My questions: -Has anyone else experienced weight changes from food poisoning. I’ve taken Arkkmansia specifically and PB8.
-How did you handle food poisoning? (I’ve taken Arkkmansia specifically and PB8. )
3 years ago I was gifted an end of year present from one of my students parents, a charcuterie board. I ate the whole thing in a day, it was amazing! I remember eating the cheese and being concerned the soft cheeses were warm and had been out all day when she delivered them ( at the time out outdoor temp was 102). I was never a cheese person prior.
A couple days later I had horrible abdominal pain, my vision went white during my stomach cramping episodes, I never went to the ER and it subsided. I went from 115lbs and began gaining weight quickly after this. Within a few weeks I couldn’t button my pants, despite hiking all summer I gained 20 lbs in a month, and now I’m currently at 170. (Thyroid, A1C, hormones have all been checked so many many times, all normal) my husband has attended doctors appointments with me to confirm that my caloric intake is between 700-1100 depending if I’m even hungry that day.
It’s been three years and no amount of dieting, weightloss medication (metformin), or exercise has caused my weight to budge.
Jump forward with me, on Monday of this week I found unopened Forager yogurt in my fridge which was purchased weeks ago and had expired last week. It did look grayish …. But the lid wasn’t puffy so I totally ate it 😬. I’ve been having the same abdominal cramping and pain I had three year ago. I upped my probiotics, contacted my doc for a stool sample, but everytime I eat I cramp and get sweaty. I just had a colonoscopy/endo 4 weeks ago so I know the anatomy of my stomach is physically ok. I also have taken two rounds of augmentin in the past 6 months

I know lots of teachers have to share space so I'm definitely not the only one suffering, but I hate this so much. I'm a 6-8 grade ELD teacher in an urban K-8 building and my "Classroom" is a corner of the defunct library with bookshelves and cubicle dividers for walls. I share the space with 3-4 interventionists, the fridge, the art teacher, and the copier. It's so loud and my kids are loud. I can't test here (WIDA or state tests) so when I do it displaces something and someone complains.
There's always a din of noise, I'm never alone, and have no privacy. I can't call a doctor's office or the bank on my lunch. My vet called me about my dog having a tumor and I had to find a hallway to cry in and someone still walked in on me crying.
I KNOW there are folks teaching in hallways and closets. This isn't right. It's always an underserved population too. We have 3 preK classrooms, 2 ES classrooms, and 3 self-contained classrooms that could be in other buildings. I have things stolen from my room all the time. Food, computers, stuff off my desk. Last year there was buzz about me getting a room so I dutifully packed up everything. Returned to find it still there and the space hadn't been cleaned, so I'm not going to bother this year.

So this house's wiring is wild. Half is old ungrounded style wire/outlets and some newer patched on things that I'm sure are not to code. The breakers in the Main/Sub-Panels are even wilder with things grouped together randomly. I have been trying to nail down what outlet/device is on each circuit but it is damn tricky and and have since started an Google Sheet to help.
But... my main questions are about the main panel and what my options are for making some room for a new dedicated EV charger breaker. I know all about the best practices with that and will hire an electrician for it, but I'm curious if beforehand I need to plan ahead to make room.
I believe we have 200A service as that is what is labeled on my meter. Located in UT.
There is an unused NEMA 6-50R in the backyard that I can see uses 6 gauge wire directly to the main panel, so originally I thought we can just replace that breaker pole with one for the EV charger and be on our way.
But in poking around to confirm, it appears that outlet is shared with the 40A electric oven breaker. Now my understanding was 240V appliances like ovens needed a dedicated breaker or is that not true? Even if allowed, I think my oven is 40A at the minimum based on the model info so that also seems odd because you could never run both at the same time.
All this to say it now definitely complicates things and my plan.
So main question is: Can I (an electrician) replace the large 4-pole breakers with smaller breakers to make room? Specifically the oven one and disconnect the outdoor 6-50R.
And secondary question, what reason would the 6-50R outlet be on the same breaker as the oven?
Curious what options you all think I have. Thank you!
main panel
sub-panel
oven details

[dont read this part] My name is Renaes. It’s pronounced
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[Reh-nay-es]
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I woke up to the worlds most annoying alarm clock, screaming that annoying beep for about a minute. I decided to acknowledge it. I rolled over in bed and looked at the time; 7AM. I reached my arm out from under the covers and slapped the snooze button.
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This was a normal routine for me every morning. Wake up hit the snooze button twice and groan out of bed. I lifted the covers up and sat hunched over in my bed. I put my hands to my face, feeling quite dead inside. I did my morning stretches and made my way upstairs. The stairs freaked as I walked up each one before my bare feet hit the dining room floor. I began to slowly make my way to the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and a spoon. I opened the fridge and grabbed some milk, pouring into the bowl almost halfway. People always make fun of me for this but I don’t really give a damn. I shut the fridge and grabbed the Lucky Charms box, filling the bowl up. I sat at the table and slowly ate my food, while scrolling through Reddit. I finished eating and put the bowl in the sink before heading back downstairs. I turned on the shower, and hopped in after undressing. The water was refreshing.I scrubbed away yesterday’s dust, I stepped out and wrapped the to around myself.
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I don’t wanna go to work today, I groaned.
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I made my way upstairs and changed into my work clothes. Bright reflective orange shirt, khaki carhartt work pants, and my favorite pair of cowboy work boots. I slid my cap on and grabbed my backpack, after shoving my lunchbox in it. I snatched the keys for my Silverado off the counter and headed outside.
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The sun was still coming up and the air was cool. I hated summer. I liked the winter time. No bugs or anything that would kamikaze dice your eyeballs. To be honest, the worse the weather the happier I am! I started the engine and started Spotify on my phone. I put on my favorite playlist before pulling out of the driveway and heading down the gravel road to the highway.
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I was so worried this morning. But I didn’t know why. I stopped at the stop sign and made a left. I headed to the gas station to talk to the cashier Megan. I always stopped by every morning. I walked in and walked past her.
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“Good morning Reneas!” she said as i walked in.
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“Good morning.” I said with no emotion. I grabbed the usual: a Nestle double chocolate milk and slice of fresh breakfast pizza. I pulled out my wallet as she was scanning the milk.
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“Anything exciting happen at work yesterday?” she asked. “I found a cool rock” I said.
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“Nice! You gotta show me them sometime” she stated with what seemed like fake amusement. I stuck my card into the chip reader. It flashed with the normal debit card options and I punched in my pin. I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door. “See ya tommorow!” She hollered as I headed out the door. “See ya!” I said back. I got in my truck and began the 10 minute drive to work.
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I arrived in the gravel parking lot and exited my truck, making my way to the doors. An explosion of cool air conditioning hit me as I walked inside. I pulled out my company ID card and swiped it through the clock in machine. A pleasant beep chimes and ai turned to my right to enter the locker rooms. I walked over to my locker, opening it up. I grabbed my helmet, mine respirator, headlamp, and the walkie talkie off the charger. I shit the door and headed back to the break room. I set my gear on the table and plopped my backpack on the ground, pulling out the chocolate milk and slice of pizza. I began to eat as other guys started walking in doing the morning clock in procedure. Just as I finished eating, Tyler turned himself around to talk to me.
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“Hey so yesterday I blew a hose in my excavator. I’m gonna need some hydraulic fluid. Mind getting me some?” he said.
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“Yeah I got you,” I replied pulling out my tiny notepad, scribbling down his request. Our shift leader Mike walked in with his normal look. Sunglasses, bandana, yellow reflective shirt, and jeans.
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“Alright y’all shut the hell up time for meeting.” he said. This was his language for ‘good morning’. He began passing out shift sheets telling people what sections needed drilled, scaled, and bolted. My name was always up top. A single word next to my name said “BIO”, meaning Bio Fuel. Nothing unusual. I was the underground fuel truck driver of the mind. I drive a 2007 Peterbilt 357 that has an extended frame with a giant fuel tank. trailing it was boxes and compartments full of supplies for other people and machines. The back side of it had hose reels for fuel, grease, hydraulic fluid, oil, and other fluids.
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We finished up meeting and I got into my assigned pickup truck to take people to their machines. We headed out to the decline to enter the mine. It was a road on a 23% grade, heading down 250 ft. to the mine entrance through a big tunnel.
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We drove down the tunnel. It was dark. Swallowed by blackness. The mine is about 32 miles all the way around. I dropped off James, Brett, and Lisa at their specified machines and I headed to the depot to retrieve my semi. I put the truck in park and hopped out. I grabbed my backpack and crossed the dirt path to the semi. I proceeded to complete my pre-shift, checking the tires, lights, brakes, and other important stuff requiring the truck to operate.
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I signed the sheet, and opened the door to the cab. It squeaked as I opened the door pulling myself inside. I sat down on the air ride seat, dropping 2 inches. I set my clipboard on the passenger seat and turned the key. The truck grunted and rumbled to life with a mesmerizing roar. My truck had a CAT C10 engine in it, one of my favorites. I let the air build up before pushing in the parking brake. I pushed in the clutch and grabbed the shifter for the 13 speed transmission. I threw it into 1st gear, and let off the clutch. I took a left to get onto the main road. I shifted smoothly as I drove down the road. I approached section 38 and made a right. I spotted Allison in a scaler and made my way towards her. I blew the air horn to let her know I was there. She honked back to me, signaling I was good to back up to her. I reversed into the heading and stopped about 3 feet away from him. I pulled the park brake and hopped outside.
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“What’s up idiot?” she yelled jokingly. “I don’t know. By the looks of it so far it’s your shitty heading.” I hollered back. I saw her laugh as I approached her. Allison was about a year younger than me but without a doubt I could see her beating the shit of anyone here. She’s what we call the she-redneck. Me and her kinda had a thing for each other but I never attempted to make on her. I grabbed the fuel hose and pulled it from the reel, handing it up to her.
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“So… how’s it going?” she asked.
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“Splendid.” I replied.
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“Did you hear about Jeremy?”
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“No, why?”
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“Well apparently yesterday he got so freaked out he literally drove his haul truck up top and went home!” she said. “He said he’d seen a tall monster chasing his truck!”
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I chuckled to myself a little. People around here, mainly haul truck drivers, will claim to see Native Americans standing in corners, freakish deer like creatures. One even said they saw a girl on a tricycle.
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“Jeremy’s gettin old. He’s probably losing his mind!” I said slightly laughing.
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“Yeah without a doubt!“
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I opened my mouth to speak but just as I did, we heard the sound of crunching and rumbling. It stopped and it was quiet. Just the low idle of the truck provided sound for us. Then it hit us.
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A huge gush of wind slammed us hard, followed by an insane amount of dust as it blew my over. I hit the ground on my ass and stumbled to my knees. I yelled to Allison.
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“Hey are you ok up there?!” I yelled over the dust. No response.
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“Yeah I’m fine! What the hell is happening?!” she shouted over the wind.
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“A section of the mine must’ve collapsed! We’re gonna have to EVAC!” I yelled. “Shut off the fuel valve and hand it to me!”
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She leaped overtime the hose and took it out, handing it to me. The dust was still flying everywhere. The collapse had to be very big. Allison jumped down from her scaler as I reeled in the hose.
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“Get to the cab of the truck!” I yelled to her. She nodded her head and lifted her arms to her head, trying to see through the dust.
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I managed to open the door and climbed inside slamming the door behind me. Allison was already inside, panting heavily.
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“Oh my God. Oh my god oh my god!! It’s gotta be close to us!!” she yelled panicking.
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“Hey hey hey, calm down. We’re inside the cab we’re fine right now. We gotta wait for this dust to settle then we’ll EVAC. I can already imagine Mike has called for one right now.” I grabbed my radio and called for Mike. “Hey Mike you got a copy?” I said. We waited for a response. 10 seconds… 20 seconds… then 30. Nothing. Not a peep from the radio.
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We sat for a minute in the cab as the wind and dust settled.
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“Maybe it collapsed right next to us.” Allison said, finally breaking the silence. “Imma go take a look. Wanna come?” she asked. “Sure.” I said. We both opened our doors and hopped down. We walked up to the opening of the heading and made a right. We walked about 40 feet before we saw it. The ceiling had collapsed right by us, blocking the main road. Our only exit.
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“Son of a bitch.” I mumbled.
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“What are we gonna do?” cried Allison. “That’s our only way out!”
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“I’m thinking, I’m thinking. calm down we’re alright.” I reassured her. “Let’s head back to the truck maybe we can find an old cross cut that will get us out of here.”
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I should make this clear real quickly. Cross cuts are basically roads that you follow in the mine. We walked back to the truck and I got inside as Allison went to grab her stuff in her scaler. She returned five minutes later and hopped back inside. I pushed in the parking brake and eased into first. The truck slowly made its way around the corner and I threw it into third. The engine echoed off the wall around us as we drove. Allison rolled her window down and stuck her hand out the window.
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“It got really cold all of a sudden…” she murmured.
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I rolled down my window and stuck my hand out. She was right. The temperature had definently dropped. The mine was almost always 56 degrees but now it felt like it was 40. “That’s weird.” I said. As we were driving things began to happen. My trucks engine brake would turn on , without me doing it. Lights would start to flicker.
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“What the fuck…” I said as I pressed buttons. I slowed the truck to a stop and let it idle.
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“What’s wrong with the semi?” Allison asked.
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“I’m not for sure. Maybe the dust got in the electrical system or something.”
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Allison raised her head up. “Taillights!” she said with joy. I looked out the windshield and sure enough, she was right. I grabbed the radio and called out to whoever was in front of us.
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“Hey who’s in front of me right now?” I called. No response. I pressed the talk button again. “This is Renaes in the fuel truck. I’m on…” I looked at the pillar spray painted with the number on it. “…crosscut 10. Who’s in front of me?” Still, no response came. We looked at the lights. Then they…. wait no that impossible. Did they just blink?
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“You saw that too, right? Or am I going crazy?” Allison said.
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“No I saw it too.” I replied. The lights linked again then they just simply, turned away.
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“We don’t get paid enough for this shit.” Allison snorted.
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I drove forward slowly finally reaching the spot we saw the lights. “You see anything?” I asked. Allison stuck her head out the window turning on her headlamp.
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“Nope.”
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A loud roar rang out around the area.
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“Oh my god what was that?!?” Lisa cried, frantically rolling up her window. “Something’s down here!!”
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“Chill out maybe another part collapsed.”
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It then got louder again. A huge roar that had an elk whine or something to it. I started getting antsy. “Ok that ain’t no coyote or anything.” I put the truck in reverse and began backing up. I looked up at the reverse monitor and got a giant cold rush through my body.
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A tall creature was standing right behind the truck. It had dark fur, but parts of it were missing, revealing exposed tissues, bones and organs. The head was some kind of deer skull. My mind instantly shouted at me.
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Wendigo.
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A god damn wendigo.
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I shut down. Allison looked up at the monitor and screamed. “OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT?!?!”
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“Lock your door! NOW!” I yelled. I threw the truck into first and slammed on the gas. We began tearing down the road. Well… somewhat. The truck is governed to 35 miles per hour and the beast was still on our tail. It ran on all fours, vapors pouring out of its nostrils. I made a left at a random cross cut and slammed the gas.
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“LOOK OUT!!” Allison yelled.
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I looked forward to see the beast in front of us. How the hell did it get in front of us? I put the brake pedal to the floor as we skidded to a stop.
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“BACK UP! BACK UP!!” She screamed. I began backing up as fast as I could but there was an issue. The truck died. I frantically reached down and turned the key. The truck struggled to start.
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Come on come on come on come on! Don’t fail me now! I screamed in my head. There was a loud shatter of glass and I raised my hand as glass flew everywhere. Allison screamed. A rock the size of my head laid between us.
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I looked up to see The monster charging for us. I turned the key once more and the truck started.
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“Fuck it!” I screamed and slammed the truck into first.
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The truck pounced forward and we hit the beast, throwing us up in our seats. I floored the truck as we drove.
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I was bleeding from the glass on my face and realized a piece of it was stuck in my head. “Allison pull this shit out of my head.” I said, sounding pissed. She reached over and grabbed the piece, pulling it out.
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“W-w-what is that thing?!” she cried. I’m from a heavy Native American bloodline and I began telling her the story my grandma told me many years ago.
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Just as it seemed we were safe, My door made a loud crack. I turned my head to see what it was and the second I did, the door was ripped off its hinges. The next thing I knew was that I was tumbling over in the ground, watching the truck roll forward. I rolled probably 20 feet before laying on my side. The loud jake brake kicked on and the truck began to slow down. I could barley see. I scrambled to my feet, reaching up to turn on my headlamp. I felt nothing on top of my head. My helmet must’ve came off when I was pulled from the truck. I stood up but the second I did, I felt a giant hand on my back. The wendigo had grabbed me. I was picked up and thrown like a toy that a toddler didn’t want to play with anymore. I flew through the air, head spinning. I hit the side of a wall with a thud. I heard something crack and I fell face first on the dirt. I rolled over, thinking to myself. Is this where I’m gonna die? The wendigo began to approach me. It snarled loudly and kept forward. CRACK! Allison came up to it with a roof bolt and smacked it on the head. It howled in pain as it began rubbing its snout. Roof bolts weigh almost 20 pounds. They are almost 6 feet long, so they can deal some damage. I forgot I kept them on the back of the truck. Allison dropped the bolt and came to my side, lifting me up. Damn she is strong.
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“Come on!” Allison yelled. “Get up!”
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I was pulled to my feet and began trying to run to the truck. Allison was about 5 feet in front of me, as I slowly trailed behind her. I was limping on my left foot as I ran. I must’ve screwed up my foot when I hit the wall. I made it to the cab and put my foot down on the first step.
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Thwump. I felt something in my leg. At first I thought it was something from the cab but then It burned. Bad. I looked down at my leg. There, sticking through my right leg, was the roof bolt. Allison moved over to drivers side and stared down at me before letting out a shriek. I looked up at her and blankly told her, “Get out of here. Now.”
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“No! I’m not leaving you! Come on! Please Renais!”
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“GO!” I shouted.
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She hastily began to get in the seat. “Try and find a way to the depot!” I yelled. She nodded her head as she wiped tears from her head.
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“Give me your helmet!”
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Allison swiftly took hers off and threw it to me. She began to drive away slowly.
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I turned and looked around as the headlamp through the darkness. I looked at my leg and grabbed the bolt. Slowly, I began trying to pull it out, yelling out as I pulled it through my leg inch by inch. With one final grab, I pulled it through, blood coming out of my leg. I grabbed a small roll of duct tape I carry in my pocket and began wrapping the wound. I put the tape back in my pocket and looked around, bolt in hand now.
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“Where are you at?!” I shouted. “Get out here now!”
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“Renais!” I heard Allison call out from my left. I turned immediately and began trying to find her.
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“W-where are you? Where’s the truck?!” I shouted.
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“Help me please I’m over here!” I heard her cry from behind the pillar. I limped my way over to the pillar and found the corner.
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She wasn’t there. I stopped in my tracks. “Oh shit…” I mumbled. Just then J was knocked to my face. I turned over to my side to see the wendigo staring at me. It looked over me, those red eyes staring into my soul. I got to my feet and held the bolt in my hands.
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“Alright. Let’s tango.” I grunted. I charged over to the wendigo with bolt and swing with all my might. The beast easily dodged my attack and turned to claw me. I ducked as I felt the wind of the hand as it passed over my head. I swung the bolt right into the beasts snout and it cried out. I raised the bolt over my shoulder again and began beating the monster over and over as it tried to recover. After about 4 hits to the beast it raised its hand up and grabbed the bolt mid air. It stood on its hind legs and ripped the bolt out of my hands throwing it over a berm. I wasn’t giving up easy. I charged at it full throttle and toppled over it, sending us both flying to ground. I began punching it’s chest, but I could see it had no effect on the beast. It grabbed my side and threw me almost 30 feet onto the ground. Just as I was standing up, I felt it grab my legs and it raised me in the air string at me. It then spoke. “You’re a daring one.” It said in a low menacing voice. “What compels you to think you can just take over my kingdom?”
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“I-I didn’t know it was yours.” I sputtered. “I’m just here to do my job-“
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It cut me off.
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“I will propose you a deal,” it boomed.
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The wendigo stared at me. Steam pouring from its nostrils. It spoke.
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“Release me from my prison. I wish to be outdoors where I deserve to roam. The others have kept me here.” it spoke.
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“O-others? There’s more than one of you?”
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“There are many of us here. They prefer to hide in the deeper parts of this cave. They won’t let me leave but I decide my own path now.”
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“So what do you w-want from me?” I coughed.
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“Do you have a way to get me out of here? Perhaps I could ride in one of those massive machines with boxes on them” it said.
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“Those are called haul trucks,” I remarked. “And no, because they dump rocks into a big crusher. They never go up top.”
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We stared at each other.
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“Perhaps I could hide in a small…haul truck that I see others drive.”
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My thoughts began racing. This wendigo was just a foot taller than me, so maybe he could curl up in a ball and I could cover him in a tarp. But it made no sense. How would I get him out without others noticing? Surely I didn’t want to let him out to kill others.
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“Won’t you just kill others once release in the daylight?” I spat.
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“If I’m provoked to the point, maybe. Why do you think I’m letting you live still?” it said.
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It had a point. Truly this thing was now counting on me, despite almost leaving me dead right now. I took in a deep breath.
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“I can get you out, but it won’t be for a bit. You’ve done some narly damage to me,” I winced.
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The wendigo tilted its head. “How long?” it asked, sounding annoyed.
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“I don’t know maybe a month or two? You fucked up my leg man. There’s a hole the size of a quarter in it!” I spat back. The wendigo stared.
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“I will allow this deal, but if you break this promise I will rip your spine from your back and flay your skin. I’ve seen you many times. I know where you are.” it said.
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I shuddered. “Ok. Done deal. Take me to my truck and bring back Allison now!” I said.
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The wendigo nodded, and picked me up in one hand carrying me over to the truck which was smoking. I didn’t see Allison anywhere. The wendigo set me up against the cab.
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“I will return shortly with your companion. “ it said.
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“Her name is Allison.” I told it.
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“Ok…. I will return with Allison shortly.” The wendigo turned and bolted into the mine. Minutes later it came soaring into view, Allison over its shoulder setting her down beside me.
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“I saw a small haul truck approac-“
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“Just call it a pickup dude.” I said cutting it off. It stared me down shortly then continued.
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“I saw a pickup truck approaching on my way back. I will return to hiding. Remember our deal. I’ll be watching for your return.” it said before sprinting into the darkness. Allison coughed as she continued sobbing.
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“Did it hurt you Allison?” I asked.
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“No…” she whimpered. “When I was driving it got in the way and I crashed into it….” She looked at my leg, which was covered in blood and dust. I don’t know what compelled me to do it, but I reached over and grabbed her hand softly. She looked at my eyes and we both smiled.
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“We’re gonna be ok… I’ve got a plan.” I said just as headlights came into view.
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[dont read this part] My name is Renaes. It’s pronounced
[Reh-nay-es]
I woke up to the worlds most annoying alarm clock, screaming that annoying beep for about a minute. I decided to acknowledge it. I rolled over in bed and looked at the time; 7AM. I reached my arm out from under the covers and slapped the snooze button.
This was a normal routine for me every morning. Wake up hit the snooze button twice and groan out of bed. I lifted the covers up and sat hunched over in my bed. I put my hands to my face, feeling quite dead inside. I did my morning stretches and made my way upstairs. The stairs freaked as I walked up each one before my bare feet hit the dining room floor. I began to slowly make my way to the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and a spoon. I opened the fridge and grabbed some milk, pouring into the bowl almost halfway. People always make fun of me for this but I don’t really give a damn. I shut the fridge and grabbed the Lucky Charms box, filling the bowl up. I sat at the table and slowly ate my food, while scrolling through Reddit. I finished eating and put the bowl in the sink before heading back downstairs. I turned on the shower, and hopped in after undressing. The water was refreshing.I scrubbed away yesterday’s dust, I stepped out and wrapped the to around myself.
I don’t wanna go to work today, I groaned.
I made my way upstairs and changed into my work clothes. Bright reflective orange shirt, khaki carhartt work pants, and my favorite pair of cowboy work boots. I slid my cap on and grabbed my backpack, after shoving my lunchbox in it. I snatched the keys for my Silverado off the counter and headed outside.
The sun was still coming up and the air was cool. I hated summer. I liked the winter time. No bugs or anything that would kamikaze dice your eyeballs. To be honest, the worse the weather the happier I am! I started the engine and started Spotify on my phone. I put on my favorite playlist before pulling out of the driveway and heading down the gravel road to the highway.
I was so worried this morning. But I didn’t know why. I stopped at the stop sign and made a left. I headed to the gas station to talk to the cashier Megan. I always stopped by every morning. I walked in and walked past her.
“Good morning Reneas!” she said as i walked in.
“Good morning.” I said with no emotion. I grabbed the usual: a Nestle double chocolate milk and slice of fresh breakfast pizza. I pulled out my wallet as she was scanning the milk.
“Anything exciting happen at work yesterday?” she asked. “I found a cool rock” I said.
“Nice! You gotta show me them sometime” she stated with what seemed like fake amusement. I stuck my card into the chip reader. It flashed with the normal debit card options and I punched in my pin. I grabbed my stuff and headed out the door. “See ya tommorow!” She hollered as I headed out the door. “See ya!” I said back. I got in my truck and began the 10 minute drive to work.
I arrived in the gravel parking lot and exited my truck, making my way to the doors. An explosion of cool air conditioning hit me as I walked inside. I pulled out my company ID card and swiped it through the clock in machine. A pleasant beep chimes and ai turned to my right to enter the locker rooms. I walked over to my locker, opening it up. I grabbed my helmet, mine respirator, headlamp, and the walkie talkie off the charger. I shit the door and headed back to the break room. I set my gear on the table and plopped my backpack on the ground, pulling out the chocolate milk and slice of pizza. I began to eat as other guys started walking in doing the morning clock in procedure. Just as I finished eating, Tyler turned himself around to talk to me.
“Hey so yesterday I blew a hose in my excavator. I’m gonna need some hydraulic fluid. Mind getting me some?” he said.
“Yeah I got you,” I replied pulling out my tiny notepad, scribbling down his request. Our shift leader Mike walked in with his normal look. Sunglasses, bandana, yellow reflective shirt, and jeans.
“Alright y’all shut the hell up time for meeting.” he said. This was his language for ‘good morning’. He began passing out shift sheets telling people what sections needed drilled, scaled, and bolted. My name was always up top. A single word next to my name said “BIO”, meaning Bio Fuel. Nothing unusual. I was the underground fuel truck driver of the mind. I drive a 2007 Peterbilt 357 that has an extended frame with a giant fuel tank. trailing it was boxes and compartments full of supplies for other people and machines. The back side of it had hose reels for fuel, grease, hydraulic fluid, oil, and other fluids.
We finished up meeting and I got into my assigned pickup truck to take people to their machines. We headed out to the decline to enter the mine. It was a road on a 23% grade, heading down 250 ft. to the mine entrance through a big tunnel.
We drove down the tunnel. It was dark. Swallowed by blackness. The mine is about 32 miles all the way around. I dropped off James, Brett, and Lisa at their specified machines and I headed to the depot to retrieve my semi. I put the truck in park and hopped out. I grabbed my backpack and crossed the dirt path to the semi. I proceeded to complete my pre-shift, checking the tires, lights, brakes, and other important stuff requiring the truck to operate.
I signed the sheet, and opened the door to the cab. It squeaked as I opened the door pulling myself inside. I sat down on the air ride seat, dropping 2 inches. I set my clipboard on the passenger seat and turned the key. The truck grunted and rumbled to life with a mesmerizing roar. My truck had a CAT C10 engine in it, one of my favorites. I let the air build up before pushing in the parking brake. I pushed in the clutch and grabbed the shifter for the 13 speed transmission. I threw it into 1st gear, and let off the clutch. I took a left to get onto the main road. I shifted smoothly as I drove down the road. I approached section 38 and made a right. I spotted Allison in a scaler and made my way towards her. I blew the air horn to let her know I was there. She honked back to me, signaling I was good to back up to her. I reversed into the heading and stopped about 3 feet away from him. I pulled the park brake and hopped outside.
“What’s up idiot?” she yelled jokingly. “I don’t know. By the looks of it so far it’s your shitty heading.” I hollered back. I saw her laugh as I approached her. Allison was about a year younger than me but without a doubt I could see her beating the shit of anyone here. She’s what we call the she-redneck. Me and her kinda had a thing for each other but I never attempted to make on her. I grabbed the fuel hose and pulled it from the reel, handing it up to her.
“So… how’s it going?” she asked.
“Splendid.” I replied.
“Did you hear about Jeremy?”
“No, why?”
“Well apparently yesterday he got so freaked out he literally drove his haul truck up top and went home!” she said. “He said he’d seen a tall monster chasing his truck!”
I chuckled to myself a little. People around here, mainly haul truck drivers, will claim to see Native Americans standing in corners, freakish deer like creatures. One even said they saw a girl on a tricycle.
“Jeremy’s gettin old. He’s probably losing his mind!” I said slightly laughing.
“Yeah without a doubt!“
I opened my mouth to speak but just as I did, we heard the sound of crunching and rumbling. It stopped and it was quiet. Just the low idle of the truck provided sound for us. Then it hit us.
A huge gush of wind slammed us hard, followed by an insane amount of dust as it blew my over. I hit the ground on my ass and stumbled to my knees. I yelled to Allison.
“Hey are you ok up there?!” I yelled over the dust. No response.
“Yeah I’m fine! What the hell is happening?!” she shouted over the wind.
“A section of the mine must’ve collapsed! We’re gonna have to EVAC!” I yelled. “Shut off the fuel valve and hand it to me!”
She leaped overtime the hose and took it out, handing it to me. The dust was still flying everywhere. The collapse had to be very big. Allison jumped down from her scaler as I reeled in the hose.
“Get to the cab of the truck!” I yelled to her. She nodded her head and lifted her arms to her head, trying to see through the dust.
I managed to open the door and climbed inside slamming the door behind me. Allison was already inside, panting heavily.
“Oh my God. Oh my god oh my god!! It’s gotta be close to us!!” she yelled panicking.
“Hey hey hey, calm down. We’re inside the cab we’re fine right now. We gotta wait for this dust to settle then we’ll EVAC. I can already imagine Mike has called for one right now.” I grabbed my radio and called for Mike. “Hey Mike you got a copy?” I said. We waited for a response. 10 seconds… 20 seconds… then 30. Nothing. Not a peep from the radio.
We sat for a minute in the cab as the wind and dust settled.
“Maybe it collapsed right next to us.” Allison said, finally breaking the silence. “Imma go take a look. Wanna come?” she asked. “Sure.” I said. We both opened our doors and hopped down. We walked up to the opening of the heading and made a right. We walked about 40 feet before we saw it. The ceiling had collapsed right by us, blocking the main road. Our only exit.
“Son of a bitch.” I mumbled.
“What are we gonna do?” cried Allison. “That’s our only way out!”
“I’m thinking, I’m thinking. calm down we’re alright.” I reassured her. “Let’s head back to the truck maybe we can find an old cross cut that will get us out of here.”
I should make this clear real quickly. Cross cuts are basically roads that you follow in the mine. We walked back to the truck and I got inside as Allison went to grab her stuff in her scaler. She returned five minutes later and hopped back inside. I pushed in the parking brake and eased into first. The truck slowly made its way around the corner and I threw it into third. The engine echoed off the wall around us as we drove. Allison rolled her window down and stuck her hand out the window.
“It got really cold all of a sudden…” she murmured.
I rolled down my window and stuck my hand out. She was right. The temperature had definently dropped. The mine was almost always 56 degrees but now it felt like it was 40. “That’s weird.” I said. As we were driving things began to happen. My trucks engine brake would turn on , without me doing it. Lights would start to flicker.
“What the fuck…” I said as I pressed buttons. I slowed the truck to a stop and let it idle.
“What’s wrong with the semi?” Allison asked.
“I’m not for sure. Maybe the dust got in the electrical system or something.”
Allison raised her head up. “Taillights!” she said with joy. I looked out the windshield and sure enough, she was right. I grabbed the radio and called out to whoever was in front of us.
“Hey who’s in front of me right now?” I called. No response. I pressed the talk button again. “This is Renaes in the fuel truck. I’m on…” I looked at the pillar spray painted with the number on it. “…crosscut 10. Who’s in front of me?” Still, no response came. We looked at the lights. Then they…. wait no that impossible. Did they just blink?
“You saw that too, right? Or am I going crazy?” Allison said.
“No I saw it too.” I replied. The lights linked again then they just simply, turned away.
“We don’t get paid enough for this shit.” Allison snorted.
I drove forward slowly finally reaching the spot we saw the lights. “You see anything?” I asked. Allison stuck her head out the window turning on her headlamp.
“Nope.”
A loud roar rang out around the area.
“Oh my god what was that?!?” Lisa cried, frantically rolling up her window. “Something’s down here!!”
“Chill out maybe another part collapsed.”
It then got louder again. A huge roar that had an elk whine or something to it. I started getting antsy. “Ok that ain’t no coyote or anything.” I put the truck in reverse and began backing up. I looked up at the reverse monitor and got a giant cold rush through my body.
A tall creature was standing right behind the truck. It had dark fur, but parts of it were missing, revealing exposed tissues, bones and organs. The head was some kind of deer skull. My mind instantly shouted at me.
Wendigo.
A god damn wendigo.
I shut down. Allison looked up at the monitor and screamed. “OH MY GOD WHAT IS THAT?!?!”
“Lock your door! NOW!” I yelled. I threw the truck into first and slammed on the gas. We began tearing down the road. Well… somewhat. The truck is governed to 35 miles per hour and the beast was still on our tail. It ran on all fours, vapors pouring out of its nostrils. I made a left at a random cross cut and slammed the gas.
“LOOK OUT!!” Allison yelled.
I looked forward to see the beast in front of us. How the hell did it get in front of us? I put the brake pedal to the floor as we skidded to a stop.
“BACK UP! BACK UP!!” She screamed. I began backing up as fast as I could but there was an issue. The truck died. I frantically reached down and turned the key. The truck struggled to start.
Come on come on come on come on! Don’t fail me now! I screamed in my head. There was a loud shatter of glass and I raised my hand as glass flew everywhere. Allison screamed. A rock the size of my head laid between us.
I looked up to see The monster charging for us. I turned the key once more and the truck started.
“Fuck it!” I screamed and slammed the truck into first.
The truck pounced forward and we hit the beast, throwing us up in our seats. I floored the truck as we drove.
I was bleeding from the glass on my face and realized a piece of it was stuck in my head. “Allison pull this shit out of my head.” I said, sounding pissed. She reached over and grabbed the piece, pulling it out.
“W-w-what is that thing?!” she cried. I’m from a heavy Native American bloodline and I began telling her the story my grandma told me many years ago.
Just as it seemed we were safe, My door made a loud crack. I turned my head to see what it was and the second I did, the door was ripped off its hinges. The next thing I knew was that I was tumbling over in the ground, watching the truck roll forward. I rolled probably 20 feet before laying on my side. The loud jake brake kicked on and the truck began to slow down. I could barley see. I scrambled to my feet, reaching up to turn on my headlamp. I felt nothing on top of my head. My helmet must’ve came off when I was pulled from the truck. I stood up but the second I did, I felt a giant hand on my back. The wendigo had grabbed me. I was picked up and thrown like a toy that a toddler didn’t want to play with anymore. I flew through the air, head spinning. I hit the side of a wall with a thud. I heard something crack and I fell face first on the dirt. I rolled over, thinking to myself. Is this where I’m gonna die? The wendigo began to approach me. It snarled loudly and kept forward. CRACK! Allison came up to it with a roof bolt and smacked it on the head. It howled in pain as it began rubbing its snout. Roof bolts weigh almost 20 pounds. They are almost 6 feet long, so they can deal some damage. I forgot I kept them on the back of the truck. Allison dropped the bolt and came to my side, lifting me up. Damn she is strong.
“Come on!” Allison yelled. “Get up!”
I was pulled to my feet and began trying to run to the truck. Allison was about 5 feet in front of me, as I slowly trailed behind her. I was limping on my left foot as I ran. I must’ve screwed up my foot when I hit the wall. I made it to the cab and put my foot down on the first step.
Thwump. I felt something in my leg. At first I thought it was something from the cab but then It burned. Bad. I looked down at my leg. There, sticking through my right leg, was the roof bolt. Allison moved over to drivers side and stared down at me before letting out a shriek. I looked up at her and blankly told her, “Get out of here. Now.”
“No! I’m not leaving you! Come on! Please Renais!”
“GO!” I shouted.
She hastily began to get in the seat. “Try and find a way to the depot!” I yelled. She nodded her head as she wiped tears from her head.
“Give me your helmet!”
Allison swiftly took hers off and threw it to me. She began to drive away slowly.
I turned and looked around as the headlamp through the darkness. I looked at my leg and grabbed the bolt. Slowly, I began trying to pull it out, yelling out as I pulled it through my leg inch by inch. With one final grab, I pulled it through, blood coming out of my leg. I grabbed a small roll of duct tape I carry in my pocket and began wrapping the wound. I put the tape back in my pocket and looked around, bolt in hand now.
“Where are you at?!” I shouted. “Get out here now!”
“Renais!” I heard Allison call out from my left. I turned immediately and began trying to find her.
“W-where are you? Where’s the truck?!” I shouted.
“Help me please I’m over here!” I heard her cry from behind the pillar. I limped my way over to the pillar and found the corner.
She wasn’t there. I stopped in my tracks. “Oh shit…” I mumbled. Just then J was knocked to my face. I turned over to my side to see the wendigo staring at me. It looked over me, those red eyes staring into my soul. I got to my feet and held the bolt in my hands.
“Alright. Let’s tango.” I grunted. I charged over to the wendigo with bolt and swing with all my might. The beast easily dodged my attack and turned to claw me. I ducked as I felt the wind of the hand as it passed over my head. I swung the bolt right into the beasts snout and it cried out. I raised the bolt over my shoulder again and began beating the monster over and over as it tried to recover. After about 4 hits to the beast it raised its hand up and grabbed the bolt mid air. It stood on its hind legs and ripped the bolt out of my hands throwing it over a berm. I wasn’t giving up easy. I charged at it full throttle and toppled over it, sending us both flying to ground. I began punching it’s chest, but I could see it had no effect on the beast. It grabbed my side and threw me almost 30 feet onto the ground. Just as I was standing up, I felt it grab my legs and it raised me in the air string at me. It then spoke. “You’re a daring one.” It said in a low menacing voice. “What compels you to think you can just take over my kingdom?”
“I-I didn’t know it was yours.” I sputtered. “I’m just here to do my job-“
It cut me off.
“I will propose you a deal,” it boomed.
The wendigo stared at me. Steam pouring from its nostrils. It spoke.
“Release me from my prison. I wish to be outdoors where I deserve to roam. The others have kept me here.” it spoke.
“O-others? There’s more than one of you?”
“There are many of us here. They prefer to hide in the deeper parts of this cave. They won’t let me leave but I decide my own path now.”
“So what do you w-want from me?” I coughed.
“Do you have a way to get me out of here? Perhaps I could ride in one of those massive machines with boxes on them” it said.
“Those are called haul trucks,” I remarked. “And no, because they dump rocks into a big crusher. They never go up top.”
We stared at each other.
“Perhaps I could hide in a small…haul truck that I see others drive.”
My thoughts began racing. This wendigo was just a foot taller than me, so maybe he could curl up in a ball and I could cover him in a tarp. But it made no sense. How would I get him out without others noticing? Surely I didn’t want to let him out to kill others.
“Won’t you just kill others once release in the daylight?” I spat.
“If I’m provoked to the point, maybe. Why do you think I’m letting you live still?” it said.
It had a point. Truly this thing was now counting on me, despite almost leaving me dead right now. I took in a deep breath.
“I can get you out, but it won’t be for a bit. You’ve done some narly damage to me,” I winced.
The wendigo tilted its head. “How long?” it asked, sounding annoyed.
“I don’t know maybe a month or two? You fucked up my leg man. There’s a hole the size of a quarter in it!” I spat back. The wendigo stared.
“I will allow this deal, but if you break this promise I will rip your spine from your back and flay your skin. I’ve seen you many times. I know where you are.” it said.
I shuddered. “Ok. Done deal. Take me to my truck and bring back Allison now!” I said.
The wendigo nodded, and picked me up in one hand carrying me over to the truck which was smoking. I didn’t see Allison anywhere. The wendigo set me up against the cab.
“I will return shortly with your companion. “ it said.
“Her name is Allison.” I told it.
“Ok…. I will return with Allison shortly.” The wendigo turned and bolted into the mine. Minutes later it came soaring into view, Allison over its shoulder setting her down beside me.
“I saw a small haul truck approac-“
“Just call it a pickup dude.” I said cutting it off. It stared me down shortly then continued.
“I saw a pickup truck approaching on my way back. I will return to hiding. Remember our deal. I’ll be watching for your return.” it said before sprinting into the darkness. Allison coughed as she continued sobbing.
“Did it hurt you Allison?” I asked.
“No…” she whimpered. “When I was driving it got in the way and I crashed into it….” She looked at my leg, which was covered in blood and dust. I don’t know what compelled me to do it, but I reached over and grabbed her hand softly. She looked at my eyes and we both smiled.
“We’re gonna be ok… I’ve got a plan.” I said just as headlights came into view.

Okay so this happened I think a year ago. So my fiance (boyfriend at the time) and I were in the restroom getting ready. I am butch. I have the body of a Greek God with long hair and breasts, I hate wearing dresses because I just more comfortable in suits or baggy shirts but I do like putting on makeup like foundation, eyeshadow and lipstick. I had to attend some charity thing at work. So while I was applying makeup my boyfriend was infront of me brushing his teeth.
Sometimes we share a sink I'm taller so I can myself fine and he likes watching me put on makeup and hes always so helpful with what makeup to give or how much I shouldn't and should apply. Anyway he's brushing his teeth I'm applying foundation and we're just joking around. Chatting about whatever until he mentions an interesting story. So the night before he and I had a double date with a girl-friend of mine we'll call her SueEllen and her girlfriend.
We went to a restaurant and had dinner me and the girls ordered wine, my boyfriend just had tea. He doesn't like drinking. So we chatted. Enjoying eachothers company. Well, boyfriend and I were enjoying Sue's company. Her girlfriend was a bitch. So controlling and standoffish but we were civil with her. Sue ended up paying for our food, much to the bitch of the west's dismay fastforward, we're back home. I felt like having a beer, it was pretty humid and the ac was being dumb.
This is when my memory is pretty much blank. At this point this is what boyfriend tells me. I down a few bottles and it's clear to him I'm tipsy. Apparently I'm the first person hes ever seen drunk, in person and not on tv. Fortunately I wasn't a bad drunk haha. In his words, "Theres your happy drunk, 🤪"I LoVe YoU DuDe!" Your sad drunk, 😭"I CaN't Do ThIs AnYmOrE!!" Your angry drunk, 🤬"FffffffuCk oFf! I'm NoT DrrrRuNk! I cAn StOp WhEnVeR!" You were a romantic drunk, 🥰"CoMe SiT wItH MaMa LlllloVvvvvEr BoY."
I asked him to pass me my Beauty blender he says I have to pay with 80 kisses which I do. To paint you a picture he's infront of me, his shoulders are up to my chest and I can just barely rest my chin on his head. He cranes his neck backwards and we kiss. I gave you that description because that how he likes to kiss whenever he's infront of me haha. Anyway so he continues. "You decide to go grab a slice of leftover pizza and you go to the fridge and put the slice on a plate and put in the microwave. It took you awhile to start it because I guess you were so drunk you couldn't see the numbers" Apparently being drunk makes me dyslexic? Haha. "So I stood on my tiptoes and pressed 1 for one minute on the microwave. You take out later and bite it, chewing like a cow haha. Then you're like, "HeYyyyy, ArE yOu hUnGrY lItTlE PrInCe?" "Nah I'm okay I'm full from that passghetti" Yes he still struggles to say spaghetti and its soooo adorable.
"But you're like, "Nnnooo, YoU sHoUlD hAvE A pIeCe of gggggOod BoYs DeSeRvE pIzZa." So you take another bite chew it alot then you sat on the couch and brought me to your lap and pressed your mouth against mine and we basically exchanged bits of chewed up pizza."
I promise on my life, if he wasn't flossing his teeth while still infront of me I would've puked in the sink. The hell is wrong with me? He said IT TURNED HIM ON!!! OH MY GOD!🤣 I mean at least I wasn't an abusive drunk but good God. And only two bottles of beer and a half glass of wine in my body. I was able to handle alcohol lot more in my college days.
"After that you were just very cuddly. Anytime you're drunk with me, every few minutes you're like asking me for a big sloppy kiss, or just snuggling me. And after that "kiss" you were very cuddly. You had me on your lap, you squeezed your arms around me and just squished me going, "I LoVe YoU soOoOoO mUcH! YoU aRe My LiTtLe BuDdY! I WoUlD BbbbUy a EnTiRe IcE CrEaM StOrE fOr YoU bEcAuSe YoU aRe WoRtH iT!!!" Not gonna lie you were just as romantic drunk as you are sober." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah if it didn't lead you to sclerosis or car crashes I'd prefer you drunk almost." "Ahh almost." "Yeah you're more a fun girlfriend sober." "Thank God for that." Please do not take this the wrong way neither of us condone really bad alcohol addiction. Irl if you're suffering from that please seek help. This is the type of goofy banter we exchange everyday. We're just a couple of goofballs.
Anyway so he continues. "You pulled up my shirt and started kissing my back and you were like, "LeT's Go To tHe BeDrOoM. I'll gEt mY tOy aNd MaKe YoU fEeL goOoD." I said "No." and made you stop. "You kissing my back does calm me down and makes me feel good. But from what I remember watching tv and Police tv show clips on YouTube, you're currently not in control of what you're doing and while I don't know if theres be any harm we are in a relationship, I wouldn't feel right to do it with you" and you started looking sad and I added with emphasis, "While drunk. You're mentally incapacitated right now."
You're like, "IF I wAsN't DrrrrrrrrrruNnnnkAh WoUlD yOu WaNt Me tOuCh YoU? YoU'rE iRrEsIsTiBbbbuLl." "Obviously! Just not right now!" So I got off your lap and we went to the bed. I pretended I was really cold and you got all protective and, DoNt WoRrY! I'll KkkkeEp yOu WaRm ppppppppppOst HhhaTh!" So you took off your shirt and pants, basically you were down to your boxers and I just took off only my shorts and shoes and we got in bed. You wrapped your left arm around my waist and your body was nearly on top of me, then you passed out. I got a little scared because you were laying flat so pushed you on to your side and pressed my back against you. I learned to never let a drunk person sleep on their back or tummy because if hurl you might choke. Luckily you didn't when I woke up the next morning but I wasn't gonna take a risk."
I had to take a second and think of something funny because I was getting emotional and didn't wanna make my mascara run. Finally I finished my makeup, wrapped my arms around my boy and planted a big kiss on his lips, no bits of pizza this time. Before sending him out to finish putting on my suit. And that was pretty much it. Oh and yeah I was thinking he was exaggerating some buts until I saw I had taken a picture while he was on my lap. I look sweaty, hairs a mess and there tomato sauce hanging off my chin. Good God what the hell is wrong with me? I'm really proud of my fiance. Hes more adult than he or anyone else gives him credit for. Not surprising but still. There are moments during a relationship where you're put into perspective on what kind of relationship you're in. And I am always proud of this dude. Haha. Thought I'd share this to you good blokes. Take care!!♥️🖤

Now this was a nightmare since it went like this…
There was rattling in my kitchen and I found Puro going through my fridge with TG and Snep (Fem)
“What the fuck are you doing in my house?”
Ignored like usual until my parents wake up and then I know i’m screwed
“Que es eso? AY QUE ES ESO?”
“Human what is she saying?”
“SAL DE AQUI! AHORITA MISMO!”
My father comes out with a lever action and fires at the three cauing me to wake up from the adrenaline…
Why must this happen to good people?

Before I begin, you'll probably need some context. I'm Singaporean/Thai and live in Singapore and just completed my NS - along with my boyfriends plus my besties (I'm bi and it is a polycule), we live in a big apartment and (including me) there are six people and our place has eight bedrooms.
One day, we were out eating near Harbourfront, which is 5 minutes awa,y and in the middle of our meal, Igott a notification from my phone, which has a security app; apparently, someone had broken in. I ask for the bill, pay and we get out of there. We see our lock has been broken out with a HAMMER. There was a rectangular HOLE in the door.
We head inside carefully, and I pull out my Swiss Army Knife (a necessity for me) and what do I see? My aunt and her daughter, my cousin, my aunt sitting on our couch and watching TV and my cousin is rummaging around our fridge and stuffing her face.
I say, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" I gesture to the hole in our door and my cousin says, "Oh. We forgot the password."
"THAT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T TELL YOU," I say.
"Oh," she says, then continues eating. I ask her what she's doing here and she says that she got in an argument with her sisters and so did her mom (my aunt). She says she knows that we got room and my mom refused to let them in because she knows what she's like and I do, but I'm more susceptible to pity.
I let them stay, and my cousin made everyone uncomfortable. She spied on my boyfriends in the shower and they didn't notice until one saw her and told me.
I got so upset and kicked them up and called the cops. I knew that cops in Singapore were brutal, and I'll admit I felt bad, but I did it anyways. They were arrested for trespassing and as they were being escorted outside they called us gay b****es.
I cut contacts with them, but sometimes I feel guilty about how my cousin will probably hate me and getting arrested will probably not be good for the college she was trying to get into.
So am I the jerk? (Personally I feel like I am, but I would like a few other opinions.)

In this blog, I will be sharing 25 of Amazon’s most loved items that have received numerous positive reviews and are frequently repurchased by customers. These products come highly recommended and have been carefully selected based on their popularity and quality. Whether you’re looking for beauty products, clothing, organizational items, or even coffee, this list has something for everyone. So, let’s dive in and explore these top-rated Amazon favorites!

Mary Ruth: A Most Loved Brand on Amazon

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Now, let’s move on to beauty products. One highly loved item on Amazon is the NYX Butter Gloss. With over 105,000 positive reviews, this lip gloss is a crowd favorite. It’s available in a wide range of shades, and the one I’m currently loving is vanilla cream pie. Despite not being a fan of pink, I find this shade perfect for the spring and summer seasons. If pink isn’t your preferred color, don’t worry, there are plenty of other options to choose from at an affordable price of just $5.

Striped Tank Top: A New Launch with Rave Reviews

If you’re in need of some new clothing pieces, I highly recommend checking out this striped tank top. Although it has recently been launched on Amazon, it has already received rave reviews. Customers love its fit, comfort, and versatility. Priced at just $14.99 (and possibly on sale), it’s a steal. The tank top comes in different colors, but I personally own it in pink and classic black and white stripes. It’s perfect for layering or wearing on its own, making it a staple piece for any wardrobe.

Levi 501 Shorts: A Summer Must-Have

When it comes to shorts, the Levi 501 shorts are an absolute favorite on Amazon. With numerous reviews and a variety of styles and colors to choose from, these shorts are a summer must-have. I recently purchased the dark denim version, and I must say, they live up to the hype. The quality and fit are fantastic, and they are reasonably priced. Whether you’re looking for distressed or non-distressed options, the Levi 501 shorts have got you covered.

Stylish and Comfortable Dresses for Spring and Summer

Now, let’s talk dresses. The first dress I want to highlight is one that I personally own and love. It was my go-to dress last year, and I wore it on various occasions, including vacations. It received so much love from customers that many continue to repurchase it in different colors. The dress is not for everyone, as it does reveal the stomach area, but it’s incredibly comfortable and versatile. I recently ordered it in a two-tone teal and green option, but there are many other colors to choose from.
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Noow Socks: The Bestselling Brand for Your Feet

Now, let’s move on to footwear. Noow socks by the brand Wory are the number one bestselling socks on Amazon. With over 75,000 positive reviews, these socks are a hit among customers. As someone who is picky about no-show socks, I can attest to their comfort and quality. Unlike other brands, these socks are designed differently, providing a secure and comfortable fit. They come with an additional jelly grip at the back, ensuring they stay in place throughout the day. Available in packs of four or eight, these socks are a great investment.

Cushionaire Sandals: Stylish and Affordable Birkenstock Alternatives

If you’re a fan of the Birkenstock style but don’t want to break the bank, I recommend checking out the Cushionaire sandals on Amazon. These sandals are inspired by Birkenstocks and offer a similar look and comfort at a fraction of the price. Priced under $30, these sandals are a steal. I personally own them in the recommended shade, but they are available in other colors as well. They are true to size and provide excellent comfort for all-day wear.

Mighty Bluetooth Wireless Speaker: Small Size, Big Sound

If you’re in need of a portable speaker, look no further than the Small But Mighty Bluetooth Wireless Speaker. This speaker has gained popularity on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and for good reason. Despite its compact size, it delivers impressive sound quality. It’s waterproof, making it perfect for beach trips, vacations, or even using it in the shower. With a long battery life and a travel case included, this speaker is a steal at just $20.

Korean Cleansing Oil: A Skincare Essential

For skincare enthusiasts, I recommend trying out a Korean cleansing oil. These oils are different from regular cleansers as they are applied to dry skin and work wonders in removing makeup and impurities. One particular cleansing oil that receives great reviews is the one I recently ordered. It is effective in cleansing pores and leaves the skin feeling plump and hydrated. Combining a cleansing oil with a water-based cleanser is a great skincare routine that ensures a thorough cleanse.

Anastasia Dewy Setting Spray: A Game-Changing Finishing Touch

If you’re looking for a setting spray that will give your makeup a dewy finish, I suggest trying the Anastasia Dewy Setting Spray. This setting spray has surprised me, as I’m usually not a fan of them. However, this product has received high ratings and provides a glowy finish without any actual glitter. It helps prevent your makeup from looking powdery or cakey, giving your skin a smooth and flawless appearance. After using it for a week, I can confidently say that it lives up to its reputation.

Healthy Fragrance by La Vanilla: A Natural and Pleasant Scent

If you’re on the lookout for a fragrance that is both healthy and pleasant, look no further than the Healthy Fragrance by La Vanilla. This fragrance is made with 100% pure vanilla and sugar cane alcohols, without any synthetic chemicals. Unlike traditional perfumes, which can contain hormone-disrupting ingredients, this fragrance is a safe and natural option. I personally love the vanilla scent, but there are other options available as well. It’s a great alternative for those who want to avoid the potential health risks associated with regular perfumes.

Herbal Zen Shower Steamers: A Relaxing and Aromatic Experience

For those who enjoy a relaxing shower experience, I recommend trying the Herbal Zen Shower Steamers. These hand-made shower steamers are crafted with essential oils, providing a potent and aromatic experience. Simply place one in your shower, and the steam will release the soothing scents of eucalyptus and peppermint. Customers have raved about the strong and delightful scent that fills their bathrooms. Supporting a small business and enjoying the benefits of essential oils make these shower steamers a must-try.

Organizational Items: Label Makers and Hangers

Now let’s move on to organizational items. One of the easiest ways to stay organized is by labeling bins and boxes. To simplify the process, I recommend using the label maker by Oxo. This label maker is superior to others on the market, offering a hassle-free experience. It uses heat to change the colors on the paper, eliminating the need for ink replacement. With a user-friendly app and various design options, you can create custom labels for your organizational needs.
In addition to labeling, having the right hangers can make a significant difference in organizing your closet. The hanger I recommend is a stainless steel metal spatula, also by Oxo. This spatula is thin, making it perfect for sliding under various items, such as leggings. It’s a versatile tool that helps keep your closet tidy and your clothes easily accessible.
For those struggling with lid organization, consider the lid hook that attaches to the top of your cabinet. This hook allows you to hang tumbler and water bottle lids, keeping them organized and easy to find. No more digging through cluttered cabinets to find the right lid for your drink.

Refrigerator and Oven Organizers: Convenience and Freshness

Keeping your refrigerator organized is a breeze with a lazy Susan or turntable tray. The best option, loved by many, is the turntable tray that extends towards you when turned. It allows for easy access to items and prevents any items from getting lost in the back of your fridge. This convenient organizer can also be used under the sink or in any cabinet for easy access to your cleaning products or pantry items.
To keep your refrigerator smelling fresh, consider using a refrigerator deodorizer. This deodorizer eliminates bad odors and lasts for up to 10 years. Simply place it in your fridge and forget about it. It’s a hassle-free way to maintain a pleasant smelling refrigerator.
For those who love to cook but hate cleaning up oven spills, oven liners are a game-changer. These liners are placed at the bottom of your oven, protecting it from spills and making clean-up a breeze. They are reusable, wipeable, and heat resistant up to 500°F. Say goodbye to scrubbing and hello to convenient oven maintenance.

Stainless Steel Metal Spatula: A Kitchen Essential

Now, let’s talk about a kitchen essential that I am ecstatic to have found — the stainless steel metal spatula by Oxo. This spatula is a thin and durable tool that slides easily under food, making cooking and flipping a breeze. It’s perfect for pancakes, eggs, and any delicate foods that require a gentle touch. I had been searching for this spatula for years, and finally stumbled upon it on Amazon. It’s a must-have for any cooking enthusiast.

Ring Size Adjusters: A Simple Solution for a Perfect Fit

If you have a ring that doesn’t quite fit right, consider using ring size adjusters. These adjusters are flexible silicone tubes that wrap around your ring, making it smaller and ensuring a snug fit. They are affordable and easy to use, allowing you to wear your favorite ring comfortably. Whether you need a slight adjustment or a significant size reduction, these ring size adjusters are a convenient solution.

Insect Bite Relief: Say Goodbye to Itchy Bug Bites

As bug bite season approaches, it’s essential to have a reliable solution for those itchy bites. One product that comes highly recommended is the insect bite relief device. This device uses heat to provide instant relief from bug bites. Simply place the heated circle over the bite and let it work its magic. It’s a safe and effective way to alleviate itching and discomfort, making it perfect for both kids and adults.

Closing Thoughts

These 25 Amazon favorites have proven to be loved by many customers. From trusted brands like Mary Ruth to innovative and convenient products like the label maker and shower steamers, there is something for everyone on this list. Whether you’re looking for a new lip gloss, comfortable clothing, or practical organizational items, these products offer quality, functionality, and value for money. So, take advantage of customer reviews and make informed decisions when shopping on Amazon. Don’t forget to check out the links in the description box for easy access to these top-rated items. Happy shopping!
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My roommate(20M) and I are polar opposites. He's a frat boy who spends every day of every weekend out partying. I prefer my quiet and spend weekends in playing video games or reading. Last weekend his frat had a "Golf Bros and Tennis H\*es" party that I thought he'd be at all night but ended up coming back early with 2 girls. I was in the living room playing a game on our big TV when he busted in with two girls dressed like "Tennis H\*es". I assumed they'd just be in and out but he took one girl into his room with him and they were in there for quite a bit. The other girl waited out in the living room.
This is something I was really uncomfortable with to begin with, but I get why she was there and I kinda just ignored her and focused on my game. When I got up to grab a beer out the fridge, I could tell she was shaking from cold. So I told her that if she was cold I could let her borrow a jacket or sweats or something. She asked for some and I gave them to her. I played for like another hour before it just became to weird and I went into my room.
So I expected her to just leave the clothes before she left the room, but she apparently left with them on. So I don't even know the girls name, but I assumed my roommate would. I asked him if he knew her name. He did not. I asked him if he could text the girl he was hooking up with and get her info so I could get my clothes back. He doesn't even know the name or phone number of the girl he fucked.
So at this point I was upset and blamed him. The clothes I lent were abercrombie essentials so they were decently expensive and very nice, I only let her borrow those because they were the only clean ones I had. If I wanted to replace it would be $120 dollars. So I told him I thought it was his fault since the girl wouldn't even had been here if he wasn't bringing random sorority girls over to bang and that he should replace the clothes that got stolen because of him.
He said I was out of line and that I shouldn't have given the clothes to the girl in the first place if I was afraid of losing it. We've been arguing about this all week and I really feel like I'm losing my mind.
AITA?
​

Trying to match up breakers and the directory that was provided. Things seem off once you get toward the middle and bottom of the panel in relation to the provided directory. I was looking to turn off power to the "south" bedroom. I'm guessing the labels for the 20/20 tandem breakers aren't aligned properly but I have no idea. Looking to see if someone more knowledgeable than me, which isn't asking much, to provide guidance. Thanks!

Due to reddit shenanigans, I had to repost this multiple times before it was accepted. Hopefully, that's over now. Enjoy!
SUMMARY: Walking your OP monster girlfriend home is easy. No one messes with you. Getting back to your house on your own? That's the tricky part.
In her brief new life as a monster, Amy has defeated many nightmarish beasts, but COOKING!? That's a whole different kind of animal. Can she pull off an embarrassingly basic recipe without destroying the house and/or having a mental breakdown?
First Previous

Walk Me Home Part 5

Lady Oddity

“Heh, Norman’s gonna laugh so hard …” Amy muttered as she took a few photos of her pancaked avatar.
Once finished, Amy blinked as the thought of pancakes brought a realisation. She was hungry? Again??? What on Earth was wrong with this body! Alright, in all fairness, her atmospheric form was absolutely massive, but she didn’t see how a couple pancakes were gonna make a difference! Sure, the vestigial sense of human needs was somewhat independent of what her body actually needed, but Norman just pampered her with a steak dinner delicious enough to start a war! Was she just peckish?
Eh, whatever. She wanted pancakes, and she would get them. Unless it became a problem, there was no use complicating things.
Amy strode to the fridge. Before even reaching it, she gripped the air, feeling tactile resistance as her atmospheric telekinesis grabbed the fridge door and translated the force to her hand. She pulled. The door opened. Thick, rosy neon aerosol wafted out of the fridge before somewhat receding back into it. The stuff settled around food items especially. Good. The fragment of herself that she’d packed into the fridge was still behaving somewhat like she wanted it to, draining heat energy to keep everything cold. Her biomass had a tendency to slowly forget what it was supposed to do if she wasn’t there to remind it. The fridge wasn’t quite as cold as she’d have liked, though. Of course, the fridge would have done that by itself, if the power company hadn’t stopped sending electricity to that side of the neighbourhood a few days ago. She somewhat understood the logic. Almost everyone there had either abandoned the area or gotten gotten dragged off by nyctals … which would also make them abandon the area when they survived the ordeal (she liked to be optimistic). She was still there, though. Norman had paid her last electric bill while holding out the hope that she was still alive. Maybe this was a mistake on account of the absolute chaos unfolding across the city. Still, it felt a little … t̸a̵r̸g̷e̵t̵e̶d̷.̵ ̴S̷o̸m̶e̷o̴n̴e̷ ̵m̸i̴g̷h̵t̴ ̴h̶a̸t̸e̸ ̵y̶o̵u̶.̸ … strange for them to make such a mistake, but she couldn’t come up with any reasonable theories as to why it happened.
Amy selected the ingredients and floated them out of the fridge, turning them over as her aerosol inspected their scents. They still smelt fresh to the touch. Yes, that was the accurate wording. Amy’s biomass could smell anything within it, or was that technically taste? Oh well. She wondered if it would have mattered whether or not the ingredients were fresh. Did hygiene really matter anymore? Her biomass had been through all sorts of icky conditions. After all, it touched everything around her, wherever she went: streets, gutters, even mucky puddles … Although she managed to somewhat keep herself off of certain things, it was impossible to avoid them completely. Her biomass had a fast and vicious immune system of sorts. It seemed capable of eating anything remotely organic. Could it ever get food-poisoning? She was inclined to think not, but as a human living in the body of a monster, she had standards to maintain.
Amy approved the ingredients with a little nod. “Mm hm.”
At her affirmation, they laid themselves on the counter: Flour, sugar, condensed milk, oil and, because she was feeling fancy, cinnamon and vanilla. These weren’t any old pancakes. They were a family recipe gloriously dubbed as: ‘Homemade Pancakes’. No special mix necessary, they were sweeter and chewier than the bouji store-bought stuff. She seen the process many times. Her mother had explained it to her. Surely, she could cook something so simple, right?
Amy spawned another avatar to prepare the ingredients in a bowl with some water while she carefully applied a current to the electric stove’s power cord. With her new abilities, she didn’t miss the lack of electricity too much. Her biomass had its own luminosity, which she dialed up or down to control the house’s lighting. That wasn’t quite the same as having actual lights in the house, so she mostly emitted the glow from around the cold, dead lightbulbs bereft of electricity.
It was time to liven up the place a little.
A third avatar scrolled through her phone’s music selection. She hadn’t had much time to miss her phone with the rollercoaster of life-altering events that transpired over the last few weeks. Too bad the Wi-Fi was down … oh, it seemed Norman had topped up her mobile data and upgraded the plan to a ludicrous degree. Okay, now he was just spoiling her. Just because she liked it didn’t mean he had to smother her in so many little gifts that mosaiced together to say: “I care, a LOT.” If she kept thinking about her dream guy, she’d zone out ‘till sunrise. Maybe later she’d settle down for a nice web novel, but for now? There was a song she wanted to hear.

MUSIC PLAYLIST

Indie Supremacy (and other stuff)

• Tek It (Cafuné)
• Italo Disco (Last Dinosaurs)
• Chamber of Reflection (Mac Demarco)
• Lady Oddity (The Mr E) - NOW PLAYING
• Lost in Yesterday (Europa Deep - SupaFunk RMX)
• Without You (RIDERS)

The phone emanated a contemplatively melancholy piano melody – a nice tune for looking through window on a rainy night, thinking about life. A violin came in and accentuated its bittersweet beauty, but there was tenacity in the drums that pressed on, taking life one step at a time. The lyrics were … very personal to her.
🎵 "Lady oddity,
🎵 I couldn't fit you into this little ditty ( ( little ditty ) ).
🎵 Beyond rarity,
🎵 one of a kind you'll never find for all eternity."
A fourth avatar had spawned, dancing to the song. The other three paused to smirk at her. She smiled back, chuckling into a twirl. They shook their heads and returned to their tasks.
The cooking avatar floated the ingredients into the air, mixing them together in shapeshifting blobs. That wasn’t necessary, obviously. She just really wanted to do it. If she had something akin to telekinesis, why not have a little fun with it? When the pancake mix rapidly turned pink, she was quickly reminded of the difference between her power and true telekinesis. The floury goop was trapping bits of her particle swarm. She set the mix back in the bowl and gently tried extricating herself from it. She was succeeding, sort of, but her efforts created little bubbles that changed the mix’s consistency as she suspected it would. Amy decided to leave it be. Her aerosol was highly resistant to heat anyway. The pancake would cook around it, even if it felt weird. She’d just reabsorb the aerosol when she ate.
The avatar with the smartphone chuckled at her antics while browsing for a movie to watch.
🎵 "I know you're just a little lonely
🎵 as I stand right next to you,
🎵 lightyears away merely ..."
Amy paused the song as all her avatars turned to the window when they caught wind of a commotion outside. It sounded like a nyctal battle. Did someone need help?
A new avatar manifested above the house. This one was different. Taller than the norm, its limbs were just a little too long, bearing distinct, lengthier claws better suited for reaching, snatching and slashing. Its arms split into four. Raptorial talons raised slightly, it held the posture of a predator prepped to pursue and pounce. The avatar seemed to drink up most of the light that reached it, standing out against the dark mostly due to the rosy aura around its silhouette and lightning writhing through its hair. Its aura fluxed and spasmed erratically as if its very existence was an affront to reality that the laws of nature desperately fought and failed to purge. Anyone unlucky enough to see it floating above her house might have quailed. This avatar was a beautiful nightmare, emanating elegance and menace in equal parts: mesmerising to the eyes, paralysing to the body. It was not designed to make friends. It was made to terrify and destroy monsters.
The avatar rose skyward, stretching the biomass atmosphere in which it dwelt as far as she comfortably could. She spotted a whistling wing getting absolutely owned by … a tentacled twilight angel? It seemed more death angel than anything else. She zoomed her perception even further and took in the details. Its serrated mantis arms got her thinking. She glanced at her own limbs and added similarly serrated teeth to the forearms. With more of her arms serving as a weapon, this could come in handy for chopping attacks in battle. She supposed the closest thing that a real martial artist would do was … some kind of knife hand technique, maybe? She really should ask Norman to teach her some actual martial arts. So far, hitting stuff really hard and really fast with no real technique was enough for her, but it couldn’t hurt to actually know what she was doing.
“It’s just a big ol’ nyctal cat fight,” dismissed the avatar with the phone.
“Maybe I should check on Norman anyway?” suggested the one powering the electric stove.
The ingredient-handling avatar sighed. “How did that work out last time?”
Unpleasant events flashed through her mind. She’d failed to find Norman on earlier occasions when she tried. Cue the panic. It turned out he was fine, just much stealthier than she thought he could be. Then there was that one time. Amy rushed out there to find Norman taking selfies with a nyctal derivative of a galliwasp, or ‘guillowasp’, as people called them, thanks to its three, bladed tails that did their job as well as any guillotine. Norman had somehow managed to hogtie it. He almost sounded like Eve Erwin, going on about how ‘gorgeous’ it was. That was cute, but it got her wondering about his standards of ‘gorgeousness’. What did he mean when he used that word on her? Was she that kind of gorgeous? Sure, the guillowasp was … ‘gorgeous’, as much as a snaky, lizardy thing could be, but it was the kind of creature she’d prefer to observe from a distance and never, ever touch. Yes, Amy was technically a monster too, but she didn’t really look like one most of the time, right? Anticipating her thoughts, Norman dispelled her concerns. She didn’t remember what he’d said precisely. Only that it made her heart feel like someone poured melted chocolate down her vena cava until she could only squee uncontrollably. She’d tried to hug him. Her hair tendrils got to him before her arms. She hadn’t really asked them to do that. She hadn’t really asked them to deaden his muscles either. When Norman collapsed, Amy wasn’t sure what to do.
The i̸̷̶d̶̸̵i̷̶̴o̵̸̵t̶̷̴ poor guy who was apparently watching from a window understandably thought he’d witnessed a murder. His reaction? Shouting a colourful variety of hurtful accusations. Norman’s attempt at clarifying the situation came out slurred. Interpreting it as distress, the man whipped out a flashlight and shone it into Amy’s face. Luckily, it had nothing on Norman’s smitelight. That didn’t mean it was pleasant. She w̸o̴n̵d̵e̷r̷e̵d̷ ̶h̵o̴w̸ ̸h̸e̵’̸d̴ ̸r̶e̷a̵c̶t̴ ̶t̴o̸ a̵ ̶l̴i̸g̶h̶t̴n̴i̵n̸g̸ ̷b̸o̶l̴t̵ ̶t̵o̴ ̵t̸h̶e̴ ̶f̵a̷c̵e̸ darted up to the man. Her hair tendrils pounced again. This time, it was expected. She grabbed them mid-lunge, smoothed them back onto her head, gently snatched away the flashlight, turned it off and gave it back to him before he could do anything (she was very fast). Amy tried to explain: “Please don’t do that. This isn’t what it looks-” He punched her in the face, screaming murder over her voice. She blinked. It didn’t hurt, but it made her very, very angry. H̶o̸w̸ ̵w̶o̷u̸l̸d̸ ̷h̸e̸ ̵f̵e̶e̶l̵ ̴i̶f̷ ̵s̸h̸e̸ ̴c̴o̴n̸f̵i̸s̸c̷a̷t̴e̷d̵ ̷h̵i̷s̴ ̸a̸r̴m̶ ̵a̶n̶d̷ ̸p̶u̴n̷c̴h̶e̸d̷ ̷h̴i̵m̴ ̴w̷i̴t̴h̵ ̷i̵t̷?̵ He was very brave. It was almost admirable. She had to admit that.
Bolstered by his brazen act of defiance, several neighbours found the courage to open their windows and bombard her with flashlights, threats, and insults. “Leave him alone!” “MONSTER!” “You’re just like the others!” Apparently, this was one of the more populated areas. W̸h̴e̷r̴e̸ ̴w̸e̷r̸e̶ ̸t̸h̵o̷s̷e̴ ̵c̶o̷w̶a̴r̸d̶s̶ ̵w̵h̸e̴n̸ ̷N̸o̷r̶m̵a̵n̸ ̶a̷c̵t̷u̶a̵l̵l̸y̶ ̸n̵e̵e̴d̶e̸d̶ ̶t̸h̶e̶m̶?̴ She could have raised her voice above them all, but what difference would it make? Why would they believe her? As gossip about the misunderstanding spread faster than light, no one would ever trust her again. S̵h̶e̶ ̶c̸o̴u̷l̴d̷ ̴a̵l̴s̶o̸ ̵w̷i̵p̸e̷ ̵t̸h̸e̵ ̶c̸i̶t̶y̶ ̵b̵l̶o̵c̴k̸ ̴o̶f̵f̸ ̴t̴h̴e̸ ̵m̸a̸p̴,̷ ̵s̶i̷l̸e̵n̴c̴i̶n̸g̸ ̵t̵h̷e̵m̷ ̷a̴l̶l̷.̷ What was she going to do? Maybe she should despawn her avatar, make another one and watch from a distance until Norman recovered enough to explain, but someone must have recorded this on their phone! There was always someone! Maybe they hadn’t started yet? She could black out the block a̶n̴d̸ ̴e̵a̸t̸ ̸t̵h̸e̶i̵r̵ ̵m̶e̸m̷o̷r̶i̴e̵s̵ ̵o̸f̷ ̴t̷h̷e̸ ̴e̶v̵e̷n̸t̵, maybe, but then their houses would be vulnerable to nyctals. Besides, that was just plain wrong. W̵h̷o̸ ̵c̴a̸r̷e̵d̵?̶ That wasn’t an option. Instead, she- I̶f̶ ̸h̷e̶r̷ ̸r̸e̴p̶u̶t̷a̷t̴i̵o̸n̷ ̸w̶a̸s̸ ̶r̶u̵i̶n̷e̴d̸ ̶a̷n̶y̴w̷a̸y̸,̸ ̸w̶h̸y̸ ̵n̵o̵t̸-̸?̴ -could … what was she thinking again? Pu̶p̵p̴e̷tee̶r̶ ̵N̷o̷r̷m̸a̴n̵'s ̶lim̸p̶ ̴b̵o̶d̵y w̶i̷t̴h̸ ̷p̵s̷e̶u̵d̸o̸ telek̸in̴esi̸s̴ ̸a̷n̶d̷ ̵m̷a̶k̴e̵ ̶hi̴m̷ ̶say̶ ̴w̴h̴a̶t sh̴e̵ ̸n̷eed̵e̶d̷ ̶h̸im̵ to̸-̴ THAT WAS NOT AN OPTION! Between the shouting, flashlights and self-censored thoughts heaping up, Amy’s mind was a dumpster fire. No one would have guessed, except Norman. With slow, deep breaths, she floated there. A battle blazed beneath her placid impassivity. The shadowy forms of avatars clawed and thrashed at the edge of existence as her darkest desires threatened to tear their way to reality. She wasn’t going to let that happen, but what could she do? “STOP!” shouted Norman. Against all odds, he pushed himself to his feet and explained that it was an accident, that she was a good person (̶w̷h̸y̴ ̵d̵i̷d̸ ̶h̸e̴ ̶k̶e̵e̶p̶ ̵c̶a̷l̴l̴i̴n̵g̶ ̸h̸e̵r̶ ̶t̵h̸a̷t̷?̴)̷, he’d be fine, and thanked them for their concern. Nonetheless, they owed her an apology, he insisted. Some complied with murmurs. Others shied back into their windows, while there were those who simply stared in ambivalent silence. He shot them glares before managing to hobble out of there under their scrutinising eyes. Maybe she could have carried him, but that would have made him look even more pitiful. Besides, contact gone horribly wrong was what led to this situation in the first place. That night, Amy accompanied him for the rest of his walk, ensuring that nothing took advantage of his state. Nothing tried, but she cringed through every second of it. After that stunt, she just wasn’t sure what to say. He assured her that there was nothing to say.
After that, Amy thought it best to give him some space when it came to getting home. He had it under control, right? It wasn’t like anything bad ever happened to him. He had an excellent flashlight, for starters. He insisted he was fine. She had to respect that, but what if respecting him led to his demise? All it took was one bad night.
The avatar over the house sighed, turned and dematerialised just as the smitelight’s flashes could be seen navigating the alleyways.
“He’d call if he needed help, right?” asked the phone-holding avatar.
The cooking avatar glanced back at her. “Maybe? I dunno. Norman’s always been the type to suffer in silence, if he thinks he can get away with it. Wait, what’s that smell?”
“What do you mean ‘WHAT’S THAT SMELL?!?’” shrieked Phone Amy. “The electric stove is ON FIRE! IT’S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!”
“I-I must have messed up the current!” exclaimed Electrician Amy as she sucked up the flames with a wave of her claws.
“You. Had. ONE. Job.” chastened the cook, dangerously testing the weight of a ladle as though gauging its worth as a blunt weapon.
“WE got distracted! How am I supposed to think straight when Norman’s on the mind? We’re all sharing a single braincell here!” argued Electrician.
“We don't HAVE A BRAIN!” exploded Chef Amy, finally hurling the ladle at her counterpart.
Electrician Amy noped right out of there, despawning. Without a noggin to hit, the ladle smashed through a wall instead … leaving a hole suspiciously similar to the ones beside it.
“Yup. No brain says it all,” quipped Dancing Amy.
“That’s just peachy. Now we gotta fix the wall, all because I won’t just let me cave my skull in with a ladle!” ranted Chef Amy.
“This is fun and all, but I’m hungry,” Phone Amy griped.
Chef Amy spun to glare at her. “No, you’re not. You had dinner with Norman. You just wanna eat! There’s a difference!”
“Either way, you have failed me one too many times,” said Phone Amy, pointing at the disgraced cook. “Chef Amy, yer dun! You were an oxymoron as it was.”
“Wait, don’t be like that!” pleaded Chef Amy. “We’re like sisters! More than sisters! You’re me, but without the ‘oxy’!”
Phone Amy’s gaped for but a split second before closing her mouth, eyelids fluttering into a deadpan stare.
Chef Amy simpered, hands clasped behind her back as she innocently pivoted her torso left and right like a mischievous schoolgirl. She knew she’d done it good.
“That was a good one,” confessed Phone Amy.
“I know,” preened Chef Amy.
“Ooh! I got one! Wanna hear it?” Phone Amy asked a little too excitedly.
“Not really,” Chef Amy replied, eying her cautiously.
Phone Amy ignored her. “It’s called: ‘Begone, Woman’!”
As Phone Amy raised her fingers to snap them, Chef Amy knew her time was short. She had to act fast.
“GOMFF!” the sound of Chef Amy stuffing as much sweet pancake mix into her mouth as inhumanly possible. In other words, pretty much all of it. When she got finger-snapped out of existence, the pancake mix poured from her now-nonexistent cheeks. It was pinker than ever. Catching it with her pseudo telekinesis before it hit the ground added even more blush to the dough.
Phone Amy sighed at the sight.
“Heh, at this stage there’s more me in that pancake mix than actual pancake mix,” chuckled Dancing Amy.
Phone Amy groaned, easing the mix back into the bowl as she stroked the stress from her hair (apparently it had its own nerves or something). “Speaking of ‘me’, the song’s over, Dancing Amy. Depart to the void from whence thou ca- uhh, what are you doing?”
“The music stopped and I was idle, so I just started T-posing,” explained Dancing Amy T-Pose Amy, floating three feet off the ground in a crucifix position.
“That’s … actually kinda creepy,” Phone Amy admitted.
The lights flickered as T-Pose Amy glitched towards her.
“GYAAH!?!” recoiled Phone Amy, desperately snapping her fingers until T-Pose Amy disappeared. Clutching her chest, she took a moment to collect herself. “Hoooookay. Pancake Amy, it’s your turn … but you still look hilarious oozing off the bed, so I’m not finished with you yet.”
Pancake Amy guffawed goofily.
“It’s clear that we’re … I’m not qualified to D.I.Y. my electrical needs,” Phone Amy mused, dialing the power company. “I gotta charge this thing sometime, don’t wanna roast it like I did with the stove, and now I’m talking to myself which is … honestly no different from what I’ve been doing all along.”
She waited, listening to the phone ring before inevitably being told to hold for the next eternity by an answering machine.
“i ThOuGhT yOu WeRe TaLkInG tO mE,” offered Pancake Amy.
“That’s right! I’m talking to you! I’m not going crazy in the slightest,” Amy boasted. “This is like a cross between an imaginary conversation and a lucid dream. You may control the dream, but the figments inside it almost seem to do their own thing. Hmm … maybe it’s more like writing a book. You look down on this world of characters who all behave differently at the same time, but you can control them all because you’re doing it from the outside.”
Pancake Amy side-squinted at her. “WhY yOo ExPlAiNiNg YoOsElF?”
“The government needs to understand that I’m a sane, high-functioning individual,” Amy explained a-matter-of-factly, as if that clarified anything whatsoever.
Pancake Amy gave her a look reserved for poor souls in the process of a mental breakdown. “… wUt?”
“Think about it,” Phone Amy began. “I’m possibly the most powerful girl in the city, and people are starting to see me as some kind of hero, but I’m still a monster. The government would have to figure out if I can be trusted, if I’m mentally capable of being a good little sheeple. I’d be more surprised if they weren’t listening in on my personal life.”
Pancake Amy was silent for a time.
“wE hAvE NoRmAn,” the pancake finally stated.
Phone Amy blinked at her. “Yes. Your point being?”
“ArE wE rEaLlY sO lOnElY tHaT wE hAfTa TaLk To OuRsElF?” Pancake Amy pressed.
Phone Amy frowned, sinking into sombre contemplation. “Norman is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I was weird long before the A.M.E. I thought it made me better, like Humanity 2.0, but Norman just came and tore it all down. He saw straight through me, all the shadows, and the shadows, and the … deeper shadows, but for some reason … he … still … loves … me … He’s always there, but he’ll never be here, ‘cause ‘here’ is where I am. No one can ever be ‘here’. All they can do is stand next to me.”
Pancake Amy turned that over in her head for a moment. “… aGaIn, wUt?”
Amy chortled into a sigh. “I guess what I’m trying to say is understanding me isn’t the same as being me. At the end of the day, I’m the only one.”
“WhIcH aPpLiEs To EvErYoNe, ThO,” Pancake Amy reminded.
“Yeah, I suppose so,” Phone Amy agreed.
She flinched at the sound of a click. Someone was actually answering the phone? In less than ten hours after she was put on hold? Miracles really did happen!
“Hello, Bright and Power. How may I help you?” came a masculine voice.
“Oh, hi, goodnight!” she fumbled. “I’m calling about restoring power to my home. I live in one of the more abandoned areas, but this month’s bill was paid, so I was wondering-”
"You’re that A.M.E., aren’t you?” he interrupted tersely.
Amy’s lightning storm hair ceased its dance, before continuing at a more tentative pace. She had a pretty good idea of how this would go.
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