Tiny dark inside mouth

Here's a very long and convoluted story about what happened when I moved out of Athens and tried to make friends in a new county. It's really long.
*
When you're a mom, it seems like you'd have a lot in common with other moms. You're both exhausted. You both can change a diaper while eating a hamburger while making a doctor's appointment while driving a car. She has spit-up on her shoulder? Yeah, well you have Goldfish in your hair.
But it's surprisingly hard to make mom friends. Go to any park or playground, and you'll see lots of Lone Moms dotting the landscape, swiping at their smartphones while their children play. I don't know why this is, but it's always kind of bothered me.
Raising children can be a terribly isolating endeavor. You are busy, but also bored, since most of the tasks required of you are mundane, repetitive ones like loading the dishwasher, cooking food, and extinguishing the dog. You are surrounded by people all day, but these people are mostly pre-verbal, so you end up feeling lonely a lot of the time. I would think that moms would flock to each other like toddlers flock to the one thing in the house their parents forgot to baby-proof. But no. It turns out that most moms don't mix.
When I lived in Athens, GA, it wasn't so hard. I'd figured it out. I'd spy a mom fiddling with her Maya baby wrap next to the sensory play area, sidle up to her, and hit her with my opening conversational gambit: "What's your position on ancient grains?" And thus would begin a heartfelt conversation about Quinoa and Amaranth and what cereals they prefer. But I didn't really care what we were talking about. I just cared that we were talking.
So I was anxious when I moved out of Athens to the tiny town of High Shoals. It's just over the border from Oconee County, and most moms in Oconee County don't talk about ancient grains. They talk about things I don't have any experience with and thus can't comment on, like who is their favorite area aesthetician. (The last time I had anything resembling a facial was when I fell asleep in the middle of feeding the dogs and woke up with one of them licking my face).
Oconee moms talk about where they're spending their family's spring break ("not Destin"), and how Grayson was just robbed at the regional gymnastics finals. Oconee County is very affluent, and very conservative. You still can't get a beer there on Sundays, but at least the Zaxby's drive-through stays open til 10 pm.
Nonetheless, I resolved to try to make new mom friends. I practiced smiling in the mirror and repeating "What's your home church?" (my new conversation starter) until there was only a hint of crazy-eye brought on by sleep deprivation. I worked on not making sweeping generalizations about people based on what county they live in. I reminded myself to brush my teeth and my hair every morning, instead of on alternating days like I usually do. Finally, shortly after Christmas, I was ready to go.
Now, at the same time all of this introspection about friend-making was going on, my oldest girl asked me for a puppy. I told her no and she went away. Then two days later she came back with a compromise: "How about a rat?"
Probably most folks consider "provide a rat-free environment for your children to live in" to be up there with other parenting dictates like "don't feed your baby Jagermeister." These are rules that are so obvious that they don't even bear mentioning. But when Sadie asked for a rat, I thought back to what happened when my teenaged self and friends watched the punk-rock adolescent classic "Suburbia."
Inspired by a character who had a tame rat as a pet, several of my friends rushed out and secured rats for themselves. They would carry them around in the pockets of their leather jackets when they went to the mall to ask an adult to buy clove cigarettes for them. These rats, I remembered, were well-mannered, good-natured varmints.
A quick look on the web confirmed my memories. Rats, the internet assured me, are smart, and social. They are friendly, and loyal, and can be trained to learn their names and do tricks. If you aren't squicked out by the naked, scaly tail, the bulging genitalia, the beady eyes and twitching whiskers, and the general association of rats with things like plague and death, a rat might be just the thing for you.
My husband was not enthusiastic about this plan, mainly because one of his morning rituals is going out to check the trap in our chicken coop to see what predator was snared overnight. Sometimes he'll come in in the morning with a possum in the trap, or even a black snake. But usually, it's a rat.
"Robin," he said, trying to sound reasonable, "Please don't go out and voluntarily purchase more vermin. We have plenty of rats right here." He pointed at the hissing, red-eyed rodent trying to gnaw its way out of the cage he'd just carried in from the coop.
"Yeah, but those rats are different," I said, hoping he wouldn't ask me why.
"Why?" he said. "It's exactly the same thing. It's a rat."
"Well..." I said, trying to stall. "Not really. See, this is an outdoor rat. We're getting an indoor one. Plus, these rats are free. The rat I'm going to get costs $18."

My husband loves me, and he loves Sadie. But mainly, he's tired. And so eventually Sadie got her rat. Honey lived happily in Sadie's room in his 3-tiered Rat Palace, and every day I would take time out from soothing the infant and wrestling with the 3-year-old to play with the rat, something the pet store warned I had to do if I wanted to socialize him. 

"Time to coddle the rat," I'd announce to the children, disappearing up the stairs to Sadie's room. I'd take Honey out of his cage and scratch his neck and ears. I'd hold him in my palm and encourage him to climb up my arm to my shoulder. I'd turn on Sadie's radio and the two of us would listen to Katy Perry together.
Eventually, as Honey grew, I started taking him downstairs on brief field trips. I'd put him in the sleeve of my sweater, down by my wrist. If I kept my arm bent he would rest there contentedly, and eventually I would become embroiled in making baby food or putting away toys and would completely forget that I had a rather large rat in my sleeve.
One afternoon in January, Sadie suggested that we visit a park in Oconee County. We got ourselves ready and, as we were heading out the door, Sadie stopped and said, "Hey, why don't we bring Honey?" I agreed and so Sadie cleaned out one of her purses and stuffed Honey inside.
When we got to the park, I decided it would not be safe for Sadie to run around on the playground with a bag full of rat (I do have some standards), so I offered to put Honey in my sleeve. She handed over the rat, which settled in the sleeve of my v-neck sweater, and ran off to play.
At first, we were alone on the playground. But after a while a mini-van pulled into the parking lot and a mom and her daughter climbed out. The daughter was the same age as Sadie, and they began enthusiastically playing together as soon as the girl hit the playground. I stood on the other side of the jungle gym from the other mom, wishing I had some of my daughter's friend-making mojo.
Then I remembered my resolution. "This could be it," I realized, watching the other mom through the slats in the climbing structure. "This could be my new mom friend."
I remembered that if I wanted to enlarge my social circle and meet people in this new town, I'd have to invest some energy and take some risks. I remembered what I had told myself about being friendly and open and willing to meet someone where they are. I remembered all of those things. Sadly, I forgot that I had a rat in my sleeve.
I circled around the jungle gym closer to the other mom, trying to make it look like I was moving just to get a better view of my kid. When I was close enough to her to not have to yell, I gave her a big, friendly smile, and said "Our kids seem to enjoy playing together."
"They sure do!" said the other mom, brightly. She smiled, too, and the conversation with my first Oconee County mom was launched.
"How old is she? Oh, mine too! What school does she go to? Does she like it? Yes, we do live close by. We just moved. You grew up here? Seems like a nice place."
Outside, I was engaging in normal-sounding small talk. But inside, I was rejoicing. "I'm doing it!" I thought. "I'm having a normal conversation with another adult! I'm not crying, or babbling, or forgetting where in the sentence I am! I'm just a few more comments away from suggesting our kids meet up at the library some time, and when I do that, she'll say sure, and she'll have to come to the library, too, since her kid is only six and can't drive, and then we'll see each other again and then Bam! Mom friends! Yahoo!"
I decided to close the deal. I said, as casually as possible, "It's great that our kids are having so much fun together. Do you guys ever do any of the afternoon art things at the library?"
The other mom smiled and said, "Yes, we...do. We do go there sometimes."
"Great!" I said.
But things were not great.
Something had happened in between my question about the library and her response. I didn't know what it was, exactly, but I could sense it. The other mom was still smiling, still making eye-contact with me. But something had changed.
I replayed the conversation in my head. The slight pause in her answer to my question about the library. "Yes, we...do." Her eyes had flicked away from my face and down to my chest for a split second -- just a momentary glance -- before meeting mine again. I'd seen her do it but had thought nothing of it, because she'd looked back at me and finished answering.
And she was still looking at me, her face absolutely calm and straight and normal. Nothing bad was happening. She was still standing there, probably waiting for me to suggest a meeting. So what was the problem?
As surreptitiously as possible (which was not at all, since she was standing 2 feet away from me, watching my face) I dropped my own eyes down to my chest. And then I understood.
Honey, the rat who was so at home in my sweater sleeve that I often forgot he was there, had crawled up my sleeve and around to the front, and was now poking his head out of the point in the "v" of my v-neck sweater.
Looking at it from my perspective, I'm just a mom who is trying to make a new friend and who also happens to have a rat crawling around in her sweater. What's the big deal? But from her perspective?
I can hear her standing in her kitchen, staring into a big glass of red wine and telling it to her husband. "A woman tried to talk to me at the park today, but there was a rat in her sweater, so..."
I looked up from the trembling pink nose and sharp eyes of the rodent poking out of my cleavage and into the face of the woman I was never, ever going to be friends with. I had absolutely no idea what etiquette was called for in this situation. Should I acknowledge what was happening with a breezy "oh, ha, don't worry, he's tame"?
Or should I feign surprise, and act as shocked as she? "Oh my gosh," I could shriek, batting at my sweater, "How did that get in there?" Was it worse to be the kind of person who puts vermin in her sweater on purpose? Or the kind who gets fully dressed without realizing there's a rat loose in her clothing? I couldn't decide.
Because this is the South -- the place where one's darkest character failings are met with a sweet "bless your heart!" -- the other mom didn't do what some other moms might have done (e.g., pepper spray me while calling Child Protective Services). Instead, she decided to do the polite thing, and pretend that our casual conversation hadn't just been interrupted by the appearance of a clothing rodent.
She stood there, her serene expression belying the tsunami of WTF? probably roiling in her head, and exchanged a few more banal pleasantries with me. Taking my cue from her, I also tried to ignore the rat, who had crawled down to the waist of my sweater and now nestled there like a distended appendix.
"Well," I said finally, "I guess we'd better get on home." All the other things I wanted to say -- "Maybe we'll see each other again!" "It was great talking to you!" -- felt like chalk in my mouth as I walked with my daughter to the mini-van.
"That girl was really nice!" said Sadie, climbing in her booster seat. "Maybe we could meet her here again."
"Maybe so," I said, reaching under my sweater and extracting Honey. He thrashed and twisted as I inserted him into the purse Sadie had brought along.
"We could play with Honey, maybe," Sadie said as I started the van. "Do you think she likes rats too?"
"I don't know, Bean," I sighed. Should I tell her that, no, she probably doesn't like rats very much at all. Should I tell her that if she wants to be accepted in her new town, she needs to lose the rat and turn her face to more normal little-girl pursuits, like weaving bracelets out those damn rubber band circles? Should I tell her that the weird things she loves are the very same things that will make her lonely? The way her mom sometimes is?
"I don't know," I said again. "But I'll tell you what. If you find a person who likes both you and your rat, you snag 'em, OK? That's when you know you've found a friend." I pulled the car out of the lot and drove myself, my daughter, and our pet rat back home.

Possible photo of Ghost? What do you guys think?
Possible photo of ghost? What do you think?
Hey guys I haven’t posted In here for quite sometime. I have moved house since the last time I posted In here.
I have not only moved houses but I have moved to a different city, the house I am now living in is more haunted than the last. Not sure if something followed me or if it’s an entirely new spirit..
So about a year ago a saw a shadow figure in this house, it was my first time seeing a shadow figure. I decided to start live streaming to see if I could capture something on stream. I have been streaming now for a few months (since last November) I have caught some strange activity on those streams like some shadow movement, sounds like footsteps on stairs and a whisper caught on the stream.
Anyway last night I heard what could only be described as knocking. I left my room and looked down the dark hallway and it stopped so I sat down on the top of the short stair case and listened. And sure enough it started again. It sounded like it was coming from my bathroom, so I snapped a photo and to my surprise when you zoom into the dark doorway to my bathroom it looks like I can see a face looking back at me. I live alone right now and no one was here except me. When I saw the “face” I went to investigate to make sure no one was inside my house. But all the rooms were empty.
I am not sure if it is something paranormal or if it’s just pixels that look like a face. I’d love someone feedback to what you think
Thank you for your time Jay

Hey 👋 I'm wondering if anyone can identify either of these insects in my pond.
The first one looks kind of like a house centipede, but is much smaller and I've only ever seen it underwater. I haven't found evidence that it can swim; I only see them crawl.
The second one is some sort of red worm, which I suspect is a kind of larva. This one is a long shot since the photo quality is quite poor (they're tiny and it's really difficult to get good photos inside my pond). From what I can tell, they crawl around and also randomly writhe maniacally while floating.
Note: I live in the Netherlands (Amsterdam).
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/uw TLDR: A bunch of Cocos from alternate timelines and dimensions fall through a rift and land in this current world. They all have slightly different personalities and hobbies, and go their own separate ways. All of their stories are told on this account, while the original Coco's story remains on the main account. /rw
“And… hah… why are we hiking up a mountain for this?”
“Because his ability will affect basically anything near him. Out here, his powers won’t bring about too much chaos… Thank you for bringing those fruits here, Coco. It means a lot.”
The two women, dressed in black and white, stood out like a sore thumb amidst the greens and browns of the forest leading up the mountain. Coco trailed behind Alentu as they ventured higher, her exhaustion quite apparent compared to the latter’s calm and collected steps. Though their physical capabilities seemed miles apart and their gaits completely unalike, there was an invisible harmony to their movement. This ironic harmony extended to their clothing, their outfit and hair colors the exact inverse of each other. In Coco's hand was a basket of various fruits, freshly picked to be delivered to a certain someone.
Today was an unfortunate day for the Ventures. One where each would 'pay the price' for their position in the family. All except Alentu, who took it upon herself to look after her family at their weakest and most vulnerable. She had, by chance, also ran into Coco that day, who she had forged an unexpected bond with, one almost unimaginable to anyone who knew her well. They agreed to meet at the outskirts of the forest to bring some goods to Error, who had isolated himself in a cave atop one of the mountains within the grove.
It was late afternoon, and they were now halfway to the peak where the cave resided. They had walked uphill for well over an hour, and the incline only grew steeper. To try and ignore the numbness of her feet, Coco tried to strike up a conversation.
Coco: "So Alentu, do you... T-think they'll... accept us together?"
Alentu: "Accept?" She giggled. "I was the head of the Venture family long before many of the rules were in place, so you have nothing to worry about. You won't go forgetting about me anytime soon, even if you don't officially marry into the family. And after today, you'll see why I don't want you becoming a Venture, for your own sake."
Coco: "Ah, yeah... I-I was more meaning, like... Would your family... Like me?"
Alentu: "Hmm... It'd be hard to tell without you talking with them one on one. But if we're talking about Error, you've got nothing to worry about, Coco. He certainly isn't as scary as he looks, even today!"
Coco: "R-right. Well that's good... To be honest, I have been a bit nervous about it all... Not just meeting your family, but telling them we're p-"
Alentu: ahem "M-maybe not that part yet... One thing at a time... Let's just focus on first impressions and making sure he's doing alright, okay?"
Coco: "Oh, sure- HUH?"
Coco's exclamation made them both stop in their tracks. Alentu turned her head quickly, but Coco's finger pointed her gaze ahead of them to a nearby waterfall, or what would be one, if it hadn't been flowing up into the sky. That wasn't all. Loose rocks and trees floated around the mountain's peak, birds flew through the air backwards, and the stone faces of the mountain were jagged and blurry. It was as if they had walked into an unstable simulation of reality. Coco stood in shock as she tried to comprehend what she was looking at, but a tap on her shoulder brought her attention back. Alentu signaled to keep walking and stay cautious, taking her hand and leading her through the lawless, almost artificial world they had entered.
As they neared the peak, the anomalous sights grew more and more common, and the terrain more and more hazardous. They carefully climbed the last incline, and atop the mountain awaited a beautiful mess of nature. A sea of flowers and grass covered the ground, the variety of which was exotic and almost timeless. The local flora was still intact, but among it grew untamed vines, metallic displays that mimicked plants, and all kinds of life that had never once grown in that area. There were also several shrines in the area, each having the same features, colors and style, but of completely different makes and materials.
Coco: "What the... I-is this what Error is capable of? Holy shit..."
Alentu: "Yes... It's just as bad with everyone else... Having such little control over such strong powers... It's why today's so important for me. I have to protect everyone..."
Coco: "Alentu... I-I'm so lost in what... What this is. Everything feels so... broken..."
Alentu: "...We should head into the cave. Watch your step, and whatever you do, do NOT go near any smoke. Understand?"
Coco: "I do..."
Alentu wrapped her arm around Coco and helped her across the dense foliage. They soon reached the cave, and in it layed a blurry mess of static and black smoke. Heeding the warning, Coco kept her distance, averting her gaze from the eyesore within, while Alentu called out into the darkness.
Alentu: "Error? Are you okay?"
Error: Am I...
Alentu: "Error! What's wrong?"
Error: Am I so hideous you have to look away!?
Alentu: "...Seriously?"
Error: "Sorry, sorry! He laughed. Just wanted to lighten the mood. You've had a busy day, haven't you Alentu? Oh... And who's this you've brought with you? Do ya live around these parts? Sorry about the mess, everything will be back to normal by midnight! Well, probably..."
Coco: "O-oh, I don't... I-I came here with Alentu to bring you some food. S-she's my... My..."
Alentu: "Coco's my wife."
Error: "Oh, I see! Wait... WHAT? You? Wife? After all this time?? Oh, I see! Getting me back for my joke-"
Alentu: "I'm not joking. It won't be official, but... We both found it in our hearts to share our love with another."
Coco blushed from the sudden introduction, having never heard her say those words in public, and while Alentu had a confident demeanor and tone, even she looked a bit anxious. The cave was silent apart from the crackling of the rifts forming in reality, as no one really knew what to say next. After a long pause, Error finally came to process what she had said.
Error: "I hope Conat's watching... I think he'd be happy knowing his wife found love again... As am I."
Alentu: "Thank you... I hope he is watching, too..."
Error: "Now, I would say celebrations are in order, but... Well, I'm sure you know why I can't hand ya a cold one. I am, however, very hungry, so let's have a little picnic, shall we? That'll give us the chance to get to know each other and such...
Coco: O-oh, s-sure! I'd be happy to!
Alentu: "But I really should... Ah, I've already checked up on the others at least once today... Alright, but I need to be back by evening, for everyone else's sake. Today's not a day I can slack off, you know."
Error: "You got it, ma'am! Nice and quick. Now, let's see if I can peel an orange or two without sending it to another dimension!" He chuckled lightheartedly.
Coco and Alentu took a seat at the entrance of the cave, sitting in a patch of stone untouched by the smoke. They unpacked their basket of fruit, dividing up the softer fruits between the two, while rolling the ones with peels to Error for him to reach himself. Most of the food he touched was whisked away through time and space, or replaced with another version too unripe or rotten to eat. He did, however, experience the opposite as well, having fresh fruit pop into his hands out of nothingness. It was at least enough to not go hungry for the remainder of his voluntary exile.
During their picnic, they chatted about how Coco and Alentu met, skipping over the more intimate details, and sharing stories from their life to break the ice. Everyone got along well, and though Error couldn't even be seen, it was clear he greatly valued the company. Sooner than anyone would've liked, the banter and fruits were no more, and the time to leave was upon them. The sun had fallen low enough to be visible from the cave, and the breeze began to pick up. Coco began to pack the leftover peels and stems back into the basket as Alentu stood up, walking into the sunlight as she stretched.
Alentu: "Ah~ Alright, it's best I head back now... I hope you don't get too cold when night comes, Error. It feels like it's gonna be a windy night..."
Error: "Oh, don't worry about me. Thank you for the food. Especially you, Coco, you don't know how happy I am to meet you!"
Coco: "Oh, you're fine! I share what I grow at home with everyone! It was nice to meet you, too!"
Error: "Pleasure is all mine... Damn, I can feel the breeze even in here... The breeze... THE BREEZE! GET OUT!"
Alentu's eyes widened, turning around and running towards the cave, reaching out for Coco.
Alentu: "COCO! RUN! The wind is gonna push the smoke into us!"
Coco looked in horror at the floor under her, their unaffected safe spot having shrunk to just the space she occupied. Black smoke began to blow around the cave, trapping her in a hazy web. She looked to Alentu, her eyes desperate and in disbelief as her heart sank. What would happen if she got touched? Would she disappear forever? Would she be thrown into another time and space with no way home? Would she be transformed beyond recognition? She screamed in terror and made a run for Alentu, ducking low and reaching out for her. Their hands stretched out for each other, but just as they almost touched, a veil of smoke covered her vision. The smoke had consumed her.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing on a bridge in an endless void. There was no land in sight whichever way she turned her head, and the sky was a starry night completely alien to her. Her fear made her too scared to open her mouth, let alone yell for help. She looked down, and saw her reflection rippling in the darkness... No, multiple reflections. The void became a sea of her form. Terrified, she stumbled back, but tripped over the rope suspending the bridge, causing her to fall in.
As she fell, she felt her body get caught up in a mass of limbs and hair. These body parts were connected to her reflections, and as one began to scream, the rest followed. They fell together for what felt like forever, but as Coco looked up, she saw the other countless reflections looking back at her, slowly fading from view. She closed her eyes, accepting what was likely her demise. Eventually, she hit the bottom, but instead of the cold impact of death, she fell into a warm embrace, and instead of falling straight down, she fell forwards.
Alentu: "Coco! Coco, are you o- AH!"
Coco's eyes jolted open, and before her was Alentu, holding her like she never wanted to let her go again. Their hug was tight, but behind her black hair, she saw the familiar sight of the corrupted mountaintop.
Coco: "A-Alentu... A-am I still here with you?"
Alentu: " Y-yes! T-thank god you're safe, if you had disappeared for good- I-" Alentu's eyes were teary, and her voice unusually shaky. "You only vanished for a second, but that was one of the scariest moments in my life... B-but now..."
Coco: "Alentu, I-I was so scared, I-I don't know what happened..."
Error: "That's a relief... It seems only your jacket was lost... but... Miss Coco... Please turn around."
As instructed, while still hugging Alentu, she turned her head to look behind her, and realized the nightmare she experienced really did happen. The reflections she saw were real. The bodies she got tangled up with were even more real, and they were all right behind her.
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One by one, her mirror images began to climb up from their dog pile. They were all as confused as she was, though they didn't seem to recognize where they were. Getting a good look at them, she could see that they were almost exactly alike, at least in terms of appearance. Once they all realized they were looking at replicas of each other, their panic ensued.
"W-what the fuck is this? God damnit, did I drink too much?"
"Ah- Mom? Where are you? Where did you go? W-why am I here?"
"Mimics? Damnit, what have I gotten myself into?"
While their appearances were quite similar, they all seemed to have slightly different personalities and reactions. Some were confrontational and agitated, some were lost and scared, and some were speechless, still trying to understand what happened. The original one stayed in Alentu's arms, holding her close as she watched the unbelievable scene unfold.
Error: "I see... It appears that when Coco contacted the smoke, she became a bridge to other versions of herself in different times and dimensions."
Alentu: "W-what... S-so, t-this Coco is fine, b-but all of these others have..."
Error: "Have been snatched away and thrown here, it seems. All from different times and dimensions..."
Alentu: "And these other Cocos... They can't go back, can they?"
Error: "Not by me. Safely, anyways..."
The crowd of altworlders began to yell and shout at the voice in the cave.
"What the hell? You brought us here, but you can't bring us back?"
"Shit! I have to get back home, now! I don't care if I need to give my soul to a chronomancer..."
"T-this is the future? O-Or the past? Or even a d-different dimension?? No, that can't be!"
Error: "Hey, wait a second! If a bunch of clones start running off on their own-"
"I'm not a god damn clone!"
One by one, they ran away, each resolved to accomplish something different. The sudden crowd poured down the unstable mountain, until only one remained, staring back at Coco and Alentu in disbelief.
Alentu: "And you?"
AltCoco: "Alentu... T-thank god you're here, too?"
Alentu: "Hm? Ah, so we've met in your world... Since you're here, I think we need to figure out how we're gonna fix this mess. Please, come with me..."
They moved to sit by one of the many shrines near the mountain path. Alentu then led a discussion between the three, asking the other Coco what she remembered about her own world's history. Her description appeared to describe a similar reality to their own, but at an earlier point in time. As such, the events that lead her life were different, and she was only able to recognize Alentu. The two forms of Coco began to discuss more specifics about their own lives.
AltCoco: "Huh, s-so you're getting married to someone else, and have a family of your own already... B-but, you're also with Alentu?"
Coco: "Yes... But I'm honestly amazed to hear how differently my life could have been if I was born only a few decades earlier..."
Alentu: "Where you only met me..."
AltCoco: "Yes- A-and Alentu, y-you're almost exactly the same as the one I know... I-it's like I'm talking to the same person. Everything we did together matches up too... B-but now she's..."
Alentu: "I'm sorry, Coco... There's not much we can do. I still love you, but..."
AltCoco: "Wait! Please! Let me stay with you, Alentu! E-even though we're from different worlds, you're still the same woman I love! Please..."
Alentu: "But this world's Coco is..."
All three fell silent as an uncomfortable truth settled in: There were two Cocos, but only one Alentu. That wasn't even mentioning the fact that even more were out there in the world, with absolutely no way to control their actions, however reckless they may be. Despair began to creep onto the altworlder's face, tears falling from her eyes as she began to accept her cruel fate. Coco's own face was clouded deep in somber thought, but after gathering her resolve, she spoke up.
Coco: "I... I have a proposal, but... You might not like it, Alentu. And it doesn't really solve our other problem..."
Alentu: "We're already in a shitty situation. Please, just tell me."
Coco: "My family at home needs me. I'm about to have little Iza, and... Since this Coco was ripped away from her own family... Well, I don't think she should be deprived of that joy... You should also be able to spend time with your kids..."
AltCoco: "Y-you want me to raise this Alentu's kids instead of you?"
Coco: "And... Stay with her... Be a good wife to her, so we all can get a happy ending..."
Alentu: "But Coco- A-are you saying you want her to take your place beside me? But that would mean you, yourself, wouldn't be with me... This hurts you more than any of us!"
Coco: "I suppose so... I do really care for you, but... I'm the only one that can be there for Mikhail and the kids I planned to raise with him. If we want to spend as much time as possible with family, you, Alentu, are the only family this Coco has. I don't want either of the people I care about to feel like I'm not there for them, so..."
AltCoco: "I... I understand... If you're really okay with it, both of you, then... I'd be so happy... I'm honestly scared to think about what I left behind, but, if I can be with Alentu, no matter what time or place..."
Alentu: "I'm okay with that... This feels... strange, but... I think it's for the best for each of our families. I love you, Coco, but I know your family needs you. I wanted to make it work despite that... I didn't want to lose you, but-"
Coco: "Don't think like that, Alentu! Let's not look at this as a mistake, but a blessing... One that lets everyone find their own happiness. You didn't lose me! Instead, you'll now be able to spend all the time you like with your love! I want to protect your smile no matter what, and leaving it in the hands of someone I know will bring you happiness... I can't possibly be sad about that."
AltCoco: "I agree... It means neither of our families will worry... This world's Coco can be with her family, and I can become yours, just as it was before with both of us. I want to make this work, for everyone's sake!"
Alentu: "Hah... Coco, that's why I love you. You always know how to cheer me up, and make me feel loved. When I'm with you, my worries always seem to melt away... I accept your proposal. You're both my lover, so I could never look at either of you any differently. To a bright future with our families..."
Alentu pulled the two in for a big hug, and gave a kiss to this world's Coco. The two shared their goodbyes and well wishes to each other before Coco sat down in front of her counterpart, a happy look on her face that inspired the other to brighten up. Alentu stood up and ruffled both of their hair, leaving the two by themselves as she waited nearby. The Cocos then turned to each other, smiling as they shook hands.
Coco: "To a bright future with our families"
AltCoco: "To a bright future with our families"
https://preview.redd.it/klgk6wclas0d1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=100636d165f5d3dc02cc4cdd902b16a285b56fe0

Hey all you lovely chicken people! I need some help. My chicken journey started late November of last year, I recieved three bantams from family who were in a bad spot and could no longer take care of their chickens. One rooster who we aptly named “Rowdy” and two bantam hens. These guys were my first introduction into the world of chickens, and I was hooked. Fast forward to today, I have 25 chickens total. 12 of which are 12 weeks old, and 10 who are around 6 weeks old, all of which are full sized egg layers (or will be.) They all sleep together in a 10x10 coop, and free range all day. Here lies my problem, I can’t get my rooster to integrate into the flock. The bantam hens get along fine, a little pushy with the youngest of the flock, but fell into a pecking order with the older pullets. Every time I try to introduce Rowdy into the mix, he isolates the two bantam hens and attacks anyone else who gets close. He also attacks the other hens completely unprovoked. They could be facing the opposite direction of him, happily pecking at scratch multiple feet away, and he’ll rush up to them and pull out a mouthful of feathers. Before I purchase pinless peepers, is there anything else I can do? He’s currently in jail by himself inside his old small coop in my garden where his hens can’t get to him, if they could they’d just stand there with him all day. I’m at a wits end with him, and I don’t want to rehome him considering he is my first chicken but I’m open to all suggestions. Thanks everyone in advance!

It was a winter morning, and I was standing on the railway station of Adityapur, one of Asia’s largest industrial hubs in the outskirts of Jamshedpur, formally known as TATANAGAR, the city known for TATAs & their steel. I updated my current whereabouts to my mother just before boarding the Tata-Gua passenger train, sounding her on my expected time to reach home. I was visiting home after 2 months, the longest interval in the 3.5 years at NIT Jamshedpur due to my business around hosting the first alumni meet of NIT Jamshedpur and a 15-day train travel across India through Jagriti Yatra. I was just carrying my laptop bag as it was a usual 2/3-day trip and I just had my Compaq laptop, a change of clothes & charger to be precise beside my small blue denim wallet & a Samsung smart phone. In 2012, smart phones were just stepping in and my brother-in law was generous enough to lend it to me to take pictures of the places I visit & the events I attend during Jagriti Yatra. Jagriti Yatra is a train ride across India with 600 yatris from different countries, different walks of life who embark on this journey to learn about various social & business enterprise. In that day’s train journey, I was travelling with a batchmate who would get down 2 stations before mine. We’d travel together many times during the four years, and we’d always take the morning train instead of the evening one. It was a passenger train which was always very crowded, and it passed through many small stations in that belt which were dimly lit, these stations were primarily existing to connect industries to the mining towns of Noamundi, Barbil, Jhinkpani and had goods trains plying with iron ore, limestone, cement, so evening trains seemed unsafe for girls travelling alone. Jhinkpani was a small town in that belt with a cement factory, ACC Cements, and a residential township for it. My dad had booked the station trip which was a Maruti Van to ply the resident of the colony from station to the colony which was around 3 kms away & there was no public transport available in this route. I was waiting to board the train all excited to show my parents the pictures of the Yatra clicked on the borrowed smart phone, I’d also met my sister and niece at Visakhapatnam while we visited Akshaya Patra mega kitchen and I remember getting clicked a cute photo of me holding my niece at the station but my excitement was short lived as soon as I kept the phone in the small zipper pocket of my laptop bag. I was modestly dressed in a kurta and leggings, without pockets of-course, pockets are a recent phenomenon in women’s Indian clothing. So, my phone and wallet were always kept in the bag.
As I boarded the train along with around 20 other people from that gate, I felt a sudden force pulling me back, but I managed to steer my way inside but with an eerie feeling, I quickly reached out to check the tiny pocket immediately only to find that both the wallet & the borrowed phone were gone. A shiver ran up my spine and I started to feel numb. There was Rs 200 in cash in that wallet which was a month of pocket money, my SBI ATM card and college i-card. Now, having zero cash, no phone I went about near the gate to see if I can find it, I spoke to couple of people but barely anyone knew Hindi, and it struck me real hard that reaching home was my single motto now. Although scared that I would be scolded by parents for being reckless, I had a sinking feeling as to how would I break this news to my sister & my brother-in-law whose smart phone I’d lost, what would I do about all the lost contacts that I’d woven so meticulously while organizing the alumni meet, what of the memories that I’d captured during the Yatra. My brain started to fizzle with all these entrapping thoughts when my friend shook me to bring me back to the dreaded train which was my reality then and I started planning my next course of action. I first called my mother from my friend’s phone to tell her about the loss, she comforted me and then she informed my dad to arrange a vehicle from the station, the trip was booked but it’d sometimes leave passengers if there are more people than capacity or not turn up due to technical glitch in the age old van that was used. My friend got down at Chaibasa and my heart started racing more as people around me in the train knew my situation and vulnerability and I tried to pose a strong and confident front. The train took more than 20 minutes to travel 17 kms but for me it seemed like ages, the sight of Jhinkpani station never made me so relieved. I quickly deboarded the train, holding on to my bag tightly this time and found a friend waiting there in his Maruti 800. He happened to have met my dad while coming to the station for a personal work and my dad asked him to pick me as well. I finally reached home travelling without a phone and a penny in pocket, my mom was so glad to see me safe and sound. I was taken aback a little to see her overtly calm demeanor at the face of such an adversary and having no concern whatsoever for my lost phone or the wallet. She prayed and thanked God for my safe return and narrated about her dream which she saw about me the previous night. She was very disturbed by it, and she’d been praying from dawn that day for my well-being as the dream was a very bad omen for me. She felt relieved that it was only few items that were lost, and I was completely unharmed. Mother’s love manifests in mysterious ways I thought while gobbling on my favorite sambar, rice that afternoon. Meanwhile, my dad deactivated my ATM card and arranged an old makeshift phone for me to be used in the remaining two months of college. When I sit back to think, I always think about my mother’s reaction and feel relieved that it happened, may be a way to appease myself of the guilt of not thinking through that somebody must have noticed me putting the phone in the small pocket and chanced upon it in the crowd while boarding. To compensate for the loss of phone, I gifted my sister with a digital camera after I started earning 4 months down from this incident. From then on, I never kept anything valuable in such obvious places in public while I maneuvered my ways in Delhi’s metro or the local trains of Mumbai, in the buses of Visakhapatnam or in the streets of Paris. I hold my wallet tight and my phone close.

This is my baby, Barry. He’s 9 years old ( just turned 9 05/05 ) and he has heart disease and possible ( I’m pretty sure ) CHF. Barry has had countless of vet vists with his primary vet, who originally had diagnosed him as allergy prone, and having chronic bronchitis. The bronchitis and allergies have always given him a slight cough, but it was never an issue for years until it became very persistent and the sound of the cough changed to more of a dry hacking/ honking cough. X-rays were taking and an enlarged heart was discovered. Immediately he was prescribed 5 mg vetmedin and 20 mg prednisone. He’s been on the pred for about 3 weeks and vetmedin for 2 weeks and a half . I found that his medication was actually really helping him, it reduced his coughing and the passing out episodes he was having got better! He was having syncope episodes maybe around 2 times a week, collapsing when we would get home from over excitement. Since the start of vetmedin he’s had no syncope episodes, until recently….
Two days ago Barry started to have rapid breathing and had a bloody stool with blood dripping from his little butt! He was rushed to the ER, where he had never been seen. Although we were there more concerned about the bleeding the vet was immediately concerned about his breathing and after evaluation and hearing about his condition and diagnosis said that his lungs were not happy lungs and very concerning. She was also very shocked to hear that he was on 20 mg of pred, all the medical staff in proximity was completely shocked as well, and they told us 20 mg was a crazy amount of pred for him to be taking. She urged that we get reevaluated with their cardiologist and do an echo on his heart to pinpoint what is going on with his heart and lungs. Especially since I told her that his primary vet did not really explain his findings as far as what exactly was wrong with his heart and was very vague and nonchalant with his dignosis. Since his appointment at the er two days ago Barry’s health has taken a turn for the worse and I’m so conflicted on what next steps to take. His breathing has become harder, slower, he’s unable to regulate his breathing even at rest he is out of breath. He even sometimes seems to put his head up and mouth breath closing and opening his mouth, what seems to be gasping. He hasn’t drank water since yesterday morning and despite my efforts to give him some he’ll kick a tiny bit off a spoon and then stop. He’s had 4 syncope episodes just yesterday alone. These episodes aren’t triggered by his usual, me getting home excitement. Episode 1 was him coming up our short stair case from a potty break, Ep 2 happened while he ate his dinner Ep 3 came after running down half of my hallway Ep 4 after my dad excited him with baby talk. My heart is absolutely in shambles seeing him become so weak in over 2 days but I’ve read that’s common with dogs and CHF, one day their life can do a complete 360. I apologize for the long post but I’m at a cross road. I can’t bare to see him suffer so much like this, small things like sitting up and standing up have become hard tasks, he’s weak, wheezing and fighting to breathe. I have tried to remain positive, especially since his app with the cardiologist is around the corner, June 6, but honestly I think he could pass any second now in the condition he’s in. My dog is my baby I can go on and on without a doubt how much I adore, love and cherish him, I can’t imagine life without him. It’s 5am at the time of this message and he’s having a restless night… and so am I. I don’t want to be selfish and have him barely clinging on to life, the way he has been. I’m starting to think it’s time to send him to the rainbow bridge and I feel completely guilty in thinking of letting him go. I don’t want him to feel given up on, but I’m very sure he can go on his own at any point in the next days . Please send a prayer, good thoughts, vibes to my Barry, times are scary. Hug your babies extra tight for me.