hey, i am Matt and i am 15 years old. Since the beginning of the week i started having a toothache and i think its infected. I told my parents and they got mad and told me to be strong cuz at least i am not a woman to experience child birth. They only got me some pills(ibuprofen) and some kind of gel, and they still get mad when i use them every 8 hours because OF THE PAIN. They also said how i am making excuses to not go to school but i'm sick of them always saying that. This is like the 5th time i didnt go to school this year and they all were because of MEDICAL reasons. And i am a kid living in europe (sorry if my english is not the best), not being able to go to the dentist as i dont have any money because of course i am a child. I don't wanna ruin my family or something by going to school and going to the medic's office just to tell them this. I told them something before like this and they were shocked. And people at school were worried if i was okay because i was with my head on the table all the time. I don't wanna get away from my siblings but my family is torturing me each day not doing anything. 3 years ago ive had another toothache and i think its cuz of this (the toothache), they kept giving me pills and i was crying to sleep (i barely do nowadays, though today i was finally able to sleep for 7 hours and not 3 by struggling) but it went away after a while, second year the same thing till the third year where they finally got me to a dentist (mostly cuz i was in a lot of pain). And they told me they'd go with me to a dentist these days but they'd get mad and ask me what could they resolve, that they can't do anything if my tooth's pulp is inflammated and such. And i wanted to go today alone but they are closed till monday, AND they want to send me to school. They'd also ask me why i don't go there myself but what can i do without money??, a dentist wont take me in without money. And after some time i had enough and went today but it was closed.
Please help me, i've got 3 pills left for tomorrow, my throat also hurts and from time to time i get migraines. I can't afford anything as i don't have any money.

To all the people out there. Who smokes Marijuana or Thanks. THC products. Please make sure you get it from a dispensary. or a reliable source that you trust. Because what I'm about to tell you still haunts me to this day. My name is Jimmy. And I'm here to tell you my experience. With The stuff known as nightmare green. You see, it started off as another day and I was Getting off work for the weekend and I wanted to relax and probably watch YouTube and roll a joint or smoke a bowl.
So I went down to the local dispensary to see what new stuff they had so I went in and looked around. And basically solve the same old stuff that i'm used to and nothing New has ever been seen, so I just settled with my usual. White rhino. And blueberry yum yum. So I cashed out and walked out the door and as I was getting ready to get into my car to leave someone from behind yelled out to me.
(Hey buddy you're looking to score some good Shit)
So I turned around and came face-to-face. With some shady guy. Who Looked well kept for your average street dealer. You wore a suit with a wide brim Fedora. And a wide toothache grin on his face, accompanied by a wide nose, holding up a pair of cheap sunglasses on his face.
I was suspicious of him at first thinking that he was a cop trying to catch me buying stuff illegally and not from the dispensary that I just stepped out of but I was too intrigued at this point. Why would a guy like him?Be selling marijuana but I didn't question it.I just responded to him, Yeah I'm looking to buy. Some good stuff do you have? He smiled back at me before reaching into his pocket And pulling out a bottle. Of buds and as he opened it up. The smell radiating from the bottle illuminated the air. It was sweet. But very skunky. Type a smell
And when he took out one of the buds, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the most beautiful and curious, but I have ever seen in my life almost like it was pecked.Fresh And It illuminated. A bluish green and it almost sparkled like a diamond. At this point I was perplexed. And I really wanted to try that. But Before I was able to answer he spoke again
( Oh I can tell you are Interested in my product.)
And I responded with a yeah, I was. And I told. Him, how much does he want for it?
His smile on his face got wider. Before handing me the bottle Before he told me
( Well, to be honest with you, my boy. I'm not really sure what price I should put on this but for you. I would like to give it to you as a gift. Kind of A free trial. And if you don't like it, you can just return it to me but if you do I think I have found my customer but Be cautious, my boy. This is not your average, Bud. This is the most strongest. Cannabis on the market. So smoke. At your Digression. Or smoke it sparingly)
So I just nodded and agreed to not overdo it. So I took the bottle , put it in my car as the Man in the suit. Smiled and waved at me. But I rolled down my window before. I pulled out to ask him what the name of This product was. He told me that it was called nightmare green. I thought to myself.That wasn't odd name for a marijuana product but I didn't care so I rolled up my window and started to pull out of the parking lot and went home
When I got home.I took the bottle out of my pocket and placed it on my coffee table. Then I went to get a shower, change clothes and come back. And I turn on my Television. And pull up YouTube. And before I pressed play, I took one of the Beautiful sparkling buds out of the bottle and put it in my grinder. And once I did, the smell became stronger and more divine. It just made me want it more after I finished grinding it. I packed a little in my bowl. And start it to light up. And took a big Hit. And once I did. It immediately hit me like a truck. A wave of euphoria. And warmth. Took over my body and I started to see colors. And here sounds I'd never heard before, like somebody was talking to me, but they were too far away to hear. But I ignored it and kept hitting my Bowl. And the voices started to get closer and louder. And each time I try to ignore it and chalk it up to me being paranoid due to a new. Marijuana product.
So I just kept hitting the Bowl. And as I did The voice became audible enough To make out what it said And chills ran down my spine when I heard the words
( They know what you did, Jimmy.We all know what you did)
With those words, I immediately panicked. And started to hyperventilate. A little almost going into a panic attack but. Being an experienced smoker, I knew what to do to calm down. I took a deep breath and tried to rationalize the Situation. I kept telling myself. It's all in my head. It's not real, but the voice kept getting louder. And louder. Then all of a sudden. Started to feel pain Running down my chest. And as I lifted up my shirt to see what it was. My blood ran. Ice cold. There were 3 huge scratch marks. Running down my chest to my stomach.
When I saw it, That I immediately freaked the fuck out. And stopped smoking my bowl. And try to wait until the high goes away. But it didn't have that voice? Just kept playing my mind repeating over and over again. They know what you did. And scratches kept appearing on my body. On my arms, on my legs, my back. I was scared and then. I slipped into denial. I kept telling myself. There was something in that Bud.That man must have lasted with something a hallucinogent.That is making see things and feel things that are not there.But again They are just way too real. I didn't know what to do other than curl up into a ball. And wait until I calm down.
It felt Like hours. But I still kept hearing that damn voice saying those words, they know what you did. We know what you did. And scratches kept appearing on my body one after the other And I just broke down crying sobbing there on the floor bang is begging for it to stop
( Please stop, I do not want this anymore. I just wanted to escape My past. And what I did to never happen again. I swear it wasn't my fault.)
But the more I begged, the more it kept going over and over again. So I did what I had to do as my last resort. I went to my room and pulled out my pistol. And started to press the muzzle of the gun to my head. And was about to pull the trigger. That is until. Another voice chimed in. A child's voice. And that's when. I drop the gun. And fell to my knees. And started to cry. And kept repeating over and over again.
( It wasn't my fault. I swear I didn't mean to. I was just so angry. But I know, I shouldn't have been out that night drinking. And I didn't see him. Oh, God, I. Swear I didn't see him until it was too late)
I said. As I cried. And that's when I felt a hand on my shoulder. A small hand With a gentleness. Touch followed by a small voice
( I know you didn't mean to kill me, Mr. But you didn't have to drive a way to leave me to die. Even so I do forgive you.)
Voice said kindly, but I couldn't accept it because I knew I was a murderer. I killed a child in cold blood. And I fled In fear of prison time. So I became paranoid. And started to smoke marijuana. To forget my past. So I can be a better person in the future. And? All it took was one or two hits of this mysthere Pot. That memory came back to me. And haunt me once Again
Then all of a sudden I found myself wanting to hit my Bowl. One more time. I didn't want to but something came over me. And once I took a hit of my bowl. Everything went black. And then I woke up the next morning in my bed. And the scratches were all done.Did I hallucinate the whole thing Or was it real To this very day, I will never know. But the most weird part about it was when I went into the living room. To grab the bottle to throw it away. It was not to be seen Anywhere And my bowl. Was sitting on the table where I left it last night. And it was empty.
Whatever the case may have been. It took a mysterious man to bring a substance into my life to make me open my eyes so ISO I went to the Police station and turned myself in after so many years. I confessed to killing. A poor innocent boy out of drunken rage and fear. And I served my time in prison. For about 20 years that I go. When I got out. I found a job that I liked and got with the girl in my dreams and we had a family Together. Couple of kids. And I watch them like a Hawk so that what happened back then would not happen to them.
And if you're wondering, yes, I still smoke pot. But I make sure I only go to my local dispensary. And not get it from a mysterious man. Or person ever again. So that is my story. And that goes as a warning to Those Who have secrets and want to keep themselves clean. And never buy a product from a Man that is called nightmare green. Or you will see things. That you never want to see. And bring back the memories of the person that you never want to be.

To all the people out there. Who smokes Marijuana or Thanks. THC products. Please make sure you get it from a dispensary. or a reliable source that you trust. Because what I'm about to tell you still haunts me to this day. My name is Jimmy. And I'm here to tell you my experience. With The stuff known as nightmare green. You see, it started off as another day and I was Getting off work for the weekend and I wanted to relax and probably watch YouTube and roll a joint or smoke a bowl.
So I went down to the local dispensary to see what new stuff they had so I went in and looked around. And basically solve the same old stuff that i'm used to and nothing New has ever been seen, so I just settled with my usual. White rhino. And blueberry yum yum. So I cashed out and walked out the door and as I was getting ready to get into my car to leave someone from behind yelled out to me.
(Hey buddy you're looking to score some good Shit)
So I turned around and came face-to-face. With some shady guy. Who Looked well kept for your average street dealer. You wore a suit with a wide brim Fedora. And a wide toothache grin on his face, accompanied by a wide nose, holding up a pair of cheap sunglasses on his face.
I was suspicious of him at first thinking that he was a cop trying to catch me buying stuff illegally and not from the dispensary that I just stepped out of but I was too intrigued at this point. Why would a guy like him?Be selling marijuana but I didn't question it.I just responded to him, Yeah I'm looking to buy. Some good stuff do you have? He smiled back at me before reaching into his pocket And pulling out a bottle. Of buds and as he opened it up. The smell radiating from the bottle illuminated the air. It was sweet. But very skunky. Type a smell
And when he took out one of the buds, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was the most beautiful and curious, but I have ever seen in my life almost like it was pecked.Fresh And It illuminated. A bluish green and it almost sparkled like a diamond. At this point I was perplexed. And I really wanted to try that. But Before I was able to answer he spoke again
( Oh I can tell you are Interested in my product.)
And I responded with a yeah, I was. And I told. Him, how much does he want for it?
His smile on his face got wider. Before handing me the bottle Before he told me
( Well, to be honest with you, my boy. I'm not really sure what price I should put on this but for you. I would like to give it to you as a gift. Kind of A free trial. And if you don't like it, you can just return it to me but if you do I think I have found my customer but Be cautious, my boy. This is not your average, Bud. This is the most strongest. Cannabis on the market. So smoke. At your Digression. Or smoke it sparingly)
So I just nodded and agreed to not overdo it. So I took the bottle , put it in my car as the Man in the suit. Smiled and waved at me. But I rolled down my window before. I pulled out to ask him what the name of This product was. He told me that it was called nightmare green. I thought to myself.That wasn't odd name for a marijuana product but I didn't care so I rolled up my window and started to pull out of the parking lot and went home
When I got home.I took the bottle out of my pocket and placed it on my coffee table. Then I went to get a shower, change clothes and come back. And I turn on my Television. And pull up YouTube. And before I pressed play, I took one of the Beautiful sparkling buds out of the bottle and put it in my grinder. And once I did, the smell became stronger and more divine. It just made me want it more after I finished grinding it. I packed a little in my bowl. And start it to light up. And took a big Hit. And once I did. It immediately hit me like a truck. A wave of euphoria. And warmth. Took over my body and I started to see colors. And here sounds I'd never heard before, like somebody was talking to me, but they were too far away to hear. But I ignored it and kept hitting my Bowl. And the voices started to get closer and louder. And each time I try to ignore it and chalk it up to me being paranoid due to a new. Marijuana product.
So I just kept hitting the Bowl. And as I did The voice became audible enough To make out what it said And chills ran down my spine when I heard the words
( They know what you did, Jimmy.We all know what you did)
With those words, I immediately panicked. And started to hyperventilate. A little almost going into a panic attack but. Being an experienced smoker, I knew what to do to calm down. I took a deep breath and tried to rationalize the Situation. I kept telling myself. It's all in my head. It's not real, but the voice kept getting louder. And louder. Then all of a sudden. Started to feel pain Running down my chest. And as I lifted up my shirt to see what it was. My blood ran. Ice cold. There were 3 huge scratch marks. Running down my chest to my stomach.
When I saw it, That I immediately freaked the fuck out. And stopped smoking my bowl. And try to wait until the high goes away. But it didn't have that voice? Just kept playing my mind repeating over and over again. They know what you did. And scratches kept appearing on my body. On my arms, on my legs, my back. I was scared and then. I slipped into denial. I kept telling myself. There was something in that Bud.That man must have lasted with something a hallucinogent.That is making see things and feel things that are not there.But again They are just way too real. I didn't know what to do other than curl up into a ball. And wait until I calm down.
It felt Like hours. But I still kept hearing that damn voice saying those words, they know what you did. We know what you did. And scratches kept appearing on my body one after the other And I just broke down crying sobbing there on the floor bang is begging for it to stop
( Please stop, I do not want this anymore. I just wanted to escape My past. And what I did to never happen again. I swear it wasn't my fault.)
But the more I begged, the more it kept going over and over again. So I did what I had to do as my last resort. I went to my room and pulled out my pistol. And started to press the muzzle of the gun to my head. And was about to pull the trigger. That is until. Another voice chimed in. A child's voice. And that's when. I drop the gun. And fell to my knees. And started to cry. And kept repeating over and over again.
( It wasn't my fault. I swear I didn't mean to. I was just so angry. But I know, I shouldn't have been out that night drinking. And I didn't see him. Oh, God, I. Swear I didn't see him until it was too late)
I said. As I cried. And that's when I felt a hand on my shoulder. A small hand With a gentleness. Touch followed by a small voice
( I know you didn't mean to kill me, Mr. But you didn't have to drive a way to leave me to die. Even so I do forgive you.)
Voice said kindly, but I couldn't accept it because I knew I was a murderer. I killed a child in cold blood. And I fled In fear of prison time. So I became paranoid. And started to smoke marijuana. To forget my past. So I can be a better person in the future. And? All it took was one or two hits of this mysthere Pot. That memory came back to me. And haunt me once Again
Then all of a sudden I found myself wanting to hit my Bowl. One more time. I didn't want to but something came over me. And once I took a hit of my bowl. Everything went black. And then I woke up the next morning in my bed. And the scratches were all done.Did I hallucinate the whole thing Or was it real To this very day, I will never know. But the most weird part about it was when I went into the living room. To grab the bottle to throw it away. It was not to be seen Anywhere And my bowl. Was sitting on the table where I left it last night. And it was empty.
Whatever the case may have been. It took a mysterious man to bring a substance into my life to make me open my eyes so ISO I went to the Police station and turned myself in after so many years. I confessed to killing. A poor innocent boy out of drunken rage and fear. And I served my time in prison. For about 20 years that I go. When I got out. I found a job that I liked and got with the girl in my dreams and we had a family Together. Couple of kids. And I watch them like a Hawk so that what happened back then would not happen to them.
And if you're wondering, yes, I still smoke pot. But I make sure I only go to my local dispensary. And not get it from a mysterious man. Or person ever again. So that is my story. And that goes as a warning to Those Who have secrets and want to keep themselves clean. And never buy a product from a Man that is called nightmare green. Or you will see things. That you never want to see. And bring back the memories of the person that you never want to be.

Yesterday, I started experiencing this mild toothache. I don't know what's caused it, if its due to a tooth itself or me applying pressure to that side of the face (I tend to lean my head on my hand a lot), but I can't seem to stop it. I've taken Paracetamol, Asprin, Ibuprofen, and even tried rinsing my mouth out with salt water to no effect. Its definitely not painful, just rather annoying as it is this constant dull ache that gets stronger and weaker randomly throughout the day. I don't have any other issues such as a tooth being sensitive to hot or cold, or hurting when I chew with it, basically seems all fine aside from the ache. I don't drink or smoke either.
I know I should go and see a dentist, but I honestly can't afford it at the moment. I'm hoping it will go away after another day or two, but I'm still rather worried. If this does continue, I don't think I'll have a choice but to see a dentist. In the meantime though, Is there anything else I can try to remedy the aching?

PLAYBOY Interview With Conan O'Brien Interview by Kevin Cook For Playboy Magazine February 1998
A candid conversation with the preppie prince of "Late Night" about his rocky start, his show's secret one-day cancellation and how David Letterman saved the day.
He was polite. He was funny. He gave us a communicable disease.
At 34 Conan O'Brien is hotter than the fever he was running when we met in his private domain above the "Late Night" sound stage. A gangly freckle-faced ex-high school geek he is "one of TV's hottest properties" according to "People" magazine. The host of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" has become his generation's king of comedy.
Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. Congested too, but O'Brien has far more to worry about than his head cold. A perfectionist who broods over one bad minute in an otherwise perfect hour of TV, he worries he might be anhedonic, "I have trouble with success," he says, "I was raised to believe that if something good happens something bad is coming." Sure things look good now "Rolling Stone" calls "Late Night" "the hottest comedy show on TV." Ratings are better than ever, particularly among 18- to 34-year-olds, the viewers advertisers crave.
But O'Brien only works harder. Despite his illness he taped two shows in 26 hours on three hours' sleep. He smoothly interviewed Elton John then burst into coughing fits during commercials. Later in his crammed corner office overlooking Manhattan traffic Conan the Cool gulped Dayquil gel caps. He coughed spewing microbes.
"Sorry, sorry," he said. Of course O'Brien can't complain. He came seriously close to falling to being banished behind the scenes as just another failed talk show host.
At his first "Late Night" press conference he corrected a reporter who called him a relative unknown, "Sir I am a complete unknown," he said. That line got a laugh, but soon O'Brien looked doomed. His September 13, 1993 debut began with O'Brien in his dressing room preparing to hang himself only to be interrupted by the start of his show. Before long his career was hanging by a thread. Ratings were terrible. Critics hated the show. Tom Shales of "The Washington Post" called it as "lifeless and messy as roadkill." Shales said O'Brien should quit.
Network officials held urgent meetings discussing the Conan O'Brien debacle. Should they fire him? How should they explain their mistake?
In the end of course he turned it around. The network hung with him long enough for the ratings to improve and the host of the cooler-than-ever "Late Night" now defines comedy's cutting edge just as Letterman did ten years ago.
Even Shales loves "Late Night" these days. He calls O'Brien's turnaround "one of the most amazing transformations in television history."
O'Brien was born on April 18, 1963 in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father, a doctor, is a professor at Harvard Medical School. His mother, a lawyer, is a partner at an elite Boston Law firm. Conan, the third of six children became a lector at church and a misfit at school. Tall and goofy, bedeviled with acne, he tried to impress girls with jokes. That plan usually bombed, but O'Brien eventually found his niche at Harvard where he won the presidency of the "Harvard Lampoon" in 1983 and again in 1984 - the first two-time "Lampoon" president since humorist Robert Benchley held the honor 85 years ago.
After graduating magna cum laude with a double major in literature and American history he turned pro. Writing for HBO's "Not Necessarily The News." O'Brien was earning $100,000 a year before his 24th birthday. But writing was never enough.
He honed his performance skills with the Groundlings, a Los Angeles improv group. There he worked with his onetime girlfriend Lisa Kudrow, now starring on "Friends." But Conan was not such a standout. In 1988 he landed a job at "Saturday Night Live" - but as a writer, not as on-air talent. In almost four years on the show O'Brien made only fleeting appearances, usually as a crowd member or security guard. His writing was more memorable. He wrote (or co-wrote) Tom hanks' "Mr Short-Term Memory" skits as well as the "pump you up" infosatire of Hanz and Franz and the nude beach sketch in which Matthew Broderick and "SNL" members played nudists admiring one another's penises. With dozens of mentions of the word that hit was the most penis-heavy moment in TV history. It helped O'Brien win an Emmy for comedy writing.
In 1991 he quit "SNL" and moved on to "The Simpsons" where he worked for two years. His urge to perform came out in wall-bouncing antics in writers' meetings. "Conan makes you fall out of your chair" said "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening. O'Brien's yen to act out was so strong that he spurned Fox's reported seven-figure offer to continue as a writer. He was driving for the spotlight.
By then David Letterman had announced he was turning shin - leaving NBC taking his ton-rated act to CBS. Suddenly NBC was up a creek without a host. The network turned to Lorne Michaels, O'Brien's "Saturday Night Live" boss. Michaels enlisted Conan's help in the host search planning to use him in a behind-the-scenes job. But when Garry Shandling, Dana Carvey and almost every other star turned down the chore of following Letterman, Michaels finally listened to Conan's crazy suggestion, "Let me do it!" Michaels persuaded the network to entrust it's 12:30 slot which Letterman had turned into a gold mine to an untested wiseass from Harvard.
O'Brien was working on one of his last "Simpsons" episodes when he got the news. He turned "paler than usual," Groening recalled. The Conan moseyed back to where the other writers were working, "I'll come back with the Homer Simspon joke later. I have to go replace Letterman," he said.
NBC executives now get credit for their foresight during those dark days of 1993 and 1994. They snared the axe and now reap the multimillion-dollar spoils of that decision. In fact, the story is not so simple. We sent Contributing Editor Kevin Cook to unravel the tale of O'Brien's survival, which he tells here for the first time. Cook reports:
"His office is chock-full of significa. There's a three-foot plastic pickle the Letterman staff left behind in 1993 - perhaps to suggest what a predicament he was in. There's a copy of Jack Paar's 'I Kid You Not' and a coffee-table book called 'Saturday Night Live: The First 20 Years.' His bulletin board features letters from fans such as John Watters and Bob Dole and an 8" x 10" glossy of Andy Richter with the inscription: "To Conan - Your bitter jealousy warms my black heart. Love and Kisses Andy."
"Of course it's all for show. From the photos of kitch icons Adam West and Robert Stack to the framed Stan Laurel autograph, from the deathbed painting of Abraham Lincoln, to the ironic star taped to Conan's door - they're all clever signals that tell a visitor how to view the star. Lincoln was his collegiate preoccupation: stardom is his occupation. Somewhere between the two I hoped to find the real O'Brien.
"As a Playboy reader he wanted to give me a better-than-average interview. I wanted something more - a definitive look at the guy who may end up being the Johnny Carson of his generation."
"Here's hoping we succeeded. If not I carried his germs 3000 miles and infected dozens of Californians for no good reason.
O'Brien: Yes, this is how to do a Playboy Interview -- completely tanked on cold medicine. I'll pick it up and read, "Yes, I'm gay."
Playboy: We could talk another time. O'Brien: (coughing) No, it's OK. I memorized Dennis Rodman's answers. Can I use them?
Playboy: You sound really sick. Do you ever take a day off? O'Brien: No. The age of talk show hosts taking days off is over. Johnny Carson could go to Africa when he was the only game in town -- "See you in two weeks!" But nobody does that now. I will give you a million dollars on the first day Jay takes off for illness.
Playboy: Do you ever slow down and enjoy your success? O'Brien: If anything, the pace is picking up. Restaurateurs insist on giving me a table even if I'm only passing by, so I'm eating nine meals a night. Women stop me on the street and hand me their phone numbers.
Playboy: So you have groupies? O'Brien: Oh yes. And other fans. Drifters. Prisoners. Insomniacs. Cab Drivers, who must watch a lot of late night TV, seem to love me lately. They keep saying, "You will not pay, you will not pay, you make me happy!"
Playboy: How happy did your new contract make you? O'Brien: Terrified. The network said, "We're all set for five years." I said, "Shut up, shut up! I can't think that far ahead." Tonight, for instance, I do my jokes, then interview Elton John and Tim Meadows. We finished taping about 6:30. By 6:45 my memory was erased and my only thought was, Tomorrow: John Tesh. And I started to obsess about John Tesh. Sad, don't you think?
Playboy: Not too sad. You got off to a rocky start but now you're so hot that People magazine recently said, "that was then, this is wow." O'Brien: I try not to pay much attention. Since I ignored the critics who said I should shoot myself in the head with a German Luger, it would be cheating to tear out nice reviews now and rub them all over my body, giggling. Though I have thought about it.
Playboy: Tell us about your trademark gag. You interview a photo of Bill Clinton or some other celeb, and a pair of superimposed lips provide outrageous answers. O'Brien: We call it the Clutch Cargo bit, after that terrible old cartoon series. They saved money on animation by superimposing real lips on the cartoons. I wanted to do topical jokes in a cartoony way -- not just Conan doing quips at a desk. TV is visual; I want things to look funny. But we're not Saturday Night Live; we couldn't spend $100,000 on it. Hence, the cheap, cheesy lips, You'd be surprised how many people we fool.
Playboy: Viewers believe that's really the president yelling, "Yee-haw! Who's got a joint?" O'Brien: It's strange. You may know intellectually that Clinton doesn't talk like Foghorn Leghorn. Ninety-eight percent of your brain knows the president wouldn't say, "Whoa Conan get a load of that girl!" But there are a few brain cells that aren't sure. When Bob Dole was running for president we had him doing a past-life regression: "My cave, get away." And then back further, "Must form flippers to crawl on to rocky soil," he says. There may be people out there who believe that Bob Dole was the first amphibian.
Playboy: Do you ever go too far? O'Brien: The fun is in going too far. It's a nice device because you get Bill Clinton to do the nastiest Bill Clinton jokes. We'll have Clinton making fart noises while I say "Sir! Please!"
Playboy: Are you enjoying your job now, with your new success? O'Brien: Well, there are surprises. I hate surprises. Like most comics, I'm a control freak. But I am learning that the show works best when things are out of control. Tonight I ask Elton John if he likes being neighbors with Joan Collins. He says he isn't neighbors with Joan Collins. He lives next door to Tina Turner. So I panic -- huge mistake! But Elton saves the day. "Joan Collins, Tina Turner, it doesn't matter. Either way I could borrow a wig," he says. Huge laugh, all because I fucked up. Later he surprised me by blurting out that he's hung like a horse. The camera cuts to me shaking my head: That crazy Elton. What can I do? Of course, I'm delighted that he went too far.
Playboy: That "What can I do?" look resembles a classic take of Jack Benny's. O'Brien: There's an old saying in literature: "Good poets borrow; great poets steal." I think T.S. Eliot stole it from Ezra Pound. Comics steal, too. Constantly. When I watched Johnny Carson, I noticed that he got a few takes from Benny and Bob Hope. When a comedy writer told me how much Woody Allen had borrowed from Hope, I thought, What? They're nothing alike. Then I went back and watched Son of Paleface, and there's Hope, the nervous city guy backing up on his heels, wringing his hands and saying, "Sorry, I'll just be moving along." Now look at early Woody Allen. You see big authority figures and Woody nervously saying, "Look, I'll just be on my way." Of course Woody made it his own, but he must have watched and loved Bob Hope.
Playboy: Who are your role models? O'Brien: Carson. Woody Allen. SCTV. Peter Sellers. When Peter Sellers died I felt such a loss, thinking, There won't be anymore of that. There's some Steve Martin in my false bravado with female guests: "Why, hel-lo there!" And I won't deny having some Letterman in my bones.
Playboy: You were surprise as Letterman's successor. At first you seemed like the wrong choice. O'Brien: I didn't get ratings. That doesn't mean I didn't get laughs. Yes, I had a giant pompadour and I looked like a rockabilly freak. I was too excited, pushed too hard, and people said, "That guy isn't a polished performer." Fine! But it isn't my goal to be Joe Handsomehead cool, smooth talk show host. Late Night with Conan O'Brien is supposed to be a work in progress, and now that we've had some success there's a danger of our getting too polished and morphing into something smoothly professional. Which would suck.
Do you know why I wanted this show? Because Late Night with David Letterman played with the rules and it looked like fun. Here was a place where people did risky comedy every night for millions of people. We had to keep this thing alive. There should be a place on a big network where people are still messing around.
Playboy: How bad were your early days on the show? O'Brien: Bad. Dave left here under a cloud: his fans and the media were angry with NBC. Then NBC picks a guy with crazy hair and a weird name. And the world says, "Harvard? Those guys are assholes." I sincerely hope that the winter of December 1993, our first winter, was the worst time I will ever have. I'd go out to do the warm up and the back two rows of seats would be empty. That's hard to look at. I would tell a joke and then hear someone whisper, "Who's he? Where's Dave?"
Playboy: You had trouble getting guests. O'Brien: Bob Denver canceled on us. We shot a test show with Al Lewis of The Munsters. We did the clutch cargo thing with a photo of Herman Munster. Unfortunately, Fred Gwynne, who played Herman, had recently died, and Al Lewis kept pointing at the screen, saying, "You're dead! I was at your funeral!"
Playboy: For months you got worried notes from network executives. What did they say? O'Brien: They were worried. The fact that Lorne Michaels was involved bought me some time. But Lorne had turned to me at the start and said, "OK, Conan. What do you want to do?" Now television critics were after me and the network was starting to realize what a risk I was. Suggestions came fast and furious. I kept the note that said, "Why don't you just die?"
Playboy: Did they suggest ways to be funnier? O'Brien: They were more specific and tactical. The network gets very specific data. Say there was a drop in ratings between 12:44 and 12:48 when I was talking to Jon Bon Jovi. I'll be told, "Don't ever talk to him again" Or they'll want me to tease viewers into staying with us: "You should tease that -- say, 'We'll have nudity coming up next!'"
Playboy: You did come close to being cancelled. O'Brien: We were cancelled.
Playboy: Really? You have never admitted that. O'Brien: This is the first time I've talked about it. When I had been on for about a year, there was a meeting at the network. They decided to cancel my show. They said, "It's cancelled." Next day they realized they had nothing to put in the 12:30 slot, so we got a reprieve.
Playboy: Were you worried sick? O'Brien: I went into denial. I tried hard not to think, Yes, I'm bad on the air and my show has none of the things a TV show needs to survive. We had no ratings. No critics in our corner. Advertisers didn't like us. Affiliates wanted to drop us. Sometimes I'd meet a programming director from a local station where we had no rating at all. The guy would show me a printout with no number for Late Night's rating, just a hash mark or pound sign. I didn't dare think about that when I went out to do the show.
Playboy: Are you defending denial? O'Brien: How else does anyone get through a terrible experience? The odds were against me. Rationally, I didn't have much chance. Denial was my only friend. When I look back on the first year, it's like a scene from an old war movie: Ordinary guy gets thrown into combat, somehow beats impossible odds, staggers to safety. His buddy say, "You could have been killed!" The guy stops and thinks. "Could have been killed?" he says. His eyes cross and he faints.
Playboy: How did you dodge the bullet? O'Brien: There were people at NBC who stood up for me. I will always be indebted to Don Ohlmeyer, who stuck to his guns. Don said, "We chose this guy. We should stick with him unless we get a better plan." He was brutally honest. He came to me and said, "Give me about a 15 percent bump in the ratings and you'll stay on the air. If not, we're going to move on."
Playboy: Ohlmeyer started his career in the sports division. O'Brien: Exactly, his take was, "You're on our team." Of course, it wasn't exactly rational of Don to hope I'd be 15 percent funnier. It was like telling a farmer, "It better rain this week or we'll take your farm away."
Playboy: What did you say to Ohlmeyer? O'Brien: There wasn't time. I had to go out and do a monologue. But I will always be indebted to Don because he told me the truth. Wait a minute -- you have tricked me into talking lovingly about an NBC executive. Let me say that there were others who were beneath contempt -- executives who wouldn't know a good show if it swam up their asses and lit a campfire.
Playboy: Finally the ratings went your way. Hard work rewarded? O'Brien: Well, I also paid off the Nielsen people. That was $140,000 well spent.
Playboy: Ohlmeyer plus bribery saved you? O'Brien: There was something else. Just when everyone was kicking the crap out of the show, Letterman defended me.
Playboy: Letterman had signed off on NBC saying, "I don't really know Conan O'Brien, but I heard he killed someone." O'Brien: Then I pick up the paper and he's saying he thinks I am going to make it. "They do some interesting, innovative stuff over there," he says. "I think Conan will prevail." And then he came on as a guest. Remember, this was when we were at our nadir. There was no Machiavellian reason for David Letterman, who at the time was the biggest thing in show business, to be on my show.
Playboy: Why did he do it? O'Brien: I'm still not sure. Maybe out of a sense of honor. Fair play. And it woke me up. It made me think. Hey, we have a real fucking television show here.
Of six or seven pivotal points in my short history here, that was the first and maybe the biggest. I wouldn't be sitting here -- I probably wouldn't even exist today -- if he hadn't done our show.
Playboy: The Late Night wars were hardly noted for friendly gestures. O'Brien: How little you understand. Jay, Dave and I pal around all the time. We often ride a bicycle built for three up to the country. "Nice job with Fran Drescher!" "Thanks, pal. You weren't so bad with John Tesh." We sleep in triple-decker bunk beds and snore in unison like the Three Stooges.
Playboy: You talk more about Letterman than your NBC teammate Leno. O'Brien: I hate the "Leno or Letterman, who's better?" question. I can tell you that Jay has been great to me. He calls me occasionally.
Playboy: To say what? O'Brien: (Doing Leno's voice) "Hey, liked that bit you did last night." Or he'll say he saw we got a good rating. I call him at work, too. It can be a strange conversation because we're so different. Jay, for instance, really loves cars. He's got antique cars with kerosene lanterns, cars that run on peat moss. He'll be telling me about some classic car he has, made entirely of brass and leather, and I'll say, "Yeah, man, I got the Taurus with the vinyl." One thing we have in common is bad guests. There are certain actors, celebrities with nothing to say, who move through the talk show world wreaking havoc. They lay waste to Dave's town and Jay's town, then head my way.
Playboy: You must be getting some good guests. Your ratings have shown a marked improvement. O'Brien: Remember, when you're on at 12:30 the Nielsens are based on 80 people. My ratings drop if one person has a head cold and goes to bed early.
Playboy: Actually, you're seen by about 3 million people a night. Your ratings would be even higher if college dorms weren't excluded from the Nielsens. How many points does that cost you? O'Brien: I told you I'm an idiot. Now I have to do math too?
Playboy: Do you still get suggestions from NBC executives? O'Brien: Not as many. The number of notes you get is inversely proportional to your ratings.
Playboy: What keeps you motivated? O'Brien: Superstition. We have a stagehand, Bobby Bowman, who holds up the curtain when I run out for the monologue. He is the last person I see before the show starts, and I have to make him laugh before I go out. It started with mild jabs: "Bobby, you're drunk again." Bobby laughs, "Heehee."" Then it was, "Still having trouble with the wife, Bobby?" But after hundreds of shows, you find yourself running out of lines. It's gotten to where I do crass things at the last second. I'll put his hand on my ass and yell, "You fucking pervert!" Or drop to my knees and say, "Come on, Bobby, I'll give you a blow job!"
"Ha-ha. Conan, you're crazy," he says. But even that stuff wears off. Soon, I'll be making the writers work late to give me new jokes for Bobby.
Playboy: Did you plan to be a talk show host or did you fall into the job? O'Brien: I was an Irish Catholic kid from St. Ignatius parish in Brookline, outside of Boston. And that meant: Don't call attention to yourself. Don't ask for too much when the pie comes around. Don't get a girl pregnant and fuck up your life.
Playboy: Were you an alter boy? O'Brien: I wanted to be an alter boy, but the priest at St. Ignatius said, "No, no. You're good on your feet, kid," and made me a lector. A scripture reader at Mass. He was the one who spotted my talent.
Playboy: What did you think of sex in those days? O'Brien: I was sexually repressed. At 16 I still thought human reproduction was by mitosis.
Playboy: How did you get over your sexual repression? O'Brien: Who says I got over it? My leg has been jiggling this whole time.
Playboy: What were you like in high school? O'Brien: Like a crane galumphing down the hall. A crane with weird hair, bad skin and Clearasil. Big enough for basketball but lousy at it. My older brothers were better. I would compensate by running around the court doing comedy, saying, "Look out, this player has a drug addiction. He's incredibly egotistical."
I was an asshole at home, too. My little brother Justin loved playing cops and robbers, but I kept tying him up with bureaucratic bullshit. When he'd catch me, I'd say, "I get to call my lawyer." Then it was, "OK, Justin, we're at trial and you've been charged with illegal arrest. Fill out these forms in triplicate." Justin was eight; he hated all the lawsuits and countersuits. He just cried.
Playboy: Were you a class clown? O'Brien: Never. I was never someone who walked into a room full of strangers and started telling jokes. You had to get to know me before I could make you laugh. The same thing happened with Late Night. I needed to get the right rhythm with Andy and Max and the audience.
Playboy: So how did you finally learn about sex? O'Brien: My parents gave me a book, but it was useless. At the crucial moment, all it showed was a man and a woman with the bed covers pulled up to their chins. I tried to find out more from friends, but it didn't help. One childhood friend told me it was like parking a car in a garage. I kept worrying about poisonous fumes. What if the fumes build up? Should you shut off the engine?
Playboy: For all your talk about being repressed, you can be rowdy on the air. O'Brien: The show is my escape valve. When I tear off my shirt and gyrate my pelvis like Robert Plant, feigning orgasm into the microphone, that shows how repressed I am -- a guy who wants to push his sex at the lens but can only do it as a joke.
Playboy: Aren't you tempted to live it up? O'Brien: I always imagined that if I were a TV star I would live the way I pictured Johnny Carson living. Carousing, stepping out of a limo wearing a velvet ascot with a model on my arm. Now that I have the TV show, I drive up to Connecticut on the weekends and tool around in my car. I could probably join a free-sex cult, smoke crack between orgies and drive sports cars into swimming pools, and my Catholic guilt would still be there, throbbing like a toothache. Be careful. If something good happens, something bad is on the way.
Playboy: Yet you don't mind licking the supermodels. O'Brien: At one point a few of them lived in my building, women who are so beautiful they almost look weird, like aliens. To me, a woman who has a certain approachable amount of beauty becomes almost funny. It's the same with male supermodels. They look like big puppets. So while I admire their beauty I probably won't be "romantically linked" with a model. I'd catch my reflection in a ballroom mirror and break up laughing.
Playboy: The horny Roy Orbison growl you use on gorgeous guests sounds real enough -- O'Brien: Oh, I've been doing that shit since high school. It just never worked before.
Playboy: Your father is a doctor, your mother an attorney. What do they think of their son the comedian? O'Brien: My dad was the one who told me denial was a virtue. "Denial is how people get through horrible things," he said. He also cut out a newspaper article in which I said I was making money off something for which I should probably be treated. So true, he thought. But when I got an Emmy for helping write Saturday Night Live, my parents put it on the mantel next to the crucifix. Here's Jesus looking over, saying, "Wow, I saved mankind from sin, but I wish I had an Emmy."
Playboy: Ever been in therapy? O'Brien: Yes. I don't trust it. I have told therapists that I don't particularly want to feel good. "Repression and fear, that's my fuel." But the therapists said that I had nothing to worry about. "Don't worry Conan you will always be plenty fucked up."
Playboy: When a female guest comes out, how do you know whether to shake her hand or kiss her? Is that rehearsed O'Brien: No, and it's awkward. If you go to shake her hand and her head starts coming right at you, you have to change strategy fast. I have thought about using the show to make women kiss me, but that would probably creep out the people at home. I decided not to kiss Elton John.
Playboy: Do you get all fired up if Cindy Crawford or Rebecca Romijn does the show? O'Brien: I like making women laugh. Always have, ever since I discovered you can get girls' attention by acting like an ass. That's one of the joys of the show -- I'm working my eyebrows and going grrr and she's laughing, the audience is laughing. It's all a big put-on and I'm thinking. This is great. Here is a beautiful woman who has no choice but to put up with this shit.
But it's not always put on. Sometimes they flirt back. Sometimes there's a bit of chemistry. That happened with Jennifer Connelly of The Rocketeer.
Playboy: One guest, Jill Hennessy, took off her pants for you. Then you removed yours. Even Penn and Teller took off their pants. O'Brien: Something comes over me. It happened with Rebecca Romijn -- I was practically climbing her. Those are the times when Andy and the audience seem to disappear and it's just me and this lovely woman sitting there flirting. I keep expecting a waiter to say, "More wine, Monsieur?"
Playboy: Would you lick the wine bottle? O'Brien: It's true, there's a lot of licking on the show. I have licked guests. I have licked Andy. Comedy professionals will read this and say, "Great work, Conan. Impressive." But I have learned that if you lick a guest, people laugh. If I pick this shoe off the floor, examine it, Hmmm, and then lick it, people laugh. I learned this lesson on The Simpsons, where I was the writer who was forever trying to entertain the other writers. I still try desperately to make our writers laugh, which is probably a sign of sickness since they work for me now. Licking is one of those things that look funny.
Playboy: Johnny Carson never licked Ed McMahon. O'Brien: We are much more physical and more stupid than the old Tonight Show. Even in our offices before the show there's always some writer acting out a scene crashing his head through my door. A behind-the-scenes look at our show might frighten people.
Playboy: One night you showed a doctored photo of Craig T. Nelson having sex with Jerry Van Dyke. Did they complain about it? O'Brien: I haven't heard from them. Of course I'm blessed not to be a part of the celebrity pond. I have a television show in New York, an NBC outpost. I don't run with or even run into many Hollywood people.
Playboy: You also announced that Tori Spelling has a penis. O'Brien: I did not. Polly the Peacock said that.
Playboy: Another character you use to say the outrageous stuff. O'Brien: Polly is not popular with the network.
Playboy: You mock Fabio, too. O'Brien: If he sues me, it'll be the best thing that ever happened. A publicity bonanza: Courtroom sketches of Fabio with his man-boobs quivering, shaking his fist, and me shouting at him across the courtroom. I'm not afraid of Fabio. He knows where to find me. I'm saying it right here for the record: Fabio, let's get it on.
Playboy: Ever have a run-in with an angry celeb? O'Brien: I did a Kelsey Grammar joke a few years ago, something about his interesting lifestyle, then heard through the network that he was upset. He had appeared on my show and expected some support. At this point my intellect says, "Kelsey Grammar is a public figure. I was in the right." Then I saw him in an airport. Kelsey didn't see me at first: I could have kept walking. But there he was, eating a cruller in the airport lounge. I thought I should go over. I said hello and then said, "Kelsey, I'm sorry if I upset you." And he was glad. He looked relieved. He said, "Oh, that's OK." We both felt better.
....See my other post with the last third of the interview

A dental emergency can strike like a rogue pigeon dive-bombing your chips – unexpected and painful. But fear not, Liverpool peeps! This guide will help you navigate urgent dental care and get that smile back on track.
Is it a Dental Emergency?

• Thrilling Toothache: Throbbing pain that won't quit? This could be a sign of an infection or damaged tooth.
• Bleeding or Swelling: Gums that resemble a prizefighter after a brawl? You might need prompt attention.
• Knocked-out Tooth: Time is of the essence! If you lose a tooth, try to gently put it back in the socket and get to an emergency dentist ASAP.
• Gummy Volcano (Abscess): A pimple on your gum that's become Mount Doom? Seek professional help to avoid complications.

Finding Your Dental Knight in Shining Armour:

1. Registered Dentist in Liverpool: If you have a regular hero with a drill, call them first. They might offer emergency appointments or point you in the right direction.
2. NHS 111: Can't reach your dentist or haven't found your perfect match yet? Dial NHS 111, a 24/7 service for urgent health advice. They'll be your dental compass, guiding you to the nearest emergency dentist in Liverpool.
3. Out-of-Hours Heroes: Some dental practices in Liverpool offer extended hours for emergencies. Check their website or voicemail message for details. Here are some resources to get you started:
   • Emergency Dentist Liverpool: [emergency dentist liverpool ON Night and Day Emergency Dentist nightanddayemergencydentist-liverpool.co.uk] (Open 24/7)
   • Puredental Liverpool: [emergency dentist liverpool ON Puredental puredental.co.uk] (Call for details on out-of-hours services)
   • Everton Road Dental Access Centre: [emergency dentist liverpool NHS ON Mersey Care merseycare.nhs.uk] (May offer out-of-hours services, call to confirm)

Remember:

• A&E: While A&E is there for emergencies, they typically don't handle routine dental problems. Head there only if you have severe swelling or facial injuries alongside your dental woes.
• Pain Relief: Over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen can be your temporary knight, helping manage the pain until you see a dentist.

Don't Panic, Take Action!
A dental emergency can be stressful, but with this guide and the amazing resources available in Liverpool, you'll find the urgent care you need. Remember, getting help early can mean a quicker recovery and less pain, so don't hesitate to reach out for help!

I always have anxiety about something. Typically about my head, heart, or currently, a toothache. About two months ago I was laid off from my job. I have been in the lowest of lows since then. I have no motivation, I half-ass apply to jobs, and just sit around being anxious about something. I want to go back to school. I want to work. And I want to go back to being the confident (semi-anxious) person I was before this.
I can tell my family and my boyfriend are trying to be supportive but also wondering when I'm going to get my shit together. I have no motivation to do any of the things I really want to do. I used to go to the gym frequently, socialize with friends, and care for myself. I want to have a purpose again.
Edit: Typo

I'm in Pensacola with a massive toothache and not about to drive 4 hours on I-65. I do love's me some Thievery Corp but ; [
Concert starts at 8pm tonight.
Funniest or saddest (but still kinda funny) story wins the tickets. Go...
Thievery Corp Live on KEXP
Winner will be announced at 5pm CST.
edit: OK some here have pointed out that privacy might make it undesirable to publicly post embarrassingly funny or sad stuff. I'm not an emotional vampire ffs, i'm just goofing with a spooky tooth. So far I have one story (it includes CBGB so the bar is high) and they're gonna win if none of you other humps write me anything. DM's open.
BTW, if anyone else out there is experiencing tooth pain and swelling, stand up and move around as much as possible. I think it lowers the blood pressure in your head or some shit. Avoid coffee and don't go to sleep.

I'm on amoxicillin for a tooth that needs a root canal. We're waiting for my state insurance to approve the procedure and in the meantime I'm just suffering.
Today I woke up feeling like the whole right side of my cheek had been numbed. I felt it all the way down to my neck and shoulder. Is that normal? It's freaking me out and I've been having increased anxiety over these symptoms while I wait for approval. I've been taking 400mg ibuprofen daily for any pain on the jaw, but in return it's been giving me rebound headaches. I don't want to take ibuprofen because my head feels awful when I take some.
When I first got the x ray done, the dentist didn't put me on any antibiotics. So I'm trying to convince myself the infection is not that bad. He only gave me antibiotics a week later because I said I could feel the sore feeling up to my eye and down to my neck. I have to believe that my body is just fighting this infection and that if it was initially as bad as I'm thinking it to be, the dentist would've taken other measures. The first time I had a bad infection I was put on amoxicillin and prednisone (a steroid). I remember being nervous back then and asking if a toothache could spread to your heart and brain and the dentist said it was a very, very slim chance even with how bad my infection was.
But my anxiety wasn't nearly as bad back then as it is now. I don't know, maybe I'm overreacting, but I just want to get this tooth done with. Has anyone had a similar situation with an infected tooth with similar symptoms? I'm hoping to get my approval this week, that way we can do the root canal in one go. Otherwise, I'm just going in for a removal and temporary filling. I need to deal with this.

[First] [Previous] [Next]
Spying on a college student wasn’t exactly riveting, mostly because it was so easy! Connecting to Tav’s computer had been a breeze, and taking over the microphone on her phone wasn’t exactly hard either. Blanco had a good look at the girl’s files, checking her old writings with little to no interest, and then reading through the notes she was taking on a ‘Translation effort’ with legitimate curiosity.

The creature was sitting in the air, slowly sliding from one side of his room to the other, lit only by the lights of the many screens on its walls… all while the grin on his face was only growing wider and wider with each new discovery. So a language, hmm? Wasn’t that the thing that G and Eighty Two had been rambling about for years now? Ohhh, he couldn’t wait to tell them… or, at least, tell G about it.

He had been paid quite the hefty sum to not tell 82 a thing of what they discovered, at least for now… the fight between those two had always struck Blanco as arbitrary and stupid, but alas! It wasn’t his business, really! In fact, that fight had brought much more business to him than anything!

The phone suddenly rings. Speak of the devil! A quick check on the caller ID showed Eighty Two’s private line.

With a broken glass grin covering his otherwise smooth face, Blanco took the phone.

“Bianccio Pizzería! Thickest pizza around! How can I help you?~” Oh how he relished pissing people off.

“Shut up.” A cold, feminine voice came from the other side. Eighty Two always sounded so annoyed… “I need a service. Payment will be in advance, as per our usual accord.”

“Ohhh straight to the point huh? I like it!”

“There’s a new user in Dejima 08. Perform the usual Safety Scan. They claim to have been invited by user ‘Canned Tea’, but we know he has lied about it before.”

“Ok, let me check!” Just to cover, Blanco tapped gibberish on his keyboard while softly going ‘beep boop’ as he worked. “... Alright! Got it!”

“That was fast.”

“Tav. Real name Santino Belnades. A Bastard Mage living in Saüle, Wohl.”

“Is he dangerous?”

“Actually she goes by she now!”

“Is she dangerous?” Mustafá grumbled, more annoyed than usual.

“Nah. Just a college student like many others. She’ll give up or die in a month tops.”

“...” Mustafá remained silent for a moment, ruminating. “So Canned Tea is just covering another random bastard…”

“Ahem. My pay?”

“Why is this kid like this? Can’t he realize that he’s getting them into far more trouble than it’s worth?”

“I thought you said nothing ever happens in that forum of yours. Isn’t that your main complaint?”

“That doesn’t mean nothing ‘can’ happen at any moment. If the Brotherhood finds out about this forum, they could seize all of us for questioning.” The alchemist let out a deep sigh.

“Yeah, real tragic. Pay me.”

“I wonder how this one got turned. Probably some mage’s irresponsible usage of spells…? No, Wohl has such a low magical population, and such a high conscription by the Brotherhood…”

Blanco let out the deepest of sighs, rubbing his smooth face with a hand while spinning slowly on his non-existent chair. This was exactly why he prefered working with G, that and the lack of emotions that witch had…

And people called him inhuman! Hah!

“Keep an eye on her. I will pay you right now.”

There was a loud ‘KA-CHING!’ sound coming from one of the computers in the room. Blanco sighed in relief.

“Thank you for your patronage! I will keep you updated.”

“Good.”

With that, the alchemist hung up. Blanco growled again. No one said ‘Good Bye’ these days now, did they!? Rude pricks. And bad news kept coming up! This ‘Canny’ guy was now telling her that he’ll teach her the glyph for digital security?

“Guess baby time is over.”

He’d have to work a little harder to stay hidden if Tav decided to install that on all of her devices. At least it would keep him entertained! Blanco decided to focus on preparing for when things would get more intense.

After all, he had some time. The kid was going to the library, right? There was only one book she wanted from there, and Blanco had read it several times over already.

Gato’s old scratchbook held no new knowledge for the vampire to be interested.


There is no such thing as an entire section dedicated to recipe books in Saüle University’s Library, but I manage to find that stuff in the ‘miscellany’ section. That’s where all the hobby and self-help material ends up, and even if it took me a moment to come to the conclusion, that’s where I went too.

It takes me even longer to look through every single tome I could in that section, but finally, after all my hard work… I think I have found it.

Canny was right, this is a cheap notebook. Soft covers, spiral-bound, both sides stamped with wizard hats, frogs, potion phials and many other pieces of typically ‘witchy’ imagery. Looking through the pages, it is just a bunch of cake and kuchen recipes, nothing to write home about. It is old, the pages are all yellowish and fragile, and there are stains everywhere.

Then, when I am sure no one is watching… I whispered the words.

“Jantar mantar…?”

It is instantaneous, as soon as I say the password the pages begin to change, words disappearas the ink that wrote them starts gathering in a single, dark blotch, and then begins rearranging again…

Something compels me to close the book, feeling a little embarrassed. For some reason I equated it to catching someone changing up clothes, how outrageous!

Finally, after waiting for a moment, I open it again.

The Bastard’s Guide to Magic
By Gato

Okay, that was certainly a title.

Now that I have it in my hands, I quickly close it again and add it to a pile of books I have picked up. Stuff on ancient symbology and old civilizations. With my loot in my arms, I quickly go over to the main desk and get it all sorted.

The second floor librarian smiles at me for a moment before scanning all the barcodes, giving me a week to return all the books, and then offering me a bag to carry them. I shake my head, setting it all in my backpack.

… Wow, it’s been a while since I've taken this old backpack out to Uni, huh?

“Feeling nostalgic?”

“For the times you were an actually useful member of society?”

Maybe a little bit, to be honest. I still remember when I used to come here with Patricio looking for academic books and I escaped the duties to look for something interesting to read…

“Back when you actually read as a hobby.”

Shut up, I’ve been reading more these days, I am returning to it.

Walking out of the Library, I once again avoid the gaze of any acquaintances and run straight for the streets to take another taxi back home. There aren’t that many people around today anyways, probably because of Winter Vacation.

Maybe I should send Patricio a message…

“Oh yeah? And what will you tell him? That you’re ditching formal studies for a fantasy? That magic is real and shit?”

I… thought of saying hi. That’s what friends do, right?

“When was the last time you spoke to a friend? Pepe? Vito? What about Venus?”

I flinch for a moment.

“We can fix that right now! Let’s go chat with Patricio when we get home!”

I… don’t think I will, no. The mere idea of getting in contact with him makes me a little sick from the nerves, especially considering I don’t really have an answer for what he told me before. I remain as undecided on the whole ‘career’ deal as I was that day.

With a hand I call for a passing taxi, and I have the luck of being acknowledged. You never know with the Taxists these days, it is very well known that they dislike the college students in this city.

Maybe he is hurting for money.

I sit down, tell the man where I need to go, and stop thinking about things for a moment as the car moves… only to feel my phone vibrating.

It vibrates more than once.

That means someone’s calling me.

I start sweating almost immediately, as I carefully pull the thing out. Two possibilities, it js either spam, or it is my parents.

It is my parents.

“Calm down.”

“How do you think they would feel if they knew how fucking distressed their presence make you? Do you think they would ask ‘whatever did we do wrong?’ or something like that?”

“Don’t listen. Just… remember that they’ve never meant anything bad, ok? They will accept you, regardless of your results in college.”

I gulp… and with a deep breath, I put on the mask. All trembling stops, just like that night at the planetarium… although it really pains me to compare mom and dad to the cloaks. With another deep breath, I pick up.

“Mom?”

“Ohhhhh hi there Santi! How are you today? I hope I didn’t catch you too busy!” Mom was as vital and energetic as ever. Despite her old age, she really always acts like a far younger woman. That’s admirable, at least to me.

“She will die eventually, too.”

Saints above, shut up.

“I’m fine mom! I was just returning from the library. We started vacation this week, so I was picking some stuff to read on my own.” Not technically a lie. “How are things over there in Sumpf?”

“Ohhh you know, there’s never much to tell around here. Your dad and Vito always at each other’s throats… I really hope they'll get along a bit better with time.”

“They wont. If anything, it will get worse.”

Vito will grow wiser and dad will grow older, I am sure things will get better.

“Hah, I guess some things never change… what about you? Feeling fine?”

“Oh you know me, I am fine! For now.” She laughed loudly. “And you, Santi? How do you feel?”

“Uh…”

Damn it. I hesitated. I need to give that a reason NOW.

“... Well I had a bit of a toothache before, but beyond that, all’s…” I sigh. “Okay, maybe not so good. Mom, I think I flunked my exams this time…”

“Oh my dear…” She sighed, before going back to her positive self. “Don’t torture yourself over it now. Wait for the actual grade to be announced, then torture yourself!”

“Moom!”

“I am just kidding sweetie.” She chuckled a bit. “It is fine, we all fail sometimes… really, it’s not the end of the world, I swear.”

“She’s trying to soften the blow from the fact that you’re a fucking failure.”

I shudder.

“You are doing your best, that’s all that matters.”

“Are you?”

“We are proud of you, Santi. Never forget that.” She said, probably smiling.

“They were proud. Now? They are just enduring you.”

My lips tremble, a sharp breath escapes me. No, please. I can’t cry in a damn taxi…

“...Mom.”

“Yes, dear?”

“... What if this career isn’t what I am meant to do?”

“We are not ‘meant’ to do things. The Saints put us here to try and improve ourselves, but there’s no one dictated path, dear.”

Sometimes I forget that mom is quite religious, it makes me smile a little bit.

“I know, I know. But that’s not what I meant…” I hesitate again, breathing in and out, trying to keep the panic attack at bay. “... Mom… what if this is not the career I am built for?”

“Well… you can always change, dear! It is no problem, don’t worry about the money. We can afford it, especially with your scholarship!”

I certainly lost that one with my disastrous performance here, but I don’t have the guts to tell Mom that.

“As if she didn’t know already. She’s not stupid.”

“... Thank you mom.”

“Any time, dear. If there’s ANYTHING at all that you feel like telling me, remember that I am always on your side, okay?”

“Yes mom.”

“Yeah yeah, ‘yes mom’, that means ‘shut up already, old lady’, right?” She giggled.

“Mooom!”

“Alright, alright… I hope you can come back soon, okay? We miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

“She doesn’t believe you. None of them do. They think you’re cold, distant and a failure on top of all that.”

“I love you mom.”

“Love you too, Santi.”

Click.

The taxi is not moving, it hasn’t been for a while now. The old man behind the steering wheel looks at me with concern.

“We’re here… kid. If something is wrong, you gotta tell your mom. Trust me… there are many things I wish I told mine before she passed.”

“You don’t know us. You have no idea about us. Stop talking so familiarly to us and go away.”

I flinch, pushing down that response and just sighing.

“I know… thank you.”

After paying the man, I walk out of the taxi and let it go, standing in front of my apartment complex for a moment.

I really don’t want to cry today.

But I already feel some tears going down my face.

Why am I like this?

Just for a bit of context, I originally wrote this story for Odd_directions which is a fiction subreddit. We're doing an event over there called Monster May where we write stories about giant monsters. I thought it would be fun to try writing one in a kind of analog/found footage transcript style. This story took me about a week to write. You can consider this to be more experimental on my part because I want to continue this style except with a longer narrative as opposed to this one-off story here.
Anyway, let me know what you think of it and I hope you enjoy it.
On May 22, 2008, a wrecked Honda Accord was found on the Alaskan-Canadian border at approximately 5:30 AM. According to the witness who reported this to the authorities, it seemingly appeared out of nowhere, somehow ending up on its roof in the middle of the road. No driver or passengers were present in the vehicle. The only thing found of note was a video camera, the footage of which revolves around a family of four.
Kent Morris: Owner of the vehicle as indicated by the certificates found in the dashboard. Age: 38
Charlene Morris: Wife to Kent and mother to their children. Age: 36
Lena Morris: Daughter. Estimated Age: 7-8
Deb Morris: son, Estimated Age: 1-2
The following is a transcript of the footage.
It begins with the camera turning on with Lena smiling into it.
Lena: I think I got it working!
Kent: How can you tell?
Lena: Um, the red light is on.
Charlene: Lena, turn that thing off! That’s supposed to be for your cousin’s wedding.
Lena: But I’m bored!
Kent: Alright, we’ll tell you what. You can turn it back on when we get near your aunt and uncle’s town. Okay?
Lena: Okay.
The footage ceases and resumes several hours later. A sign reading “Welcome to Silverwright. Come stay for a while” is shown. Deb is then heard crying which is recorded.
Lena: Mom, Deb won't stop crying!
Charlene: Aw, it's probably just his toothaches.
Some funny faces by her and Kent in the rearview mirror help calm Deb down. Now, he laughs and smiles. The next 30 minutes of footage consists of the surrounding forest area and local businesses.
Kent: Hey, I'm getting hungry. Who wants to grab a bite?
Charlene: I could eat.
Lena: Me too! I'm starving!
Kent: Alright, now the question is where can we stop?
Charlene: Margaret was telling me about a new place that opened up in this town a week ago. I think it was called Betsy's.
Kent: What kind of food does it have?
Charlene: Meat and seafood.
Kent: Sure, that should work. Did Margaret tell you where in town it is?
Charlene: No, sorry.
Kent: No big deal, we'll just keep an eye out for it.
The Morris family does come across the restaurant. The building has a cabin-like exterior with a sign showing a crab holding a fish with Betsy's name over it in green neon lettering. They park and exit their vehicle. Lena films the surrounding area. The sound of buttons on the camera being pressed can be heard.
Presumably, this is her trying to figure out more features about it. Lena activates the zoom function. Upon doing so, some figures can be seen moving amongst trees in the distance. The shadowing makes it difficult to discern, but there appear to be at least three or four, wearing hooded black robes.
Kent: Lena, come on!
The camera zooms out and Lena follows her family into the establishment. The inside is bustling with patrons.
Charlene: Lena, why did you bring that inside? I don't want people looking at us funny.
Lena: But you and Dad said I could use it.
Kent: I mean, she's not wrong.
Charlene gives her husband a look of annoyance. The family then gets a booth. Lena sets down the camera which is angled at the window they are seated in front of. They then make their orders.
Waitress: Alright, just to double check that's going to be one surf and turf plate, an order of stuffed crabs with hush puppies, and two kids' chicken tenders with fries, correct?
Charlene: Yes, thank you so much.
Waitress: And the drinks?
Lena: Coke!
Charlene: No, we can't have you bouncing around our hotel room all night.
Lena: But Mom!
Kent: Listen to your mother, sweety.
Charlene: She'll have a Sprite. I'll have an iced tea, heavy on lemon.
Kent: And I'll have a rum and Coke.
Waitress: And dessert?
Charlene: Baked Alaska.
Kent: Let's see. I could go for some apple pie.
Lena: Strawberry Ice cream!
Charlene: Okay, but you're giving some to Deb.
Lena: Why do I have to?
Charlene: Lena, learn to share.
Lena: Yes, Mom.
While waiting for their food, a ringtone sounds. Kent pulls out his cell phone.
Kent: It's Johnny.
He answers.
Kent: Hey, what's up? No, it's fine. We're about to eat. We're at that new place you and Margaret went to. Yeah, that's the one.
How's Sindy been? Nervous, I bet. Hopefully, it goes well. Brett seems like a good guy. What?
Kent covers the phone and looks at Charlene.
Kent: “Hey, Johnny says Margaret wants to talk to you.”
Charlene agrees and is handed the phone.
Charlene: Hi, Margaret. No, the ride wasn't too bad. Deb and Lena actually behaved better than we thought. What do you need? I mean I could, but it's kind of short notice. It's in a few days. How has she not decided on one yet? I know it's her big day, but at some point, she needs to accept that not everything about it is going to be perfect.
Kent: I can attest to that. Always limit the number of drinks people can have.
Charlene gives Kent another glare before continuing her conversation.
Charlene: Alright, if no one else can, I guess I can make a little time while we're here. Okay, see you soon then. Bye.
Charlene hangs up and hands the phone back to Kent.
Charlene: They want me to help pick out a dress for Sindy.
Kent: This close to the wedding?
Charlene: I know. That girl is smart, but it feels like she can't make a decision to save her life.
The food arrives at the table and the waitress tells them to let her know if they need anything else before leaving. The next hour consists of the family eating.
Kent (while chewing): They weren't kidding. This place hits the spot.
Charlene: Don't talk with your mouth full. It sets a bad example for the kids.
Kent: My bad.
Charlene: The food is great, though. Are you enjoying it too, Lena?
Lena: Yep!
After some time, Charlene excuses herself to go to the restroom and tells Kent to watch their children. Kent lets Lena sip some of his Coke.
Kent: Shit, your mother's coming back. Also, don't say that word.
Lena: Shit?
Kent: No, don't! Yes, Lena, that word.
The meal continues. Something to note here is captured through the window. Once again, this relates to the forest. This time, different colored distortions can be seen, similar to digital glitching. Further analysis of this segment shows that the top of the trees appears to bend slightly.
While this could be due to a camera malfunction, it is unclear why this was condensed to such a small distant area. Upon concluding their meal, the Morris family has the rest of their food to go and exits Betsy's, heading to their hotel, a place known as Salt River Inn. Once inside their room, Lena starts jumping on one of the beds.
Charlene: Kent, did you let her have some Coke?
Kent: No, maybe.
Charlene: I said not to. Lena, get down from there this instant!
Lena is presumably too occupied to hear her mother's command.
Kent: Don't worry. I think I know what might help.
Kent turns on the TV, flipping through the channels until finding that Mulan by Disney is playing, having just begun. Lena stops jumping and sits on the bed, watching the screen tentatively.
Kent: See? No problem. Anyway, I'm heading in the shower. Want to come?
Seeing that their children are occupied, Charlene agrees. Mulan continues playing. The parents exit the bathroom around the movie's climax. Just then, the film is interrupted by a screen reading “Silverwright Weather Service” and an EAS beep sounds from the speakers.
Lena: Hey, where did the movie go?
Below is the message as heard.
[Attention residents of Silverwright, hazardous conditions are expected shortly.]
Kent: Johnny said the weather was supposed to be clear. Damn news people don't know a snake hole from their-
Charlene: Kent, be quiet! I want to hear this.
[For your safety, staying inside and away from windows is recommended. Shut off all lights and unplug all electrical devices to prevent damage due to strong currents.]
Charlene: At least it doesn't sound too serious. Hopefully, this will pass by morn-
[It is also advised that battery-operated devices be turned off as well. This includes cell phones, portable gaming devices, and even calculators. If you must have something on, a radio is most suitable for up-to-date information. Be mindful of volume should you choose this. Conditions are projected to last through the next several nights. We now return to your regularly scheduled program.]
Mulan resumes after a McDonald’s Happy Meal commercial.
Charlene: I wonder if Johnny and Margaret saw this too. Maybe we should give them a call?
Kent: No, I bet they’re sleeping already. You know how they are. Even an earthquake couldn’t wake them.
Charlene: Okay, are you keeping your phone on?
Kent: I don’t see why I shouldn’t.
Charlene: What about what the alert said?
Kent: How should I know? It’s probably like having your phone on airplane mode during a flight. It doesn’t mean anything.
The movie finishes. Charlene tells Lena to get ready for bed. She obeys and afterward lays down to sleep.
Charlene: Lena, did you remember to turn off that camera?
Groggily, Lena turns over and tries to shut it off. In her attempt, she accidentally hits the zoom button on the camera again and knocks it on its side, making it face the window. The red blinking light of a radio tower can be seen far away. Someone is climbing it. This is believed to be one of the hooded figures seen earlier in the video.
They reach the top and seem to raise their arms to the sky in a sort of welcoming gesture. The earlier digital-like distortion appears again. Something comes out of it, either a limb or appendage, and lifts the person, out of view. The distortion then pulses violet and rapidly spreads, soon making the sky above Silverwright the same color. Two hours later, Kent’s phone rings.
Charlene: “It’s after midnight. Who’s calling us now?”
The sound of the bed creaking can be heard.
Kent: Johnny again?
Charlene: I bet Sindy's freaking out that the wedding might be canceled. Answer, but tell him whatever it is will have to wait.
Kent: Hey, Johnny, listen. Wait, Sindy?
The bed creaks again as Kent sits up.
Kent: What? Hang on. I can’t understand you. Let me put you on speaker.
Sindy (sobbing): Mom and Dad are gone. I think something’s happened to them.
Charlene sits up as well. Kent replies to Sindy in a leveled tone.
Kent: Okay, Sindy, I want you to listen closely. Are you somewhere safe?
Sindy: I think so. Brett and I got into an argument earlier. My parents said I could come over. We talked for a while and then I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up about an hour ago to grab something from the fridge. I heard something weird coming from upstairs I wanted to see what it was.
Kent (pausing before replying): What did you find?
Sindy: It sounded like my parents were up so I decided to check on them, but they didn’t respond when I knocked on their door. I decided to try opening it and it was unlocked. They were just standing in front of the window. I think they were staring at something.
Kent: Were you able to see what?
Sindy: No, but the only thing near the house is the woods and that radio tower. Wait, maybe that’s what they were looking at. Their radio was acting weird before it happened.
Kent: Before what happened?
Sindy: Kent…I don’t think I’ll ever be able to comprehend what I saw. There was a purple flash and then their windows were busted in. Something grabbed them. I don’t know what it was. It reminded me of a giant hand only dark like a shadow. They didn’t even scream or anything while they were being pulled away. It was like they were okay with what was happening.
Charlene is the one who replies.
Charlene***:*** Sindy, sweety, tell us where you are in the hose right now and we’ll come get you.
Sindy: I’m in the basement. I figured that would be the safest option. Wait, what is that?
Noises akin to a tornado hitting a home sound through the phone speakers.
Sindy: Oh, god, it’s lifting everything! It’s massive! Wait…Its eyes. I understand everything now. I know I’ll be with my parents again soon.
Charlene: Sindy?
Sindy laughs.
Sindy: It’s so beautiful!
The call ends.
Charlene: We need to leave.
Kent: Leave? What about Sindy? What about Johnny and Margaret?
Charlene: We need to get them some help.
Kent: Okay, let’s try calling the police first.
He attempts and the phone keeps ringing.
Kent: Are you fucking kidding me right now?
Charlene: They must be busy.
Kent: What do we do then, go somewhere else to get help? The nearest town is hours away from here.
Charlene: I don’t see what else we can do.
Kent: I guess you’re right. We better pack.
Charlene and Kent repack their belongings. Charlene grabs the camera and carries Deb while Kent has Lena. Then the family exits the hotel room. The hall and lobby are full of people also trying to reach the exit.
Kent: We're never going to get out of here at this rate. Come on. This way.
They go to an emergency side door and push it open, causing the alarm to go off. Upon reaching their vehicle, there is a sound similar to when a microphone is held up to a speaker. Kent and Charlene let out yells of pain.
Kent: Where the hell is that coming from?
Charlene turns. A figure can be seen floating in the sky above the radio tower. Its appearance is reminiscent of a person's shadow that's been stretched out. Beams of pink light come from its eyes that scan the town below. It has an anomalous effect on whatever it touches. Inanimate objects and people alike vanish, the instant contact is made.
Charlene (voice trembling): What in God's name is happening, Kent?
Lena and Deb can be heard waking up with the latter crying. Their parents put them in the car. The camera is placed on the seat between the two children. Lena rubs her eyes.
Lena: Dad, why are we out here?
Charlene and Kent close their doors. The latter starts the car.
Kent: It's nothing, sweety, we just need to go on a little drive.
He backs out of their parking space and exits the lot, speeding down the road.
Lena: But I want to see Sindy!
Kent: We can't right now.
Lena: Why not?
Kent (voice raised): We just can't, alright?
Lena sobs slightly, but suddenly stops when she notices the camera.
Lena: Um excuse me.
Kent sighs. Charlene answers instead.
Charlene: What is it, honey?
Lena: I accidentally left the camera on.
Charlene: Don't worry about that right now. Just stay quiet and let your father drive, okay?
Lena: Okay.
Charlene: Good.
Lena picks the camera up and faces the back windshield. The creature seems larger than before.
Charlene: Kent!
Kent: I know. I see it in the mirror.
He accelerates.
Lena: Mom, Dad, what's that big thing?
Charlene: Something bad?
Lena: Is it gonna get us?
Charlene: No because we're playing a game with it, tag and if we can outrun it, we'll be safe. If you can help, try to calm your brother down.
Lena: I'll try.
The camera pans over the car floor. The head of a teddy bear sticks out from under the passenger seat. Lena grabs it and hands it to Deb. He stops crying.
Lena: Mom, I did it!
Charlene: That's good, sweety.
Kent continues speeding. On the sidewalk, the pink light washes over pedestrians. They freeze and then raise their arms in the direction of the being before vanishing.
Lena: Where did those people go?
Kent: We don't know.
He sharply turns a corner and goes onto a road that leads out of town.
Charlene: Is that it? Are we safe?
Kent: I think so. I don't know who we can go to about this. We'll try, though.
Lena: Dad?
Kent: Yes?
Lena: What's that thing doing?
The creature is rapidly scanning the area back and forth. Then it stares in their direction. The radio bursts to life with its cry from earlier, causing Kent to nearly go off the road.
Charlene: Keep it straight!
Kent: I'm trying!
The entity rips up several buildings and focuses its light on those areas. It grows and then levitates itself in the air. Its next action is technically flying. Although, its movements are more resemblant to swimming. The noise on the radio increases.
Charlene: Faster, Kent!
Kent: I don't think I can!
Lena: It's gonna catch us!
It dives, going out of view.
Kent: Huh? Where did it go?
Charlene: Kent, the road!
Lena focuses the lens on the front windshield. In the center of the road ahead, the being rises, tall enough to reach the sky. Kent tries sharply turning the steering wheel. It's assumed he is about to attempt a U-turn. Before he can, it shoots its lights at them, making them wash over the car.
It lifts off the road, freezing midair.
Kent (laughs): I get it now.
Charlene: Yes, Sindy was right all along.
Lena: Mom? Dad? What are you talking about? I don't like this.
Charlene: Don't worry, honey. It'll be okay soon.
Nothing else changes at first. Then both parents' bodies began to flatten and stretch out. They laugh as this happens. Deb and Lena begin crying.
Lena: What's happening to you guys?
Charlene: It's okay, honey. It won't hurt soon.
Lena looks at Deb who is also starting to go through the same process. She checks her hands and sees that she is as well. Both shriek as their parents' laughter turns into cackling. Simultaneously, all four family members disappear. The car hits the road and flips several times before coming to a stop.
In the months following the discovery of the Honda Accord, its tag number was used to trace back to the address of the Morris family. This lead went cold because the people who were living there had no idea who they were. By using the address of that home, we determined the possible location of Silverwright. According to our calculations, it should have been on the border going into Canada, but when we went to investigate, it was as if nothing had ever been there.
It's unclear whether the town belonged to the US state of Alaska or the Canadian Province of Yukon. However, as far as the two governments are concerned both Silverwright and the Morris family have never existed.

I am 3 weeks post op today. for the past 2 weeks now i’ve been having pain, almost like nerve pain on my left lower that radiates all the at up to my ear and temple and back of my head. the pain is basically the entire left half of my face.
i’ve been taking ibuprofen and tylenol every 6/7 hours daily because the pain is so bad. it’s causing bad headaches daily, it feels like toothache pain but also stiffness and dull pain at the same time. I will randomly feel throbbing or sharp pain. I saw my surgeon at 2 weeks post op and he said it looked fine and that the pain was “normal”. said to come back at 4 weeks post op if pain continues but i am wondering if anyone else has had similar pain???
is it an infection?? I’ve cried almost every day from the pain because it is so frustrating and causing my migraines to flare and making my tolerance to pain medication go up. can any one give me some insight ):

Yo. I don’t know what subreddit I should throw this in so I thought I’d ask people my age.
So, it started the other day, I woke up with my top left side of my mouth hurting, like a slight toothache. Thought it was normal
Later that night I can’t sleep, it hurts too much and that toothache spread to my head, and my head is pounding like crazy. I get up to take Tylenol, and suddenly I’m fine? Like while I’m up and walking, I’m cool, but I laid back down, and my head hurts again, and that toothache comes back. I didn’t get any sleep last night because I had that cycle of getting up, walking around my house, laying back down. It hurts so badly and I just want to sleep. What do you think it is?

Hopefully my experience (24F) will help someone else, I know I was looking stuff up like crazy (and still am -- I'm 8 days post-op). Good luck to all of you!
Also, I'd just like to let everyone know that usually insurance should cover an oral surgeon, imo a good dentist should refer you to one!

Pre Everything

I've been having teeth issues since 6 months prior, got 2 fillings done by a new dentist (old one out of network) and feel like they may have been done shoddily unfortunately (I could go into detail if anyone is curious), leaving me with cold sensitivity among other things. Felt an occasional ache in my bottom left molar, the first molar (not the one at the end but the second to that) but dentists couldn't find anything, except possibly it could be my wisdom tooth which was impacting and coming straight on to my molar.
https://preview.redd.it/cc97easgvnzc1.jpg?width=1542&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5b14eed09403bac87fdc4a5dfd216f0b2baf872c
https://preview.redd.it/57ekr2pivnzc1.jpg?width=2400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=15aaf5aae66d0aec8ac645267d177a2b4cb22bd3

First Consult

I came in knowing I wanted local anesthetic; surgeon was willing to accommodate but let me know that my molar was close to my nerve running a 5-7% chance at permanent nerve damage. This would entail permanent numbness in the left corner of my chin and tongue, and loss of taste. He was youngish maybe late 30s to 40s. I'm pretty gullible and receptive but it felt like he was using manipulation tactics on me, like looking me really deeply in my eyes concerned, saying this is what he would do for his own kids. IDK maybe he was really concerned but I doubt. When I was there I didn't think much of it, but I agreed to go for the IV sedation because he said it would be much easier for me and less painful for the nerve, while acknowledging that it could be done with local. Also, I know he could have been totally genuine. There is a lot of corruption and greed in the medical field and it's really hard to tell - best you can do is approach things with doubt.
https://preview.redd.it/gkkobijuwnzc1.jpg?width=2023&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ac3ec1946e51698b30e3092ac2370554968bb7dc
I went ahead and scheduled with him but after discussing with my mom I wanted to get a second opinion with her surgeon, he is much older and I thought he'd give me a perspective based on his longer experience. 5-7% chance of permanent nerve damage was pretty high for me considering this is a routine procedure (I know it's surgery but still, it was upsetting). He said my teeth look about middle of the road, and went through his spiel of all the risks, but he didn't mention that I was at an elevated risk for nerve damage and it's very rare. He also went on a long rant of how many surgeons in my area refuse to use local, because they get paid more and it's just easier for them. He doesn't because he's older and paid off his mortgage already, and has no student loans to pay off. It was a bit overboard but I was thankful because he seemed trustworthy. I got all 4 removed.

The Day Of

The surgery was the easy part, just closed my eyes because I'm a baby. If you use local you'll hear everything, you'll see the tools, and you'll cooperate with them as they pull the teeth out your mouth. There will be a lot of pressure, but the upside of local is if you feel any pain (very small) you let them know and they can fix that right away. I can't say it was terrifying or difficult, although I was shaking and maybe a tear left my eye. I was able to drive myself home, although I was terrified of messing up the gauze. Surprising because I'm the kind of person that hyperventilates after getting my blood drawn, bawling while driving. My mom got my prescription which was a week of antibiotics and pain meds (narcotics) just in case. I didn’t end up taking them.
I think I made the mistake of changing my gauze too often, looking back every 35-40 minutes should be enough. I ran out of gauze before they turned slightly pink, I kept gauze in about 5 hours after the surgery and changed every 30 minutes. They were still pretty bloody and wet when I stopped using them. Every 20 minutes I put on a new ice pack on one side of my face, and then the other side for the next 20 minutes according to my instructions. Do this all day until you sleep. Use timers. I chose not to use pain meds and the first day I was in the most amount of pain, I just sat on the couch and watched TikTok and twitter. I was close to taking the meds, but the pain was the bearable kind of aching and bruising, not like OMG my mouth is cut open gross. I was warned that day 3 would be the worst, it was not it was definitely day 1 (good news)! My mom made a smoothie before she left town (mango, banana, almond milk NO SEEDS!!!!), and I drank a mini cup of it to compensate for my antibiotics. You may have to eat more for pain meds; I probably should have eaten more for better nutrition and healing, but I didn't feel like it and wanted to take this chance to lose weight. I slept early, in a 120 degree basically sitting. Woke up feeling better.

Day 2-3

Fear of dry socket, lots of researching. Lots of conflicting info, but apparently being a woman on birth control makes you more susceptible, something about high estrogen levels. Luckily I got mine done on day 2/3 of my period which at first I though was terrible timing but that is the lowest your estrogen gets so I felt lucky. Pain subsiding but definitely still painful. I barely talk, I barely eat. I definitely take my antibiotics!!!! Never skip that! Day 2 I drank the rest of my smoothie, which was more than day 1. Day 3 I at broth and ice cream, my mom bought miso paste to mix into the broth. I sometimes did ice, but I heard heat was better. I ended up not really doing either day. In hindsight I would have iced more. I don't move much. Do your own research, but I wanted to make sure my clots were there. I do not brush my teeth until the night of day 2, and I don't go anywhere close to the molars. My teeth were super gritty and gross. I flossed on day 3, not getting close to molars. I saltwater rinse (just move your head from side to side, no swishing). I think I swelled a little bit on day 3 which is what I was told would be the case, but it really was barely noticeable and I think it’s because I iced all day 1.
I almost forgot but swallowing was a big fear. Everyone knows straws and spitting can cause dry socket because of the pressure it causes in your mouth. Every time I swallowed I felt intense pressure it was terrifying. From my research online no one had said it caused their dry socket, but some techniques I used: 1. Drink water every time you need to swallow but it’s hard. I peed a lot. But it helped relieve the pressure from swallowing, which happened when I overthinked my swallowing. 2. Use your tongue to create a suction on the roof of your mouth with your teeth as a border. That should isolate the pressure to the top kind of. I saw that in a Reddit comment. 3. Focus on swallowing near the back of your throat, in your gullet area down your neck. It’s deeper. 4. Go to sleep. First, you won’t overthink your swallowing. Second, you swallow 3 times an hour in your sleep as opposed to 1 time a minute awake, though for me it was more like every 20 seconds bc I was so scared and overthinking it.
I employed these swallowing techniques till day 5/6. At that point the risk of dry socket mostly would have passed. And I was going to my follow up the next few days anyway.

Day 4-8

I was hella stressing about dry sockets. Was really diligent about my saltwater rinses after every meal, still only eating smoothies, broth, and ice cream. I did not eat very much during this whole recovery, maybe 2 small meals a day consisting of broth or smoothie, then desert for the calories. When I brushed on day 4 a bit of goopy blood came out on my toothbrush which freaked me out, doesn't seem to have caused a problem. I can only open my mouth to fit 1.5 fingers still. Talking is much easier, can go on walks, have mobility.
My only issue is that right now I'm getting occasional 30 second aches in my teeth located in the molars in both sides and one top side. This was my issue prior to my extraction so I'm worried it hasn't been fixed. They're not too painful, just worrying and distracting. I also can't eat solids, it is super hard for me and hurts my molars. I'm also worried about getting food stuck. I was given a syringe during my followup on day 7 but I'm not sure if I'm using it correctly, so I'd rather keep eating liquids till I'm totally healed anyway. I did try some noodles and dumpling but it was way too much effort and I pretty much swallowed the pieces whole anyway.
Day 10: up until this point, I couldn’t close my mouth fully even though I felt pretty good. My mouth felt lopsided bc one side of my teeth was touching and I felt pressure from that, and couldn’t touch the other side of my teeth if that made sense. I think there was also a lot of plaque or gritty buildup, so by day 10 I felt comfortable enough to scrub really hard to get rid of the buildup and it actually helped. I can closed my mouth better now, probably because of less pressure pain. I also kind of ate a pasta noodle, it was way to much effort and even though it didn’t hurt to chew on my right (non impacted) side, the noodle pieces went everywhere in the corners of my mouth and I was paranoid it would go into my gum holes (I still can’t tell if I have gum holes yet, my clots are still there but I feel like they’re drying), and I’m not good at using the syringe. With a lot of effort I was able to get the pieces out, but I will just wait until week 2 before eating solids. From what I’ve researched, other paranoid people start eating slowly by then haha. I’m still aching occasionally, but I’m taking vitamin b12 (liquid, usually for vegetarians, yummy) bc I’ve heard vitamin b is good for healing nerves.
if you work i would say day 5 you should be good to return.
If anyone has any experience with a minor toothache pain that caused you to get your wisdom teeth removed, please let me know how it went; if that solved the issue, or if it was something else, or if you had to wait a couple weeks for the nerve to heal?
I'm not sure what else to include, but good luck to everyone on their recovery! I might edit with updates.

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Hi there, Fellow Roleplayers!
I'm a literate, novella style roleplayer, looking to collaborate on some engaging, character driven stories with a like-minded partner. My preferences in genres are fairly eclectic, as I enjoy everything from fantasy to modern slice of life and all sorts of things in between. That said, it’s pretty safe to say that I’m especially adept with scenarios that include angsty, slow burn type romance.
I play predominantly through Discord and/or Google Docs.
I need my partners to be at the very least 18+. Older is better honestly, as I'm in my 30s. I'm looking for a mix of quality and quantity and prefer someone into paragraph to novella style writing. It's possible I would be open to some a few select fandoms (Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Hunger Games), but I pretty exclusively play OCs within those realms.
I figured I would post snippets of a few ideas I've got knocking around in my head, but I'm definitely open to other ideas as well! But here goes:

• Sworn Enemies (Historical/Low Fantasy) - A spirited girl is captured in a raid on her village and winds up in the care of your character. This is predominantly inspired by the Viking raids that occurred along Celtic Shores, but I could also see her winding up with people similar to the Doth’raki in Game of Thrones - the sort who might want to take on the most spirited women for the sake of raising strong, warrior sons and that sort of thing. Either way, it would be interesting to see two strong personalities clash and, eventually, find a deeper understanding.
• No Happily Ever Afters (Modern/Modern Fantasy) - This plot features a young woman who is either trying to hide from her rather sordid past or trying to confront it. Depending on which of those things it is, she could be a schoolteacher or a Detective/Private InvestigatoReporter type. I’m open to who your character might be - perhaps a career criminal or maybe an acquaintance who knew her back in the day when she was a dreamy-eyed idealist who believed in fairytales; which is a far cry from how she portrays herself now...
• Can’t Live With ‘Em or Without ‘Em (Modern Fantasy/Supernatural) - There's a feisty shapeshifter is in the long-time employ/wardship of the head of a magical crime syndicate. There can be some dark, not-exactly-healthy romance that sparks between them - or she could develop feelings for someone she’s supposed to spy/steal from. (I have a non-magical version of this character as well if that’s something you prefer.)
• Always Meant to Say Goodbye (Modern Romance) - The girl was the top of her class, a cheerleader, and president of numerous clubs - a classic overachiever (and daughter of a city official besides). Everyone knew she was destined for the Ivy Leagues; her life all plotted out and planned. Your character feels his life is also set in stone, though maybe his future doesn’t seem as bright. Regardless, they’re drawn together but torn suddenly apart when your character leaves town for whatever reason. What does he find when he comes home?
• Just Smile (High School or College Romance) - I don’t have specific thoughts for this but do have a character I’d like to play. She’s a quirky, aspiring clothing designer who is sweet enough to give someone a toothache but hides a good deal of heartache behind her smile.

Like I said, I’m sure I could rustle up some other ideas and am also plenty eager to hear any that you might have if none of the above tickle your fancy. Otherwise, I look forward to hearing from some of ya!

Just for a bit of context, I originally wrote this story for Odd_directions which is a fiction subreddit. We're doing an event over there called Monster May where we write stories about giant monsters. I thought it would be fun to try writing one in a kind of analog/found footage transcript style. I'm pretty sure you can call my story analog horror. I'm basing that on the fact that people put No Thorugh Road in that genre so I think it qualifies.
​
This story took me about a week to write. You can consider this to be more experimental on my part because I want to continue this style except with a longer narrative as opposed to this one-off story here. Anyway, let me know what you think of it and I hope you enjoy.
​
​
On May 22, 2008, a wrecked Honda Accord was found on the Alaskan-Canadian border at approximately 5:30 AM. According to the witness who reported this to the authorities, it seemingly appeared out of nowhere, somehow ending up on its roof in the middle of the road. No driver or passengers were present in the vehicle. The only thing found of note was a video camera, the footage of which revolves around a family of four.
Kent Morris: Owner of the vehicle as indicated by the certificates found in the dashboard. Age: 38
Charlene Morris: Wife to Kent and mother to their children. Age: 36
Lena Morris: Daughter. Estimated Age: 7-8
Deb Morris: son, Estimated Age: 1-2
The following is a transcript of the footage.
It begins with the camera turning on with Lena smiling into it.
Lena: I think I got it working!
Kent: How can you tell?
Lena: Um, the red light is on.
Charlene: Lena, turn that thing off! That’s supposed to be for your cousin’s wedding.
Lena: But I’m bored!
Kent: Alright, we’ll tell you what. You can turn it back on when we get near your aunt and uncle’s town. Okay?
Lena: Okay.
The footage ceases and resumes several hours later. A sign reading “Welcome to Silverwright. Come stay for a while” is shown. Deb is then heard crying which is recorded.
Lena: Mom, Deb won't stop crying!
Charlene: Aw, it's probably just his toothaches.
Some funny faces by her and Kent in the rearview mirror help calm Deb down. Now, he laughs and smiles. The next 30 minutes of footage consists of the surrounding forest area and local businesses.
Kent: Hey, I'm getting hungry. Who wants to grab a bite?
Charlene: I could eat.
Lena: Me too! I'm starving!
Kent: Alright, now the question is where can we stop?
Charlene: Margaret was telling me about a new place that opened up in this town a week ago. I think it was called Betsy's.
Kent: What kind of food does it have?
Charlene: Meat and seafood.
Kent: Sure, that should work. Did Margaret tell you where in town it is?
Charlene: No, sorry.
Kent: No big deal, we'll just keep an eye out for it.
The Morris family does come across the restaurant. The building has a cabin-like exterior with a sign showing a crab holding a fish with Betsy's name over it in green neon lettering. They park and exit their vehicle. Lena films the surrounding area. The sound of buttons on the camera being pressed can be heard.
Presumably, this is her trying to figure out more features about it. Lena activates the zoom function. Upon doing so, some figures can be seen moving amongst trees in the distance. The shadowing makes it difficult to discern, but there appear to be at least three or four, wearing hooded black robes.
Kent: Lena, come on!
The camera zooms out and Lena follows her family into the establishment. The inside is bustling with patrons.
Charlene: Lena, why did you bring that inside? I don't want people looking at us funny.
Lena: But you and Dad said I could use it.
Kent: I mean, she's not wrong.
Charlene gives her husband a look of annoyance. The family then gets a booth. Lena sets down the camera which is angled at the window they are seated in front of. They then make their orders.
Waitress: Alright, just to double check that's going to be one surf and turf plate, an order of stuffed crabs with hush puppies, and two kids' chicken tenders with fries, correct?
Charlene: Yes, thank you so much.
Waitress: And the drinks?
Lena: Coke!
Charlene: No, we can't have you bouncing around our hotel room all night.
Lena: But Mom!
Kent: Listen to your mother, sweety.
Charlene: She'll have a Sprite. I'll have an iced tea, heavy on lemon.
Kent: And I'll have a rum and Coke.
Waitress: And dessert?
Charlene: Baked Alaska.
Kent: Let's see. I could go for some apple pie.
Lena: Strawberry Ice cream!
Charlene: Okay, but you're giving some to Deb.
Lena: Why do I have to?
Charlene: Lena, learn to share.
Lena: Yes, Mom.
While waiting for their food, a ringtone sounds. Kent pulls out his cell phone.
Kent: It's Johnny.
He answers.
Kent: Hey, what's up? No, it's fine. We're about to eat. We're at that new place you and Margaret went to. Yeah, that's the one.
How's Sindy been? Nervous, I bet. Hopefully, it goes well. Brett seems like a good guy. What?
Kent covers the phone and looks at Charlene.
Kent: “Hey, Johnny says Margaret wants to talk to you.”
Charlene agrees and is handed the phone.
Charlene: Hi, Margaret. No, the ride wasn't too bad. Deb and Lena actually behaved better than we thought. What do you need? I mean I could, but it's kind of short notice. It's in a few days. How has she not decided on one yet? I know it's her big day, but at some point, she needs to accept that not everything about it is going to be perfect.
Kent: I can attest to that. Always limit the number of drinks people can have.
Charlene gives Kent another glare before continuing her conversation.
Charlene: Alright, if no one else can, I guess I can make a little time while we're here. Okay, see you soon then. Bye.
Charlene hangs up and hands the phone back to Kent.
Charlene: They want me to help pick out a dress for Sindy.
Kent: This close to the wedding?
Charlene: I know. That girl is smart, but it feels like she can't make a decision to save her life.
The food arrives at the table and the waitress tells them to let her know if they need anything else before leaving. The next hour consists of the family eating.
Kent (while chewing): They weren't kidding. This place hits the spot.
Charlene: Don't talk with your mouth full. It sets a bad example for the kids.
Kent: My bad.
Charlene: The food is great, though. Are you enjoying it too, Lena?
Lena: Yep!
After some time, Charlene excuses herself to go to the restroom and tells Kent to watch their children. Kent lets Lena sip some of his Coke.
Kent: Shit, your mother's coming back. Also, don't say that word.
Lena: Shit?
Kent: No, don't! Yes, Lena, that word.
The meal continues. Something to note here is captured through the window. Once again, this relates to the forest. This time, different colored distortions can be seen, similar to digital glitching. Further analysis of this segment shows that the top of the trees appears to bend slightly.
While this could be due to a camera malfunction, it is unclear why this was condensed to such a small distant area. Upon concluding their meal, the Morris family has the rest of their food to go and exits Betsy's, heading to their hotel, a place known as Salt River Inn. Once inside their room, Lena starts jumping on one of the beds.
Charlene: Kent, did you let her have some Coke?
Kent: No, maybe.
Charlene: I said not to. Lena, get down from there this instant!
Lena is presumably too occupied to hear her mother's command.
Kent: Don't worry. I think I know what might help.
Kent turns on the TV, flipping through the channels until finding that Mulan by Disney is playing, having just begun. Lena stops jumping and sits on the bed, watching the screen tentatively.
Kent: See? No problem. Anyway, I'm heading in the shower. Want to come?
Seeing that their children are occupied, Charlene agrees. Mulan continues playing. The parents exit the bathroom around the movie's climax. Just then, the film is interrupted by a screen reading “Silverwright Weather Service” and an EAS beep sounds from the speakers.
Lena: Hey, where did the movie go?
Below is the message as heard.
[Attention residents of Silverwright, hazardous conditions are expected shortly.]
Kent: Johnny said the weather was supposed to be clear. Damn news people don't know a snake hole from their-
Charlene: Kent, be quiet! I want to hear this.
[For your safety, staying inside and away from windows is recommended. Shut off all lights and unplug all electrical devices to prevent damage due to strong currents.]
Charlene: At least it doesn't sound too serious. Hopefully, this will pass by morn-
[It is also advised that battery-operated devices be turned off as well. This includes cell phones, portable gaming devices, and even calculators. If you must have something on, a radio is most suitable for up-to-date information. Be mindful of volume should you choose this. Conditions are projected to last through the next several nights. We now return to your regularly scheduled program.]
Mulan resumes after a McDonald’s Happy Meal commercial.
Charlene: I wonder if Johnny and Margaret saw this too. Maybe we should give them a call?
Kent: No, I bet they’re sleeping already. You know how they are. Even an earthquake couldn’t wake them.
Charlene: Okay, are you keeping your phone on?
Kent: I don’t see why I shouldn’t.
Charlene: What about what the alert said?
Kent: How should I know? It’s probably like having your phone on airplane mode during a flight. It doesn’t mean anything.
The movie finishes. Charlene tells Lena to get ready for bed. She obeys and afterward lays down to sleep.
Charlene: Lena, did you remember to turn off that camera?
Groggily, Lena turns over and tries to shut it off. In her attempt, she accidentally hits the zoom button on the camera again and knocks it on its side, making it face the window. The red blinking light of a radio tower can be seen far away. Someone is climbing it. This is believed to be one of the hooded figures seen earlier in the video.
They reach the top and seem to raise their arms to the sky in a sort of welcoming gesture. The earlier digital-like distortion appears again. Something comes out of it, either a limb or appendage, and lifts the person, out of view. The distortion then pulses violet and rapidly spreads, soon making the sky above Silverwright the same color. Two hours later, Kent’s phone rings.
Charlene: “It’s after midnight. Who’s calling us now?”
The sound of the bed creaking can be heard.
Kent: Johnny again?
Charlene: I bet Sindy's freaking out that the wedding might be canceled. Answer, but tell him whatever it is will have to wait.
Kent: Hey, Johnny, listen. Wait, Sindy?
The bed creaks again as Kent sits up.
Kent: What? Hang on. I can’t understand you. Let me put you on speaker.
Sindy (sobbing): Mom and Dad are gone. I think something’s happened to them.
Charlene sits up as well. Kent replies to Sindy in a leveled tone.
Kent: Okay, Sindy, I want you to listen closely. Are you somewhere safe?
Sindy: I think so. Brett and I got into an argument earlier. My parents said I could come over. We talked for a while and then I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up about an hour ago to grab something from the fridge. I heard something weird coming from upstairs I wanted to see what it was.
Kent (pausing before replying): What did you find?
Sindy: It sounded like my parents were up so I decided to check on them, but they didn’t respond when I knocked on their door. I decided to try opening it and it was unlocked. They were just standing in front of the window. I think they were staring at something.
Kent: Were you able to see what?
Sindy: No, but the only thing near the house is the woods and that radio tower. Wait, maybe that’s what they were looking at. Their radio was acting weird before it happened.
Kent: Before what happened?
Sindy: Kent…I don’t think I’ll ever be able to comprehend what I saw. There was a purple flash and then their windows were busted in. Something grabbed them. I don’t know what it was. It reminded me of a giant hand only dark like a shadow. They didn’t even scream or anything while they were being pulled away. It was like they were okay with what was happening.
Charlene is the one who replies.
Charlene***:*** Sindy, sweety, tell us where you are in the hose right now and we’ll come get you.
Sindy: I’m in the basement. I figured that would be the safest option. Wait, what is that?
Noises akin to a tornado hitting a home sound through the phone speakers.
Sindy: Oh, god, it’s lifting everything! It’s massive! Wait…Its eyes. I understand everything now. I know I’ll be with my parents again soon.
Charlene: Sindy?
Sindy laughs.
Sindy: It’s so beautiful!
The call ends.
Charlene: We need to leave.
Kent: Leave? What about Sindy? What about Johnny and Margaret?
Charlene: We need to get them some help.
Kent: Okay, let’s try calling the police first.
He attempts and the phone keeps ringing.
Kent: Are you fucking kidding me right now?
Charlene: They must be busy.
Kent: What do we do then, go somewhere else to get help? The nearest town is hours away from here.
Charlene: I don’t see what else we can do.
Kent: I guess you’re right. We better pack.
Charlene and Kent repack their belongings. Charlene grabs the camera and carries Deb while Kent has Lena. Then the family exits the hotel room. The hall and lobby are full of people also trying to reach the exit.
Kent: We're never going to get out of here at this rate. Come on. This way.
They go to an emergency side door and push it open, causing the alarm to go off. Upon reaching their vehicle, there is a sound similar to when a microphone is held up to a speaker. Kent and Charlene let out yells of pain.
Kent: Where the hell is that coming from?
Charlene turns. A figure can be seen floating in the sky above the radio tower. Its appearance is reminiscent of a person's shadow that's been stretched out. Beams of pink light come from its eyes that scan the town below. It has an anomalous effect on whatever it touches. Inanimate objects and people alike vanish, the instant contact is made.
Charlene (voice trembling): What in God's name is happening, Kent?
Lena and Deb can be heard waking up with the latter crying. Their parents put them in the car. The camera is placed on the seat between the two children. Lena rubs her eyes.
Lena: Dad, why are we out here?
Charlene and Kent close their doors. The latter starts the car.
Kent: It's nothing, sweety, we just need to go on a little drive.
He backs out of their parking space and exits the lot, speeding down the road.
Lena: But I want to see Sindy!
Kent: We can't right now.
Lena: Why not?
Kent (voice raised): We just can't, alright?
Lena sobs slightly, but suddenly stops when she notices the camera.
Lena: Um excuse me.
Kent sighs. Charlene answers instead.
Charlene: What is it, honey?
Lena: I accidentally left the camera on.
Charlene: Don't worry about that right now. Just stay quiet and let your father drive, okay?
Lena: Okay.
Charlene: Good.
Lena picks the camera up and faces the back windshield. The creature seems larger than before.
Charlene: Kent!
Kent: I know. I see it in the mirror.
He accelerates.
Lena: Mom, Dad, what's that big thing?
Charlene: Something bad?
Lena: Is it gonna get us?
Charlene: No because we're playing a game with it, tag and if we can outrun it, we'll be safe. If you can help, try to calm your brother down.
Lena: I'll try.
The camera pans over the car floor. The head of a teddy bear sticks out from under the passenger seat. Lena grabs it and hands it to Deb. He stops crying.
Lena: Mom, I did it!
Charlene: That's good, sweety.
Kent continues speeding. On the sidewalk, the pink light washes over pedestrians. They freeze and then raise their arms in the direction of the being before vanishing.
Lena: Where did those people go?
Kent: We don't know.
He sharply turns a corner and goes onto a road that leads out of town.
Charlene: Is that it? Are we safe?
Kent: I think so. I don't know who we can go to about this. We'll try, though.
Lena: Dad?
Kent: Yes?
Lena: What's that thing doing?
The creature is rapidly scanning the area back and forth. Then it stares in their direction. The radio bursts to life with its cry from earlier, causing Kent to nearly go off the road.
Charlene: Keep it straight!
Kent: I'm trying!
The entity rips up several buildings and focuses its light on those areas. It grows and then levitates itself in the air. Its next action is technically flying. Although, its movements are more resemblant to swimming. The noise on the radio increases.
Charlene: Faster, Kent!
Kent: I don't think I can!
Lena: It's gonna catch us!
It dives, going out of view.
Kent: Huh? Where did it go?
Charlene: Kent, the road!
Lena focuses the lens on the front windshield. In the center of the road ahead, the being rises, tall enough to reach the sky. Kent tries sharply turning the steering wheel. It's assumed he is about to attempt a U-turn. Before he can, it shoots its lights at them, making them wash over the car.
It lifts off the road, freezing midair.
Kent (laughs): I get it now.
Charlene: Yes, Sindy was right all along.
Lena: Mom? Dad? What are you talking about? I don't like this.
Charlene: Don't worry, honey. It'll be okay soon.
Nothing else changes at first. Then both parents' bodies began to flatten and stretch out. They laugh as this happens. Deb and Lena begin crying.
Lena: What's happening to you guys?
Charlene: It's okay, honey. It won't hurt soon.
Lena looks at Deb who is also starting to go through the same process. She checks her hands and sees that she is as well. Both shriek as their parents' laughter turns into cackling. Simultaneously, all four family members disappear. The car hits the road and flips several times before coming to a stop.
In the months following the discovery of the Honda Accord, its tag number was used to trace back to the address of the Morris family. This lead went cold because the people who were living there had no idea who they were. By using the address of that home, we determined the possible location of Silverwright. According to our calculations, it should have been on the border going into Canada, but when we went to investigate, it was as if nothing had ever been there.
It's unclear whether the town belonged to the US state of Alaska or the Canadian Province of Yukon. However, as far as the two governments are concerned both Silverwright and the Morris family have never existed.

On May 22, 2008, a wrecked Honda Accord was found on the Alaskan-Canadian border at approximately 5:30 AM. According to the witness who reported this to the authorities, it seemingly appeared out of nowhere, somehow ending up on its roof in the middle of the road. No driver or passengers were present in the vehicle. The only thing found of note was a video camera, the footage of which revolves around a family of four.
Kent Morris: Owner of the vehicle as indicated by the certificates found in the dashboard. Age: 38
Charlene Morris: Wife to Kent and mother to their children. Age: 36
Lena Morris: Daughter. Estimated Age: 7-8
Deb Morris: son, Estimated Age: 1-2
The following is a transcript of the footage.
It begins with the camera turning on with Lena smiling into it.
Lena: I think I got it working!
Kent: How can you tell?
Lena: Um, the red light is on.
Charlene: Lena, turn that thing off! That’s supposed to be for your cousin’s wedding.
Lena: But I’m bored!
Kent: Alright, we’ll tell you what. You can turn it back on when we get near your aunt and uncle’s town. Okay?
Lena: Okay.
The footage ceases and resumes several hours later. A sign reading “Welcome to Silverwright. Come stay for a while” is shown. Deb is then heard crying which is recorded.
Lena: Mom, Deb won't stop crying!
Charlene: Aw, it's probably just his toothaches.
Some funny faces by her and Kent in the rearview mirror help calm Deb down. Now, he laughs and smiles. The next 30 minutes of footage consists of the surrounding forest area and local businesses.
Kent: Hey, I'm getting hungry. Who wants to grab a bite?
Charlene: I could eat.
Lena: Me too! I'm starving!
Kent: Alright, now the question is where can we stop?
Charlene: Margaret was telling me about a new place that opened up in this town a week ago. I think it was called Betsy's.
Kent: What kind of food does it have?
Charlene: Meat and seafood.
Kent: Sure, that should work. Did Margaret tell you where in town it is?
Charlene: No, sorry.
Kent: No big deal, we'll just keep an eye out for it.
The Morris family does come across the restaurant. The building has a cabin-like exterior with a sign showing a crab holding a fish with Betsy's name over it in green neon lettering. They park and exit their vehicle. Lena films the surrounding area. The sound of buttons on the camera being pressed can be heard.
Presumably, this is her trying to figure out more features about it. Lena activates the zoom function. Upon doing so, some figures can be seen moving amongst trees in the distance. The shadowing makes it difficult to discern, but there appear to be at least three or four, wearing hooded black robes.
Kent: Lena, come on!
The camera zooms out and Lena follows her family into the establishment. The inside is bustling with patrons.
Charlene: Lena, why did you bring that inside? I don't want people looking at us funny.
Lena: But you and Dad said I could use it.
Kent: I mean, she's not wrong.
Charlene gives her husband a look of annoyance. The family then gets a booth. Lena sets down the camera which is angled at the window they are seated in front of. They then make their orders.
Waitress: Alright, just to double check that's going to be one surf and turf plate, an order of stuffed crabs with hush puppies, and two kids' chicken tenders with fries, correct?
Charlene: Yes, thank you so much.
Waitress: And the drinks?
Lena: Coke!
Charlene: No, we can't have you bouncing around our hotel room all night.
Lena: But Mom!
Kent: Listen to your mother, sweety.
Charlene: She'll have a Sprite. I'll have an iced tea, heavy on lemon.
Kent: And I'll have a rum and Coke.
Waitress: And dessert?
Charlene: Baked Alaska.
Kent: Let's see. I could go for some apple pie.
Lena: Strawberry Ice cream!
Charlene: Okay, but you're giving some to Deb.
Lena: Why do I have to?
Charlene: Lena, learn to share.
Lena: Yes, Mom.
While waiting for their food, a ringtone sounds. Kent pulls out his cell phone.
Kent: It's Johnny.
He answers.
Kent: Hey, what's up? No, it's fine. We're about to eat. We're at that new place you and Margaret went to. Yeah, that's the one.
How's Sindy been? Nervous, I bet. Hopefully, it goes well. Brett seems like a good guy. What?
Kent covers the phone and looks at Charlene.
Kent: “Hey, Johnny says Margaret wants to talk to you.”
Charlene agrees and is handed the phone.
Charlene: Hi, Margaret. No, the ride wasn't too bad. Deb and Lena actually behaved better than we thought. What do you need? I mean I could, but it's kind of short notice. It's in a few days. How has she not decided on one yet? I know it's her big day, but at some point, she needs to accept that not everything about it is going to be perfect.
Kent: I can attest to that. Always limit the number of drinks people can have.
Charlene gives Kent another glare before continuing her conversation.
Charlene: Alright, if no one else can, I guess I can make a little time while we're here. Okay, see you soon then. Bye.
Charlene hangs up and hands the phone back to Kent.
Charlene: They want me to help pick out a dress for Sindy.
Kent: This close to the wedding?
Charlene: I know. That girl is smart, but it feels like she can't make a decision to save her life.
The food arrives at the table and the waitress tells them to let her know if they need anything else before leaving. The next hour consists of the family eating.
Kent (while chewing): They weren't kidding. This place hits the spot.
Charlene: Don't talk with your mouth full. It sets a bad example for the kids.
Kent: My bad.
Charlene: The food is great, though. Are you enjoying it too, Lena?
Lena: Yep!
After some time, Charlene excuses herself to go to the restroom and tells Kent to watch their children. Kent lets Lena sip some of his Coke.
Kent: Shit, your mother's coming back. Also, don't say that word.
Lena: Shit?
Kent: No, don't! Yes, Lena, that word.
The meal continues. Something to note here is captured through the window. Once again, this relates to the forest. This time, different colored distortions can be seen, similar to digital glitching. Further analysis of this segment shows that the top of the trees appears to bend slightly.
While this could be due to a camera malfunction, it is unclear why this was condensed to such a small distant area. Upon concluding their meal, the Morris family has the rest of their food to go and exits Betsy's, heading to their hotel, a place known as Salt River Inn. Once inside their room, Lena starts jumping on one of the beds.
Charlene: Kent, did you let her have some Coke?
Kent: No, maybe.
Charlene: I said not to. Lena, get down from there this instant!
Lena is presumably too occupied to hear her mother's command.
Kent: Don't worry. I think I know what might help.
Kent turns on the TV, flipping through the channels until finding that Mulan by Disney is playing, having just begun. Lena stops jumping and sits on the bed, watching the screen tentatively.
Kent: See? No problem. Anyway, I'm heading in the shower. Want to come?
Seeing that their children are occupied, Charlene agrees. Mulan continues playing. The parents exit the bathroom around the movie's climax. Just then, the film is interrupted by a screen reading “Silverwright Weather Service” and an EAS beep sounds from the speakers.
Lena: Hey, where did the movie go?
Below is the message as heard.
[Attention residents of Silverwright, hazardous conditions are expected shortly.]
Kent: Johnny said the weather was supposed to be clear. Damn news people don't know a snake hole from their-
Charlene: Kent, be quiet! I want to hear this.
[For your safety, staying inside and away from windows is recommended. Shut off all lights and unplug all electrical devices to prevent damage due to strong currents.]
Charlene: At least it doesn't sound too serious. Hopefully, this will pass by morn-
[It is also advised that battery-operated devices be turned off as well. This includes cell phones, portable gaming devices, and even calculators. If you must have something on, a radio is most suitable for up-to-date information. Be mindful of volume should you choose this. Conditions are projected to last through the next several nights. We now return to your regularly scheduled program.]
Mulan resumes after a McDonald’s Happy Meal commercial.
Charlene: I wonder if Johnny and Margaret saw this too. Maybe we should give them a call?
Kent: No, I bet they’re sleeping already. You know how they are. Even an earthquake couldn’t wake them.
Charlene: Okay, are you keeping your phone on?
Kent: I don’t see why I shouldn’t.
Charlene: What about what the alert said?
Kent: How should I know? It’s probably like having your phone on airplane mode during a flight. It doesn’t mean anything.
The movie finishes. Charlene tells Lena to get ready for bed. She obeys and afterward lays down to sleep.
Charlene: Lena, did you remember to turn off that camera?
Groggily, Lena turns over and tries to shut it off. In her attempt, she accidentally hits the zoom button on the camera again and knocks it on its side, making it face the window. The red blinking light of a radio tower can be seen far away. Someone is climbing it. This is believed to be one of the hooded figures seen earlier in the video.
They reach the top and seem to raise their arms to the sky in a sort of welcoming gesture. The earlier digital-like distortion appears again. Something comes out of it, either a limb or appendage, and lifts the person, out of view. The distortion then pulses violet and rapidly spreads, soon making the sky above Silverwright the same color. Two hours later, Kent’s phone rings.
Charlene: “It’s after midnight. Who’s calling us now?”
The sound of the bed creaking can be heard.
Kent: Johnny again?
Charlene: I bet Sindy's freaking out that the wedding might be canceled. Answer, but tell him whatever it is will have to wait.
Kent: Hey, Johnny, listen. Wait, Sindy?
The bed creaks again as Kent sits up.
Kent: What? Hang on. I can’t understand you. Let me put you on speaker.
Sindy (sobbing): Mom and Dad are gone. I think something’s happened to them.
Charlene sits up as well. Kent replies to Sindy in a leveled tone.
Kent: Okay, Sindy, I want you to listen closely. Are you somewhere safe?
Sindy: I think so. Brett and I got into an argument earlier. My parents said I could come over. We talked for a while and then I fell asleep on the couch. I woke up about an hour ago to grab something from the fridge. I heard something weird coming from upstairs I wanted to see what it was.
Kent (pausing before replying): What did you find?
Sindy: It sounded like my parents were up so I decided to check on them, but they didn’t respond when I knocked on their door. I decided to try opening it and it was unlocked. They were just standing in front of the window. I think they were staring at something.
Kent: Were you able to see what?
Sindy: No, but the only thing near the house is the woods and that radio tower. Wait, maybe that’s what they were looking at. Their radio was acting weird before it happened.
Kent: Before what happened?
Sindy: Kent…I don’t think I’ll ever be able to comprehend what I saw. There was a purple flash and then their windows were busted in. Something grabbed them. I don’t know what it was. It reminded me of a giant hand only dark like a shadow. They didn’t even scream or anything while they were being pulled away. It was like they were okay with what was happening.
Charlene is the one who replies.
Charlene: Sindy, sweety, tell us where you are in the hose right now and we’ll come get you.
Sindy: I’m in the basement. I figured that would be the safest option. Wait, what is that?
Noises akin to a tornado hitting a home sound through the phone speakers.
Sindy: Oh, god, it’s lifting everything! It’s massive! Wait…Its eyes. I understand everything now. I know I’ll be with my parents again soon.
Charlene: Sindy?
Sindy laughs.
Sindy: It’s so beautiful!
The call ends.
Charlene: We need to leave.
Kent: Leave? What about Sindy? What about Johnny and Margaret?
Charlene: We need to get them some help.
Kent: Okay, let’s try calling the police first.
He attempts and the phone keeps ringing.
Kent: Are you fucking kidding me right now?
Charlene: They must be busy.
Kent: What do we do then, go somewhere else to get help? The nearest town is hours away from here.
Charlene: I don’t see what else we can do.
Kent: I guess you’re right. We better pack.
Charlene and Kent repack their belongings. Charlene grabs the camera and carries Deb while Kent has Lena. Then the family exits the hotel room. The hall and lobby are full of people also trying to reach the exit.
Kent: We're never going to get out of here at this rate. Come on. This way.
They go to an emergency side door and push it open, causing the alarm to go off. Upon reaching their vehicle, there is a sound similar to when a microphone is held up to a speaker. Kent and Charlene let out yells of pain.
Kent: Where the hell is that coming from?
Charlene turns. A figure can be seen floating in the sky above the radio tower. Its appearance is reminiscent of a person's shadow that's been stretched out. Beams of pink light come from its eyes that scan the town below. It has an anomalous effect on whatever it touches. Inanimate objects and people alike vanish, the instant contact is made.
Charlene (voice trembling): What in God's name is happening, Kent?
Lena and Deb can be heard waking up with the latter crying. Their parents put them in the car. The camera is placed on the seat between the two children. Lena rubs her eyes.
Lena: Dad, why are we out here?
Charlene and Kent close their doors. The latter starts the car.
Kent: It's nothing, sweety, we just need to go on a little drive.
He backs out of their parking space and exits the lot, speeding down the road.
Lena: But I want to see Sindy!
Kent: We can't right now.
Lena: Why not?
Kent (voice raised): We just can't, alright?
Lena sobs slightly, but suddenly stops when she notices the camera.
Lena: Um excuse me.
Kent sighs. Charlene answers instead.
Charlene: What is it, honey?
Lena: I accidentally left the camera on.
Charlene: Don't worry about that right now. Just stay quiet and let your father drive, okay?
Lena: Okay.
Charlene: Good.
Lena picks the camera up and faces the back windshield. The creature seems larger than before.
Charlene: Kent!
Kent: I know. I see it in the mirror.
He accelerates.
Lena: Mom, Dad, what's that big thing?
Charlene: Something bad?
Lena: Is it gonna get us?
Charlene: No because we're playing a game with it, tag and if we can outrun it, we'll be safe. If you can help, try to calm your brother down.
Lena: I'll try.
The camera pans over the car floor. The head of a teddy bear sticks out from under the passenger seat. Lena grabs it and hands it to Deb. He stops crying.
Lena: Mom, I did it!
Charlene: That's good, sweety.
Kent continues speeding. On the sidewalk, the pink light washes over pedestrians. They freeze and then raise their arms in the direction of the being before vanishing.
Lena: Where did those people go?
Kent: We don't know.
He sharply turns a corner and goes onto a road that leads out of town.
Charlene: Is that it? Are we safe?
Kent: I think so. I don't know who we can go to about this. We'll try, though.
Lena: Dad?
Kent: Yes?
Lena: What's that thing doing?
The creature is rapidly scanning the area back and forth. Then it stares in their direction. The radio bursts to life with its cry from earlier, causing Kent to nearly go off the road.
Charlene: Keep it straight!
Kent: I'm trying!
The entity rips up several buildings and focuses its light on those areas. It grows and then levitates itself in the air. Its next action is technically flying. Although, its movements are more resemblant to swimming. The noise on the radio increases.
Charlene: Faster, Kent!
Kent: I don't think I can!
Lena: It's gonna catch us!
It dives, going out of view.
Kent: Huh? Where did it go?
Charlene: Kent, the road!
Lena focuses the lens on the front windshield. In the center of the road ahead, the being rises, tall enough to reach the sky. Kent tries sharply turning the steering wheel. It's assumed he is about to attempt a U-turn. Before he can, it shoots its lights at them, making them wash over the car.
It lifts off the road, freezing midair.
Kent (laughs): I get it now.
Charlene: Yes, Sindy was right all along.
Lena: Mom? Dad? What are you talking about? I don't like this.
Charlene: Don't worry, honey. It'll be okay soon.
Nothing else changes at first. Then both parents' bodies began to flatten and stretch out. They laugh as this happens. Deb and Lena begin crying.
Lena: What's happening to you guys?
Charlene: It's okay, honey. It won't hurt soon.
Lena looks at Deb who is also starting to go through the same process. She checks her hands and sees that she is as well. Both shriek as their parents' laughter turns into cackling. Simultaneously, all four family members disappear. The car hits the road and flips several times before coming to a stop.
In the months following the discovery of the Honda Accord, its tag number was used to trace back to the address of the Morris family. This lead went cold because the people who were living there had no idea who they were. By using the address of that home, we determined the possible location of Silverwright. According to our calculations, it should have been on the border going into Canada, but when we went to investigate, it was as if nothing had ever been there.
It's unclear whether the town belonged to the US state of Alaska or the Canadian Province of Yukon. However, as far as the two governments are concerned both Silverwright and the Morris family have never existed.
​
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed my entry for Monster May. If you did, consider checking out my other stories here, my articles here, and lastly, how you can support me here.

To anyone who's interested :)

1. Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme: Ordered this from FragranceX as an alternative to Philosykos and Debaser off the recommendation from u/musicandarts, and am so glad I did. The fig leaf note gives me dry, seasoned fruit vibes, and the adorning woody and grassy notes lend a lovely support with their own powdery interpretation of "green". Initial streak of grapefruit gives the scent a Bleu de Chanel feeling, but I actually like the dimly metallic note it imparts. Carnation and rose slip in later during the drydown, and after an hour so, the fragrance settles into more of an aromatic "clean-boi" smell that leans more feminine. Sillage and performance aren't first-grade, but given how cheap a full bottle is, I'd hardly count that as a fatal minus.
2. Wulong Cha X (Nishane): A frillier, "wetter", more floral-foward version of the original. I think it's probaly too feminine for me for daily wear, but I'd happily sport this at a special summer outing. Tea note is a bit drowned out by the more basic-smelling magnolia, but overall I'd say this is still a cut above your standard summertime freshie.
3. Prada L'Homme Intense: Fished out my decant of this from years ago. I don't know whether it sweetened even further through maceration, but man alive is this toothache-territory. I like it just fine, but wish the iris and patchouli were more prominent to balance out the near-treachly amber and tonka bean. I wouldn't wear this outside of a date night during the colder season.
4. Mojave Ghost (Byredo): Fancy lotion vibes, but in a good way. Have never smelled actual sapodilla, but guessing that's what gives the scent its warm, savory character. It's creamy and floral, but that whispery musk courtesy of the ambrette note saves it from being too much of a lightweight. And maybe it's just my skin, but it lasted for more than half a day on me as well.
5. The Noir 29 (Le Labo): Dry, incensy black tea shrouded in a juicy citric accord. For all the tea frags I've tried, this is certainly one of the better ones. It's bright but also a little dirty at the same time, which I enjoy. Performance is on par with what you're paying for.
6. London for Men (Burberry): Extremely likeable fall-winter fragrance. Doesn't reinvent the wheel, but stands as a great fallback if you're looking for something with a festive vibe (sweet yet cindery) without clobbering you over the head with it. For the price point, performance and sillage are solid.
7. Steamed Rainbow (DS & Durga): I initially loved this, but then someone commented on how it smells like aerosol hairspray, and now I can't un-smell that. I still enjoy its evocation of midsummer humdity, though. The smell reminds me of a rangy, overgrown rainforest with sunlight refracting through the moisture droplets. Orange and violet notes lend a more mass-appealing softness to aforementioned "green-amidst-humidity" vibe.
8. Oajan (Parfums de Marly): PdM is super overpriced, but I unapologetically loved this. I understand the Naxos comparison, and even though I feel Oajan is less dimensional, it's still a high-quality gourmand-esque fragrance IMO. Reminded me of being near a confection baking in the oven, full of honey and various spices. Honey, vanilla, and tonka bean generally run the risk of being too saccharine for me, but the cinnamon here kept all of those notes at a digestable level.
9. Sunrise over the Red Sand Dunes (Zara): A fabulous dupe to LV's Imagination, apparently, which I haven't smelled. On its own, I was kinda floored by how much I like this right out of the gate. Ginger and citrus notes didn't come off as synthetic to me, and harmonized in a zippy yet clean way on my skin. Longevity on me was nuts...like 8 hours. Maybe Zara has recently stepped up their development standards?

Hi there, Fellow Roleplayers!
I'm a literate, novella style roleplayer, looking to collaborate on some engaging, character driven stories with a like-minded partner. My preferences in genres are fairly eclectic, as I enjoy everything from fantasy to modern slice of life and all sorts of things in between. That said, it’s pretty safe to say that I’m especially adept with scenarios that include angsty, slow burn type romance.
I play predominantly through Discord and/or Google Docs.
I need my partners to be at the very least 18+. Older is better honestly, as I'm in my 30s. I'm looking for a mix of quality and quantity and prefer someone into paragraph to novella style writing. It's possible I would be open to some a few select fandoms (Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Hunger Games), but I pretty exclusively play OCs within those realms.
I figured I would post snippets of a few ideas I've got knocking around in my head, but I'm definitely open to other ideas as well! But here goes:

• Sworn Enemies (Historical/Low Fantasy) - A spirited girl is captured in a raid on her village and winds up in the care of your character. This is predominantly inspired by the Viking raids that occurred along Celtic Shores, but I could also see her winding up with people similar to the Doth’raki in Game of Thrones - the sort who might want to take on the most spirited women for the sake of raising strong, warrior sons and that sort of thing. Either way, it would be interesting to see two strong personalities clash and, eventually, find a deeper understanding.
• No Happily Ever Afters (Modern/Modern Fantasy) - This plot features a young woman who is either trying to hide from her rather sordid past or trying to confront it. Depending on which of those things it is, she could be a schoolteacher or a Detective/Private InvestigatoReporter type. I’m open to who your character might be - perhaps a career criminal or maybe an acquaintance who knew her back in the day when she was a dreamy-eyed idealist who believed in fairytales; which is a far cry from how she portrays herself now...
• Can’t Live With ‘Em or Without ‘Em (Modern Fantasy/Supernatural) - There's a feisty shapeshifter is in the long-time employ/wardship of the head of a magical crime syndicate. There can be some dark, not-exactly-healthy romance that sparks between them - or she could develop feelings for someone she’s supposed to spy/steal from. (I have a non-magical version of this character as well if that’s something you prefer.)
• Always Meant to Say Goodbye (Modern Romance) - The girl was the top of her class, a cheerleader, and president of numerous clubs - a classic overachiever (and daughter of a city official besides). Everyone knew she was destined for the Ivy Leagues; her life all plotted out and planned. Your character feels his life is also set in stone, though maybe his future doesn’t seem as bright. Regardless, they’re drawn together but torn suddenly apart when your character leaves town for whatever reason. What does he find when he comes home?
• Just Smile (High School or College Romance) - I don’t have specific thoughts for this but do have a character I’d like to play. She’s a quirky, aspiring clothing designer who is sweet enough to give someone a toothache but hides a good deal of heartache behind her smile.

Like I said, I’m sure I could rustle up some other ideas and am also plenty eager to hear any that you might have if none of the above tickle your fancy. Otherwise, I look forward to hearing from some of ya!