optical illusion with the smooth, gray concrete disappearing off in the distance. It looked like a windowless gray warehouse in my mind, though perhaps, in hindsight, it was really more of a prison.
Throughout the massive chamber of the warehouse, there was a white glare that continuously cut out and turned back on every few seconds. Hanging down on cables hundreds of feet long stood thousands of flickering fluorescent lights. They strobed on and off with an incessant tinking, pinging sound.
“So much for going back the way we came,” I said, shaking my head grimly. “Am I dead right now? Are we in Hell or something?” Sarah gave a short bark of sarcastic laughter that sounded far too loud in the eerie setting. It looked like some endless, empty warehouse built on an alien planet.
“I’ve heard of stories like this,” she whispered, her face pale and covered in sweat, her eyes wide and dilated. “Some people call it no-clipping. I thought it was all a bunch of bullshit, but how else could you explain this? It’s like we accidentally went through the wrong door into another world.”
“No-clipping?” I asked. I would’ve laughed if I weren’t petrified with terror. “That’s from some 90’s videogames, I think Doom and Duke Nukem. It’s just a cheat code that allows you to walk through walls.”
“It’s just what people call it,” she repeated, shaking her head. “I didn’t make it up.”
“I think it’s more likely someone drugged us or something,” I said. “Or probably just me. I bet you’re not even real. Maybe I’m just talking to myself, drooling on the floor somewhere with a dart of bromo-dragonFLY sticking out of my back.”
Sarah looked out onto the alien landscape and the black volcanic sands that stretched off as far as the eye could see. The swirling of the clouds in the sky seemed to grow faster. They threw off rusty streaks of bloody light that flashed in regular intervals and lit up the world with a blinding crimson radiance.
At first, I thought it had started to rain outside. I saw drops of what looked like luminescent, orange-red hail falling from the sky and raining down on the black sands below. But as it rapidly grew closer with a roaring like a tornado, I realized the sky was raining drops of liquid magma. They sizzled and popped as they fell through the air in a fiery blur. The earth greedily sucked the molten lava into its dark skin. A smell like matches and campfire smoke filled the area as clouds of choking black smoke rose high into the air.
“No, it’s real,” Sarah exclaimed in a horrified voice as she quickly backpedaled away from the door and the approaching showers of lava. “It’s coming towards us! Close the door! Close it, close it!” But my body felt sluggish and faraway. Nothing seemed to be reacting like it should. I could only stare at the flames as they filled the world with their sizzling radiance, fifty feet away, then thirty, then ten.
Sarah grabbed my shoulder, snapping me out of reverie. I stumbled back inside the warehouse and slammed the ancient-looking door closed behind me. The roar of the fire continued outside, smashing against the roof high above our heads with a sound like a hurricane. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t hear my own voice over the ear-splitting cacophony.
The fluorescent lights high above us with their cords like endless snakes stopped their flickering at that moment, shutting off abruptly and plunging us into total darkness. The sound of a siren started from all around us, ringing out from the walls and floor of the giant concrete structure itself. It reminded me of a tornado siren, rising and falling in an eerie, ghostly moan as if the spirits of the dead were themselves wailing in agony.
We took out our cellphones, shining the lights out in front of us. The bouncing shadows went skittering out across the smooth concrete floor. We stood there, huddled together and terrified.
“You know what this reminds me of?” I whispered. The firestorm had passed overhead, and though the reverberations of the molten drops hitting the roof still echoed across the endless chamber, the sound had grown faded and distant as the storm continued off into the distance.
“I heard a case in Hungary where a schoolbus full of kids were traveling in the absolute middle of nowhere. Apparently, the few people who lived in the area saw a bright light in the sky and heard an explosion. Later on, someone found the schoolbus, but all the kids and the bus driver had disappeared- except for two twin girls. But you know what the strangest part is? Both of the girls claimed they didn’t have any siblings, that they had no twins and that they had no idea who the other person was.” Sarah covered her face with her hands.
“That doesn’t help us at all,” she said, shaking her head.
“What if this kind of stuff happens all the time, though?” I continued. “What if those kids ended up in a place like this? What if they just fell through a doorway into another reality or were taken…”
“So who was the real twin? I don’t get it,” she said.
“I don’t know. Maybe neither of them. I think you’re missing the point here. Maybe there’s other people here. Maybe there’s another way back to the regular world. If there’s a doorway here, then there must be another doorway that leads back somewhere, right? Maybe there’s hundreds of doorways that lead into this place. Maybe there’s millions,” I said. Sarah opened her mouth to say something when the siren started again, followed by a deep man’s voice. He spoke like a radio broadcaster announcing a terrorist attack, using a grim, emotionless tone.
“Alert: the dead things are crawling. Alert: level five firestorm in progress. Alert: the dead things are crawling. Alert: level five firestorm is approaching in your direction. Please seek cover immediately. Remain in hiding until the danger has passed.
“Alert: the dead are rising. Alert: the dead are rising. Please take shelter immediately,” the voice repeated. The siren wail rang out for a couple seconds, and then the message started repeating again. It sounded like there were speakers built into the walls and floor of the structure all around us, but I saw no vents, no boxes or wires. The lights far overhead flickered in time with the booming alert. After about thirty seconds, the voice abruptly cut out in the middle of its sentence.
“Emergency alert: the dead are rising. Emergen-SEE alllllllllll….” it droned on before the alert and the lights both cut out at the same time. There was a whining sound as if countless hidden fans were slowly whirring to a stop. I looked over at Sarah with a panicked expression. But as I opened my mouth to say something, the booming voice gave one last deep, drawn-out warning.
“Look… behind… you…” it hissed as it deepened into something inhuman, something demonic and brimming with evil.
***
My heart felt like a block of ice as I spun on my heels, raising my phone’s light in front of me like a shield. Sarah’s face had gone pale and she wavered on her feet, looking as if she might pass out. The darkness pressed in on all sides, but the voice had been right. We weren’t alone anymore. Something that looked like an old woman stood there only a few feet away, but everything about her looked wrong.
She had a face as white as burning desert sands. Wrapped around her body, she wore a moth-eaten funeral shawl that looked as black as death. Her pale, nude body had bloody steel bars forced through her arms and chest. The steel rebar had been bent and twisted around her torso, ending in points sharp enough to skewer a human heart. The blood-stained bars formed a cage-like covering over her mutilated, bone-white flesh. Around these deep wounds, the skin hung, ragged and loose. Pieces of sharp steel jutted out from the ends of her fingers, ripping their way out of the flesh like talons. She grinned, and even her teeth were wicked points of glinting metal.
She opened her mouth. Black, clotted blood gurgled and spun within. Her jaw unhinged, showing that her tongue had been cut out. The bloody, infected stump squirmed with maggots. Her filmy eyes seemed to look through us as she stood there, as motionless as a statue. Neither Sarah nor I moved for a long moment.
I came to life then, stumbling back and away from this otherworldly abomination. As soon as I moved a single step, her neck snapped up with a cracking of bone. Her head ratcheted towards me. With twisting, jerking movements, she started towards me.
“Run!” I screamed, tearing off without looking back to see if Sarah would follow. The smell from the old woman was wretched, like the stench of putrefying meat and formaldehyde. I headed straight into the heart of the massive building, hoping that it wasn’t all just empty, bare concrete.
I heard the thudding of feet behind me. Glancing back, I saw Sarah only a few feet behind me. The corpse of the old woman was close behind her, only a couple paces away. Her slashed legs skittered forward, leaving a trail of writhing maggots and drops of black blood in her wake.
As we sprinted forward into the center of the warehouse, it seemed to open up around us like an abyss. The only wall fell further and further behind, but up ahead, there was a crimson glow in the great pool of shadows, something that shone like an emergency light. I pushed myself to the limit, but I knew I couldn’t keep up this pace much longer. Sarah and I neared the bloody glow with the pale corpse of the old woman still close behind us. I could hear the gnashing of her metal teeth and her congested breathing, smell the stink of rot and death that emanated from her like a cloud.
I realized that the red light was actually an elevator, stuck in the center of this immense abyss. Its shaft soared straight up into the air, disappearing from view in the darkness. The metal doors stood open, as if the elevator were waiting for us. I wondered where it led.
A sudden scream erupted from behind me. I turned, seeing Sarah on the ground, the undead corpse writhing on top of her. Her metal teeth snapped together with a sharp ringing sound. Sarah had her arm up and was pushing with all her strength against the old woman’s neck. But the old woman snapped and bit at the air, and with every bite, it seemed her face lowered another fraction of an inch closer to Sarah’s eyes, her nose, her lips. Sarah would be ripped to shreds, her flesh sliced to pieces as if by a woodchipper. I saw the sharp points of metal poking from the corpse’s torso biting into Sarah’s skin. Thin rivulets of blood soaked into her clothes.
I ran forwards in a blind fury, my vision turning white with adrenaline as I brought my boot up into the old woman’s chalk-white face. Her head snapped back, the neck cracking like a tree branch. Her head ratcheted up to face me, her pale cataract eyes gleaming with a rabid hunger. I backpedaled as she lunged forward, leaping through the air like a cat. Sarah lay on the ground, moaning and bleeding, temporarily forgotten by the abomination.
I reached into my pocket, frantically looking for anything to defend myself with. I only felt my car keys. I brought the fob out with its point of steel. At that moment, she tackled me to the ground. A piece of steel stab into my left shoulder as I was forced down. She wrapped her sharp claws around my throat, choking me. The points slashed into my neck, leaving deep gouges that burned like fire. It felt like thousands of needles stabbed their way into my throat as I tried to scream.
I held the fob like a knife in my right hand, clenched tightly in my fist. I brought my knee up and smashed it into her with a sudden rush of adrenaline, feeling her cold steel talons release my throat.
A moment later, the undead woman’s head snapped forward, biting deeply into my neck. I screamed as I struggled, writhing under her weight. I managed to free my right arm and brought the sharp point of the key straight up into her filmy eye.
She gave a wail as she twitched, shaking her head from side to side. The key stayed firmly implanted. As cold, thick blood dripped from her exploded eye onto my face, I reached up and smashed the end of the fob with my palm, forcing the end deeper into her skull. I felt her weight lift off me suddenly. Sarah stood next to her, pushing at the exposed ribs of her putrefying torso, shoving her to the side. The sharp end of the key remained stuck in her rotted skull.
The old woman went sprawling. Sarah reached down and helped pull me up off the ground. As the undead creature’s banshee shriek reverberated all around us, we sprinted into the elevator.
The undead woman leaked blood and gore all over the concrete in the bloody glow of the elevator’s lights as she crawled forward on all fours in our direction. Sarah frantically began slamming the buttons on the elevator. As the undead woman came within inches of the threshold, the metal doors finally slid shut with a faint whirring. I released a long breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.
Covered in blood, both my own and the old woman’s, I leaned heavily against the glass wall. The elevator began ascending up the shaft at a rapid pace. My stomach filled with butterflies as we rose.
***
“Are you OK?” I asked breathlessly as we stared out the glass panes. Sarah was grabbing her stomach. I saw trickles of blood staining her white shirt in crimson blotches. I kept one hand on my neck, trying to stem the bleeding. I felt trickles of warm blood running through my fingers.
“Nothing fatal,” she whispered, though she was clearly in pain. So was I. I groaned, grabbing my head. Sarah was crying, her tears dripping down her face like drops of wax. Still stumbling, I went over and hugged her. She put her head against my shoulder, sobbing. “We’re going to die here, aren’t we?”
“No, no, absolutely not,” I said, not believing a word of it. “The worst is behind us.”
After rising thousands of feet into the air, the elevator’s whirring gears began to slow. Above us, another level of the warehouse opened up. The shaft of the elevator rose through the center of a steel ceiling. We passed through and into something strange.
“It looks like a mall,” Sarah said as the elevator doors opened. In front of us stood a dimly lit hallway lined with dark stores on both sides. On the top, in ancient, rusted letters, I read: “The Badlands Mall”.
I didn’t recognize the names of any of the stores, and there were some odd ones. I saw a shop that said “Dahmer’s Fresh Meats,” with naked, butchered bodies strung up in the display windows, their arms, legs and heads all cut off, their skin removed to show the glistening muscle underneath. Maggots had long ago infested the putrefying meat.
Next to it was a giant department store with the bubbly name of “Perillos” engraved above the entrance. But this was no ordinary department store. Instead of mannequins showing off clothes, the entire department store was filled with torture tools. Iron maidens and roaring bulls were set up out front. Many of the tools looked used, soiled with strips of flesh and pieces of rotting gore. Flies buzzed all around them, and a fetid smell like the bowels of Hell wafted out of the department store in our direction. Perillos had mannequins in many of the soiled torture tools, naked, pale mannequins covered in gore and blood.
The fluorescent lights running overhead had power here, though they were dim. They flickered constantly, sending dancing shadows skittering across the mall.
“I think we’re in some kind of mall from Hell,” I whispered, wincing as even that echoed across the marble and off the glass panes of the stores. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Why?” Sarah asked, a deep sense of terror reflected in her eyes. “I don’t want to go out there. Let’s just wait here in the elevator and…”
“Wait for what?” I said, scoffing. “Rescue? You think anyone knows we’re here? We don’t even know where the hell we are. We need to keep moving forward. There must be some connection back to the real world. There must be.” I didn’t know if I was trying to convince myself or her. Sarah shook her head. I could see she was sweating heavily, her hands trembling.
“I don’t want to,” she said in a voice like a little girl. I took her hand and pulled her forward. We limped out of there together.
“We have to,” I insisted. “Keep an eye out for any sort of useful weapons. That bitch took my only fob for my car. It’s probably still stuck in her eyeball.”
“We could go check in there,” Sarah said, motioning to Perillos department store with its grisly array of torture devices. I shook my head quickly.
“No, not there,” I responded, casting a disgusted look at the patches of rotting skin still sticking to the open iron maidens, the burnt, melted fat leaking out of the roaring bulls. “I’m not sure we’re alone up here. And I have a bad feeling about that place.”
Every time I glimpsed one of the faceless mannequins out of the corner of my eye, it made my heart leap in my chest, thinking it was a person. The mannequins were crucified, impaled or nailed to the ceilings and walls in front of Perillos. It looked like hundreds of them filled the store. Even stranger, they all appeared to have blood crusted on their naked, plastic bodies. And it was a lot of blood.
A shiver ran down my spine as we hurried away without looking back.
***
The stores and shops lining both sides of the dark, flickering hallway got stranger and stranger. There was a run-down ice cream shop called Brownie’s. On the dust-covered menu, they advertised ice cream in many flavors, including bloody pus-flavored, maggot-flavored and tombstone-flavored ice cream. Through the clear plexiglass, I saw rancid buckets of foul-smelling sludge that might once have been ice cream.
I was staring at two broken-down vending machines. One had drinks and advertised Springie’s Lemon-Lime soda, Kanna-brand cola and Saint Kristoff’s Ginger Ale. The other had strange foods, including Overholser’s Beef Jerky, chocolate bars with caramel and peanuts called Eisenhearts, Took’s salt-water taffy and Riza’s fruit snacks.
“This is truly bizarre,” Sarah whispered, looking around furtively. “It’s like we’ve wandered into a parallel Earth with its own brands and stores. But where are all the people?” As if in answer to her question, we heard something dragging behind us.
There was a low whispering of many voices, though they formed no words. It created a low susurration more reminiscent of a den of hissing snakes. With horror, I glanced behind me and saw the mannequins from the store crawling down the hall towards us.
Their smooth, faceless heads ratcheted up as if they had gears in their necks. With jerky movements, they twisted forward, their flat palms smacking the marble floor. Drops of thick, old blood dripped from their plastic bodies. They had no mouths, but I could hear the low gurgling of their strange voices all the same. Hundreds of these pale forms slithered through the halls.
I took off running. A second later, I heard Sarah’s thudding footsteps close behind me. We passed by dozens of eerie, dark stores. In the glass displays of many, naked mannequins covered in gore came to life as we passed, their heads twisting to follow us, their arms and legs shivering with newfound energy.
At the end of the hallway, I saw a familiar sign above a massive department store. It said “Sears”. The doors opened up into a dark, mildewed chamber filled with rusted metal shelving and debris. Without any better ideas, I turned to scream at Sarah, pointing at the store.
“It’s a goddamned Sears! We need to get to it!” Her face had turned chalk-white, her eyes wide with terror. I realized the skittering mannequins were only feet behind her.
As a gurgle hissed from its mouthless face, one of the mannequins reached forward and grabbed Sarah’s ankle. She fell forward, smashing her head hard against the marble floor. I heard the bone give a crack as a blossom of blood exploded from her forehead. Moaning, she tried to crawl away as the mannequins swarmed her, ripping her skin off with their sharp plastic fingers.
I glimpsed this horror only for a moment. It was the last image I would ever have of my wife, the woman I loved. With the last of my fading strength, I pushed myself forward. Sarah’s dying screams followed me into the Sears. I heard more of the tapping limbs of the mannequins close behind me, but I dared not look back.
As I ran through the smashed glass doors leading into the abandoned department store, Sarah’s screams abruptly cut off. For a few moments, I thought I still heard the hissing whispers of the mannequins, but then that, too, went silent.
I wandered through the dilapidated Sears under water-logged ceilings and over thick layers of dust. Eventually, I found the front of the store and smashed my way out of the door. I was in the middle of a parking lot for a mall that looked like it had been abandoned since the 1990s.
***
I saw a highway stretching out nearby, filled with headlights streaming in both directions. I wandered out of the abandoned mall parking lot and down a winding ramp until I found myself on some sort of bridge. Injured and exhausted, I pushed myself forward with the last of my energy.
After a few more minutes, I finally came to a house. Frantically, I knocked on the door and asked for help. They called the police, who were totally baffled by everything I tried to tell them. Apparently, my wife and I had been missing for over two weeks, even though less than a day had passed for us.
Even stranger, however, I ended up thousands of miles away from where I started, seemingly teleported there from the procession of strange doors of the Badlands. My wife and I had started our “trip” over in Boston, and by the time I staggered out, bloody and terrified, I found myself in an abandoned mall near San Jose, California.
Now, I always check every room before I enter it. That hellish place took my wife from me and gave me enough nightmares to last an entire lifetime.
I never want to see that abandoned mall of horrors or that swirling, blood-red sky again.