Anyone have an advice or experience on how long it takes to clear? I've had it about a week today & I'm fed up of it.

I truly wouldn’t wish this on my own worst enemy and I don’t even have any enemies. My child is going to graduate HS next month and I can’t even bear to go, because I know my oder is going to be a distraction.(and that’s not including the immense anxiety I developed with this) I just know I’m breaking his heart and it’s breaking mines in return. I had to quit my job, because I literally had to hype myself up to get on public transportation. Then wasted money on cabs home. I’m in debt and on the verge of eviction, because I can’t get a wfh job to save my life even though I’m qualified. I’ve tried sports betting and I’m embarrassed to say how much money I’ve lost doing that.
My BB story is different than others on here. My situation did not start until about six years ago.I started getting extreme heartburn, and would vomit everyday after every meal no matter what I ate. I was in and out of different doctor’s offices everyday. After about four months I was diagnosed with H pylori and gerd, around this time I also found out I had an immuneefficiency disorder(which made sense because I’m always sick, even as a child) I was prescribed AMX, MET, multivitamins and iron to help with the immunity. The meds honestly did not feel like they were working. About two months after that I lost my mother(who had no life insurance, plz y’all get life insurance) abruptly and had to take on the responsibility of raising my little sister on top of being a single father to my own child. All of that put me in a downward spiral of anxiety and depression, so I turned to weed to help numb some of my pain. I then lost my job four months before the pandemic started. Thank goodness I had some money saved and unemployment was approved. A year later I found a job and stopped smoking, but I started to hear whispers around the office about me having bb 5 months in, I assumed it was because I still was experiencing GERD. At this point chewing a piece of gum every few hours was saving me. Three months after that I contracted three bacterial infections(from tacobell) and was on three different antibiotics to help cure that. I lost that job because I literally could not move out of bathroom. A few months later I was able to get another job at the start of the following year, but was already extremely paranoid about my bb. After nine months there I was finally told my breath does in fact smell from here to there, but not all the time. I took a short leave of absence to try and resolve the issue. I completely changed my diet to vegan and started taking apple cider gummies, also come to find out I’m allergic to something in the multivitamins. After my month was up I completely lost confidence in myself, because I knew I still had bb. I truly tried my best to work through it because I had mouths to feed. On New Year’s day 2023 I became sick with Covid for the first time. That’s when everything changed. My bb became room filling to the point where I could hear ppl coughing and sneezing, and see them covering their noses, because of this horrid smell emitting from my body. I was able to take another loa, because my boss over heard me tell my sister I was going to kms. I went to a IG and had an upper endoscopy done. “Everything was fine” and he could not smell anything. I want to a dentist(Dr. Fox) that claimed he specialized in bad breath disorders and could cure me after paying $3500 it failed. So here we are now a year later trying hundreds of different probiotics, anti fungal, toothpaste, mouthwashes, tongue scrapers. Just scraping by, broke, jobless and almost homeless. What a life!

I’ve been chronically ill for 10 months now (it was a mystery that no one could figure out) and recently found out its been my Homocysteine and its high at 14.5. For almost a year I’ve experienced dizziness, extreme fatigue, muscle stiffness/cramping, migraines, EXTREME brain fog and emotional disturbances.
My neurologist told me to take methylfolate 5mg, for the first time I felt my energy come back and I was less dizzy, but I had to stop because it caused me severe chest pain and a deep dry painful COUGH. I tried a lower dose same thing, except the anxiety was better - but either way the chest pain was too much.
Today I tried TMG 200mg and I’ve been sleeping all day and anxiety was high. I was extremely happy though it helped my mood and productivity once I woke up. I also take a regular b12 1000mg.
I talk to my doctor Tuesday and I know there’s other options like a methyl b12 and more. I’m just scared all of these are going to give me side effects but I need to get back to work in a month and this has ruined my life! Any advice?

I won’t bore you with the details but caught my son in a web of lies this week. After giving him some freedom and independence to meet his friends to play outside I found out he’s been going somewhere else instead, a place I have warned him not to go. He’s been going there almost daily, doing things he’s not aloud to do at home, then comes home and lies about where he’s been. He’s an exceptionally well behaved kid so this is such a shock. We just got back from a holiday of a lifetime that I spent thousands of dollars on for his birthday. And to find out he’s been lying to me almost every day… I’m absolutely heartbroken. I have an ache in my chest over it. I don’t know how to forgive him and I feel guilty for feeling so betrayed by him. I don’t want to hold a grudge against him but I just don’t know how to shake off this feeling. I can not believe he would do this to me.

Hey guys, I recently got a hiv rna test and I am terrified of receiving the results. I had an encounter on may 6th. Basically what happened was he put on a condom and started to insert his you know what in my ass. Once I felt it in me for about 10 to 20 seconds I immediately got off the bed and said I don’t want to do this. However a few days later I developed a cough that didn’t go away for a week and kept me up. When I tried to talk the congestion in my throat and chest caused me to cough more. I am scared about my results even though we used a condom. Do you guys think I should be ok?

Despite not being far off in age, my (32F) boyfriend (34M) and I are very different when it comes to traditions/formalities. Case in point, we’re sitting on the couch today and he sneezes and I don’t say anything. This upsets him and he says, “Bless you, (boyfriend’s name)” under his breath. I asked him if it upset him that I don’t say “bless you” and he said yes, and that he feels like he’s “living in the twilight zone.” I explained to him that I feel it’s a bit antiquated and I just personally don’t say it because I don’t think it’s a whole to-do. It’s a sneeze, it’s not cancer. We don’t say it when people cough. What’s the big deal? He said, “it’s just what we do” and walked off.
I understand what he’s saying but I don’t care to exist in polite society when I’m in my own damn house. AITAH?

A week or so ago my cat started hiding in her little house all the time. This isn't the first time she started acting strange. A few months ago she went upstairs and stayed for a month. A vet visit for that led to the vet believing she might be developing arthritis in her back legs (she's 11 and a tripod, he said sometimes they'll develop mild arthritis once they hit 10 or so).
So I thought maybe she's just not feeling great. Then I noticed she was going two or three days between litter box visits, and having difficulty passing stool. Normally she goes at minimum once a day. Another vet trip last Friday. They couldn't find anything physically wrong, blood work was fine. I asked about a bowel obstruction but they said because she was eating her normal amount and not throwing up it was probably just constipation and older cats often have trouble with it. I came home with some medicine for both arthritis and constipation.
She's still hiding in her house, but now she's sneezing a whole lot. This started last night. Runny nose but no coughing and no eye gunk. I wonder if she picked up something from the vet, or if the stress of two vet visits coupled with joint pain is causing her to hide in her little house and sneeze. She's an only cat and 100% indoors. She doesn't go outside for any amount of time.
She's still not using the litter box as often as before. Everything coming out of her body is normal. No blood, no mucus, and stools are no longer dry. She still has a good appetite, but this morning she threw up everything she ate after scarfing her food down. She hasn't thrown up again, and has been slowly eating her food all day. I made her catnip tea last night and wonder if that has anything to do with her throwing up this morning.
She normally follows us around and screams for attention until someone picks her up to carry her like a baby, or sleeps on top of the couch or her cat tower. She's been in her little house for over two weeks, except to eat and do a slow lap around the house.
When I call the vet Monday, what should I say? Should I take her, or do you think I can get what I need stopping by the office? I'm so afraid of putting more stress on her. She only leaves the house to go to the vet, and her little body shakes so hard with fear. I can get her some antibiotics without having to take her, but should I push for x-rays? Or is the vet right and it's stress from aging?

Hello all. FTM to an almost 4 month old baby boy. I am waiting on a call back from the pediatrician but figured I would post here to see if I’m overreacting 🫠
Baby was born a month early. Since he’s been born he’s had pretty bad congestion on and off. A couple weeks after he was born he ended up in the hospital with bronchiolitis.
I reached out to the doctor last week because it was getting worse when he wakes up and he sounds like he’s sniffling a lot and seems like there’s a lot in his nose but when I look I don’t see anything so assuming more in the chest. They saw him and he tested negative for Covid, Flu and RSV and they said probably just a cold.
Cut to today. The congestion is just getting worse, he is coughing a good amount, doesn’t seem to have a fever but feels slightly sweaty, sneezing and has been having diarrhea minus one diaper that had one solid part and the rest liquid yesterday and his voice sounds a little hoarse and he cries some when he coughs. He also has a minor diaper rash.
We have a humidifier going 24/7, took him in the steamy bathroom, gave him a warm bath and put baby Vicks on his feet and chest. He just is fussy and miserable.
The one good thing is he still has the same appetite and is eating 5.5-6 oz of formula every 3-3.5 hours but he is needing to take a lot of breaks to catch his breath.
Could this just be a cold running its course? Is there anything that can be done to help break up chest congestion besides what I’ve been doing? Am I just worrying for nothing? It’s so hard because I wish he could just tell me what’s wrong.

Honestly I do it to myself, so I stalked his instagram and saw that he started following other girls and my heart literally dropped. I didn’t sleep at all last night because it really is over and he’s continuing on with his life which is good of course but I want to be able move on as well.
All morning I have had this ache in my chest and I started sobbing while in the middle of writing an essay, it really feels so pathetic. It’s been five months since he broke up with me and yet I still feel so hurt and empty meanwhile he probably hasn’t even thought of me.
I don’t even want him back, I just want my heart to stop hurting every time I think about all the promises we made.

I got tested for HIV at these time intervals:10, 35, 60, 77, 91 days after potential exposure & they have been negative, but I still think I have it due to my body aches and chest pain & yesterday, I went to a public swimming pool and got a bleeding wound, did the people who are in the water got infected?

https://ibb.co/mXc6Pyw
My daughter, 15F, started feeling ill Apr 28. It started with fever, body ache, and congestion/sinus pain and cough and ear ache, and deep fatigue. We treated with advil/tylenol, figuring it was just a normal cold. It was getting worse and throat was very inflamed (though not sore, apparently) with those white spots so started clarithromycin May 5 (allergic to amoxicillin). Did a course of 7 days, twice daily. May 6 we started doing peridex rinse 2x day, and saltwater baking soda rinse every 2 hours. A couple days into this routine, her throat started hurting badly but the fever and other symptoms started getting better. But throat has been steadily getting worse, along with pain in the back of the head and neck, and still a bit of a cough. The doctor prescribed another course of clarithromycin since the throat is still inflamed with white spots (picture in link is current). We are on day 3 of the second course of clarithromycin. We have had a swab come back negative for strep and a mono blood test also come back negative. The pain in throat, back of the head and neck seems to be getting worse, worst in the mornings upon waking. The tylenol and advil do help the pain.
If it's not strep or mono, what else could this be?
(Taking vit D 5000iu/day due to deficiency, and iron supplement as well, normal dose)

In hindsight, I should have known something was wrong with The Caeles Academy of Acting.
Maybe the fact that it doesn't exist to the outside world.
This place prided itself on famous alumni it didn't actually name, and a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with the best in the business.
It's what I wanted.
More than anything.
After enduring four years of high school with barely a semblance of a drama club (we met every month, and our teacher was an alcoholic), and countless failed auditions, I was ready to take my acting career seriously. I had one year.
According to my parents, I had one year to make a living from my passion.
If it didn't work out, I would be on the first plane back to Connecticut.
It's not like they didn't trust me. I think they were just scared I wouldn't be able to financially support myself. So, I got a job right out of high school and slipped a year. Drama schools are expensive, and college’s are cut-throat on who they take on. I found Caeles Academy by accident–or, I guess it found me?
After researching cheap drama classes, auditions, academy’s, literally anything to progress my career, an ad popped up.
Not exactly flashy.
Just a date, a time, and a promise that they only take the best. I ignored it, but throughout the week, I started getting more ads. Just the words, “IMPRESS US - - JOIN CAELES ACADEMY NOW.”
Followed by, “BE WITH THE BEST, AND BE THE BEST. JOIN THE S CLASS NOW.”
When I googled the academy, nothing came up.
I gave up, clicking on the ad, which sent me straight to an application form.
I filled in my details as more of a joke. But I wasn't expecting to get an email back. Again, it was a time, a date, and that exact same tagline: “Impress us.”
However, Caeles Academy was different from what I imagined.
I was expecting a university building, or at least some modern structure.
Judging from their marketing and ads, I figured they could at least afford decent premises. Though I was mistaken. When I stepped out of the Uber, I found myself staring at what looked like an abandoned office tower, a red-brick monolith in the middle of nowhere.
Which was crazy, because I swore a girl wearing a bikini had strode through the doors, with nothing but her phone, and a coffee tucked under her elbow.
According to the text sent from the academy, the auditioning rooms were on the third floor.
Tipping my head back, the checkerboard of broken windows didn't exactly instil confidence.
Neither did the clunky set of automatic doors that took a while to open.
It was a summer's day, and the heat was already baking through my dress, sweat sticky on the back of my neck.
I wanted to make a good impression, but the heels were a little over the top.
Though I had also seen a girl casually walk in wearing a two piece bikini.
“Well?”
Freddie’s voice made me jump. I forgot I was on the phone to him. I was excited the whole car-ride, already high on five coffees, and now I was silent.
If I perceived the ‘academy’ from an objective standpoint, it definitely looked like the perfect place to be brutally murdered. But my own personal opinion was it was.. okay.
“What's it like?”
I pretended not to see a rat scuttling under an old candy wrapper.
“It's… fine.”
“Just fine?”
I could hear the smirk in my friend’s tone. He couldn't wait to tell me it was a scam, and had been reminding me all week I was essentially willingly selling myself to the black market. I was stubborn, so, fine sounded better than my initial first impression.
Which was to turn around, walk away, and completely block the place from my memory.
Unfortunately, at that moment, I valued my pride over my awareness.
“It's… okay.” I said, trying to find positives. I was staring at a looming grey building with shattered windows and a resident rat living near the door. I had a hard time figuring out how the girl from earlier had just casually strode inside, barefoot too. I glanced down at the ground, immediately regretting it.
Like there weren't bits of chewing gum and grime stuck to the concrete.
“Huh.” Freddie said, his tone creeping into teasing territory. “You're really selling it.”
“It just looks like a building,” I muttered, my gaze glued to the rat, who looked a little too comfortable.
Maybe it was a pet.
I was getting progressively more infuriated the more I stared down this place. Judging from the decades old writing ingrained into the door, it used to be a dentist surgery. “What do you want me to say?” I wasn't even trying to hide the scorn from my voice. “It's a building that looks like an academy.”
“Can you send a picture?” Freddie asked, “Ooh, wait, I'll face-time you.”
“That's, uh, that’s not really necessary–”
I was cut off, suddenly, when a guy threw himself through the automatic doors, palms first. He took two stumbled steps forwards, one back, and lifted his head, half lidded eyes finding the sky, before dropping to his knees and heaving up pinkish liquid.
I could see him trying to hold it in, slamming his hands over his mouth, only for it to splurge through his fingers, showering the ground in greyish pink froth.
Like he'd downed a bottle of Pepto Bismol.
Inching towards him, I realized it was Pepto Bismol.
The stink made my own stomach churn.
“Missy?”
I found my voice. “Uh, can I call you back later?”
Before my friend could answer, I ended the call, slipping my phone in my pocket.
The guy was still heaving, coughing up globules of pink.
“Are you okay?”
The sound of my heels click-clacking on concrete made me cringe. The guy noticed, flinching away. Closer, and I could see his scraggly blonde hair.
He was handsome.
Without the bile spewing down his chin.
Early twenties, wearing a fitted white shirt now covered in streaks of bright pink. Part of me wanted to make a half-hearted joke, but getting even closer, so close I could smell his pepto-breath, I noticed he was trembling, his hands clenched into fists.
When I attempted to awkwardly pat him on the shoulder, he twisted around, so fast my morning coffee slithered its way back up my throat.
His eyes were wide, almost feral, studying me like a wild animal.
I noticed the whites of his pupils were red, like he'd burst a blood vessel.
Theatre kids were intense, though I had never met THIS kind of intense.
“Are you… going in there?” The guy’s voice was a child-like whimper I wasn't expecting.
It looked like he was slowly regaining clarity, staring down at his filthy shirt, his hands stained bright pink.
I nodded, uncertainly, offering him my water. “Yeah. Did you audition?”
He shoved it away, slapping himself in the face. “I… I don't know.”
“You… don’t know?”
Suddenly, it was like something had contorted in his expression, a switch being pulled. I wasn't expecting him to twist around so fast. The guy slowly cocked his head, his lips breaking into a grin. His eyes, however, stayed the same.
“Of course I've auditioned.” He said, with a laugh.
“It was the best experience of my life!" His mouth formed an almost mocking frown.
“Unfortunately, I didn't make the cut. Which is a real shame. I'm sure Caeles would have benefited from my talents.”
What was weird, is that his mouth was moving, but he wasn't even looking at me, frenzied eyes caught in an oblivion I couldn't see.
When he did look at me, his expression crumpled all over again.
Pepto jumped to his feet, brushing himself down.
I couldn't take his over the top smile seriously, when his eyes were screaming, hollowed out caverns silently begging me to listen.
This guy was fucking crazy.
“Wait.” Pepto whispered, when I turned to walk away.
He pulled out his phone, tapping the screen before shoving it in my face.
I HAD SO MUCH FUN AT THE CAELES ACADEMY AUDITIONS :)
When I could only stare at him in confusion, Pepto’s gaze flicked to his phone, swiping bile from his lips.
His eyes went cartoon wide, like he couldn't believe what he himself was typing.
“That… that's not what I was trying to say!” He tried retyping it, but the guy was just writing strings of emoji hearts.
I didn't know what to say. I had dealt with rejection before, but I had never gone this far. Pepto was having a full on mental breakdown, his body shuddering, teeth chattering, blinking eyes and lips parting as if to speak, but choking on his words. When he started clawing out his hair, I took the opportunity to make a quick getaway.
Before I could make it to the doors, though, Pepto jumped in front of me, waving his phone directly in my face.
“Just…” he pointed at the screen. “It won't let me…” Growing frustrated with himself, he let out a wet sounding sob, clawing his fingers through his hair.
“Fuck, it won't let me…it won't let me type! It's not letting me type!”
By now, he had tufts of hair stuck between his fingernails. I don't know why his first reaction was to immediately try ripping his hair out.
A quick glance at my own phone reminded me of my own audition that was in five minutes.
Meanwhile, I was dealing with what I was pretty sure was delusion, denial, or a mixture of both.
I was considering pushing past him, when Pepto’s phone screen hit me in the face. Again.
This time, though, there was coherent writing.
“FIND LUKE.”
“Luke?” I said. “Who's that?”
“Luke!” The guy was bouncing on the heels of his feet. “He's my…” Pepto drifted off, his eyes going vacant, as if I could physically see his brain being plucked from his skull. Pepto dropped his phone, and I grabbed it before it could hit the ground. His hands went to his curls, clawing, scratching, until he was drawing blood across his forehead.
“I… I don't know! I can't… I can't remember. Luke. He was my… he was my… I don't know, I can't… I can't–”
I stumbled back when he let out a shriek, scratching at his face.
“Fuck!” He whimpered. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!”
Pepto grabbed my shoulders, shaking me, his fingers digging into my skin.
“I don't know who he is.” He gritted out, pink froth pooling from his lips.
Pepto broke out into a sob. “I don't… I don't know who he is, but you can find him, right? You can… you can find…”
Again, he trailed off mid sentence, his hands going limp around my shoulders.
I managed to side step him, swallowing a cry.
“Yeah, I'll, um, I'll find him for you.”
Pepto backed away, suddenly, stumbling over himself.
His gaze found mine, vacant, like a baby deer.
“Find who?”
I didn't wait around to answer him, pushing through the doors and stepping inside.
The interior was unsurprisingly even worse than the exterior.
The elevator was broken, so I had to run up three flights of stairs.
I expected at least an attempt at an academy, even in the dregs of an old dentist surgery.
What I got, though, was a never ending staircase, obnoxious photos of teeth greeting me on every level.
The third floor was… less clinical.
I strode directly into a waiting room filled with college aged students, either sitting on plastic chairs, or standing around, rehearsing.
The room itself was cosy enough, a navy carpet and a TV playing a random Twitch stream.
Situated in the middle was a desk with a bored looking woman behind it.
Her smile was fake. I could understand her pain. She was stuck in a room with theatre kids all day.
“Sign here.” She prodded a sheet of paper.
I was convinced her voice was AI.
While I was scribbling my details, I took a moment to notice the stark difference from the kids entering the room, to the ones leaving. The kids entering wore wide, confident smiles and were social butterflies, chatting amongst themselves.
The kids leaving reminded me of pod people.
They left the room silent, in an orderly line with dazed smiles on their faces, like they weren't sure where they were.
I watched one guy walk directly into the wall instead of taking a left toward the exit, and a girl straight up just toppled down the stairs.
The kids waiting with me named them rejects.
I wasn't convinced until I glimpsed an empty bottle of Pepto Bismol sitting on the floor by the window.
Thinking back to Pepto, that made a lot of sense.
I was still dazedly staring at the bottle, when my name was called.
Jumping to my feet, I did my best to calm myself down, straightening my ponytail. Pepto had really screwed with my head. I could barely even remember the lines I had been rehearsing for a week straight.
I was muttering my lines to myself, when I stepped through the door.
The door that apparently turned you into a pod-person on the way out.
For a moment, I thought I was blinded by stage lights.
It was so bright.
The glow bathing me was clinical, stabbing into my eyes.
When I blinked, I found myself standing in front of three shadows sitting in front of me.
Their chairs were made of leather, far different from the plastic ones in the waiting room.
So, they did have filthy cash.
I was looking at one man, and two women.
They were… average?
I expected them to be more glitzier, but they were just regular people.
The man was in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, a stiff looking brunette wearing a suit and tie, one leg crossed over the other. His eyes were narrowed slightly, lips curved into the start of a smile. Like I amused him.
The women were polar opposites.
One of them was my Mom’s age, grey hair and floral clothing. She took a sip of water, her gaze burning into me.
Google told me not to be intimidated by their stares, but it was impossible.
These people were carving holes into my skull.
Sitting next to her, a younger girl who seemed to own the color red.
Her hair simmered, blood red, while she herself was sculpted in a dress, perfect cherry lips spread in a wide smile.
With a little too many teeth.
They studied my face like I was already theirs, drinking in every inch of me.
Freddie said I had to find a weakness in their expression and use it to my advantage.
If I could find the prick of a genuine smile, I could become their favorite.
“Hi!” I said. My caffeine intake was starting to take effect.
I didn't realize I was bouncing up and down until I caught myself.
Red’s smile stretched wider.
Maybe they liked my eagerness.
“My name is Misa.” I introduced myself, staying casual, keeping my arms by my sides. “I'm twenty one years old–”
I choked on my next words when Red spoke up. “Impress us, Misa,” Her voice was a smooth, almost seductive rasp, and I felt myself fall into it, enveloped in sugar that was too sweet, and yet I couldn't stop myself. She folded her arms across her chest, her gaze challenging me to do something different. To make her want me.
“Show us something we have never seen before.” She stood up, cat-like eyes narrowing, “Show us how desperate you are to join this prestigious class.”
I nodded, and began.
I had planned a whole monologue, practised it over and over again, forcing Freddie to judge me with a none biassed opinion.
I was three lines in, when Red started laughing.
“Stop.”
I did, my cheeks heating up, and she started clapping.
“Sweetie, oh, stop, you're adorable!” She said, her lips curving into a cruel smirk.
She leaned forward, like I was something that entertained her, jostling her heeled foot. “We don't take amateurs. I think you need to go back to school.”
This woman was definitely a psychopath.
Empty eyes sparkling with a gleam that definitely enjoyed humiliating candidates, and a twisted smile that was a little too wide. Red made me want to crawl into the ground.
She made me want to turn around, leave the room, and quit my dream. I was aware of my own fury, my embarrassment turning my cheeks crimson. I matched her.
Maybe that's what she wanted all along. To wear the color of her victims.
Taking a shaky step back, I started to nod, started to agree, my mouth choking with the words, “You're right. I'm sorry for wasting your time."
I had never received proper constructive criticism from a professional standpoint.
Which meant I really did suck.
But I didn't move. I didn't want to move, and Red continued laughing, her companions sitting in silence.
The man rolled his eyes with a loud, exaggerated sigh.
Like I was boring.
The older woman pulled out her phone.
“Misa, you are…cute.” Red said. “But you're not quite what we are looking for.”
I wasn't sure I could admit it right there, but she made me feel things.
Like I was ignited.
Like I was going to prove this crazy bitch wrong.
I found my voice, strong and confident, despite my hammering heart.
“Give me another chance.”
Red’s lips curled. “So cute, Misa. Oh, sugar bear, It would be better if you left the room. Unless you want to embarrass yourself further! In that case, be my guest!”
She turned her attention to her nails, nudging the guy.
“Dinner?” She hummed. “I'm thinking of Italian. You are quite the wine connoisseur, Nicholas. Why don't you introduce me to your favorite?”
“Hey.” I blurted.
They ignored me, getting a little too close.
I don't know why I continued, reading my lines, screaming them, so I would be heard. I read them perfectly, and tweaking the genre from drama to romance, and then to horror. I became three different characters, a high school girl struggling with cancer, a final girl, and a woman going through a divorce.
I was fucking perfect.
But they weren't listening to me, caught up in their own conversation.
I tried again.
And again.
And again.
By now, I was on my knees, my fingers ripping into my hair. I was seeing red.
“We want originality, Misa,” Red said, sucking her teeth.
Her voice crawling into my skull was enough.
She still wanted me.
The thought polluted the back of my mind, taking a strangling hold. She still wanted me. When I lifted my head, Red wasn't looking at me, her gaze on the table grains. “Show us something new.”
I got to my feet, panting, my breath in my throat.
I became a screaming, strangled mess, a woman who lost her baby.
Red’s interest was piqued. Only slightly. Through my fraying vision, she slowly turned in her chair. “Again.” She clapped her hands, “Come on, Misa! We want new! We want never been fucking done before! Are you deaf?”
I couldn't stop the sobs escaping my mouth.
They lost interest again, right in the middle of my reading.
“Why can't you look at me?” I found myself spluttering.
When the man pulled out a bottle of water, I pulled off my heel and lobbed it at his face.
“Look at me!”
He did. Slowly. His gaze found me, for perhaps the first time.
Not as an amateur, but as a potential candidate.
Around the twentieth attempt, I started to laugh. Never been done before? I could feel my fingernails already in my scalp, clawing chunks of my hair out.
Reality contorted, and I felt myself drop to my knees. I was still laughing, spluttering, sobbing. I could still hear her in my head. Never Been Done Before. I started slowly, dragging my fingernails down my face until I felt the harsh sting.
“Again.” Red said, and her voice led me to stare down at my hands, at pinkish flesh glued to my bones, fleshy mounds.
So easy to tear. I didn't even feel it.
Only the sudden, unbridled euphoria of biting into my own skin, locking in my jaw, and ripping into myself.
When I tore it from the bone, warmth filled my mouth, and I was choking, guzzling down my own flesh, mulling it in my mouth and swallowing.
I can't remember how I got so deep, and why I didn't stop.
Why I didn't fucking scream.
But it didn't matter.
Red was standing up. She was clapping, her lips spread into a grin.
Her applause filled me with stars.
So, I ripped my hair from my scalp, a hysterical giggle escaping my lips.
She loved me.
I could see her jumping up and down, clapping.
Louder, and louder.
Her applause controlled me, twisting and contorting me into hers.
I didn't even think. I wanted to impress her, and doing this was doing just that.
My fingers were delving into my right eye socket, clawing my eye out. It didn't even hurt. Not with her thundering applause that was deafening, beautiful, an orchestra in my ears.
When I was semi conscious, my eye was crushed in my hand, but my vision was still mine, almost too clear. I could see streaks of red blurred between my lashes. My hair was caught between my fingers. But I wanted to do more.
When I stumbled to my feet, Red’s smile was so beautiful.
The man, however, looked horrified.
“Someone bring in the one of the successes,” Red’s voice was a shrill giggle, “Bring him in!” she clapped her hands together, and I spat out a fleshy thing. “I want to see them together! I want to see the future in front of us!”
Footsteps coming towards me in slow, shuddery thumps. I looked up, and a shadow was dancing around me.
When I slowly rose to my feet, I half realized I’d bitten my toe off. The shadow had a face, a boy who was younger than me. I think he used to have hair, but half of it was gone, half of it was still stuck between his fists. When I found his eyes, I found twin caverns instead.
Eyes that were still physically there, and yet there was no life.
No spark.
I was staring at a dead body, a flesh puppet who had lost his strings.
When he grabbed my hands, pulling me into a waltz, I caught a smear of scarlet trickling down the back of his neck. When I followed it upwards, his head was covered, slick, dripping with red.
Like me, he matched her too.
And he was beautiful, she told me, her push, her thunderous applause, guiding me into a waltz.
His feet moved, perfecting every step, and my foggy mind couldn't understand why. He matched my every move, the two of us floating across the floor.
My feet knew the steps before my mind.
How could he dance? I thought, dizzily.
How could he dance, when smeared scarlet followed his twisting, and turning and pirouetting feet?
Because underneath that swimming clinical light, the back of the boy’s head had been carved away, a perfectly sculpted cavern where his brain should have been. I could see the severed stem, where it had cleanly plucked out.
His fingers cradled in mine were wet. Swimming in blood.
His own blood.
Spinning round and around, I imagined myself as a princess.
I saw an 18th century ballroom lit up around us. Glittering smiles and glasses of champagne, long, flowing ball gowns.
I blinked, and my head was tipped back, gliding in blood once again.
When he pulled me to his chest, I stumbled, and a name came to light.
Luke.
I had found him.
Our finishing spin left me hard to breathe.
My body was broken, ripped into, and yet somehow not.
By the time we were finished, the two of us bowing, my mind was full of fog.
Cotton candy.
“Congratulations!” Red’s smile was inhuman, stretching right off of her face.
“You're in the S class!”
I was led through a door that wasn't the one I entered from. Inside the room were a dozen or so students, kneeling on the floor. They were missing parts of themselves, like unfinished puzzle pieces.
I dropped onto my knees next to a girl without a head. I could only see her torso, but I knew she was smiling.
Looming over us, was the goddess Athena drenched in blood that was still wet.
Dripping, pooling from every crevice of her dress.
Looking closer, this statue was moving.
Something sickly crept into my mouth.
Her right eye was human, a twitching eyeball sandwiched inside the stone.
It didn't match her. It was wrong, horrifying, like a painting, a real human eye struggling to focus on us.
And then, my own gaze found the statues head, where a real human brain had been forced inside perfect white, pink, greyish mush dripping down the sculpted, slender neck.
I could see where it had been pushed, pulverised through the stone.
The statue’s singular eye found me.
Its dancing pupil jumped up and down.
Before it blinked.
Next to me, Luke was on his knees, as if in prayer.
I can't remember leaving the room.
I just remember running.
Back down the stairs, stumbling, staggering over myself.
I was screaming by the time I reached the doors.
They opened, as usual.
But I couldn't get through. I tried, but I was slamming into something I couldn't see.
Pepto was still waiting outside. The sky was dark.
When he saw me, he stumbled over, slamming his hands into the glass.
I couldn't even understand myself. I was just fucking screaming.
Pepto held up his phone.
“DID YOU FIND HIM?”
I shook my head.
“No.” I lied.
I can't tell him the truth. I don't even know what it is.
“I can't get out!”
Pepto nodded slowly, typing something and showing me his phone.
I'm getting you both out of there. I think I know how I can get inside.
It's been 3 days, and Pepto is yet to return.
I’ve tried multiple times to cry out for the H word. But it won't let me type it.
Please H me. I need to get out of this place.
Fuck. Get me OUT OF HERE.
Classes start tomorrow.

I woke up with a cough of blood and pain. I felt something metal with my hands as I looked down. A long stint of rebar poked out of my ribcage and through my chest plate, covered in a mix of my blood and the bile of a bug.
I reached down and grabbed my Senator, feeling its trusty weight in my hands. I haphazardly tried to place the barrel against the portion of rebar sticking out of my back. This had better work, I thought. I pulled the trigger once and with a loud Crack I felt the vibration from the shot in my stomach. I tried to choke down vomit and pulled the trigger twice more Crack, Crack. With the third shot the rebar gave way and I rolled to my side and collapsed on the ground. Agony shot through my body as I hit the dirt.
I realized then, Hmmph, they left me. During Extraction one of the other divers called in a 500kg as we were about to board Pelican 1. She had thrown it over one of those damned chargers in an effort to kill one last bug but... it started charging us. I was the last one in line and just as I was about to board... i was thrown 200 feet away from extraction site. I don't blame them. I'd have left me too. We had successfully evacuated a number of scientists and other military personnel, but we'd lost the planet. No hard feelings I guess.
I tried to pull my mind away from those thoughts and just focused on one. Survive. I pulled myself to my knees and looked at the rebar again. Cant park there bud, I thought tryna cheer myself up. I had dropped my senator when I fell and ended up with two free hands. I reached down and with the assistance of my servo-assited armor prepared to wrench the rebar from my chest. Alright, count of three, I thought. One my heartrate quickened. Two I adjusted my grip ever so slightly. Three I ripped the metal rod out and felt a hot stinging pain shoot through my body. I quickly grabbed a stim and applied it.
I winced as the stim numbed my broken ribs and began rapidly working to heal them and my open chest wound. After a couple seconds, I could stand.
I took quick stock of my inventory. My Senator with 23 rounds left, two ration packs, a canteen of water, 1 stim, a knife, and a bag of oatmeal. Oatmeal? Seriously? I'd rather have ammo but... beggars can't be choosers.
I looked around me. Snow and beaten down rubble surrounded me. This was some kind of research station, I think. Didn't bother grabbing the name. Cold as hell and nothing really around to get my bearings. Great. I thought. Im gonna die inside a freezer. I started looking through the rubble for anything useful. I found a corpse of one of the scientists that hadn't made it to evac. I grabbed the ID card off his jacket. Figured It'd get me inside a building if there were any left standing. I crawled out of the rubble and onto the snowy tundra.
The sun had set and with it most of the light I would've been able to utilize. I scanned the horizon for a blinking light. Blinking like meant beacon. Beacon meant possible radio, maybe some ammo. I clocked one to the southwest and began walking that direction senator drawn.
I spotted a few distant bug patrols illuminated by moonlight but they had no interest in me. I kept my head down and kept moving towards the light. Details started to take shape and I could see this was a research station. Perfect I thought.
I reached the door and used the key card. There was a Beep and the red light flashed green. The door cracked open before jamming. Oh no you dont, I thought and with one hand yanked the door open. I closed it behind me with the same hand to keep the wildlife disinterested.
Inside was dark and damp. I had lost the seal integrity on my suit so there was barely any oxygen regulation. Didn't need it on this planet but still, it's a bitch to fix. I turned my flashlight on and started scanning the room for a light switch. I found one but wouldn't ya know it... dead. At least the beacon had power. I walked over to the radio and pulled off my helmet. I wedged the flashlight in my neck and leaned my head to the side. I started flipping switches and turning dials to see if there was a response. Nothing. Id have to find the master terminal. I grabbed the flashlight and donned my helmet again. I began scanning the room again before I heard it. A little shuffle behind me. I turned quickly and drew my senator raising it at the source of the sound.
It was a small child. At least... thats what it appeared to be. At first glance I could see bindings on its legs and arms. A hospital gown with little ducklings on it and a teddy bear tucked under its arm. I lowered my senator as it spoke.
"Dr. Mehon told me to wait here. He said hed be right back."
Dr. Mehon was probably dead I thought. I knelt down and put my hand on the child's shoulder. "Whats your name kid?"
"3". I felt a rage build up. I swallowed it quickly.
"Well 3, what uh... why.. why do you have bin.." I stopped myself. Whatever those scientists were doing here...
3 looked up at me and I noticed it. A cat like set of eyes. Other little details started to click as well. Four fingers on each hand, slightly pointed ears, a discoloration of skin and a rigid scale-like spine on the shoulder.
"The radio doesnt work mister." 3 seemed to have understood their situation. "Dr Mehon destroyed it before he left."
I realized then that it was unlikely either of us would make it off this planet alive.
Part 2 coming soon? Depending on how this one does.

Hi Reddit, this is my first time posting on this site in years, for context on this story I am a 19-year-old girl residing in east London.
Two weeks ago, I was on a night out in my town, which I won't name, however, it is on the eastern outskirts of Greater London. It was a cold Friday night in early May when I began to walk home. By this time I was heavily drunk and had split off from my friends Sania and Marcus, who were also blackout drunk, they took the Elizabeth line to get home to their university digs in Harrow. So, I was left all by myself.
As I began to walk to the bus stop; which wasn't far from the club. I noticed a tall, skinny man with his head in his hands sitting on the red plastic bench at the stop. I couldn't see much of his face as it was obscured by his long, dark brown messy hair. I sat down on the bench, furthest away from him, because it was around 1 am, the area was deserted and honestly, this guy was giving me the creeps. He was wearing a dark brown leather bomber jacket, green cargos and a Mayhem band T-Shirt.
I sat, and waited for the bus, for around five minutes. Scrolling through TikTok. When suddenly, my focus was interrupted by the sound of sobbing coming from my left, I turned to see the man, head still in his hands sobbing uncontrollably. I glanced at the man several times before making my decision. I scooted over to him, put my hand on his shoulder (keep in mind I was still in my drink-induced, confident, sociable state). He looked up at me, admittedly I thought he was quite handsome, that was until I was hit by his breath, which was a fowl stench, a mixture of cigarettes, vomit and tooth decay.
He had thick, furrowed dark eyebrows, short yet unkempt stubble, tears rolling down his face. I asked him "Hey, are you alright?". At this point, his facial expression changed, he let out a loud smoker's cough, covering his mouth with his elbow. Wiping his tears away with the same elbow he looked me in the eyes and simply said: "I've hurt a lot of people". At this point, starting to sense the vibe was off, I asked "What do you mean?". I felt the alcohol starting to lose it's effects on me, I regretted interacting with this man at all.
He told me plainly, "I've killed someone." At this moment, my heart sunk to the bottom of my chest, I thought he must be joking, or lying. I timidly said, "Wait, what?" I was choking on my words. He went on to confess to me that he had killed a 17 year old boy after arranging a gay encounter with him over Grindr. He told me that he stabbed the boy in the neck with a screwdriver before burning his body in the woods with lighter fluid. I stood there aghast at this sudden confession, when I saw the headlights of the night bus approaching in the distance, without hesitating I boarded, tapped my oyster and looked back, he did not follow me on. The bus doors slam shut, I ride the bus, only for around four stops before reaching my house, as I step out from the bus, I look to my left only to see a dark figure with long dark hair running towards me down the street, I book it towards my house, shove the key into the lock before slamming the door shut and screaming for my mum.
That night I dreamt of the encounter in vivid detail, and the following night, and the night after. However, as the nights went on, I would see the act of murder in his eyes, as if it was a projection, the dream would pause as he looked up to me, and the pause would be longer each night, seeing more vivid details reflected from his dark green eyes. The dreams stopped around a week after the experience, but I was left deeply disturbed. What unsettled me the most was his voice, robotic and deep, sounding almost distorted as I dreamt of him more and more. My last dream was on the night of the 11th of May, a Saturday night. I was awoken to complete paralysis of my body, I heard as clear as day from across the room "There wasn't just one victim." Loudly in a female voice.
I made my official police report today (18/05/24), and was given a reference number, the police told me they would try to identify the man, as he was caught on CCTV walking past the club I was at several times that night (which ironically is opposite the police station).

I’m 25M, 235 lbs, 5’11, I vape and drink alcohol about 3-4 times a week. No current medications but will take ibuprofen 800mg for back pain as needed.
These last few years I would get chest aches but it was never anything crazy. I can tell I get these aches when I am under extreme stress, I am easily irritable and get angry fast.
I went to bed to at about 3am last night, I was gaming until that time and had a 24oz Coors banquet.
Around 7am I woke up to an intense pain and while I was half asleep I know it was extremely painful and felt like my chest was caving into me. I was loud and woke my wife up.
I’m transitioning out of the military soon and have a lot of personal things going on that cause me stress. I don’t know if this is something I should go to the ER for? I had minor aches today but nothing crazy.

Hi All, i was wondering if i can get a professional opinion about my situation.
I am dealing with bronchitis as diagnosed by my gp, i feel like there is more to this than bronchitis so i just wanted to ask here. At least twice a year i get sick, with constant coughing for at least 2 months, there is phlegm, and i also get random temperatures from time to time as my lungs or lung area is inflamed. I get tired and exhausted from coughing and the inflammation in my chest. My doctor prescribed a puffer to deal with this problem and i feel like it wont get healed permanently.
This been going on for years now as i've done tests and scans and they couldn't find anything. Im not sure if im dealing with bronchitis or its more serious chronic condition.
My history with this is, when i was 1 y/o i've spent at least a week in a hospital because apparently my larynx was inflamed from a room i was nurtured that contained mould. Fast forward to 19 y/o moved to Australia and problems pop up again from air condition in car with coughing and pretty much similar symptoms. Currently i am living in a apartment that the bathroom contains mould. This mostly happens during fall or winter period but last time it happened it was during a trip in Europe in summer and that was last august and lasted for 2 months.
Sex: Male
Weight: 62kg
Height: 168cm
Age: 27 y/o
Drink: Socially
Medication: Zempreon CFC free puffer
Drugs: No
Smoke: No
Allergies: Pollen
Thank you to all who take time to read and respond!

Mr. Boombastic What you want is some Boombastic, romantic, fantastic lover Shaggy Mr. Lover lover, mm Mr. Lover lover, hehe girl Mr. Lover lover, mm Mr. Lover lover She call me Mr. Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna me back, she say I'm Mr. Ro-mantic Call me fantastic Touch me inna me back she say I'm Mr. Ro... Smooth, just like a silk Soft and cuddly, hug me up like a quilt I'm a lyrical lover, no take me fi no filth With my sexual physique, yah know me well built Oh me, oh my, well, well, can't you tell I'm just like a turtle crawling out of my shell Gal, you captivate my body, put me under a spell With your Khus Khus perfume I love your sweet smell You're the only young girl who can ring my bell And I can take rejection, so you tell me go to hell I'm Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna me back, she say I'm Mr. Ro-mantic Call me fantastic She touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Boom-boom-boom-boom Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she call Mr. Romantic Tell me fantastic She touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Boom-boom Gee whizz, baby please Let me take you to an island of the sweet cool breeze You don't feel like drive, well, baby hand me the keys And I'll take you to a place, and set your mind at ease Don't you tickle my foot bottom, (haha) baby please Don't you play with my nose I'm a (ha-chum) sneeze (bless you) Well you a the bun and me a the cheese And if me ah the rice and baby love you ah the peas I'm Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Ro-mantic Tell me fantastic She touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Boom-boom-boom-boom Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she call Mr. Ro-mantic Tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Boom-boom A me say give me your loving, gal, your loving well, good I want your loving, gal give it like you should Give me your loving, girl, your loving well good I want your loving, gal you remember the woo Would like to kiss and caress Rub down every strand a hair 'pon my chest I'm Boombastic, rated as the best The best you should get, nothing more, nothing less Give me your digits, jot down your address I'll bet you confess, when you put me to the test That I'm Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Ro-mantic Tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Boombastic Tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she call Mr. Ro-mantic Tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Boombastic, wha Gal, your admiration, it a lick me from the start With your physical attraction, gal you know to feel the spark A man of few words, nah go tell you no sweet talk Nah go laba laba laba and a chat pure part I'll get straight to the point like a arrow or a dart Come lay down in my jacuzzi, and get some bubble bath Only sound you will here is the beating of my heart And we will mmm mmm, and have some sweet pillow talk I'm Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Romantic Tell me fantastic She tickle on my back, she says I'm Mr. Boom Boombastic, tell me fantastic Touch me inna my back, she says I'm Mr. Romantic Tell me fantastic Touch me innna my back, she says I'm Mr. Boom Wha' ya say girl? Smooth

Basically the title. He will have a cough for a week and then it will go away. Instead of a cough, he will have a TON of snot. Then the cough comes right back a couple days later. He's in daycare unfortunately, but I dont have any options to move him. His ped seems unconcerned since his chest always sounds good. But this kid has just been sick with some crud or another a good deal of his life.
Is this just the daycare sick tax? My first didn't have to do daycare until almost 3 and I don't remember him going through this. It just seems like a lot for a baby.
Also, any ideas welcome to help a tickly itchy throat cough in a 3 month old would be great!

Hello All!
I am new here, and would like some insight from people, who deal with achalasia already, and could give some guidence.
I am 35 years old female, non drinking, non smoking. For about a year I am dealing with seems like some mistery illness, and I cannot figure out the cause. I thought I have asthma, sinusitis, allergies, LPR and you name it.
My most deliberating symptoms are: -mucus in throat shortly after eating, some days more, some days less, it cause coughing and throat clearing -fullness in my chest after meals, feeling like I can't take deep breaths in, chest feels tight in sternum area and feels like lungs have no space to expand, it passes maybe about half an hour after eating, warm tea helps and rest helps to calm it down -with excessive throat clearing and cough, comes feeling like I always have upper respiratory infection, lots of rawness in throat, sensitivity to smells, and strong tastes. Feeling asthmatic. Many times I will keep coughing, feeling like something is there, but it is not providing any relief -difficulty swallowing, sometimes feeling like somethings tickles my throat or food is stuck -regurgitation of foods, many times undigested, feeling of food sitting in my chest -thick mucus in my throat, food getting stuck sometimes as I swallow, and I cannot tolerate any sticky, slimy foods, like yogurts, peanut butter, breads, chocolate etc -tounge feels swollen, raw, coated and I do have sour taste in mouth
I had done so far: -lung function test, and chest xray that was normal, waiting for chest ct -ent scope, saw lots of mucus and dr thought it's mix reflux and allergies, waiting for sinus ct scan -autoimmune panel, came back slightly positive and waiting for reumatologist
Waiting for GI visit in October this year and PH probe November this year. I am currently on Acid Watcher diet and not taking anything for reflux, trying to deal with it with dietary and lifestyle adjustment. I am really hoping to get barium swallow soon, and gastroscopy done in the future.
Could my symptoms be related to achalasia?
Thanks for any tips!

Last week Monday I started having cough and some weird sensation pain on my chest (sternum) plus fatigue. By second week, my flu shows up with cold and light cough and heavy fatigue. I did go out to do some exercise but it makes my body sweating faster, head lightheaded and feel like weakness. My heart rate goes up around 85-90 bpm at rest. Normally it tends to be 70-80 bpm at rest. I assume it means it’s fighting for my body to be normal. Doctors said all normal and it’s part of flu that takes about few weeks to feel better. What’s your experience with flu?

SYNOPSIS: Walking your OP monster girlfriend home is easy. No one messes with you. Getting back to your house on your own? That's the tricky part.
What's worse than an eldritch building? How 'bout a bigger one?
First Previous (See NEXT>> in comments)
Chapter Cover Art (From Mood Writing Sample)
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Norman took one look at the towering building to his left. Then he took off.
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“̷̵̵̷̶̷̶̶̸̶̶̸̴̡̛̮͉̹̪̼̙̤̲̤͔̗̮̥̣̜͓̟̞̃̔̈́̑̈̍͌̂̂̐̋͛̉̓G̵̶̸̷̴̸̵̵̴̶̸̷̸̴̶̨̢̧̞͈̠̜̳̪͎̬̜̱̫͚̝̩̑̒͐́͆̃̿̉̆̉̃̓̀̎̐͂̎̒̕̕͘͝͝Ǵ̷̷̷̴̸̸̷̷̷̷̵̨̢̞̥͓̰͖͙̰̝͖̩̺͍͎͉͌̽̂́͐̓̀͒̐͗́M̴̷̶̵̴̷̵̶̵̴̷̷̢̡̧̢̛̫̲͕͇̗̯͚̥͙͓͓̀̒͑͒̂̊̅̐͛̂̄͌̈̚͝M̴̷̶̵̴̷̷̶̷̬̼̭̗͍̺̳̩̱͍̂̄̾͂̔̽̇̀͝͝͝͠M̶̯̙̥͕̞̰̗̗͐̔!̸̞̞̬̼̖̩̈́̇͊͐̾͑͋̉!̷̧͈̘̬̆͑͝!̶̤̜̔̓̆̅̔͆͘͝”̸̨̧̼̭̫̒͜

.
The new hunting cry boomed through his body. It was much louder than the first building’s, albeit shorter, like a tap on the shoulder from a titan proclaiming its presence to the world.
Of course, the tap of a titan could flatten a man.
Norman fell. His legs had simply stopped working. Jaws clenched, he forced his will into wobbly muscles. His palms slammed into the waterlogged street, stopping the fall. With a sharp push, he sprang back to his feet and ran on.
Norman yanked out the remaining two flash grenades on the go, strung them together, armed and drew back for a throw.
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“̷̬̳̙̍̎̆G̴̥͇̥͔͕̫̈̀M̵̛͇̜͙͇̫͔̭̩̝̜̓̈̏̓̓̀͛̚͜͝͝M̷̩͈͉̘͙̿͌̃̽͂̃̏̏̓̾̈́͌̈́̉̅̄̉͘!̷̢̧̢̤͓̭̖̝̏̏̄̓̾̉̆͋͘͝!̵͍̱̼̮̯̺̲͙̖̮̗͓̻̓̊͂̒̔͐̎͘͘̚!̵̙͍̟̌͒̃͂̎͠”̶̡̛̠̱̭̞̹̟͉̒̎̎̂͂̐̈́̓̄̚̕

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That quick boom pounded through him. His fingers faltered. The flash grenades slipped from his grip and fell. He was still recovering from the sound when they went off at his feet. The nightsight filtered the flash, so he didn’t go blind. He’d gutted the flash grenade’s speakers, so he didn’t go deaf. The peeping building could deafen him all on its own … no, this wasn’t a peeping building. He’d slew a peeping building. They were small fries by comparison.
This was an eyescraper.
Tentacles the width of busses unsheathed from its sides. Even if he’d managed to launch the grenades and bathe it in smitelight, he suspected that wouldn’t be enough.
Norman sliced at its eyes with a focused beam. It barely flinched. Maybe if it got close enough, he could affect it a bit. By then, it would be too late.
Throbbing chuffs thundered from the monster. It sounded like a laugh.
Norman shot it a defiant glare. He bolted. Not fast enough. He could feel the giant closing in. So, he moved faster. Then faster, and still faster. His muscles blared their warnings. Rain lashed his face. He felt the air begin to resist his movements as he reached a speed at which it mattered. It was in his way, so he pushed through it too. No one was there to tell him he was moving far faster than any human known to history. All he cared about was hearing that thing fall behind him, and so it did. The tremours of its tremendous movements grew fainter.
At the end of the street, an apartment building came into view. Norman threw himself against it, climbing with the reckless abandon of a madman. He was halfway to the top.
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“̷̧̨̭̹̘̥̮͖̤̻̥̬̌̀͒̔͌̊̀̚͜͜͠Ǧ̶̨̨̧̺̘̰̗̘̥̝̗̦̩͖͎͋̈͑͐̒̽̉̔͛̾̒́̕ͅM̴̨̉́̾̉͂͆̔̿̀̃̇̎̍͆̂̽͗̔͘͠ͅM̷̝̻̱̆̍͜!̴̮̬̯̮̦̖́͂̆͋̿̇̎̄̄̅̂͑̎̀̕͘͝͝͝!̸̲͎̲̼̠̮̱͖̥̭̤̩͓̘̜͈̟̖̮̰̦͖̀̂͗͂̽̈́̋͌͂̐̓̈̕!̸̜̆̿̋̔̽̕”̷̢̦̜̰̼̳̝͓̆͗̈́̆̆̑̃̾͑̀͗͒͆́͐͒̈́̿̽̕̕͜

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His grip went limp. He fell. Struck the ground. His head bounced. The world grew fu...z z y.
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W
h
y
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w
a
s
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h
e
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r
u
n
n
i
n
g
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a
g
a
i
n
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_CHAT

• LEMMY.OUTA.HERE: (Stupse) Well, he ded.
• BAJANETTE11: ARN74, JUST GO AND FIND HIM!!!
• ARN74: HE DIDN’T SEND ME DE PIN! DIS BAAARE STRESS! NORMAN, YOU PUNK! YOU EMOTIONALLY INVESTED ME IN THIS CHANNEL! IF YOU DIE NOW I’M GONNA KILL YOU!

Something was yapping in the background, but it wasn’t important. He felt fine. Everything was fine. Why not rest? Why was he even-?

_CHAT

• ARN74: YOU PROMISED ME YOU WOULDN’T LEAVE AMY!!

What? No he didn’t! Promises weren’t for trolls! Why would he leave Amy anyway?
.
.
“̸̼͔̖̜̫͍͚̊́̽͆̓̂̋̋͐̕Ģ̴̢͕͉̯̺̗̖͔͙̪͓̻̯̫̭̙̱͕̠̭̩̌M̸̨̧̘̟̹̖̻̲͍̭͓͉̰͙̦̣̜͉̻̎̅͗̇̈́̈̏͌̓̾̀̈̈́͜M̵̢̢̖̯̦͍͕̝̯̥̹̪̠̥̰̝̖̊͛̀̇͜!̵̢̡̡͚͕̘̟͕̥̦̪͆̈́̿͆!̴̛̹͈̜̥͔̬͎̪̩͚̦̯̟̘̩̰̳̍̑̂́̌͌̎́̒͋̽̿̑͌͝͝!̴̛̥͕̪͂̂̂̈̓͆͗̇̄̈́̌̅̎͂̕̚̕͝͠”̷̧̧̛̠̝̰̞̘͙̥̖͎̭̞̜̳̟̓͆̌̊̃̔́͒͋̇̈́͘̚͠͝ͅ
.
.
Oh, right. There was a skyscraper running him down. To think he lived in a world where that made any sense. He rubbed his throbbing head. It was hard to think, though.

_CHAT

• ARN74: TRY AN CLIMB DE TING OPPA!

Brain fog would have to wait.
In two twos he jumped onto the side of the building and kept going up and up without breaking the momentum of the leap. Adrenaline had challenged gravity. Gravity lost. There was no pause to assess handholds. There was no rain stinging his face. In his mind, there was only ‘CLIMB, CLIMB, CLIMB!’ Crest the rooftop. ‘RUN, RUN, RUN!’ Descend the other side ‘JUMP!’ Gravity greedily reclaimed Norman, dragging him 4 storeys down at breakneck speed. He hit the ground in a parkour roll. Bruised a bone. Nearly fractured a shoulder. Wrenched his spine. Joints, muscle, ligaments almost popped. They didn’t.
He was running again.
Norman had never heard a building shred like paper. He’d never thought to wonder what it sounded like.
*( ( BMMM! ) ) ( ( BMM! ) ) ( ( BOOM! ) ) \*

SHHHHHRRRRRRMMMM!

Now he knew.
Those booms … was it the eyescraper’s tentacles breaking the sound barrier, or punching holes through the apartment building? Maybe both. It didn’t matter. What mattered was that it was tearing the building in two with the ease of one parting curtains. Buildings were not designed to be parted. Two became legions as the sundered building collapsed.
Norman rushed for an abandoned truck, slid beneath the trailer. Not quite fast enough. Most of the rubble didn’t reach him directly, but upon hitting the ground? It pulverised into a blast of cloud like a sandstorm. Hissing beneath the trailer, the dust stung at his ankles. He ignored it, racing for the truck’s cabin at the front. Perched on the step beneath the door, he braced as the dust raced beneath, around and above him. The cabin was his shield. He flinched to a duck when its windows shattered as the dust cloud blasted straight through them. The truck rocked and slid slightly, bombarded by wind and dust. It lurched as a chunk of debris finally reached it, crumpling the trailer like cheap foil.
Time to move.
Particles prickled Norman’s eyes, finding their way through the nightsight. He took a fresh glimpse of the path ahead before clouds of grey engulfed it all.
Memorised.
He dashed on. A split second later, the cabin was levelled under a larger slab of concrete. More sporadically thundered down around him. His eyes were squeezed shut, denying entry to any more particles. He scrambled through the street, dodging obstacles from memory. As for the concrete rainfall that couldn’t be seen? He had some prayers about that, but it probably came out like half-baked gibberish.
Norman chanced opening his eyes. They watered like crazy. At least most of the dust was gone. Behind him, the eyescraper’s menacing silhouette was picking through the rubble. Finally, an unblocked street was in sight. He rounded the corner.
.
“̵̨̢̮͕̻̲̺́͠G̵̣̒́̓̽̅̊͘͝Ọ̷̝̣͓͙͔̀ͅͅǪ̷̜̺͚̲̯̭̈́̍͂͑̋̋̅͂̅́M̷̨̤̭͈̯̤͋̾̏̈̅̉̀̏͘M̵̡̢̙̱͌̊̓͒́͌Ḿ̸̳͗̀̀͐͒͗́͠ͅ!̷͍͉̣̪̫͙̳̲̤̎̀̾̅̈́̔̎̑͘͜͝͝!̴̨͈͖̘̖̅͛̋̽͠!̸͎̩͓̫̥̼̫̊”̵̫̗̞̣̝̃̅̕͘͜͜͝ͅ
.
Another peeping building, rumbling in from the new street. Alright. Straight it was.
.
“̷̢̧̻̹͚͔̾G̵̳̭̾̃̎̍̌̂̈́̂͛͘M̶̧̠͇͔͚͉̮͈̰͒͊́̏̔̄̾̊͐̒͂͜M̸̳͓̋͋̔͑̔̔̕͝Ő̷͓̟̱̮͓̍̂̾̽̇͘͠Ô̸̧̫͉̮͚̥̥̯̈̾͋̅͂͘̚M̶̢̫̥̰̮̪͙̬̙̗̺̽͒͐͌̋̈̄͆͝M̴̢̧̧̛̗͔͓̫̭̳̱͑̉!̵̡̛̛͍̲̓̅̑̈́̿̏͘̕͠!̸̧̖͔̣̩̏́͋̀͛͂̏̀̇̑͐!̴̧͕̝̮̤̱͈̬͋”̸͓̉̈́̑̎͊̌
.
Maybe not. A third building emerged from the rainfall ahead. All streets blocked. He glanced about. All alleys still blocked. This really was a hunting net, but this much energy for a tiny human? Predators weren’t usually like this.
He ran for the nearest building that wasn’t occupied by eldritch calamari.

( ( BOOMM! ) )

The eyescraper’s tentacle crossed his path. Its supersonic shockwave sent him flying.
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Norman came to. Rain poured against his face as he lay on his back. How long was he out? Why was it so cold? The atmosphere didn’t quite feel right. It didn’t look right either. Something about the colours, or subtle lack thereof. Everything seemed a bit desaturated. Norman sat up and coughed his lungs out, evicting a mix of dust and rain water collected in his slackly gaping mouth. Buildings towered above him on every side, a bit too close for comfort.
.

“̸̮̼͍̻̯̲̹͓̬̻̓̍G̷̛̖̙̰̰̟̓Ḿ̸̧̨͊̊̔͒͌̆͆͘͠͝M̷̧̺̏̿̆͑͆͋̅͌̕͝G̵̰̺͇̺̯̲͇̠͖͂͜M̸̡̨͕̹̗̥̎͑́̾!̸͇͙͚̝̩͕̙̒!̵͙̬̮̪̏̍!̶͔̪͉̙̘̃̐̄͝”̶̡̡̥̫̻̝̜̫͙̩͛ͅ

.
Oh, right, those weren’t just buildings.
Norman raised a finger, gesturing to wait. “Could you *kaff!* quit subwoofin’ at me for, like, ten seconds!”
“Plucky.̵͚͐͝ for all seasons I .̵̦̺͐̅see,” came a skin-crawling voice from behind him.
Norman swung back his smitelight. It barely moved half a foot, then it stopped. Rather, something stopped it. That ‘something’ was cold. So cold. His wrist felt the chill without even touching it.
Norman turned, slowly, so as not to trigger further attacks. He found himself looking up.
Eight feet tall. Dark grey skin. A grin that went a little too wide. Dagger teeth. An open-chested jacket, revealing sinewy muscles with luminous markings like tattoos. His ebony eyes bore penetrating white pupils. Of all his traits, the dreadlocks stood out most. They belonged in a nightmare, dancing through the air with a life of their own. Somehow, they looked blacker than black, absorbing every ray of light or heat that came their way. That icy chill in the air shifted with the movements of his dreadlocks. They seemed to drink life from the air itself. Norman almost found it hard to breathe. One dreadlock clutched Norman’s smitelight, only by the tip, but its grip was iron.
Norman stared the tall man down.
The nyctal’s grin grew by a smidgeon.
Taking a calculated risk, Norman released the smitelight. Perhaps a peace offering would do good.
“Good.̷̧͋͌̎̿ boy,” the tall man nodded, admiring the smitelight as the dreadlock rotated it. “Clever.̴̧̤̩͈͓̖͂ͅ toy.”
Norman noted an understated Jamaican accent in his voice.
More dreadlocks slithered across the smitelight, as if tasting its every nook and cranny.
Norman did his best to look casual as he scanned for an escape route. The eyescraper’s tentacles had wrapped around the street, fencing him in.

_CHAT

• BAJANETTE11: 😳
• DARCIE222: okay, i’m back
• HARD-BACK-M8N: who you is again?
• DARCIE222: i left after the twilight angel sleep paralysis
• LEMMY_OUTA_HERE: And you’re back for more?
• DARCIE222: wonna know it impossible to stay away from a channel like dis

Norman looked at the tall nyctal again.

_CHAT

• DARCIE222: 😲 WHO IS THAT?!? AND WHY IS HE KIND OF …??? 😍
• MUNSTER-VERSER: I KNOW!!!
• BAJANETTE11: HE LIKE A VAMPIRE RASTA MAN! ❤❤❤
• ENTO_MOLLY: MOVE OVER MIGUEL O’HARA!! 😍🥰😘
• BAJANETTE11: NORMAN ASK FOR HE NUMBER!!!
• NORMAN: I HERE ABOUT TO DIE AND WONNA WANT HE PHONE NUMBER!?!

The nyctal’s eyes shifted to Norman inquisitively. He frowned, raising an eyebrow as the comments piled up. Finally, he smirked mischievously.
“Your fanbase has peculiar tastes,” purred the tall man.

_CHAT

• ENTO_MOLLY: 😳 Is … he talking about us? HE CAN SEE THE CHAT???
• DARCIE222: THE WAY HE SAID IT!!!
• DARCIE222: HBVJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJKL;K''
• LEMMY_OUTA_HERE: Did she just pass out on the keyboard?
• LIKKLE-BOY: lol!
• ARN74: you’re simping. Norman’s about to die, and you’re simping

The tall man handed Norman his smitelight.
Norman’s suspicious gaze flicked between the nyctal and the weapon. Finally, he reached out and took hold of the smitelight.
It crumbled in his fingers like ice-cold ashes. If not for the insulation gloves, he might have gotten frostbite.
The nyctal laughed.
Norman didn’t find it particularly amusing.
The tall man sauntered towards the eyescraper. Beyond it was a darkness even the nightsight had difficulty piercing. He beckoned Norman as if it were an afterthought.
“Please come in, .̵̭̻͌̓̂Norman.̶̲͕͇̅̑̚,” the nyctal instructed.
Norman stared stubbornly, hands in his pockets as he rocked on his heels. He felt for his smartphone. It wasn’t there. When had he lost it?
Without looking back, the nyctal held up Norman’s phone. It disintegrated between his fingers as he rubbed them together.
Norman glared. At least the guy hadn’t pickpocketed deeply enough to find other things.
“Hey. To whom do I owe the … pleasure?” Norman almost had to push the last word through his teeth.
The nyctal stopped in the eyescraper’s doorframe. Shrouded in shadow, little could be seen of him, save the piercing white pupils peering out. Then the glint of his Cheshire grin.
“.̴̜͓̭̻̤̍̈́̆͑͑John Crow.̸̻̮̓̈́̏̓͘,” he answered, before receding into the darkness.
The eyescraper’s tentacles dragged in across the street, corralling Norman towards the building. With an exasperated groan, he trudged towards the main entrance.
“I want my bed,” grumbled Norman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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